Snow in Texas

Here's a picture I know my northern friends will enjoy! We had a "Snowfest" back in December with snow sprayed in from a machine. It was about 80 degrees, as you can see from my boys' shorts and sandals. I'm sure next winter will be a completely different story!

The Adventure Continues

Most of you know this story because I sent it out in a Reid Report, but I thought I'd put the "official story" of our impending move on my blog with some updates at the end. The original Reid Report is italicized.

It has taken me awhile to figure out how to put this, so I'll just spit it out....we're moving. Again. I know, I know, didn't we just do this? Let me start at the beginning.

Ever since Gregory was born, Aaron has had a huge desire to move back up north where he grew up. (Superior, Wisconsin) We have prayed for almost 5 years for the Lord to grant this heart's desire if it was what He wanted for us. Doors have closed -- slammed closed -- for all that time. And when we moved to Houston, we didn't know if this dream would ever come true because we knew He wanted us to move here. We just didn't know how long He wanted us to stay.

Back in September, Aaron's brother Chris talked to him about a position he thought Aaron would be good for with his company, Superior Steel in Spicer, Minnesota. He offered Aaron the job, which began a huge time of prayer and searching for us. We did not want to uproot again so quickly unless this was really God's will. It wasn't until weeks later when the Lord finally gave us this peace we could not explain about moving and Aaron leaving Coca-Cola. Aaron was driving into work one morning when he felt God speak directly to his heart. It was the confirmation we needed.

One interesting note here is that the job at Superior Steel is very similar to the work Aaron has done in Houston - Supply Chain Manager for North America (he'd be working with steel suppliers instead of Coca-Cola/Minute Maid suppliers). God always prepares you for the next step!

So, our house has been on the market (please pray about that) and Aaron is hoping to start in Minnesota late March/early April -- that part is not finalized yet. We are excited about living so much closer to Chris and Syna and their children, plus being only a few hours from Greg and Jocelyn, Aaron's parents.

But we are also heartbroken about having to leave the church family here at Crossbridge. We have made friendships that will last forever. We have learned so much and our faith has grown in tremendous ways. Houston friends, we love you HUGELY. How can we thank you for your friendship, support, prayers, and fellowship over this past year?

So we plan on just enjoying our time here as much as possible. It's been an awesome experience that we will never forget.

-- So, since that email a few weeks ago, we have had lots of showings...but no offers. Those of you with young children know the challenge of keeping your house "show ready" at a moment's notice - it can be rather hectic. But we feel optimistic and know God will bring the right buyers at His perfect timing. We'll keep you posted!

Book It!

(Remember when Pizza Hut bribed kids to read with pizza? Works for me. Do they still do that?)

I so love a good story. Give me well-written book with characters I love, and I’m just one happy chick. Sometimes it’s not even a story, but a book with insight and wisdom that really captures me. I put it down and say, “Wow, I needed that. I learned something new today.”

“A book ought to be an ice pick to break up the frozen sea within us.” -- Frank Kafka

“Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” – Henry Ward Beecher

“Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed on and digested.” – Francis Bacon

Call me weird (you already do, I know) but I love to record throughout the year the titles I’ve read and their authors. It’s fun to look back and see how my tastes have or haven’t changed, and how I follow certain genres or authors. I also try to challenge myself with how many I can read in a year. I usually land somewhere between 25 and 30, depending on how crazy life is.

(This is where my sweet husband shakes his head. His reading life is all about a few good books: the Bible, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia, and anything John Eldredge writes. Oh, and he’s also read Heir to a Dream, the story of basketball legend Pistol Pete, several times. He finds reading to be the best way to fall asleep, basically. I think the same thing about ice-fishing. Love you, Aaron!! Hopefully, I can help my boys find good “guy” books as they grow up and help them love reading as well as sports and hunting and other activities. You men who are readers, how did your love of reading happen? Through parents? teachers?)

In the fiction category, I had two favorites last year – Midwives by Chris Bohjahlian (gotta love that name) and Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. Both writers are amazing at crafting a story with characters you never forget.

A little book that rocked my world was Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. He writes about the Christian faith in such a new and original way. His book…I can’t describe this the way I want to…it just completely enlarged my view of Christ, the church, and community.

I hope this year continues to be a year of growth and discovery. Feel free to pass on any recommendations!

“This habit of reading, I make bold to tell you, is your pass to the greatest, the purest, and the most perfect pleasure that God has prepared for His creatures. It lasts when all other pleasures fade. It will support you when wall other recreations are gone. It will last until your death. It will make your hours pleasant to you as long as you live.” --Anthony Trollope

Mean Girls

This post has been brewing in my mind for awhile now, but it wasn’t until I talked with a few friends recently that I felt compelled to “blog” it.

I never saw the movie, “Mean Girls”, but I’ve known my share. I’ve even been one a time or two, I’m regret to admit. I’m realizing that mean girls just grow up to be mean mommies. Here are a few examples…

A friend of mine in Michigan was recently at a Bible Study where the ladies were talking about their recent holiday travels. One woman was sharing her harrowing tale of the cross-country road trip with her children who all had a stomach virus. You can color in the details yourself!

As the other moms felt her pain and sympathized, one woman blurted out, “Well, what do you expect when you have your children in public schools?!?” This poor mother just stared at her and finally stammered, “They hadn’t been in school for a week! It was Christmas vacation!” Why did this woman feel the need to simply be mean and self-righteous?

Another friend of mine here in Texas had taken her boys to Chuck E. Cheese (age 2 and 4 at the time) and they were playing on the rides. She was sort of “circling” the place to keep an eye on both of them. When it was time to eat, she gathered her youngest and was carrying him to their table when an older woman approached her.

“Are you his mother?” this woman asked with a harsh look in her eyes. My friend smiled and said, “Yes, I am!!” The older woman proceeded to tell her how she could’ve walked off with her son whom she was “neglecting” as he played. My friend said she could feel the blood rushing to her face with anger. She ended up having a shouting match with this woman – attracting a crowd of parents and children alike.

Once I became a mom, I was surprised at how defensive I could become about my own child, my own way of mothering. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve become much more grace-giving to other mothers. We’re all just doing the best we can! It’s such a hard job and I wish we could be more cheerleaders to each other instead of judges and snobs.

From my perspective, moms need to start realizing we are on the same team and stop seeing each other as competition or a threat. Men don’t seem to have this problem. You’ll see other dads in line at stores or restaurants and they say things to each other like, “Man, you’ve got some basketball players there!” or “He reminds me of my boy at that age; aren’t they something?” I’ve never heard of a dad say to another dad, “What’s your problem? Your kids must be in public school!”

I was recently in a restaurant with a friend. I had all three boys by myself and Jonathan (6 months) kept doing this escalating scream/cry that I couldn’t keep quiet as I tried to keep the other two boys quiet and eating, not to mention eat lunch myself.

My friend noticed a woman at a nearby table glaring at me. This is what I mean when I say we aren’t on the same team. How encouraging would it have been to have this woman come over to me and say something kind and reassuring about being a mother of small boys? I could’ve lived on that for a week!

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle,” is one of my favorite quotes. Being kind can even be as simple as a smile. We can be completely unaware of the expression on our faces, but they communicate volumes. It is not a weakness to be kind! It is a strong act of grace. This world, the women around you, are in desperate need.

When You Grow Up...

Today they are little boys. The world is new and everyday is an adventure. But one day, Lord willing, they will be men. I pray they are the kind of men who...

...love Jesus and know who they are in Him.

...have a passion for life and doing what God has created them to do.

...call their Mom once a week.

...love their brothers and consider them their best friends.

...know when to speak and when to be silent.

...know how to do their own laundry.

...aren't embarrassed to cry.

...have no fear of evil, since they know they belong to Christ.

...children love to be around

...have a hearty, loud laugh

...sing with enthusiasm - even when they're way off.

It's helpful for me to remember I won't be surrounded by tiny demands forever. One day I'll be surrounded by men taller than I am - that's when it will be my job to keep them humble.

Jonathan, Take Two

Okay, here's that Christmas picture I promised - what a charmer!

Mr. and Mrs. Douglas Longfellow

Watching my little brother get married was something I'll never forget. His wedding was amazing - one of the most romantic I've ever witnessed. They both spoke their vows with such conviction and strength. What God has brought together, let no man put asunder!!!

I can't believe how blessed I am to have such cool sisters-in-law. First Syna, Chris' wife, then Beth, Nick's wife, and now Kelli. It feels like the picture is complete.


Speaking of pictures - I finally got the hang of this thing! Thanks for your patience!

Our Anniversary in the ER

This post is dedicated to my fellow bloggers who happen to be nurses - Angele and Heidi. You are appreciated!
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On New Year's Eve, our 11th wedding anniversary, Aaron and I drove off into the night like giggling newlyweds. Our three little men were at a friends' house and we were headed to dinner and movie - what a rare treat!

The first crinkle in the evening was the restaurant - a three-hour wait. 'Scuse me?? I couldn't believe the hostess kept a straight face. So we headed to a nearby movie theater to pass the time. Shoot, we could've gone to Dallas to pass the time!!

When we pulled into the theater parking lot, my cell phone beeped at me, letting me know I had a message. It was my friend Ashley (she and her husband Patrick had the kiddos) saying, "Hi Jeannie! Call me back!" Uh-oh.

Apparently, Greggie had taken a hard fall on their ceramic tile and busted his chin open. They had not been able to stop the bleeding for quite sometime. I asked her how big the cut was and she figured it was about an inch wide. Yikes. We decided we had plenty of time, so we headed back to their place to check it out and see if he needed stitches.

Ashley came out as soon as we pulled in the driveway (not a good sign). She was on the verge of tears and feeling horrible, but of course it was an accident - things like this can happen anywhere. "I just want to warn you," she said, "it's a pretty big gash. But he's calm; we're watching a video and he's doing okay."

Gregory was sitting by Patrick who was helping him hold a wad of paper towels to his chin. His face was a little pale, but he seemed alright. When I asked him to let me look at it, I took a quick glance and looked back at Aaron. "Oh, yeah -- we're going to the ER."

Our friends kept Daniel and Jonathan (thank you, Lord, for the McBrides!!!) and the three of us headed to the ER. He ended up receiving 6 stitches right under the edge of his chin. He was a real trooper and stayed amazingly calm through the whole ordeal. As my Mom said, this was probably the first of many trips to the ER for my sons. I have already had my share of ER trips with ear infections, and when Daniel burned his hand on the fireplace in Michigan, but now the injuries are getting a little more sophisticated.

Some funny things I want to remember....

- Gregory said he wasn't hungry while we were waiting, but when I started working on a bag of Fritos from the vending machine he quietly said, "Well, maybe I am just a little bit hungry..."

- When we got there, a nurse taped a thick pad of gauze to his chin. Right next to Greg was a guy in a wheelchair who had just dropped a glass table on his foot. Yeah. I could see Greg's eyes getting wider so I'm trying to motion to Aaron to get him away from that guy, but Aaron just looked at me like I'd lost my mind. (A common occurrence..)

- Eating a Wendy's dinner on little kiddie chairs and tables in the waiting room.

- Holding Greg close because he was cold (and needed comforting).

- When Aaron saw them start the stitching he asked, "Is that monofilament?" I thought maybe my husband had some great medical knowledge, but no, he just recognized that it was fishing line! Got a box of it in the garage! We laughed, "Hey, we could've done this at home!"