School Fall Fest

Just hold on.... I've found a new option to upload my pics... not sure i understand how it works fully, but I love the photos.. I can finally see them!! Hoot had his fall fest at school yesterday and it was first class. The kids had a great time and we did too. He is SUCH a Truman. I see it in these photos... The Truman Curse. It's the posture. It's a curse... we all have it... the Hunchback of the Truman family.... Lambert calls him the Hunchback of Baytown. He's so funny and if you look closely you'll see he lost another tooth!! The other curse he inherited from the Truman family is the awful Truman Temper... He can go from happy to fighting mad in less than 1 second... the good thing about this curse is that's it completely reversible... he can go from spitting mad to perfectly over it in the same amount of time... however he does leave quite a shock wave for those who just witnessed this type of Truman transformation... It's really a phenomenon... unfortunately it's genetic... I was hoping he wouldn't get it, but he clearly has it... Poor Lambert.. He just shakes his head.












This is a little friend that Hoot really likes at school. They play great together... She bosses him around and he just obeys...




One of the older kids from the other campus came and talked about how were a lot like a pumpkin... We have a lot of messy yucky goop on the inside. God sent Jesus to come along and scoop out all of the goop. He washes us off and cleans us up, then he gives us the gift of the holy spirit that lives inside of us. when the holy spirit lives in us, He will shine through us in the way that we live our lives.... The kids listened so intently as she told the story. I am so thankful that Hoot is hearing the powerful message of the gospel on a daily basis, both at home (which is where it counts most) and at school and church. John 3:4 I have no greater joy than to hear my children are walking in the truth

I am sooo READY

I can not wait for this day on The Red Sofa in Guangzhou!!! This is Marla and Lisa, you must read their blogs! They are both truly amazing women! I feel like they packed me in their carry on and took me with them to China. They captured so much of the beauty in China, it brought me to tears!

This is our Libbie, if you didn't know...

We are hoping for a video or at least some more photos soon!!! I am more than anxious to get to China and meet our girl, especially after reading Lisa's blog the last few days. We began this journey over 4 years ago and it seems like the past few months have dragged out longer than all the 4 years together. We know many people that have just returned from China or are in China now meeting their children. We are ready in many ways and feel very ill prepared in other ways. I have so much left to do in her room and we still have a lot of paper work to file in the up coming weeks. We know that time is going to fly with the Holidays fast approaching. We've been told to be prepared to travel between December- February... However February begins the Chinese New Year so most government offices are closed during this time. Our travel could be extended to March. My prayer is that our paper work will be expedited and we will be able to travel (by the grace of God) in January! I can not wait to lay eyes on our beautiful daughter and bring her home. I find myself day dreaming about her and wondering what she's doing, if she's in therapy etc... I 've recently been reading Lisa's account of her VERY Long Road to China http://thelongroadtochina.blogspot.com/ and all that she has experienced the last few weeks. It's been amazing to read her journey and see her finally meet little Regan. I promise you will see similar Red Couch photos of our Libbie. I have no shame in copying. These are the BEST Red Sofa shots I've ever seen! Her photos were amazing partly in fact that she took Marla http://lifewith4js.blogspot.com/ with her!! Marla works out of Forth Worth and I can PROMISE you that we will be making a trip to visit her with the kiddos when we return from China! She is amazing. They are both inspirations

Happy reading!!

Worn Out!!

School Days!!! We are up A LOT earlier these days! Since school started we have been in the habit of waking up around 6:15-6:30AM. this is a time zone away from the time we woke up last year. Hoot didn't have to be to school until 9:15AM last year and Rosa got him ready every morning. This year school begins at 8:00AM SHARP and it's a full day of learning. Hoot stays in extended care for an hour or two before I pick him up.. Homework is done and he is usually on the play ground running wide open when I pick him up... we have a light snack when we get home, dinner, piano, bath and he's in bed by 8:30PM... His day is FULL... If' he's not in bed by 8:30PM he is a BEAR the next morning. Truly he is like a different person when he doesn't get his 10 hours of sleep. This afternoon the poor kid just couldn't hang... I was preparing dinner and realized it was really quiet in the casa.... I started to walk back to his room and I discovered this scene on the sofa... He got a quilt and pillow from the cabinet and the snoozing commenced. It's 6:30 Daddy is home, dinner is ready and he is OUT!! I'm not sure if I should wake him or just let him be. He's been working on 1st grade math for crying out loud!! This kid's world is rocked right now! I think if Lambert carried him to his bed he would sleep until morning... Any other kiddos wiped out from long school days?

A Good Way to Start the Day!

You know it's gonna be a good day when you get a package like this in the mailbox.... I woke up early to walk and checked the mail on my way in... lookey lookey (I know that is not a word, but I like it) a package from Granna... This was great bribing material for me this morning. I told Hoot as soon as he dressed and brushed teeth hair etc... he could open "The Package". that's what we've come to call them... They usually arrive close to Halloween, Valentines Day and Easter... Hoot's favorite is Halloween because there is usually something creepy to be discovered inside... Hoot was dressed in record time and ready to open "The Package" before school. Granna delivered the goods once again... a ooeey gooey slimy finger... just in time for Halloween...

He can hardly stand the anticipation and wanted to open it before school... he had to wait until after school.. We do have nutritional breakfast standards around here!

Granna... he did ask... "where are the tattoos???"... HA HA ! The kiddo has a memory. Last year he got some wicked pirate/shark tattoos so he wondered where they were this year. I had to explain, each year it's a surprise... it won't be the same thing as last year...

Hoot looks forward to "The Package" each holiday and knows he is loved by his Granna and Papa in Indiana.

Fall Festivities

Flashback to circa 2007.. Hoot was Elvis and stayed in character ALL night at our party. Thank you, thank you very much... how about those side burns?

Next year I am investing in a battery operated pumpkin carver... very very nice

Yuck.. pumpkin guts!!!

Hoot's Pirate Pumpkin Head Pumpkin... very easy and no guts to clean up.

Let the carving begin

Lambert found a friend...

We had so many pumpkin seeds left after the party that we are sure to have our own pumpkin patch in our front yard next year.

These carvers were serious... they had sketches of their designs to lay over the punkin as they carve.

Hoots Aniken costume... it's a little creepy. too realistic for me.

Pretty funny kid...

These were the pumpkins the moms painted this morning at Hoot's class party we had at our house. We didn't have a great turnout, but we sure had a good time. I think the moms painted more pumpkins than the kiddos!

A Fall party is not complete without the traditional sack race! I love the way the girls costumes were hanging out the back.

Yes he is a lady's man... so he thinks

We have been very busy at the Lambert Casa. We've had lots of friends over to celebrate the coming of fall. We've enjoyed the cooler weather and were looking forward to the upcoming season. It's hard for me to believe that next year we will be celebrating the seasons with Libbie. Hoot and I visited the pumpkin patch this week and I got a little teary eyed when I thought about Hoot and Libster riding the train together. Hoot can't decide what he wants to be for Halloween so he wore is Aniken Skywalker costume today and Nana is working on his bat costume for trick or treating. More photos to follow.

And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest. John 10:2

Camp Eagle

Wow, I can't believe a week has flown right by... I'm still recovering from last weekend. We took a road trip to Camp Eagle outside of San Antonio with about 80 kiddos. We serve in our church's Student Ministry and had the opportunity to attend this amazing leadership camp. The GPS couldn't even locate it... the camp is 8 miles off the beaten path on a BUMPY dirt road. It took us almost 30 minutes to go 8 miles... BUMPY...

It had several large trees like this one... perfect for climbing... which was good because we took Hoot with us...

We weren't sure how he would do....

Now he thinks he is a teenager... well.. he did before too.

He did everything the big kiddos did... ALMOST... this water was FREEZING!!

Dad did the blob, me and Hoot elected not to. First... you jump onto the blob... then you climb to the end of the blob and the next person jumps onto the blob. when this happens it sends the person at the end of the blob sailing!!! This is Lambert upside down... he's really too old for this kind of adventure.. He's still complaining about aches and pains.... it's Thursday...

Did I mention it was a great tree climbing camp??

Hoot and I elected NOT to participate in the Extreme MUD PIT Games.... I can't explain. it was NASTY and we didn't want any part of it... but we did get some great laughs.

Our students (and adult sponsors) all climbed in, stirred the mud up and then played several extreme team events... not for me... or my Hootster

The facility was awesome, but the content of the camp was truly challenging. I know the students walked away with a deeper understanding of what Christian Leadership looks like. They know that as leaders, they should never be satisfied with where they are spiritually. Leaders are always looking to grow and change. Christians (speaking for myself ) too often become complacent and long for the way things used to be. Many times I find myself wishing things felt the way they used to... but that's not what God has for us... He wants us to be spiritually uncomfortable... When we become comfortable, we become complacent, apathetic, and spiritually weak. We depend on the Holy Spirit when we're called out of our comfort zones. That's right where He wants us... totally dependent Leaders... Leaders face trials for many reasons

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

Feeling Like Fall

Fall Decorating!!

Lambert is out of town so Hoot and I pulled out the Halloween boxes this afternoon. I did a little furniture/clutter editing and then a quick cleaning... We were ready to put out the fall garb! Hoot's favorite holiday (if you can call it that) is Halloween! He loves all things creepy. He thinks he's really brave, but we put on some creepy music and he got tears in his eyes... SCAREDY CAT!!! (just like his momma). Hoot and I had a date night tonight. We went out for dinner, picked up a pumpkin and some halloween cookies. We came home, decorated the pumpkin with his "potato head" kit from last year, now were having cookies. I want to start date nights now so we can continue when Libbie comes home. I think it's important to have one on one time with him. He uses his best manners, says the prayer and acts like the perfect gentleman.

I have only stayed alone in my house one time and it was 10 years ago... last night was my first night and I thought I would be terrified...I fell asleeep at 9:30 and didn't wake up until 7:00AM!!! Tonight is a different story... I am not tired AT ALL!!! So it will be more cleaning and organzing until I just fall out!