Goodbye, Little Rock

In the final days of Little Rock life ... fantastic service at FBC this morning. It represented a big part or our journey here ... my life has been transformed from a long-timer to a late-comer. May I never forget what He has graciously given. May every day be dependent on God's grace and compassion, pouring onto others what I've been given so lavishly for no other reason but love itself. The song below hits me as my heart's desire for this transition ...



We arrive in New Orleans on Wednesday late afternoon. We would be delighted to see you ... if you want to help us unload the truck, give Doug a call. You could meet us at that little pink house along the River.

FA Church Planters Reunion

Suddenly, it's the first of May and we're heading straight for the finish line in Little Rock. Fellowship Associates celebrates 10 years of the residency program for church planters and with it came a big reunion. They invited all the former residents  (40+) back for the weekend to truly see what God has done. It was amazing to meet these other couples (well, mostly the wives) and stand in the midst of this crowd of courageous leaders who are all in different stages of a similar journey to plant a new church in order to proclaim the name of Christ. Surrounded by these and our coaches/mentors from the year, Fellowship Bible Church ordained Doug and commissioned us as a couple to NOLA Church Plant. God has used this program, this city, this church, and these people to reveal Himself to us in bigger ways that we could have dreamed. Throughout the year, we've learned more about ourselves than we thought possible to know. We feel so honored and privileged to have been given the pieces of our puzzle that were missing until this time ... pieces related to our knowledge of ourselves, our marriage, our role as parents, and how we can minister those around us in a healthy way. We are forever grateful. 

You can find more pics from the weekend and a link to a video of the service online at our fan page on facebook. Thank you for praying for us, following our journey this year, and dreaming with us about how we can be a small part of truly restoring New Orleans in a way that matters most.

More snow in Little Rock

Only Sam was interested in heading outside yesterday morning. We helped our friends finish their lifesize snowman. This is Elle, Sam's kindergarten friend who lives just two buildings over. What is better than sharing a kindergarten snow day by counting how many snowflakes you can catch on your tongue?

Sam made it inside before me. Snow is very cold especially when some lands inside your boot. Wink. I created our snowpeople on the patio. Zach and Eli never made it outside.

This morning was yet another snow day. Sam and Eli headed out to play on the patio awhile, but Zach still was content to watch from inside. The sun is out today, so we can only hope that enough will melt to start regular life again tomorrow. We sure don't mind the extra time together. Glad Valentine's is around the corner so we can create, create and create some more.

Snow Day in Little Rock

This was from this morning out our patio doors. School was cancelled by 6:00am. Of course, everyone was up by that time with no hopes of "sleeping in". By 8:15, Eli was resting in his room while Sam and Zach were having "Movie Morning" in the pjs in the living room. Doug was running, and I enjoyed some mostly-quiet time in a corner in our bedroom. Friends came to play and have lunch by 11, and we finally braved the outdoors around 3pm. Thankfully, Samantha (my sister-in-law) hooked me up with snow pants and boots for Sam and Zach, so it was just Eli and myself to layer. We used rubbermaid container lids for sleds and tried our hardest to make it down the hill with stopping. It was pretty worthless compared to snowstorms I enjoyed as a child, but so much fun for our boys who don't and won't get to experience this very often. It wasn't long before they were asking to do go inside, so we walked around the building and then climbed the stairs to go inside. After we came inside, I brought a bunch of snow to fill up the sink for them to play in ... that lasted about 5 minutes. We've made marshmallow/toothpick sculptures and we're about to do some chalk drawings.  Happy day!

NOLA Church Plant Team in Little Rock

When I look back at the last several weeks, there is no wonder that my brain could only handle the details of mostly one day at a time. I am realizing that I need to make time to write here (for my own reflection and sanity), but am learning to be okay with the fact that I can't document everything. There are just some things that must be experienced first-hand, right? Let it be memorialized by our good ol' memories. Hopefully I document the stuff that would have forgotten.

Thanksgiving week was simply incredible, and I'm not sure I can understand the significance of it until the future. Doug returned from a quick trip to NOLA on Saturday. The Nelson family arrived in Little Rock on Sunday night after our boys were already in bed. Sam and Zach went to school half day on Monday, but the boys and I enjoyed the afternoon at the Little Rock Zoo with Allison, Athan and Aiden while Alf and Doug were doing FA stuff. That evening, we invited two of the other residents' families to our apt. to meet the Nelsons and have dinner. It's fun when two worlds collide a bit.

The Sisungs arrived late Monday night. Lawrence and Alf attended Doug's typical Tuesday resident meetings at FA, and the three of them had lunch with the two primary FA mentors. In the midst of Zach and Sam's Thanksgiving feasts at school (another post), the moms and kids headed downtown Little Rock for lunch and fun at the "tunnel park" near the Arkansas River. It was bitter cold and drizzling as we hit the Flying Fish for yummy fried seafood. With plans to "not stay long", we walked towards Peabody Park. The rain had stopped, but it was still super-cold. Within ten minutes of arriving, the sun came from behind the clouds, the air warmed up, and the rest of the afternoon's plans were right there. The dads came home to hang with the kids while Darlene, Allison and I met with Carolyn (the resident wives' mentor) for coffee. I knew it would be sweet to have her meet them and for them to experience a little of that part of the residency for me. Those moments at the Coffee Beanery may be some of my favorites ... I can't get enough of women authentically encouraging women. She didn't disappoint. Real issues. Real learnings. Fantastic stuff.

That evening, we hired a babysitter to watch all 9 kids at our house, while the couples enjoyed dinner at Izzy's with the other two resident couples. Since Lawrence and Alf went on the November I-40 trip with Doug where they met other church planters in different stages of this process, they had already met all the residents while "road trip-pin". It was a new dimension to have sit in on FA meetings and to be able to introduce their wives and meet the other guys' wives. None of these men would be where they are today without their wives, so it was all pretty neat-o from my perspective. I love the amazing differences in all of our stories and how God uses such different people to play a unique role in his big ol' redemptive plan for our world. I couldn't help but look around the table and simply smile knowing that God had designed so many paths to converge as we share this journey together.

Kroger: my new workout

I stumbled upon some helpful couponing sites (this one and this one) a couple months ago and started using more coupons. Red Plum coupons come in our mailbox (and I grab extras from the trashcan in the mailroom). A quick stop at Walgreens on our way home from church will secure me a Sunday paper with loads more. And, there are so many printable ones online too. Even downloadable coupons are available that I can put directly on my Kroger card at home. When I buy an item that cooresponds with a downloadable coupon, the register automatically "uses" that coupon. The ultimate kicker for me was when I learned that Kroger doubles manufacturer's coupons up to 70 cents AND that I can use a paper (manufacturer's) coupon and a downloadable coupon on the same item. Wowsers! This is a game I want to play.

My plan is to buy items on sale that I have coupons for. Sometimes a lower priced item will still be a great deal not on sale only if I have a paper coupon (usually doubled) and downloadable coupon. Of course, sometimes there are things I need that I just have a coupon for or are simply on sale and I don't have a coupon. Usually I don't buy ANYthing full-price at Kroger unless I need it immediately (which almost everything can wait). Here's a couple samples of my Kroger deals today ...

Yo-Plus yogurt (4pk)...regular price is $2.49, paper coupons $1, downloadable $1 = final price 59 cents. I actually made money on these a couple weeks ago when they were on sale.

Nestle refrigerated cookie dough ... sale price was 2/$4. I bought 3 packages since I had 3 paper coupons $1 off 1 and 3 downloadable coupons for 55cents off 1. That's 45cents each. As much as I like to bake, it sure is nice to only bake what we need to eat at that moment. ;) It's those leftover ones that are lying around that tempt me (and it's nice to tell the boys "there are no more" instead of "you can't have more"). Wink.

Quaker and GM cereals ... special deal. Started out at $20.29 for 8 boxes (that was already a sale); after coupons & even better buy 4 deal, I paid 9.54. That's about $1.20/box for name-brand cereals that we all like.

Some pros to coupon shopping like this ...

1. We get more variety in our life. Most of the items with coupons would not normally be on my shopping list because of price.

2. I've been happy to find out that some of the things that I feel like my boys have been missing out on because of price ... they don't like anyway. I loved Toaster Strudels and it was a treat when I convinced Mom to get them for me as a kid. They are not a very healthy choice, and I wasn't disappointed to see the boys' turn up their noses at them. Nice.

3. I don't have strong opinions about Walmart, but I'm happy that money that I have to spend goes to support someone besides Walmart. Probably the best part is that I have a choice, because I haven't always felt like I've had a choice about where to shop for groceries and still stay within the budget.

4. It's a welcome challenge (sometimes feels like a gamble) to wait for the best sale or simply find some really great deals. This is my way of making some cash for our family.

5. Now that I pack lunches for the boys almost every day, I can get many "convenience" items inexpensively that are perfect for the mad morning rush to pack a healthy lunch for each of them (i.e. granola bars, yogurt, fruit snacks, cheese sticks, crackers usually are less than a buck for most).

6. Lots of coupons are out there for items that have BoxTops which help the boys' school. Zach has started to spot BoxTops. I love that they can cut and paste them before turning them in to the school. It's a "craft" at our house.

7. Kroger gave me 24 cents today simply because I brought my own bags (which, btw, are essential if you want to carry all your groceries in less than 5 trips up two flights of stairs).

8. I can earn points towards a 10cents off/gallon of fuel at the Kroger gas station. Crazy.

9. When I use a specially designated Kroger gift card to make my Kroger purchases (groceries and fuel), the boys' school gets 1% cash of my purchase. Sweet.

10. Kroger stores are prevalent here ...three within several miles of my normal weekly commutes. The Super Walmart is a 20-minute round trip from home.

11. It's easy to pick up extra non-perishables when they are super-cheap. My plan is to empty the extras from the pantry regularly and give them to the local food bank.

A couple cons ...

1. It takes time. I spend about twice as much time planning my grocery list than when I did a weekly trip to Walmart.

2. I'm still trying to figure out how to plan meals around what's on sale and the items I've purchased using coupons. This is much different than making the weekly menu and simply buying what you need for those meals.

So let's see ... here's my mental checklist when heading to the grocery store ...

• Kroger ad scoured for sale items that I have coupons for.
• Paper coupons piled together.
• Downloadable coupons downloaded.
• Kroger Plus card on keyring. (that's easy unless I take Doug's jeep by accident)
• Recyclable bags. (I've left them in the van so many times.)
• Load up Kroger card w/money before purchase. (so Terry benefits)

And if that's not enough of a workout, I get to carry all the bags (and Eli) up two flights of stairs. It's not so bad. The best part ... checking out the receipt afterwards. Today my total savings was $41.81, and I paid 28.83. It's a workout that's worth it.

Mountain climb

Many people have recommended a trip up Pinnacle Mountain in the fall when the leaves are changing, so we finally got our chance yesterday. What a trip! It was a mile and a half round trip to the top and really steep once you reached closer to the top. Sam led our troop and quickly took a faster pace than me and Zach. Doug held Eli and kept up with Sam. It seemed that Sam's pace got even quicker the closer they got to the top. Yellow splotches of paint marked the path as well as numbered placards from 1 to 10. Zach was a trooper and hardly wanted to stop for a rest ever. He was quick to point out EVERY yellow marker and remind me of my own words that if we stayed by the yellows then that would be the safest way. Zach and I were just minutes behind the other three. Water and Cheezits were welcomed as we took in the view from the top.

The view from behind going down seemed a bit freakish to me, but the boys were steady on their feet. The whole adventure

really was an accomplishment.

I'm not sure that Doug and I would have done it with them if we had known how difficult it was. Isn't that pretty typical of how we make choices in life though? Hmmm. The boys wanted to take pictures with their "numbers" on the way back down the mountain. Perhaps Doug and I should have taken ours with marker 10 since it's our anniversary number. Smile. Lots of correlations between the climb and our ten years together came to mind ... taking in the view at the top reminded me again of the timely beauty of this year in our marriage and ministry together.

CityFest in Little Rock

FYI: I posted a bunch of stuff today ... so make sure you scroll down far to catch up. I like to backdate posts since I'm a sequential, orderly kind of chick.

What a powerful event preceded by the love of Jesus shown in the actions of believers in neighborhoods across the city. Discipleship follow-up will take place on the LR public school campuses for something like six weeks after this week. Seriously? Yes. God is at work in our country. Proud to be among Christ-followers who desire to show His love in action and word to anyone. We're looking forward to the Family Fun Zone!

EDIT: You can watch it live here: www.palau.org. 8:54pm CST: TobyMac.

Pigs Fly in Little Rock

So, weirdly enough, I am from farm country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and had to move to Little Rock to see a pig race. Mind you, my life seemed inundated with this strange phenomenon for a little bit since we saw some at the Arkansas State Fair and then twice on the Pumpkin Patch field trips. So, just in case you've never seen "pigs fly", here might be the closest thing to it. And, for the record, it takes special people to make these things happen. Truly, it is all very strange and entertaining.

First Pre-K field trip

Strangely enough, the following Monday was the Pre-K field trip to the same Pumpkin Patch. I was happy that Zach got to go too. We did all the same things as the kindergarteners. It was really fun for me to spend the day with Zach and the two friends he chose to be in our little group. He has had a difficulty adjusting to school this year, but is doing really well now. It seems that he needed an environment where he was on his own (without Sam) to grow up a little and interact as an individual socially. His teacher and I have had a couple conferences and that communication helped both of us do what Zach needed to enjoy school. He's learning so much! It's so fun to listen to his words after school. He's busy with his self-declared homework at the kitchen table most afternoons. The picture below is part of his class drinking "pumpkin juice" while waiting for the pig races to start. Andrew is the friend on his right that he picked to be with us that day. Lauren and Kate (two girls to his left) are mentioned a lot when he talks about his class.

First Kindergarten field trip

It just so happened that the day after everyone left (family back to NOLA and Doug to PA), Sam had his first field trip as a kindergartener. It was pretty exciting ... riding on the school bus to Motley's Pumpkin Patch. Sam was delighted to have me along for the trip and told his best friends in his class that "Mom is my buddy today. I can't be yours." Smile. It seemed important to him to be with me the whole time. We enjoyed a hayride, watching a couple pig races (I picked the winner, Jimmy Dean, the purple one) while snacking on halloween pretzels and slurping "pumpkin juice", feeding chickens and goats at the farm zoo, and picking a small pumpkin at the patch. "Hay play" was pretty fun and we picked a bigger pumpkin to bring home as well after having a picnic lunch along side the patch. It was a beautiful day. Sam's class is lining up below, maybe you can find him.

Family Visit

Our first out-of-town guests arrived overnight on October 9th and stayed until the 15th. Doug was in NOLA when they arrived and flew to PA the same day they left so it was great timing to have some distraction. It was truly a delight to show Mimie (Doug's mom), Aunt Tina (Doug's sis) and Baby Clay (our nephew) around Little Rock and our "world" this year. We were able to visit the LR Zoo (still haven't seen that "daddy lion'), the Museum of Discovery, Mimi's Cafe (fitting, eh?), Arkansas State Fair, Whole Hog Cafe, as well as checking out the FA offices, Fellowship Bible Church, and Terry Elementary.

It was so fun to enjoy Clay at a new stage...he's smiling and much more entertaining than as a newborn when we left NOLA just a couple months ago. All of our boys were especially sweet to him. You'll have to check facebook for sweet cousins moment pics. It is almost painful to upload pics on Blogger. Here's one to hold you over until I get some posted.

Adjustments

Several weeks ago, the fun part of the newness of living in Little Rock and doing what we're doing had shrunk in the midst of all the many new things we were encountering as a family. Let me give you the laundry list ...

• New home
• New city
• New church
• New friends
• No family
• New job for Doug
• New part-time job for me
• New doctors
• New weather patterns (i.e. allergies)
• New public school experience for Sam and Zach
• New caretakers for Eli (while I'm working)
• New schedules all-around

I've mentioned that I struggle with the new before, but this is the first time I've encountered it as a parent. To be emotionally aware of the adjustments of our three sons to the "new" around us had taken priority over taking care of myself. The week that my normal schedule was kicking off for the fall, Sam and Zach got sick. I had to call in sick on my very first day of work and miss a special lunch meeting with other pastors' wives. All the "new" was wearing me thin, and frankly I was angry at how I was dealing with my circumstances. The fun-loving, adventurous, adaptable part of me was depleted and I was ready for familiar. Ever found yourself in a state of mind that you've recognized is ugly, but you just can't get out of the funk? Now, several weeks later and after a couple awesome conversations with Doug, I'm thankful to say that life looks, feels, and is better.

My prayer for this year is to learn to depend on Him for each day, and He's already given me the challenge to do that. Oh, to walk in His spirit and not on my own reasoning or strength. That is my desire. What a gift it is to be here. The opportunity to reflect on our past ministry experience (our joys and our regrets) and focus on making personal changes (as individuals, in our marriage, in parenting, as leaders, etc.) with the mentoring and help of others before moving into the next season is not a typical perk of a lifetime of full-time ministry. I'm grateful. God is here, working, and showing Himself new regularly as we trust Him more fully. May we embrace the changes and feel His spirit preparing us for what lies ahead. We long to be different when we return to New Orleans, only because of Him.

One of the perks of this residency for me is the privilege to meet with a seasoned church planter's wife every other week over lunch with the other residents' wives. We're reading through the book High Call, High Privilege: A Pastor's Wife Speaks to Every Woman in a Place of Responsibility by Gail MacDonald. Its chapters are the backdrop for conversations surrounding what we might encounter as a church planting/pastoring family, and specifically as it relates to us women. MacDonald's words are resonating with me in uncanny ways as I process where we've been and what we anticipate. Another gift to treasure. I'd recommend this book to any woman who wants to learn from another older woman. The pic to the right is the 09-10 resident's wives and our mentor before we went on a retreat at the end of August. (left to right) Leslie - Phoenix AZ, Angela - Columbus OH, me - NOLA, Carolyn - FBCLR (our mentor), Marron - Little Rock AR, Megan - Columbus OH

Morning giggle

Sam sits down on the scale in our bathroom and says, "My bottom weighs the same as my feet." Love that kid.

I haven't forgotten about my friends in blogland ... the newness of our life here caught up with me in the past couple weeks. Lord willing, I can reflect some soon ... here.

First days of school

Last week at this time, I could only theorize how the week would go. Doug started his "new job" on Monday morning. The boys and I joined him (and the other residents/families) in the afternoon for a tour of Fellowship Bible Church. I'm not sure what happened that morning, but it was full of fights, tears, and just general chaotic behavior nonsense. Perhaps Daddy going to work was the reality that we had officially moved in. Life began. Vacation over. Zach still talked excitedly about school, but Sam was sending mixed signals about how he was feeling about kindergarten. So, when Wednesday morning arrived, I didn't know what to expect. The only thing I knew is that my face had to remain most confident in the chance that "someone" would break down.

Alarm set for 6am. Cinnamon rolls out of the oven by 6:30. Boys were groggy, but excited about getting out of bed. They looked so sharp ready for school in their uniforms. Sneakers and socks along with shirts tucked in w/belt is all new for us. Sam wanted to have a packed lunch for the first day, while Zach was happy to have a "tray lunch". He was all about the turkey corndog. I wasn't surprised that Sam wanted one normal routine thing in his day (turkey/cheese sandwich, 5 carrots, homemade granola bar, snack sticks, and juice). Zach insisted on having something in his backpack, so he slipped Smiley (one of his stuffed zebras) in all on his own.

All five of us arrived at school at 7:10 to walk them to their classes. Zach's teacher handed us more forms to fill out as he hung up his backpack and found his nametag before

sitting down to color at a table. Sam was the first to arrive in his classroom and had some trouble finding his name by the hooks since the teacher used his full name instead of "Sam". There's a little girl named Samia in his class too, so that was throwing him off. His class is grouped in four tables, so he found his name at table number two with the green basket. As you can tell in the pic, he was happy to be there and ready to see what kindergarten was really all about. While Doug bought "communication folders" from the school bookstore, I put some money in their cafeteria accounts and took some paperwork to the office. I snapped the shot of Zach in his class

when I returned the forms back to Zach's teacher. In keeping with his normal demeanor, he didn't notice me being there again. Then, Doug, Eli and I went to have a little breakfast together before Doug's day started. I really enjoyed piddling around the house that day. Eli took a long nap. I really don't think it was any longer than normal. It just seemed so, because I was alone. I couldn't wait to hear what they had to say when I picked them up, but I did get some good chores done around the house with Chris Tomlin as the only background noise.

Carpool will hopefully get faster as the days go on. Smile. Once in the car, Zach's first words were, "Ms. Piazza says, 'I'm sorry to say that there are no stuffed animals allowed at school'." He used that "I'm sorry to say" phrase several times that evening, so it must have made an impression. It was fun to hear them chatter to each other about their day. It was hard not to pepper them with questions. Overall, they said their first day was "great".

And, it's been just as great the rest of last week, too. On the first day, Zach said that the music they played during rest-time distracted him and he just couldn't sleep. But, on the second day, he did nap (an hour is allotted), and we could tell because he was still awake at 10pm. Sam named a couple boys and talked about playing "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" at recess with them. They have been eager to show me what's in their folder (when there has been something). I think it was Thursday that Zach came home with two papers that had just colored round scribbles on them.

One had his name; the other didn't. He wouldn't let me rest until I helped him write his name on the blank one. [We think he might be left-handed, so it's hard to know which hand to favor.] Then, he proceeded to lead us (me and Sam) in coloring a rainbow of our own. He told us it was in the shape of a C, then went on to tell us the colors to color in order (ya know, ROY G BIV). Not sure if that was what his scribbles were supposed to be in school or not. But he was very confident as he finished his rainbow.

Sam wrote his name (he has never wanted to practice letters) on all his papers so far. He sometimes flips the S and sometimes he gets it right. He's so ready to learn ... I can't wait to see how fast he gobbles up everything this year. Zach was all hands on deck to help me put together homemade pizza on Friday night, while Sam was outside with Doug. He just jabbered away to me. I have a feeling he's probably pretty quiet and compliant at school ... and maybe missing some "mom time". It was fun to have him so eager to help. It sounds like "homework" starts this week for Sam. Yippee.

Women ministering to women

Nothing gets my blood flowing and my emotions to explode than women that are truly ministering to each other and encouraging each other. I don't even have to be a part of it. I love to see others doing it. Whether it's a Beth Moore conference, a MOPS meeting, a newcomer's coffee... when women connect and encourage and realize they are not alone, God is in it. I believe stable, healthy women in every aspect of their lives are a huge part of God's plan of redemption for this planet.

Last night, I was invited to attend a New Beginnings Coffee for women who were new to Little Rock and new to Fellowship Bible Church. The thing that caught my eye about the invitation was the title of a book study, After the Boxes are Unpacked, that would emerge from this evening.

After Doug and I graduated from college and married all in one weekend in May 1999, we moved to Dallas. As newlyweds, we found ourselves in a new city. I was brand-new in my teaching career and Doug was a nobody at a large seminary. It was all I could do to hold on and try to understand why life didn't feel so great when all my dreams (being married to an amazing man who I loved, teaching great kids w/great needs) seemed to be falling in place. I remember that my sister gave me this book, and I read it like fresh water to a parched soul. Finally, I began to understand the feelings that were overwhelming me. Simply recognizing those emotions during that amazing season of humungous change have helped me deal with every transition (some physically moving; some not) since that time.

Since Katrina (now four years ago), I have said good-bye to more friends than I ever had in my life before. It seemed that every couple months, another friend and family was leaving NOLA. And, as they were leaving, God was impressing on me and Doug that he really wanted us there. And to me in particular ... that He really wanted us there for a long time, like maybe for the rest of our lives. It hasn't always been fun. It has often felt like "too much work" to start a new relationship with someone new to NOLA. Even in the past year knowing that we were the ones about to move, I forced myself to keep working at relationships that I knew wouldn't be for more than a season. As we left NOLA, two great friends had recently moved to the city and I hated knowing that I wouldn't be there to help them get acclimated. These were friendships I wouldn't have to work at so hard. And, as I anticipated Little Rock, I wondered if I'd just "hide under a rock" and take a break from the work of friendships while here, but I can't do it. I just love women so much and know that I need them (even if it's for a season) to stay balanced. I pray that they feel energized like I do when we're together. I'm wired for community. There's no doubt about it. One of the greatest blessings of the residency (for me) is the time I've spent with the other resident's wives and families. Four other women are on this year's journey with me. How cool is it that we have things in common immediately? I have "emergency contacts" for school forms, and friends to call when I need anything. It's not something I take for granted. It's an amazing blessing. I can't wait to learn and grow with Marron, Megan, Angela, and Leslie as we share this season together.

So back to last night's coffee ... it was amazing to see a support group forming of women that needed each other to learn to settle in Little Rock for whatever time period they are here. I couldn't help but think of the many women who have come and gone in NOLA in the past seven years that I've been there. So many I know personally could have benefitted from a group like that. NOLA is so transient ... especially the Westbank because of the military population. I wonder if Gentilly will be like that too. I'm keeping this book on my shelf ... just in case. And, if you know any woman struggling to settle in a new place, please pass along this book to them. Inherently, women need to feel settled and they can only be truly healthy when they come to grips with their present location and see God's purpose in it.

On a totally different topic related to women in ministry, here's a good article from Gifted for Leadership, called What Not to Wear. A great read. I love authenticity.

Happy First Day of School!

Routine begins

As we anticipated and prepared for our move to Little Rock, I often wondered if we had waited too long into the summer to settle in Little Rock. Since everyone knew of our plans to leave NOLA back in January 2009, it was easy for some friends to "check us out" of their lives to some degree earlier than we actually departed. Not that any of that is intentional, it's just what we do as we all process good-byes differently. Sometimes I was thankful for the fair warning of moving (when I was de-cluttering all our stuff), and sometimes I wasn't (when the anticipation of the next was great in the midst of the in-front-of-our-face responsibilities).

Tomorrow marks two weeks since we arrived in Little Rock. We've unpacked. We've seen some sights. We've spent a ton of time as a family. We've even met and hung out with the other resident families a lot. It's been interesting territory to navigate being the newbies in everything again for me and Doug. It's been a while (seven years since our last move to NOLA but i'm not sure it counts that we did it together since he grew up there) since we did the "being new" thing together. And, we've certainly never done it with three kids in tow, which is a fun new dimension. I'm certain that this year will pull our family even closer together as we don't have the opportunity to enjoy the extended family relationships that we have had at our fingertips since we became parents. More snuggles, more tickles, more together time is par for this course, and we're up for it. No worries, NOLA fam, we'll be ready for reinforcements with every visit back home.

So, tomorrow marks two weeks since we arrived in Little Rock. Right now, I'm thinking that two weeks was just enough time to get acclimated before we all jump into our year here. Routine (whatever that may actually look like) begins this week. We are ready.

Terry Elementary

As of Wednesday, Sam and Zach will be official Terry Tigers as Sam begins his academic career as a Kindergartener and Zach enters Pre-Kindergarten. Both classes are all day from 7:30am-2pm. Wow! As much as it will be a huge adjustment for me as at stay-at-home mom and for them since they've never attended "school" of any sort, the time has come for all of us to take the plunge. The timing couldn't be more perfect as we adventure for a year in a new city.

At school registration two days after we arrived in Little Rock, we became members of the Terry PTA and learned of a special relationship/partnership that Immanuel Baptist Church (located literally across the street from the school) has with Terry Elementary. IBC recently gave Terry a large donation to renovate the school yard. Zach and I went to help out on the PTA Work Day (a week ago), and found many volunteers there from IBC. How neat that God could place us in a public elementary school and be recipients of such a partnership ... while yearning for our new church in Gentilly to be partners with the public schools in that community! It's not a mistake; it's purely God's grace and plan.

Last Thursday night, we took our school supplies and the boys (and us) got to meet their teachers for the first time. I think there are 6 classes of PreK and 6 classes of K. Each of their classes has 20 students. We had been told to expect a very diverse population of students and that was true of the landscape at Terry that night. It was amazing and will definitely prepare our kids for what lies ahead in New Orleans when we return. First, we met Mrs. Jackson who is Sam's teacher. She immediately engaged him and he played a little shy, but I believe they are a good match. As I talked with her, I learned that she is a pastor's wife and could directly relate to our mission here in Little Rock. Yes ... more of God's amazing sovereign plan. Then, we went to find Zach's class and met his teacher, Mrs. Piazza. Zach likes her name since it has two z's. We call her "Mrs. Pizza" for fun so that he'll correct us. Smile. She told us that Zach will get two recesses a day and an hour rest time. Besides that, lots of centers (painting, kitchen, blocks, sand/water table, etc.). Zach is most excited about painting. I can't wait to see what he brings home for me.

I'm really looking forward to the new freedom and independence they will learn as they operate as an extension of our family on their own in their own environments. I'm excited to have conversations about the other kids, their habits and actions, and even some of those hard topics that we might shy away from as parents if not given opportunity to discuss with our boys. Because of my own Christian subculture kind of upbringing where I didn't really know anyone who didn't believe in Jesus/Bible until college, it's a personal venture of faith to embark on this journey with them. Yet, I have utter dependence on God that He will take care of my kids, that His sovereignty is perfect even when it's difficult, and enjoy an incredible amount of peace that He will show up for them in big ways as they experience more of life outside of our home. It's not going to be easy and I'm certain that I'll read back over these words and other promises from His Word many times when Satan allows doubt and fear to creep in, but it will be worth it. For His glory.

As I worshipped this morning and the pastor spoke from Daniel 3 about trials and going through the fire, I reflected on my journey to this place of peace in regards to this. Flashbacks of the days surrounding Hannah's life and death (scroll down to the bottom and read up if you don't know the story) within me came flooding back as I realized it was through that "fire" that I completely entrusted all my children to Him knowing that His ways are best always. I didn't get a chance to hold Hannah or even hear her cry, but I'm confident that God loves her more that I ever could. Days don't pass without missing the dynamic of what that little girl would have brought to our family. Thus, I'm reminded often that there are no guarantees that I will get to watch all three of my children graduate from high school let alone marry or have kids of their own. Every day is a treasure knowing that God has allowed me to play a significant role in their lives for whatever time we have with them. I love that His timing is perfect. I rest in that. As my emotions poured out this morning as the pastor spoke about difficult times, I couldn't help but praise Him even for that difficult time in my own life so that I could walk away with confidence that depending on Him is worth it. He does show up in the darkness. I know it. He is trustworthy. I will continue to trust Him. May I be found faithful of His good gifts.

Moving

It's done. What has been planned for, anticipated, and run through my mind for almost six months is done. We've moved our belongings from our 2-bedroom, 1-bath home in Algiers to a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home in Little Rock. Our house in NOLA is still on the market and we're in conversations with two different friends who have family members who are potential buyers or potential renters. We've lowered the listing price to under 100K with the intent of reaching a new pool of lookers.

With all of that still heavy on our minds and keeping us on our knees, we're delighted to settle in here for our 10-month residency stay. Two of the other resident families with children live in our same apartment complex and we've already connected with them nearly every day since we arrived on Monday. It's beautiful to immediately have friends to call to hang out with and who are going through similar circumstances as us.

The boxes are unpacked. Pictures are yet to be hung, but moving into just a bit bigger place than what we've had was priceless. This place fits our family very well and the extra 150 square feet that our new apartment possesses has been put to good use. Doug described it well when he said that it just feels less cluttered than our house. Those couple extra feet in every room are making a big difference to us. As much as I loved the big kitchen and living room we had, I really dig being able to cook and see what's going on in the living room because of the open floor plan.

Two of the biggest living space perks have been a master bath for me and Doug and a playroom for the boys w/all their toys in one spot. We had dreamed of adding these two spaces to our house in NOLA knowing that we could be more comfortable for a longer period of time if we had, so it's fun to live the reality of that. A couple other perks are a dishwasher and garbage disposal which far surpass the downside of less storage space in the kitchen. More counter space here and a bigger frig makes me happy. I'm missing my front-loading washer and dryer that we left in storage in NOLA since we didn't have gas connections here, but I love that we have been given (yes!) a washer and dryer that will suit us for our time here.

The boys are adjusting to not having a yard. This summer they had really enjoyed the freedom of coming in and out as they'd like and especially going to the next door neighbors' home to ask their friends to play. I find them playing on the front porch/stairs and asking to hang out on the patio some. With a silly grin, Sam asked the other day, "Can I go over to Gavin and Gage's house?" He knew full well that we didn't live next door to them but it was great to hear him ask knowing that it's okay to be sad about that. The huge perk is the daily walk we can take to get the mail near the front office as well as the POOL!! We've been swimming twice so far with our friends. It will take them no time to be comfortable again in the water since we'll have easy access to it. I'm hoping they'll be comfortable swimmers by the time we leave.

Overwhelmingly, Doug and I share a strong confidence that our family is exactly where we are to be right now. Of course, we miss New Orleans, family and especially the friends that have recently moved there, but we are so certain that all those people need to be without us for a short amount of time to tighten relationships with each other and that we indeed need to be here. Knowing that we are returning to the city we love in just 10 months causes us to jump in with both feet here in Little Rock. I can't wait for church tomorrow morning.