Ready for Church

We took these this morning before we left for church.  She’s just too cute!

Total sweetness!

I love the zoo!

Steve took off early today.  Claire and I picked him up and took him to the zoo.  It was a perfect afternoon.

I love the zoo.  I love fall.  I love fall at the zoo. And I love spending a fall afternoon with my hubby and baby at the zoo!

Claire pet a cow today.

Claire loved the panda.

We had a great time today and enjoyed the fall weather.

The zoo is preparing for their zoolightful celebration which begins next week.  We will post some pictures of that soon.

My Monkey Loves Bananas!

I LOVE this girl!!!

Sea World and Packing

MiMi and PopPop met us in Houston on Thursday to help us pack up the house.  We accomplished a lot and celebrated with a trip to Sea World.

Prior to Sea World, we stopped for lunch at Taco Bueno.  Yummy!

Claire checking out the fish in the coral reef

Sea World has a great playground.  Claire, of course, wanted to slide.  This slide was very big and very fast.  Claire had to slide on it many times.  “Whee!”

Steve rode Journey to Atlantis

my lovelies

Watching a show at Sea World with PopPop and MiMi

It was a perfect day!

We grabbed dinner to go and ate in the car on the way home.  Claire fell asleep right in the middle of dinner.  She had a really big day.

Current pics of the house after a weekend of packing.

the gallery without the family pictures

Claire’s room without her monogram and most of her things.  (I admit to shedding a few tears while removing her monogram and packing things up in here.)

All of the pictures have been taken down.  The bric-a-brac has been packed.  And the Fostoria has been packed.

The Wilton Armetale has been packed, along with the apothecary jars.

the guest room is no longer welcoming but is full of boxes

We accomplished a lot in a very short period of time.  Thanks, MiMi and PopPop for coming down to help us pack it up.  We had a great time with you!

Love completes each other

“This ‘completing’ aspect of love was revealed to mankind from the beginning.  God originated the human race with a male and a female – two similar but complementary designs meant to function in harmony.  Our bodies are made for each other.  Our natures and temperaments provide balance, enabling us to more effectively complete the tasks at hand.  Our oneness can produce children, and our teamwork can best raise them to health and maturity.  Where one is weak, the other is strong.  When one needs building up, the other is equipped to enhance and encourage.  We multiply one another’s joys and divide one another’s sorrows.  When we learn to accept the distinctions in our mate, we can bypass criticism and go straight to helping and appreciating one another.  The effectiveness of your marriage is dependent upon both of you working together.  Don’t try doing all the analysis yourself.  Don’t disqualify his or her right to voice an opinion on matters that affect both of you.  Love realizes that God has put you together on purpose.  And though you may wind up disagreeing with your spouse’s perspectives, you should still give their views respect and strong consideration.  This honors God’s design for your relationship and guards the oneness He intends.  Joined together, you are greater than your independent parts.  You need each other.  You complete each other.”

Today’s Dare:  Recognize that your spouse is integral to your future success.  Let them know today that you desire to include them in your upcoming decisions and that you need their perspective and counsel.  If you have ignored their input in the past, admit your oversight and ask them to forgive you.

Steve and I have had a lot of decisions to make recently regarding our future plans.  Many of these decisions involve Steve’s career.  He has listened to my opinions and concerns about his possible decisions, and I believe that together we have reached the correct one.  There are many upcoming changes in our very near future, but I am excited to continue on this adventure with my husband and daughter.  The best is yet to come!

Boo!! …Ha! Ha! Ha!

Our church hosted a Pumpkin Festival on Saturday.

Claire bouncing with Caroline

Steve savoring a water ice – yummy!

my loves

Saturday night, we went to Steve boss’s house for a fall party.  It was so much fun!

Claire loved sliding down the tree slide into the pile of leaves below

Claire and her pumpkin

Our hostess had a lot of activities planned for the kids.  They made sock pumpkins, had a scavenger hunt, played kick ball and baseball, went trick-or-treating, roasted marshmallows, went on a hayride, etc.  It was great!  Here are some pictures of Claire trick-or-treating.  (They had stations set up under each tree in the backyard, and the older kids had to answer trivia questions to get candy.  Some of the questions were very difficult.  Some were funny.  The kids were even funnier.  The best one – Question:  “Which state is closest to where we are now?”  No answer.  Hint:  “It begins with an ‘M’ and ends with ‘ississippi.’”  Answer:  “Maine!”  Kids are hilarious!)

Claire learned a new word during this activity - “CANDY!”

Claire’s first marshmallow roast

first taste

ready for more

Claire’s candy

Yesterday after church we went to lunch with some friends at Osaka.  It was Claire’s first hibachi experience.  She loved it!  She kept plugging her ears when the fire got hot. We’re not sure what that was about, but it was funny!

Have a great week!

Love meets sexual needs

“In Christian marriage, romance is meant to thrive and flourish.  After all, it was created by God.  It’s all part of celebrating what God has given, becoming one with our mate while simultaneously pursuing purity and holiness.  Sex is not to be used as a bargaining chip.  It is not something God allows us to withhold without consequence.  Though there can certainly be abuses to this divinely-designed framework, the heart of marriage is one of giving ourselves to each other to meet the other’s needs.  You are the one person called and designated by God to meet your spouse’s sexual needs.  If you allow distance to grow between you in this area, if you allow staleness to set in, you are taking something that rightly (and exclusively) belongs to your spouse.  You rob them a sense of honor and endearment that has been set in place by biblical mandate.  You violate the ‘one flesh’ of marriage.  When the love of Christ is the foundation of your marriage, the strength of your friendship and sexual relationship can be enjoyed at a level this world can never know.”

Today’s Dare:  If at all possible, try to initiate sex with your husband or wife today.  Do this in a way that honors what your spouse has told you (or implied to you) about what they need from your sexually.  Ask God to make this enjoyable for both of you as well as a path to greater intimacy.