teaching the roles of a fan

Our church has a men's basketball team that is playing in the city league. Last night was their first game, so Jack and I went to cheer on daddy and the other men.

Jackson LOVED it. He sat and behaved so well in the bleachers. He was enthralled with the fast-pace, the buzzers, the whistles, and the fouls! :) We were the first "fans" to arrive. As we sat on the bleachers, I explained some of what was going on. Jackson looked up at me and said, "Mommy, this is so fun!" and he reached out and grabbed my hand. And held it for several minutes.

My heart melts with his sweet, loving nature!

However, this was not to last. Within minutes, we were joined by 8 other boys and their parents. Boy instincts kicked in and he quickly withdrew his hand. (Oh, the peer pressure, already!). Jackson asked if he could sit with his buddies. The front row was filled with boys with ages ranging from 10 to 3 - all chanting "Let's go Bridge!" and having the best time. Bob got a picture, and I'll have to get a copy from him. They were adorable... er, I mean way cool.

During all this, I realized that I am not a calm spectator when watching sports - particularly basketball. I hoot. I clap. I protest bad calls. All within perfectly reasonable good manners. I never boo the other team or anything like that. Come to think of it, I do the same watching sports at home. You know, because they can hear me through the TV and all.

But, what made me realize how vocal I am was how Jackson repeated every word out of my mouth. "Good defense, guys! ... "Way to hustle, Matt!" ... "Great play, Mike!"... Which is funny, since I am pretty sure Jackson's not yet savvy enough with sports to know what most of it means. He's just taking his cues from me. Scary, huh? :)

Even scarier is the thought of how I will react when it is Jackson playing the sport. Poor kid. He's bound for years of embarrassment.

A little quiet

I was told today by a friend that she was a little tired of checking my blog only to find no updates. Not-So-Subtle Hint taken, Lauren. :) I've been a little consumed with some projects and such. Ye old blog had been a bit forgotten.

Saturday I took advantage of having the house to myself for most of the day. It was so QUIET - almost too quiet. Almost.

I was able to work on my talks and the details on the upcoming retreat. I have been completely engrossed with my Bible and commentaries. I LOVE to do research on Scripture like this. I don't even care how dorky that sounds. Digging deep into the Word, looking up the original meaning of the Hebrew and Greek, comparing passages to other passages... I'm in heaven. God has been so faithful to open up my eyes to see more in these passages than I have even noticed before.

And, ya'll, He's been kickin' my tail! In the best way. Perhaps I'll share some of what He's been laying on my heart on the blog after the retreat - can't give it away beforehand. :)

My little furry alarm clock

A little before 6am this morning, I was rudely awakened by my cat, Daisy. She has this lovely little trick for waking me up - she will bat around plastic bags or paper, or rummage through my jewelry. Then, when I rebuke her in the name of all things holy, she jumps on me and walks all over me while I try to return to sleep. Sometimes she gets right up in my face and purrs loudly. Other times she lightly licks my arm. Thankfully, this is not an every morning ritual. Her food bowl was empty and, evidently, she wasn't willing to wait.

Unable to go back to sleep, I decided to go grocery shopping at 6:30am. Just me and all the other money-saving freaks. It's triple coupon time at Harris Teeter, and thanks to saavydollar and sue stock, I had mapped out my trip to use the coupons to the most effectiveness. I got 20 items - 3 were free, for 2 items I got $ back, and most others were for pocket change. Not bad. And, it took every fiber of my being to resist the pumpkin spice latte, as the cost of such would almost nullify the point of all my savings. It's an evil thing to tempt me with starbucks with every trip to the grocer.

One of the best parts was being out in the COOL air. I love it. If only it could be fall all year 'round.

A little distraction, please

If you are like me, it's easy to get down with the way things are right now. I CAN'T STAND the slanderous political commercials. I'm broken-hearted for those recovering from Ike. The stock market is a little bleak and I'm worried about our investments. Gas prices make me want to stay within a 10 mile radius of my house. And, food costs make me want to cry.

Thankfully, coming to my rescue is the television. :) Hooray for the TV shows coming back for the fall!! Tonight is the Biggest Loser premier. I Love Love LOVE that show. Next week, The Office returns. Oh, how I need me some Jim and Dwight to distract me from my frustrations. A little more of a wait for 24, but I'm hoping this 2 year hiatus will be worth the wait.

Nothing better than snuggling up with hubby on the couch with a good show. :)

Fun and Frantic Fall

It is busy times in our house this fall. But, I am just in such anticipation for all the things going on in our church. We had another Lake Day/Baptism today and it was fantastic. It was a great turn out, and I got to see 2 of the kiddos from my class at church get baptized. I am so very proud of them! My class also did a song with dance and motions in the service today - they were great! Can I just say how fortunate I feel to be one of their leaders??!!

In a few weeks (October 4th) our church is hosting our annual Family Fun Day that will be bigger and better than last year. Giant inflatable bouncy things (that's the technical term), putt putt, free Shirt for kids, Italian Ice and free dinner (burgers and hot dogs). Does it get any better than that? If you live in the Triangle area, you're invited, and you'll not want to miss.

Also coming up are fall festivals, the State fair, the Women's retreat, 2 weddings, another trip to TN, and more. Whew. Not all church events, yet things that will keep us busy for sure.

Amidst it all, I can hardly contain my excitement. There is just a sense that God is moving within the hearts in our church, and I couldn't be more delighted to have front row seats to watch Him do it.

Now, if the weather would just turn cooler, all would be great. :)

getting girly

I had a fun weekend filled with lots of fun girl time. Friday, I went to a baby shower for my friend Maggie. And, I was pleasantly surprised to see Caroline, who I had not seen in like 5 years or more. It was so fun to catch up in person - not just by blogs! I always have so much fun with these girls!

me, Christy & Caro

Christy, me, Jen, Stacy, Maggie, Lynn & Anna

Saturday included a Shag party! That is shag dancing - as in the SC state dance or dancing to beach music. NOT ANYTHING DIRTY. I've been told that people outside of the Carolinas have never heard of it. A shame. Clearly they have never seen the movie. Or been to Myrtle Beach.

Anyway, a friend rented out a local club for his wife's 30th birthday and we had got to learn some moves with an instructor. While this is not hubby's forte, he was a trooper and I had a blast dancing with him! I think our son and his buddies enjoyed it more than anyone! They were all over the dance floor getting their groove on!

Then, on Sunday I went to lunch with Christy and Kelli - my old post-college roommates. Although it was not the easiest time to catch up due to the kids, it was great to be with them!

consignment love

My favorite consignment sale starts next week. I am sooo ready. My son is in need of a lot of fall/winter clothes. Plus, I get a lot of his Christmas gifts there! Unlike consignment stores, this sale is just bi-annual, and the prices are much more reasonable. I dropped off a couple of things that I am consigning yesterday, and it was so hard not to look around and shop! One more week to wait. It's a thrilling hunt among scores of deal-seeking mommies (and a few daddies too). My friends and I have it down to a science!

In past sales I have scored some major deals...can't wait to see what I find this year!

Workin' on getting away

Haven't been a good poster lately. Been hectic times 'round here!

In less than 2 months, our church is having our first women's retreat. I am so very excited about it on many levels.
1. It will be at Camp Willow Run. I believe that my affection for that place has been well established.

2. It's a get-away from the daily routine. Can I get an amen?

3. I LOVE love LOVE the women at The Bridge.

Almost 9 months ago, God put this retreat on my heart. Although the initial plan was to bring in a speaker, God has shown me otherwise. He actually laid 3 different talks on my heart one evening several months ago. And I struggled with it for a bit - not wanting to take on so much. But, I felt God leading. So, I will be speaking. And I'm trusting that where God guides, He also provides! :) I am a little nervous, but excited about what God is prompting me to share.

Our theme is Undivided Heart - Where Faith Fits in Frazzled Lives. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. (Psalm 86:11). Something I feel that every woman can relate to on some level.