A Quarter Century?!?

How bad is it when you start to feel embarrassed to tell someone how long you've been a Christian because it makes you sound old?  :-)
Today marks 25 years since the night I first asked Jesus to come into my heart, since I first accepted His gift of eternal life and salvation, since He justified, redeemed, sanctified, regenerated ... Often, my own theological education gets in the way of allowing me to fully celebrate this day because I'm afraid I might say it wrong and offend someone or sound like heretic to another.  Sometimes, I still wonder if I have a clue what all those big words mean.
I definitely had no idea what any of them meant on that day.  All I knew was that I was a sinner, and that God was holy (which meant He couldn't dwell with sinners), and that if I wanted to make things right with God and spend eternity in heaven with Him (which I definitely did), I was gonna need some help from His perfect Son, Jesus. Today, I feel like the blind man to whom Jesus gave sight. When people started asking him about Jesus, he exclaimed, "All I know is that I was blind, and now I see!" (John 9:25)
There are a lot of things I've done in the last 25 years of which I am not proud at all.  There are many things I'd rather forget.  But, knowing Jesus, trusting Him with each new day, taking refuge in His cross -- that's the best thing that's ever happened to me.  In Galatians 6:14, Paul said it this way, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Let it be so. 

I Call Him Daddy

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families,he leads forth the prisoners with singing ... Psalm 68:5-6

Father's Day sometimes makes me feel a little guilty.  I had no say in choosing my father, and yet, I managed to get one of the finest men around -- and I'm the ONLY one in the whole world who gets to call him Daddy.  It's staggering really when I think about it.  And, it makes me feel like I'm bragging when I talk about him - 'cause I kinda am.  


However, it's impossible in my line of work -- or really, just as a citizen of humanity -- not to think about those who don't have this wonderful swelling pride that bubbles up at Father's Day.  Unfortunately, I often feel like I know more people than not who don't exactly feel all warm and fuzzy when this day roles around. 

This year, as I've thought about something new I could say about my wondeful Dad, I've been thinking about his influence in the lives of others.  David Horton is a world class counselor, mentor, and friend.  And, he's funny.  People seek him out on a regular basis because of this.  And, he patiently listens and provides wise and gentle feedback. 

This Father's Day, I may be the only one who gets to call him "Daddy" but I am aware that there are many whom the Lord has blessed by placing him in their paths, giving them a surrogate father and family - some for a season, others for a life time.  And, I know, that like me, they too will have a clearer picture of their Heavenly Father because of it.

Adventures in Volunteer Direction

At the very top of the application we have all new volunteers fill out, there are three blanks:

Date of Application: ___________ Orientation: ________________ Tour: ___________________

To be fair, most people don't know what to put in those second two categories, so they generally leave them blank.  (They are places for me to mark the date and initials of the person who provides the volunteer orientation and tour.)

Occasionally, though, some over-achiever decides to think really hard and make their best guess at what goes in those blanks.  Generally, I get a "yes" or "no" next to the tour line, and more often than you'd imagine I get the word "straight" next to orientation.  Today, however, I picked up an application with the word "black" next to orientation.

Seriously?  A) I don't think it's remotely appropriate or necessary for me to know someone's race or ethnicity in order for them to volunteer for us.  B)  If I were going to ask for that information in an application, would I really put it on the very top line of the form?  And refer to it as "orientation"?  Really???

And I was worried my job wouldn't be as interesting working with volunteers rather than clients ...

Papa's Antics

It has been well-documented on this blog that I love my Papa -- and that I might be a little bit like him.  This weekend, my family is gathering to celebrate my cousin Gina's wedding, and the festivities began today.  While I arrived in Harlingen this morning, I didn't get to see Papa until dinner time.  But, in the last four hours, he's provided more bloggable entertainment than I'll ever be able to record if I wait until I get home!

1.  He showed up at dinner with a mini satellite TV in his shirt pocket.  FOX News was glowing from his chest, and blaring, but he was so wound up, he didn't even hear it, just kept talking over it until we asked him to turn it down.  Then, he muted the TV but left it turned on and kept right on talking.  Karen captured the moment for me -- if you look closely at Papa's left shirt pocket, you'll see what I'm talking about. (Pay no attention to Gina -- not only is she the bride, today was also her birthday, so she was hamming it up!)

2.  Papa was so excited about meeting new "family" -- Gina's in-laws -- that he talked nonstop throughout our entire meal.  The rest of us were eating ice cream before he'd even looked down to take a bite. At one point, Uncle Vance, stole his plate.  When Papa looked down, a little confused, Nana asked him, "Gene, did you eat your sandwich?"  And he honestly said, "I don't know.  I think I might have."  LOL!  We packed the sandwich up in a to-go box, and he brought it home, then offered it to me as a late night snack -- it's still sitting on the counter.

3.  On the ride home from dinner Papa informed me that he's got someone he wants me to meet.  I'm thinking a lady in their church who does women's ministry or something like this ... He then proceeds to tell me about a "fine young man" in their congregation that loves Jesus.  Papa knows this because this man carries his Bible with him (to church) and it looks like it's been used.  He hopes this man will come to Gina's wedding because Papa invited him.  Those of you who think match-making parents are trouble -- just wait till your grandparents get in on the game!

4.  At the house, where Nana and Papa have lived for a good 25 years, he proceeded to show me the way around, including lessons on how to leave the light on in the bathroom in case I think I might need it in the middle of the night, how to turn the a/c up and down, and how to use their home phone (even after I told him I had my cell phone with me). 

5.  Nana and I were sitting on my bed visiting when Papa came to get me to rescue him from his "computer emergency."  He'd somehow gotten a folder full of pictures stuck in the sidebar of his desktop and couldn't figure out how to get it off there.  He said he let it frustrate him for a few days, then he remembered "the cavalry is coming" and waited for me to arrive.  I figured it out relatively quickly, and he thanked me at least 5 times and told me how proud he is of me before he went to bed.  It's the little things, I guess.

6.  As he was shutting things down for the night, he told me NOT to turn the TV off in the living room (the one beside the "happy tree" aka: Christmas Tree that hasn't been taken down yet) -- said when he turns it off, it gets fuzzy and has to be reset, then he winked and told me, "Besides, when it dies, I can buy a new one ... a bigger one!" 

This is just Day One, folks.

Angie

Today is Angela Lewis Hinkelman's birthday.  And, for me, that's something wonderful to celebrate.

I get to call her Angie.  That's because I fell asleep once in a van on the way back to Abilene from a Rangers' game and slobbered on her leg.  We decided that very night that we either had to cease being friends or plan on being friends for life.  I think we made a good decision.

For you Grey's Anatomy people out there, Angela is my person.  She's who I need to tell first when good things or bad things happen in order to make them real.  I literally have laughed and cried harder with her than with any other person - and for those of you who've heard me laugh till I wheeze or seen my ugly cry face, you know that's something.  I call her my "appendage friend" because, truly, she is more than just my friend or my sister, she is part of me.  She knows everything.  She gets me.  She lets me be me without making me feel stupid like nobody else in my entire life has ever fully done.  Sometimes, she knows me better than I know myself -- at least, she figures out the conclusions I'm going to draw and decisions I'm going to make before I do, anyway.  It's kind of annoying, frankly.  ;-)

There are lots of reasons you should wish Angela was your best friend, too.  She's fiercely loyal.  Ridiculously and embarrassingly so some of the time.  I know that sometimes she's defensive of me even when I don't deserve it, but I've decided that everyone needs someone in their corner, even when they're wrong. Angela is also incredibly accepting.  For someone who struggles to accept herself and not to judge others, finding this trait in a best friend has been priceless.  Angela's unwavering acceptance of me, the very best right along with the very worst, is a gift that truly amazes me all the more as time goes on.  Angela is also smart, driven, successful, intelligent, likes football, and she's very funny.  (Liking football and being funny are really my only requirements in a best friend, all the rest is just bonus.)  And, she's a little pushy.  She pushes.  She pushes me when I'm ready to be done.  She pushes me to do the right things and the best things and the things I'd never try if nobody was there to push me.  She also used to push me to skip class and lay out by the pool, but that's a different tale. :-D

Angie, I think I could write for days and never come up with enough ways to tell you just how thankful I am for all that you are to me.  In the most uncliche, cheeseless way I can possibly say it, you've been helped me see Jesus in more ways than you may ever know.  Thank you.

PS -- Did I mention she also likes football?

Women of Influence: Stephanie Rea Horton

Does anyone have a greater influence on a woman than her mother?  For good or for bad, we are always working to please the woman who brought us into this world.
I think what I love most about my relationship with my mom is that I realize as I sit down to write this that no matter how many different mother's day posts I do, I never run out of ways she's shaping me.  The older I get, the closer we get, the more I learn from her.  Seriously.  I would venture to guess that she's got more influence in my life today than she did ten years ago ... mostly because I'm finally maturing enough to really listen and the value of her words and lessons is increasing daily.
I've chronicled numerous times how opposite my mom and I are in personality.  But, the older I get, the more I love that.  I have so much to learn from her gentle, quiet, reticent ways.
My mother as a woman of influence, where do I begin?  She pushes me to be my best.  She never settles for an easy answer.  She sets high standards and never accepts cop outs.  She loves faithfully, loyally, consistently, generously.  She pays attention to details, and therefore, gives very good gifts.  She loves and cares for my Mimi ... and my Dad ... and me ... in the most selfless ways.  I genuinely worry sometimes that I'll never be able to be the daughter to her that I watch her being to my Mimi.  She just keeps giving.
My mom is shy and sometimes less confident than I wish for her to be.  She has no idea how talented and wonderful she is.  She's hard on herself and therefore misses how absolutely lovable she is.  She doesn't give herself enough credit for her knowledge and wisdom of life and experience.  And, I am certain she'd smile more if she had any idea how brilliantly her smile lights up a room.  There are plenty of things about my mom that are remarkable all on her own, but when I begin to think about the way my Dad loves her, my heart swells.  She would be the first to agree with me that my Dad is one of the most honorable men I know, but I sometimes think she fails to see the significance of that in light of the way he loves her.  He chooses her.  He prefers her.  He would rather spend a day with her than be anywhere in the world without her.  She makes him laugh like nobody else can.  He seeks her out for wisdom, encouragement, support.  He trusts her because she has proven herself worthy of his trust.  He looks for ways to make her smile. :-)

Many women have influenced me.  I am who I am today because of each of them in some great or small way.  But, none of them, will ever leave the mark on my life that Stephanie Horton has made.  And, I'm the only one in the world who gets to call her Mom.

Women of Influence: Inelle "Mimi" Barrett

My Mimi and my Nana could not be more different.  And yet, I cannot imagine ever becoming me without both of them.  While I grew up very close to Nana and spending lots of days at her house, Mimi lived a couple of hours away and trips to her house were special.  And, Mimi's kind of like me, not always a kid person.  But, when I turned 13, things really began to change.  Mimi and I discovered a shared love of shopping.  :-)
Mimi is a seamstress.  She is a voracious reader.  She is a talented cook.  She is an extrovert.  She has the most infectious laugh.  She loves music.  She is a wordsmith with a deep love for the English language.  Mimi values family and heritage.  She is very good with numbers.  She loves gadgets.  Mimi is always up for having fun.  And, she appreciates a good pedicure.
I didn't inherit the sewing thing.  My kitchen talents are hardly noteworthy.  And, I'm only decent with the English language because I don't like being corrected.  But, the reading thing, the people thing, the laughing thing, the gadget thing ... those I entirely blame on her.
Mimi moved from Corpus Christi to Plano a bout 4 years ago to be nearer to my mom, and it has been so much fun to have her closer.  I admire the way she's moved to a new city, made friends, found a church, and continues to push herself to learn new skills even in the face of serious health concerns and the loss of her sight and hearing.  My most recent favorite story about Mimi happened when I was at her house a month or so ago.  I'd gone over to spend some time with her and taken her some dinner.  It was a Sunday evening, so I suggested we watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, one of my favorite shows.  Later, on my way home, I was talking to my mom and mentioned what Mimi and I had done together.  My mom started laughing and said, "She didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"She can't stand Ty Pennington!"  (Mom still laughing.)
Mimi hadn't said a word.  I asked her about it later, and she said she was just enjoying the company.  I told her she had to pick the programming next time!  But, it made me feel so special that she'd sit there and watch a program she doesn't even enjoy just to get to spend a little more time with me.

Women of Influence: Phynetta "Nana" Horton

Her children arise and call her blessed; 

       her husband also, and he praises her ~ Proverbs 31:28

I'm skipping ahead to talk about Nana because today is her birthday, and what better way to celebrate her life than to share with you about her influence or legacy in my life.


Nana is the heart of our family.  -- Papa is the mouth. ;-) -- When I was younger, we lived within bike riding distance of Nana's house, and I spent many afternoons and Saturday mornings with her.  


I've been told it wasn't always this way, but for as long as I can remember, Nana's been a health nut.  She is very creative about getting us grandkids to eat strange new foods she picks up at the health food store.  We never had salt at her house, we had vege-sal.  Snacks were Ak-mak crackers (look 'em up sometime) with a slice of mozarella, and an occasional Jell-O pudding pop, but more often, an oatmeal muffin with a peanutbutter cup baked inside.  Every Sunday lunch at her house was crockpot chicken, brown rice, and lots of fresh veggies.  


Nana's house was always fun.  There were books and games and toys and the swimming pool.  I laugh thinking about how many times we were determined to get in that water in March just because it was a warm day outside.  She'd always let us try it, then stand there with a towel when our lips turned blue and our teeth started chattering and we decided to give in and wait a few more weeks.  


I think the thing I appreciate most about Nana is that I have so many memories of waking up at her house, stumbling sleepily into the kitchen, and finding her sitting at the breakfast table with her Bible open and her prayer guide nearby.  More than any one thing she's ever said to me, that faithfulness in her own personal time with Jesus each day has spoken volumes.


Nana is a very petite woman.  She's about 5'2" and might way 100 lbs ... might.  All of her children and grandchildren dwarf her.  And, I used to think of her as a frail woman.  She's been sick off and on for the last 10 years with various ailments, and in my mind, I equated that with fragility.  But, I was wrong.  


There is a strength about her that comes from somewhere deep down within.  She is bold, and sometimes stubborn.  She fiercely loyal and protective of those under her wing.  And, what she cannot find words to say, she makes up for with a hug and a grip that defies her diminutive size.  Try telling her that you can't do something, and she will take hold of your hands with that grip, find a way to get eye to eye with you, and speak firmly straight into your soul a mix of love and scripture that tempts you to believe you could literally take flight.  


So, today, I celebrate Nana.  Her life, her love, and her influence. 

Women of Influence: Aunt Susan

So, I’m saving Mom and the Grandmothers for next week, but I think I can go ahead and talk about Aunt Susan today.  My Aunt Susan, my Aunt Susan!  Any of you who follow me on Facebook know that my Aunt Susan is the most talented cookie artist ever.  Ever.   She goes by Sue B Sweets and people order her cookies and have them shipped all over the United States because they’re just that good. 

What you probably don’t know is that my Aunt Susan is one of the most faithful, godly women of influence any young woman could be blessed to know.  There are many things I could talk about that I have learned from her life, but I think the one that has been by far the most influential is prayer.

I have the most vivid memory of being about 9 or 10 years old, standing next to her kitchen table in her little two bedroom house where she, Uncle Tracey, and my three little cousins lived at the time.  Aunt Susan was painting little decorative pins to sell at a craft show with the most creative, detailed hand I’ve ever seen … and she was talking to me about prayer. 

She told me that I could talk to Jesus about anything, that He was very interested in the details of my life and my thoughts.  And, she told me about how she began praying, even when she was a very little girl, for a godly husband and family.  She told me about things she prayed for her daughters even before they were born.  She encouraged me to pray every day for all the things that were on my heart to tell Jesus, and she encouraged me to begin even then praying for the man God would have me marry. 

I took her words to heart.  I believed her, and in turn, have learned to believe God.  And, someday, should I ever marry, thanks to Aunt Susan, I will be able to tell someone I have prayed for him for 20 years and counting.  J

Growing Up, Self-Acceptance

I've decided that growing up is about realizing that your closest friends are right about you.  And, not necessarily about the good things.  They're right about the bad things.  The annoying things.  The quirky things.  All the things I try so hard to change or hide or ignore.  My closest friends were never fooled.  They knew about me all along but decided the good outweighed the weird, I guess.  And, as I get older, I find myself putting less and less energy into hiding and ignoring and denying and more effort into accepting, owning, and even laughing at myself.

The example for today is about silence.  For YEARS, my best friend has feigned a shudder whenever I said I didn't have anything to say about a matter.  She's insisted that silence is the most dangerous of all responses from me.  And, I've laughed at her.  I've insisted on my right to silence.  Insisted it could mean little other than the fact that I had no opinion to express.  She mocked me for even suggesting such a thing.  Recently, I've found myself remaining silent for extended periods of time regarding things I've felt very strongly about.  I did so because I didn't want to care.  I did so because I was afraid I couldn't say what I felt without sounding harsh or causing grief or stirring up an "issue."  (I hate "issues.")  I held my peace until I absolutely could not hold it any longer, and then I said what I was thinking/feeling anyway.  Because it needed to be said.  Because it involved things and/or people that matter to me.  Because, for me, silence is a defense, not an answer.  I am seeing that more clearly than I've ever seen it before, but my best friend has known it all along.  It's just one of those things about me.  She accepted it long ago, ignored me when I denied it, and went on loving me despite it.

I hope you have people in your life like that, people who will love you for you until you learn to love you for you.  (Say that 3 times quickly!)

Conversations with Big Dave

**Update: I called home the next night and asked Mom how her lunch was that day.  She answered dryly, "I passed."

Original Post:
Tuesday evening, 5:30 p.m.
Big Dave: You know I make Mama's lunch every day, right?  I make the sandwiches.
Me:  Yes, Daddy, that's very sweet of you.
BD:  Yeah, I like to surprise her sometimes. (At this point, I already know this is going to be a good story.)
Me:  She's mentioned that.
BD:  Yesterday, she said her sandwich was boring.
Me:  Really?  Did you fix that today?
BD:  Yep.
Me:  What'd you put on Mama's sandwich today?
BD:  Pickled jalapeños ... and sunflower seeds!
Me:  Wow, that would be a surprise.  What'd she think? (It is very difficult to continue without howling with laughter at this point, but he's not laughing yet, so I'm determined to play it out.)
BD:  I got a text about 12:15 that said, "I don't like this sandwich."
(At this point, he cracks up laughing at himself and all his cleverness.)
BD:  I'm standing in the kitchen right now looking for a way to surprise her tomorrow!

(It's amazing how you can hear the "twinkle" of mischief in another's voice if you listen closely.)

Why I Love 6 Year Olds

30 seconds after I walked into Kimbo's house last night, Creth was singing me a song about monkeys in a tree complete with swinging hip motions and a giant snapping alligator clapping motion -- all five verses!

Sitting down to dinner a few minutes later, this conversation begins ...

Creth:  Miss Christine?
Me:  Yes, Crethy?
Creth:  What's your name?
Me:  Kristen
Creth:  Oh yeah! ... Miss Christine, you know how we're 'posed to give something up for um ... uh ... till Easter?
Me: Yes
Creth:  Wull, um, (dancing beside my chair throughout the entire exchange), I'm giving up my friend Berkely across the street 'cause she's mean!

This was said with a decisive nod of his head.  I did my dead level best to keep a straight face, but failed miserably.  Kimbo finally put me out of my misery and told me it was okay to laugh.  I cracked up, and Creth stood there beside my chair smiling proudly at his own cleverness.  Then, the conversation continued:

Me:  Creth, how long has it been since you've seen Berkley?
Creth:  Uh, I don't know, a few days?
Me:  Didn't Lent start last week?
Creth: Yeah, but last week I gave up spankings.

My eyes immediate swing back to Kimbo for confirmation.  She says, "Yeah, it worked great until he got in trouble.  He was sitting in the chair waiting for his dad to come get him, screaming, 'BUT I GAVE UP SPANKINGS!!!" at the top of his lungs."  Guess, he didn't realize mom and dad hadn't given them up!

I love this kid!

Mimi's 80th Birthday

On October 23, my Mimi turned 80.  I wish I had eloquent words to tell you about Mimi.  I don't.  They fail me.  She's one of the most fabulous people I know.  I love that when it came time to shop for her, I ended up at a wonderful, sparkly boutique called Charming Charlie and that none of the sales women even came close to helping me find the right gift for my 80 year old grandmother because everything they chose was far too subdued.

The festivities began on Thursday night when Mom, Aunt Susan, and I surprised Mimi with tickets to a Chonda Pierce concert.  Chonda is a very funny Christian comedienne, and we had a blast during our girls' night out.

The rest of the family arrived on Friday.  My cousin Tiffany and her husband, Dustin, and their kiddos -- Tucker and Kaylenn.  This is Tucker being fussed over by my mom and Mimi as soon as they got in the house.

Tucker, Kaylenn, and I -- getting everyone nice and riled up just before bed time!

My mom brought out some glow sticks for us to play with, and we quickly discovered that Mimi's white hair made a great place to "hide" green glow sticks.

Aunt Susan (aka: Sue B Sweets) provided all the scrumptious cookies for the big party on Saturday.  They taste even better than they look, if that's possible!

Mom, Mimi, and Uncle Tracey

Mimi's always such a good sport when Ava and I do things like pull her into a self-portrait!  Yes, we know there are plenty of people around to snap the picture for us, but it's so much fun to use our extra long arms!

We don't get to gather like this nearly often enough, and we sure did miss Addie, Adam, and Ashley!

We had several very pleasant surprises at Mimi's party, including her cousin Ruth Baker and Ruth's daughter and son-in-law, Kristi and Gary Moore.

Tucker is irresitibly cute!

See what I mean???

I'm just sayin!

Kaylenn laughing is one of the best sounds in the world!  Kaylenn laughing with Mimi is priceless!

Uncle Tracey proving that you're evidently never too old to throw up some bunny ears.  I love that my mom and Aunt Susan are so close, and I crack up when my dad and Uncle Tracey get together.  With adults like these, I never really stood a chance, you know.  ;-)

Happy Birthday, Mimi!  And many, many more!

State Champs!

How cool is it that the entire family got to be in the stands for the first game of the season, AND we all got to be there for the last game -- when they were crowned state champs!  We are so proud of Steven and the PCA Lions!

This picture was taken before kickoff.  By the end of the 1st Quarter, Coach Greek had 27 fans in the stands all there just for him!  We seriously doubt any of the kids on the team actually had a fan base that could match that!  :-)

Steven's up there calling plays!

One of the cool things about playing in Killeen was that extended family got to be there, too!  Uncle Louis, Aunt Patsy, Kimberly, John, Paige and Riley showing up made the whole day that much more fun!

The sun was out, but the wind was cold!

There's always time to pose for a quick pic!

Big Dave and Lil' Steph maintain their "favorite aunt and uncle" status by providing a steady supply of sugar!

Gina cheering with her Snuggie on had me laughing pretty hard!

 

It was a great season, and a great day, and this final score was icing on the cake!

That's Steven hugging one of the other coaches at the end of the game!  It was so much fun to watch the team and staff celebrate and soak it all in!

 

Spark Ministry Trip

I've been back from this trip for a week now, and I still don't know what to say about it.  Spark Ministry is one of the coolest, most well-executed ministry concepts I've seen in a very long time.  A group of women come travel together to bring a retreat weekend to the residents and staff of various shelters across the country.  Words that come to mind for this experience include: Humbling. Inspiring. Challenging. Blessing.  Awe-ful.

On Saturday morning, as we gathered in the lobby of our hotel for prayer, a man in the breakfast room walked by and said, "I don't know what y'all are up to today, but I have a feeling the devil's got his hands full!"  We didn't look like much of an army, but we were definitely there to do battle, tell women the truth about who God is and who they are in Him, and proclaim victory in Jesus name.

Singer/Songwriter Holly Newton leads all of us in worship.  

I had the privilege of leading a small group through discussions after each teaching time.  We were "divalicious!"  Each of the women had a story.  They were all so receptive, sweet, and appreciative that weekend, but when we'd sit down to discussion, it always hit me like a ton of bricks to be reminded that each of them was there because something horrific had happened in her life.  Their determination to move past it and see God deliver them through it was challenging and inspiring.

Spark in the Dark is an all out blast for the residents, staff, and children as we turn out the lights and get serious about having fun!  That night, an emergency light nearly ruined our plans, until someone had the genius idea to have several of us stand on tables, holding a black cloth over the light fixture so that the fun could go on.  As I stood there, taking my turn, arm stretched over my head, aching, watching the silliness swirl around me for five full songs, I felt ridiculous.  And, then I thought, what if one of these women gets this?  What if she sees us standing up here, in pain, determined to let them have this moment with their children?  What if by some crazy supernatural miracle, God is able to let her understand this very small sacrifice for her in a way that translates the message of His Gigantic sacrifice for her?  I don't know.  Maybe.  It's how I could shrug off the soreness in my arms the next morning, at least.  ;-)

Spark does nothing halfway.  Even when we took the women offsite on Saturday, our decorations came with us to ensure the girliest, happiest, funnest retreat atmosphere possible.  This was the break table, before we covered it with every snack food imaginable!

If your name starts with the letter "K" get up and dance!  This weekend really stretched me!  I'm way more self-conscious than I generally let on, and standing up to "dance" in a room full of women is WAY beyond my comfort zone.  But, over and over again, I was called to get over myself.  It was never easy, but those women were so worth it.

Molly and Patti insisted I not miss out on the opportunity to take my first horseback ride!  I'll let you guess what the V's stand for!

I didn't even squeal!  Bud and I had a great time together!

Being the keeper of the marshmallows made me a very popular lady at the campfire that night! 

The whole gang!

Birthday Baby Shower

Some of you may remember that last year, I celebrated my 30th birthday by collecting shoes for the Christian Women's Job Corps Career Boutique.  This year, I decided on a baby shower for the Fort Worth Pregnancy Center. And, once again, I was not disappointed but blown away by the generosity of my friends!

Suzanne did a fabulous job on the cake, making sure it was a real party!

Gabi bought these baby booties with her own money and wrapped them herself!

I did not anticipate everyone wrapping their gifts, so I'd have so many pictures of me holding up baby things.  They threatened to write "Congratulations" instead of "Happy Birthday" on my facebook wall that week.  :-)

A pretty impressive stash, I thought!

My Beloved G2 group was well represented that night!

Beautiful Lengths

Ashley challenged her readers a while back to grow their hair out for Pantene's Beautiful Lengths program.  It took me longer than I'd hoped to grow my hair out because I kept getting it trimmed, but by the first of October, I had enough!

So, I went to see my favorite hair stylist, Young ...

She made the cut for me, then gave me a short new style I am thoroughly enjoying!

Suzanne came along to be moral support and photographer, and she ended up getting a new cut for herself as well!  Young's just that good!

Work and Play!

One of the best things about my job is that work and play often look very similar!  

The first ever Cornerstone Olympics began with the passing of the flame through the office, complete with "I Saw the Flame" stickers!

As Czarista of the event, I felt that the blinking tiara was an appropriate touch.

Everyone was so great to jump in and participate in a variety of olympic events!

Winners of the 2009 Cornerstone Synchronized Swimming Competition

And, we ended the day by crowning the Cornerstone Thumb-Wrestling Champion 2009!  No pressure like thumb-wrestling the big boss, is there?  ;-)

Labor Day Weekend Extravaganza

Just a week after returning from Costa Rica, the Horton side of the family planned a weekend extravaganza around Steven's first home football game with PCA, Big Dave's 55th birthday, and the 2nd annual Blackland Sprint Triathlon.  These people know how to party!

Nana was a surprise guest for the weekend.  She really caught my dad off-guard.  She had so much fun surprising us that weekend, she kept offering to reenact it!  This photo is completely unstaged, though.

How often does the coach have the biggest cheering section in the stands!  Go Greek!

So, I really just included this one cause it shows you how long my hair was, and in my next post, I'm going to show you how long it isn't.  ;-)

We had a "Super Old Man" theme for Big Dave's 55th!

Aunt Susan really outdid herself providing cookies all the way from Corpus Christi for the festivities!

On Sunday, we were all able to worship together at Prestonwood, then take over one giant table for lunch.

You'd think we'd know when to call it quits, but the 2nd Annual Blackland Triathlon was Monday morning, and there was no backing out!

I kept my eye out for Aunt Debbie on the sidelines -- I was determined to smile and wave and show her how much fun I was having. :-D

This photo my dad calls, "Kristen chooses life."  I will spare you the excuses, but I gave up after the first 7.5 mile loop of the bike ride because I truly thought my choices on that day were to quit or to die.  Finishing was not in the cards!

Cooling cousin Gina off after she finished the race!  She took a lot of ribbing for that bib-number all day long!

Worn out but smiling.  :-)