Patience

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are, quite naturally, impatient in everything to
reach the end without delay.
We would like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being
on the way to something unknown,
to something new,
and yet it is the law of all progress
that is made by passing through
some stages of instability...
and that may take a very long time.
And so, I think it is with you.
Your ideas mature gradually-
let them grow,
let them shape themselves,
without undue haste.
Don't try to force them on,
as though you could be today
what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances
acting on your own good will)
will make you tomorrow.
Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accepting the anxiety
of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
- Pierre Teilhard d'e Chardin

One of the ladies in my Tuesday Bible study shared this with the class. I have been reading it all week and I am still trying to decided what it means to me.

I know that I spend all of my days hurrying to the next thing. Hurry to rise, hurry to breakfast, hurry to take care of business, hurry to play, hurry to sleep. I worry that I will not get it all done, as if I have some deadline. But really, I don't. I am always looking ahead to the next big event. To what tomorrow has in store, instead of enjoying today.

All I have to do, is make sure my kids are happy and loved. That they know the excitement of a new day and that they can revel in all that is good in our world. That they are protected and that they know when to give to others. That they have patience for each other and for the plan God has for their lives.

I plan to keep this saying on my bathroom mirror, so that it can serve as a reminder to me to enjoy every day. To remember that there is a plan for my life and that in God's time it will be revealed to me.

What does this statement mean to you?

I know this is rather deep for my normal posts, but I just thought I would get some of your input...

Gotta love Texas...

It is January and we spent a gorgeous afternoon at the beach! It was too cold to get in the water, but we found tons of shells and built many a sandcastle... It was amazing! It doesn't get much better.

Our own private Zoo

We met up with our friends last week for a trip to the zoo. We had so much fun. The forecast for the day included some really cold temps (at least for Texas), so we had the place to ourselves. The kids ran around like wild animals and the moms got to catch up.

I just can't rave enough about our decision to get a zoo membership. It is probably my very favorite purchase (not camera related) of 2008. I think that we will be renewing every year from now on. It is the perfect family outing!

Calling all Guinea Pigs!

Disclaimer: This is a totally self absorbed post... One that is hopefully not my usual nature. BUT I am desperate, people!

So, many of you know that I have a passion for taking pictures. I do it almost every day and spend hours on the computer studying and critiquing my shots. I have finally gotten most of the basics down, but what I really need is practice.

My kids and hubby are tired of being in my photographic cross hairs, so I am looking for a few good men, women, kids, babies... I will take them all. I just want(need) to practice, practice, practice.

So, if you are inclined to spend an afternoon letting your inner vogue model out, let me know. If you just want the possibility of a picture that has a chance of turning out okay, I am your girl. If your are just bored and need something to do, me and my camera can be great company! I promise that I won't make you do anything too crazy, just be yourself and let me capture it on film.

These are a few of my first subjects (as well as a few of my favorite shots of my kids). They were all so sweet to let me feed my inner need to be better!

Thanks so much to my first (but hopefully, not last) guinea pigs!

Cousins, Cousins, and more Cousins...

Lucy and Grace had such a great time with their cousins, Bennett, Ella, and Elizabeth, at Nana's house, that they decided to come and stay the night with us before they went back to Dallas.

I was a little nervous driving 2.5 hours home with 5 kids in the car and no other adults, but I am always up for a challenge. The kids were awesome. They laughed and sang silly songs and kept eachother company.

When we got to our house, we ordered pizza and have ice cream sundaes. Then we put in a movie and made a big pallet in the gameroom. We finally had to break up the party at about 10:15, cause I thought Lucy was going to have a breakdown (she was so exhausted!). The other kids finally drifted off about 11:00.

The next morning we had waffles and pancakes. We spent most of the morning playing in the backyard and with all the new Christmas toys. I took the girls to the park right before lunch, while Chris and Bennett watched a movie on the big screen. (I think Bennett was on girl OVERLOAD!)

It was such a great visit. They are a great group of kids and love spending time together. Lucy and Gracie are already talking about their next visit!

Evans Christmas in January

We finally had my family Christmas this weekend. It was so nice and relaxing, and a great last fling for the holidays. We went out to dinner on Friday night at our new favorite restaurant, Gringos. Then on Saturday we just hung out all day. We opened presents in the morning and ate yummy chili for lunch.

Then the boys went kayak shopping and the girls went fabric shopping. We spent a few hours making curtains, while the boys got ready for their first big kayak trip. The little girls were great and, of course, had a blast helping to sew and playing with their new toys (and Poppy). They even got a special treat...and ice cream cone! Only in South Texas, does the ice cream truck visit in January.It was a great end to the season!

Happy 2009!

We had a very low-key New Year's at home. I made lots of snacks and Sara, Justin, and Kurt came over. The girls went to bed around 8:00 and the adults played a very exciting round of The Farming Game. The Farming Game is kinda like Monopoly only on a farm. It was a little slow at first, but after awhile we were all in to it! At one point, I owed the bank $46,000 and only had $200 in cash. I managed to come back and pay off all my debt and end up with a net worth of $150,000. I came in close to last, but it was lots of fun!

Lucy wasn't feeling well for most of the day, so at about 11:45, she woke up and puked all over me. What a way to ring in the new year! She is feeling much better, so hopefully we won't have any repeat performances today.

I hope that everyone has a happy and blessed 2009!