Golden Girls

Here are Patti and Eli at the beginning of their night:


Eliana had her first babysitter last night, not including Hattie of course. Eliana’s babysitter is one of her Sunday school teachers. She is almost 15 and her name is Patti. This of course means JW and I had our very first official date night. Yes, we waited almost 15 months for our first date night! That’s on me (I’m sure you guessed) because it wasn’t until now that I felt both ready for it and comfortable with the idea.

Patti did not become Eli’s first babysitter overnight. Eliana has been in Patti’s class for about 7 months. At first we noticed how much Patti liked Eliana on Sunday mornings. Then we ran into her and a friend at a yogurt shop the day we went house hunting. Eliana seemed to like Patti just as much. At that point we started talking about the possibility of asking Patti to babysit. Patti always has a smile and kind words Sunday morning and for those who participate in Sunday Rush Hour, you understand how wonderful that is!

We set up the date this week, talked to Patti and her mom about scheduling, payment, etc. When Patti showed up last night Eli didn’t recognize her immediately but was very happy when I handed her off. Eli rode on Patti’s hip like they have been BFFs forever! When we left, Eli whimpered but didn’t scream and neither did I!

I was a little nervous but I felt pretty confident in my instructions to Patti and being an avid texter, I knew Patti was only a text away! JW and I were having a great time and during dessert I got a wonderful text from Patti telling me all the fun Eliana and her were having on the couch watching Nemo!

Who texts updates to mothers on a date? Wonderful babysitters that’s who! At that point, I wondered who was really on a fun date…Dada and Mama or Eli and Patti?

The movie we saw was both funny and disgusting but for some reason I love Steve Carrell! It was good for our marriage to be Eli-free for a night but during the movie I did miss her.

When we got home Patti told us how the rest of the night went and that’s not all she did. I had not left any ‘tidying up’ instructions because I didn’t want her to feel overwhelmed with anything and because I wouldn’t require that of a babysitter but Patti had tidied up the kitchen, and the dining room and the playroom and the laundry room too!

What kind of teenager behaves like this?! A teenager who loves Jesus that’s who! As I drove Patti home we talked and Patti shared her most recent “God moment” (as she calls it) with me. If I’m telling the truth, I would say I fought back tears as she spoke. But if I’m gonna lie to you I will say that I listened like a grown-up to her story.

Back to the truth, I think I was emotional because I was not like Patti when I was 14 years old. In fact I was lost, without Jesus and very sad. I was also emotional because I never imagined how much encouragement my heart could receive from listening to an almost 15 year-old share her love of God. And if that were not enough to make a mother weep, I also felt a surge of hope in my heart that my baby girl can also become a godly teenager.

It’s not that I lack faith in God to accomplish this miracle or that I think Eli is not godly already ☺, it’s just that I had not gotten so close to the phenom that a godly teenager is in 2010! I thought “A Godly Teenager in 2010” was an urban myth.

If you work in a youth ministry, you probably think I’m a weirdo. I’m not a weirdo. I am just a former elementary school teacher and current pre-school Sunday teacher. I just don’t know a lot of teenagers outside of the movies.

As I write I am still in awe of how good God is to have blessed Eliana with a friend like Patti. For God to provide a sweet girl of God to care for my baby girl of God shows how intimately acquainted He really is with all of our ways. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Psalm 139:3 Only God knows just how much I care for Eli's well-being, which is why from His grace He has blessed us to know Patti.

Glory to God for godly girls who love little baby girls! JW and I were so amazed at Patti that JW made me ask Patti’s mom, “How do we raise Eli so she is like Patti?” Isn’t that funny? Her answer: Pray a lot. A lot. And JW should take Eli out on regular dates. Hmmmm, what will I do with all those wonderuful 'Mami nights'???

Dancing Queen

Last Saturday we took Eli to the 3rd wedding of her life! JW and I have known Darin and Meleah for a while now and it was great to see them make it official! Eli got the whole experience. Meleah coordinated a kids' room so we left Eli there during the reception but then we picked her up for the par-tay...of course! Eli delighted herself (stuffed her face) in the cheese bar since there was tons of berries for her grubby hands. Lil Miss did not seem to mind her manners! Unfortunately I didn't take many pictures since I had my hands full!

There was a costume photo booth at the wedding and I will try and scan those pics into the blog because they are really cute! We also let Eli enjoy the wedding M&Ms, she had both of the wedding cakes and of course she danced the night away.

Here is Hattie doing her best to keep Eli off the beautiful table.


Her first dance of the night was with Grandaddy. They danced to Brown Eyed Girl, how fitting!


Dancing with Dada


I wonder what song made Eli this happy?


Dancing with my girlie!


Here is Tio Taylor and a ready for night-night Eli. I'm glad we changed her out of her pretty dress because by the time we got her home she was so fast asleep not even a tornado would have woke her up! Two weeks till the next wedding...

Eliana loves Sid the Science Kid

Strike a Pose!

Unfortunately for me, JW is a fan of Glee and even more unfortunately they spoofed Madonna's Vogue video last Tuesday, soooo I have had that song in my head since then! Consequently when I took Eli to the park the other day, I kept getting some great shots of her striking a pose, and all I could think of was, "Oooooooooooh, you got to…strike a pose…" Here are some of her Vogue shots.

This one isn't very Vogue, but aren't her 3 chongos cute?


I love this picture! I still hate you camera, but sometimes after I have pressed the button ten times you finally decide to just take the shot!!! Stinker!


If there was a Baby Vogue, this one would definitely make the cut!


Eli loves Peek-a-Boo!


This is the "Pensative Longing" pose, or "My pinky toe is spilling out of my gladiator sandal and I don't know how to sign that…" pose. I could eat that pinky toe for lunch!


Eli got tired of all the glamour and decided to have a wild ride!


She was giggling all the way….until….I won't put the picture that follows this one up out of fear that when she is 5 years old she will scold me for it. Let's just say, she was no longer vertical.

First visit to the park

Trying out my new piano. Thanks Hattie & Pops!


Take me to the park right now Mama!!!


Thank God for baby swings!



Peek...a....


Boo!


Ms. Gorgeousity strikes again!

Let me be a Girly!

This week I learned just how much of a girly-girl Eligirl is! To my delight, so far she wants to be just like me! And that includes spending lots of time in front of the mirror! Just kidding! But let's face it, make-up application and blow-drying takes forever!!! Anyway, even though Eliana owns 5,348 toys and has 2 rooms in our new house all devoted to her, she would much rather be all up in her Mama's business. Praise God!


The deal we struck was simple yet genius...I let you mess with my make-up and you let me put curlers in your pelo...it worked!


She is especially adorable when she uses my cherished make-up brushes on her cheeks! By the way, these brushes are great!!! I got them at Walgreens and they work wonders. I am very tempted to buy Eli her own kit of brushes, but I have a feeling she likes these because they are mine...


Being a Girly-Girl is more fun when there's another Girly-Girl standing next to you, or in this case, in front of me stealing my mirror and make-up!

Eliana Shortcake

We have moved!!! I am spending most of my day packing and hearing Eli fall down! Eli has fallen down the stairs, off a bed, off the couch and has 3, that's right THREE very ugly bruises.

At first it was kinda funny and ridiculous because she was not this accident prone in our condo. But thankfully two friends pointed out yesterday that, HELLO!, she needs time to adapt to the new house!!! Duh! She was very whiny yesterday and thanks to this wise insight, I realize that it's probably her way of saying, "Where are we and where is my house?"

So today I am giving her more playpen time to get used to her new surroundings and of course more hugs and Mami-time! This weekend we visited Sweet Berry Farm in Marble Falls with Eli's grands.

We had to wake Eli up when we got to the strawberry farm because it was her nap time. But ever the good sport, she was ready for action!


Walking through the Strawberry Patch. When we return for blackberry season I have sworn to put Eli in a white t-shirt that she can get as messy as possible instead of freaking out over her normal clothes. Then she will have a 'blackberry tie-dye' shirt.


Thanks Tia Kena for my Strawberry Shortcake hat!


Strawberry Monster- if it's called 'berry' Eli will eat it!


Strawberry Loot! FYI be careful when you go a pickin' because each box you fill is like $15!


She doesn't understand why we are on the side of the road, but she loves it anyway!


It was very windy! This is the best picture we took on our camera, hopefully Hattie got some better ones where you can actually see Eli's face!


Till next time Grandaddy!

We won!

We won! We won! Last week I entered a blog giveaway on My Owl Barn and I won the prize!! It is an owlie needlepoint/crochet thingie that I will hang up in Eli's playroom. Click here to see our prize!!!

Our week in 12 pictures

Moving is a huge sacrifice for Eliana's curiosity. She must be caged up for the greater good!


As the family historian, the only way to get a picture of myself is to take it with my own arm!


The heavens declare the glory of God...and so does the yummy grass below...


Gorgeousity strikes again! This picture deserves its own blog post, but I haven't the time for that now! Notice the tippy-toes!


Living/Dining


Diggin a trench for the internet! You can ask JW all about that...


My wild night with Kim, Beth Moore and thousands of other women. Yes I left town the week we are moving to drive 300 miles to see 2 precious women! I have to give props to the two men in my life: Thank you JW for letting me go and thank you Jesus for the miracles that took me there!


Moving Truck, we didn't know how much junk we have until now!


Master Bath...not quite finished


There's always time to be naughty!


This morning at our God-Provided Home! How do you say Provider God? Is it Jehovah Jireh??? I forgot. Anyway, He certainly did. Eliana slept pretty well last night and she hasn't really asked me why we are living in a different place. But she is definitely enjoying it!!! Thank you LORD!

Closing Time

A grueling 12 hour day of non-stop moving miscellaneous mischief! I should be sleeping to rest up for another crazy moving day but if I don't blog now...when?!

JW learned today that Eliana does not get tired of being out and about. She did take cat naps and had a couple of meltdowns but the child loves being out!

By a provision only God could have done, JW took this week off from vacation last year not knowing we would be moving into our house! I honestly don't know how else this move would have been possible had he not been off of work!

We started the day doing more packing. I feel like for every box we pack, some invisible troll unpacks another box so we never finish!!


On the way to our home purchase, after our home sale Eli could no longer resist a nap in the car. She definitely had a nap-where-you-can kinda day!


Once she woke up she was feeling pretty good! Do you see a boardroom future for Eli??


This is signature number 349 of the day!


This is our photo-op signing...if only it took just one simple signature! However it did make me feel very important to have to keep signing and signing and signing away!


A little bribing at Home Depot...Alamo Title had some delicious chocolate gold coins! I underestimated both Eli's scavenging and smelling skills. I gave it to her while I tried picking paint colors only to find her covered in chocolate minutes later! Those gold coins are hard to open but not for a precocious toddler! Unfortunately when I had to take it away she had a 2 minute melt-down! But she was ready to giggle soon after! Lord, help me remember meltdowns pass!


5 o'clock: We got the keys, praise God!


Like any resourceful mother, I had JW pack the laptop and Finding Nemo! It worked pretty well! I cleaned her playroom and JW installed the gate. Tomorrow I hope to buy the playroom rug so she can be free to play there while we move-in!


Here is a pic of our dining/kitchen. We decided against that yellow on the wall and are going for a more goldish color.


And here is Eli giving in to her fatigue. Poor girl! We got home around 10 o'clock!!! Day One of MOVE-IN WEEK complete!