Better Days

Once again we had a great fall weekend. Belle had her first sleepover at a friend's house. She did ask to come home, but stayed and had a great time! It's nice to watch Belle growing and coming into her own. While Belle was out, we had some great time alone with Ashton. We took him out for pizza. He chose the place - Little Caesars. He got to sing loud in the car without anyone infringing on his spotlight and drank his "spicy" (his word for soft drinks, which came from Belle calling carbonated punch "spicy punch") with his pizza, always a special treat. We always tell him that it's
Pepsi, Coke, Sprite or whatever it may be, but that doesn't seem to phase him. He just wants his "spicy".
Saturday night, we picked up Uncle Kevin from work, and he spent the evening with us. We watched a whole lot of Scooby, Scooby Doo, and ate more PIZZA. Sunday morning was filled with early church and lunch with Grandma and Papa. And, Sunday afternoon was the best nap I've had in ages (ok, so it was one of the only naps I've had in ages, but it was great!).

So, basically it was a somewhat ordinary weekend in our lives. I hesitate to tell the next part for fear that we will be chastised again for missing Sunday evening church, but here it goes. After Sunday naps, we went outside and made an even bigger leaf pile than last week. It was so tall that Aston couldn't even stick his head out of it. The kids played on the swing set while Brian and I raked up the leaves. We raked up half the yard. (Also, I must admit that Brian did most of the "raking". He was out blowing the leaves while we were finishing our naps). Brian would blow the leaves on Ashton, and he would laugh and laugh and laugh. We threw the kids in the pile, and they would push us in. We ended our evening of fun with homemade chicken noodle soup (made by Chef de Brian)and grilled cheese made on hamburger buns (I forgot we had no bread.).

These are the moments...not to sound cliche, but these are the types of moments that we all want to hang on to and remember. They don't cost anything but time and lots of love (ok, and a little bit of extra energy too).
Last year at Christmas, I got Brian an iPod. I only downloaded one song "Better Days" by the Goo Goo Dolls. Every family and marriage goes through its ups and downs. Last Christmas all I wished for us were better days. In many ways (especially times like those above) I have gotten what I asked for and more. I still tear up every time I hear this song. Faith, hope, love, forgiveness and the chance to begin again. Haven't we all wished for that at some point?
Below is the video and song on YouTube. I think this will be my only Christmas wish again, not just for me, but for you as well. May we all find better days...

Fall is for Friends

Each month at school Belle is given the opportunity to purchase books from Scholastic. Last month they had an array of Thanksgiving books. We decided on a couple, one of which was titled "Fall is for Friends". Tonight we created our very own version of the book with our friends, the McMullins (Mike, Angeline and Sam).
We went out to my parents home, raked up some leaves for the kids to jump in and made a big bonfire. The wood was really wet from the rain the past couple of days. At first, we didn't think our fire would ever start, but PaPa had a can of magic (you and I would call it kerosene). After the second dose of magic, we all thought we would leave with sunburns on our faces. At the least the fire actually worked! The kids thought it was amazing the way the flame suddenly burst into the sky. It was a hoot.
We roasted marshmallows and succeeded in devouring the whole bag. Remember by this time there are 8 of us cooking away. Angeline and I were trying to take pictures and video.


So, we got the shaft on our share of the marshmallows. Finally, we got to the hot dogs. It was getting dark by this time and the fire was SOOOO hot! Angeline and I ended up roasting them all by ourselves, but at least it gave Grandma a chance to actually take our picture.
We took our roasted hot dogs up to the house where Grandma had made spinach dip and brownies. We heated up some homemade chili and dug in (all while taking in our evening dose of Sunday football). It was a lot of fun. I don't remember the last time I roasted marshallows and hot dogs over an open flame.
Anyway, fall is for friends. Take some time to enjoy some fall fun with your friends too.

Chalk Monsters

Here are some pictures of our fun with sidewalk chalk. This was back in September just after school started. As you can see, Ashton enjoyed coloring himself more than the driveway. I love my kids. I love my family. There is so much to be thankful for.
There are more fun posts to come!

So Much to Say, So Little Time

Ok, so, well...there are quite a few things that I need/want to blog about, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. This will be a random thoughts blog covering an array of items.

First, I'm glad I voted today. I waited until election day to vote because of my quandry over the candidates. I did not feel that either of the candidates were an adequate representation of any kind of change. I also was sick of all the political insanity that Christians were circulating. Kelvin Page at Westmore gave a great sermon on Sunday about Christians response after the election and the issue of authority. For some reason, this message inspired me and actually gave me a peace about voting. I have no expectations for how this election will wind up. Either way, I'm excited about the process and the way it has people dialoguing about our country and about the problems within the church. Isn't it funny how these two things keep coming up in conjunction with one another? I think it will be fun to watch it all play out, and I will be watching intently all night long.

Second, I have really been working on my thesis and my Apocalypse paper, as well as thinking about all the things we have talked about in Wholistic Mission. It is all rolling around in my head. I'm beginning to make some concrete formulations, which I hope to write about soon. I'm contemplating what the ENTIRE Bible has to say about the fatherless, orphan, widow, the poor and the immigrant. I'm also looking at what Revelation has to say about systems (economic, political, social constructs), and all of this in light of what the church is doing or hasn't done. I will throw you a bone though, I have said that Wesley had a system of radical discipleship, a call to social justice and life as an accountable and growing community. If we can't get following Wesley right, it might be a little much to think we can actually follow the mandates of Christ.

Third, I'm very excited to have been able to spend more time with my friend Angeline (and Mike too) at various points. I am thankful for their friendship and loving support during this time of transition in our lives. I would also like to say a big thank you to Emily Stone. Her efforts to include Belle and Ashton in activities have really helped my children to transition well.

Fourth, we have been enjoying various fall events. We painted pumpkins, we did pumpkin arts and crafts and enjoyed the night of tricks and treats. I will have pictures coming soon. We also have 2 pumpkins to carve, but considering that thanksgiving is upon us, we may just try to make a true from scratch pumpkin pie. Belle keeps asking to make one and the dried pumpkin seeds would make a great snack!

While this is not the exact maze, we also visited the corn maize in Anderson with Nana and Papi. As usual, it was a fun visit.

We have also been playing with chalk of late. I have some great photos of the kids that I hope to get up on the blog soon.

We have done so much work at my parent's new place. The transition has been amazing. I am so thankful that they are here.

Finally, I am really enjoying my internship. I'm actually starting to get attached to the people there. They have been extremely kind and gracious to me. I love the conversations we share and feeling like we are actually making a difference in the world. I could tell you stories of how things each one of them has said has impacted my life. Each of them have tremendous stories of God's grace and faithfulness in their life. I look forward to continuing to get to know them.

I guess that is all for now. I feel better that I've at written something here, even if it isn't as polished and perfected as I would like. I suppose blogging has now become important to me, and I don't want it to be as sporadic as in the past. I will do my best to get pictures up soon.

I look forward to the dialogue that future posts may bring. By the way, does anyone else feel hopeful about tonight's outcome no matter what it is? I just can't help thinking that no matter what happens, we are still His children, He still loves us and wants to see us all redeemed. Will the outcome of this election really change that? I think not. Que sera, sera.

Testing, Testing...1, 2, 3

The mid-term is OVER, and boy am I glad. Aside from a cramping hand and issues with my pencil lead, it was quite a bit less painful than I expected. Don't misunderstand, the test was beyond hard (at least I gathered so from some of the looks and comments of some of my classmates). But, I'm certain that I passed. Time will tell the final grade (actually my professor will do the telling, but I assume that you're getting the point). I do wish that I had known all questions were weighted equally. That announcement was made before I came in the room. So, I wrote 4 pages for the first essay and was left with little time to answer the next 5. Needless to say, I didn't write as much as I could have.
Honestly, I am happier at the end of this test than I can ever remember being. As I mentioned in the previous blog, this time I wasn't just regurgitating information. I was talking about something that moved me. I suppose I should be thankful that there were questions that gave me the freedom to interject what I "know".
Now I am in the final countdown for the semester. I have one paper, a group project and of course, THE THESIS. How time flies. Isn't that what it is supposed to do when you are having fun?

What I Know...Or, in Most Cases Maybe What I Don't

Tomorrow I will be taking my first mid-term "test" in almost 7 years. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. I am beyond the cramming of the early years of college, because I respect myself and where my money is going more. But, at the same time the details of my life have gotten in the way of studying as if I would have wanted. (For instance, this morning I played in the floor with Ashton and his Diego toys for over an hour!)
So, for this mid-term, there may be a lot that I don't know (at least where the brain is concerned). I do know this though - as I have grown in my career as a student, I realize that if a person has enough determination, they can cram an enormous number of facts into their wee little brains. That is a testament to the pitfalls of the learning process. I have come to conclusion that learning is not about the facts I have stuffed away in my brain. It is an issue integration into the whole of my life and my world view. While making a "A" is probably still pretty high on my priority list, I am far more concerned with how the text is interpreting and changing me. (That is a definitive Rick Moore statement that cannot be said without proper credit being given.) There is an ebb and flow to the learning process and when you find your passion, it will all begin to converge. This is the place I am thankful to say that I have now reached. I am hesistant to say that what I have found is passion. More so, I believe I have had an awakening. Maybe I would not feel so inclined if my degree were another subject, but would venture to say that the people who are the best in their field have also reached the same conclusions.
Rather than being scared of my test tomorrow and the grade I may or may not receive, I am excited to see what I have really learned...to see what is inside of me.
So, here's to knowing the right things.

Thesis Inspiration

If you are one of my professors, please don't hold this against me. He really was before his time and literally has "rocked" my world in more ways than one. I must admit, I wish the Church of God had a few Steve Taylors.



And, one for the road...does anyone else remember?



Ok, ok, just one more - Finally, the "post-modern" version of clone.



What am I doing? I'm supposed to be writing a thesis, right? And now, I can't stop. Save me from myself. Can I get an "Amen"?

I'm Angry....

I'm sick of people twisting scripture for political gain. I'm also sick of people using scripture as a reason for backing one candidate or the other. What I am most sick of is people saying that scripture says things that it just doesn't say, which makes it a lie. And all the prophecy gurus using Revelation to prove your point should know better. Because while Revelation says nothing about the things you are saying it does, it does say that if you add or take away from the words of this book damnation will come to you. If I were you, I would think twice before you keep touting your crap. It also proves to me that Christians have become a group of gullible know nothings who just believe this crap because they think voting for a certain party makes them a better Christian...HOGWASH (to use a delicate southern term!).
I will be glad when this election is over. I have previously said on facebook and will repeat here...Obama is not Jesus, Palin is not Esther, McCain is not the Voice Crying in the Wilderness and none of them will save our country. As Christians, we should be smarter than this. The political system is broken, our church is broken and we are broken. We are not being the people of God. We are being a bunch of pinheads who expect the capitalistic system to fix our woes instead of looking to the one who can fix it and make His Kingdom come on this earth (have you forgotten that it is OUR job to help make His Kingdom evident in the earth?).
I could go on, but I am so angry, I can hardly bring myself together to write these words. I'm sorry if these words offend you, but
I'm ANGRY! Why aren't you?

Scooby, Scooby Doo...Where Are You?

We have settled into a new nightly routine at our house. After evening playtime, dinner and bath time, we all pile into the living room for an evening snack and some Scooby Doo. It's funny how special it is that my kids love the same cartoons that I did when I was a kid. What is even funnier is that Boomerang is around making sure that they are still on TV.
Every day when the kids get home, they immediately start asking to watch Scooby Doo. Unlike the rest of you, we just got a DVR. Scooby Doo has now been put on series record. I promise we will never miss an episode.
The best part (other than just sitting and winding down with my kids)is to hear them sing the song. We will be riding along in the car and Ashton will randomly burst into song..."cooby, cooby doo wheh ah oo, we need uhr elp dis houahr". It is the most wonderful thing. It makes me smile and laugh. I heard today on CNN that laughter really is great medicine. It reduces cortisol in your body and helps you to burn fat. So, hey we can't go wrong there.
If I can ever find the cord to my video camera, I will try to catch "the boy" in action. You'll love hearing him sing as much as I do.

Owens Family Update

We did it. We finally made the move to Cleveland at the end of July. We arrived in time to move in on August 1st. Things have been a whirlwind since then. Belle started school at Westwood Baptist on the 11th of August. She loved it! Even though she already knew all of her colors and shapes, she learned how to spell all of her colors. She made some great new friends and had two great teachers Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Morris. I say this all in past tense because Belle was offered the wonderful opportunity to go to school at "The Village". So, at the beginning of September Belle started school there. Once again, she loved it and still does! She has made new friends, but misses her other friends at Westwood and in Tallahassee. At night, Belle and I always talk about her day. I just listen. Every night I find out something new that I would not have known if we didn't just lie there and talk. Sometimes, I wish I could just freeze time.
On the 20th of August, I started school. Whew...to say that I am in over my head is probably the understatement of the year. I also started my internship early in September. So, between school and work at my internship, I am full time Monday through Thursday. The most difficult part has been being without the kids. When I was home full time, I always wanted to work. Now that am I gone from them, I just want to be with them. I have realized through this that there is a happy medium for me. I just keep reminding myself that I will have breaks soon and this is only for a year. I have the best kids ever! I have also been reading and writing a lot. I am just in the beginning stages of my thesis, but God is already shaking me to the core. At the beginning of the semester, our professors told us that our thesis wouldn't be great if it wasn't something that we were passionate about. Well, there is no lack of passion, and God keeps turning up the heat! I will talk more about my thesis and details of this in a later post.
As for Ashton...well, he is a champ! He is talking like a commentator. He is rarely ever at a loss for words. I am fascinated by the conversations that he and his sister have started to have together. For the month of August, I stayed with Ashton when I wasn't in school so that Brian could work on the job search and go to interviews. When I was in class, Ashton got to hang out with Dad. When I started my internship, Brian kept both kids full time Monday through Friday. What a champ. Needless to say, Brian and Ashton have built quite a bond. Ashton now asks for Dad when he needs comforting. I say that is awesome! In the middle of September, Ashton started school at Broad street Methodist. He has never complained about school, but we're not sure if he likes it as much as Belle. He does talk about the playground a lot. He has also started to name some of his friends. I wish you could hear him call their names. It's a hoot. His greeting when he is picked up is always, "I had a great day today!". He also loves to sing. He is singing his alphabet, twinkle, twinkle little star and itsy, bitsy spider. His favorite books are currently Barnyard Dance and The Lady With the Alligator Purse (he calls it "Miss Lucy had a Baby"). So for the most part, we are never at a loss for smiles and joy when it comes to Ashton.
Brian has been working hard with the kids and around the house. He suckered me into getting a dog. We now also have a rat terrier in our home. We call him Huck, but his official name is Huckleberry Sebastian Gaston Owens. What a mouth full. He is a good dog, but Brian and the kids take care of him. I really keep my hands off. After a long job search and some lengthy interviews, Brian officially started his new job. We are thankful, and Brian is very happy. Congratulations!
We have had some wonderful times in the mountains since we have been here. The weather has been terrific. We have taken the kids a couple of times to watch the rafters on the Ocoee River. We have been blessed to be able to spend time with very old and dear friends, who are now our new friends again. And, my parents moved to Cleveland just last week. They are now the official daytime caretakers for the Owens' kids. As you can guess, Belle and Ashton are not complaining.
We are all finally starting to settle in to our new routines, our new home and our new life here in Tennessee. A big thank you to the McMullin family, Skip Jenkins and "Aunt Gladys" for helping to make the transition as smooth as it could be. We love you all very much. Well, this has been a pretty long update. Hopefully, it won't be 4 months before my next post! ;)

Good-Bye Tallahassee

For those of you who know (and now those of you who didn't know) we are about 1 month into our transition into a new life. At the end of May, we moved from Tallahassee. We have now been in Orlando for about 1 month. I thought the month would move slowly, but it has gone incredibly fast. July is almost here and I'm not quite sure where the time has gone. These are the last photos we took the day we left. The kids just had to run back and look in the bedroom windows.
The transition has been a little bit more difficult on Belle than I had imagined. She has missed her friends and wanted the stability of her own home, room and toys. So, we talk a lot about storage and our new house and dream of the new friends that we might get to live by. Ashton has been a ball of laughter. His laugh has been a saving grace. And, playing with my kids has taken on brand new joy.
Times like these inevitably make me realize and cherish what is truly important in life, and also help me to let go of those that I know are only temporary. I have once again come to a place of understanding that helping to carry someone else's burden eases your own.
I think overall I underestimated how difficult it would be to leave Tallahassee. But, I am thankful, hopeful and excited for all the wonderful things that are in store. I know it sounds like a cliche, but I believe that God's timing is perfect and that He knows exactly what He is doing. So, good-bye Tallahassee. Hello new life.

How Far We've Come...

Tomorrow is our 5th anniversary. In some ways, it seems so short and in others, it seems like an eternity. I always explain our courtship (if you can call it that) and marriage like a roller coaster ride. For 30 years (give or take a few months for both of us), we were on the ride up the first hill. Our marriage was the peak of the first hill, and so far the rest has been a fast ride. We moved from Cleveland to Tallahassee when I was pregnant with our first child, Belle. Since then, Ashton came along, and aside from children, life has posed all sorts of trials and joys. If you are married with children, I'm sure that you understand what I'm talking about.
I could come up with a few profound things to say and maybe wow you with some words or poetic statements. But, instead, I just want to say Happy Anniversary to us! I am thankful for my husband. He is a hard-working man who loves Jesus and his family. Belle and Ashton adore him, and though he can frustrate me like no one else, I adore him too! Whether times are good or bad, it is comforting to know that someone is there with you and there to hold your hand. Thank God for good husbands who aren't totally self-consumed and think about others as much as they do themselves. They do exist, and I caught one. Wahooie!
Happy Anniversary, Brian. I love you. I am with you. I believe in you, even when you don't believe in yourself (and this works vice versa too!). Here is to the beginning. We are still in the beginning, and I look forward to the years to come with a hopeful and grateful heart.

New Drama - Here's the Cast...Literally

So, my baby boy is in a cast for the next 4 weeks. As a mother, I'm heartbroken and probably in much more pain than he is. His leg is not broken. The bone is bent. A simple way of explaining the details is to say that the cast will make sure that it doesn't get broken and heals properly. For some reason, they think toddlers don't know how to stay still! ;)
Anyway, the tech who put on Ashton's cast said that from what he saw of his personality, the cast would not hold him back at all. One evening has proven that to be true. Within an hour of being home, he was up and running (as best he could) and climbing around as if nothing was wrong.

We are trying to make the best of it. The doctor explained it to him. We've always just talked to our kids as if they understood everything we were saying anyway. He has this new little "walker" to help him get around. It's basically a very wide velcro shoe that goes over his cast. We've told him this is his new sock and shoe for the next 4 weeks. He was fine with it until bedtime. Then Dad had to explain why this one doesn't come off.
Honestly, the most distressing part of this whole ordeal is that Ashton will miss his nightly bath. Every night in the middle of dinner Ashton begins his spiel about the "big, big, big bath tub". It is a nightly ritual that usually last 30 minutes or more. It is full of bubbles and boats, and just Saturday he got a new Leo and Rocket (from the Little Einsteins for those of you who are toddler challenged) bath tub toy. Needless to say, I'm sure we will be counting the nights until bath time can begin again. At least Brian won't be cleaning up poop! (Please see "Life is Messy" for the full details).
As part of the ritual, we took pictures. I have included most of them. Belle and I also took pictures of our "not in casts" feet. To which Belle concluded that we all have "not pretty" feet...except for her!
Let me close with an apology. This blog is certainly not in my usual style of writing. But, I've had a day. And, at this point, being coherent is just not an option.
If you are coherent, then say a prayer for my little man. We'll keep you posted!

No Creative Titles, Just Wanted to Say I'm Back

So, it's been a 9 month hiatus. We'll I'm back. At least I hope to be. I've got a Friday study day and lots of things rumbling in this head and heart of mine. Besides, I have two kids, a husband, lots of school work, house work...you get the picture. Anyway, I've got time on my hands. So look for me. I've got some things to say about motherhood, Christianity (mine in particular), school and this great family I call my own. Hopefully, I have been gone, but not forgotten. See you in the funny papers! My Dad used to say that...never thought it was funny before tonight.