The End of My Procrastination
So, every time I've sat down to update our blog, I've become overwhelmed by how much there is to say, and how many pictures there are to upload... and then I usually sigh heavily and move on to something else! Okay, well, today, I'll catch you up. First off.....
Birthdays
Lilly's 1st birthday was Sept 14th, and we were evacuated for hurricane Ike. This didn't put a damper on our party plans, though. We celebrated in North Louisiana, with our family.
This is the birthday bow I made for each of them to wear when it's their special day... I'm so glad I thought to pack it for our evacuation!
It's clear I'm no professional... this is about as good as it gets!
I made Lilly her own cake to dig into
There was a tropical storm outside, but that didn't matter - it was a paint party!
Lilly was upset because I wouldn't let her eat the finger paint.
Maggie loved painting with her cousins
Opening Presents
And finally... Lilly gets her first bite of cake... with fresh strawberries!
My birthday was the 24th, and so we had a belated birthday cookout last weekend - the BEST burgers I've EVER had! Jeff made fun of how big I made the patties, calling them "personal meatloaf patties," but they were so yummy, juicy, and tender. Yum! I have always loved grilling out on my birthday. It was perfect weather, and my girls enjoyed being outside, barefoot, playing in the grass the ENTIRE day! Here's a pic my sister-in-law captured of Lilly in the rocking chair.
For my present, my awesome hubby built a quilt rack, which looks beautiful. I'll take a picture of it soon and post it. It pretty much looks exactly like this:
Aftermath of Hurricane Ike
So many of you from out of town have asked about how our apartment held up in the storm. We had NO damage! Praise the Lord! Our incredible friend Daniel even checked out our apartment, and emptied our fridge for us. We were gone for a total of 11 days, and when we got back, Maggie sat in the living room floor, patted the carpet, and said, "this a new floor!" And then patted the couch, "this a new couch!" I guess 11 days was a bit long for a 2-year-old to be away from home. Since then, she's had problems going to sleep at night too.
While our home was untouched, there were MANY homes that were damaged. And in Bridge City, TX, just miles from us, the entire community was flooded. I think there were only about 20 homes there that were not damaged in some way by water. Some friends of ours lost everything in their home, and had to strip the house down to the studs. This is a devastation in that community that will take months - a year or more even - to return to normal life. It's a tremendous need and opportunity for outreach and ministry.
And finally, a bit more good news....
We're Moving!
Only a few miles down the road. Our good friends Daniel and Lindsey are (sadly) moving out of state. (sniff, sniff.) But they have graciously offered to rent their house to us, which is a HUGE blessing! Not only will we have more space, but also a back yard, and [hallelujah] a washer and dryer!!!
Our official move will be the last week of October, so I'll be busy with lots of packing in the next few weeks. I'll post pics when we get settled in. You have no idea what a blessing this is - and an answer to prayer. I'm in tears as I write this.
Well, that's about all that's going on with the Hazletons right now.... other than a flat tire on our car, which Jeff tried to change this morning, but the jack broke. So the girls and I are stuck at home today, but that's not too bad. At least I have a lot to keep me busy!
Birthdays
Lilly's 1st birthday was Sept 14th, and we were evacuated for hurricane Ike. This didn't put a damper on our party plans, though. We celebrated in North Louisiana, with our family.
Lilly wouldn't be still for me to catch her picture... this was minutes before the party started
This is the birthday bow I made for each of them to wear when it's their special day... I'm so glad I thought to pack it for our evacuation!
It's clear I'm no professional... this is about as good as it gets!
I made Lilly her own cake to dig into
There was a tropical storm outside, but that didn't matter - it was a paint party!
Lilly was upset because I wouldn't let her eat the finger paint.
Maggie loved painting with her cousins
Opening Presents
And finally... Lilly gets her first bite of cake... with fresh strawberries!My birthday was the 24th, and so we had a belated birthday cookout last weekend - the BEST burgers I've EVER had! Jeff made fun of how big I made the patties, calling them "personal meatloaf patties," but they were so yummy, juicy, and tender. Yum! I have always loved grilling out on my birthday. It was perfect weather, and my girls enjoyed being outside, barefoot, playing in the grass the ENTIRE day! Here's a pic my sister-in-law captured of Lilly in the rocking chair.
For my present, my awesome hubby built a quilt rack, which looks beautiful. I'll take a picture of it soon and post it. It pretty much looks exactly like this:
Aftermath of Hurricane Ike
So many of you from out of town have asked about how our apartment held up in the storm. We had NO damage! Praise the Lord! Our incredible friend Daniel even checked out our apartment, and emptied our fridge for us. We were gone for a total of 11 days, and when we got back, Maggie sat in the living room floor, patted the carpet, and said, "this a new floor!" And then patted the couch, "this a new couch!" I guess 11 days was a bit long for a 2-year-old to be away from home. Since then, she's had problems going to sleep at night too.
While our home was untouched, there were MANY homes that were damaged. And in Bridge City, TX, just miles from us, the entire community was flooded. I think there were only about 20 homes there that were not damaged in some way by water. Some friends of ours lost everything in their home, and had to strip the house down to the studs. This is a devastation in that community that will take months - a year or more even - to return to normal life. It's a tremendous need and opportunity for outreach and ministry.
And finally, a bit more good news....
We're Moving!
Only a few miles down the road. Our good friends Daniel and Lindsey are (sadly) moving out of state. (sniff, sniff.) But they have graciously offered to rent their house to us, which is a HUGE blessing! Not only will we have more space, but also a back yard, and [hallelujah] a washer and dryer!!!
Our official move will be the last week of October, so I'll be busy with lots of packing in the next few weeks. I'll post pics when we get settled in. You have no idea what a blessing this is - and an answer to prayer. I'm in tears as I write this.
Well, that's about all that's going on with the Hazletons right now.... other than a flat tire on our car, which Jeff tried to change this morning, but the jack broke. So the girls and I are stuck at home today, but that's not too bad. At least I have a lot to keep me busy!
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