Fasting

There seems to be a theme of the week.  Did you know that it happens to be National Eating Disorders Awareness Week? 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirsten-haglund/national-eating-disorders-awareness-week_b_4782650.html

Also, the youth at my church plan to experience a "30 Hour Famine" this Saturday- Sunday.  They will fast from Saturday morning until noon on Sunday. I hope you can see that I could not avoid addressing both NEDA Week and the fast by the youth at our church.  Both of these topics are important to me and strangely connected even though they seem to be opposites.  The following is a devotion I wrote for the youth. I thought my blog followers would appreciate it too.  Can I encourage you to pick a way to fast during lent with me?  Bon appetit!

Fasting

Proverbs 15:15

All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast.

Matthew 5:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

I am so glad you have this opportunity to fast.  Not many Americans are able to experience true hunger.  Thirty hours is a long time to fast, and I am really proud of you!!  But part of true hunger is the mind game.  You, the youth at Oneonta, know when the next meal will be.  As you look forward to the close of the fast try to keep in the back of your mind that your brothers and sisters who are truly hungry have no idea if or when they will be able to fill their stomachs again.  Also keep in mind that when you decide to fast you are on holy ground- holy and sacred ground. 

Joel 1:14

Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land 
to the house of the Lord your God, and cry out to the Lord.

            I write to you as a young adult who has had several opportunities for a spiritual fast in my short life.  Some I chose, some I did not choose, and some times when the lines were blurry as to whether I chose or did not choose to fast.  This may sound funny to you; I will explain.

            The times I chose to fast seem to be the easiest to explain.  In college I chose a day of the week that worked for me, the day happened to be Friday, and I would have nothing but juice and water for breakfast and lunch.  I chose to fast from sun up to sun down.  I usually rose before the sun came up so I would have a small meal then.  After the sun went down, I would have a larger meal.  I always had a specific situation or person in mind when I fasted.   I prayed for this person or situation every time I thought of them throughout that particular day.  When I first began this practice I would get really hungry so I would also pray for the person or situation each time I thought about how hungry I was.  I learned that this spiritual discipline really has little to do with food and everything to do with prayer and dedication.  It is a spiritual PRACTICE and takes practice just like anything else.  I also did not mention it to many people on the day of my fast.  My housemates knew and sometimes a close friend or family member but I did not talk about it much in general.

Matthew 6:16 

“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."

I would encourage you to use this time to PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. 

2 Chronicles 20:3

Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah.

Ezra 8:23

So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.

1.  Inquire of the Lord- ask Him what He wants from you today.

2.  Petition your God – come to Him with one thing or a list of many things that concern you.

3.  Meditate on those hungry children for whom you will raise money.

4.  Pray with out ceasing while you fast.

You will be amazed at how different your experience with prayer will be when you are denied physical food.  It is much more real than those arrow prayers we all shoot up to God while we ride in the car or before meals etc. 

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            The time I was forced to fast was more recent.  You may have heard about it through church.  In October, I was hit in the face by a softball and the ball broke my jaw in two places.  My mouth was wired shut for 6 weeks and I experienced true hunger during this time.

Proverbs 27:7

One who is full loathes honey from the comb, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet

Luke 6:21

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied.  Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh

Sunday, the day of the game, I ran six miles before church- my usual- and then worshipped at Oneonta with many of you.  Afterwards, I did not eat lunch because of a tummy ache.  Little did I know, my dinner Saturday night would be the last real meal I would eat for eight weeks.  We got to the Emergency Room a little after 6:00, my usual dinnertime.  By this time I was really hungry.  I could not chew because my jaw was very unstable and painful so there were no snacks for me while we waited.  Then they decided to do surgery that night and did not want me to eat anything.  The next morning I woke up and had wires that connected my top and bottom jaws together.  Everything I ate had to be liquid.  If you are thinking you could live off In and Out milkshakes and Jamba Juice Smoothies for 6 weeks, you think like me.  However, that was not the case at all.  Most milkshakes and smoothies were still too thick.  I could eat broth and soups but they had to be completely void of chunks.  There were other challenges during this time but I really want to focus on the hunger and lack of food.  Yes, I did loose weight, but after a while I became accustomed to the little bit of food I could eat.  I was no longer physically hungry but I then became emotionally starved.  I was able to find so much comfort in the Word of God, whether through the Bible or through other people.  I received many cards with bible verses and promises to pray for me.  That is what sustained me through that unexpected fast.  Do you see the theme here? When you fast- you need God to sustain you, whether through your prayers to Him or through others’ prayers for you.  In addition to prayer, you need his Word.  As I looked through my prayer journal around that time period, I realized how close I had become to the Lord.  I came to him every single day, so many times every day, to claim his promises to “fill me with good things” and to “satisfy the thirsty and fill the hungry”.  I also noticed that through that closeness with the Lord, he gave me insight and wisdom.  Insight into why this happened to me and wisdom to get the most out of this experience.  He truly filled me with GOOD things.  Not only did He fill me with insight and wisdom, but my mailbox was literally always full! I received packages or letters almost daily.  These things were Gods way to encourage me and fill me up, both physically and mentally.  One package contained a juicer from my small group of girlfriends back in North Carolina.  Another package was a homemade hot chocolate mix with protein powder from my very best friend.  These people, through Christ, did what the Holy Spirit told them  to do so that I, the hungry, could be filled. Read the next few sentences carefully…. I was filled because God wanted to keep his promises to me…He kept them because I spent time with him and asked him to fulfill these promises to me…  And I tell you this, in turn, to GLORIFY the God that we serve. Our faithful and loving God who is so worthy of that glory and praise. 

 John 6:23

Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.

Luke 1:53

He has filled the hungry with good things, but has sent the rich away empty

Psalm 107:9

…for he satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things.

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This brings me to the hard part to explain; where the lines are blurry as to if I did or did not choose to fast.  This is a time in my life that still needs some clarity, so forgive me if it has holes or makes little sense.  I went through a period of time where I had a fear of certain types of foods and along with that I also burned a lot of calories.  It was in college after I discovered I truly loved to run.  I also walked to all my classes and used the stairs as opposed to the elevators every time-in every building.  I lived on the 8^th and 9^th floors my freshman and sophomore years and used the stairs-EVERY TIME.  These two things do not mix well.  Fear of certain foods and extreme exercise meant I was underweight.  There is so much I could say about this time in my life; why I chose this, how it got out of control, what it led to, how I hurt myself and others, how depressed it made me later….There are so many things.  But I also consider this time in my life one long and painful fast.  I half wanted to fast and half did not want to fast.  I liked that I was in complete and total control of food and exercise and then somehow it became twisted and entwined in all aspects of my life and it had complete and utter control over me.  This I did not like but had no choice anymore it seemed.  This time of fasting in my life was unique and some might not consider it as a typical fast but I do.  Now that I am on the other side of that experience I can see how God made ME less so that HE could be more in my life. More God; less Rebecca (about 40 pounds less Rebecca to be exact).  He showed me how I was strong in Him through my physical and human weakness.  It was a time of spiritual strength but physical weakness.  It was my trial and my hardship; I was insulted, persecuted and weak.  It was difficult but through that experience I learned how to lean on the Lord.  I would pray for him to get me through each day and I meant it with every fiber of my being.  I battled depression and control issues for a few long years.  But I can honestly say that I “delight” in having experienced that weakness.  Because the Bible says, “For when I am weak, then I am strong”.  So remember the following verses as you get into the last few hours of your 30 hour fast.  You will surely feel weak, but if you pray and spend time in God’s Word you will be filled with good things and you will be stronger through having experienced weakness.  Weakness is not a bad thing, in fact it is quite the opposite. 

2 Corinthians 12:10

10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

                 

I will leave you with one final verse:

Philippians 4:12 

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want

After this experience you will “know what it is to be in need” and you already know “what it is to have plenty”.  Use this time to unlock the “secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” because you never know where life will take you.  I will give you a hint: the secret is no secret at all.  It is written all over God’s love letter to you in His Word.  The secret is a strong relationship with your God through Jesus Christ.  You get that relationship when you give your life to Him and you feed that relationship with quality time together and through His Holy Word.  He will never let you down, never cease to amaze you with His provision and never, never will he fail you.  I pray that each of you is blessed through this experience.  Be encouraged, your willingness to complete this 30 hour fast is inspiring! In fact, I have decided to take up my Friday fasts again, in a healthy way, during lent because of YOU! 

May God bless you and keep you and may God make his face shine upon you, now and always!

Details…Inspiration…Details...Inspiration

I felt the need to put one of my recent posts (Grace) on Facebook.  I hoped it would encourage and touch my friends who had lost a friend way too early. Wow.  What encouragement I received from my friends, family and even folks with whom I had lost touch.  God is so good.  I was able to reconnect with some special friends that life had led me away from until now.  Friends who encourage, love and support each other.  Isn't that what its all about? I was able to ride on the wings of that encouragement for the better part of a week.

However, I found that every time I tried to compose another post I became intimidated.  I have never had so many people read my thoughts.  I guess I feel the need to come clean and let these possible new readers know what this blog is really about most of the time.  I call this my Mom and my Mother-In-Law's blog.  When we moved to California, I promised that I would keep those two updated on our daily lives so they wouldn't miss out on one detail of little George's third year.  And I have- in painful detail.  I learned that I love to write as long as there is no time line or grade given or any expectation really. Yes, I do write the occasional inspired post but most of the time its just about how many times my son picks his nose in any given day so feel free to unsubscribe at any time.  But…..But….. I would hate for you to miss those occasional inspired posts because they are not from me, they are inspired by our wonderful, loving, gracious God.  Everything that rings true to you in any post of mine is surely from Him, and not from me.  There might even be an inspired paragraph within a whole story about a museum trip, tantrum or playdate.  Just like life- always be ready for that little bit of inspiration that hides in all the day to day events that we seem to trudge through. With that said, I do have some inspiration for you after I fill in the grandmamas on whats been going on with us.  Wait for it! It will come!

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Weekly Update:

When I last wrote, our household had experienced an afternoon and evening full of sickness.  It must have been food poisoning because big George never got it and we were better Tuesday.  I will spare you the details of Monday- you've all been there- in a few words it was: laundry, wipe surfaces, drink fluids, force fluids on three year old, laundry again, fluids, dishes, naps.  Funny story, little George usually naps at 2:00pm.  Today I put him down early (12:30) because he seemed like he needed it from all the "activity" the previous day.  I came back in my room and realized that  he must have pushed the daylight savings time button on my alarm clock because my cell said it was 11:30am!  It made for a great nap- he slept until 4pm when I went in to wake him up.  To be sick is the worst!  I was able to finish laundry, change the sheets and get the house back in order (when all I wanted to do was get under my covers... no rest for the weary).  Tuesday was a pretty normal day but Wednesday I decided it was high time for a Disney trip.  Usually Disney is easy and sure to make us feel better.  Today it took 2 1/2 hours to get in the gates.  Traffic was horrible on the way there and our usual thirty minute trip took an hour and a half. The other hour was spent in a gridlock as we waited to park because Disney happened to have lent out their parking lot to the convention center.  After we were in the gates though, we had a wonderful time. We rode the teacups twice- I told you…painful detail.  

Autopia- George was like "Ma- put away the phone, I'm tryin' to drive here"

Cotton Candy for being such a good boy

George in the Dog Pound

Thursday George went to school and then played in the yard all afternoon. I had no energy to fight him on the nap issue so he played until the farmers market opened and we went there for the evening and met friends.  

this is my failed attempt to get Cole, Lena and George to smile for the camera.

The above features Cole

this one features George and Cole

Cole 

Lena and George were having a contest to see who could get dirtier

Friday was Valentine's Day and I would have been a horrible mom had I not set up a date with his girlfriend here in California.  Zoe and George have been best buddies since the moment they met.  Their little relationship has just blossomed and it helps that their moms get along great too.  We took them to the park for a picnic and then to the soda shop for an ice-cream treat.

 We returned home too late to fight for a nap so we delivered the rest of our valentines to our neighbors.  

Proverbs 29:5

"Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet"

 I read this after we delivered them, I wasn't trying to spread a net...

The youth pastor at our church was kind enough to offer childcare (for FREE) from 4pm-8pm on Friday night for Valentine's day, so I took George to play with a few friends while I got ready for our date….I should mention we had no "date" in mind at this point.  I really had no idea if George would even make it home in time to take advantage of this free babysitting opportunity.  I put full faith that he would and when he called to say, "Lets dress up and go out" I was dressed and ready to go in five minutes flat. Woohooo!  We went to the Langham Hotel Bar and shared lobster sliders and sweet potato pomme frittes.  So last-minute... so perfect!  Saturday we were supposed to have a family beach day but George got called in.  Off with the bathing suit…..Sunday after church we decided to make our beach trip happen... on with the bathing suit!  Huntington Beach, here we come!  A little cool but still able to sit on the beach.  Fish tacos at an outdoor restaurant finished our day on the right note and then put our worn out boy to sleep on the way home.  Ahhhhhh.  Silence.  Can you hear it?  Monday George was supposed to work but the case was cancelled so he was home by 9:00 am.  Can you see the theme of our life: plan for George to work- he comes home; plan a beach trip- he has to work.  Why do I even try to plan anything?? We decided to go to the zoo and then a hike but plans were foiled again when all of LA decided on that same zoo trip.  The Autry Museum was right there and on our "to-do" list as well so we looked at cowboys and ind….Native Americans for a while.  We panned for gold and thought we might find enough to pay for dinner but I must have lost the three flecks in transit from the museum to the car.  Then we hiked to a waterfall in Eaton Canyon/Angeles National Forest in hopes of a quiet afternoon and some family time.  When are we ever going to learn that there is nothing quiet about LA.  At all.

us, and our LA family

If you look closely, there are repellers making their way down the waterfall. That was fun to see.

Another day without a nap and our boy was exhausted again.  I am not sure why because we carried him 3/4 of the hike.  Tuesday was a long day and so was Wednesday. No naps + no daddy around till after bedtime = tired mama with achy back.  

And for good measure, here are a few photos from the past few weeks that I couldn't leave out:

sweet Dean

George dressed himself:

If you cant see, he has smocked plaid swim trunks on backwards, his Carolina jersey, cowboy boots, and a load of sticks he wanted me to hold.  BOYS.

El Portal Mexican dinner- how exciting!!

 I leave George and Daddy home alone for 1 hour...

They clean up nice though! Twins- lookin' handsome!!

Grace

In honor and remembrance of Jennifer Horns- November 16th 1981-February 5th 2014

It was a spring day in Rocky Mount and my friend Jennifer had invited me over to play.  I was somewhere around 10 or 12 years old; old enough to go by myself to a friend's house but not old enough to go anywhere but her back yard.  This particular friend was one of the lucky ones- she had a trampoline.  Now this was in the early 90's so when you picture this trampoline, please do not add nets, cushions, or spring protectors to the image…just a plain old black tramp with silver springs and silver metal legs, about 6 feet off the ground.  Jennifer and I were in gymnastics together and in the past, we had been known to practice our "flips" on her trampoline.  When I casually mentioned this to my parents they immediately forbade me to flip on her trampoline again.  So in the truck on the way to her house my daddy said to me, "Becca, I don't want you doing any flips on that trampoline, you hear me? I mean it, NO FLIPS.  You can jump on it, and I really don't think that is a good idea, but I will allow you to jump if you promise not to do flips".  I promised him that I would not do a single flip and honestly had every intention to keep that promise.  Well, after an hour or so of obedience to this one rule, I began to get antsy.  Jennifer had flipped, her brothers had flipped and I just wanted to show them what I could do.  I thought to myself, "I will do one flip- just to get it out of my system- and then no more".  Well, what 12  year old wanna-be gymnast really has that much will power?  I continued to flip and flip and flip and flip and flip.  Backflip, front flip, side flip, twist flip, you name it-I flipped it.  We had the best time!
BUT THEN….
Daddy came to pick me up.  I got into the truck and felt slightly guilty but I surely did not intend to confess.  Maybe he just wont ask me what I did at Jennifer's, I thought.  Well, sure enough the first thing out of Mark Bruton's mouth was, "Did you flip on that trampoline?".  Now- I may have done many things wrong as a child, but I learned early on NOT to lie to daddy.  It was his main thing.  Don't lie to Mark.  So I told him straight up, "Yes, I did".  Silence.
I knew there would be consequences and I was ready as ever to take them.  To make myself feel better about my disobedience.  To ease my guilt.  He made a turn away from the direction of our house.
We drove out of the neighborhood.  Where are we GOING?  Say SOMETHING Daddy.  Do you plan to take me to a field to drop me off so I can think about what I did?  Do you plan to spank me-I know I deserve it but I think I am too old for that…
As we approached the gas station on Sunset Avenue my thoughts changed.  After he fills up his tank, he's gonna take me home and ground me forever, maybe he will never talk to me again, surely I will never see Jennifer and her trampoline again…But thats fine, its what I deserve anyway.
He parked the truck and I noticed he had a full tank.  He didn't need gas at all.  WHAT are we DOING here!?
Then he said these words to me, "Becca, I want you to go in that gas station and I want you to pick out whatever candy bar you want. No- pick two candy bars, just for yourself"

What? I gave him a blank stare that showed my utter confusion.  You want me to do what?!  I don't WANT a candy bar right now.  I WANT to be punished.  I feel horrible that I disobeyed.  It was wrong. I feel ugly and dark and black inside.  I do NOT want something special for myself.  I thought for a moment more and then said to him, "No- I don't want one".
He replied with an unreadable expression, "No- go on and pick one out. I will be waiting in the truck.  We are not leaving until you go get two candy bars, here's the money".
I opened the door slowly and trudged into the gas station.  I picked out my two favorites, probably Butterfinger and Score Bar, and climbed back into the truck.  I put the candy bars down on the dash and buckled my seat belt.
"You are not gonna eat 'em?" said Daddy.  I shook my head no and he began to drive back home.  On the way he gave me one of the best lessons anyone has ever given me.  He said something about like this:
"Honey, I want to tell you about Grace.  Grace is when we get something we do NOT at all deserve.  It's that simple.  And I love you like God loves you, always and forever no matter what decisions you make or how many times you disobey me.  God gives us the wonderfully good and sweet gift of grace, like those candy bars sitting up there on the dash.  We do nothing for that gift, in fact we do quite the opposite, we are sinners, we disobey his word.  Just like you did today.  I'm disappointed in you,  but it doesn't mean I could stop loving you if I tried.  Same with God, he loves you infinitely and gives you grace when you don't deserve it.
So Becca, just remember, Grace is simple.  Grace is a gift we don't deserve.  All we have to do is accept it, so eat up".
And after that, how could I not.  That might have been the sweetest candy bar I ever ate.

*********************************************************************************Jennifer passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, February 5th 2014.  We had lost touch through the years but I will never forget her.  She was a bold presence, scared of nothing and had an easy laugh.  We shared so many memories in our younger years from church, school, gymnastics, and girl scouts.  Since I got the news I can't help but remember all the little things about her.  Memories sustain us in these hard times.  I know that wherever she was in her spiritual journey, God's grace was sufficient.  May she rest in eternal peace and may her family feel God's presence.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Last Wednesday morning I received a text from our old neighbor in Durham.  Usually we exchange simple "how are you?/how is Dean?" texts but today was quite different.  She informed me that our old house on Walnut Cove was on fire.  First I should say that no one was injured.  Sadly, there were three pets that did not make it.  I am so thankful that the family was not hurt and that the firemen were able to contain the fire so that no one else's homes were damaged.  But this news so saddened me that I really had to step back and ask myself why.  My first thought was that this was the first home we owned as a couple, the home where we brought our new born baby boy, the kitchen where we prepared meals for others and ourselves, the living room where we prayed with dear friends, the office where George spent hours upon hours as he traced the brachial plexus, our room where we woke up doubled over in laughter in the middle of the night and where we cried in the deepest darkest despair as dear George experienced a cancer diagnosis and treatment, the whole house- gone- just like that.

So incredibly sad…and those are just my memories of my house.  The poor family who lived there lost so much more, everything.  The important part of that word "everything" is THING.  Its only things, only stuff. Praise God no one was hurt.

We have just started our search for a permanent home in Raleigh.  I think God really used this sad sad circumstance to help me learn a couple of lessons.

First of all, no one thing is permanent in this world.  I should not obsess about a perfect house with every kind of amenity.  I should not worry if it is not as handsome as I always pictured my permanent home to be.  I should not worry that it has a certain type of stove or a big enough closet or a bathtub in the master bathroom, or that we have enough space to grow or anything at all.  All those amenities could be gone in an instant.

Secondly my reaction to the news taught me how dear a house can really be.  I feel a little more justified in my pursuit of the right house for us.  On this note comes the third and final point; a point I must attribute to my husband. As we talked about these very lessons he reminded me of something.  Although our house on Walnut Cove was all we needed, completely comfortable, and plenty big enough we always found plenty wrong with it, complained about the kitchen being too small and countless other things.  The house is not what makes the memories.  The fixtures, the window treatments, the hardwood floors…none of these things are what drew out the sad emotional response to our house having been burned.  No, it was none of these things.  The memories we made as a family are what made this house a home to us, the four hearts beating inside it are what made it special.  This is my lesson:  as I look for a permanent home, I should not look for what the house has or does not have.  I should look for something about the right size, in about the right area, and within a comfortable price range.  The other stuff is really not that important.  We will make whatever house we live in special. We will laugh, cry, pray, teach, and experience as a family no matter how many square feet, no matter what the kitchen looks like, no matter what kind of bathtub is in the master bathroom.  George, George, Dean and I will make it home.  Because home is truly where the hearts are.

Happy Year of the Horse!

We, the Edwards family had another first here in California.  Three stops down from us on the Metro is Chinatown.  Now, I am not a huge fan of Chinese food and I am pretty ignorant of all things Chinese so we have not ventured to this much talked about area.  Well, Saturday Feb. 1st, we decided to take a friend's advice and go to the Chinese New Year Celebration Parade.  I was so proud of us for A. having the courage to take the Metro- its the first time we've been on since our Long Beach fiasco  B.  filing into the streets of Chinatown with hordes of other people (don't forget our introvert-ness) and C.  enjoy ourselves despite the very "city feel" of it all- we are country mice, all three.

We saw dragons and drums, masks and bands, and countless TV personalities, news anchors and politicians, of which I knew zero.  Our ignorance of Chinese culture and lack of cable television (even the main channels) was very evident.  We enjoyed ourselves so much though and I can honestly say that now that introductions have been made, I am genuinely interested in the chance to learn more about Chinese culture. Maybe I will go to a museum next.  Thats how learning is, you think you are not interested in something because you know nothing about it, then you learn one or two things on the subject and you can't stop learning about it.  We even ordered Chinese food that night to celebrate! The next day was Super Bowl Sunday.  We did not even watch the game.  Terrible Americans.  Anyway, we enjoyed the heck out of the day despite (and probably because of) the fact that we missed out on all the great, or not so great, football and commercials.

I had a rough few days at the beginning of the next week.  Son George tested me at every turn and said some pretty nasty things to me.  I disciplined appropriately (I hope and pray) and we moved on.  After I talked with my new neighbor friend about it, she must have sensed that I had neared the end of my rope because she offered to watch George for a few hours on Thursday.  Since I worked in the classroom Tuesday and there was to be no school Thursday, I was SO GRATEFUL!  I took her up on the offer and was so touched (and really helped) by the gesture. Can you guess what I did with my free hour? Yep, you guessed it, I went for a run.
***Looking back on the calendar, this actually happened the week before the Chinese New Year and Non-Super Bowl Sunday- That tells me I need to be more attentive to my poor neglected blog***

After Non-Super Bowl Sunday we had a visitor!  Pam was two years behind George in UNC's Orthopaedics Residency Program.  She's such a sweet girl and needed a place to stay while she interviewed here in sunny LA.  We were of course, so glad to have her.  It was nice to have an old friend here at our place.  We enjoyed sushi the night she got here and I made some gluten free curry and gluten free cookies the next night  (she's one of those gluten free peeps).  We stayed up late to catch up on all the UNC gossip.  I really miss being a part of that community.  I know I did not actually do the residency, but I became close with all George's friends and their significant others.  Seasons of life...


Wednesday night I was invited to an impromptu wine/pizza/playdate down the street.  It was at my friend "Berkeley's" house.  There were 8 kiddos and four moms.  We had a crazy fun time, with all kinds of stories left unfinished and only a couple bumps and bruises.  George has really started to open up to these kids and I think he would call them his good buddies.  Its so nice to see that.  And so easy that they are right down the street!

Thursday it RAINED.  Only the second time it has rained since we've been here.  And if you thick North Carolinians are weird because they freak out about a quarter of an inch of snow, you should see Californians in an eighth of an inch of rain.  Its pretty comical.  Also, its been cold here.  I mean, I'm talkin' in the 50s cold y'all…. OK enough with the evil.

Thursday I had the misfortune of experiencing another first, a pinched nerve and muscle spasm to follow.  Wow, I have never felt anything quite like that. I couldn't move Thursday night.  After a good night's rest, I was able to move Friday but I did not do much other than barely move, I can assure you. I was so wiped out on Friday - I guess from this muscle spasm- that we did not do a thing.  Well, I lied we had to go to the grocery store.  We didn't even have Peanut Butter, thats how bare the cupboard was.  It was really a necessity or I would not have bothered.  So that brings us to yesterday.  Big George had to be at work and so did Tyler, so George and I walked to Amara and met Lauren and Tac there to enjoy hot chocolate and churros.  The churros and chocolate were good, but the thing that really made it worth the trip was the lemonade.  I got a ginger-papalones lemonade and it really hit the spot!  I could have skipped all the chocolate and churros and fruit and marshmallows and just gotten the lemonade.  So weird to hear from me, I realize, but it is the truth.  Then we played at Central Park- Pasadena for a nice long while before heading back on our trek home.  It was 3.3 miles there and 3.3 back.  Adventure!!
Then last night George was home so we went on a search for some good Mexican food and found a great little restaurant called El Portal.  Everyone loved what they ordered and the atmosphere was perfect for a family with a rambunctious 3 year old.

Today has been another story altogether.  Somewhere in between the time we got back from church and 3:00 the stomach bug monster has been rampant.  I felt queasy during church and Georgie kept complaining of tummy aches.  I felt weak and awful when we got home so I put George to bed and got into bed myself, only to be awakened by his poor little self covered in--well, I will spare you the details but it wasn't pretty.  His sweet daddy took care of everything since I could not.  This whole afternoon little George has said the cutest (and saddest) things in between trips to the trash can or bathroom.

"I don't like this"
"This is not very fun"
"I am not having a good day"
"I am so sad"
"This is horrible"
"This is the worst"

We are so ready to be back in North Carolina where we know the germs and they know us.  We've all been so sick constantly it seems.  Keep us in your prayers 'till we can kick this bug.  Whew!

Raleigh had a snow day, and we got jealous.

The past two days, I have seen countless "snow day" pictures of my friends back in NC.  Well, we had a snow day too…..here's the skinny on our BIG BEAR SKI TRIP!!
We arrived around 12, got a drink and watched skiers and snowboarders for a while and then checked into the hotel.  We left the hotel to try to find a place to sled, but to no avail.  They were to close in half an hour and we would be charged full admission.  Then we stopped at a big "Fun plex" that promised iceskating, laser tag, etc.  It was such a gimmick.  The "ice" was just a 20X20 foot fenced in plastic area you could take your socks off and slide around.  But of course once we got George in there, he wanted to "ride" every single video game.  I let him sit on a couple of the video game motorcycle seats and then dragged him out of there.  Poor kid, parents promised skiing, and all he got to do was watch, then we promised a sled ride and that didn't happen, then promised iceskating and of course we did not get to do that either.  We finally gave up and went back to hotel and played on playground there.  He was just as happy to do that and we were glad we didn't pay the 75$ it would have cost to sled for 30 minutes.  For dinner we found a really cute pizza place in Big Bear Village.  George and I split a pizza and Georgie got mozzarella sticks.  That was a blast from the past. One bite and I was back at the Applebee's in Rocky Mount after a softball game.  Yes, I had a mozzarella stix phase, who didn't?!   Food brings back the best memories!!  Right behind the pizza place was heaven…err, I mean, an icecream/ fudge/ caramel covered apple place.  We all got a special treat.  George got a dark chocolate caramel apple, I got a 1/4 pound of fudge (which I proudly finished the next day) and little George got a bubble gum ice cream cone with sprinkles.  Another one of my stages- bubblegum ice cream- one taste and I was 5 again.   I wish I would have taken a picture because it was the quintessential child's cone.  So perfect and blue and bubblegumm-y.  We found an outdoor gas fire place and enjoyed our treats.  Our day did not start very well, but it sure ended on a high note!   We made a fire that night in our little cabin.  Our plan was to watch a movie by firelight on the portable DVD player.  We planned to watch Peter Pan all together in the bed.  Well, somehow the DVD player was broken.  We decided the iPad would have to suffice.  We couldn't get the WIFI password to work.  This was God's way of helping us put the screens down and enjoy the fire a little.  We made a pallet out of pillows in front of the fire and took turns telling made up stories to each other.  A night none of us will forget. Partly because of the beauty of the fire and the togetherness we all felt but partly because George and I got possibly the WORST night's sleep either of us had ever had that night.  We think we might have given ourselves a little bit of Carbon Monoxide poisoning from the fire.  So I opened windows but that made us cold.  Then Georgie had a nightmare and I put him in bed with us.  He gets his sleep habits from his Aunt Lauren and cousin Hannah because he slept horizontally the whole night.  Tossed and turned and wiggled and kicked.  Big George came down with a stomach bug at some point in the night and had terrible nausea and tummy aches.  Its almost funny now that I am removed from it a few days but boy was it awful then.  We woke up early despite having little sleep and got dressed for the slopes.  A great first trip for little George.  We spent most of our time on the bunny slope with Georgie but each went down a few runs by ourselves.  I have forgotten how much I adore a snowboard.  I had the best time.   We both took it easy because I - for one- did not want to discover the inside of the ER in Big Bear.

We had snacks for lunch and then called it a day around 1pm.  We drove down the mountain and got home by 3:30.  I unpacked while Georgie  played in his room and big George went to bed.  By this time he was really sick.  I made dinner for little George and had him in bed by 6pm.  My little man was worn out from the trip.  I think we all were!

Social Butterfly Me.

Well, hello blogosphere! Its me, Becca, did you forget about me?

This has been a week full of excitement plus sickness which makes for little time for blog posts.

Last Monday, MLK day, George and I were treated to a lunch date because Zoe's mom invited Georgie to play at their house.  We had a lovely lunch together but I must confess, we have almost forgotten how to have an adult conversation.  We are out of practice because of the usual interruptions provided by the three year old whirlwind that is our son.  After lunch, we stepped inside a men's clothing store and George picked out some really stylish pants.  They fit him perfectly, were on sale, and its close enough to Valentines day to call them a Valentines Day gift! Score!
We met Zoe and her mom at Buster's for ice-cream and then took the boys home to nap.
Something else happened today but I want to save it as a surprise for another post.

Tuesday night we had a very nice catered dinner at George's boss' house.  I got to dress up and Lauren and I got really excited over the prospects of new homes as we shared with each other some of our favorites.  We squealed once and people stared. yep. sure did.  

Wednesday, Zoe came over to play at our house and her mommy got a free couple of hours because it was her birthday. It was only fair.

Friday I had some ladies over for appetizers and wine.  It was a great time but our "ladies night" turned into a guys night out.  We ended up with six kids and four moms.  George went out to get Chinese with Tyler because it wasn't fair to make him drink wine with the ladies nor was it fair to put him in charge of six kids while we kicked our feet up.  So thats how that happened.

Saturday morning I went for a run and then met Lauren at one of my favorite stores here to use my Christmas gift card.  We had a wonderful time and got a couple great deals since it was 70% at several stores this weekend.  I got a lovely black and gold dinner jacket that I cant wait to take out to dinner.  Lauren got a great one shoulder tank from the Lilly Store.  Yes, there's a Lilly store here in Pasadena.  They play country music in there and the clerk is from WILSON NC and her husband is from CARTHAGE NC. Let me tell y'all something, I was born in Carthage and lived there until I was in second grade and then moved to Rocky Mount, NC where I grew up. Wilson is the neighboring town. You just can't make this stuff up!! Its a small world, after all, its a small world after all, its a small world after all its a small world after all!! So needless to say I feel right at home when I shop there.

Then I met my boys at Evie's Repunzel Birthday Party.  It was the cutest party I have been to in a very long time. Everything was princess/knight themed with Repunzel being the star of the princess regime.
George left early to play tennis with a friend from work and then had tacos afterwards. I was so glad he was able to do something fun with a friend.  He never gets to do stuff like that!  I came home to watch Zoe while her mom had a birthday massage.  George got lots of Zoe time this week.  He just can't get enough of that girl!  They tell each other, "I love you…I love you too" and even have shared a couple of kisses.  So precious.

This one was at Zoe's house.