Friday, July 31, 2009

Pictures of the Week

Grampa and Deci

Deci and Gram






Glow Worm that the Brooks got Deci.



The Elephant Nick Nick and Aunt B got Deci.




Rainy Day Fun!






Messy games with the youth group!


Ramon noodles! Yummy! :)

A tea party in a flower girl dress.

This is the dress Deci wore back in May at Wade and Kerries wedding. She was the flower girl. I love the dress so I wanted to get some more pictures of her in it. The bunny was mine when I was a little girl. I don't remember when I got it but I do remember it being one of my favorite stuffed animals.


Pop's Tracker








I love this one it looks like she is having a tea party.



Thursday, July 23, 2009

Airport parking Deck!

Today I took Kerrie to the airport. My father-in-law was coming back in at the same airport on the same day so my dad drove his car to leave it at the airport. First of all, I don't know if you have ever been into the long term parking deck at the airport but I don't advise it. It's HUGE! We drove around it circles and decided to leave and pay our dollar then go up to the "hourly" deck. We found a parking spot very easily. When we stopped I jumped out to mark exactly where we left my father-in-laws car so I could text him. I jumped back into my car along with my dad, and my cousin Leslie. (Deci was at this point screaming in her car seat)


So, we are on our way out of the parking deck, winding down from the third floor. When we reach the exit gate I realize that I don't have my ticket to exit the parking deck. It cost $24 if you lose your ticket! I ask the lady if I can drive back up to where we parked the first time and see if it fell out when I jumped out. The lady said "Sure, just back up. You can't leave without a ticket." I asked twice "So, I can just turn around and drive back up?" "Yes, Yes." was her reply. So off we go back up the exact exit we came out just to be sure we would get back up to the exact spot we stopped to let Kerrie out. On the way up we realize we have made a big mistake and we CAN'T go up the exit ramp because it is ONE WAY! As a car was coming down I had to hurry and make a 3 point turn. Let me remind you Deci was still screaming in the back seat and Leslie has to go to the bathroom really bad!





We finally decide just to park at the bottom and walk up. Me, Deci and my Dad (Leslie really had to pee so she made her way to the airport) walked back up the winding ramp to the third level, across the parking deck to section C. Searching the ground as we got closer hoping that we would see the parking ticket. Right as we arrive I put my hands in my pocket and guess what I found???? The TICKET!!!! Yes, right in my pocket the whole time! By now Dad had to go to the restroom so we took a visit inside the airport then walked back to the car parked at the bottom of the parking deck. When I drove back through the exit gates (for the third time) and gave the same lady my ticket and money she said "we appreciate your business!" hahahaha! I don't even have enough in me to share the story of getting back on the interstate! Lets just say that I tried it once before I got out and let my dad drive! He just says it's the Evans coming out in me! :)

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Oh the times I've laughed this week!

This week we have been recovering from Vacation and Deci has been in rare form! Here are some silly things she has done this week!


First off one morning she demanded that she wear her life jacked around the house and she kept saying, "Two, Two, Three, Jump Pool!" She hasn't got "one" down yet.

I have fed her Grill Cheese and Tomato soup twice this week and this is how she drank her tomato soup both nights!


These next two guys are from our community group...well, Seth isn't he just came last night to hang out but Deci was real attached to them for some reason. After Bible study we watched a movie and she sat in between them both the whole time. It was really cute.

(Seth)



(Patrick)


This below is our community group/small group. I Love them! Last night we watched "Coraline" in 3-D. Before the movie started one of the guys put his hand under the couch for some reason and pulled out a piece of hard cheese that was half eaten!!!!!! That's what happens when you have a toddler in your house! Food turns up EVERYWHERE!!!




Last... My brother Kyle has been living with us for the past month. His roommate got married and he had to find another place to live. He found another place but he had to wait for the power to get turned on and then he found out that the house only had a bath and no shower! Weird huh? Well, Deci loves Kyle being there. She obviously thinks he is part of the family now. The other day I was reading her a book and it was talking about a family of 4. Mom, Dad, Sister and Brother. I pointed to each one and asked her who they were. She got the mom and dad right. When I pointed to the daughter she said, "Deci" and guess who she said the boy was? "Kyle!" So funny! Kyle moved out yesterday so I'm sure Deci will be wondering where her "brother" went! Here is the page from the book.







Saturday, July 18, 2009

Vacation at the Beach!

I realize I haven't blogged in a while and I realize that it's turning into a once a week/picture of the week blog which I didn't intend for it to be BUT this week my blog was so far from my mind and it was nice. I do love blogging or I wouldn't blog but this week we were on Vacation at Perdido Key and it was very relaxing. We went with some of our friends. Well, actually a lot of our friends... 22 of us exactly and one in the oven! Here are some pictures from the week at the beach!

Me and My sister-in-law Kerrie. You can see Deci's head at the bottom of this picture because she wouldn't let go. She was trying to pull us apart. I guess she wanted to be in the picture too. Kerrie's Blog is http://www.kerriewade.blogspot.com/
Kerrie and Deci

Allison and Adam Ragsdale



AnaRuth


The Brown Family

The Stewart's. Jessica (Pregnant with Andeigh Grey), AnaRuth, and Kevin


Deci was not all about taking this picture.


This is one of the nights that we cooked. This was close to the end of the week and I was sick of seafood so I ordered Taco Pizza!

Kiss Kiss

Our View of the Bay from our Condo


Relaxing on the Beach!

Clapping for the Tigers at the Zoo!





Brylee and Deci


Kevin with all the girls from our room.


Sunday, July 5, 2009

Pictures of the Week!

VBS Kick Off Party




Deci's first horse ride! I know I'm crazy for getting on a horse with white pants! I didn't have time to go home and change...and yes I did have a big brown spot on my bottom the rest of the day!


I love this picture of Brittany and Kailey! They look so much alike!



Amy and Deci! She was so nice to go through the obstacle with Deci. It was wet from rain and I still had on my white pants! :) By the way I think Amy was having more fun than Deci!




Kerrie and Wade brought over a firework for Deci, yes, I said "A" firework! ha ha! I guess they are starting a tradition because they brought one over last year too. She doesn't look too impressed but look at Wade and Kerrie's faces!!!



The rest of these are from a Wedding Shower we had for a couple from Church that got married on the beach a few weeks ago...yes, a shower after the wedding! We had an homemade ice cream get together outside. Come to find out the bride is lactose intolerant!! Yeah, she didn't even tell me! She can't have ice cream! I felt horrible! That's all we had! :)






Deci and Uncle "Nick Nick"






The Groom and Bride (Michael and Heather Bledsoe)...who, let me remind you, can NOT have ice cream at her very own homemade ice cream party!

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Mexico

So Mexico was incredible this summer. It was hard that Audge and Deci were not with me. I miss them a lot and I begin to see Deci in all the little kids in the canal. The highlights are as follows. We built a house in two days for a family that were new Christians. They were incredibly happy and thankful for everything we were doing. Francisco (the father of the family) helped us every step of the way and is continuing to help other people receive houses as well. We played soccer after the tournament that a couple of people in our group put on. Believe it are not us gringos actually won the game. We cooked up 80 pounds of chicken for everyone in the village and they really enjoyed that.
I guess the favorite part of the trip this time was going back to Sister Elma's orphanage. It had been a couple of trips since I had gone to the orphanage and to be honest was not over excited about going back. When we got there all the kids lined up and started singing us songs. It was really sweet. I noticed that there was a girl who was sitting in the back and not singing. It really looked like she just didn't want to sing. To be honest, she just looked sad. I got busy talking to Sister Elma and when I came back into the courtyard everyone in our group was playing with the kids from the orphanage. I noticed that the same girl whom I had noticed was sitting at a table by herself. I went and sat down across from her and began just to talk. Soon a translator joined me and I came to learn that she had just arrived at the orphanage a few days earlier. She went on to say that some bad things had happened at her home and she really just wanted her mom back. I found out her name was Norma. She wants to be a rockstar when she gets older and play the bass(ironically the instrument of my choosing). She likes to write. She wants to be with her family for Christmas. She's never known her dad. She loves music and got to listen to it through my ipod. She brought very few things with her. As me and Norma sat there and talked I told her I was going to bring a bass guitar with me this Christmas for her. I was flipping through my poetry journal when I found a sticker I had stuck in there. I gave it to Norma and told her to hold onto it and she could put it on her bass when she got it. The sticker said "Innerlight". That is what Norma had. She was so hopeful and so open. She was full of trust and compassion, even without knowing what the future held. It was most inspiring. As she was hanging me back my ipod she took out some stickers she had and placed a large heart on the back of the ipod. That sticker is one of the greatest gifts I have ever been given. That night I when we got back to our camp I wrote a Mexico inspired poem. It had been a while. I hope you enjoy it.

I've been looking for a journey to
travel most my life.
Something with sustenance. Like a sandwich
with so much mustard that when you bite
down it squeezes out the side. Runs down your
chin. Leaves a taste in your mouth.
Too often I feel like I'm chewin on
stale bread. With crumbs fallin south
all over me. Leavin traces of a journey
but one that didn't really taste that good.
I ate it because eatin is what you do.
I walked the journey cause I should,
not because my heart bled out for it.
Not because my soul screamed for it.
I don't want to walk just to walk anymore.
Life's journey is not a school track.
It's an adventure. It's dirt roads in Mexico.
It's a poor man's smile. It's not turning back.
It's pizza with a single mom and her daughter.
It's a widow's orphanage.
It's Africa and India and Ireland and Alder Springs.
It's giving thanks for a bowl of grits.
It's walking in the way and finding the narrow path.
It's going where our strength would fail
and leaning on His. It's about finally grasping
life and following a man down a shepherd's trail.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

My Breakfast Nook

As I sat at my usual seat at our Kitchen table this morning eating breakfast. Quinton was fast asleep in bed. (And kyle was fast asleep too. My brother is staying in our guest room right now.) I sat in peace. My wonderful mother-in-law kept Deci for us last night. I had my back to the dirty living room with towels piled in one chair, clothes in the other chair, toys EVERYWHERE... But what I was looking at is my favorite corner in our house. It is the one corner that I've put time into decorating. See, I love my Tall table that I got from K-mart right after me and Q got married. I love the cheap light that I bought at Lowe's because it was the only one we could afford. I love when the blinds to the windows in this corner are open like they were this morning so that I can see the big oak tree in the back yard with Deci's swing hanging. This is where I sit every morning to eat breakfast...my breakfast nook. Most mornings I look to my left to see my little girl in her high chair eating with me. We eat breakfast together every morning. This morning I was all alone and it was very peaceful.