Lindsay FawFaw, this is for you:

Gracie has a good life. Daddy stayed home with us today so we could all go out to eat and then play games at Incredible Pizza.  She rode the carousel over and over and then won enough tickets for an orange teddy bear.  She played hide and seek with Daddy this morning and I read a thousand books to her.  Then she read some to me! Tomorrow’s school and Gracie can’t wait.  She loves seeing her friends from school.  She’s really going to be excited when she finds out that the 4th of July is coming!

Oh, one more for you.  Gracie was sooooo exhausted the other day, but we kind of missed her ‘window’ for naptime.  We were with Ma at the tea room talking and shopping and giggling.  About 4 she was super cranky but still wouldn’t go to sleep.  About 6, after two hours of struggling with her to just at least lay down and rest, we sat her in Daddy’s recliner and put on a Baby Einstein video. About 5 minutes into it this is what she did:

Night Night, sweet Gracie! And Night Night, Baby Erica!

PS  Gracie is going to be in the 4th of July Parade downtown, as the “Firecracker Princess 2005″ (thanks Miss Meagan for giving up your title LOL) It’s in the morning, and she will be throwing candy to the crowds on a float…so you should come and see her. 

EDIT:  The parade was rained out.  Gracie stared out the window and refused to take her windbreaker off, just watching the rain saying, “we’ll go later, we’ll go later” over and over.  So we took her for breakfast and then to watch the Bethany parade.  She got lots of candy and looked cute.  So…well, maybe next year we can be IN it.  But this year, it was just fun to watch. 

Okay, we’re home from Mexico.  The house was built in 3 days, the evangelism team was able to talk and pray with lots of people in the village, and VBS was a huge success with about 25 kids each day.  We actually went about an hour away from Rio Bravo this year, into Candido Aguilar. Every day we would wake the kids up at 6 (Robin, JMo and I got up at 5 to make the lunches) and then load the vans by 7 and then pick up our translators and drive out to the site. That drive was long first thing in the morning, but it was even longer on the way home. The team was HUGE and maybe that’s why things were ultimately so different, but I didn’t feel like things went as well as they could have.  It seems like many of the kids were not there for God, but for themselves.  Lots and lots of nauseating selfish behavior (by kids and adults) got me way down. It was definitely the most challenging year, and we’ll use it as a learning experience for the future.  The people of Candido Aguilar were amazingly friendly and satisfied with so little–I hope we have all learned something of a lesson from them.  It is continually humbling to me that people with literally nothing could be so gracious and hospitable. One of the ladies even brought out blankets and pillows from her own bed (!) for the VBS team to sit on while we were planning the afternoon activities.  We ate a lot of traditional mexican food this year, fresh chicken and tortillas prepared by the families in the neigborhood where we built.  Several families moved their tables and chairs outside of their one room homes so we would all have a place to sit and eat.  They were so grateful for us to be there. The church in America is apathetic and spoiled and we have not done any favors for our children by giving them everything their little voices ask for.  It breaks my heart.  I’m definitely going to start being more aware of the things I buy, the lessons I teach Gracie by my actions, and the way I show thankfulness. Throughout the week, I became very aware that I have once again fallen back into the comfortable way of life that feeds on entitlement and wordly things.  Boo. My house is a mansion in Candido Aguilar, my car is a luxury, we have food and utilities and an indoor bathroom.  And an air conditioned house and church!  We have some serious backward thinking here in America. We aren’t even thankful for it.    

I missed Gracie so bad, and mostly I didn’t have time or energy to dwell on it, but when I did, I would cry and cry.  She did fine, though.  She still went to school on Friday and got to do lots of things with Ma and Da and Grandmommy and Grandpa. They kept her busy and I think she hardly knew we were gone. 

We got her this dress in Nuevo Progresso. She likes it ’cause it’s “got orange”:

Here she’s showing it off for you:

That’s the last purchase for awhile as far as stuff we don’t really need.  I’ll be posting pics soon of the built house and the VBS. But until then, I’m going to go love on my kiddo.  

100 Years

I’m 15 for a moment
Caught in between 10 and 20
And I’m just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

I’m 22 for a moment
She feels better than ever
And we’re on fire
Making our way back from Mars

15 there’s still time for you
Time to buy and time to lose
15, there’s never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

I’m 33 for a moment
Still the man, but you see I’m a they
A kid on the way
A family on my mind

I’m 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I’m heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

15 there’s still time for you
Time to buy, Time to lose yourself
Within a morning star

15 I’m all right with you
15, there’s never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

Half time goes by
Suddenly you’re wise
Another blink of an eye
67 is gone
The sun is getting high
We’re moving on…

I’m 99 for a moment
Dying for just another moment
And I’m just dreaming
Counting the ways to where you are

15 there’s still time for you
22 I feel her too
33 you’re on your way
Every day’s a new day…

15 there’s still time for you
Time to buy and time to choose
Hey 15, there’s never a wish better than this
When you only got 100 years to live

100 years

Five For Fighting

Well, this entry’s really not so much about Gracie as it is the week ahead.  We’re not given a whole lot of time here but we’re given the opportunity to make a lifetime of difference…

We’re once again leading a group into Mexico this week, hopefully changing the world for the better one life at a time.  You know, we’ve gone every year for so long it’s easy to get wrapped up in the product of the mission–the house we build, or the VBS we put on–but those things are just side missions to the real assignment at hand.  This week I am praying that I can make a difference for the sake of God’s kingdom and in the life of a child who needs to know someone cares. In the midst of the Sons of Thunder arguing over who was to be the greatest, Jesus stopped them and said “whoever welcomes a little child such as this…” and he hugged a little boy who sat on his lap–the picture is so real, so clear to me. Jesus wasn’t just making a point.  He was loving on the most priceless treasure of all, one whom he had created for great things.  I want those kids to see His love in me, to feel the presence of Christ when I hug them, to see grace and mercy as our team spends time with them.  We’re going deep, it’s not about the crafts or the songs or the snacks.  This will be a life changing week for the children and for the families of the kids who take the hope of Jesus’ salvation back to their homes. Please pray for us all this week, and we will see you soon!

They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

Acts 16:31

She likes Sushi.  We went to Sushi Neko for lunch with Aunt Katie, Uncle Jason, Ma and Da.  Gracie got a balloon and lots of attention.  Of course.  And she ate the eel, but would have nothing to do with the seaweed–she just kept picking it up and saying, “ewwwww!”  She insisted we sing Happy Birthday to daddy.  LOL  She’s so awesome.  Notice the chopstick in her lap–she tried really hard to eat with them before she gave up to use her fingers. 

Now, don’t go calling Dr. Phil just yet.  If she wasn’t such a little diva, I’d feel bad about dressing her up like this.  But…she loves it.  And she’s pretty good too! I can only imagine what the future holds for little Miss Gracie.  Possibly cheerleading or dance, or maybe Math Club president.  But there’s really not a uniform for that. 

So let me have my fun.

PS–there’s more precious-adorable-cuteness in the gallery.