Happy Birthday to me

Well - it's still a song title, right?? :)

I must confess that I do love birthdays.  And I do love My birthday.  I think it may sound a little selfish but I've just always enjoyed knowing it was a day to celebrate - ME!   It's never really bothered me that other people had the same birthday.  Growing up, my family doctor shared my birthday and we often got to wish each other a happy day as this tends to be the season I get a sinus infection :(  When I got to college, I found 3 other girls who shared my day as well (including 2 my age!)  But in a fun twist-of-God, the 2 girls I've ended up sharing the most time with in my adult life have birthdays within 4 days of mine (on non-leap years!)  We threw ourselves group parties in college and have continued to celebrate together in some form or fashion each year since (as long as I was in country).  This year we all hit the big 3-5.  Of course, I always get to start :)  After a so-so day of meetings/trainings at work, I bee-lined it to DFW to hang out with these lovely ladies and 3 other friends we invited along.  I can truly say that my idea of a perfect evening is good food and good conversation with good friends.  

Oh - and the over a hundred birthday wishes on *Facebook* are just like cherries on the top of that "feeling special" kind of day. 

Of course, in a truly perfect world - my birthday dinner would have had a few other special people, but that's one of the things I look forward to most about heaven - Dinner with Friends every night!

Me, Katie (2 days younger than me) and Kristen - a friend since I was about 6 mo old!



Kelly, my former neighbor, Jenni (4 days younger than me), and Mary


For my second celebration, my sweet Friend Tifani sent me.....her parents!  When Tifani and I taught together in the Philippines, I gave her a hard time about the fact she didn't like her birthday.  Instead of teasing me back, she always planned a celebration for me because she knew how much I did like my birthday!  God has allowed our friendship to continue after we both returned to the States even though she lives in Oregon.  When I went to visit her at her wedding and her son's first birthday, both times I got to spend time with her parents as well.  Last week she called and said they would be parking their motor home in Texas for a few weeks during their trek across the USA and since she couldn't be here to help me celebrate my birthday, she was sending her parents to take me out!  I must confess it's one of the sweetest things I think anyone's ever done for me.  Thank you, Tifani.

The Riggles and I pigged out on Italian food in Dallas' West End and then went on a little walk to see where JFK was shot (I know that should be weird, but my dad's a history teacher - what can I say?)  The day was windy, but warm, and it was great to be with them.  God sure does give good gifts.

Here are the Riggles in front of the historic Old Red Courthouse and the Dallas skyscrapers!

By the way - lest you say "where is this girl's family?"  Never fear, we meet next week to continue the celebrations (plus my brother's birthday is 10 days after mine so we get to have a double celebration).  We'll see if Mom brings 2 different desserts as she has in the past! :)  Just so you know - I'll take a chocolate pie over any kind of cake any day!  Here's to a new year of life!

Grace that is Greater

So last week was...bumpy.  As it ended this weekend, though, I was overwhelmed by how much I have to be thankful for.  And ultimately, God's Grace is Greater.  Greater than my sin and guilt.  Greater than any bumps in the road.  Greater than my sadness AND Greater than my joy.  It is just Greater.  And today as I start a new week, I am so thankful for that.

Here are some other things I'm thankful for that came out of this week:
    * God's instruction for the older women to teach the younger women.  So thankful to the older woman at church who listened, taught and prayed with me this week.

    * Courage from the Holy Spirit when my heart is racing with fear.

    * New friends who "braved" an icy night to come for our weekly Supper Club and who stayed to pray together. 

    * Lockdown at the prison so I got a night off from teaching :)

    * A great haircut from a wonderful stylist (even if I do have to drive back 2 hours to get to her!)

    * Time with this sweet boy who proved to me without a doubt that he is a crawler!!  :)

Check out the bib....!

    * Authentic Chinese food with the sweet boy's parents.  Thanks for the time.   

    * 1st time eating Cheese Blintzes - oh my goodness - an amazing Sat morn breakfast at a local Dallas spot with best friend Jenni

     * A beautiful Texas Blue Sky on a warm afternoon after 2 weeks of ice and cold.

     * Blessed praise music and scriptural teaching at my new church.

Of course you can't really capture the blue, but I tried. 
This was taken on the site where my church has broken ground to build its first building! 

    *  An afternoon of watching "Anne of Green Gables" on PBS.  Nothing like childhood loves.  And oh, the truths she speaks.  "Every day is brand new with no mistakes in it."


An "attitude of gratitude" always sounds so cheesy to me, but I have learned over the years it is one of the most powerful ways God can change me.  May that be my attitude every day.


p.s. Bart Millard (lead singer of MercyMe) has 2 albums he recorded of hymns.  Some are fairly straightlaced, but most have some fun little musical backgrounds (country, New Orleans jazz, etc).  His rendition of Grace That is Greater is one I can just put on repeat and sing away.  I highly recommend it if you are blessed by hymns (and maybe even if you're not!)

Maria & the San Antonio Rose

Not once, but TWICE I made the long trek from east Texas down to the amazing city of  San Antonio in the month of January!!  Once again I am reminded of the diversity and literal large-ness of our great state during the drive south (about 5 hours from my house) and the cultural uniqueness of one of the US' largest modern cities doused with Hispanic influence and Texan history.  Between the 2 visits I got to see a bit of it all! (Pardon all the pictures!)

First trip was a belated Christmas celebration of my mom's side of the family.  Normally we celebrate at New Year's but delayed 2 weeks so we could meet the newest member of our family - the 7th great-grandchild born to the extended family!  The new parents are my cousin & his wife who both live and teach in San Antonio along with my aunt and other cousin, so they all graciously hosted so we could make sure to see the 4-week old baby.  The weather did not cooperate and it was cold and rainy the whole weekend, but this never daunts our family.  We bring joy and laughter wherever we go - some say too loudly(!) - so fortunately there weren't many others in the hotel lobby we monopolized at breakfasts and other times during the weekend!  We also made the trek downtown to Mi Tierra to eat at Me-Ma's favorite spot and to shop a little in the Mexican Market.  We were only missing one family member and we got to have the newest fiance with us, too.  The weekend included lots of eating, chaotic gift opening, and a sweet time of family worship together on Sunday morning.  I am grateful for and do not take for granted a family that enjoys being together and makes our gatherings a priority. 

We spend a lot of time sitting around tables and rooms - TALKING :) 
Notice my sweet aunt even left her Christmas decorations up until MLK weekend so we could feel "in the spirit" again!

Baby Elijah with his Anya and Me-Ma

The decorations inside & out of the restaurant were so festive -
even on a rainy day you couldn't help but be happy!



The mariachi music just makes the food taste better, right?  Thanks to cousin Tim who had them sing.




Little Holt got the full family treatment for the first time, too.  His fellow great-grands just couldn't get enough of him - but who can blame them?!  He was a trooper and we can't wait for him to be running around with them all :)



My sweet girl cousins

Our annual group pic (we started adding the date last year to help us keep track!)

Trip two was my first TCCTA (Texas Community College Teachers Association) conference - shared with my mom!  The timing was regretable (only 2 weeks after the last trip!) but we enjoyed it.  Spent one night in the beautiful Marriot Riverwalk (for those of you who have visited in the last 20 years and remember the South American pan flute players right outside the mall - we could look down and see & hear them from our room!)  The weather was gorgeous this time and while downtown we made the most of being a tourist (while still attending many sessions, of course.)  We also spent 2 nights at my aunt's house and got to see the new baby again!

My favorite Riverwalk restaurant - I ate there twice in two days!!

Happy to share this experience with my mother (and dinner with my aunt who took the pic!)

I hadn't been to the Alamo in years and the history geek in me couldn't resist a quick walk-thru. 
Thankful for the Texas WOMEN who fought to keep this piece of history open & free to the public.  Yes, it's across the street from the mall and a wax museum, but when you walk in, you feel the stories of our collected past. 

Mom & I splurged on a Riverwalk boat ride - when you pass this little stage (which doesn't usually have that screen) they announce "this is where @Sandra Bullock filmed M_ss Coneniality!"  - This is for you, Leanne :)

Tower of the Americas stands next to the Institute of Texan Cultures - an Amazing museum if you've never been.  The cultures that have lived and made their mark on Texan soil are numerous and their stories are told here.  The hour we spent there just melted!

So thankful to have more time with cousins and baby.  My cousin Michael teaches/coaches at a high school and they were putting on "West Side Story" Sat night.  Have I mentioned my mother and her sister are the ones who led me to my love of musicals???? :)   Michael said we didn't have to go - I just looked at him and said - "look who you're talking to!"  They did a great job and we sang along (in our heads!)

p.s. Of course, "Maria" is from West Side Story.  My cousin's wife didn't know the musical - which we figured out while discussing it over dinner and happening to mention the male lead dies in the end!  Whoops!! :)  We forget not everyone knows these things.  The second part of the post title seems to come from a fairly obscure part of my musical knowledge, but I'm happy to give credit to my parents for having a tape from Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys that we listened to growing up.  This was one of the classics.  For a sing-along version, check out this link.

He washed it white as snow

I woke up at 3:37am this morning and my first thought was - did it snow?  The trip to my window was worth it as the world outside was covered in beautiful, untouched white.  After sleeping more, I've been enjoying sitting by the window and watching the white (I'm one of those cranky people who thinks that the cold and wet you get from playing...isn't outweighed by the playing!  Maybe if there were children involved...)

While Broadway songs are prominent in my musical head, they are often trumped (thankfully) by the sweet words of hymns and songs of praise.  Today I can't get this one out of my head.  I'm OK with that.  The pictures can't quite capture the "whiteness" of it - but my view and my heart are soaking it in.

"I hear the Savior say, 'Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.' 

Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW."
- Elvina M. Hall (1865)

"Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;" - Isaiah 1:18

p.s. New rule - Song lyrics of any kind :)