Boo!

Happy Halloween from Texas!Our sweet girl transformed into a kitty before our eyes! She was quite pleased with the costume she put together (at almost the last minute!)

We are trick-or-treaters ... I think the first year she went out she wasn't even a year old (yes, we are aware that everyone knew the candy was for us ... peanut butter cups were involved, we didn't care!) Last year was the first time in a long time that we didn't trick-or-treat (we got lost in our own neighborhood the year before ... and there was a snake involved ... kind of scared us off!), we went to our church's Fall Festival instead. While it was fun, it was geared to the little kids ... we all decided we would be home the next year either handing out candy or gathering it. Not to be. Torrey's middle school group has a retreat that leaves from the church at 9pm tonight ... from the Festival ... which means guess where we went tonight? Oh yeah. Fall Festival. Greatest invention ever? Velcro Wall. Maybe not greatest invention ever, but certainly most hillariest (is that a word?!) Best costume we saw ... Michael Phelps. On a 6 (maybe 7) year old ... a-dor-a-ble!

And, so our girl (or cat) boarded a bus ... a yellow school bus ... for a middle school retreat. We decided we wouldn't want to be on a bus full of 6th, 7th and 8th grade girls for all the money in the world. Seriously.

Hope your night was happy ... and full of peanut butter cups!

New Game in the 'Hood

I have been playing a game as I enter and leave my neighborhood. We have a gas station in our 'hood and as I enter/leave I check the price. Lately I have been debating stopping to get gas because if I stop to get gas in the morning, invaribly in the afternoon it will be cheaper by 10 cents. And, if I stop in the afternoon ... you guessed it! Cheaper in the morning. I finally had to stop this morning and rejoiced that it was $2.49 a gallon! I actually played the game smartly, because when I returned home hours later it was back to $2.53 ... ahh victory! Funny thing ... about 2 weeks ago I was praising Jesus for gas at $3.83 a gallon and here we are hovering around $2.50. I can't remember the last time it was $2.50.

Our news did report that with the falling gas prices the Houston economy might take a hit. Hmmm ... Houston economy or MY economy? Sorry Houston, you are on your own!

We've Been Dinged!

We are still waiting for word from our insurance company so we can start fixing whatever repairs we have from the hurricane. We did break down yesterday and buy a new freezer ... we finally plugged our old one in this weekend and we can officially say we know what a dead freezer smells like. Disgusting. Think of the worse thing you can think of to smell and think of it ten times worse. And, that stench is in our garage. Oh joy.

Anyways, back to the insurance. I came home tonight to a message from the adjuster who said that the insurance company said the roof damage was from a hailstorm and we would have to file a new claim. Huh? So, I called and filed the new claim for the supposed hail storm that hit Missouri City, Texas May 10-12 (not sure if it was a continuous storm, or if it happened sometime during those days, or, maybe it just "blew" through for a weekend visit ... we don't remember a hail storm. Isn't that something you remember?!) Now we have another deductible. A very high deductible. Perfect. Talk about discouraging. And, then Dean came home.

Let me preface this by saying that Dean could really start his own business as a "Fixer" ... not someone who takes someone else out, but someone who comes along and gets the "person" on the other end of the phone to do what you want them to do. He is good. Really good. We have family members use his services frequently (for free). So, he came home and called the insurance company and SHAZAM! the manager said the pictures don't look like hail to her (and, they see more hail than hurricanes) and she is going to have someone else look at the pictures and if that doesn't work she will have someone else come out to check out our roof. I told you he was good.

And, I'm sure you are wondering how she knew that it wasn't hail damage. No dings on the roof vents. Really. Maybe she could have a second career as a CSI.

So, we still don't have a check. Our roof is damaged, but by what? The ceiling in our family room is looking worse (or, perhaps I am going crazy). And, the interior of the house hasn't been painted Kashmere. But, we are only paying one deductible. And, Dean is available to "fix" your problem ... but, he is no longer free!

I know I NEED to update ...

I know I am due for an update with pictures ... camera is downstairs so you will have to wait for another post. Our weekend was quiet. We were home ALL day yesterday ... it was glorious! We went to church today and then I ran to the grocery store ... actually Super Target. I have a been a bit disappointed with my Target's customer service lately. Anyone else feeling it? It wouldn't bother me so badly if I hadn't picked my house based on its proximity to a Super Target ... sad, but true! We just watched the Amazing Race ... still don't have a fave, but I am so cracking up about the "needy" couple. The guy got mad at his girl because she was talking to others when she should have been "holding him" (insert gag here) and then she got mad last week when someone "didn't even say hi to us" ... um you are in a race around the world for a million dollars. I wouldn't say hi to you either! I really think I could run the thing ... but, with who. Dean is my first pick, but, I don't really think the race is so great for relationships (which is ironic because every race has someone trying to "fix" their relationship and it ends in disaster ... don't they watch the previous seasons and just know?!) Maybe one of my sisters ... I would have to choose the one who would eat the gross things because I don't think I could ... even for a million dollars!

This week will be our first normal week at school. It is the eighth week of school and it is our first normal week ... weird. It has just been one of those years. Torrey has play practice 3 nights this week ... until 6pm (help me Lord!) Getting home at 7 is hard. Dean will be gone to Austin (I think) for 2 nights. We miss him, but, I think Zack misses him most ... he turns into a royal pain! (again, help me Lord!)

And, now I really must go and finish my lesson plans (they really are mostly done!) Until next time!

Friday ... Friday ... Friday ...

There is just something about Fridays! Oh, how I love them! It was a good day ... my friend who has been to the principal EVERY day this week didn't have to go today (well, he did go to see the principal, but it was to just bring her a card!) Conferences are done. Report cards are done (for the first 6 weeks!). And, we have no big plans for the weekend. YAY! (Dean and I just watched a movie, but it was so terrible, I won't even say its name!) Happy Friday!

Roof Update

Dean got a call from the appraiser today, who apologized for not getting back to us sooner. Having never been through this before we really don't have a frame of reference for how "quick" this should or will be. Anyways, he said that since our roof has so many angles, and because they want to make sure they get it right, they are going to measure our roof using a SATELLITE! Dean said this matter of factly, calmly, and as if he knew this was how our roof should be measured. I, of course, heard the word "satellite" and instantly wondered "Just how bad IS our roof?!" I did wonder aloud if we should be joining the "blue tarp brigade". Sometimes I am such a girl!

I Was Reminded Today

The past few weeks have been hard in our house. Not because of one BIG thing, but lots of little things that have been weighing us down. Today was a crazy day at school ... report cards were due at 1:00, but we couldn't get them to print, I had FIVE conferences today (what was I thinking? it is Monday!), I forgot my lunch (and checkbook ... a coffee was delivered by the most handsome delivery man ... thanks Dean!) and then there was the faculty meeting, which I will admit I only went to because I KNEW I would win one of the prizes because my day was so terrible. When we were dismissed, I almost raised my hand and said "Um, did you forget to give me MY prize?!" ... no prizes today. Rats! But, it was in the faculty meeting that I was reminded there is more to Jeremiah 29 than just verse 11. To give background, the Israelites are going to be in exile for 70 years and God makes this promise (He calls it a GRACIOUS promise) to them. Read on ...

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." Jeremiah 29:11-14

We are feeling a bit in exile tonight ... not banished, just in exile from normalcy. We believe and know and hope that soon what was uprooted will be righted soon. We take comfort in the knowing that God has plans for us. Sweet plans for us ... and He is ready to bring them to be. A promise made 2000 years ago that is still true. Only God. Only God.

I Hit the Wall Today

Not a real wall, but that "wall" you hit when you have had enough. As if the house damage wasn't enough, Dean and Torrey have both been sick today and Tor really wants to go to school tomorrow because there is a field trip to Austin (what do we do? send her or not?), a co-worker had a biopsy yesterday and was called today and told to come back tomorrow and bring her husband ... we are assuming it is cancer, I have a friend in my class who is having a hard time and I am at my wits end to know how in the world to meet his needs and at the same time get him to obey me, there is a hamster living in my house, conferences are coming up and report cards are due on Monday. I am tired. I know that we have said we are "fine" ... but it doesn't feel like that today.

Why blog this? Because a month from now (or 2 or 6 months or 5 years) we will be on the other side of THIS, and while I don't want to walk this road (or this day) again, I want to remember how God brought us through it. I want to remember that it is OK to cry. That it is OK to be tired. That it is OK to be unsure of how to perform my job to my best ability. That it is OK to not have all the answers. That it is OK to hit the wall every now and then. It is OK.

The Appraiser Stopped by for a Visit Today

Our insurance appraiser came today. We have a high "hurricane" deductible, so we really thought our damage was not enough to even meet the deductible ... we were hoping to just get reimbursed for the food we lost. Imagine our surprise (no, shock) when we were told the damage was worse than we thought. Our entire roof has to be replaced. There is water damage in places we never thought ... which means drywall, insulation, texture, and painting has to be done in SEVERAL rooms (praise you Jesus ... I have been begging Dean to let us repaint the house a color I adore since the day we moved in!) Not sure when the repairs will happen, I only know it will be a mess. We are thankful tonight for a reputable insurance company that found damage that we did not know about. One more example of God's hand of protection on our family.