First Easter in Texas!

Well, we sure did enjoy a wonderful Easter here in Texas...

...gathered with new friends, a delicious feast, kids playing and laughing, music, sharing stories...an overflow of blessings.

We were invited to a friend's home to join a few other families for Easter.   We drove out to Anna, TX (literally, a one stoplight town) and gathered at our friend's mini-farm.  I'm not sure what else to call it...they have a bunch of acres, horses, goats, dogs, cats, bees...and there may be some other critters I missed.  The kids were hoping to go horse back riding, but, alas,  the weather did not cooperate.  But on the bright side, the lack of riding means that we are going out again sometime...so we are thrilled with another opportunity to hang out with the T family :) 

We all brought dishes to share and enjoyed a delicious feast.  One friend brought smoked pulled pork that he had cooked in his Big Green Egg...yep, that was pretty much amazing!  I had never heard of a Green Egg...now I'm trying to figure out how to get one :)  The rest of us pulled our resources and we ended up with homemade rolls, sweet potatoes, green beans, pasta salad, rice salad, rosemary bread...my mouth is watering just remembering it.

And one friend was in charge of dessert...yep, she made these...yep, they were as good as they look!

Hello Easter Bunny!

The kids enjoyed an egg hunt that led them back to the "empty tomb" and somehow they even listened to some of the teaching that Joe had for them...there was a good sized crowd of kids, and they were excited...great job Joe...thanks for caring for our children's hearts.

The day continued with sweet fellowship, kids playing, and music.  Yes, later in the afternoon the guitars came out...and a bass...and a violin made an appearance for a bit, but I'm not sure if it ever joined the others.  Steve had a blast and I think the others did too...it was wonderful :)

The Worship Band~

Here's a clip of the band in action...enjoy!

 
Later in the afternoon, the ladies were gathered around the coffee table, enjoying coffee and conversation, while listening to the worship music the musicians were playing in the other room, and listening to the sweet sounds of our kids playing in the front yard (now that the rain had cleared out) and I was amazed by how much I felt at home...here in this house I had never been to before, here with families we are just getting to know...already sharing life with new friends...and I was overcome with thankfulness.  Thank you, T family for sharing your gift of hospitality...it was refreshing to my soul...it was refreshing to my family :) 

Wiggly Baby Gray and a new friend~

We topped off our trip home with this pretty scene as we left Anna, Texas...so pretty!
 

Thank you Lord, for the new friendships you are growing here in TX :)


Hope you had a blessed Easter!
Rach

Let's Talk About the Weather

Wow...what a crazy afternoon!

Steve called me this afternoon to let me know that Dallas was having some severe weather and he thought there was a Tornado Watch in effect.  I hopped on the internet and the lead news story I saw was about the twin twisters that hit Dallas...okay, now you've got my attention.

I asked the girls to get their bike helmets and put on their socks and shoes and plan for some time in the "safe closet"...our master closet.  They made sure to get their kitties and I scooped up Gracia so she could join them in the closet.  Then I was off to quickly check some things...weather radio: check, filled water bottles: check, diaper bag with wallet, keys, etc: check, flashlight: check, book to read to the girls: check, cards to play a game: check, windows opened: check, laptop: check, iPhone: check.

I called Steve to check on him...I very much wanted him to come home, but also realized that it would be safest if he waited until the storms passed before leaving Dallas.  The sirens went off when I was talking to him...and then I almost panicked.

The sound of tornado sirens is eerie...and I remember well the sirens when I lived in Nebraska.  But back then I was a kid.  I knew how devastating and dangerous tornadoes can be...I would even say I respected them...but I was just a kid.  I remembered spending hours, sometimes days it seemed, in our basement...but I was just a kid.  I remembered being stuck at Independence Day festivities one July 4th while twin twisters headed right for us and being very afraid...but I was just a kid.

...but now I am a Mom...

...and today kinda scared me.

Thankfully the fear didn't last long.  When I heard the sirens, I almost cried.  But I knew that would not help my girls.  I gathered my thoughts, God got me under control, and I joined my girls in the closet.  We all got comfy...except Gracia...she was miserable with her helmet on...see :)

One of these things is not the like the others~

I explained to the girls the best I could without scaring them...I mean, come on, Mom doesn't usually make us wear our helmets and sit in the closet...they knew this was not a regular thunderstorm.  They were great...they did what I asked when I asked...and they were being very brave.  I explained that Daddy was going to stay in the city longer than usual until it was safe for him to drive home.  We called him on the phone just as he got the warning for everyone in his building to seek shelter in the stairwell.  We lost power for a few minutes and used the flashlight for a while.  At one point the flashlight went off too...that made Sophia nervous, but she handled it like a trooper until I got the candle lit.  Gracia, however, did not like the sudden darkness and proceeded to make it known.  And through it all, Bella remained cool, calm, and collected.  

The girls were watching a DVD about weather when all this began...I kid you not :)  I had gotten it at the library the day before because I thought it would be a good science lesson.  So, I encouraged them that we were learning about weather first hand...these would be lessons we would not soon forget.  

But the thing I really wanted them to remember...the "lesson" I for sure wanted them to know was that they could trust God.  I sure didn't want to scare them and this was not the best time for a deep, theological lesson...some simple truths would suffice.  I reminded them (and it was good for me too) that no matter what happened, God loves them.  And no matter how this afternoon turned out, God is good.  I wasn't overly worried about the afternoon turning out super bad, but the thought did occur to me that I would want them to hear these truths and I would want them to know that this is what I believed no matter what happened the rest of the day.  

Even when things look horrible and do not turn out the way we want, we can trust that our Lord sees us, is not surprised by anything, and that He is trustworthy and loving...even if it doesn't make sense to us...this is what I wanted my girls to hear.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."  Romans 8: 28


Now before you go thinking we proceeded by singing Kumbaya while we had our candles lit...remove that image from your mind:)  We wrapped up this very deep truth by playing a rousing game of Go Fish, talking with Daddy, talking with my parents, talking with some friends who called to check on us, listening to the radio, and reading :)

Snuggled up with a good book~

We stayed in the closet almost two hours...the storms let up enough that I felt it was safe to leave our closet shelter and take our helmets off...yes, I wore one too :)  Gracia took a nap while the big girls finished watching the weather DVD.  And we enjoyed a great big family hug when Steve arrived safely home :) 


Lord, thank you for keeping my family safe...and please be with those whose lives have been sadly affected by these storms.


Hoping tomorrow is a milder day~
Rach

Everything's Bigger in Texas

You've heard the saying...

...I'm offering the proof :) 

Mr. Big Frog and my size 8.5 foot~

We met this Big Guy as we were getting ready to head home from dinner at a new friend's house.  It was, literally, a dark and stormy night...and he had come out to play :)

We found him in the driveway and I tried to get him to hop away because I sure didn't want Steve to accidentally hit him as he was pulling up the car to pick us up.  He almost hopped into the garage instead of out into the yard...I think it was the sound of all the kids squealing and giggling that made him reconsider the safety of the garage :)  

All the kids (at least I think all...there were 8 of them there:) thought he was great and we enjoyed watching him act all mean and threatening by lifting himself up on his legs and puffing up his body.  

Sophia and a new friend doing their best frog impression~

Bella and her prince?  Kiss me, Bella :)

Oh, sorry, got a little carried away with the excitement about Mr. Big Frog...

...yes, we were at a new friend's house having dinner...isn't that coolio:)  

God has been very kind and gracious to our family to begin knitting us into this local church rather quickly...or, it could be, that we're just a bit obnoxious and invite ourselves over to other people's houses...like we did this night.  But we bribed them with burgers and hot dogs, and you know, they're super nice...so we kind of had them right where we wanted them :)  

All kidding aside, it was a wonderful night for Steve and I and our sweet girls too and we are very thankful for the new friendships that God is growing...thank you V family for opening your home and heart to us :)

So Mr. Big Frog was just a funny end to a super fun evening of food and fellowship with new friends~

God bless~
Rach

Necessity is the Mother of Invention

"Necessity is the mother of invention."  Plato

...or in this case, it could have been boredom...

...but who cares...look how resourceful they are...

I was sitting at the computer, trying to get some auto insurance stuff figured out, when I heard gales of gleeful giggles...and saw Sophia swinging by the front window :)

The girls had tied a rope they found in the garage around a branch in the tree in the front yard.  Then they added a pillow from the couch for padding and viola...they had a swing!

I was complimenting them on their achievement, when Sophia proudly declared, "Man, we are clever!"  Yes, honey, you two sure are :)

Notice how they change and add to the pillow(s) until they found a combo that was the most comfy :)

The final seat solution...two pillows for gluteus maximus comfort!

It's a beautiful spring day here in Frisco...

Have a blessed day~
Rach

How Now Brown Cow

The girls and I were on our way home from a park a few weeks ago when we passed by these guys...just a mile or two from our home.

We stopped, watched, and took some pictures...very cool, don't you think?

Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You?

How's that for Texas scenery?  

Hope you're able to get out and enjoy some new sights in your part of the country~
Rach

Gracia @ 9 months

Yes, 9 months...actually, more than that...she'll be 10 months old in a couple of weeks :)

So here's our Top 10 bits and clips about Baby Gray at this stage and age.

1.  She is fun and funny!  She is still pretty good-natured and easy going.  She's back into a good sleeping groove since she got her crib back.  She is generally happy and loves to smile and laugh :)  She also likes to growl...it's pretty funny, but, in all honesty, it does sound spooky at times.  Sometimes she just crawls around growling, but of course she stops as soon as I try to record it.

2.  She began crawling just after she turned 6 months old and has not slowed down since...she is busy, busy and all over the place.  She began pulling up when we were in NC over Christmas break and even learned how to navigate the single step between the family room and kitchen.  We were blessed to have dinner at a friend's house in early February and she even figured out how to get up their stairs...I found her on step #3!  She is cruising and sometimes goes from coffee table to couch or chair to chair...walking may not be too far away :)  One of her favorite "games" is to crawl in and out and around the chairs under the kitchen table.  Here's our crawler in action :)



3.  She is growing well, but has been declining in percentiles on the growth chart...she's down to 3%...just a cute, little bean.  All of her gross and fine motor skills are great, so her doctor isn't worried, but we are working hard to try to plump her up :)  She measured fairly tall when she was born and is now around 50%, so she may not be as tall as her sisters.  Here she is ordering lunch...and picking her nose :)



4.  She loves the dishwasher...more specifically, she loves playing with water on the dishwasher door when it's down.  So now I add clean water and let her splash away...silly girl :) 

5.  She likes to dance :)  Right now her moves consist of sitting and bobbing up and down, but one day I'm sure she'll be a dynamo...she hears music and starts moving...it's like she can't help it :)

6.  She loves her sisters...they both have a special way with her.  Sophia is able to get the biggest laughs and giggles out of her and she loves to be held by Bella.  She loves to play "chase" around the coffee table with them...it is too cute!  Even though this picture is blurry, I just LOVE it...those precious smiles...my precious girls :)

Three giggly Gonzales girls~

7.  Laundry is one of her favorite "toys"...she sees a pile of laundry and makes a beeline to it...and has the best time playing in it :)  Here she is playing in a crib sheet~

Peek-a-Boo!

8.  She has crazy hair!  One friend gave it a great name...dandelion hair!  We love it :)

Dandelion Hair~

9.  She has four teeth and is not afraid to use them.  For some reason she liked to try her choppers out on my shoulder...I successfully taught her "no bite"...my shoulder thanks me.  She also likes to bite her spoon as hard as she can...I think it's a game to her to see how long she can keep it :)

10.  She has this crazy "head waggle" that she likes to do...she looks like she's saying NO, but she really thinks it's funny :) 

Hope you enjoyed your "Gracia fix"~
Rach

The Kindness of Strangers

Last week, my sweet daughters experienced a Random Act of Kindness...an anonymous couple blessed them...and God shined :)

It was last Tuesday and we were on our way home from the library when I remembered that we needed just a few apples to get us through til Thursday, grocery day.  I figured we might as well run that errand now since we were out.  I hadn't planned on swinging by Sprouts, but I found myself turning right instead of going straight to head home.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I remembered that Mardell's is right next to Sprouts.  Mardell's is a Christian bookstore and it had been recommended to me by a home schooling mom I had met the week before.  She had raved about the place, so we thought it might be fun to just check it out...plus, they have some home school resources and I'm always interested in looking at home school stuff :)   

So, I pitched the idea to the girls and they were up for checking out a new place.  The plan was to just stop in and get an idea of what the store was like.   

Sophia spotted the "lovey display" as soon as we walked in...she has a thing for stuffed animals...and we have too many of them...even after we thinned them out for the move :)  In typical Sophia style, she immediately picked one out that she loved and decided that she had to have it.  She has a gift card still from Christmas and I assured her that if she thought about it and still wanted the lovey, then I would bring her back in a few days so she could buy it.  Sophia is pretty impulsive, so we usually make her wait before we let her buy something she has picked out...thankfully, both my big girls are used to this and rarely make a fuss about not getting something.  She squeezed her "new lovey" and assured Lulu (she had already named it) that she would be back in a few days to bring her home......she also found about 40 other things that she wanted in our brief visit...gotta love that kid :)


As we were leaving, a store employee stopped me and told me that an older couple had purchased a stuffed animal for Bella and Sophia.  She took them over to the display and they each got to pick out a new lovey...somehow they picked the same one :)  The employee told me that the anonymous couple had seen the girls looking at the lovies and had simply wanted to bless them.  They were delighted and I was in awe.

I loved watching them...the surprise, the delight...it was precious!  But what I love most was how God shined.  We talked about how we hadn't even planned on going to the grocery store, and had definitely not planned to check out the new store next to it.  God had directed our steps to have us there at the right time.  And He had directed the timing of the sweet, anonymous couple to be there at the same, right time.  We talked about how God got the glory because the couple had done this in secret...they didn't want to shine, they just wanted to bless.  

But most importantly, we talked about how we miss PA and our friends and our church...and how God surely sees and understands.  I believe our Lord wanted the girls to know that He knows it is hard, but they are right where He wants them to be.  They thought the whole thing was pretty neato...but it was the sparkle in Bella's eyes and the smile on her face that especially blessed me as she talked about how in the whole big world, God had sent her a gift to remind her of His care, to remind her that He sees her, to show His love for her.  This move has been especially hard on Bella and it was simply kind of God to reach out to her, to show her that she is important and special...it was simply kind of God to give my sweet, struggling, brave daughters a tangible reminder of His good plans.  To them, it is not just a stuffed animal...it is a fuzzy faith builder.


I love you, Lord...and I thank you for the stuffed kitties that now live in our home.  Thank you for the sweet couple who gave them to our girls...Lord, bless them.  And Lord, thank you for being very real to my girls...thank you Lord for reminding them that you see them and you love them.  Thank you for reminding them (and me) that You direct our steps.  Jesus, please continue to grow their faith~


I hope you experience a Random Act of Kindness...or maybe you can be that for someone else :)


God bless~
Rach