movies with subtitles...

i don't often use this blog to recommend music or movies but today i am recommending a movie to you all. if you are willing to read subtitles and enjoy great symbolism then rent Babette's Feast. fantastic movie!

i find that i have enjoyed many great movies with subtitles. i remember watching a movie with subtitles about 6 years ago and i thought it was good but stressful. i find that i am really enjoying it more with each one i see. now you might think by the way i am writing that i have watched tons of these flicks but no. i have seen less than 10- but they were great. you know how on a dvd you have the option to watch the movie with an english dub over? i don't like that...it makes me crazy when the sound does not line up with the way the actor's mouth moves.


rent Babette's Feast!! it will be a blessing.

fyi- thursday knock knock jokes are on hold if you hadn't noticed. a 5 yr old's joke inventory is rather limited... and what he makes up only a mother could laugh!

have a great weekend!

today's musings...

school begins in just 19 days...ahhh! i can't believe it. i so excited to see what God has in store for us during this part of our adventure.

today i took the kids to the mall to buy their tennis shoes for the fall. stride rite is having their semi-annual sale, buy one pair get the second pair 50% off...this kind of deal comes in handy when you have more than one kiddo. we walk into the store and daph rips off her flip flops and grabs the first pair of shiny stylish mary janes (3 sizes too big mind you), puts them on and begins walking around the place like she owns it. finally we try the right size on only to be told that her foot is "extremely narrow". thankfully daphne didn't seem to care that she was going to have to have traditional style tennis shoes so that they could be tight enough to stay on her feet. she is happy with her butterfly tennies.

this sale included the clearance rack so i was pumped when i realized i could get my boy some good shoes for $10. of course when i asked for three different pairs none were available in his size. i guess the perk is that he will start kindergarten with "this season's" tennis shoes...boys don't care if they are in style this season but i am sure you could deduce that when you heard that the clearance tennis shoes in size 13 were already gone. both kids got some nice shoes for the start of the school year and oh- henry is sure that he runs faster now with these tennis shoes.

tonight ross' brother, his wife and there son, zach all came over. i promised to make chicken pot pie...this is a family favorite. i will say that my chicken pot pie is the best anywhere. my mom taught me how to make it early in my marriage and i have enjoyed cooking it for many of our friends. tonight's chicken pot pie was exceptionally good! henry asked for seconds and thirds. chicken pot pie is his all time favorite! the kids had a great time with uncle tod as he read to them. ross and i laughed when tod turned the page to one of the books and said, "oh this is a long one". sucker!! he was a good sport and finished the book.

zach is growing up so fast!! catherine says he is rolling over (though no one has seen him do it yet- even his own dad). he has an adorable smile and his hair still does the mohawk thing. what a cutie! we are about 7 weeks out from his adoption being finalized. we are all so thankful he is part of the fam.

on another note, check on my link to tonya roberts photography on the left. she took some pics of anna this morning and now my baby girl is on tonya's front page!! we had such a fun time. anna did great even though she hated the toole. she didn't want to touch the stuff and so she made some of the funniest faces of all time! tonya even attempted using a live fish in a fish bowl...which made me very nervous in theory. i just knew anna would experience her first sushi at the photo shoot but to my surprise she did not catch that poor fish- though she tried diligently! i love my baby girl and watching her today was such a delight.

oh Lord, You have blessed me abundantly! help me never grow complacent in my walk with You or with the life You have given to me. You have lavished on me what i do not deserve and i want to say thank you.

we have returned...

what a fantastic time we had on vacation! disneyland really is a magical place to visit. i love getting swept into the excitement of being a child again.

by 8:01am wednesday morning we were in the parking lot of starbuck's with coffee in hand praying for God's protection as we traveled. i love hitting the road on time!! of course i spend the first hour or so trying to rack my brain for anything we may have forgotten. the only thing i could ever think of was the traveling high chair for anna. not bad- i must say.
in newman family fashion we stopped at a roadside rest area in the desert for lunch. we had string cheese, fritos, boiled eggs and grapes. i know it sounds kind of strange for lunch but when ross' mom drove out with me and the kids when we moved to arizona that is what we had as our lunch along the way. henry loved it back then so we have done that whenever we take big trips. here is a pic from our stop. (side note- the desert is a very hot place!) after lunch we were back in the van and headed for paradise. along the way we saw the craziest thing. just west of palm spring is a windmill farm. i don't know if that is what they are called but there were probably 300 or more of those giant modern looking windmills. we thought it looked like something out of a sci-fi film.

once we got into anaheim and we turned onto harbor dr. henry started reading the signs with a little help from me. once he figured out they said "disneyland" he asked if we were going. we told him we were and the adventure of excitement began for our kiddos. we checked into the hotel around 4ish and once we were settled in we walked over to downtown disney. the music was playing, the fountains were going, people were smiling (though some did have the disney glaze) and then we saw the store...the disney store. let me just say that my kids get excited to go in the one in the mall and now they were face to face with the biggest disney store ever!! henry asked if we could go in and so we did. i was really proud of him. he asked if he could have a few things but when we said no he didn't throw any fits.

ross had been told that the thing to do is to get an autograph book so that the kids could have characters sign their books whenever they met one. i will say that when i went to disney the first time i was 22 and i really didn't care about having an autograph. maybe it was cool to do that 7 years ago but i didn't know it. buying one of these autograph books was probably the best thing for our kids. henry and daphne loved trying to find characters each day!! we only bought one at first and henry had it full by the end of the day so we had to get another one. here are a few of the pictures of characters they met along the way! characters met were: mickey, minnie, donald, goofy, pluto, alice in wonderland, woody from toy story, jessie from toy story 2, eeyore, cinderella, snow white, sleeping beauty, snow white, buzz lightyear, mulan, & chip and dale (captain hook was seen but we were in a long line for peter pan's flight and so we couldn't catch him).

during the 2 days we were there we road: casey's little train, the teacups, peter pan's flight, king arthur's carosel, it's a small world, nemo's submarine voyage, astro orbitor, the buzz lightyear ride ( i forget the name- it was henry's favorite), the winnie the pooh ride and several more that have escaped my mind already!daphne loves cinderella. she has for quite some time. on our first morning in the park we were able to take her to meet three of the princesses. sleeping beauty was first and i felt a little sorry for her. the whole time she was trying to interact with daphne our girl talked about cinderella "over there". after a hug we continued on and daphne met her very favorite princess. when she went over to see cinderella, cinderella patted her dress skirt down so daph could sit next to her. daphne very sweetly took cinderella's hand and sat down and closed her eyes. it was as if she was trying to capture the moment forever in her memory. cinderella would move daphne's hair out of her face and they talked and smiled. it was such a sweet moment watching daphne enjoy every second of something just for her!!

as we searched disneyland for characters henry became determined to find buzz lightyear. after we road the buzz ride and ross and daphne got in line for it buzz started walking up the way. henry and i both got excited and i handed him his autograph book and pen. he took off towards his hero. now let me tell you that when a character is done signing books they have to be a little rude and brush kids off. the way buzz was walking i just knew he was not up for signing books. i got tense and braced myself for henry getting his heart broken. much to my surprise though, when henry walked in front of him and asked for his signature buzz kindly stopped, gave him a thumbs up and signed his book. let me say this- once the character hands your book back to a kid- they get mixed up in a crowd. i was sure we would miss the photo op since buzz was obviously on his way somewhere. again i was surprised. buzz held onto henry's book and then took henry by the hand and they walked to where buzz was headed. i thought i was going to cry as i watched my son hold his new friend's hand and then get a big hug and picture with buzz.

we even had the chance to take the kids down to laguna beach for some time in the sand and surf. my kids love the beach...well we are working with anna- this was her first time to sit in the sand. she went to the beach when we went to texas last fall but this time she felt the sand, ate the sand and had the ocean wash over her toes. here are a few pics from that day. henry and daphne loved playing in the waves and burying each other in the sand. i can't wait till we get the chance to take them to the beach again!!
check out ross' blog later this week and get his spin on the adventures of our vacation. there are many more pictures he will share.

many memories were made for our family this past week!! i am excited for next year and whatever we may do then!

thank you, Lord for the chance to do something extra special with the kids. You blessed our lives with sweet family fun!!

tomorrow, tomorrow...

just imagine annie singing my title and then you will hear like i do in my head.

we leave bright and early tomorrow morning and yes- i have refrained from telling the kids! i have had great encouragement from several friends who did the same and they each say it is well worth the wait. the camera has fresh batteries and i am so ready to hit the road.

being that i may not get to my computer on thursday i thought i would make this knock knock tuesday instead. here it goes:

knock, knock
who's there?
figs
figs who?
figs the doorbell- it isn't working!

back to our vacation... tonight as we were doing some more packing henry hollers from the other room, "i hope we are going to houston for our vacation." i thought i was going to cry...i am so thankful he misses my family as much as i do.

ross and i are so ready for some good seafood! when you are landlocked like we are you just don't order seafood often. we are planning on enjoying as much of it as possible. vacation isn't vacation without good shrimp, calamari, fish and the like!

daphne started ballet today. oh my goodness- it was so precious. she was so adorable twirling around looking at herself in the mirror. she is so long and lanky that she looked just like a sugarplum fairy! i will post a picture as soon as i get one.

hope you have a wonderful weekend and i will post as soon as i have pics from our trip!!

4 days and counting...

we are heading out to anaheim this week for our first ever family vacation to disneyland!!

let me just tell you that i cannot wait until i see the look on my children's faces when we pull up to our hotel. henry started asking us about 6 months ago if we would take him to disneyland. it is making me crazy not telling him that is where we are going next week. i feel like i do at christmas time when i know what the kids are about to unwrap.

i keep asking ross if we can tell the kids and he keeps saying not yet. ahhhhh- i am never good at surprises but i am holding it together and keeping my lips sealed! i'll let you know how it goes when we tell them...heck maybe i will take a picture too.

knock knock "thursday" on friday...

so i know that yesterday was thursday and you all were expecting a new knock knock joke but i was feeling rather awful yesterday with a stomach bug so today before i feel yucky again i am bringing to you a new knock knock joke.

-knock, knock
-who's there?
-ice cream soda
-ice cream soda who?
- ice cream soda everyone can hear me

this knock knock joke is actually from my niece, chloe. chloe is also my niece who reads like a champ. whenever i read fancy nancy to my kids, i hear chloe's precious voice. she reads this adorable story in a way that transported this adult right into the story. i can't wait to see chloe again to hear her read the latest fancy nancy book. for any of you who don't know these books, get them!! they are so fun.

have a wonderful weekend!!

live by example and with purpose...

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

some of our very dear friends began the process of becoming a foster family many months ago. last night at 11pm our phone rang and on the other end was my sweet friend with a baby crying in the background. their family with boys 4 and 2 welcomed a baby girl into their home and now they are embarking on a great calling in their life.

after they had finished and submitted all their paperwork months ago i remember asking my friend about why they were desiring to foster. she reminded me that God's Word tells us to care for the orphans and widows in distress. she and her husband heard God's calling on their hearts to open their home to a child in need and share with that child God's great love for them.

those of us looking in on their lives are being blessed by the way this family is living as an example to their sons and living with great purpose as they follow God in this adventure.

Lord we pray for our friends who have entered into the world of three children and the world of little girls. we pray this precious child will learn and know that she is fearfully and wonderfully made by You, oh God, who knit her together in her mother's womb.
Lord, thank you for what you are doing in our friends' family and thank you that we will be blessed as we see them serve You.

small bloggables...

this weekend temperatures were up to 110. let me say this for all my dear friends and family in the great state of texas, 110 here is nothing compared to 98 in houston. the dryness of the air out here makes 110 bearable...well, as long as you can be in a pool. in fact, i will tell you that when we go swimming, even when temperatures are in the 100s, it is slightly chilly when we get out of the water. it is the craziest thing.

another great thing to do to get out of the heat is to drive up in the mountains. tod & catherine took zach on his first camping trip this weekend and invited several of their friends up to hang out on saturday. ross, the kids and i went and picked up grandma carol (ross' grandma) and drove up to rose canyon. it was a good 20 degrees cooler there then down in the city. what a difference a nice breeze and fresh air makes. there were 11 adults and 9 kids (under the age of 5). by days end we had eaten fried chicken, fruit and even in midday we made a fire and roasted some marshmallows. the kids looked like coal miners when all was said and done but they had a blast. henry loves to lead people on hikes so he and some of the others kids led the dads up the big rocks until they were too tuckered out to go any farther. at one point henry and the other boys (4,2,2) began to pick up heavy logs that were a good 4 feet long and carry them around. i am sure i heard some grunting while they were hard at work. i hope to have some pics from our friends who remembered their camera so that you can see our little coal mining children!
(jen- when you read this, will you send over some pictures??)

completely different note- i was talking to someone, who shall remain anonymous, the other day. this very dear person in my life is one with great class and tact...unequaled by most. she is one of those people who can totally rebuke you and you walk away thinking she complemented you. now don't think that means that she is unclear in her speaking because that is not the case- she just has a God-given ability to kindly speak the truth in love. i have digressed...at this point you think i am going to tell you about how this dear women rebuked me but that is not the case. rather i am going to share with you what she felt was blog worthy.

she and her husband were enjoying an evening with friends at a wine tasting party. the home where the party was held was on 15 acres of texas soil and the home was evidently enormous!! she described the "powder room" as bigger than the average sized full bathroom that many of us are accustomed to and it even had 20ft ceilings. the classy woman that i know excused herself to use the powder room and while looking at the ornate 20ft ceiling she wondered, "do you think a "fart fan" works when it is that high up?" if you aren't laughing then you did not gain the image of the stately lady saying "fart fan". it might be like laura bush using that phase. i nearly wet my pants when she used this terminology.

i often find myself looking at some one's shoes and then trying to determine what they say about that person. i think shoes must speak something about us...then again i only wear tennis shoes or flip flops most of the time and i haven't figured out what i am trying to say about myself with those shoes... do you think your shoes say anything about you?

i haven't posted a picture of our nephew, zach, in a while. he is really growing. he is 11weeks old and has the longest eyelashes i have ever seen on a baby that little. here is a picture of henry and little zach from a week ago. i never thought we would call zach, "zachy" but somehow with daphne always calling him that we have started to also. he hasn't been here long but then again it seems like he has been here forever. we are so thankful for him and his sweet place in our family. next to being a wife and mom my favorite role is aunt. thompson was our first nephew and i will never forget how he captivated my heart from the moment i met him. now, almost 9 years later, i still remember holding him for the first time!


i guess my "small bloggables" add up to one big blog for today.

till next time...