Do you know what song this is? The good ole Charlie Brown Christmas song--apparently awesome even at 6AM. To say I was exhausted would be stating the obvious, but we certainly had fun! I spent the day after Thanksgiving with the neighborhood girls. Nathan and Nia stayed at home with Nick and Doc (a neighborhood boy that frequents our home).
The girls had fun trying on outrageous (yet stylish) sunglasses at Target. Here they all pose...none of these girls are camera shy.
For our mid-morning pick-me-up we headed to IHOP. Inspired by our earlier trip to Starbucks, all six of us ordered coffee for breakfast. Unfortunately, the girls were not aware that there is a significant difference between a caramel machiatto and a black coffee at IHOP. Expressions of disgust resulted in a request for additional sugar and cream. I smiled. They did seem incredibly pleased with the pancakes, french toast, hashed browns, etc.
My only purchase on our shopping spree was a special tricycle for Nathan. It comes with a detachable handle that allows an adult to push him around and steer until he is more capable of doing so himself. He was fascinated with the neighborhood bicycles and desperately wanted one of his own. He adores this bike! He likes to try riding it on his own, primarily pushing himself around with his feet and not peddling, regularly declaring he is 'stuck', and putting things in the little storage bin on the back. We found the bike on an excellent sale, and so Nathan is now even more mobile. Oh dear.
The best feature of the bike (according to Nathan) is the bell. I love this little clip of him dinging the bell.
On Thanksgiving Day, Nick assisted with meal preparation and we put out a traditional Thanksgiving spread. We had a turkey, homemade stuffing, cranberry relish, mashed potatoes, and apple pie. We put the extra leaf in our table and welcomed Charity, ChiChi, Tracey, and Doc to join us for a Thanksgiving dinner. We had a wonderful time, a wonderful meal, and a wonderful adventure. What adventure? Well, to make a long story short...I'll just give the facts:
-Kids found a stray Momma cat with two kittens.
-Weather was declared "way too cold" for them.
-They were captured, made residence in my spare bathroom.
-I kept them three days...hated the smell the whole time.
-Three cats were delivered to the humane society. We all feel like good Samaritans.
Now, shifting focus completely, I'll update you on Nick's Starbucks status. Nick just found out that on the 17th of December, he will become the store manager of a Starbucks in downtown Houston. We visited the store and took a couple pictures. We are optimistic that in February, when our lease is up, we will move closer to downtown. This is a really attractive option for us because it would allow Nick to ride his bike or take public transportation to work, places us really close to some favorite spots (the market, the zoo, some great parks and museums, etc.), and will make attending all sorts of appointments with regard to adopting much more convenient. It will also be a good opportunity to find an apartment that has additional bedroom space for more kids. We are really excited. 
A while ago I wrote a post that talked about Kyle's journey in the Navy. The news at that point had been rather pessimistic. The doctors were quite confident that some of Kyle's medical history would disqualify him from continuing in the special operations program. I had written encouraging Kyle to trust in a God who excels in improbabilities. And guess what? We can add another name to the list of men and women who have found themselves amazed by a limitless God: Jonah, Lazarus, Joshua, David (and probably Goliath!), Daniel, and Kyle. God intervened. Kyle has been declared 'good to go' and will continue training for the SAR. Growth hormone deficiency can weaken bones. Kyle's bones are in the 85th percentile for excellency. Hernias need to be removed. The medical staff decided to 'overlook' Kyle's hernia. Kyle has a muscle to bone ratio problem around his knees and will require extensive surgical repair. Never mind. Do you love it?? I do!
One more thought about the neighborhood kiddos: These kids will remember my words, my actions, and my character. I hope that in some way, despite my inadequacy, all these things point to Jesus. I wrote a song for Nathan, before he was born, but I find myself singing it as I think of all 'my kids.'
"I'm sorry, little child, 'cause I confess that I don't know
how to be your Mommy, to train you up in the way you should go.
I can bandage up scraped knees, and I can kiss hurting arms,
but the best thing Momma can give to you is Jesus: He can heal broken hearts."
3 comments:
Thanks for the update. Nathan looks very happy with his new bike. I think I noticed in the video that the handle on the back is somewhow connected to the stearing in the front, it that correct. If so, I have never seen one like that before, it will make walking with Nathan easier as he will go where you want him to go.
Nick's new store looks like it is right downtown. How far is it from where Peg lives.
Looks like Rachel and the girls had fun on their outing.
I didn't see Nia, she must still sleep most of the time.
Love,
Dad
That was quite a news-filled post you guys! It was very nice to see the videos, look at the pictures, and hear all about your last two weeks! Another move! Whew! Nick's store looks really nice. I can't wait to see it and visit you guys at your new place! Looks like February or March might be an ideal time for us retirees to hightail it down to Texas again! :)
How exciting about moving closer to Houston and Nick's transfer to the new store. How exciting! What a great influence you do have on all of "your" kids and I am so excited for you. You have been quite busy! I love the song you wrote- Jesus is the most important thing we can give to our children. Thanks for updating us all on what's been going on! I will praise God for His miracle with Kyle and continue to pray for you with your influence, and continued energy, to keep up with all the kids.
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