All my little ones are back in school....it's a good thing for the community to restore some of the normal activities. Many of the kids who are going back to school, though, have no electricity and some don't have a home anymore. The district made the decision to have students come back to school if their school building had power....but that means many parents are now having to figure out regular life, without a regular home life!
This weekend at church about 1/2 of the people we talked to were still living without electricity and some of those had recently lost their water! While dropping off the girls this morning, I found out that two families who have children in their classes, have completely lost their homes! This weekend I felt guilty for how blessed we were through this storm....and now I'm just sad for my friends!
I'm also a little irritated that the media keeps focusing on Galveston and the families who have lost their homes there. IKE was a horrible storm that destroyed many communities in it's path. There are still over 1 million people without power in the Houston area. There are families in need all over the area...not just Galveston!
Please continue to pray for our community and for the many families who are dealing with what to do with their homes. We need you, Lord!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Hurricane Ike
Hurricane Ike ripped through the Houston area Friday night and Saturday morning. They are saying that it's the worst storm to hit Texas in more than 50 years...and it was bad. We were without power for more than 4 days, but were unbelievably blessed. Our home was not damaged and we only lost four small trees in the back yard. I have many, many stories to tell...but I'm too tired to write anything. I will, though, I promise!
The park next to our elementary school
The big tree across the street fell without hitting another tree or a house...a miracle!
The High School parking lot...or is it a swimming pool?
The neighborhood Kroger opened to 10 people at a time. Clayton and I waited for over an hour to get in...I just needed black trash bags and bleach.
The Kroger bouncers doing a little traffic control
Dinner on the driveway with the neighbors.
Look at our fancy buffet...dinner was ribs, pork tenderloin, green beans, carrots and green chili rice (all cooked on the grill)
A game of stick ball...all good until Emma hit Audrey in the head with the stick!
A little chainsaw lesson
The traffic going to the local FEMA pod (point of distribution)
Our neighbors' leaning pine tree....they had to keep measuring it to make sure it wasn't going into the house.
A crazy guy cutting down the neighbor's leaning tree....can you believe he does this for a living?
I made queso and chips one afternoon to entice the boys to practice their Spanish!
My friend, Jennifer, asking them Spanish questions...they studies a little!
Trees that had been here for 50-75 years were gone in 12 hours.....hard to imagine how this could happen!
Our neighbors had a generator and invited several families to share their fridge and freezer. They even ran an extension cord over the fence so we could have a lamp or a fan in the evening. If the flag was up, we were welcome to just walk in and help ourselves to the stuff in the fridge! Thanks Katie and Scott!!!!
That's a tree coming out of their house.....just three houses down from us.
Another neighbor with a tree in their master bedroom
Please pray for all those in Houston, who are still without power or who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane IKE. It really is awful and the Lowell Six has been blessed through the storm.
The park next to our elementary school
That's a covered pavilion under all those trees
The big tree across the street fell without hitting another tree or a house...a miracle!
The High School parking lot...or is it a swimming pool?
The neighborhood Kroger opened to 10 people at a time. Clayton and I waited for over an hour to get in...I just needed black trash bags and bleach.
The Kroger bouncers doing a little traffic control
Dinner on the driveway with the neighbors.
Look at our fancy buffet...dinner was ribs, pork tenderloin, green beans, carrots and green chili rice (all cooked on the grill)
A game of stick ball...all good until Emma hit Audrey in the head with the stick!
A little chainsaw lesson
The traffic going to the local FEMA pod (point of distribution)
Our neighbors' leaning pine tree....they had to keep measuring it to make sure it wasn't going into the house.
A crazy guy cutting down the neighbor's leaning tree....can you believe he does this for a living?
I made queso and chips one afternoon to entice the boys to practice their Spanish! 
My friend, Jennifer, asking them Spanish questions...they studies a little!
Trees that had been here for 50-75 years were gone in 12 hours.....hard to imagine how this could happen!
Our neighbors had a generator and invited several families to share their fridge and freezer. They even ran an extension cord over the fence so we could have a lamp or a fan in the evening. If the flag was up, we were welcome to just walk in and help ourselves to the stuff in the fridge! Thanks Katie and Scott!!!!
That's a tree coming out of their house.....just three houses down from us.
Another neighbor with a tree in their master bedroom
Please pray for all those in Houston, who are still without power or who are suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane IKE. It really is awful and the Lowell Six has been blessed through the storm.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Well, we are directly in the path of the latest Hurricane in the Gulf, IKE. After being very fortunate with the last few that were originally headed our direction, it looks like that will not be the case today.
Emma's birthday party was scheduled for tomorrow and we've had to reschedule. Another party that we were invited to for tonight is taking place at 11:15 this morning. It's a good thing for taking my mind off the impending storm.
Almost all of the gas stations in The Woodlands are out of gas and the grocery stores will be closing in the next couple of hours. They are out of the basic supplies...our Kroger had not one piece of bread left.....NOTHING!
We've brought everything from the outside in. Our piano room is now a storage room for our bikes and large outside toys of the kids. All the pool stuff, planted pots, pool furniture, the grill, and EVERYTHING else has been brought into the garage. Steve took down the basketball goal this morning and we are just about ready to host IKE for the night.
We've told the girls that we are having a slumber party in Mommy and Daddy's room tonight. Although we probably won't have flooding this far north, they are warning of high winds and probable tornadoes. We are expecting the eye sometime after midnight and the bands before that will start mid-afternoon. It's a weird feeling waiting for it all!
Please keep us and our community in your prayers. We are amazing blessed to live in a sturdy house, surrounded by neighbors who would run to our rescue, if needed. Most people are not so blessed. Also please pray for the community that Clayton served this summer in Mexico. They will probably received wind and rain and we pray that they stay safe.
Lord, Have Mercy!
Emma's birthday party was scheduled for tomorrow and we've had to reschedule. Another party that we were invited to for tonight is taking place at 11:15 this morning. It's a good thing for taking my mind off the impending storm.
Almost all of the gas stations in The Woodlands are out of gas and the grocery stores will be closing in the next couple of hours. They are out of the basic supplies...our Kroger had not one piece of bread left.....NOTHING!
We've brought everything from the outside in. Our piano room is now a storage room for our bikes and large outside toys of the kids. All the pool stuff, planted pots, pool furniture, the grill, and EVERYTHING else has been brought into the garage. Steve took down the basketball goal this morning and we are just about ready to host IKE for the night.
We've told the girls that we are having a slumber party in Mommy and Daddy's room tonight. Although we probably won't have flooding this far north, they are warning of high winds and probable tornadoes. We are expecting the eye sometime after midnight and the bands before that will start mid-afternoon. It's a weird feeling waiting for it all!
Please keep us and our community in your prayers. We are amazing blessed to live in a sturdy house, surrounded by neighbors who would run to our rescue, if needed. Most people are not so blessed. Also please pray for the community that Clayton served this summer in Mexico. They will probably received wind and rain and we pray that they stay safe.
Lord, Have Mercy!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
I'm almost 39....can't believe it but I am! I remember when that sounded old but now it's SO YOUNG! The year my Mom turned 40 (remember all those picture albums, Mom) she was so old so I don't understand how it can be so different now. So much has changed since that year I watched my Mom enter her 40s. All of the obvious stuff, of course. Television, hybrid cars, cell phones, i-pods, $4 gas, unlimited long distance, email, the Internet.......and so much more! But other things have changed for me since that time, as well.
I remember being a girl in junior high and I remember all the stuff that seemed important. My hair....my clothes....the friends who I sat with at lunch.....who invited me to homecoming......did I have enough eyeliner on......did I have someone to sit with at church? Now, all those things seem so superficial.......FOR ME! But not for all 40-year-old women.
Recently I've had the opportunity to stand back and watch other 40-year old women interact and many of them are still acting like they are still in junior high. They worry way too much about their hair or their clothes or about having a group to stand with at all times. I've watched them be mean to other women who weren't part of their group and ostracize those women. I've watched women attend their kids' school functions dressed like they were going to Amy Winehouse concert. I so wanted to say, "hey, could you please put those boobs away. There are junior high boys here who don't need to see them!"
I've seen a happy, laughing group of women in a church totally ignore the fact that there are women alone all around them who are hurting and would love to be invited into their group. Just a simple, "hey! Do you have a minute to sit down with us. We are just having a cup of coffee and would love to have you join us" I've watched moms try to make themselves seem more important by making playgroups with all but one or all but two kids...because they don't know them very well. Come On! Get to know them! That mom needs that group more than any of the rest of us!
Women my age should know that all these things don't matter. They should know what it feels like to be "the new kid" and introduce themselves to people they don't know. They should look for opportunities to help or make other women feel comfortable. They should be the best women they can be without showing it ALL.....all the time! They should be welcoming and not exclusive. They should show love and kindness and not act like they are still in junior high. They should be an example to those who don't know better....their kids, the real junior highers. They should do what they tell their children to do: treat others the way you want to be treated. If we tell our children to act one way and then model Mean Girls for them, they'll learn to be mean from our actions every time.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Happy Birthday Emma
Our sweet Emma turns 5 years old today! We can't believe that we were given the gift of Emma and are so grateful for the amazing things she teaches us everyday!
Her birthday party is in a couple of weeks so until then............
Happy Birthday Emma Elizabeth! We love you!
Monday, September 1, 2008
I got my Hearts At Home Newsletter today and loved one of the articles, especially since today is Labor Day. I thought you might like it, as well. The newsletter comes free each month and you can subscribe on their website.
What a Mom is Worthby Mary Steinke
Labor Day always brings two things to my mind--LABOR and well, labor. The first kind of LABOR is the physical sort it takes to become a mother. The second kind is the constant physical labor it takes to be a mom. Let me explain.
Moms just love to tell those stories. You know--the LABOR stories.
Just get a group of moms together, introduce the subject of labor and step back. The conversation will become animated. The voices will ring with laughter. The participants will try to one up each other in the horrors of how long each mom suffered through labor.
Even if a mom gave birth to her last child 30 years ago, she well remembers and can vividly relate her labor experiences.
Labor stories are the common language of motherhood. We laugh about our labor stories, because we know labor reflects motherhood--we're suppose to know what we're doing, but in reality we've lost control of the situation.
Naively, we think once we've gone through the physical labor of birth or the emotional labor of adoption that we're done laboring. But no. We've just begun.Labor doesn't end when a child is born or adopted. Instead, it just begins. Moms labor through mounds of laundry. We labor through our child's high school algebra. We labor through preparing 1092 meals a year. And we labor through cleaning up 1092 meals a year.
On Mother's Day, we honor moms for the nurturing and love they freely give their families. I propose that on this Labor Day we honor moms for all the physical labor they freely give to their families at no additional charge.
After all, moms really never get a day off--even Labor Day. The family still needs to be fed, the homework still needs to be completed for school on Tuesday, and often on Labor Day families enjoy picnics, parades, or visits to the pool.Each set of family activities creates its own foot long "To Do" list that a mom must accomplish or delegate in order for the entire family to successfully achieve the goal of having a good time. Planning for family fun often takes a lot of labor on the part of a mom.
What's a mom worth?The following is a list of what it would cost to pay someone each week to do the jobs a mom does for free for her family. This list is according to Ric Edelman's Annual Mother's Day Index. The occupations which compose the Annual Mother's Day Index and their corresponding median annual salaries are:
a. Animal Caretaker $29,920
b. Chef $37,880
c. Computer Systems Analyst $72,230
d. Financial Manager $101,450
e. Food/Beverage Service Worker $19,360
f. General Office Clerk $25,200
g. Registered Nurse $59,730
h. Management Analyst $77,270
i. Child Care Worker $18,820
j. Housekeeper $18,700
k. Psychologist $66,110
l. Bus Driver $33,050
m. Elementary School Principal $79,200
n. Dietitian/Nutritionist $47,890
o. Property Manager $52,290
p. Social Worker $40,640
q. Recreation Worker $22,950
Tally all those figures and you'll find that a mom could be earning a cool $802,690 per year doing the work she does for free. WOW!
I'm not proposing that on Labor Day all moms go on strike and demand their back wages. Instead, the next time the laundry overwhelms or the floor of the toy room can't be seen, remember that no one can replace a mom and all the work she does for her family.Yes, someone could be hired to do the work. However, a hired hand couldn't match a professional mom doing professional labor for her family.
Being a mom who continues to labor every day for the good of her family requires an enormous amount of love and endurance.You just can't buy that kind of loyalty.
About the AuthorMary speaks at retreats and moms groups, teaches Bible studies, writes many Hearts at Home newspaper articles, and serves on the Publishing Team for Hearts at Home. Before children, she worked in full-time ministry as chaplain in such diverse settings as nursing homes and prisons. Mary resides in Normal, Illinois, with her husband, Harry, and three sons.
What a Mom is Worthby Mary Steinke
Labor Day always brings two things to my mind--LABOR and well, labor. The first kind of LABOR is the physical sort it takes to become a mother. The second kind is the constant physical labor it takes to be a mom. Let me explain.
Moms just love to tell those stories. You know--the LABOR stories.
Just get a group of moms together, introduce the subject of labor and step back. The conversation will become animated. The voices will ring with laughter. The participants will try to one up each other in the horrors of how long each mom suffered through labor.
Even if a mom gave birth to her last child 30 years ago, she well remembers and can vividly relate her labor experiences.
Labor stories are the common language of motherhood. We laugh about our labor stories, because we know labor reflects motherhood--we're suppose to know what we're doing, but in reality we've lost control of the situation.
Naively, we think once we've gone through the physical labor of birth or the emotional labor of adoption that we're done laboring. But no. We've just begun.Labor doesn't end when a child is born or adopted. Instead, it just begins. Moms labor through mounds of laundry. We labor through our child's high school algebra. We labor through preparing 1092 meals a year. And we labor through cleaning up 1092 meals a year.
On Mother's Day, we honor moms for the nurturing and love they freely give their families. I propose that on this Labor Day we honor moms for all the physical labor they freely give to their families at no additional charge.
After all, moms really never get a day off--even Labor Day. The family still needs to be fed, the homework still needs to be completed for school on Tuesday, and often on Labor Day families enjoy picnics, parades, or visits to the pool.Each set of family activities creates its own foot long "To Do" list that a mom must accomplish or delegate in order for the entire family to successfully achieve the goal of having a good time. Planning for family fun often takes a lot of labor on the part of a mom.
What's a mom worth?The following is a list of what it would cost to pay someone each week to do the jobs a mom does for free for her family. This list is according to Ric Edelman's Annual Mother's Day Index. The occupations which compose the Annual Mother's Day Index and their corresponding median annual salaries are:
a. Animal Caretaker $29,920
b. Chef $37,880
c. Computer Systems Analyst $72,230
d. Financial Manager $101,450
e. Food/Beverage Service Worker $19,360
f. General Office Clerk $25,200
g. Registered Nurse $59,730
h. Management Analyst $77,270
i. Child Care Worker $18,820
j. Housekeeper $18,700
k. Psychologist $66,110
l. Bus Driver $33,050
m. Elementary School Principal $79,200
n. Dietitian/Nutritionist $47,890
o. Property Manager $52,290
p. Social Worker $40,640
q. Recreation Worker $22,950
Tally all those figures and you'll find that a mom could be earning a cool $802,690 per year doing the work she does for free. WOW!
I'm not proposing that on Labor Day all moms go on strike and demand their back wages. Instead, the next time the laundry overwhelms or the floor of the toy room can't be seen, remember that no one can replace a mom and all the work she does for her family.Yes, someone could be hired to do the work. However, a hired hand couldn't match a professional mom doing professional labor for her family.
Being a mom who continues to labor every day for the good of her family requires an enormous amount of love and endurance.You just can't buy that kind of loyalty.
About the AuthorMary speaks at retreats and moms groups, teaches Bible studies, writes many Hearts at Home newspaper articles, and serves on the Publishing Team for Hearts at Home. Before children, she worked in full-time ministry as chaplain in such diverse settings as nursing homes and prisons. Mary resides in Normal, Illinois, with her husband, Harry, and three sons.
Miss Mary Beth and Mrs. Sanchez
The girls start preschool this week and I promise that I will be posting tons of pictures in the coming days. Our preschool has a policy of having their teachers make home visits to each child's home a couple of weeks before school starts. If I'm being honest with with you, I've gotta say that it is a LOT OF PRESSURE! I've heard all kinds of horror stories but so far, our visits each year have gone very well. It probably has something to do with the great teachers that we always end up with! They are so sweet and loving and make the girls feel at ease right away.
We are looking forward to a great year and can't wait to get to know these teachers better, as well as the other teachers at the school this year!
Emma, Ms. Mary Beth and the class mascot
Audrey waited by the front window for an hour with her flowers for Mrs. Sanchez
We are looking forward to a great year and can't wait to get to know these teachers better, as well as the other teachers at the school this year!
Emma, Ms. Mary Beth and the class mascot
You know she's a great teacher if she suggests a "silly face photo"!
Audrey, the class mascot and Mrs. Sanchez
Mrs. Sanchez was Emma's teacher last year and we are so happy for Audrey to have her now!
Audrey waited by the front window for an hour with her flowers for Mrs. Sanchez
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