Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Baby Gates.

Looks like I'll be needing another one for the stairs!


Sunday, August 26, 2007

Just some thoughts.

This morning was so cool. I'm so thankful for our church family, and that God has led us to this place with these people. It was bright spot in my week. A huge highlight! If you want to know more about it, check out Tuck's blog.

Honestly, this has been a long week. I was talking with a friend on Thursday just about how down I've felt lately. Heavy and sad. Irritated. Tired. I'm not sure what the reason is, and I'm slowly walking through it. I think God is doing some amazing things with my heart and life right now, and I'm fighting it for some reason. I think he's getting me ready for His great adventure, and I'm scared. And being scared makes me heavy and sad. Irritated. Tired.

I do have to tell you how grateful I am for some of the women in our church, though. I've cried on a few shoulders this week, and they let me. They listened to me, didn't judge me, and just let me cry. (Or whine. Whatever.) They gave me some wise advice, some wonderful words of comfort, and even made me laugh. You ladies know who you are, and I can't even begin to express my gratitude for you.

But still, it's scary for me. It's scary to open up to people and put your heart out there. Tucker and I have been hurt by church...by the people in them...more than once. It's just so easy to throw up the shields and be safe, to not open up at all. But Tucker (And this is the part where I praise him for being so amazingly amazing...) has never done that. He's been attacked and hurt, and he still goes out and just loves on people. I've seen his hurt, I've seen what it can do to him, and yet he's never let it effect the way he interacts with the people he's been called to minister to. It's pretty cool to watch. If you want to learn about forgiveness, watch Tucker. He understands it, he really gets it. Tucker just absolutely and wholeheartedly loves people. I watched him cry this morning as he baptized friends, and I know how genuine it was. I listened to him talk about it on the ride home, and I watched him tear up again. He just has this ability to love through it all.

That is the love I want to have. That is the love I think God intended for us to have. This strong love, a love that goes beyond human emotion and into action.

I don't know, I feel like He's leading me through this...walk (For lack of a better term. I hate the little "Christian-y" sayings like "walk" and "open doors"...but I still use them all the time! So yeah. Hate's a bit too much there, but I do strongly dislike them. Meh. I still can't think of a better term.). I'm scared of it, but I'm really really excited for it...

And just because you've been so good to read this entire rambley babbley bit of a blog, I'll share with you pictures of my adorable children!



Thursday, August 23, 2007

Big Falls.


The family took a vacation. It's been a long time since we've taken one! The Hibbs crew joined up with my sister, Jenna (Aunt Denna!) and her husband, Brian ("Well, look at that, eh?"-Brian, on the Canadian discovery of the Falls) for a four day trip to Niagara Falls. Much fun was had! We stayed in a truely crappy hotel, but the price was right, and we could walk to the falls which saved us a ton on parking (Seriously. They charge you for every freakin' thing there. It's kind of amazing. Want to see the water? $11! Eat food?! $35 at least! For two hamburgers! Crazy. But eh. We paid it.). Rory had a few hours of sickness that wasn't pleasant (and involved washing out a carseat in a hotel bathtub and drying it with my hair dryer...) but she recovered quickly, Tate was an absolute joy...until 2 am or so each morning. You know. When he'd wake up and scream for, like, ever. But then he'd spend the day being his normal grinny self! The waterfalls are beautiful, the butterfly conservatory is a must-do if you have a two year old along, the Maid of the Mist is worth the cost (And it's so worth seeing your kids dressed up in silly raincoats! Also. There may or may not be a picture of Jenna and I grinning like crazy fools in those raincoats. I'm really hoping there's not. It's not on my camera...), the wine country up there is great, and we had a blast touring them (You know, being the heavy drinkers we are and all that...See Tucker's new shirt, courtesy of Phyll and Josh, for that one...). We did the White Water Walk and saw some amazing rapids, and went behind the falls. We also had some great wings at this place called Duff's. (Thank you Theal family for the suggestion! We had a wonderful night out there!)

All in all, it was a great trip. A busy trip, but a fun one! Rory now wakes every morning and asks if we can go and see "Big Falls, Mommy? Big Falls? Wif Aunt Denna? Bian? Okay."...

Enjoy the pictures!

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Old Friends.

I realized yesterday that not much changes in eight years. You know, except for moves, marriages, babies, college degrees and boyfriends...

I got together with some friends from high school down in Philly (Well. Jackie met me at my house and we had a wonderfully adventurous drive to Sasha's super classy apartment complex. You should know that Jackie and I are not good together in a car. Never have been. That girl and I could get lost in our driveways. However, we made to the big city, and back out! I did almost kill us a few times, though. I'm not the most, um, attentive driver when talking. I really shouldn't drive and talk. Really.). I was nervous about seeing these girls again. They knew the 17 year old me very well, but not the 26 year old me. Not the mommy me. The married me.

Turns out, I had nothing to be worried about! We hugged and talked like old times. We laughed at old jokes, and had a great time reminiscing about how, um, "cool" we were (Yeah. We were band geeks. Never in my life have I wanted a scanner more. I would totally share with you all the band, bad hair and acne-filled pictures of my youth. Bummer.). We sat in Sash's sunny Philly apartment (A block from Independence Hall. There is some jealously for the city life she leads. I'm not sure I could do it, but it all seems so, I don't know, glamorous to the this stay at home mom...) and played with my kids. We walked around and went to some parks so Rory could run (That child needs to run. Everyday. We go outside every single day just so she can do that. Run Rory! Run.), and we ate HUGE sandwiches at a deli.

Honestly, I've never missed these girls more. I know I was with them, but still. We've taken different paths through life (Sasha teaches High School math in the city, Jackie works and goes to school, I sit home with my kids. And Siobhan. We missed you Siobhan! She's off in Wisconsin being a mommy to a beautiful new baby girl.), I think of them often, and send Christmas cards and the random Update Email. But this was different. As I sat on a park bench with two people who once knew me better than I knew myself, I missed them. I missed the old days. I missed the connection that comes with openness and youth. And yet, at the same time, I was so happy with the way things are. I'm proud to call these women my friends. I'm excited to see what life has in store for them. And I know, should I ever need to, I can call on those three for anything.

Being friends with Sasha, Siobhan and Jackie? I'm so grateful I have that privilege.

-Flippy...