So Yes. Two Weeks and Counting.

The LOVE tees

That's right. Now the time has come for all the "talks" of planning for Africa to get their "action"on. Moving your family to another country, especially a developing country, is a little challenging. If it were just me and Boog, we would grab our backpacks, mosquito spray, and passports and be gone......but adding in children, well, you have to account for a little more.

Uganda has been weighing heavily on our hearts these past few weeks. Lots of hurdles have been thrown in front of the Sixty Feet team, and most recently, the hardships in the remand centers have increased. I'd like to say I'm prepared to help, but in so many ways I'm not. It's like trying to get ready for a hurricane. You can be prepared, but Mother Nature tends to have her own plans.

So here we are. Two weeks out. We have a plane flight from Dallas to Dubai (never been there before!)...an overnight stay in Dubai will be followed by landing in Entebbe, Uganda. Our first steps into the red dirt and smelling the familiar, yet unusual air will be exhilerating for all. Our first objective will be to get our bearings in Kampala, for sure.

On a different note, I have to say thank you to all out there who have helped us get to this point. For two teachers, a trip like this would have been next to impossible if it weren't for such wonderful, generous friends (even strangers!). We created and sold LOVE tees (above) and while I had doubts that we would even sell 20....God surprised us by selling close to 200! We made close to $3,000 from sales and donations .....blown away for sure!

I, also, have not given up painting furniture. Client pieces like these below have also helped fund this mission

Overall, we've been overwhelmed by the words of support and donations.

We are waiting. We are ready. We will be flexible.

Hub's Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie

To say this is his favorite is a big huge earthshattering deal. To compare anything I cook to the cooking of his mother, his grandmother, his sisters.....well, it's just not fair.  They are wonderful, wonderful cooks and bakers.  The gift of the "kitchen" has been given to them in a mighty dose.

 I almost think he was just wanting to make me feel better....but then again, they are really good.

They are called

CHEWY OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.

The batter is very sticky....at some point, I have to take it out of my mixer and stir by hand.

They are thick, hearty, and chewy. A great combination!

 The recipe: (follow the steps, do not try any shortcuts or bowl cleaning savers....

I've done that and it just don't work ladies!)

Step 1:

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup veg. oil
Mix well.

Add in two eggs

and 1 tsp vanilla.
Mix completely.

Add 1 and 1/2 cups of quick cooking oats

and mix well

Step 2:

In a separate bowl mix

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

Step 3:

Pour the flour mixture into the batter slowly. About half a cup at a time.
The batter will become thick and sticky.

Add 6-8 oz. of chocolate chips.

Mix by hand.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. DO NOT let the cookies become brown in the oven.Take them out when they are light and just about to become brown.....chewiness! 

Grace is 8....and Africa.

The Birthday Girl

It doesn't take too long to realize that this is the best time of your life.  The time with young children who want to hang around their parents. The time with a little girl who's idea of a fabulous birthday party is to go and dress up her doll (not herself) at the money-eating factory store called the American Girl Doll.  The time where cupcakes in the classroom are 

THE. BIGGEST.DEAL.

I love it all.  My girl. My firstborn. The one who opened up a whole world of new love for me and my hubs. We just never knew.

Grace, you are wonderful and we love you so.

You have a tender heart and a desire to please.

Open to new ideas & opportunities.

Responsible and Concerned.

You.

Happy 8th dear heart. 

(Getting the shock of her life - a Kindle from her mimi & papaw.  The child has already finished a book and downloaded "Little Women".  Who can argue with that kind of technology??)

And BTW. Africa....in 3 and a half weeks.
One thousand, two hundred and twenty-two things to do.
Fundraising?  Complete. Thanks to generous souls who blessed our lives. Some I don't even know who they are - they just gave. Giving......wow. Overwhelmed by it..

A Birthday Haiku

this mom loves sweet gifts

all the thoughtful ones are best

my heart filled by you

Thanks for the smile girls.

Turning 35 was sweetened with this.

Love, mom

Easter Egg Hunt (Finally!)

This is my Egg Hunt post.  I know. It's about two weeks late.  Sigh......Also, to add icing on my pity-party cake, this post is so un-JenHatmaker- Easter conundrum-I'm not buying my kids new outfits.  (Actually, I didn't buy my children their dresses...my MIL did...does that count?)  This post is shamelessly just about my kiddos. And their egg hunt. And my ability to put together an entire outfit out of my sister's hand me down donations....(God bless her!). ; )

Sophie, at 3, was fun interesting to watch.  She only wanted the plastic ones with candy, natch. She would walk past eggs right in front of her and pick up the ones that were hidden "tough" for the older girls.

 Grace, in her usual seriousness, got down to business. It wasn't a game. It was ON like Donkey Kong. She pretty much had this look on her face the entire time.....she'll be a Congresswoman someday. Or a principal.

 My girls loved hunting with their cousin Ella. Sweetness personified. I wonder when they'll be too old to hunt eggs?  Too soon, that's for sure. Hope you enjoyed these pictures because it took ten tries to get Sophie to smile in this one below. 

10 Years of "Maw-wej" (Almost)

This weekend, I was surprised. I'm never surprised. Take that back, when I was 16, my parents threw me a surprise birthday party, of which I knew nothing about, and as I blindly walked up to door of my own party, I asked fellow party goers, "Hey! What are YOU doing here??" Lots of weird looks that night.

Anyway, this weekend, my hubs whisked me away "pack your bags, no questions asked" for a two night, kids free weekend, celebrating our 10 year anniversary a little early. We'd been talking about our 10 year anniversary for about 9 years. We both knew that since we hadn't taken any "couples" vacation since our honeymoon, that we'd do just that on our 10 year. Somewhere breezy. Oceany. Where the salty air hits your nostrils the moment you wake up. Nice.

Then came Africa. Since all our extra funds are headed that way these days, we decided we'd just go out to eat or something whenever that 10 year day rolled around. That was cool. No biggee......but nope. My hubs is my hubs. He will not just leave it at that.

We had a wonderful weekend in Dallas. We decided to try new restaurants - like Parigi's and Breadwinners (a new fave) and made sure to stop at the old regulars like Eatzi's and Cheesecake Factory. We went for a 3 mile run around the Turtle Creek mansions - oogling and oohing at the gi-normous homes of the lawyers, doctors, and hedgefund managers. And yes, my hubs even set me up with a morning at a spa.....heaven.

With Africa so heavily on our minds, alot of this weekend was spent in thought - the kinds of thought that burden you once you've had your eyes opened by that kind of poverty. It is truly hard to enjoy, really enjoy those moments without having to stuff back the ugly truth that our self-indulgences are just that ....self.....indulgences.

The main thing I focused on this weekend was knowing that in 10 years, many things have changed in our marriage. And many things have stayed the same. We both still love each other dearly. We hold our marriage high - a proud accomplishment each day. We both are still each other's favorite person to spend time with, and our children are our heartbeat. But we've changed, too. 10 years ago, we were living in Dallas chasing after that Turtle Creek life. The McMansions, the fancy cars, the great job.

Our heartbeat has changed, and we continue to try to make our life resemble that heartbeat each day - failing more often that succeeding, but trying nonetheless. One weekend celebrating our marriage was wonderful - but getting back to our 'real' life is even better.

Love you, babe. Thanks for being mine.

Things are Progressing!

Lately, it seems I can't keep my mind off of the 'to do' lists that taking my family to Africa for a summer has created. All these things are good....actually, wonderful.....burdens to have, but can I just take a moment here and freak out on ya'll a bit? ( I lack a better way to say it.)

Thanks. I will. Let's see....getting my girls' passports this week. Working on what all shots my littles will need, as well. Trying to track down old Vacation Bible School material. Figuring out how in the world we'll pay for all this. Getting emails that have the subject line "Bank account info needed" and not deleting them because I actually DO have to wire money to a foreign bank account. Oh...and my regular daytime superwoman job of teaching. And raising kiddos. And feeding my hubs. And doing laundry. (Which one of these can I slack on? .....l.a.u.n.d.r.y)

If it weren't for this heavenly couple below, then I would be 10, no 100, no 1,000,000 times more crazified than I am now. Colleen's family (hubs and their four children) will be our roommates for part of the time we are in Uganda. Can you imagine four adults and six kids all under the age of 10? We are in for it!...in a good way.

Thanks to her nimble skills, she has located a wonderful home, advised on many-a-flight info, settled my fears, and well - she's just been aawweeesome. I can't thank her enough. Ok, I can. If God has burdened you to help someone this month, find your way over to her blog. They are fundraising, as well, for their trip and every dollar counts. It does.

And if you've donated to our trip already, thank you - thank you - thank you. It means the world to us.