Recovering...

I feel as if I'm emerging from the land of the dead. Well, the land of the sick, at least. Last Wednesday night I began to feel sick, with a sore throat and stuffy head. By Thursday night, I had a fever of 101 and all the no funness that comes with that. I did go to the doctor Saturday, and found out I had a sinus infection that led to an ear infection in the right ear and the beginnings of an ear infection in the left ear. Saturday night everything moved into my chest. I was homebound all weekend and made it to work Monday, but it wasn't a fun day. Today is the first day I'm feeling a whole lot better. That's the simple version of my fun joust with this latest round of sickness. I need to give a shout out to two very important people who have been patient and helpful with me during my sickness: Trey and Lee. Trey has watched movies with me, run to the store for me, brought me medicine, fixed me food, and overall taken very good care of me. Lee went above and beyond the call of duty as sister-in-law, bringing me medicince at different times and even going grocery shopping for Trey and I. Thank you to both of you - I love you!

Just as my body is recovering from sickness, we find ourselves in a youth group that is recovering from brokenness and loss. Trey is doing such a great job with the youth. He has so many good ideas, and the Lord is using him to reach those students. We had a night of worship last Wednesday, where we just sang worship songs and read scripture. It was a powerful night, and it was so great watching those students sense the Spirit and respond to His promptings. We had two rededications come out of that night, and our youth volunteers were busy ministering individually to many broken students. Please remember our youth in prayer when the Lord prompts you. There is so much work to be done here, and we know that nothing will be accomplished without God going before us and working in hearts.

Honoring Our Moms

*Warning: long post to follow...

Mother's Day once again reminds me of how blessed I am with the mom God gave me. God has blessed me with a heritage of strong Christian women, my mom being the one who has touched my life the most. I think of Nana, my dad's mom, and Mamaw, my mom's mom. I remember a story my dad told me long ago about Nana. Nana was a woman of strong work ethic her. By the time she met and married Gramps (my grandpa), she had a nice nest egg to help buy their first home. That story has always inspired me as I think of how I can contribute to meeting my family's needs. I also think of Mamaw, a godly woman I had the privilege of knowing into my college years. As many of you know, Mamaw was a woman afflicted by many physical challenges her entire life. She had severe rheumatoid arthritis, and in 1980 she lost her leg due to a life-threatening infection. These are just a couple of the physical handicaps she experienced in this life. But when I think of Mamaw, the first thing I remember is her singing hymns. She loved to sing hymns. And when she sang, you knew she wasn't just singing because she loved to sing. She sang hymns because the words rang true in the deepest parts of her spirit. She sang with conviction and with faith. She was a godly woman who modeled faithfulness to God and joy in living in spite of what challenges and pain we may face in this life.

And then I think of my mom. Oh the words I could write about my mom. Let me tell just one story that exemplifies my mom for you. For those of you who knew me as a child (or have seen pictures), you remember quite the tomboy. I loved to play sports, get dirty, and beat anyone at any game. I hated dresses and frilly things. But still at heart, I was a woman, and I longed to beautiful and to be loved. I remember one particularly painful playground experience (6th or 7th grade) when the girls were having a yelling fight with the boys. Brett, one of the boys, yelled the most hurtful words to me, making my feel like the ugliest girl on the planet. When mom picked me up from school that day, I sobbed as I told her what happened and the words that wounded the core of my being. I don't remember the exact words mom said that day. I only know she did comfort me with words. What I do remember is what mom did after that. Mom took me straight to the mall and bought me three new outfits from Limited Too. You may not think this is a big deal, but we were not financially able to shop at this store too often. I'm not sure where mom got the money, but I have a good guess - the grocery money she's always managed to stretch into buying clothes, school supplies, renting movies, and providing extra cash for her children. I remember this day because of the incredibly strong sense of love and sacrifice I felt from my mom. Mom's heart broke for me, her baby girl, and drove her to sacrifice so that I could feel beautiful. I know new outfits don't make a person beautiful, and that's not what I took away from that experience. It was mom's showering of love and praise on me. It was knowing she thought I was beautiful and worth every penny spent for those new outfits. Mom believed in me and showed me her love. She sacrificed for me because she thought I was worth it. It still moves me to remember that day.

Now I am blessed with a mother-in-law who cherishes her son, my husband, and cherishes me along with him. Many people have struggles with their in-laws, but mine have never made me feel an outsider. Marilee has always accepted me and loved me. She is a giving woman, and if you cross paths with her, be ready - you might eventually be blessed with a gift from her. She is thoughtful, and her gifts prove that. She desires to meet needs when she is able. I think of when Trey and I were newly-newly weds, just a few weeks into this journey, and she called him up and said "Go on a date, on me." What a blessing! Marilee is always thinking of us and loving on us in these ways. I am thankful for her. I also have a sister-in-law who is such a great mom. I watch her raise her two children and am constantly in awe of the patience with which she raises Marilee and Burke Warren. Now a single mom, she still raises those kids with such enduring patience and kindness, it moves you. She is gentle beyond the point most women might lose their temper. She encourages her children and breathes grace into their lives.

This Mother's Day has been a little different for me than the 26 other Mother's Days I've celebrated so far. As you may know, Trey and I had a miscarriage back in December. Anticipating this day, I didn't know what emotions to expect or how I would feel. My heart hurts today as I grieve our loss of Bennett. I guess that's normal and to be expected. But I am also joyful as I remember the image I had a few days following our loss: that even though I never got to hold our first baby, I know Jesus held him for me. I am also excited as I think of all the women in my life who I have been able to watch and learn from so far, so that when I am a mom someday, I might have just a bit of their grace, wisdom, kindness, and patience. I love you all, and Happy Mother's Day!!!

To My Brother, With Love

Meet Jason. Jason is my brother, and he is 3 years older than me. Now, Jason and I have had a developing and interesting relationship from day one. I'm not sure what it was live my first few years of life, but I'm sure he was nice to me for a while. See the pic below - he looks nice:

But then, somewhere along the way, something changed. Maybe it was that I finally began to talk, or just developed a little personality. Whatever it was, we eventually became enemies. Sibling enemies. In the early years it looked like this: I loved and admired my big brother, so I would follow him and his friends around everywhere. Everywhere. Sometimes he would put up with it, for which I am thankful, but other times, I would get sent home. I did not go willingly most of the time. Also, I can admit it now, but I was a bit of an instigator. I would even premeditate my attacks on Jason by pre-locking a door (either my bedroom or the bathroom), staying a good distance back to make up for leg span, and pegging him hard with some hard, small object. Like a remote control. Then, I would run. I would run like my life depended on it...because it did :). I would run to that room and slam the door, pre-locked because I wouldn't have time to lock it otherwise, Jason was such a fast runner.

Below is a reenactment of our typical strangling holds on each other.

The funny thing is, though, that even as we fought like cats and dogs, we also laughed like crazy together. Jason and I were born with the same sense of humor. When we moved to Atlanta in '98, he was also all I had, him and my family. So we hung out more. Don't get me wrong, we fought, but also continued to laugh and hang out together.

We look like we belong to the Addams family in this pic :)

Somewhere along the way, we became the best of friends. I have made two cross-country trips, one from Atlanta to LA, and one from LA to Seattle. We have traveled up the PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) together. We stayed a weekend in San Francisco. We visited San Diego once and ate at the restaurant that was made famous because of Top Gun. I love my brother.

I also love my brother because I greatly respect him. He is a successful businessman. He is a true and loyal friend. He embraces life and enjoys the beauty of creation. He travels. He is hilarious. He loves with all his heart. He is incredibly smart - brilliant, even. He is a man of many passions, and he chases them with fervor. He goes on adventures as often as possible. I love my brother.

At Carrabbas with my two awesome siblings.

Hiking a trail in Laguna Beach

I love my siblings!

Traveling on our 2nd cross-country trip, moving Jason to Seattle!

Eating our first meal in Seattle at some Mexican restaurant.

My awesome bro and his sweet dog, Grey.

Hanging out at the first Starbucks ever...

Hiking with J and Grey in the beauty of Seattle.

A Weekend of Fun

Well it's one of those Mondays that follows a great weekend. It was so great, in fact, that I don't mind today being Monday. Currently I have Good Morning America on TV, I am sipping some coffee and just finished my cereal, and I've been working on those fun "to do" list items like balancing the checkbook. I got up early this morning because Marilee and Burke Warren spent the night, so I wanted to utilize my alone time as much as possible :). They are sleeping soundly still, as is Uncle Trey.

Let me tell you a little about our weekend. Friday night was great because Trey and I went on a date. We visited the nearby town of Athens, TX (which is where I will be working) and ate at the McAlister's Deli there. I find it hilarious that our fun date included eating in Athens because they have a McAlister's...we are already turning into small town folk! Anyway, after dinner we saw the  movie Date Night. Overall, it was a very fun and funny movie. I enjoyed laughing and snuggling with Trey during the movie.

Around 2am Saturday Canton had a pretty fierce storm. There was a tornado nearby, and we saw damage all over. Thankfully, our house and vehicles were fine. We did lose power, though, and didn't get it back until sometime mid-Saturday morning. Since we were powerless, we went with Lee and the kiddos to eat some brunch. We ate at a place called the Shed, which is in some town near Canton. Saturday afternoon we hung out at Lee's house. Marilee helped me wash the 4Runner (aka "Baloo") and Lee's Tahoe. Trey cleaned the yard up, washed the boats out and did some repairs, gathered and cleaned out all the fishing gear, and who knows what else he did. He spent the day working outdoors, which is just what he needed. That man loves to work outdoors. He was made for it. Lee's friends Holly and Mindy came over with their kiddos that evening, and all the kiddos ran around outdoors and had a great time. We ended the evening fishing. I, thanks to Holly Williams, braved the big bad fish and (after a few tries) actually took the hook out of the fish's mouth. CRAZY! Here is a pic...

If you can't tell, I wasn't as calm as I make it sound. Trey and I then ate dinner at Baker's Ribs (I can't wait to take my family there when they visit this summer - I love Baker's Ribs!). Sunday was just a great day of worship and getting to know Canton people more. I joined a newlyweds Sunday school class and am excited to make more friends our age. The church had a very nice reception for Trey and I that afternoon. Then, after church, we all went to Dairy Queen for a healthy dining experience. Other couples joined us, and it was very fun. Then Trey and I had the pleasure of having both our niece and nephew over for the night. They both behave so well when they're here. They are such a joy, and we love having them around. Well there's your snaptshot of the weekend. A little glimpse into our world... :)

News

I got a job yesterday - ya! I will be working for an agency called East Texas Psychological and Neurological Services. Basically, I will be working with a private practive (no more working under a government grant, thank the Lord!) and will have appts scheduled by a secretary. The secretaries will also put my files together and do all that grunt work that is so time consuming and no fun. I will work three days a week, Monday through Wednesday, and the schedule will be incredibly flexible. I am so thankful for this opportunity. Thanks to those of you who prayed for me. I start next Tuesday, so you can pray for me then, too. I am continuously amazed at how the Lord has every detail worked out in this move. Both Trey and I get pay raises, we live in a home, we have amazing family nearby, we get to see Lee, Burke Warren, and Marilee everday, we love our new church family...need I go on? For a while, we were in Fort Worth thinking we were stuck there, but all along the Lord was working toward this move. It's so neat to remember where we were and to know that God had this in mind all along. Thank You, Lord!!

My Sister, My Friend

Gretchen's visit to GWU, Fall 05

I've decided to write posts over the next few weeks/months (however long it takes) about the people most special in my life. Today, I want to write about Gretchen. She goes by many other names, but most of you know her as Gretchen. We know her as Booger Butt, Spike, Stinky Poo Poo Number Two Two (don't ask), Gutenburg, Richens, Sees, Pretty Pretty Princess, G G, and so on. Whoever has the pleasure of knowing Gretchen knows what a special person she is. Gretchen is one of those women that exudes tenderness, compassion, and kindness. She is also hilarious and incredibly fun.

I'm sure I will later regret putting this pic on here...

The age difference between Gretchen and me is 6 years. I still remember the day mom and dad sat Jason and I down to tell us they were having a baby. Only, they said it this way: "How would you guys like to have a little baby brother or sister?" I remember nodding my head yes, but I also remember thinking I really had a say in whether or not this happened. Even after that conversation, I would go back and forth between wanting a baby sibling and not. It did not matter what I wanted, though, 'cause Gretchen was coming no matter what. I'm glad I didn't have a choice.

I know I will regret posting this one, but it's just too funny not to share!

Six years is quite an age difference between two sisters, but it didn't keep Gretchen from being my playmate. When we lived in El Paso, we would entertain ourselves by jumping on the trampoline, playing various imagination games, or watching excellent TV shows (Arthur, Lambchops Singalong, Shiningtime Station, My Brother and Me, Boy Meets World...need I go on?). Then we moved to Atlanta, GA. I think this is when we started to get really close. Moving to a place where you have no friends is a way to draw a family together, for sure!

With Jason in LA, Summer 07

                                    

Over the years, Gretchen and I have drawn closer and closer together. We've laughed, cried, fought, explored, and conquered together. One time, I was holding Gretchen up (trying to be funny, surprise, surprise), but then I dropped her on accident. It was all fun and games until Gretchen started crying, I looked down, and her pinky toe was at a 90 degree angle to her foot. Not a fun experience then, but pretty funny now. Or there's also the time we visited Jason in LA. We arrived during the business day, and he had to work. We were exhausted from our flights and ready to just lay out at the beach, so we hopped in his car to find a beach. We passed many beaches along the way, including Long Beach and Huntington Beach, and finally we decided to stop...at Dog Beach. Strange name, we thought, but who cares. There's the ocean, and there's the nice warm sand. So we paid to park, walked down to the beach, and found us a nice spot to lay out. We both passed out for a while, and I remember opening my eyes to a pile of dog poo near my face. Gretchen had a similar experience. We looked around and noticed an unusual number of people with dogs. Then it started to sink in. This wasn't named Dog Beach for fun. No, it was named Dog Beach because this is where people bring their dogs to run around without a leash, to poop and pee at will, and to roam freely.

Not at Dog Beach, but same trip. I think we're in San Diego here.

                                                

I could go on and on with hilarious stories, fun memories, and cute anecdotes about Gretchen Elizabeth Jones. Most of you have your memories and stories. I'm just thankful I have a sister who is one of my best friends. Not everyone can say that about their sister, but I can, and I love that.

Christmas 06

Wedding! August 16, 2008

Me, Gretchen, and Trey, Fort Worth Zoo May 2008

To My Love

(This is the first pic ever taken of Trey and I together, Fall 2006)

The other day, I had a realization that Trey and I will be married 2 years on August 16. That's only 4 1/2 months away! Where has all the time gone? It feels like only yesterday that we were approaching our wedding day and excited about all the unknowns of marriage. Now we're over a year & a half into it. I know for many of my family members who read this blog, a big deal for you is not 2 years, but 17, 25, 32 years. I can't wait to reach that many years, but for right now, 2 is pretty exciting for us.

Our first two friends, Jenny and Jonathan (not a couple)

Now let me tell you about the man I love. This post is dedicated to all things Trey (so he should enjoy reading it later on :) ). I first noticed Trey when he walked into that gym at Southwestern Seminary. And what I mean by noticed is my heart went a flutter and I just knew I had to meet that guy. Fast forward 4 years, and he still makes my heart go a flutter when he walks into the room. I remember when I was younger always being afraid that God would make me marry a short, ugly man (no offense to any short or ugly men out there...you're just not for me!). Imagine my shock and joy when that tall, good lookin' Texas cowboy chose me to be his bride.

My first time visiting Trey's family in Odessa

But there are many reasons other than his dashing good looks that draw my heart to Trey Holmes. After being married to him, those reasons have deepened and expanded. Let me tell you about them. First of all, Trey makes me laugh. For those of you who really know Trey, you know that he's not the wise guy who makes cracks all the time. No, he makes me laugh by the things he does and says. For instance, Trey is learning to shave with a straight rasor. On Sunday during the invitational at church, I look up at Trey and notice he has matching bandaids on either side of his neck. They were parallel to each other, almost like he put them there to make a fashion statement. It was hilarious. My only regret is that I didn't get a picture before he took them off after church!

At the SACC picnic Fall 07, recently engaged (check out Trey's hair!)

Trey is also a very compassionate man. Now he's a man, and there's no doubt about that. But when it comes to people suffering or in want, Trey's heart breaks and he wants to serve or help in any way he can. He is a "go to" man, one you can rely on to assemble a group to take action. He's a natural born leader, and he uses his skills to promote the Lord's kingdom. Now that's attractive!

Cowboys/Colts game, Nov 06

Trey not only serves others, but he also serves me. I know that man will do whatever he can to take care of me, and that is a comforting thought. Even the trivial things, he'll do what he can to make sure I'm happy. This morning, for instance, I woke up with a sinus headache. I really wanted a white mocha from Starbucks, but since there isn't one within a 30 mile radius of here, I knew the local coffee shop would do. Trey willingly went to the coffee shop for me so I didn't have to get out for a bit. He also filled my car up with gas during that trip. He takes care of me above and beyond the basics, and I'm so thankful for him.

My first Valentine's with a date, Feb 07

I love being Trey's confidante and companion in life. I love hearing him talk passionately about the ministry, the church, and all other topics he is passionate about (like guns). I love riding bikes, playing card games, watching movies, flying kites, hiking, travelling, and just doing life with Trey. Here's to many more memories to come!

Carving pumpkinds as newlyweds, Oct 08

Playin with the niece and nephew, Spring 2010

Fort Worth Airshow, Oct 09