The Halls are Off the Grid

Okay, well maybe I am embellishing just a bit.  Hey, I've got to keep the blog interesting.  We packed up the van (with a ton of stuff!) and headed out to Byron's old stomping grounds for a couple days.  We camped at the Jenny Wiley State Park and then went to see where Byron grew up.  The kids even got to play on some of the same playground equipment (like the very same, totally old school) that he played on as a kid.  Okay, back to the camping.  I knew it was going to be a little cool that night but I forgot to bring the heater for the tent, duh!  It was in the 70s though and we were sweatin' it getting the camp site set up so I thought we'd be fine.  About 1:30 in the morning it started getting pretty cold.  The kids were sleeping good but I still decided to cover them up more.  I had left a blanket in the van and I headed out in the pitch black to grab it.   While I was out there I got my pant leg wet.  I come back into the tent and knock over Grace's water bottle on my foot and got my socks soaking wet.  I was so cold though that I didn't want to change my socks and pants.  Dumb idea.  I spent the rest of the night freezing!  Beyond that, we had a great time and here's some pictures to prove it.

Just Keep Spinning, Just Keep Spinning, Just Keep Spinning, Spinning, Spinning

I finally got up enough nerve and took a spinning class.  I know you are thinking, "Alicia, spinning classes have been around for years.  You're just now taking one?"  Yep.  Hey, a year ago you would have never caught me in a spinning class.  It took me six weeks to get up the nerve to go.  Let me give you a play by play on how it went.

6:55 - arrive at class and I have to take the front row because the back row is full.  Now everyone gets to watch  my wide rear while I stumble through the class.  Oh joy.  (Note of sarcasm here).

7:00 - we start pedaling and stretching and I'm thinking "Hey, I think I'll be able to do this.  This won't be so bad."

7:10 - I'm sneaking peaks at the clock.  It's only been 10 minutes!?

7:15 - Sweat is pouring off me.  Is it even possible to sweat this much in 15 minutes?

7:20 - My legs and butt are on fire.  I can't decide which is worse.  Standing up to pedal and killing my legs or having to sit down after pedaling.  I'm pretty sure someone has replaced my bike seat with a dry skinny piece of jagged wood.  I'd turn around to look but I'd fall off the bike if I did.

7:30 - Everyone is standing up to peddle at crazy speeds.  I am peddling like I'm stuck in the mud.

7:32 - Everyone is still peddling standing up and I'm sitting down.  Of course now we're back to the butt pain problem.

7:40 - I close my eyes hoping to give the impression that I'm in the zone, but I'm really just praying that God will grant me some out of body experience.  He doesn't.

7:50 - the class is finally over and I did it!  I'm not sure I have the energy to even get off the bike and walk out of the room; but the class is over and I survived.  Yes I will be crawling on the floor by this time tomorrow.  I may have to sit on a doughnut pillow for the next few days.  I might have to put myself on an ibuprofen drip to walk up and down the stairs but I made it through the class!  The crazy thing is I'm actually looking forward to going back and seeing if I can accomplish a little bit more.  Thank goodness I have six days to recuperate.

The Substitute

Tonight something we saw on TV sparked a conversation with Kendall about blended families.  These conversations usually lead into a discussion about how Kendall is related to my dad and step-dad.  While talking she says, "Now, I just want to make sure; you guys are not my substitute parents right?  Because if you were I would be so upset you didn't tell me!"  Ummm...I think she meant step-parents.  It's always cute when kids misuse words.  However, there is something about them misusing more complicated words as they get older that makes it even sweeter.

Power in the Blood

For the past couple of weeks, the kids and I have been singing "Power in the Blood" complete with up tempo music and hand motions.  The girls have really gotten into it and have been hoping the worship team would sing it at church.  We have prayed it will be sung at church the past couple of weeks.  Sunday comes and pouting faces turn to me as music times end and there has been no "Power in the Blood".  Kendall asked me, "Mom, why won't God answer my prayer?"  Oh, if only I could count how many times I've asked the same question.  I just tell her that we have to trust God knows what he's doing even if it doesn't make sense at the time.  Maybe someone else needed to hear a different song more than we needed to hear "Power in the Blood".  I wish I had enough wisdom about praying through disappointment to help my kids handle it better.  I remember when we decided to move back to Kentucky that Lexington was at the bottom of my list.  The VERY bottom.  I even told Byron not to look at jobs in Lexington because I didn't feel we'd be happy there.  Look where God led us anyway?  I remember loading up the moving van and thinking it was a mistake.  I thought the house I picked to rent was a mistake.  I was on the fence about Byron switching jobs.  I was on the fence about whether we should homeschool the kids.  (FYI, spending a lot of time on the fence only leads to a sore behind.  My advice; pick a side.).  Things did not go as I had envisioned and I was disappointed.  Why hadn't God answered my prayers?  He didn't know my wants and needs at all.  Yet here I am six months later (yes, it's been six months already!) with a house that meets our needs, a safe neighborhood full of nice neighbors, kids that are asking to do more studies when the school work is done for the day.  Okay that doesn't happen EVERYDAY, but at least once a week.  A new town with some great adventures to discover and some great people to hang out with.  We are genuinely happy here; which surprises the heck out of me.  So at the risk of getting all preachy here, what part of your life are you not allowing God to answer your prayers?  Are you like me and holding out for what YOU think is the perfect situation?  Are you ready to let go of what you THINK God wants you to and allow Him to DO what he wants to do?  His plans can be scary.  They'll move you out of your comfort zone.  It can be awkward, stressful, and feel like you're back in middle school at some times.  Aren't His plans for you worth it?  My prayer for you today is to let God handle something in your life that you really want.  Let Him take you to a place that doesn't make sense to you.  He's got more brain power than you.  I speak as a 100% satisfied prayer warrior.  You won't be disappointed.

Shiny Crack

We have been having so much family fun the last few weeks.  The kids went to stay the weekend with Byron's parents a few weeks ago and they are STILL talking about it.  They are already asking to go back and I keep trying to hold them back to let Gramps recuperate from all the socializing!  Having four women in the house is hard, just ask Byron!  I got to spend a Saturday with my sisters in Louisville and have super fun girl time.  Then my grandmother came up to visit and keep us company while Byron was on the road.  All this within a couple of weeks!  I usually have to go 6-12 months without seeing my extended family.  Now I only have to go a few weeks.  It makes all the hard work to get here worth it.  I could just love 'em and hug 'em to death.  Plus my kids learn all kinds of new things.  For example, I was getting the little ones dressed after bath tonight and Kendall said, "I see a shiny crack!"  To which I replied, "Where did you hear that?"  Kendall says, "Nana, no wait....Great Granny."  I said, "Great Granny taught you to say 'shiny crack?"  Now, shiny crack is not anywhere near the end all be all of bad words.  I know it's really not that bad.  It just doesn't sound so great coming out of your 4 year old's mouth, ya know?  Plus my grandmother is as straight as an arrow.  If you tested her blood you'd find Southern Baptist DNA.  I'm not completely convinced that she taught the kids the phrase "shiny crack".  Kendall insisted they were reading a book that had a little boy with his diaper hanging down and she called it a "shiny crack".  It's more likely that I said it and don't remember or even MORE likely that Byron taught them.  I guess I will have to keep a special eye on Great Granny from now on.