Trade as One

Well, I thought I had made it through church today without crying, but no luck. At the end, they hit me with a video promoting Trade as One...fair trade products and their purpose. I immediately thought of every purchase I've made over this past month (and I'm ashamed to say it's been MANY) and the little thought I've put into who made it, where it was made, and under what conditions. Buying fair trade promotes justice and relieves poverty abroad. Instead of sweatshops, child labor and meager pay that does not provide enough to live on...buying fair trade provides for families so they do not have to live in poverty and horrible working environments. After church, we got to shop fair trade products...chocolate, coffee, jewelry, bags, etc. It was a moving shopping experience! My eyes have been opened - to spend thoughtfully and prayerfully, not just thinking of the good deal I may be getting...but of the deal the people on the other end are getting.

Look for yourself and be persuaded...

Trade as One

Small Group and The Stone

So, soon after we moved here, we found the church we definitely felt God leading us to. Every Sunday only confirms that decision! As I told Tarrah today...I'm not a cry-er, but I leave every Sunday with tears in my eyes because of the genuine worship and message and heart of this church. It is missional; believes in taking Jesus to the community and city; reaches the poor and downtrodden; works with non profits; has a wide variety of colorful people; and it is all a very beautiful thing. I feel that God has only been preparing us to be a part of this big picture. He is faithful.

So...we are ready to dive in! We found a small group and tonight was the first meeting. It's great because it's a new group with several couples new to town and the church. The bummer is that Tyler is in San Diego and I really didn't want to have to go without him, but the kids and I braved it and I'm so glad we did. Another girl was even there with her kids while her husband worked, so that was comforting.

Moving to Austin was an emotional, hard decision. But, everyday, I'm so thankful that we took the leap and came. Jesus doesn't "need" me...He is big enough to get the job done, but I'm so grateful and blessed that he "allows" me to be a part of his beautiful work of art. Fresh on my mind is Matt Chandler, his family, and making much of Jesus NOW. My prayer is that here in Austin, we do that like never before.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas...

I don't really like putting decorations up and I definitely don't like taking them down, BUT...I LOVE the time between Thanksgiving and New Years when they ARE up and the house feels warm and festive and cozy and beautiful. My mom always made our house so wonderful at Christmas time and helping her decorate the tree and make cookies, etc. are great memories to me. Porter helped me decorate the tree this year. Piper just played around us with hooks and balls, but they each had fun decorating their own tree to put in their rooms. This week we even have a nice chill in the air in Texas in December and "they" say it may snow tomorrow!!! Crazy. So, we are feeling jolly and enjoying the season in Austin. Adding to the happiness, my Christmas shopping is DONE! Never in the history of mankind has this happened this early. Now, I just have to get Tyler to mail them all out:) Side note of the season...I always find it a struggle to properly explain to the kids that Santa is a magical part of Christmas, but the real reason we celebrate is because of Jesus...and yes, you get toys for Christmas, but it's always most important to give to others who are without, etc. I pray their little hearts yield to the God who created and blessed them and who we celebrate not only in December, but year round. So, as I examine my heart during this season, I, too, am convicted that I need to give like it's Christmas and celebrate my Savior coming to save us everyday.

http://gallery.me.com/aprice26#100042

We are here!

So, we're on our third week in Austin and we are totally loving every bit! The weather is obviously warmer than Kansas, but it's been so nice...sunny for the most part and 75ish - lovely! We've been outdoors tons - so much to see and do, trails, hills, parks, views. We're all unpacked and painted...just some last minute hanging of pictures left that I've lost all motivation for. Kids are in a new preschool and their teacher seems great and they have no complaints. We've met several neighbors whom are very nice, and the neighborhood has lots of young kids around as we experienced Halloween night:) We have tried two churches and they were both very good. One had Tyler and I misty eyed as the worship time was AMAZING! And, of course, we've been to several yummy places to eat - we worship God that way too:)!!!! I've had fun driving by places I used to play, dance, go to school, live, eat when I was younger and lived here before. We really only live about 10 minutes from where I grew up - surreal! We've also seen some old HPU buddies (hollah!). Being back in Texas feels like home again, but we still long for for Kansas at times...our old house (at least I do - not so much Tyler), our best friend neighbors, our wonderful church family, my mom and brother, and those beautiful seasons. But, we look forward to visiting again soon and urge everyone (even those in Texas and you know who you are) to come visit us, too. It's a great place and we promise you won't be disappointed - we aren't!!

So, TWO more weeks in Kansas!

I've already said goodbye to one friend because she's leaving the country and won't be back before I leave. We were both in tears and I finally just had to walk away. Sad.

We are spending so much time outdoors soaking in this amazing Fall weather. It's my favorite of all seasons--especially here in the Midwest--and I will mourn the loss of it.

We are hanging out with our wonderful next door neighbors more than usual because again...we will so miss them!

Kansas has been good to us. I never in a million years thought we would live here, but it's an unexpected friend I made that I'm now leaving.

In the mean time, I'm a bit bored...no packing to do thanks to movers, no school for the kids thanks to moving, no activities to dive in to, etc. We are, however, taking advantage of Fall festivities on the weekends...they are awesome here!

So, I set my sights on a new place...again. I remind myself that in March, I can be warm instead of shoveling snow; that Austin is hip, musical, artsy, family friendly, etc.; we will be close to our best friends and the Prices; it will be GOOD. But...it will take a while to settle, to feel like it's home. I will grieve the loss of our place here. I've felt very plugged in and used up since we got here. The loss of our church family and the stuff we are involved in there will break my heart. This house that is only something material and that I should not be attached to...will always be in my memory. We overhauled it and it is beautiful.

Life goes on and we are stronger for it. Everything is temporary in the long run anyway, right? And we do not go alone - someone always goes before us. We are are so thankful to God for his care and provision.

We will miss you, Kansas City!

Trading in Sunflowers for Bluebonnets...

When I was younger, I lived in Austin, TX for 6 years. I made the best memories and had a great childhood (age 6-12) there. After my family left, I always wanted to go back and even after Tyler and I married, we dreamed of living there. Then...we moved to Kansas City and fell in love with everything here...the atmosphere, our neighborhood, the food, the feel. It felt like home from day 1. So, of course, 2 years later, AUSTIN would be thrown in our face as a possible transfer! If it had been any other place, our answer would have been a strong NO. But Austin?? That was considerable. So, after considering, we gave an apprehensive yes and that yes has been growing and growing. We just came back from spending Labor Day weekend enjoying Austin, TX, our new home; exploring the city all over again; and finding a really cute house. We are now fully excited to move to the place I always wished I had never left. I feel like it's been a full circle experience...now raising my kids where I was raised. God is tricky sometimes, but He is always good. We are trusting Him in this new phase of life and enjoying every minute, soaking up the adventure and diving in head first as we are known to do. We live fairly passionately and are ready to do so in Austin. Come see us there--you'll have a blast!

Lunch

I'm pretty much an unconventional lunch eater. Lunch isn't important to me for some reason, so I like to pick and snack and stand. Today I looked at my kids eating "lunch" and realized I'm raising them to be the same way. Not really good or bad...mainly just weird. I don't even give them plates half the time! So, I snapped a few picks because it struck me as funny. Today the spread was...cheese, Starbucks muffin, raisins, cantaloupe out of the Tupperware, 'pirates booty' straight out of the bag, milk. No plates, but they did have forks:)

That's my Family...

Piper was being a stinker...

Tyler: "You better watch it, you're treading on thin water, Piper!"

Amy: "I think you mean 'ice'?"

Tyler: "Just listen to the tone of my voice and no so much what I say."

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Porter was licking his arm...

Amy: "Stop licking your arm, that's gross."

Porter: "Cat's do it!"

Amy: "But you're not a cat, you're a human and licking will make you stink. Cat's stink."

Father's Day 09

For a while, I've told the kids we can take Daddy breakfast in bed on Father's Day and they've been super excited about it! When we went to the mall to get his gift last week, Piper said..."I hope they have that big bed with food on it"! So, I had to then explain "breakfast in bed" more clearly. I told them to keep it a secret, but Porter said "Daddy, what breakfast that you like has icing on it?" and Tyler of course guessed our fav, cinnamon rolls. Porter came and told me Daddy knew what his breakfast would be. I said it was supposed to be a surprise, but Porter explained that Daddy just guessed, he didn't tell him! Oh well--it was fun!

My mom has the privilege of working for a company that has season tickets to everything. Amazingly, no one was using their Royals tickets on Father's Day, so we got them!! Great seats, but one of the hottest days of the summer. Because our seats were down so close to field...no shade and no breeze. we could barely sit down because the seats burned our butts! So, with sweat dripping from each of us and the kids with beet red faces, we decided to leave our awesome seats and walk around. It's a great ball park and lots of fun for the kids, but still...the HEAT! So, we left for the pool:)! Aaaaahhhh.

I had the best dad growing up. He adored me and was my best friend. I cherish the 17 years I had to spend with him. Now, of course, I think my kids have the best dad ever, too. I love seeing them interact and share a special bond and love. Tyler is the most loving person I know and he freely and un-selfishly gives his love to us....

He is our comic relief, he is responsible, he's the nightly bath giver, he is a disciplinarian, he is a wrestler, and he is a protector. Most of all, he loves Jesus and makes sure our kids know how important that is...that Jesus loves all of us so much and desires us to follow Him.

Happy Father's Day, Tyler!

No Boys, Day 1

I haven't felt like blogging lately. Maybe too much to blog about and so I get too overwhelmed? Oh, the pressure. So, here we go - girls' weekend!...

Tyler and Porter have had a guys fishing weekend in TX planned for quite sometime and it just snuck up on me. They enthusiastically left this morning and had a great road trip from what I hear. Piper and I started the day with story time at Park Place...a cute area near us - outside under a gazeebo with a sweet lady, Ms. Dee Dee, reading about Fancy Nancy. Piper got to go up and sit on Ms. Dee Dee's lap and tell her name, age, brother's name, she's a twin, etc. So cute. Next, we played in Pottery Barn Kids, ate lunch outside, and Piper rode her bike while I attempted to walk Daisy. This afternoon she went to gymnastics without Porter...so weird, but she did great. Tonight, she chose Dean and Deluca for dinner (the girl likes soup and dessert), so we ate outside there with Nana. The sad part of the day just occured after I put Piper to bed. In between all our activities today she's been playing with a new birthday present...a Polly Pocket pool set from Aunt Jerri. Well, Daisy just chewed Polly. Pool set with no Polly is going to make Piper so sad in the morning:( I think we'll be heading to Target bright and early to replace it. Then, we'll be off to the pool ourselves. It's open for the season! It will be freezing since our weather has barely made it to 80 this Spring, but in our pale skin, we are facing the cold waters anyway and hoping to soak up some sun!

We miss those boys, but I always treasure special time I can spend alone with just one child...my boy or my girl. Not only is it SO easy (usually), but it's important for them to have one on one time that they otherwise NEVER get. Twins are awesome - God is so creative and I am so thankful...for two miracles, and for the time I'm spending with one this weekend.

The Dentist

For a while, I knew I needed to take the twins to the dentist. I was just dreading taking both of them on my own, having no idea how they would react. We like to "practice" things before we do them and talk about it a lot, so for the past few months, knowing an appt. was coming up, that's what we've been doing. We were all as prepared as possible. The office was so nice and kid-friendly as were the people working there. In fact, the hygienist had TWO set of twins herself, so she knew our situation:) Piper decided to go first. Porter held her hand and asked her if she was going to be brave. So sweet. She got special sunglasses, to watch tv, hold the toothpaste and a hand mirror, and of course get a goodie bag when it was all over. Porter didn't get his hand held by his sweet sister. She was busy playing with toys around the room and putting on her new strawberry chapstick. He was just fine, though, and did amazingly well. I was pretty sure at least Porter had a cavity--you can see it. For a while I've been telling him he has a hole in his tooth so we need to brush extra well. He proceeded to tell the dentist about his "hole" which the dentist confirmed and also found one in Piper's back molar. So, we will go back for fillings. Porter was pretty bummed that he wasn't getting his hole fixed right away. He was ready!!! I always get overly concerned about how my precious children will behave in certain scenarios and I had no reason for concern this time. They did awesome! So, we got bagels for lunch afterwards (that's ok for the teeth, right?!?!). Wish I could say they were also well behaved at Einstein's, but whatever. I'll take what I can get:)

Spring Break

I am blessed by many amazing friendships... and 4 of them came to see us this week. We all met in college (HPU, baby!) and all got married within a year or two of each other...10+ years ago! So, 6 adults and 7 kids, under one roof, for 3 nights = a barrel of laughs dipped in crumbs, screams, sleepless nights, and a bit of toilet water. Yes, one on the loose loves the potty pool:) BUT...I would do it all again and I hope to soon...every year...twice a year! I love these people and am SO overwhelmed that we got so lucky to have them and keep them forever no matter where we live. Tarrah remarked when she was here, that growing up, she didn't know people did that--stay in touch across the miles. Once you left, you left. But, we are beyond the point where anything will break us apart. Bound by God who placed us all uniquely together. Like family and maybe even deeper. As we decided this week, we're all in it together and would give up our kidneys for one another...Kip already only having one - this really may happen one day, so we're serious:)! We laughed until tears, "dug deep", and watched our children play around us. So, with the theme of thankfulness, I individually thank...

Angi : for my beautiful necklace (you're the gold and I'm the silver!)

Tarrah : for teaching a yoga class in my bedroom, keeping me in stitches, and singing with me

Kip : for being Joseph if only for a moment, and answering our curious questions honestly

Adam : for being the quiet observer I admire you for, and letting us in on a little "__ more" work

Tyler : for being my best friend that never leaves, doing dishes, and unstopping toilets

Maddox : for keeping us smiling even when you are removing spindles from the banister

Myla : for noticing your mom's best friends call her "Ang"

Sage : for being Piper's hero

London : for being so cool and laid back

Mason : for being Porter's new buddy

I love you all and can't wait for our next reunion...July 4th?!?! FIREPROOF!

Longing for Spring

It's storming outside, Tyler's in Denver, and I'm sick of taking Daisy out in the rain and cleaning her paws afterwards. The 2 or 3 "warm" days we had last week when the kids could get outside and play and we could go to the park were such a tease. Sandwiched in between snow and rain. March is the time I really miss Texas...it's already t-shirt and flip flop weather there. I bet the bluebonnets will be out soon. We still have a month or two of coolness left here in KC. Oh well--that's the price we pay for getting 4 seasons and a beautiful Fall, I guess. I'm sure August will be here before I know it and I'll be complaining about the heat. Which reminds me...I should complain less. So hard to do. I'll attempt a list of thankfulness, instead...

*A dry roof over my head

*A new high powered working sump pump

*Tyler's only gone one night a week and has a JOB

*Daisy has never pooped or peed inside or in her kennel...I could be cleaning that up!

*An extra hour of daylight

*Children that went right to sleep in their beds tonight with no complaints

There...that's better. Thank you, God, that in all things, we can give thanks to you. You are the maker of the rain and the many rainbows that follow.

Book Worm

Maybe it's the winter blues, maybe I'm getting boring in my old age, or maybe I'm just getting smart. In the past month and a half, I've read 7 books and am working on my 8th. Since college I've loved reading--before that it was the opposite story. But...I've never craved books like now. I started with the Twilight Saga (4 books) which I couldn't read fast enough. Next, on to some non-fiction because it was short, sweet, and highly recommended, The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller. Read it! Then, because I never had, I read To Kill a Mockingbird. I liked it, but it was not what I was hoping for after hearing everyone rave over it. Last night, I finished another Stephanie Meyer book just because I was interested, The Host. OK, but no Twilight:) Now, I'm reading the true story, Three Cups of Tea and I think it's going to be a good one. Not neglecting the best book, which is sadly, easy to do, I'm reading the gospel of John...trying to grasp the beauty and person of Jesus. We'll see how long I can keep up this pace. I guess as long as I can't go to sleep at night and my kids keep napping during the day? Any recommendations...let me know!

I have been tagged by my friend Tarrah:) Here are the rules:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3) Explain the picture.

4) Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.)

And this is the result!

This is a picture Tyler and I obviously took of ourselves at the American Idol Tour concert this past September. It was for my bday and it was awesome! We had a blast...don't we look like it?!?!

I now tag Kristi Tollison, Angi Young, Julie B., and Julie L.!