Well a lot has changed in the last couple of months. The Summer Club is over and it was awesome! The school year began and is going quite well. But the biggest change of all is that Geoff and I are expecting our first baby! We are so excited...and my have things already changed. I am only 9 weeks along and already so much of our life is different.

I have been joking around with Geoff telling him he is married to the most boring wife because I go to bed so early now. I even take naps during the day. It is quite pitiful. But everyone keeps telling me that I should stock up on the sleep because once the baby comes, there will be MUCH less sleep. Which, as I've thought about it a little more, it's kind of funny. They say the first trimester is the hardest on your body because of how hard your body is working to create a home for the little critter who will reside in you for the next 8-9 months. So, it's like running a marathon uphill everyday (that's what they say) and that's why you get so tired; your body is working overtime. So that's what happens when the news of "We're having a baby" is still fresh. Then your second trimester goes a long and they say you will have sooo much energy, which I am looking forward to. Finally, your third trimester. No one is really given much advice about the third trimester yet, maybe I'm just not far along enough, but maybe there is a reason...? Who knows. But then, the baby comes. And all the energy the baby demanded from you that first trimester is like multiplied by 1,000. And yes I know it will get better as Geoff and I adjust and the baby gets into a routine. But I just find it funny that the "We're having a baby" phase and the "We had a baby" phase are similar yet different.

It's 7...only 7 on Monday night. Today felt like two days...oh it's only Monday; but it was a good day. The Summer Club has been going great...still trying to iron out some details and kinks; but we are getting there.

I have to say that we have an incredible staff! So blessed to work along side of each of them! They are so creative, talented, the kids LOVE them all, and they make the club so much fun for our kids! Today, we did a huge scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, side walk chalk, sports, went to the park and played lots of games. Later this week, we are going to the pool, the big kids are going on a nature hike, The Skating Place, and we are headed toward the downtown public library to see a play! So much fun!!! And next week, is SURVIVOR week...mud pits, obstacle course, water day with a GIANT slip N' slide, and kiddie pools filled with all sorts of nastiness. Haha, it should be fun!

Well, tomorrow will come early, so I need to get some sleep...it will be another slightly longer day...but well worth it!

Spring Forward

I love when seasons change, but sometimes it stinks that we see so much of the winter and summer around here. I wish the spring and fall would come and stick around a while longer than what we are used to. Still, as much as Texas weather bothers me, I love it here because we usually see nice, warm days a lot sooner than many other places.

I don't know what it is, but I'm always ready for "spring" in January. My husband would disagree with me. He loves the winter and hopes it lasts as long as possible. But for me, it just want to know why it couldn't bite the dust sooner? I mean really...there is just something about winter hanging on after all the Christmas and New Year's celebrations that make me wait impatiently for February 2, when all eyes are on a tiny hole in the ground. Will Mr. Groundhog emerge from his underground home to take a stroll around the block as if to tell America "Oh yea, winter is almost over!"??? Unfortunately, not this year; that chicken came up for a quick photo op and then decided to retreat back into his burrow. Oh stink, 6 more weeks of winter. Why we look to a groundhog to forecast our non predictable Texas weather, I don't know. Either way I definitely look forward to the day I at least get more sunlight in the evenings.

And so, last night I excitedly set all our clocks ahead one hour (except for the clock on our coffee maker, I can't quite figure that one out)...Anyway, you may ask why there's so much excitement over one extra hour of daylight. Well, I feel I have more energy in the evenings when the sun is still out and I accomplish more too! Well, at least that's what I tell myself. We'll see how much more I actually do get done as opposed to nights where the sun goes down around 6ish. But really, it all goes back to spring...its just around the corner. Hopefully it will last a little while longer than normal.

Blessed

I am so blessed. My mind has just been overwhelmed today with the legacy that has been deposited in me through my parents and even their parents and grandparents (my great grandparents). This heritage has truly affected who I am today, who I married...and in the future, this heritage will affect my children as well.

Concerning my husband, I am so grateful for the legacy that has been deposited in him by his parents. Geoffrey is a treasured gift from God; my best friend...my perfect #2! He truly loves God with all his heart, soul, mind and strength. He passionately pursues the Lord and trusts Him with everything. And as the worrier in this family, Geoff is my compliment; he literally speaks life into me daily, through scripture and words of encouragement. I can't even count the number of times he has prayed over me and made me say, out loud mind you, "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:5-7) He radiates joy! And honestly, I can't believe it will already be four years this June 30th. I guess time flies when you're having fun!

My Dad is a pillar; strong like Samson, but also very humble. He's always been a rock; a solid foundation, building/rearing the three of us girls in the ways we should go. He has been an example to me of how a husband loves his wife, his children and his Lord. Dad's integrity is unshakable, his work ethic is Godly, and his contracting business (The House Specialist) was built in faith after God closed one door, but opened another. And my has his business grown! Also, I love owning the home my dad remodeled 4 years ago, not knowing his daughter would be living in it later. It's a neat bond we share, an amazing testimony of God providing a job for my dad then and providing a home fro me and Geoff later.

My Mom has the most beautiful servant's heart which exemplifies her outward beauty! She is a Proverbs 31 woman. I so enjoy seeing her love and serve my dad, us girls, her family, friends, co-workers and even strangers! She is one of the friendliest people I know. Mom is also humble and I can't think of a fruit of the spirit she doesn't possess. And I'd like to just take two seconds to speak about her determination and dedication...she has both. Mom is getting her masters in accounting while working full time, being an amazing wife/mom/daughter/friend/volunteer; enough said. Also, I have a blast with mom! She is one of my closest friends!

When I grow up, I want to be like my dad and my mom!

Katie is another one of my closest friends! I am so blessed to have grown up with a sister I actually had fun playing teacher, florist and restaurant with. And we still enjoy hanging out with each other even now. Yes we are different people with different passions and interests. But we do share one common interest that we often get together for: shopping! Katie is my shopping buddy. She has such an eye for fashion! With that being said, I am so thankful and proud of her for standing up for modesty while dressing stylishly. Katie is more precious than rubies and worth far more too!

Julianne is so loving and compassionate. She has the biggest heart for others. I love hanging out with her! Not only does she say the funniest things, but she also encourages my faith and spurs me on to love and good deeds. She extends her hand to family and friends, I'm telling you the girl's got discernment, and she's got the "love God and love others" down. And what a prayer warrior!!!!

Since it is getting late, I can't start writing about the other side of my family tonight. But I will be writing about my husband's legacy soon and just how blessed I am to have the Turner's in my life!

The Call-Houston, Texas

Yesterday was great! Geoff and I along with a few other friends participated in a march and prayer stand in Houston. I was pretty impressed with the amount of people that came out to attend; families with their children, dads in suits who had taken a lunch break to participate, college students, elderly couples and youth groups. A variety of people came together for the same purpose: to pray for our nation and the city of Houston. You see, there is a massive 78,000 square foot abortion clinic being built, the second largest clinic in the world and THE largest in the U.S. in Houston, Tx. They are calling it "The Abortion Super Center."

Geoff and I joined the march Monday morning as thousands gathered for outdoor worship at the Catholic Charismatic Center. Gathering there, at a Catholic Charismatic church was interesting enough in and of itself. But even more interesting and wonderful was the fact that so many had come to march, too many in fact (a good problem to have) that the leaders of the march had to reorganize the whole event to accommodate the mass amount of people. So, rather than all of us marching to the same place, several marches, or mini marches, were arranged to head out and pray silently over neighborhoods around the clinic. The first group comprised of Hispanics and African Americans from that area in Houston who walked towards neighborhoods consisting of primarily Hispanics and African Americans; which I thought that was pretty neat, for them to have the opportunity to pray for their own neighborhoods.

More and more groups were sent out to various neighborhoods, but the group Geoff and I were in headed towards a high school. We walked through the neighborhoods surrounding the high school, but we also walked around the perimeter of the school's campus. You could see the Abortion Super Center from where we were. So, we paused for 15 minutes and just prayed for the center and those who are and who may someday be involved with it. We prayed for the neighbors, for mothers and fathers-to-be who may look toward abortion to resolve their unexpected and unplanned pregnancies. But we also prayed for those without a voice; the unborn children. We prayed for an increase in the number of families willing and interested in adopting the unwanted children in our nation and for more families who could become foster parents. We asked God to open the eyes of those seeking abortion as the only answer and we boldly pleaded before the Father to turn that abortion clinic into an adoption agency!!!

Due to the amount of people who came to participate, our group was unable to see the nationwide press conference Lou Engle spoke at, on site, at the Abortion Super Center. But we prayed for those at the press conference as well; that simple words of TRUTH would pierce the hearts of anyone who would listen.

It was a pretty incredible journey. I am so glad that we attended. A little bummed that we didn't get to see the press-conference live. But, after it was all said and done, our group decided to hop in the car and head towards the Abortion Super Center, just so we could see if for ourselves. All I can say is as we drove closer, the heaviness and sadness was greater than it was earlier that morning.

If you are interested in more info, go to www.thecall.com and click on Houston. Or, go on youtube and look up bound4life.

Please be in prayer for the city of Houston.

So, the day is almost over and what have I accomplished?

10:30 a.m. - I finally woke up. Sleeping-in is awesome!

11:00 a.m. - Ate cinnamon toast crunch for brunch and then watched "What a Girl Wants" on TV. Good movie; and yes, I teared up at the end when Lord Dashwood had decided to withdraw from his candidacy and fly to New York to tell his long lost daughter, Daphne (Amanda Bynes), that he loves her. And Daphne finally got the father/daughter dance she had always wanted.

Anyways, after the movie was over, I piddled around the house a bit, procrastinating; denying the obvious list of chores I had made for myself this past Thursday night, when I was actually looking forward to an open Saturday that would allow me the time I needed to really clean the house. Yea, I ignored that list on my nightstand until about 2:30 p.m.

2:35-6:00 p.m. - I cleaned and I cleaned and then I cleaned some more: all the baseboards, trim, moldings, blinds and ceiling fans were dusted. All wooded surfaces gleamed with Lemon Pledge. Smudges and fingerprints were erased from both bathroom mirrors. The claw-foot tub, shower, bathroom countertops and yes, even the loo, glistened after Clorox Scrubbing Bubbles had done its job...There are no dishes in the sink right now, because they are all in the dishwasher. And that's nice; I hope I never take my dishwasher for granted....Our Frigidaire was even purged today of any item that had passed it's expiration date...or smelled funny. Side note: all said and done, I went through 9 trash bags today. While on that topic, every trash can, including the trash compactor, received a new liner. My rugs have all been vacuumed and those tiny little stickers that Geoff and I often step on, OUCH, are gone; at least until one of us goes outside and tracks them back in. I swept every square inch of our little casa; underneath beds, couches, behind and under chairs, night stands, tables etc. And then, I brought out the Orange Glo so my hardwood floors would shine once again.

6:00 p.m. - I took a brief pause from the cleaning to have a small bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream; I had truly lost track of time. I hadn't even realized it was time for supper. So, yes, I had dessert before dinner (I never do that; in fact I rarely have dessert. But I considered it a reward, a "sweet break.") Then I decided to make my husband Taco Ring for supper. It was yummy; and to add to our Saturday night dinner for two, we watched a DVR recording of Community we had forgotten about. It was hilarious.

7:00 - Cleaned up dinner, loaded the dishwasher, washed dishes that could not fit in the dishwasher and wiped down my kitchen countertops and stove top with Fantastic!

Sometime after all of that, I started laundry. But my wonderful husband said he would finish it. I love him!!! Then I picked up all Izzie's toys and put them away, started another grocery list, took some tubs/items out to the garage (which desperately needs to be organized; another job for another, warmer, weekend) and all nine trash bags were taken out to the dumpster.

I don't think I had officially stopped until about 9:00 p.m. Then the thought occurred to me: "What have I really accomplished today?" All of this to say, yes I'm so glad my house is really, really cleaned; it needed it! But at the same time, I think "Where did my day go?" I kind of feel like I wasted it a bit. Maybe I was too thorough and thats why the majority of my day was devoted to cleaning rather than hanging out with friends, shopping, reading or going to see my family today. Instead, I didn't make time for any of that this Saturday; regretfully. At least there's Sunday...and MLK day. And I'm very excited about Sunday and MLK day because on Sunday, we are leaving for Houston to visit our good friends down there and to participate in The Call on MLK day. (For more info, go to www.thecall.com and click on Houston.) I think it's going to be an amazing experience and I hope the event makes an impact. Please pray that the eyes of Houston and our nation will be opened.

So, back to today. About 9:45/10:00, I decided to sit down and blog about my day. It's almost 10:45 (I've been interrupted a few times)...but now my thoughts are on my nice, clean, crisp new sheets Geoff and I put on the bed. I love clean sheets and I'm ready to smell the fresh scent of our fabric softener again. Time for sleep! But wait...Izzie needs a bath!

Well, I've been wanting to start a blog now for quite some time and I've finally done it. Well partially. I mean this is my first post; does it really count? Maybe not. But here it goes...

Blogging is part of my "new year's resolution" or at least a version of what we know of as a new year's resolution. The idea definitely didn't originate from the light bulb idea that is a "new year's resolution" that lasts all of about one week for most Americans; so sad. Side note: Where is the self-discipline in this country? No, instead I consider blogging a creative outlet. I love to write. I haven't really written for the fun of it since high school. Yea, in college I had to. I mean, it was paper after paper after paper...but this is for me. My thoughts, memories, ideas and dreams I'd like to share with anyone who may read my blogs.

So here I am.

I've noticed that some people blog about cooking (I'm pretty clutzy in the kitchen, although I love to cook), some blog about their kids (don't have any, but I have a dog), politics (I don't keep up with it enough to really have a strong enough opinion, like my husband does; sad but true), sports (...please, ask anyone...I'm still trying to figure out the rules of football...I don't understand it, but I am getting better; thank you Geoffrey and Kimberly) and the list goes on. I have yet to really figure out what exactly I will be writing about. So this may just a be compilation of a various topics.

Today I want to talk about color. What is my favorite color?

I love color! If you were to ask me my favorite color right now it would be green, not hunter green or lime green, but Philpott florist green. If you are wondering what color that is, drive down North 1st street in Abilene. As you drive toward downtown Abilene, on the left you will notice a lovely greenish building. I used to work there in high school; Philpott Florist. I loved that job for the whole three and a half weeks I worked there. (They only needed me for Mother's Day.) Anyways, it was one of those childhood aspirations I had when I was a little girl. I wanted to grow up and be a florist. My grandmother used to keep me and my little sister at her house after school and during the summer. I used to pretend to play "florist" with all her fake floral arrangements. I would take them apart, all over her house, and make new arrangements to sell in my make-believe floral shop. Maybe that's why I love so many colors. I have never seen a flower I did not think was beautiful. And I have never come across a flower color that I didn't love. Back to the subject, however; what is my favorite color? I don't know. Because if Philpott green was my favorite color today and you asked me the same question tomorrow, I may say Pottery Barn blue or Christmas red, the color of ivory pearls or that pretty lavender we see at Target once Easter rolls around. But honestly, I don't think I actually have one favorite color. I like them all.