God's Own Fool

Let's just say for simplicity's sake I am thankful for the example of our Father God and His Son's unconditional love. I am also thankful for Jesus rescuing the Apostle Paul  and using him to speak to the church in Corinth.  He laid out the attributes of love in chapter 13, and also showed what the fruit of the Holy Spirit is when he spoke to the Galatians, of which we read in Galatians 5.  Summed up, when I compare it to the life of Christ, I see that Jesus embodies all of the attributes and demonstrates the fruit of the Spirit.

 ^"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. ..
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love."  

I ask myself, "what part of the words 'is, does not, is not' do I not understand?"  Paul clearly states what love is. There is no beating around the bush or leaving room for excuse for me to not act accordingly. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. This is Agape love.There is no room between the words "all." 

It sounds like it’s a blind love. Love is not blind. Love sees more. Because love sees more, it chooses to see less. People may say “You’re in the clouds somewhere!”. If you have this kind of love Agape love, you will be misunderstood and called blind. No. Not so. Love isn’t blind.

Because it sees more it chooses to see less. Agape love sees the price that has been paid on the Cross.  Therefore I don’t have to dwell, or delve, unless it’s for the purpose of restoring, exalting, blessing and helping. If I’m willing to to do as Jesus did, washing redemptively and restoratively refreshing, I have no right to point out dirt. No gossip or being upset. Jesus loved the disciples. He was able to deal with the dirt because he was willing to personally refresh them individually and restore. But, if my attitude is to cut off, then I’m not living in Agape.

How in the world can love do all this? Through Jesus because He embodies love. The only way to produce fruit is to abide and stay attached to the trunk and source. (John 15) “Christ in you is the hope of glory.” Jesus came in the past and He’s coming in the future.I am in the present, so love. He is the hope.  Faith in Jesus, hope for the future , and love in the present. 

"Seems I've imagined Him all of my life as the wisest of all of mankind. But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to man, He must have seemed out of His mind .For even His family said He was mad, and the priest said a demon's to blame. But, God in the form of this angry young man, could not have seemed perfectly sane. When we in our foolishness thought we were wise, He played the fool and He opened our eyes.When we in our weakness believed we were strong, He became helpless to show we were wrong. So we follow God's own Fool, for only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable, come be a fool as well. So come lose your life for a carpenter's son, for a madman who died for a dream, and You'll have the faith His first followers had, and you'll feel the weight of the beam. So surrender the hunger to say you must know, have the courage to say 'I believe'.For the power of paradox opens your eyes, and blinds those who say they can see. So we follow God's own Fool, for only the foolish can tell. Believe the unbelievable, come be a fool as well"
- Michael Card  "God's Own Fool"

Shout to the Lord

 17 years ago, at age 9, I first heard these words:

"My Jesus, my Savior

Lord, there is none like You
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love

My comfort, my shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship You!

Shout to the Lord, all the earth, let us sing!
Power and majesty, praise to the King
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of Your name

I sing for joy at the work of Your hands!
Forever I'll love You, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in You!"

What captured me in this song was the portrayal of the power of Jesus though His name in the earth and His glory displayed in creation.  The fact that I could actually be in the presence of such might because God allowed me was (and still is) awe-inspiring.

I didn't realize at the time why it impacted me so much. I understand now that it was because it explained the security, refuge, and love I desired to have for all of my life, and I could find it fulfilled in Almighty God because He loves me unconditionally. That is His promise He'll always keep.  This truly inspires me to never cease worshiping Him!

The Son of God

It's the Christmas season!

It's my favorite time of year, with the sparkle and anticipation of celebrating Christ's arrival on earth, together with friends and family.

I love all of the hymns! They make me think fully on Christ, His unconditional love and freedom to mankind He has given.  Only one King came down, broke the slaves chains, and taught us to love one another. That is Christ Jesus my Lord!

Then, there are the songs that contemplate the position of Mary and Joseph. What did they think when they heard the news? They understood there would be rejection, criticism, misunderstanding and dirty looks through their entire lives.

"I am waiting in a silent prayer. I am frightened by the load I bear. In a world as cold as stone, must I walk this path alone? Be with me now, be with me now. Breath of Heaven, hold me together...Do you wonder, as you watch my face, if a wiser one should have had my place? But I offer all I am for the mercy of Your plan. Help me be strong, help me be, help me.  Breath of Heaven, hold me together. Be forever near me, Breath of Heaven. Breath of Heaven, lighten my darkness, pour over me Your holiness, for You are holy." 

She had been so overjoyed to hear her cousin Elizabeth's greeting. " When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!” (Luke 1:41-45)

And Mary said:

"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones, but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors." (Luke 46-56)

I can't imagine being in Joseph's shoes either.  

"His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." (Matthew 1:18-21)

To wake up from that dream after making his decision, which he carefully assessed beforehand, would be (to put it in less than adequate words) mind blowing, but "He did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife" (Vs 24).   He submitted himself and found peace from this confirmation.

So he takes his new pregnant wife to Bethlehem to register, as commanded by Caesar. There, she gives birth to the King of the world!

"How could it be this baby in my arms, sleeping now, so peacefully, the Son of God, the angel said. How could it be? Lord, I know He's not my own. Not of my flesh, not of my bone. Still Father let this baby be the son of my love. Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours. How can a man be father to the Son of God? Lord for all my life I've been a simple carpenter. How can I raise a king, how can I raise a king? He looks so small, His face and hands so fair, and when He cries the sun just seems to disappear, but when He laughs it shines again. How could it be?Father show me where I fit into this plan of yours."  (Joseph's Song, Michael Card) 

Shepherds arrive, telling everyone about what the angels told them regarding all these things. It must have been so encouraging (albeit a little strange) to both Mary and Joseph.   

 "They hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart^. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told."   (Luke 2:16-20)

After eight days, they take Jesus to the temple and they meet a man named Simeon.

"Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him"  (Luke 2:28-33)

Then kings from afar come to their home to worship, give gifts, and glorify God. 

"The star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh." (Matthew 2:9-11)

What a testimony of God's faithfulness and encouragement to Mary and Joseph! Instead of the solemn weight of having Jesus as their son, it was a blessing, and all because God was glorified through the birth of His Son, Jesus Christ.  I'm sure they wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

I love The Nativity film, because it portrays so much of what I have described here. It also shows the humbleness of Mary and the submission of Joseph to the Spirit of the Almighty God.  Seeing Mary and Joseph learn to love through this event is beautiful to behold. The underlying hymns tie everything together!

These things make me ask myself: "What if I had been Mary, chosen by God? Would I have been so tender to the will of God?"  In all reality, I probably wouldn't have been. I would have sorrowed for my estate of rejection and misunderstanding. If I had been Joseph, I would have stood on principle and turned away, not believing the impossible.  Yet both Mary and Joseph both rested in the peace that passes understanding because they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this was God's will. They accepted it fully. 

O that I could be like them! I praise God for each day new day He gives to me to learn such tenderness to His Spirit. There is hope of achieving this through Christ and I am so grateful for that!  "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you" -Matthew 6:33

Am I practicing?

On the way to work today I had the chance to listen to a message by Pastor Alistair Begg of Truth For Life Ministries. He's been going through the book of Proverbs recently and it has been incredible! I haven't read Proverbs in a while so I had forgotten how many helpful statements of truth and advice there are inside. Almost like eating a delicious morsel of food that you'd not tasted in forever and you ask yourself why you'd stopped eating it in the first place.

Now, the book of Proverbs, as you know, is a book of counseling and teaching, as a father to his son for the protection of the child he loves dearly. There are many subjects covered, but over all they are each concluded with fairly black and white contrasts between someone who fears the Lord and one who doesn't.  With that in mind, I'll continue with my thought.

 Towards the end of the sermon, Pastor Begg, in essence, addressed the question of how God's people can actively avoid the follies of sin that are described by King Solomon. There is a genuine desire, as a follower of God, to stay away from those things that entangle us so easily. We, I, wonder how not to be enticed by sin. God will ask for an account of our actions in the end, and we would like to be found faithful. But how? The advice he gave amazed me. It was so simple, yet profound.

Remember: God is always watching over us even if we forget. Practice the presence of God. Live that reality each day.

As soon as he said those words I was stunned. I mean, I've heard the concept before and tried my attempt at it, yet not in a very committed way because I'd thought of the "presence of the Lord" like a separate sanctuary that I had to be purposeful in visiting. But I hadn't heard of practicing the presence of God context of the fear of the Lord in such a way as Pastor Begg stated.

I've still not gotten over the fact that literally living daily in God's presence will do so many things to radically change my life. Currently, in context of the book Proverbs, that statement brings the proper fear of the Lord into my heart that I've never before understood. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." (Prov. 9:10)

It's a sober thought to live each day knowing that God is watching. Yet at the same time, I am so filled with peace knowing it because this knowledge made into daily action through the Spirit's power is what can protect me from enticing flesh and it's desires!  That is why it is such a crucial thing to never forget that God sees. Also, I have even more peace with it because I know that I will be found faithful! I don't have to worry or fret about the fact that God will ask for an account of my life because I will have done all things according to His desires, because I have His Spirit living within me!

I am also filled with joy at this thought! Why? Because I have been set free through Christ and He's given His Spirit to help me understand the fullness of who God is! Proverbs 9:10 has even greater meaning. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."

So, I ask myself again, am I practicing the presence of God? =) 

Beautiful days

I thought I'd send some sunshine your way!

Celebration!

My friend over at ninjacat12890.wordpress.com  is getting married in June!

The bridesmaids got together and figured out what we could to to surprise the guest of honor, since she was to be in the dark about the details. Since she's very much an artist, we pooled our resources and the bridal shower turned out beautiful!  Thankfully, we had an insider who could sneak in the artwork the bride had created, so we spread that around the cafe along with the engagement photos.
We all had a wonderful time!

Happenings

This weekend has been a good time of fellowship and fun! It was kicked off by Friday Night prayer at GFA, which was a blessing and filled me with anticipation for how God is going to answer our prayers. It's not very often we get the chance to pray for all of the world's vast people groups from A to Z, but we got to do that! I am so glad the God gives us the chance to intercede for those who've yet to even hear of Him.

Yesterday I helped put together wedding invitations for a friend with my roommates and friends. Sometimes handwriting the addresses on envelopes is just what's needed for yours truly. It's fun to recognize the people on the invite list and recall the times spent in conversation and fellowship. Once we finished stuffing, stamping, and addressing, we hung out for a bit before going our separate ways for the evening.

Have you seen Captain America yet?! I went with my brother and we loved it! I won't give any spoilers, because there's nothing worse than to have someone go on about something you want to be untainted by viewpoints and snippets of the movie. If you have seen it, I'd like to hear what you think of it. So far, Captain America is quickly becoming a favorite with me!

I think I'll go make a cup o' joe and enjoy being indoors while it rains outside. Cheers friends!

"He is a friend of mine"

" 'The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace' And the LORD said unto Moses, 'Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:' "  Exodus 14:14-15

I love how the Lord said "Hey, why are you talking to me? GO forward! I told you I shall fight, so be at peace and don't worry".  I have recently been praying about some things and then read this example of God's answer to the Israelites when they feared about the Egyptians destroying them. I asked the Lord for guidance and He ultimately repeated what He said to His people at the Red Sea. Take action, put to rest the fear, take hold of my promise and be filled with hope. To top it off, I had privilege of hearing these comforting words of reassurance to solidify the response of the Lord gave.
 
"Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided—
    Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!"

Rest in Peace 2012-2013

Life has a way of getting ahead of you.

Surroundings change. Friendships change. Workplaces change. The Seasons spin right on around. Expectations are laid to rest with Jesus and you learn to roll with it.

These words seem to echo in my mind at times.
"And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long
To live as friends
...We'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong"

I'm glad I have Jesus to always be with me through the constant change.  He's the best friend I could ever have.  I'm also very glad He brings new friends in the process. =)

Ok, time to put the "mirror" down.  =)

2012
* Got a job at Burrito Jimmy in Addison. Been employed for 2 years this past February
* Friend began courting
* Moved to a newer apartment with a new roommate (4 gals instead of 3)
* Friend from out of state came to visit
* Beta Fish bought, and is named Garnet =) Still going strong
* Mom came to visit for some time
* Celebrated my Grandparents 50th Anniversary
* Got some stuff replaced on my car
* November.. I've been accepted on staff at Gospel For Asia!
* Thanksgiving with family from out of town
* Chrismas

2013
* New support raising mentor, we had fun ;)
* Pictures with friends at Arbor Hills
* Katie Day 2013! Fort Worth was great
* First time on the gun range!
* Birthday outing at Turner Falls
* Girl's nights (x2)
* House sitting. I had a fully functional house for 2 weeks! I loved it
* First flight up to Colorado for 4th of July
* Roommate Changes. New Friend!
* Bible Study
* Woman's Retreat
* Drove to Oklahoma with Brother and his new car
* Lots of baking throughout the year
* Snow/Ice days (3 days!)
* Time with new friends

Good times keep coming =) 

Presenting!..(..drum roll please..) Colorado!

And you never thought I'd really post.. ;) Hehe.  Yes! Here is the long awaited story of The Trip to Colorado. It was a whirlwind of a time and we had a blast!

Thursday evening we packed up and left at 6pm and started our epic journey to the Rocky Mountains, starting off with some tunes and the stretch of Texas roads.

We traveled through Wichita and Amarillo, through New Mexico, then on to Lafayette CO. Along the way we passed a church called Cowboy Church of Denton. Ranch style and everything! Only in Texas, right? ;) For dinner we stopped at a Sonic at 8:30pm out in the boondocks and checked on our friend, now infamously known as The Sandbox, to see if he was still tied down. We heard the ropes rattling too much while we drove. The farther north we got, the cooler it got as well. We were all bundled in sweaters and had the heater on a bit. At O'dark 30 in New Mexico we stopped for gas and piled out of the warm car in a Native American village, when lo and behold! there was actually snow on the ground! The wind was blowing really cold too, and we all felt bad for those of us who were not acclimated to such weather. A few snowballs were tossed as well, hehe. So snow discovered, frostbite setting in, we got back into the car, thawed out and continued on into Colorado until 4 am in the morning. Why only til 4? The Sandbox. It was contentedly rattling on top of the car at 80mph and all of a sudden we heard a disquieting "thunk!!" and we were sure it was gone. We pulled the car over and sure enough it'd fled the scene. Patrick and Alley decided to go look for it back down the interstate since The Sandbox was to be a birthday present, plus we had actually got it this far on our trip without losing it. Every now and then I could see the flicker of the flashlight and it wasn't growing any closer. Then I couldn't see it. Finally after approximately 25 minutes they made it back, The Sandbox in tow.  While the rest of us had been waiting, we were sure it was doomed to be lost on the interstate forever. I was also praying for them to not be killed on the road, what with Big Rigs howling beside us, and the possibility The Sandbox was in the middle of the road. Sure enough, they did find that thing in the middle of the road so my prayers were justified ;) Thankfully it was pretty much without scratch or dent. 20 more minutes of tying it down and we were on our way again.  As the sun peered over what we could now tell were the Rocky Mountains, we entered into the city of Denver! The GPS was concerned that we'd not listen and "Stay Left", while we drove the freeway in Denver. It didn't want us exiting at the wrong point. But we made it to the proper exit, stopped at Starbucks, and by 7:30 am we were finally at the Hewitts! Patrick promptly crashed on the couch, Katie and Alley rested in the basement, and Christy made breakfast for the rest of us. (With a stout Cup 'o Joe so we could survive the rest of the day). I wish I had pictures of these momentous occasions, but I don't. Anyways, that was our journey up to Colorado! 

Now for our time up there...

"We are the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything!"

"..And if you ask us to do anything, we'll just tell you ' We don't do anything' "

Yeah, that sums it up sometimes. =) Today I've not done lots, but I went to church with Patrick this morning. Afterwards we went to Starbucks, got some frappuccinos and talked for a while about different things on our minds.  We got a free book to from church too! =) Then we went to a nice "pond" that has a walk way around it and talked some more. It's a very nice day out and so that was enjoyable.

At the moment, Alley and Katie are working on a snoopy puzzle. Music in the background is from Alley's IPod and it's quite a range of music. Anything from Wicked to Disney films to Phantom of the Opera. =) 

Later us girls will be going to Panera Bread Company to have a nice dinner, thanks to a gift card from Amazon since Katie had rewards with them.

So, I guess you could say we aren't exactly pirates who don't do anything ;)

What to do?..

I am out of ideas for that question.. but, I'm currently sitting on the cozy couch keeping up with the latest Seattle Mariners game, eating Reese's Pieces, after having run (not literally though) to the local Lowe's Home Improvement store and an interestingly observational time while eating dinner at Micky D's hamburger joint. (Double cheeseburger, small fries, and a medium Dr. Pepper, with an Oreo McFlurry for the road)

"Why", I'm sure you're asking," would you be in the home improvement store?" Well, I had 8 key's made. =) I'd say that's a record in my book for how many keys to be made all in one sitting. I also got a scraping razor to take a sticker that was on the back of my car off.  I'm a strange one, but I do love that store. It's probably because of all the practical things they have and the chance to learn and discover interesting tools. It's also inspirational. Dangerous place to take me if I could get things there.... hehe.

Did you know McDonald's is a place for grown ups just as much as it is for kids? I discovered this tonight while watching customers come in. You can find out quickly how people are as they order their food. I usually observe this while at my own work, but it's different being on the other side of the counter having got your order and noticing it. Personalities come out a touch more when there is a new-1st day-on-the-job cashier. I told her before I left that she'll do great, just takes time. =) I'm not usually a "stocker" but I guess I was in a contemplative mood again. 

I've had a good week, although tiring, with work and play. Saturday evening a few of us went to a cool knife, blade, and gun store and we oo'd and aah'd at the things they had. Swords, blowguns, throwing stars and knives, replica blades from movies and fantasy sci-fi games, and the like.  After that we  collected  one more person and went to Chic-fil-a for dinner. Seeing as they don't open on Sunday (the day most people want Chic-fil-a), we figured we'd better get our fill. =)

I will post about our Colorado trip, I promise! We had a great time sight seeing and visiting with the Hewitts. I think the five of us (Katie, Patrick, Alley, Tim, and I) are still recovering from our excursion to Colorado so we've not done much lately.  Tuesday I got to talk to the kiddos on the phone! That was great! Tomorrow evening there is a movie night/fun,food, and fellowship thing planned so that will be nice to do. =) 

So there's today's "day in the life of Jessica".  =) I need to make a goal of blogging every week I think.. Or either that to have a medium Dr. Pepper each week so I'll be more inclined to write ;) Sugar can do that.

I sit beside the fire and think...

I'm currently sitting on my couch, listening to music, the sounds of thunder and rain outside are in the background, and it makes me think of this poem that Tolkien wrote. I felt like writing something, but I didn't know what so this poem describes it best. (Though, I'm not sitting in front of a fire *wink*)

 I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
In summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.
       ~J.R.R. Tolkien 

Luck O' the Irish!

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

I hope you're wearing green ;) Alley, Katie and I are enjoying the day just hanging out with friends, coming up with all things green we could wear, and mostly just enjoying not having anything we need to do.

Did you know that according to Irish fold lore Saint Patrick used the Shamrock as a way to explain the Holy Trinity? I found out this tidbit and I thought was very clever and applicable.

Let's go camping

One Friday evening we decided to make a tent with sheets and blankets in the living room, "camp", and watch movies! We had fun putting it together. Thankfully we had some hooks and wire so it worked out well. Thus the tent was ready, drinks made, and movie started! We stayed up until 2 am watching Jumanji and Bridge To Terabithia. The last movie is so good. I'd not seen it before. Anyways, here are some pictures of our creation. 

Hi there!

This is what it looked like with the tv on, really cool!

Second Sunday in January..

Also officially known as "Katie Day!". We decided to figure out a day to take Katie somewhere to just enjoy the day, rest, have fun together, and take pictures of whatever caught our interest, since Christmas had been such a busy time for her. So we kidnapped her and took the light rail train to downtown Dallas! Thus officially the second sunday of every January from here on out will known as Katie Day, in her honor. =D

The travel on the train takes about 40 minutes so we just chilled, while Alley and Shawn were playing around with (and on) the bars inside the car, using them like monkey bars, then decided to find out if they could get all of the way from one end of the car, climbing.  Hehe, great fun to watch.

What time is it? Time for Katie Day!

Alley threatening the populous of Dallas

We had lunch at Cafe Brazil, where I had their half order of pancakes with fruit. Alley was "spying" on people via her camera ;)

Trying to hitch a ride on the train

Was fun to see the different architecture in the city

 Mad dash across the street =)

 Shawn climbed up one of the transit poles

This was fun to play with! It's solid rock, but floating because of a fountain under it and the water made it spin.

We went underground one point to catch the train

A random sign encouraging people to play on this smallish patch of grass

Michael and Becky on the lawn we're permitted to play on =)

 

We found the Dallas Museum of Modern Art!

 

 This bench was curved very interestingly, we took advantage of it ;)

Our own "modern art" session. (We did make the guard nervous while roaming the place. This is the United States of "Don't Touch That", hehe)

 

Tim's version of Michelangelo's "The Thinker"   

Pretending to push Alley in the reflecting pool =P  We decided that we'd probably had the guard at near heart attack for long enough and so continued on from the museum.. hehe

There are free trolley rides! So we climbed aboard and rode for a while

 Back out on the streets of Dallas and home now =)

Till next time, Dallas!

Winter Season adventures! =D

Well, the post you've been awaiting has come! Let's start off with Fall and Thanksgiving... =)

It was sunny and cool out so we decided to walk around and play outside late afternoon

Wesley decided that he wanted to crawl instead of walk/run =D  Silly Wes...

I called out to Annie and this is how she posed for this picture. So cute! =D

Playing with leaves

 Thanksgiving!

 Annie had asked before arriving at her Great Grandparent's if she could have the turkey leg

 Food preparations. Christy and I went over to Grandma's house in the morning to get this all going. We had fun!

In goes the Turkey!

 

Now for the Christmas Season! (Thus the annual Christmas party pictures) =P

Silly girls... hehe

 The Gang I hang out with 

Here is a glimps of my Canada adventure! And it was certainly an adventure getting there, lemme tell ya.. =P but the Lord brought me safely there. 

I was not without at least one cup of Timmy's while there! =D

 Enjoyed Downtown Niagara on the Lake for an afternoon, a very lovely place

We found a Starbucks!

 Carmel Brulee Latte!

Mom had the brilliant idea of bringing SkipBo cards so we hung out and played for a while

 We had a smattering of snow

Lake Ontario as seen from the freeway

 Fun times together playing Apples to Apples =D

 I was playing with the Christmas tree decor

 

 Jessica H. made me some very creative cupcakes in celebration of  my 23rd birthday! =D

Thanks Jess, they were wonderful! =D

Hehe, soon after I got back my friends decided to to surprise me with a cake for my birthday, after work. I was going to place something in the microwave, when lo and behold! there was a cake occupying the space! I thought it was a great way to surprise =D

So, there ya have it! I do rather hope it wasn't anti-climactic for you... hehe. These pictures I guess you can say are the highlights *wink*. I had a great winter season full of enjoying family and friends!