Thriving at home.

Football season is my traveling time. About every other weekend (or more), I'm on my way to Austin to tailgate with my football buddies and cheer for my team—oh, and see that firstborn of mine, too.

Whenever I've spent a Sunday or two away from my church family, I'm especially happy to get back to Heritage. It's always good to be home, especially when it's my home in the sound booth. After 11+ years, that booth feels like home to me. I'm particularly acclimated to that familiar and comfortable space. The computer has all my folder shortcuts like I like them, my notepad is in its designated spot (usually), I know how to quickly identify and call dibs on the "good chair."

The booth is just one of my homes. My classroom is another. I've got my desk arranged in a way that helps me be more productive, and my drawers and closets are stocked with my "stuff," from my stash of Band-Aids to my trusty glue gun.

When we moved into our house a little more than six years ago, we were quick to make it our home. We made sure to unpack certain things first, those special mementos and photos that made the place ours.

Just a few months ago, when we moved Ryan into his first college apartment, the Mama in me prepared to make it homey, too. We packed his favorite pillow, a nice selection of DVDs, and even pictures of his ol' parental units—so he won't forget us, you know. But all of it was intentional. We wanted our "baby boy," alone in the big city, to feel at home.

And that's natural. We all long to feel at home. We want to see the familiar because it helps us feel acclimated and allows us to relax and escape stresses elsewhere. Anywhere that we'll be spending a good chunk of time, that's where we'd like to feel somewhat at home.

Of course, the places we call home are all kinds of messed up. There are power struggles, jealousy, liars and cheaters who prosper. And then there are sicknesses, cancer, car wrecks, evil in a thousand different forms—thieves, child abusers, those who prey on the weak, even those who use their god as a reason to behead innocents.

That's when I have to remind myself: "This world is not my home, I'm just a-passing through." (I'm still not sure if I've ever "a-passed" anywhere, but I digress...)

When we die, we "pass away" from this world. And what do we say?  We "finish the race," we "go home."

“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands.” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV)

To quote a more recent song: "Well, there's a home beyond the sky, a song we'll sing, for all time..."

The beauty of it is that we don't have to wait to sing that song. We don't have to wait until we get there to get acclimated to that new home. Even here, this world can be our home away from home.

So how do we do that? To start with:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8-9 NIV)

Fill our minds with those noble, right, pure, admirable things, and we get a taste of our home—even though we're far away it. We even get a taste of that supernatural peace "that passes understanding."

"Here in this worn and weary land, where many a dream has died, like a tree planted by the water, we never will run dry..."

Another way we enjoy heaven on earth? Praising God together. Joining voices to worship the One who is our home both reminds and reinforces our community of believers. 

I'm so thankful for the musicians who give so much of themselves to help people praise our Father. I'm grateful that they choose to use their talents to help us all reach out to Him but also to connect to each other.

Father God, thank You for Your promises. Thank You for giving us a home. And Father, as we prepare for each service, please help us to give everybody in attendance a taste of that home. And please, help us let the precious souls who walk through our doors to know they have a home here with us in the meantime.

Messages from my mom.

The second anniversary of Mom’s passing arrived Friday amid the craziness that is back-to-school time. It was Katie’s last day of August band and Ryan’s second day of college, and I was still scrambling to get ready for my new EOC prep class that starts Monday. I thought it a blessing to be so busy on that day, the one that marks the birth of our grief. Running from school to the band dinner, I thought I wouldn’t have time to be exceptionally sad.

Throughout the day, though, the sadness managed to sneak in. A couple of times at work, I had to write “Aug. 22” on a form, and there it was. Or maybe it was a fleeting thought of how I missed these particular inservice days two years ago. Memories of hospice and phone calls and funeral arrangements surfaced, so I would just dive right back into my work.

But two times during the day, Mom showed up at my desk.

The first incident came while I was sorting spirals for my new students. I bought a bunch on sale at Walmart over the last few weeks, but when my classes were larger than I anticipated, I scrambled to cover the gap. In an old filing cabinet I found the last of my mom’s old stash of notebooks. When she retired from teaching kindergarten, we inherited her stockpile, spirals she had purchased for her students way back when. I thought we’d gone through them all, but there they were with her handwritten name labels on them.

What a comfort to see that neat manuscript! I paused, took a pic (naturally), and set those two spirals aside. It was so precious to get this reminder of her teaching career, her legacy, in the midst of my gotta-be-ready-for-Monday frenzy.

The second “Mom moment” happened a little later as I was rearranging a bookcase. When I taught creative writing, I would always write with my students. There with some old notebooks were the journals I had used in those CW classes. Many of the journal entries were quick rough draft responses to prompts the students presented. As I flipped through these little time capsules, one of the first entries to catch my eye was this one from April 24, 2002:

Best compliment you ever got
“You are such a good mother.” My mom said this to me a few weeks ago. We had taken Katie to Burger King for supper. Brett and Ryan were at yet another Chuck E. Cheese birthday party, so we were trying to give Katie her own special time. I was really tired that day. I felt like I was too harried to be a good anything. It was one of those “let’s just get by” kind of days. I didn’t feel particularly motherly: I hadn’t done any of the well-planned activities that would foster learning or social interaction. But Katie was happy, and my mom gave me credit for it.

Not my best prose, but can you believe I “just happened” to run across that on August 22nd of all days? In the few moments it took to read that paragraph, I just melted. I could hear her voice and see that approving smile. She was always good at affirmations, but I did not expect her to affirm me from beyond the grave!

Mom was never one to wallow (“There’s within my heart a melody,” you know?), so of course she would want joy to overrule my sadness that day. With the spirals and the journal entry, she turned my focus to gratitude. I still cried. Oh, it was a big ol’ ugly cry. But yet again, my overriding thought was how grateful I am that she was my mother.

About our 18 wonderful years.

It’s an old joke:

It’s our 20th wedding anniversary. We’re celebrating 18 wonderful years together!

Brett and I repeated that more than a few times as we approached June 18, the day our marriage hit the big 2-0. In our case, though, it’s not just a punch line; it’s the hard truth that too many married couples are unwilling to admit.

I hesitate to even bring this up for fear of (1) hurting our friends whose marriages did not survive or (2) rehashing our own nastiness, which is now in the distant past. But as Brett said, if this can help just one marriage (or one hopeless spouse), it’s worth it.

When we got married in that little church in 1994, we both thought we were in for nothing but love songs and butterflies, for anticipation-filled days spent longing for our imminent reunion after work and for romantic evenings spent out on the town or cozy at home.

June 1994

Of course, we knew there’d be hard times, but relationship issues? US?! Never!!!

So when we found ourselves thinking all hope was lost, when the suitcase was packed or the car was speeding away, it was stunning. How had this happened? How had we fallen to the point that we thought we’d be better off apart than together?

The “why” is nobody else’s business, but let’s just say things were really bad. We both yelled and cried and threw things. (The diamond setting in my wedding ring still has a prong that’s just a little off-center.) There were times when Brett left for a night or two, and there were times I was the one to leave. There were family meetings, long phone calls, hang-ups, and slammed doors. And yes, there was even the dreaded, “I don’t love you anymore.”

But with God’s grace and a whole lot of prayer and support, we survived. One of our counselors wisely told us, “You won’t ever forget this time, but eventually it will feel as if it never happened.” It was hard to believe that then, but now? It’s true!

How did we turn things around? For one, we went to counseling, first with our minister, then with a church friend, and later with an “outside” Christian counselor. It was not fun, and there were plenty of times we could’ve chosen to skip a session or quit going altogether. Honestly, sometimes it was just guilt that kept us going back for more hard questions and tear-filled hours. But go back we did. Is guilt a good reason to go to counseling? Not really. Am I glad our guilt (not to mention my fear that I’d have to spend a Christmas morning without my babies) kept us working through our troubles? Absolutely. Guilt, fear, and concern for our children motivated us when anger and frustration threatened to sabotage our efforts.

Another major help for us: a marriage enrichment workshop. Our church offered “His Needs/Her Needs” at just the right moment for us, and by the time we struggled through the 12-week group therapy program, our marriage was in a much better place. (Our classmates also voted us the “most improved” couple at the end!) Reading the book and doing the weekly assignments worked for us. Full disclosure, though: For other friends who went through a similar program, all this openness and discussion only led to more discord with their spouses. In our case, the program helped us put in the hard work necessary to salvage our relationship and rededicate ourselves to each other.

Our friends and family were instrumental throughout the healing process. They listened when we just needed to vent, they offered childcare when we needed counseling, and in one particular case (as referenced in Brett’s eulogy for his dad), they offered advice. Through it all, they gave us support to keep trudging along through the hardest days.

Time was also our friend. As we worked through our differences, we went out of our way to celebrate our similarities. It took a long time for the tension and residual animosity to go away, but in the meantime it was mighty comforting to share a good belly laugh, to check out our favorite bookstore, to re-watch a classic film, and even (hide your eyes, kids) enjoy a good roll in the hay. Our reconciliation was not linear, mind you; in fact, a few years after our initial crisis we returned to counseling to make sure we stayed on the right path. All along the way, though, we relished those reminders of why we married in the first place.

For our 10th anniversary in 2004, we stood before a goofy Elvis impersonator and renewed our vows in Las Vegas.

June 2004

It was a fun way to celebrate our recommitment to each other, but honestly, the silly ceremony came long after we had rededicated ourselves to our marriage.

As I said, I don’t bring this up to hurt our friends whose marriages didn’t survive. In some cases involving abuse or addiction, a spouse must leave the relationship for his or her own (or the children’s) well-being. In many other cases, one spouse is not willing to stick it out in spite of the other’s best efforts. Divorce happens. A LOT. I get that. That’s a big part of why I feel so blessed that our marriage survived. We beat the odds!

Now, as we celebrate this 20th anniversary, I’m compelled to let other couples know that it is possible to survive and even thrive after a crisis. So here we go with the unsolicited advice:

1. Avoid saying, “If he/she does X, we’re over.” When it’s all hypothetical, it’s easy to declare what you would do, but when you find yourself in that situation, many variables shape your actions. Before I was married, I had my own long list of situations that would absolutely end a marriage, but now that list has dwindled to one item: endangerment. This comes with a second-hand corollary: If you know a couple whose marriage is in crisis, be careful that your absolutes don’t weaken their resolve to work toward a solution.

2. Keep the “D-word” out of your conversations. It’s OK—essential, even—to bring up your struggles. Talk about healing, about getting closer, about getting help to strengthen your marriage, but don’t bring up divorce. Once that word’s uttered and the possibility’s raised, it’s hard to take it off the table.

3. Know that no marriage is completely “divorce proof.” Many couples, especially among the church-going set, seem to think that once they’ve repeated their vows, they don’t have to worry about breaking them. Christian couples divorce all the time. Assuming that it can’t happen to you is unwise. The trick is to practice vigilance while avoiding paranoia, to be attentive to your mate without being too clingy. Many oft-repeated marriage tips help partners stay away from complacency: continue to date your mate after marriage, express your love to each other often, practice the Golden Rule, and on and on. There’s a reason those tips are so prevalent: They work! By the way, surviving one crisis doesn’t exempt you from future ones. I hope Brett and I never take our marriage, as “permanent” as we’d like to think it is, for granted.

4. Don’t assume everyone else’s marriage is better than yours. While a few couples play out every little drama on Facebook, most struggle privately. Know that those smiling faces you see at work and church may be hiding the ugly reality. Do the math: If half of all marriages end in divorce, chances are, a good number of your married friends have been or are going through some sort of marital crisis. (I think this is a big reason for this post. People who didn’t know us back then may assume we’ve always been happily married. I want our friends, especially the ones who haven’t been married very long, to see our scars.)

5. If you find yourself in a relationship crisis, have the patience to ride it out. With our situation, I found myself anxious to fast-forward to a resolution. After every counseling session, I was in a hurry to get to the next one. Each time we ended a confrontational phone call, I looked for excuses to call back and continue the conversation right away. It’s horrible to be in constant crisis mode. Your instinct will be to get out of that state ASAP, but the quickest solution may seem to be divorce. Pray, talk to supportive friends, attend those counseling sessions, do whatever you can to ride out the worst of it. Recovering from a marital crisis is the opposite of courtship: Instead of getting butterflies in your stomach, you’re nauseated all the time, and instead of being constantly flattered and pampered, you may feel attacked and unworthy. But hang in there! It’ll all be worth it if you and your spouse can rebuild your marriage to be even better than it was before. If your marriage does end, you’ll know you gave it your all. (Here’s a big P.S.: “Riding it out” does not mean hanging on indefinitely. A good counselor and a whole lot of prayer can help you know when it’s time to drop the rope.)

Of course, these tips won’t work for everyone, and the last thing I’m trying to do here is insult or blame anyone who has gone through a divorce. I do, however, want to encourage those couples who may be thinking their marriage is forever scarred because of their current crisis. I can’t offer any guarantees, but please know that it IS possible for a troubled marriage to survive and improve. A marriage counselor may have already told you that, but I hope our real-world, cold-hard-reality testimony will help you believe it.

As Brett and I head into our 21st year of marriage, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for this gift we received: a second chance. And more than ever, I’m thankful to have my best friend, my hero, my husband by my side.

June 2014

13 days of gratitude.

Many of my Facebook friends are making daily gratitude posts. I haven't followed suit this time around, but I love the idea. It's been life-affirming to see so many counting their blessings online.

While most of my friends' posts are serious, listing real blessings like the special people in their lives, I can't help but think of the more trivial niceties that make everyday life so peachy. As Robert Earl says, "It's the little things!"

So here on this 13th day of November, 13 of those little things that make me happy:

1. sweatshirts 
2. Dixon Ticonderoga pencils
3. Maxwell, the Geico pig 
4. pumpkin spice K-cups
5. Longhorn Network on U-verse
6. videos of runway models falling down (evil, I know) 
7. pajama bottoms
8. that drumroll at the beginning of "The Eyes of Texas"
9. my heated throw that makes chilly evenings like this one so cozy
10. the new Pentatonix Christmas EP
11. green apple candy corn
12. photos of cats wearing clothes (especially UT hoodies)

(Wait for it...)

Not my ChaCha, but man,
if I don't love that face!
(From the Co-op's
Facebook page)

And last but not least...

    13. photos of any animal in a costume

The little pink leggings? The sleepy Elmo 
that looks like it's eating the puppy?
I can't take it!  HAHAHAHAHA!
(Help me.)

So very thankful.

More Thanksgiving photos are coming, but today I'm compelled to record just how very thankful I am that we're in our new home. This afternoon we pulled our Christmas tree out of the garage, and as we were setting it up, I remembered this time last year when we were just a few weeks removed from the tremendous disappointment of NOT moving. By the time the sale of our house fell through, we had already cleared out many of our belongings, and just decorating for Christmas required spelunking trips into the depths of our stacked boxes and tubs in storage.

As we decorated our tree last year, we were still grateful to have a home, but we were so disappointed that we weren't in the house we thought would be ours. By the time our house sold "for real" this summer, we were old pros at getting by without all our stored junk, but last Christmas, we were still unaccustomed to life without our stuff. We also felt like we'd never get out of Dodge and we'd be stuck in that house forever. Those were not the best of days for the Dubs! I'd like to think we made the most of Christmas, but looking back, I can remember so well that feeling of disappointment.

But we kept the faith, and here we are! Praise God! Today as I pulled out the familiar decorations and found new places for them, I was overwhelmed with joy. We've been in this house for two months now, but there was something about seeing our stockings above our new fireplace, something about hanging our old "DecemBear" calendar in our new kitchen, that got to me. We're here! We're really here!

Thirty days of thanks.

Many of my Facebook friends have been posting things they're thankful for as their status updates this month. I haven't done that, but I think that's an excellent exercise in gratitude. So today, on Thanksgiving Eve, I'm playing catch-up.

I'm thankful for...

1. My Father God, who loves me in spite of me.

2. My mom and dad who raised me to know and love my heavenly Father and who continue to teach me how to make my way through life's challenges, from health struggles to money issues to parenting dilemmas.

3. My husband, whom I love more every day. I'll never forget that Midtown singles Christmas party when we met. We were playing Trivial Pursuit and Pictionary, and I could tell I needed to get to know that tall guy who laughed at the same goofy things I did. Brett takes such good care of me and our kids, and he's the perfect even-keeled complement to my sometimes emotional temperament. He works harder than anyone I know, and he shows kindness to everyone he meets.

4. Our children. Ryan and Katie bless us every day with their sweet spirits, their insight and their humor. God has blessed us with them, and I try to do right by them.

5. My in-laws. Brett's parents are such wonderful people. Not only did they raise a wonderful man for me to marry, but they also have supported us over the years with babysitting and, most recently, with housing! I love them so much, and I thank God that we can live so close to them.

6. Our house. Oh, my goodness, I'm so thankful for our house! It took a while to get here, but I'm so glad we're finally here! I'm grateful for our friend who helped us navigate the real estate waters, too. He put in countless hours to show and sell our old house and help us buy this one. We're forever grateful.

7. My church family. I love Heritage, and it tickles me to see how much our kids love it, too. It's wonderful to have such a strong group of believers to worship with, to have a place to serve our Lord. I thank God for leading us to Midtown where Brett and I met, and I thank Him for leading Midtown to the Heritage community where so much growth has been possible.

8. My job. There's PLENTY to gripe about and much lately to be sad about, but today I thank God for putting me in a school with so many caring professionals who work so hard to enrich kids' lives. This is my 19th year there, and in those years, I've grown to love my Bell family so much. In times of hardship, that family has kept me afloat.

9. Summer! I LOVE having a job that gives me summers off! I wish I could've been a stay-at-home mom, but teaching is the next best thing. I relish my time with the kids. I have to remind myself of that when I'm bringing home mounds of papers to grade or when I'm working late every single night, but still.

10. Football season. Letting go of summer and going back to work is hard every single fall, but football season makes that transition easier. I love everything about football season, but the best part is getting to make those Austin trips to see my Longhorns play. The camaraderie with other Texas fans, especially our Section 1 friends, is unparalleled. It's nice to be among others who think burnt orange is the world's greatest color. (You think I'm extreme? There are women who paint their toenails burnt orange. I don't even do that!)

11. Facebook. I know that electronic friendships are no substitutes for real ones, but social networking has enhanced my life by allowing me to keep in touch with those real friends from days gone by. What's more, it's helped me keep up with friends I live near now but don't get to see or talk to as often as I'd like. That "ambient awareness" of what everyone's up to helps me stay connected, lets me know when and what to pray for, and gives me reason to rejoice with and for my friends.

12. Twitter. Again, many don't get the point of Twitter. They see it as some narcissistic nuisance. But for me, Twitter's not about what I'm saying; it's about what I can read from others! It's like being Facebook friends with famous people. Funny tweets, insightful tweets, some informative, some ridiculous—I enjoy the quick hits of info when I'm on the run. It adds to my sports-watching and enhances the way I get my news.

13. My iPhone. I joke that my phone changed my life. Now it hasn't really changed ME, but it has changed my lifestyle! When we were looking for a house to buy, it was awesome to go online and look up prices, square footage, etc. on the phone as we drove around town. When we need a movie time or a map or a score, it's right there. Too easy. Wonder where to eat? Give the phone a shake! House-hunting, vacationing, watching sports—all have been improved thanks to that phone.

14. ChaCha. You'd never know I'm not a cat person from the way I dote on my cat, but I'm not. Really!

15. Air-conditioning. I remember going to school before our elementary was air-conditioned: those big box fans, the open windows, the dirt, the sweat, the smells... I also remember that glorious first day of third grade when air-conditioning had arrived. I'm so thankful to live in a time and place where that luxury is so common!

16. Our cars. As frustrating as our cars may be sometimes, it's such a blessing to have our own transportation! Especially in our public transportation-poor area, this is such a necessity, and it's something we've never had to worry about. I take it for granted, but I shouldn't.

17. Proximity to shopping. Now that sounds superficial, but it's wonderful to be within minutes of a pharmacy, grocery store and gas station!

18. Plenty to eat. We're never hungry. Ever.

19. Plenty to wear. Now I may not like my clothes on any given day, but when we moved, I discovered that I had more clothes than I had closet space. Talk about an embarrassment of riches!

20. Adequate health care. Unlike many in the United States, our family is insured, and considering our needs, that's essential! I'm thankful that my insurance has no lifetime cap because we would have surely reached it by now.

21. Digital photography. Free from those rolls of 24 and 36 exposures, we can shoot to our hearts' content. Every now and then I have to remind myself how awesome that is!

22. Blogging. Even though I usually cheat and just post a bunch of football pictures, I still love having a creative outlet online. I'm a writer, after all, and at work, much of my writing is limited to responding to students' writing! I'm also grateful to have so many wonderful blogs to read (in all my spare time).

23. ESPN Radio. Because the Ticket is sexist and never seems to talk about, you know, SPORTS when I turn it on.

24. Blogs like Rude Truth. I'm thankful for women who call for the church to allow all Christians to use their spiritual gifts.

25. Kohl's, JCPenney and Belk for sparing me the hassle of shopping at the mall.

26. Chuy's bean and cheese stuffed sopapillas with tomatillo sauce. And the creamy jalapeno dip!

27. Our crazy dog. I usually refer to Frisco at Brett's dog, but she is really OURS. She's certifiable, but I'm glad she's ours because she makes Brett so happy!

28. The Brady Bunch, The Price Is Right and all the other mindless TV shows that remind me of my childhood.

29. YouTube. Sure, there's plenty of garbage on that site, but some of the old clips found there are gold!

30. These United States of America. We the people are blessed to think for ourselves, vote for ourselves, and express ourselves, and I'm thankful for all the men and women who have given their lives to preserve those rights for us.

Someday.

I have so much—SO MUCH—to write about, so many photos I want to post, but yearbook is in the way yet again. I want—no, NEED—to write about my mom's recent health issues, the interminable tyranny of cancer in our friends' lives, our lightless Friday night, Ryan's latest band contest, a visit from my side of the family tree, Katie's servant heart, even a captivating llama. But those stories will have to wait until this yearbook has been put to bed. The final round of proofs is supposed to go back to the publisher tomorrow, and in spite of working until 9:30 tonight, those pages are STILL not ready to go. Ugh.

And yes, I'd like some cheese to go with that whine.

Still, I'm so very thankful for the little things: the utter quiet in my hallway after 7; the lack of traffic on my drive home; the fact that I have the Discovery Channel in my classroom and can watch Cash Cab for two hours after school (even if I can only listen since I'm working with my back to the TV).

I'm also thankful for the big stuff. Both Katie and Brett greeted me with warm hugs before I could even set down my work stuff. My arms were too full to hug them back, but that didn't stop them from welcoming me home. How symbolic is that? Lately I've had little to offer them, but they (and Ryan, too) have been quick to support me, encourage me, love me anyway.

Yes, there will be life after yearbook... someday. But it's so nice to know that in the meantime, my sweet family is taking good care of me.

Every day.

Perspective.

While outside this morning, Brett discovered THIS:

Our old Taurus is not long for this world. Until we unload it, it's sitting in front of our house, but some idiot felt compelled to stick a pushpin in one of its tires. Now WHY would anyone do that? ARGH. Pure meanness.

That discovery put a damper on our day, as did our garbage disposal later on. What is it about appliances that causes them to break down the night before a holiday? It was 6 p.m. tonight when Brett flipped the switch and heard a hum instead of a grind. We tried a couple of Googled fixes, but we've had no luck so far. We're stuck with a lame-duck disposal until at least Friday. Yippee.

So yeah, in spite of having a holiday, in spite of having some great family time outdoors, in spite of enjoying a productive day around the house, I managed to get pretty pooty over the dumb disposal and one stinkin' pushpin. In fact, I had just slammed the door under the sink closed and thrown the stupid, useless allen wrench across the counter when Ryan walked into the kitchen.

"You know, this Thanksgiving I'm really thankful," he said. "We're so lucky just to have water."

In social studies he's been learning about places where many homes are without our conveniences, so he's particularly aware of our many blessings.

And then there's our precious Katie, who never, ever, ever forgets to pray for Megann's family. This week her prayers have been especially fervent because she knows the holidays will be hard for them.

I'm so thankful for Ryan and Katie's sweet spirits that remind me to take a deep breath, to refocus, and to truly be grateful.

Good morning.

We made it to Thanksgiving break! Of course, the holiday didn't keep our resident early writer--I mean, RISER--from getting up at 5:30 a.m. to work on his book. He loves getting up that early: "the best time to write," he says.

I didn't get up quite that early, but even without the alarm, I still woke up at 6--just when I thought I could catch up on my sleep. UGH! At least getting an early start meant Brett and I could get in a walk before the weather took a turn. We enjoyed the usual sights, especially the cool trees in our neighborhood:



Later on, the cool weather meant we could enjoy some good basketball without breaking a sweat, and the four of us played a little one-on-one, two-on-two, and even some four-square.

(He sank this shot--nothin' but net--by the way.)

Not a bad start to the holiday!

A love/hate relationship.

I hate computers.

This has not been my best week, technology-wise. Our journalism lab at school is in its last days (literally: we're expecting 25 new computers in 11--ELEVEN!!!--days!), and it seems like we're losing another functional computer every class period. Since the November newspaper issue goes to press Monday and the first big yearbook deadline is next week, our lack of working machines is a HUGE problem. My staffers play musical chairs all day: "Is that one working?" or "I get that one when you're through." My most-hated sentence this week: "Mrs. [Dub], it says the scratch disk is full!"

We're SO excited about our new computers and server, and even though we're sure to have some networking/software bumps before we're back in business, it's wonderful to know we won't be stuck with these computers all year. Still, this week has been a real struggle, and next week offers more of the same.

Combine those hardware issues with software glitches in my usual techno haven, church, and I'm one frustrated puppy.

But I'm blogging gratitude this month! Thinking positive! Not dwelling on the negative! (Grrr...) So here's where I balance the sour with the sweet:

Even though I may hate particular hardware or software at any given moment, I just love what computers let us do! I never really kept up with my kids' baby books, and I never was all that prompt getting film photos developed (or put in albums or--sniff, sniff--in scrapbooks). Blogging has given me this visual journal, though, and I take more everyday pictures--not just special occasions--and I know these shots will be precious to our family in years to come.

Another benefit has been getting to know all of you faithful bloggers better! It's been wonderful to connect with all of you whom I otherwise would barely know as acquaintances. And it's all thanks to this newfangled technology.

I love computers!

Evidence.

So I'm walking toward Ryan's school this afternoon, and this catches my eye:More proof that yes, indeed, it's FALL!

It was so unexpected. These vines are the only ones climbing up the brick there on the building's long north facade. At first I wondered if they were fake because the colors were just too autumn-y to be real!

In any case, I'm glad they got my attention. The busier I get, the more I need little bonuses like this one to recharge my batteries!

Reunion at Rosa's.

It had been way too long since we'd spent time with Aunt Kelly and Uncle Mike, so after church Sunday we met up with them at Rosa's.

It was good to catch up, even if we ate our fill and then some...

After we ate, Brett and the kids went over to Mike and Kelly's house to play--yep!--Wii tennis and bowling.

I'm so grateful to have our family in town! My mom, Brett's parents and both of his siblings live no more than 15 minutes away from us. We don't always see them as often as we'd like, but it's wonderful to have everybody so close.

Friday family fun.

Ryan and Katie know they can count on it. Brett knows to look forward to it. I don't know that I could get through the week without it. Even my yearbook students know to clear the journalism lab so I can get home for it.

It is our Friday family night, and usually it means dinner out and something fun to do together--even if that's a trip to Target. No matter what we end up doing--going out or just coming home--our Friday nights make the most of our collective ebullient attitudes.

Tonight we headed to one of favorite Tex-Mex hot spots: Frijoles. We just love the heated salsa, and Ryan and Katie are prolonging their love affair with the dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets. Many a dinosaur story has been told with those chicken nuggets!

Dr Pepper... MMMMmmmmm!

SO full!

But not too full for ice cream!

After dinner tonight, we headed home for some Wii-time. Ryan just pummeled me in a tennis match, and now he and Brett have hit the lanes for another round of bowling. When she's not tango-ing across the living room, Katie's looking through an old scrapbook. I'm on my laptop, super happy just to be here. To quote Jesus Jones, right here, right now, there is no other place I want to be.