Does anyone feel like gagging with me?

We moved to our new house in Alexandria.....the house is wonderful....other than a few issues.....
The people who lived here before us had 2 big dogs. Even though they shampooed the carpets before they moved out...their was an IMMENSE amount of dog hair in the carpets. And this house is carpet throughout. This one picture I am sharing (sparing you the many) is of what came off of the carpet in the master bedroom ALONE. :( Dog hair and dirt. Gag. I have pictures like this after vaccuuming EVERY room in the house. I guess it is true with your pets also - that "Love is blind!"


And even worstestestest (if that can be a word) - the back yard was COVERED in huge dog poop! Covered! The waste guys can't come clean it until this week - so since it was frozen the other day - BRAD and I got out there and picked up as much of it as possible. GAGGGGG. Wearing rubber gloves of course... And a lot of it we could not get up b/c it was frozen to the ground. But better picked up frozen than when mushy after rain! We got 3 bags of it and there is still more out there.

I just want to be a blessing today by sharing this joy in my life! And Billy R., I am NOT making this up! Another poop story!

WHITE HOUSE!!!

During the chaos of moving - I didn't have a chance to post about our visit to the White House! On the Wednesday before we started packing up the house to move, (last week) we went with Floyd and Rutha on the White House Christmas Tour! Since Floyd works with the White House Communication Detail (or something like that??) he was able to bring guests....and WE were officially on THE LIST!

It was kinda like in all of those movies where people stand in line to get in to a big party...and if your name is not on the list - you don't get in.....except I think our approval process to get into the White House was much more rigorous! We had to provide our SS #'s to Floyd for FBI clearance earlier during the week, he had to show his military ID to "The List" people, Brad and I had to show photo ID, and then we were "in"!

As we were walking thru the White House we would run into different military/government people who would proclaim...."Oh, Seargent Major! How are you!" to Floyd....made me feel like we were in the "inner circle" of the mafia or something! LOL! I wonder if Floyd really works for the Army?? Maybe he is really a secret service person.....or a spy....hmmmm...things to ponder... :)

This is one of my favorite pictures....taken from INSIDE the White House....looking through the window towards the Washington monument....pretty cool.

Floyd and Brad hanging out while the wives take pictures of everything! Rutha is an AMAZING photographer...especially of flowers and intricate things....

Here is our gang! Rutha, Floyd, Brad, me, Macy and Mia! This is taken outside the White House on the North Portico.....of course I grabbed a stranger and asked them to take our picture! :O)

Mia posing outside the gate to the White House.....so sweet.

The wind was REALLY cold this day and we ran out without jackets. Daddy shared his with Macy. So cute!

Exhaustion...

I am just now getting the chance to get online to update since our move yesterday. There is no way we could have done it without help. What a blessing that God has destined us to find such a friend in Floyd Hepler. He drove the moving truck for us, and he even paid for it. Sniff...

Floyd is definitely a go getter, get 'er done guy. If it was not for Floyd and his son Adam, and our friends from NCC - David & Sharon and Dave & Kate.... I don't think we would have survived. Not to mention that Brad's mom and dad had GREAT timing in coming to visit for Christmas! We have worked their tails off since they got here Monday!

We finished paperwork on the new house Wednesday, packed the entire house up on Thursday and Friday, moved the entire house on Saturday, and went back to clean and show the old house today (Sunday). Whew!

Pray with us that God will send a new renter for that house...pronto! :)

I am thinking I should probably spend the day tomorrow....unpacking?! I did take the time to put the tree up tonight - it is Christmas week afterall! Now I hear something calling me....I think it is ....sleep....

Chaos again...

OK. So some will call us crazy. We are moving to a different house.
Moving twice in 4 months.
Maybe we will be crazy after this! Or maybe I already am??? Hmmm...??
The house we are moving to is 19 miles from this one...across the Potomac River on the Virginia side of DC.
Brad will have to take the subway/metro in to work here in DC, about a 40 min commute one way.
BUT - Macy will be able to attend a great school that is 5 miles from our new house.

Overall, we have prayed much about this over the past 4 months....and feel total peace that this is the right move for us.

But why would God allow us to be in the wrong house in the first place??? We have asked ourselves....

But I really feel that these 4 months have been part of the plan. As agonizing and frustrating as it is to move again - these 4 months have taught us much about living right in the heart of DC, and much about ourselves.

Also - the church we are working with (www.theaterchurch.com) is planting a new satellite church right down the street from our new house! That is a big reason why we chose this area! So we will be on the team for launching the new church in Kingstowne. What a neat opportunity! We wouldn't have known to choose Kingstowne 4 months ago - and could be living anywhere in the metro area....but knowing what we do at this point - Kingstowne becomes a perfect location for us!

We are still going to be in the DC Metro Area - remember 5.8 MILLION people live in the DC Metro area!!!!

It is about like moving from Huntsville to Goshen in distance....or West Memphis to maybe Olive Branch?? (maybe not that far)

None of this could have happened without our friend Floyd going to bat for us. And our new realtor friend Sam Jones. Since we are poor and don't even have a salary, someone has to convince landlords that we really are good people! :)

Please pray blessings on him and his wife Rutha this Christmas season. They are treasures.

That's My Girl!

Macy was talking about "Zach" from Disney's Zach and Cody the other night. She said he 'kissed' a girl.....and then she giggled about it. I thought...hmmmm....what perceptions is she getting about kissing....this could be a teachable moment...

I wrinkled my nose and said, "People don't always do the right things on TV shows, do they?" She said "Noooo".

I told her, people are not supposed to kiss until they are married....like me and daddy....but on TV they don't always make good decisions." (We will keep telling her this until she is 30...by the way!)

I then asked her (role play here!) .."what if a boy came up and said...'Let's kiss Macy'?
She said..." I would say NO and run away!"

To which I pressed it further...."But what if he said "Macy -everybody is doing it - let's kiss!"
She then said, "I would say NO! And then PUSH HIM DOWN!"

I pondered for a moment....should I correct her about this seemingly violent reaction to a boy's advances for a kiss? Should I teach her..."No, don't push him...just tell him no...."

But I decided to say...."Good job!" :)
That's a mom for you! LOL!
By the way - it was such a deep conversation...she was looking deep into my eyes and we were REALLY talking. I loved it!

Macy & Mia Story

I can't believe I haven't told this story yet:

We were taking the subway to China Town right after we moved here....and when Macy heard me talking and saying we were going to "Chinatown"....she looked up so inquisitively...and said "But we already have a baby sister!"

Soooooo cute!

By the way - they are playing better together than they ever have. I think it is because all they have is each other now. (But on the other side of the coin they are also still having more skirmishes than before....b/c of ALL of the time together!)

Being the New Kid on The Block

I have always heard that people on the East Coast can be "cold". I never really understood that.

Even though I would not say that the people I have met in DC are cold, (or at least not as much as what I have heard about further north)...there is definitely a LACK of warmth. People are polite. They smile and talk. But many of them have no warmth. There words are sweet...but they don't seem to really LOOK at you. Sure their eyes are on you while they are talking...and they are being nice...but they really are not interested in YOU....not interested in who you are as a person....in KNOWING you. Maybe people don't really realize they are being distant. Or maybe many people are just BUSY and have no idea that they seem standoffish. Or maybe there is so much on their plate that their brain doesn't have enough room to take in the wholeness of a new person more than a quick smile and moment of chit chat... (oh...that sounds like ME for the past 10 years...)

The SCARY thing is - I just described myself 3 months ago. I NEVER realized until this move what it was like to be the new person....the outsider. I have learned through this of how TERRIBLE I have personally been at reaching out to new people and really taking interest in them. I have always been so BUSY. Wow. Really looks different from this side of the fence.

I am thinking of joining the Schizophrenic Support Group

:)

Some days I love this DC adventure. Some days I hate it. Some days I love the open possibilities before us. Some days I want to go back to Egypt.

Some days I am amazed at what neat people I have met. Some days I am so homesick I could cry.

Surprising. I am normally such an outgoing, gung-ho, attack and overcome person - that this up and down stuff has thrown me for a loop. I have to wonder each day....is today a day I feel like climbing the mountain to the top? Or would I rather crawl in a dark hole today?

Just being real and transparent.

Why Am I Not Blogging?

Seems like some of YOU keep asking this! :) Well, there are SEVERAL reasons:

1. The adjustment to being with my children 24/7 - along with the transitional stuff that is taking an ETERNITY.... keeps me from having much "quiet" time to form my thoughts into blog posts! But the girls and I have made HUGE strides in the last couple of weeks towards finding a semblance of structure and "at homeness".

2. My emotions and thoughts are so muddied. It is hard to even describe what I have been feeling, observing, and analyzing about myself and this move. When I find the words and cohesive thoughts to share these things - I will. I am getting there!

I hope to start looking at my blog in "blog bytes"...small snippets of thoughts and stories, instead of the comprehensive posts I once could share on our adoption blog. It is taking a shift in my brain to do that!

So hopefully there will be at least little snippets every few days - instead of one per month! Thanks so much to all of our friends and family for keeping up with us and for your prayer and support!

PRAYER NEEDS FOR DECEMBER:
1. Please continue to pray for Macy and Mia. Pray that there will be a "settling" that takes place in our home. Pray that God will give us wisdom as parents to guide them into Godliness.

2. Please pray for Macy that she will have a strong and positive desire to learn as we continue home-schooling.

3. Please pray for Brad and I to find God's direction for our lives. When this program ends in August - we still have no idea what God is leading us towards. It would be REALLY wonderful for God to begin to open up doors and shine a light on our path! :)

4. Please pray for our marriage...that in the midst of chaos and uncertainty - that we will cultivate a beautiful marriage that reflects God's love in all we do.

5. Please pray for God's provision. December is traditionally a crunch month for everyone...please pray that God will provide all of our needs.

6. Pray for friendship.

7. Pray specifically for us emotionally. Some days we feel lost. Some days are good. All days we know we are in the center of God's will....but there are still emotions, frustrations, and disappointments to deal with. Pray for grace. God is teaching us so much through this whole experience.

Thank you...and much love. :) (fh)

Last Month in Pics

The Princess and The Bee

Seems like there was a princess and a little bee last fall in Huntsville at the Moms group costume party.....hmmm...yep. Those costumes got recycled this year.....and The Princess and the Little Bee visited Washington DC! There was a little carnival at Ebz (Short for "Ebenezers"... the church coffee house) and the girls loved it! They were just too cute walking down the sidewalk together!

I have NO idea who these guys are...I am assuming that maybe they attend NCC...but this picture was just too funny! LOL! Is that supposed to be the nun and the cowboy? :)

New neighbors and friends:

There is a family that lives 4 houses down from us that has a little girl, Niya, who is close to Macy's age. That common denominator has caused us to get to know one another....and they are a GREAT family. Dad works at Library of Congress; Mom works for ...Mitre....(sp?) Very classy yet personable people. And being personable is not even something I have found throughout the Christian community here! Mark (dad) has brought us several things from his DC garden (some plot of ground they rent to have a garden spot a few blocks from here!) - and it has been WONDERFUL! Yummy eggplant!

Me and the girls went with Gwendolyn (mom) and her girls to a soccer game a few weeks ago (they also have a 14 year old) - and had a great time!

Macy and her new friend Niya.

My new friend and neighbor Gwendolyn. She has been such a blessing to me! She keeps me laughing and definitely has a "tell it like it is" personality! Love her!

Noni's Birthday

My mom had a birthday this month...and even though we did not get to see her - we made her a birthday cake! And ate every bite! :) We used ALL the candles we had in the house and still did not have enough! :)

Sightseeing finally!

We have lived here for 3 months and not really taken the time to see much of anything! So we took a day during the Thanksgiving week to go! We were FREEZING as we stopped in front of the Washington monument for this pic!

Macy took her little camera with her into the Smithsonian...it was so cute watching her take pictures of EVERYTHING. Unfortunately she also kept taking the batteries out of her camera...and thus erasing every pic she had taken...or I would post some of her creative photography here! :)

BOTH girls still LOVE lip gloss. Or lip stick. Or paint. Or anything they can make a mess with! I heard them giggling this week...and walk into the bathroom to see that Macy has brilliantly painted her little sisters face....and TEETH...with some lipstick!

We were REALLY bummed about spending our first Thanksgiving without family. Will & Rachel hosted dinner at their house on Thanksgiving and we went there along with several other people from the church that do not have family here in DC. It was really nice and I made some new acquaintances! I learned that Jeff has worked for the government for 19 years....Scott is a Pediatric Oncologist...and Henry has a PhD... Geez! These guys are brilliant! And Henry has such a neat story...he has only been a Christian for 3 years...I will have to post a story about him soon!

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