Trick-or-Treating

In the small town where Justin is the Interim Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, they have an annual trick-or-treating downtown.  It is so neat because the whole town turns out in costumes, and all the businesses pass out candy.  There is a parade, churches pass out free food and drinks, people have their friendly dogs with them, and it is just a lot of fun.  Our girls loved every moment, and we got tons of candy :)  I must say, this is one happy thing I missed about America and I was very thankful to experience it tonight.  Saturday night we'll trick-or-treat in our town, then Sunday, the church has a fall festival.  I love costumes and candy---so, it'll be fun.  I am, however, on-my-tip-toes-excited about Christmasy things around the corner.

Southern Drawl

Slowly, slowly, Madelyn is loving school.  She doesn't love getting out of bed, or eating breakfast, but, is starting to love being at school.  She has a BFF whom she named "Maddie" until the 3rd week of school when we discovered by asking her mom that her real name was "Savannah."  Madelyn and Savannah eat lunch together every day, play "ladybugs" on the swings at recess, and hug tightly before we leave school every day.  They tell secrets, they hold hands, and Madelyn says, "I just love her sooooo much, she is my best friend."

Madelyn came home from this school this week talking very southern.  Like the kind that makes you laugh out loud...even though I know we also have southern drawls.  We were doing her reading homework and she was practicing some "Am I" sentences.  Her "Am I a..." sounds like:

Am I a car?
"Aim ah uh car?"

Oh, it is so stinking funny.  But, she is learning how to read.  So, there ya go.

Did I mention that I joined a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group?  I just looked up the national website and searched.  There is one 30 minutes away, in Columbus, MS.  It was really priceless to sit with other moms for 2 hours while my kids were taken care of in their own classes.  I learned, once again, the value of filling up my own cup.  "Marty" spoke on how she collects tea cups, and as a reminder, it helps to fill our own cups so we can pour out to our families and other responsibilities.  Filling our cups as moms could include anything we do for ourselves that helps us to feel better---ex., reading a book, exercising, friends, etc.  So, it was a great reminder, and my cup got filled.  I will look forward to those two days a month that I can go fellowship with other mommas.

Just a little update, I'm feeling much less bluish these days.  I appreciate your kind words and prayers...the Father really is mending me.  He always does.

Love.

Dinner with New Friends

 Eating on the floor

 I love this woman, already

 Telling a funny story

Eating Popsicles 

We were greeted by familiar smells of Indian food!  We ate, laughed, and told stories.  We spoke in some Hindi, and we were all excited about it.  At the end of the night, we had new friends that we were excited to have spent a meal with.  There will be more to come, and we are thrilled that the Father allowed us to have a small taste of India, right where we are in Kennedy, AL.  He is so good to us.

Pray for:

Our new friends, as they do not believe in the Father

A woman who has "befriended" them who is over the top and pushy about her faith--even to us

Their children, 9th and 3rd graders in a school where they are the only Indians

Us--as we continue building a relationship with this precious family

Pride-popper

OK.  If you know me, you know I'm transparent.  It is a blessing and a curse.  In this life we live, being transparent means you are vulnerable to someone holding something against you later on.  You have to trust that the Lord will use it in another's life for encouragement when you share your struggles openly, you know?  Well, I'm just at a strange place emotionally, sort of bluish.  Would you pray for me?  I would chalk a lot of how I'm feeling to reverse culture shock, but knowing that doesn't make it easy.  I feel sort-of weak asking you to pray for me as I go through reverse culture shock, and I am weak, but for you to see it is a pride popper.

Anyway, thank you.  :)

On another, not-so-blue-note, Catharine had a great "adventure" with her Nana and Pop that included her dear cousin John David.  She also got to see her Uncle Alan for the first time in over a year, which delighted her beyond words.  That girl is a grownie.  She is stinking smart, and sensitive---anyway, pictures from the "adventure" to come soon.

We're in the market for some furniture and anything else you put in a house.  We are excited about a $20, used, Pottery Barn coffee table that we found on Craigslist---PrOjEct!  Yeah!  So, that'll be fun.

And, Justin is preaching again tomorrow at Shiloh, as Interim Pastor.  Yup, I'm a preacher's wife.  Crazy, this life I'm living.  Ya just never know what is coming down the pike...

Happy Sunday!

Love.

Haircut

Before...

 After!

 Doesn't she look like a big girl?!

The highlights...

Madelyn is learning how to read, and for the most part, enjoys being at school.  The "going to" school is something she may never love, but being there is great.

Catharine's skin is a daily battle.  Her skin is not only sensitive to heat or cold, but also to grass and other allergens.  She looked her best during a round of recent antibiotics, but after the medicine, she is back to a daily battle of keeping it under control.

Elizabeth is running, walking backwards, talking (new words daily) and loving her Mema, Nana, and Pop.  She is always making us laugh with her spunky personality.

Justin is filling in as Interim Pastor at a church not far from his parents' house.  We are staying with them for a time, and are continuing to look for a full time Pastorate.

At this time, we are not making plans on moving to Wake Forest as we had originally planned.  Justin will continue to work on finishing school long distance which will take about 2 years.  I am hoping to start a nursing program next fall, somewhere close to wherever we will be living.

First day

The first day went something like this...

• She giggled in excitement all the way to school
• She held my hand all the way to her classroom, and tried to run to her class but I wouldn't let go until we were at the door
• She immediately found her seat and was introduced to two little girls sitting next to her
• Met a friend named "Maddy" who told her a secret and ate lunch with her, Madelyn told me she shared her M&M's with Maddy :)
• Her teacher told me that she asked if she could take a nap because she was so tired, and also asked for a snack because she was hungry
• When she saw me, she immediately frowned and complained that she wanted to ride the bus
• She held my hand on the way to the car and then told me, Mema, and Catharine on the way home all about her day
• She said she worked really hard all day and was very thirsty because the work caused her to sweat a lot, it was hard, hard work (lol)
• She is excited about returning tomorrow

So, I would say, a successful day!

Kindergarten!!

Yesterday, we picked out 5 outfits for her to wear this week (so no arguing). We packed her backpack with her required folder, clipboard, and crayon pouch. We made her lunch together, she helped spread the peanut butter. She chose, peanut butter and cherry jelly, cheese stick, apples, Cheeto's, Nutter Butter's (with a small handful of M&M's) and white grape peach juice in her cup. :)

I spent a long time making some decorations last night so Madelyn would wake up and see them before she goes to her first day of school. It was a great distraction for me, but then at 5 am, I woke up wide eyed and couldn't stop thinking about my baby girl going to kindergarten! I laid there thinking about what her first day would be like, things I wanted to tell her before she got out of the car, things I hoped she would remember. I realized that she would be away from us for 35 hours a week, and then gulped. I thought about how much she would be learning, the friends she would make. How different our lives will be. I was excited for her and also sad because she is getting so big. Then, at 5:30, she crawled into bed with me :) and whispered, "Mommy, is it time for school yet?"

Sigh.

My sweet girl. She is so extroverted, like me. She will do great. She will love it. She is strong and smart and brave. She loves people and learning. And I will be fine too.

We got up and she saw her decorations. She was very pleased with the swirly letters that spelled out "kindergarten" and the hearts I added to each letter to make them "special." She noticed every detail, as I knew she would. And she moved a chair in front of them so she could sit and look. Man, I love that girl.

For breakfast I cut waffles into "Ks" and she had them with peanut butter and honey, a side of peaches, and of course, chocolate milk :)

I took her to school, and we held hands the whole way in. I had to keep her from running to her classroom when she saw the apple tree in front of her door. When we got to her room, she ran in and found her seat. That was it. No good-byes or hugs! So, I chatted with her teacher (whom I already adore) and then called her name to say good-bye, blew a kiss, and off I went!

Pictures to come tonight...

:)