ABC...Trips 1, 2, and 3

A is for "Airplane"...the one that Jack slept on all the way to Minnesota, and all the way back to Dallas...what a great kid!

B is for "Blake and Katie's Wedding"...so sweet to watch our amazing friend, who went all the way to an orphanage in Haiti to meet this amazing woman, get married and prepare to go back to that work with his new bride. (I guess in this section, I should also mention "Baja Burrito"! Wouldn't be a trip to Nashville without it)

C is for "Car Trip"...the one we took to Nashville through the night, with Baby Jack sleeping again! Thank goodness for our cooler of snacks and the portable DVD player that cousin Melissa Jo loaned us!

D is for "Donna Hester"...one of my favorite professors and people in the world, who performed her amazing piece, "Iron Apron Strings", at the Zoe Conference. It was so incredibly moving and made me even more thankful to know that precious woman. What an encouragement to be reminded of the powerful ministry that theatre is, aside from those cheesy little "don't put God in a box" skits...I only hope that I can use my gifts and training in theatre to minister the way that Donna does.

E is for "Elmo"...the adorable little red puppet, whose singing we got to enjoy for many hours on the road to and from Nashville!

F is for "Farmland"...which we saw alot of in Minnesota...it was very beautiful, the wedding was at a quaint country church, and we even saw an actual pumpkin patch...not the kind we have in Texas where pumpkins are lined up in a grassy area at the fruit stand, but an actual patch where pumpkins grow!

G is for "Girls Lunch"...the one we got to have in Abilene over Homecoming weekend that was so good, and way too short! I love getting to see my girls and it was so fun to watch Baby Jack and Baby Kadin play together...and to hear about the sibling that Kadin has on the way!

H is for "Homecoming"...a fun weekend in Abilene with friends and family.

I is for "Ira"...the sweet baby boy who went with us on all of these trips...and who is HOME FROM THE HOSPITAL! We have read this sweet family's blog for many months now and feel as though we know them. We were proud to wear our green Ira Lester Hays Bracelets and to tell people about this amazing little boy and his amazing family. We continue to pray daily for this tiny soldier.

J is for "Jack Franklin Pinson"...traveler extraordinnaire...he was so wonderful and so much fun...we had many offers from the grandparents to watch him while we traveled, but I am so glad that we ended up taking him with us...because he made everything more fun, especially when he started officially walking the night before we left for Nashville! He is all over the place!

K is for "Ko Jo Kai"...a lovely little club of women that I was a part of while at ACU, with a lovely Homecoming breakfast whose only fault is how horridly early in the morning you must wake up in order to attend!

L is for "Laundry"...I just thought it never ended before! I am just so relieved that I don't have to repack this time!

M is for "McCloud Inn"...our lovely accomodations during our stay in Nashville. It was so nice to see our friends TJ and Holly, and their ADORABLE house...We were sad that they had to leave town while we were there, but so thankful for their hospitality.

N is for "Nashville"...a beautiful place where Matt and I feel strangely at home and have a hard time leaving.

O is for "Otter's"...a great little place on Music Row that Matt and I ate in Nashville...it's all chicken tenders, so all three of us enjoyed it!

P is for "Parade"...the one in Abilene that Jack loved so much...where we got to see his Uncle Kyle march with the other Brats, where Daddy and Uncle Brad were sad for how sad the Galaxy float was, and where Mommy was proud of the Kojies finally winning again!

Q is for "Quiet Time"...and I definitely had some on my stretch of the drive between 3 and 6 am. It really was nice, when my eyes weren't crossing!

R is for "Recouperation"...we're still working on that!

S is for "Super 8"...our lovely accomodations in Minnesota, which included one room for myself and 4 boys...I am just glad that there were two beds and I only had to share with Matt and Jack!

T is for "Tennessee Family"...so thankful for the time we got to spend together with the Daniels in Franklin...their new house is beautiful and Jack had fun with everyone...especially his sweet great aunt Donna.

U is for "Unpacking"...two words...NO FUN!

V is for "Video Camera"...something that we did not use enough on any of these trips...we are rookie parents...and of course, we taped him constantly back when he was a newborn and all he did was lie there, now we are so busy chasing him, we forget we have the camera!

W is for "Walk-In Clinic"...the one we spent 3 hours of our day at before leaving Tennessee, because poor Baby Jack had croup. But, once again, he was still such a good boy, despite the fact he felt just awful.

X is for "Xmas"!...no relation to any of our trips really, and I actually don't like that abbreviation, but I needed an X, and just wanted to remind everyone that there are only ten more Saturdays to shop!

Y is for "Yummy Homeade Soup and Cornbread"...made by my Aunt Donna on a perfect Fall evening in Nashville. It was a wonderful treat to enjoy as we cozied up and watched some football.

Z is for "Zoe Conference"...an amazing time of renewal, awesome worship, and challenge to be Jesus in this world. I was also privileged to witness the first public viewing of the "Mike Cope Sings the Classics" video, which in itself is a classic!
(Z can also be for "Zoo", where we just took Jack for the first time this past weekend...perfect weather and lots of fun!)

Well, we had lots of fun and survived all of our trips over the past few weeks. We were reminded over and over again how blessed we are to have such an even-tempered baby. He adjusted to every change so well, and was so wonderful through hours on planes, in rental cars, in the stroller, and in all kinds of climates. We had lots of fun, but are very happy to be home for awhile! I can't really take credit for this post, as it was my sweet sister's idea...but I thought it was a good way to cover all of our travels without writing way too much as I have been known to do! Although, this is one is probably still too long by many's standards...definitely by my husband's! Oh well...thanks Em for the idea, and I hope all of my little teacher friends out there are proud!

Family Adventures...

Over the next few weekends, Matt and Jack and I will be having some firsts in our family traveling adventures...Tomorrow morning we fly to Minnesota for our friend Blake's wedding. It is our first to time to fly with Jack. He is 14 months old and doesn't have his own seat. My main concern is that we keep him happy and comfortable, and also that we are considerate of those around us. We know to have him drink as we are taking off and landing...but other than that, does anyone have any tips for flying with kids? Honestly, I have just been praying that we won't sit next to someone who hates children! I might also add the fun tidbit that I get to share a hotel room not only with Matt and Jack, but also with Eric and Micah, two of Matt's friends from highschool! Hope they don't mind a 14 month old waking up in the middle of the night because he is in an unfamiliar bed in Minnesota!

Then, next weekend, we are driving to Nashville to go to the ZOE conference. Yep...you read that right...driving...Now we have made road trips, but I think only about as far as Houston...and that was back when he was sleeping 16 hours a day anyway! We are leaving Wednesday night at bedtime, with the hopes that we might maximize the amount of time he is sleeping in the car(and maybe to limit the amount of Chevy Chase "Vacation" quotes I have to hear from Matt!)...but just in case, any tips here? We are also looking forward to staying with our friends TJ and Holly when we get there...any tips for being houseguests with a baby? He's such a good boy, I'm not anticipating any problems, but I always like to hear from those who have more experience than myself.

As you can see from the picture above he's already quite the little adventurist...so I am sure we'll have some fun stories to tell!
In case you missed the last post, you can look at more pictures by going to Memorable Moments Photography at http://www.memorablemomentsphotography.com

it wasn't me!

Isn't he adorable? And not mischevious looking at all huh?! For more pictures of my sweetie, click the title of this post. It's memorable moments photography by Kristin Morales.

laying down our lives

Sunday morning Matt and Jack and I got to go with some of our friends from college to hear Donald Miller speak at the Deep Ellum Church. It was a great group of people and, in a community that has long been associated only with darkness and evil, they have an amazing heart for the mission of Christ. I was so impressed with the hearts of the pastors of this church who have committed to planting a place of refuge, and have some amazing future plans for shining Christ's light in a dark corner that many don't have the courage to go. Matt and I had really enjoyed Donald's book, Blue Like Jazz, and Matt has also read the second one, Searching For God Knows What. I just got him the third one, Through Painted Deserts, and we are looking forward to starting that one. In Searching For God Knows What, he compares our relationship to Jesus through analyzing the familiar play Romeo and Juliet...this is what he spoke about on Sunday, and it was a beautiful analogy that I, even as someone who studied theatre in college, had never fully realized. He focused on the balcony scene, as Juliet tells Romeo that he must deny his name and take his own. He spoke also of how the two characters never consummate their marriage, but only become one through death. It was really enlightening. He also talked about how our society wants so badly to market God...we all want a three step plan, and not a relationship. One thing that he said that I really liked was this...
"The message of the gospel is not, 'Buy this and you will be happy', but instead, 'This is something worth dying for'"
It made me think of my own faith, and how much I doubt my own ability to "lay down my life".In the wake of all of these natural disasters, along with other horrible, sad, and confusing things I am witnessing, I am reminded that we were not promised comfort or peace in this life, but that we can know the one who IS comfort and peace...the one who gives us life to begin with. And I pray that I can open my eyes to the many opportunities that God is putting before me where I can lay my life down and serve Him by serving others.
We are praying for all of those affected by Rita, especially many loved ones of ours who are traveling and sad to leave their homes...we also pray for those from Louisiana who are moving for the second time...I hope that we will all embrace one another, and commit for the long haul to the long process ahead of picking up the pieces.

an insightful response

With all of the writing on Katrina, my mind is in a fog, and I find I often lose sight of what are truly the most important lessons. I need to talk less...I need to open my ears and my heart to those who have gone through this ordeal, and to what the Lord wants to teach me through it all.I have tried to sit down and write something, but the words have not come in a way that would be even close to intelligible...I am still just groaning...

So today I just want to direct you to my friend Jarod's blog. I think his latest entry is one of the best responses I have seen recently.

I will try to get back to more regular blogging soon...I know you are all just sitting on the edge of your seats!

open eyes, open hearts

I cannot get my mind around this horrible tragedy. More than that, my heart has just been broken to watch the desperation that people are feeling. This whole ordeal has just reopened my eyes to the reality of poverty and racial/class distinction that still exists within our society.

Now, I am not one who likes to politicize things too greatly, and I think that the expectations for response cannot solely lay with any one person or organization. I am saddened, however, when I hear people on the radio, or television, or next to me at the grocery store talking about how those people should have been able to save themselves. I have heard people make remarks about the ignorance of those waiting in their houses, and then screaming on their rooftops to be saved. But it is my opinion that many of these people have been crying out to be saved for a long time, and no one has heard them.

When you have no money in the bank, no car, and nowhere to go, escaping isn't as easy as it may seem. There has been amazing outpouring of love and compassion on the part of many people and organizations. I do not believe that these people are suffering in this aftermath because of their race. But it is necessary to realize that the majority of the population in New Orleans is black, and at least 1/3 of the population lives below the poverty level. We cannot close our eyes any longer.

Now as you can tell, this post is not flowing as well as some of my others. I do much better to stick to mushy posts about my baby boy than I do trying to talk about political matters! But for me, this is not about politics or race, or anything else...but people. People are hurting, people are dying, people are becoming so lost in the desperation for survival that they are turning to evil. And this is when we need Jesus more than ever.  Jesus makes so many statements in scripture that clearly point to his compassion for the poor, and he commands us to care for them as well. Whether we agree with or can identify with any one of those people...we are commanded to be the hands and feet of Jesus. And he made no distinctions...HE WANTS US ALL.

to my sweet baby Jack

I cannot even believe that today you are one year old. It is amazing how quickly time has gone by, and yet how it also feels like you have been with me forever. You have changed so much in this last year. You are getting so big, and it is so exciting to watch you explore and discover new things.
A year ago today was an exciting and scary time. You were coming four and a half weeks early and we were so scared about whether or not you would be alright. But the Lord was so faithful and at 5:00 am on Wednesday, July 28, after two early labors being stopped, weeks of bedrest, and 4 days of labor, he gave you to us--a healthy, perfect, tiny baby boy. I will never forget the moment that they handed you to me and I held you in my arms. You didn't even cry...you were so peaceful, looking up at me with those big blue eyes wide open, as if you were just taking it all in. That moment was the greatest miracle I have ever been a part of. After 9 months of a rough pregnancy, worrying about you and about my own weaknesses, we were given an indescribable gift of peace. We learned alot about God's provision and were reminded that God does not call us to a spirit of fear, but of hope. I have been reminded of that lesson many times already in your first year of life as I think upon my great responsibility to raise you to look like Jesus in a world that does not look at Him at all. It has been truly amazing how many lessons you have taught us in this past year, Jack. I have been reintroduced to the cross in a whole new way by looking at you and loving you so much--and thinking about how much greater God's love must be to have given His perfect baby boy up for this world. Thank you for teaching me more about God's love.
Thank you, also, for your amazing spirit. It is so much fun to watch as your little personality develops. You are intelligent and so funny. It is so special to watch as you thoughtfully play with your toys and figure out each little detail. You have kept me on my toes, as I pull you away from the things that catch your eyes the most...ie. remote controls, computers, electrical cords, telephones, the list could go on...I adore your sweet little voice, the hilarious faces and noises you make, the way you can't help dancing when you hear music, and that laugh that is infectious. I am so thankful that you already have a love for music and for reading, and no one cuddles better than you. You are an active little boy, always on the go. You have changed from that little string bean 4 pound peanut to a cuddly, chubby, and unmistakeably adorable bundle of energy that I am totally in love with. You have deepened the love that your daddy and I have for each other as we marvel at the blessing and responsibility that God has given to us through you.You have taught your neat freak mommy to loosen up a bit, and I know that will only grow as I continue to experience the joys of having a little boy. I don't look forward to the bumps and bruises, but I hope you know that I will always hold you when you hurt. There have been times that I have held you and felt helpless myself, wondering how in the world I am capable, but then I can have peace in knowing that while I hold you, someone much greater is always holding us both.

There is a song that I sing to you each night as I rock you in your room. It is a song that was recorded by ZOE, one of our favorite groups to listen to together. I changed the words a bit the first time I sang them to you from "I" to "You", and each night since, they have been a prayer that I sing over you--praying that you would know how deeply you are known and loved by God. Here are the words...

You have a maker;
He formed your heart.
Before even time began,
your life was in His hands.
He knows your name.
He knows your every thought.
He sees each tear that falls,
and he hears you when you call.
You have a father;
He calls you his own.
He'll never leave you,
no matter where you go.
He knows your name.
He knows your every thought.
He sees each tear that falls,
and he hears you when you call.

My precious baby boy, I pray that you will always know how much you are loved by your daddy and me. We are so thankful to have you in our lives. This first year of your life has been the greatest learning experience, joy, and blessing of my life. I pray that even more than our love, you will know the love of God that will never fail you. I am so thankful that He allowed me to be your mommy. You are mine for awhile, but you are His for all time. While you are here, I will always be so very thankful and proud to hear you call me mama. I look forward to many more years blessed by your sweet presence.

Happy birthday, sweet baby Jack--I love you ten thousand miles high