Cole's Goals

Cole just played in another soccer tournament in Dallas this past weekend. The competition wasn't as great as we'd hoped, but they did really well, winning the tournament. No one scored on them in 4 games. Cole had 2 really nice goals, along with some sweet moves and assists. Considering the temperature was near 30 degrees, he and the team were great. Cole's jersey number is 10. We play in another tournament in Houston this weekend, so we should have more footage soon after that. Andrew is playing indoor soccer, so when we get some footage of that, we'll post it here.

Last Minute Chicago Trip

So this past Sunday was my birthday (cash gifts still accepted), and Stacy and the kids decided to send me to Chicago to meet Matthew and watch the Saints/Bears game. Matthew and I had a great time. The temperature was a moderate 13 degrees when I landed Saturday morning.

We had brunch at Nookies, a local favorite a little north of downtown. Then we checked into our hotel, the Allerton Crowne Plaza. Very nice, older hotel. Later on Saturday, we took the Hancock Tower tour. Amazing view of 4 states, I think. Downtown was literally crawling with Saints fans. Later we took a train to Wicker Park, Matthew's favorite Chicago neighborhood. We checked out his favorite bookstore and coffee shop, Myopic Books and Filter. Very unique Chicago places. Nothing like a Barnes & Noble or Starbucks. Then we had dinner at Giordano's, home of Chicago's famous deep dish pizza. Three tables of Saints fans sat near us.

"Nice meeting you."

"Whodat."

On Sunday morning, we had brunch at Grand Luxe, one of Matthew's favorite restaurants downtown. We had a booth at the window overlooking Michigan Avenue, which was really nice, especially after it began snowing.

Then we took a bus down to Soldier Field to see if we could do some tailgating. A few Saints fans boarded after, and groans by the locals started. The driver came over the intercom saying, "Please be aware of the Saints fans who've just boarded. While we don't condone violence, I'll turn off the security cameras for the next three minutes."

We walked around the stadium, which is a really impressive piece of architecture, looking at it from the outside. It soon became clear that we wouldn't be hanging out in the parking lots for tailgating. It actually looked like a post-apocolyptic movie scene. Cold and wet, the smell of burning trash and stale beer. Fans who've clearly had too much to drink before the game even started. A hearse painted in Bears colors. A Packers player hanging from a noose above the hearse. Some people using the portolets, some not. A woman actually shouted "Go back to your FEMA trailers" to some Saints fans. I was more stunned than anything at that one. A comment like that doesn't even deserve an answer, other than maybe duct tape.

The game itself was pretty depressing, since the Saints clearly had the better team. They were just plagued with turnovers and horrible field position. The two touchdowns we did score showed the talent the Saints have. Different location or weather, and the outcome would've been much different.

We watched the game in a small cafe slash bar. Matthew's girlfriend Amelia joined us there. Nice atmosphere, with just us as the Saints representatives. There was one guy who flew in from New York. He had a Saints t-shirt hidden under his jacket. Pretty funny guy. Reggie Bush's score was the highlight for us. The lone Saints table made their presence known on that one.

After the game, we took the train to Wheaton to spend the last night in Matthew's apartment. Matthew made a birthday cake out of a Little Debbie Christmas Tree Cake and a votive candle, nicely scented. A very fitting end to my birthday.

A really great time.


Matthew reading in Myopic Books


View from Grand Luxe


Soldier Field


Looks like one of the ships from Independence Day overtaking the stadium


Bears. Dikka. Sahhsage.


Tailgate Hell

Austin on Ice

This ice storm has been interesting. We had snow a couple of days ago, but it wasn't enough to really stick. Alyx and the boys made the most of it. Footlong icicles were nice. And this morning, I gave up trying to chip the ice off of my car, and just took Stacy's to work. We did, however, watch a substantial number of movies. The local Blockbusters did very well.


Maybe you can see snow and ice remnants in this shot.


Better shot of the icicles.


Ice accumulation on the glider in the backyard.

Stacy's Birthday

The month of January is normally nuts for us. Right after Christmas, it's mine and Stacy's anniversary, then Stacy's birthday, then mine. This year, we had more fun than normal for Stacy's birthday. We had lunch at Waterloo Icehouse in downtown Austin, then went to a very cool gelatos place next door called Teo's. Ridiculous flavors, including my Nutella hot chocolate. Then I let Stacy and Alyx catch a movie and shop, while the twins and I filled 150 balloons (with our lungs), then filled Stacy's closet with them. When the girls were on their way home, the twins hid among the balloons with silly string cans at the ready. Needless to say, Stacy was sufficiently surprised. Caught the aftermath on film. The photo is our bathroom after her closet emptied. The video shows the twins creativity afterward.

wow what a year.

Life.
For sure mine seems to have just picked back up this year. God has literally ripped the lid off of the box I called my life for the last 26 years this year. I realized that I was living in only about 25% of what is really stored up in me. I exchanged a hard life that I controlled and manipulated my way through before Christ for one that I controlled and manipulated my way through with Christ. What a cool revelation - right??? One that has come with much heartache, many tears and finally and best of all much joy and freedom. I think that I have experienced more emotions in these last 18 months than I ever allowed myself to in all of my life. Things have gotten pretty dark and seemingly hopeless. Many days I wasn't sure which way to go and then I read in my Word that though many rise up against me the Lord has been and always will be my sheild and that the reason I wake is only because the Lord has sustained me - many days this was very real to me. I have gone through alot. I am not sure that there is any area that the Lord and I have not at least touched on in my life, in my past and now looking forward to what my full future holds. Glen has been so good to walk right beside me all the way. My love for him grows pretty much each day here lately. I always thought he would never stick around if he would get to know the real me, but you know the more of the real me that is coming out I think he and I both like her alot better than what we have lived with all of our dating and married life together. Perspective. Transition. Confinement. Freedom. Learning that the way I have viewed life as a whole has pretty much been wrong. These words have taught me a great deal this year and a half - understanding for the first time - or should I say slowing down long enough to grasp the real meaning of them all and I think I am still working through each of them on a daily basis. Do you know what kind of freedom you can experience as your life transitions from confinement through your perspective changing?

Life is good.
The children have enjoyed the benefit of the work that the Lord and I have been doing, somewhat anyway, the hard days sometimes have been hard on them too but overall it is an excellent change for us all. We are in a really cool church that we are all enjoying the best part about it for me is that I am known as Glens wife! Yes I use an exclamation mark because this is the first time in our married life that I am known that way in our church. I am enjoying sitting back and watching he and Alyx make their place here. We all love Austin. The boys occasionally still yearn for WCA, Lafayette and Sunset but the Lord has been faithful even in that - given us great chances for incredible conversations. Glen loves his job. They just moved downtown and he is like a big kid and I love watching his excitement. Matthew has a girlfriend and we are all enjoying watching his excitement. Amelia is her name and she spent New Years with us. We all love her. Alyx is working at Starbucks and really starting to think about her future and even though it is hard it is exciting to see her work through it. She is an amazing daughter, friend and at times counselor. What a gift she has been to me - I was always so scared to have a daughter and as she grows I only find more reasons that I am so blessed to be her mom. The boys are great. Andrew is very very perceptive. He has a big heart and a strong sense of justice. He was in Lego Club last semester and the instructor was telling me that he was her right hand man - whenever she needed she could send him to help a kid that she couldn't. Thats who he is - what fun to wait and see the adult he will be. Cole is soccer extrodinaire. He has asked the Lord to play European soccer and it seems as though the Lord has taken him seriously. He is on the top U11 team in the southern half of the whole state of Texas!! I love watching he and Andrew when we babysit the children next door (ages 4, 3, 1). They are so kind and gentle with them. Then there are the twin boys across the street that are a bit active and their parents thanked Glen and I for the way that our boys are helping to teach them soccer and just being kind to their boys.

Life is but a vapor.
I am thankful for every single thing in my life from start to now. I am even more greatful that I can see things, hear things, taste things and enjoy things in ways that I never have before. Thankful for today and today alone, understanding more and more that my past is just that, my past. Looking forward with great anticipation to what our future holds.

Thanks for listening.
Much love to you all,
Stacy