Thankful ME

So I just got back from San Antonio, where I spent a couple days with my parents. My poor dad is having the same bleeding issues he had a couple years ago when he almost bled to death. Thankfully this time, they caught it before he lost too much blood, but the doctors still don't know for sure what is causing it. My dad is planning to have surgery on Monday to remove the part of his colon they believe is the source of the bleeding, so we're praying that God will confirm during this weekend that that is the right decision and that it will solve the problem for good. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for him and we would appreciate your continued prayers for his surgery on Monday. Thanks!!

We had a very busy, very fun time last weekend. My precious neice Tara turned ONE last week, so we took her to Chuy's for dinner and celebrated her birthday with Brent & Jenn and Gigi & Grandad on Saturday. We got her a doll stroller and a baby doll for her to push around since she's just started to walk a little the past week or so. Laney's favorite thing to do is push her baby dolls all over the house in her doll stroller, so hopefully Tara will have lots of fun playing "mama" too. Brent, Jenn & Tara are moving to Austin soon, where they will have a bigger house and lots of room to play. We are so excited for them (but secretly wish they were moving to Houston instead of Austin)!!!

Here's our sweet One year old - TARA!

Here's our sweet Three year old... I took cupcakes to her school for lunch last week.

Sunday morning before church, she got to open her gifts from us... a new Thomas the Train movie (her idea) and a new kid-size pink and black baseball glove (our idea).

Opening her card from Aunt Shelia, Brian's aunt in Midland,

who always sends them the coolest cards.

Here's our big THREE year old on her big day!

My parents came in town that afternoon to help us get ready for the party. My mom MADE these beautiful princess dresses for the girls for their birthday. They have been asking about these dresses for months, and they finally got to wear them on Sunday before the party. They were squealing with excitement as they put them on for the first time. Here they are dancing around the gameroom.

Princess Belle dancing with her Prince (my dad)

Beautiful Cinderella

Princess Belle

Here's Nana with the two princesses

Brian posted a few pics on his blog today of the birthday party, but I have to add a few more.

Those two top teeth are not long for this world. She will be a cute fraggle-tooth very soon!

This one is adding new teeth almost daily now, poor thing.

Brian might have had a little too much fun with his super squirt gun!

Tatum trying to escape from her daddy!

They had so much fun!

I am thankful this weekend for family and friends. Over the course of the past month, I have slowly but surely finished reading The Shack. I know I am about three years behind everyone else, but I've been afraid to read it because I am scarred so easily by things like that. Anyway, I did finally read it and I'm pretty sure I am scarred for life. But in a good way. I hope I always remember to think of God the way I did while reading that book. Maybe I will need to pick it up and read it again when I forget the wonderful image it painted in my head of a God who doesn't force any rules on us but gives us Himself in a relationship, which is the most wonderful, satisfying, peaceful way to live life. Imagine a God who would pursue us... why on earth would He go to so much trouble for such selfish, prideful, independent people as us? In this book, I realized that I will never understand His ways or why He allows tragedies to happen. I may not get my questions answered the way I think I should. But I will not stand as His judge. His ways are so much better than mine. I am in awe that I have been invited to be friends with Him, to hang out with Him anytime I want, to get to know Him without any rules, and therefore to trust Him. Because there is no other option. "Lord, to whom would I go? You alone have the words of eternal life." John 6:68