NFL Pick 'Em Week 8--It's a Draw

This week turned out to be a sports let-down on just about every level.  Thursday night's complete disaster in St. Louis was a real kick in the pants.  And then the sorry game 7 on Friday was literally like pouring lemon juice in the wound.  (By the way, don't ever do that.)  I'm thinking that SMU's loss to Tulsa was probably related to the sports induced hangover that my Dallas guys had after watching the Rangers on Friday.  As for the Cowboys, does anybody ever really know why the Cowboys play the way they do?  It was like team after team just took a beating this week.  But not me.

This week was a complete draw in my house.  For some reason, I felt compelled to pick the smart kid schools again this week.  SMU might have let me down, but Stanford and Notre Dame had my back.  And thank goodness, because my NFL picks weren't that great.  So far, when all the points are tallied out for the week, week 8 turned out to be a draw.  I finally won college and my hubby won his pro picks--for the first time in weeks, I might add.

The tie, the draw, or the impasse probably drives my husband nuts.  He really needs some points.  But since I'm sitting ahead with a pretty nice lead overall (me= 183 points; him=163 points), I don't mind wasting a week.  I'm just glad that I didn't end up being a complete loser.  Considering the events of this week, maybe a tie isn't so bad every once in awhile.

Keeping Up With These Joneses

The idea of having a nice family picture is great.  But actually getting the "family" to cooperate is a completely different story.   My parents traveled back to Indy this month and wanted to bring some current pics to show the family.  We wanted people to be able to stay up-to-date with our family. These pics tell a little bit about the current state of the Joneses...

For starters, can you see which one of these things is not like the other?

I know that my son is only 3 and I still get to the call the shots on what he's going to wear, but when your little man insists on wearing his baseball fan gear it's hard to argue with that. Of course, I probably should have banned the flip flops.

Then when we attempted another pose, "the other thing" didn't want to cooperate.  This is life with a toddler.

The entire photo shoot was a bust.  Thankfully, we still had a picture from the balloon festival earlier this fall.  This was the hot air balloon festival that didn't have any hot air balloons...

Here my family is laughing about the money that we just paid to sit on a hill full of people and take pictures.

Oh well.  We still don't have any pictures that are Christmas card worthy, but this is my family.  This is what life is like with little boys.  We like to have fun.  We love to play ball.  But we're not good with pictures.  These are my Joneses.

The Sweetest Name is Jesus

 No sweeter name than the Name of Jesus, no sweeter name have I ever known
No sweeter name than the Name of Jesus
No sweeter name than the Name of Jesus, no sweeter name have I ever known
No sweeter name than the Name of Jesus

You are the life to my heart and my soul
You are the light to the darkness around me
You are the hope to the hopeless and broken
You are the only truth and the way.

Every week, my guilty pleasure is to watch the Amazing Race on CBS.  I started watching the show 8 years ago when I was living with my parents, and I have watched it faithfully ever since.  Every season I try to pick a team to cheer for and get excited about.  Unfortunately, at the beginning of this season I hadn't made a connection with any of the teams.  Until this week...

"The Snowboarders" a.k.a Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin are my new favorites.  This week in an interview, they started talking openly about their faith.  They said that they were Christians and that they both loved Jesus.  It was so exciting to get to hear successful 30 year old men talk about the fact that they love Jesus.  Instead of touting their personal accomplishments (both are US Olympic team/professional snowboarders) they are out on national television declaring that they believe in Jesus. 

When they started sharing their faith this week, I was in awe.  I heard the name of Jesus being praised.  It seemed so random coming out of the mouths of these men.  Outside of church, I honestly don't hear people praising the name of Jesus very often.  It's really sad.  Because there really is no sweeter name, no greater name, and no better name to be declaring and praising on a daily basis.

If you haven't heard the Kari Jobe song written above, please listen.  Let's praise the name of Jesus today.

Free Gift With Purchase

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."Romans 15:13

I really like free gifts with my purchases.  I know that this is something I got from my mother, because we pretty much never miss a Clinique bonus time.  Why wouldn't you wait and buy your ridiculously priced make-up when you could also get a free lipstick, eye liner, and blush?  I honestly can't remember the last time I had to buy something other than foundation from the Clinique counter.  I guess a good foundation has many benefits, right?

Make-up freebies may be nice, but they can't even compare to the free gifts that God has given me.  Because I'm a Christ follower, God has not only given me eternal life, but He given me the opportunity to have a fulfilled earthly existence.  God has given me joy, peace, and the confidence that has allowed me to hand Him the details of my life. 

I used to think that living the Christian life was a lot of hard work.  Taking the high and narrow road in life isn't easy.  I remember reading Pilgrim's Progress in school and thinking that anyone who chooses to follow Christ is signing up for a really hard journey.  But I completely missed the point.

The life that Christ followers are called to live is an abnormal existence.  But it's not supposed to be hard.  Along with the gift of Salvation, Christ sent us His Spirit which fills us with joy and peace.  We could never obtain joy and peace on our own, so God made it His other free gift with purchase.  Not only do we get the free gift of Salvation when we die, but we get the free gift of His Holy Spirit  to help us live our earthly life.  Being "in Christ" has a lot more perks than people think.  As Romans says, when we trust God, He fills us with joy and peace so that we overflow with hope.   

As Christ followers, we probably will travel on a crazy journey like Pilgrim did in John Bunyan's story.  We might get cancer, experience natural disasters, be personally touched by war, or suffer persecution for our faith.  But if we're filled with the Holy Spirit, these experiences shouldn't be hard for us--they should be bearable and make us images of hope.  The odds are great that we're going to suffer from some kind of misery in our earthly life at some point in time.  So why wouldn't we want to face the hard times with God's joy and peace?

The next time you see a free gift with purchase, remember that God created the concept.  He purchased us, gave us the free gift of eternal life, and then gave us the goodie bag filled with all the necessary tools for life.  If we trust Him, God promises that His Spirit will fill us with joy and peace and make us overflow with hope.  Talk about an amazing foundation!

NFL Pick 'Em Week 7: The Forfeit

I was really nervous Sunday morning about my picks this week.  I have apparently lost all foresight when it comes to picking college football, and I lost 2 whole points on Saturday.  I took a chance on the "smart kid schools" this week and realized that the smart kids are apparently studying for midterms this time of year. They obviously couldn't play football this weekend.

But something really funny happened when we got home from church yesterday.  My husband realized that he had not made his NFL picks yet.  And the computer locked him out from picking 7 games!  That meant that all I had to do was pick winners for those games and those points belonged to ME.  Much to my husband's detriment, his forfeit for those seven games hurt him bad.  I ended up banking 6 points, once again saving myself from a bad Saturday. 

Some might argue that I earned 6 points that I shouldn't get to keep because we weren't on an even playing field.  But let's be clear here, if a team doesn't show up to play that's not the other team's fault.  We all play with the same rules and guidelines.  Just because one team stayed up really late because he went to the World Series doesn't mean that his opponent should feel bad for staying home with the kiddos.

Oh the wonderful world of sports.  It's amazing how ball games manage to enrich all of our lives.  My closet is very excited about how NFL football is going to enrich my selection of handbags as well.  I can't wait to see the Coach spring collection.  I'm loving their winter selection.

Shopping is an Interactive Sport

I'm not really sure if these pictures need much explanation.  Let's just say that if Mommy tries on a hat, everyone else wants to too. The key to a successful shopping trip is making sure that we have full group participation.  And no, I didn't take a picture of myself.  I'm not quite as cute as these dudes.

The Homemade Baseball Baby Shower

I threw my first baby shower this weekend.  Since I'm going to have a nephew, I wanted to throw a real boy-themed shower.  Nothing says baby boy better than baseball!  So we had my version of a baseball party.  My aunt handled the food and I handled the decorations.  And my mother-in-law graciously invited us to use her home.  Now I'm not claiming to be an "arts and crafts" kind of person, but I do think that the homemade elements added a nice touch.

For starters, I made the invitations.  I actually found some custom invitations online for a ridiculous price and decided that I could make them myself. 

 

 Next, I ventured into the world of baby wreaths.  I definitely wanted the wreath to be colorful and fun, so I made a ribbon wreath.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, I actually broke out my glue gun and paint brush for this project.

Since our family is very anti shower games, I decided to have the guests sign a page of my nephew's scrapbook.  (You've got to have some kind of guest participation at a shower!)  I was so excited to find the sports scrapbook that matched my theme.  Then I used the invitation to create a nice sign-in sheet.

Next, I decided that we needed some bunting.  But let's be real, what male likes bunting?  True men like pennants.  So MLB pennants did the trick.

Even though I wasn't in charge of food, I still wanted to contribute something.  So I found little popcorn boxes and filled them with popcorn.  Then I created little football treats.  I'm not an artist, but these were yummy.  I tried making baseballs and they were gross.  So footballs it was...

Even though this was technically a baseball themed party,  I found the cutest center piece.  It was a bank and was a little take-home gift for my sister-in-law.

 
Of course, no party is complete without party favors.  So I filled baby bottles with take-home candy.  I really wanted to fill them with sunflower seeds, but the guests were women!

The shower was super nice.  We had fun, and my nephew definitely scored with all the loot!  Can't wait to meet our family's newest slugger!  I even think that I'm ready to throw another shower.  Babies are so much fun.

There's No Whining in Baseball

"Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of other." Philippians 3:4

I have had a really bad attitude lately.  Like the woman in the picture, I've been tempted to take an unnecessary shopping spree and to treat myself to something nice.  I guess you could say I've had the post-season blues.  As a baseball wife, it has become clear to me that when our favorite teams make the playoffs, October is not my own. 

The frustration started out a few weeks ago when I couldn't rsvp to a baby shower or attend a farm open house with a friend because I didn't know who, when or if the Ranger's were going to play that day.  I eventually convinced my husband to have a guy's night and to attend the ALDS without me.  A week later, I couldn't plan my husband's birthday party because we didn't know who, when, or where the Rangers were playing in the ALCS.  This week I actually went with him and some friends to the game.  That's the game that had 2 rain delays and lasted until midnight.  Yuck!  Now we're in the World Series.  My husband is psyched about going to the game on Saturday, and I'm going to stay home and "babysit."  Then Sunday, our church group is having a baseball watching party.  I can't seem to escape baseball fever. 

This is my proof of life shot from the ALCS. You just can't see me because I'm taking the picture from inside my poncho.

Don't get me wrong, I love a good ballgame as much as the next guy.  (Sorry girls, my baseball knowledge really is on the guy level.)  I just don't love living a life that revolves around a sport.  I don't love the fact that I can't plan ANYTHING during the month of October without considering what the Rangers are doing or might be doing.  (Only a guy could come up with such an unpredictable playoff schedule!)  I also have to have a special red, blue, and denim wardrobe that is ballgame appropriate for the month of October too.  (In Texas, the weather could be anywhere from 40-90 degrees this time of year.)  And this wardrobe doesn't include cute shoes.  I'm just tired of feeling like I'm drifting through October.  This month is not my own.

Then I realized why it's so important for me to be a nutty baseball fan every fall--because my husband loves it!  Baseball is my husband's interest.  And for the sake of my relationship with my husband, I have to embrace baseball too.  When we started dating, I learned as much as I could as fast as I could.  By the time I started law school, I could actually out-talk the guys when it came to baseball.  When we got married, my husband coached off-season high school baseball and I learned to keep the book.  I tried to be an involved coach's wife.  Then when we had boys of our own, I have been completely supportive in teaching and exposing our kiddos to baseball.  At this point, I can't back down now.

October belongs to my husband, as it should.  I get 11 months of the year to plan and coordinate our activities.  This month is all his.  I love you dear and I'm sorry about my whining this month.  Yes, I really do like baseball.  And you still owe me--I so called it that Ian and Elvis were going to win us last night's game!

Beautiful Rooms

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." Proverbs 24:3-4

I had a nice chat with a friend the other day.  She and I have both noticed that we seem to be missing out on this new "creative mommy" trend.  Apparently, it is in vogue again to have homemade decorations (a.k.a. arts & crafts) displayed throughout one's home.  We both cracked up laughing at the thought of hanging our own arts and crafts in our houses.  We both went to nursing school.  We might be able to deliver babies or put a cast on a broken bone, but neither of us feel we are remotely qualified to hang our own original pieces of art in our homes.

I am definitely in awe of "shabby chic" friends who can whip up their own center pieces and wall art. I just can't do it.  I need instructions.  Of course I can read a book or a website and copy someone else's creative ideas.  But I can't interpret my own feelings and emotions into amazing design concepts.  Nope.  I'm a catalog girl.  I find pretty things and I buy them. 

Thankfully, Proverbs reminds us that we don't have to be interior designers or budding artists to have attractive and charming homes.  We also don't have to have the best floor plan or an unlimited budget.  Instead, if we build our homes, our families, and our lives around wisdom, understanding and knowledge, we will automatically fill our lives with rare and beautiful treasures. 

It's such a relief to know that to be the "perfect housewife" I don't have to own a sewing machine or a hot glue gun.  I just need God's Word.  I need a dedicated prayer life.  And I need a commitment to learning and growing in my understanding of who God is. 

Hopefully if you ever come to visit me you won't be disappointed by my personal design style.  (Thank you Kirkland's and Pottery Barn for all your inspiration.)  Hopefully, you will be able to see the rare and beautiful treasures in my home that reflect what my husband and I seek to build--a home built on God's wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.

Banning the Cardinal

At bedtime last night, I overheard my husband and son having a very serious conversation.  My husband then called me into my son's room and said that we needed to have a family discussion.  Apparently we had a big problem.

When I walked into my son's room, my husband was holding up a rally monkey--a Cardinal's rally monkey.  THE rally monkey that my husband bought for my son when he was a little baby.  He bought it the same weekend he came home from a Moot Court Tournament in St. Louis with a full baby Pujols' uniform.  This rally monkey is one of the few rally monkeys to have survived our great flood.  Thus, my son sleeps with him every night.

My husband informed me that the monkey (a.k.a. Stan) would no longer be sleeping in our son's bed.  Daddy officially banned him to the closet until the end of the World Series.

Apparently my son understands guy language.  He was completely cool with not sleeping with his buddy.  It's like he understood that a true Texas Ranger's fan could never be disloyal.  We might ruin their team mojo.  He might only be 3, but my son definitely thinks like a baseball player.  And my husband is a creating a superstitious baseball fan!

I suppose this means that I can't where my Ankiel Cardinal's shirt.  And I can't dress my boys in their Cardinals t-shirts either.  Hey, I grew up in the midwest.  We actually LIKE the Cardinals when they're not playing our hometown Rangers.  Can you blame us--who doesn't love Pujols?

Anyway, this world series has created changes in our household.  We're having our own kind of civil war.  Nothing Cardinals can be enjoyed, worn, or slept with until AFTER the Rangers win the series.  Who knows, when the Rangers win, maybe we'll even buy a Cardinal rally squirrel as a novelty reminder of the 2011 World Series.  Until then, Stan the monkey gets to enjoy the closet.

Oh the life of a baseball fan.