A Masterpiece

Every night as I put the boys to bed I sing them this song. They both lay there in their bunk beds, sometimes singing along, sometimes being rowdy and not paying attention, sometimes half asleep.

Last night was particularly special as Caedmon was out with Andy so I put Sammy to sleep by himself. Instead of singing to him as he laid in bed, I held him in my arms...his head on my shoulder and arms and legs holding on like a monkey. I love to feel Sammy's love. And to feel him receive my love. It wasn't long ago (only a few months really) that he would squirm to get out of my arms if I ever tried to hold him this way. But now he melts in my arms and loves to be held. As I sang these words over him last night, I prayed that God would allow the meaning to penetrate deep into his soul and that he would know that he truly is a beautiful, priceless masterpiece.

Before you had a name
Or opened up your eyes

Or anyone could recognize your face,
You were being formed so delicate inside.
Secluded in God's safe and hidden place.

With your little tiny hands, and little tiny feet,
And little eyes that shimmer like a pearl.

He breathed in you His song,
and to make it all complete
He brought the masterpiece into the world.

You are a masterpiece.
A new creation He has formed
And you're as soft and fresh as a snowy winter morn.
And I'm so glad that God has given you to me.
Little lamb from God, you are a masterpiece. 

A Taste of the South

My mom grew up in the South. The deep South. We're talking the "Delta of Mississippi" South. Where the tidy rows of cotton fields stretch as far as your eyes can see and the selling price of a bale of cotton determines what kind of Christmas you'll have. If you have read the popular book, The Help, you have a picture of some of the things that were common in my mom's growing up years. My mom's family did have "Help", and let me clear, she was dearly loved and well taken care of. She was a valuable part of the family and worked for them from the time my mother was a child until I was a teenager. My grandmother and Mary Lee worked side by side in running the Dunaway household and there were plenty of things (my grandmother would readily admit) that Mary Lee did even better than her!

While there may be some things that could be criticized about the deep South in Mississippi, there is a way of life so thick with culture and tradition that it demands a little appreciation and admiration. Like the fact that an 8 year old girl would know how to properly set a table with fine china, crystal, linen napkins, and REAL silverware. Or that women would often get together to play a game of bridge at 3 in the afternoon. Or that it's not uncommon to plan the dinner for your own funeral before you die, making sure everything (especially the deviled eggs) are assigned to someone's care. You may not care about these things, but once you have seen it and experienced it, there is something to appreciate about it.

One thing that the South knows how to do is COOK! Not so much the "Cooking Light" or Weight Watchers version of cooking. But if you want to find some good 'ol comfort food to warm your soul, Southern Food is the way to go. The South...where macaroni and cheese is categorized as a vegetable. Where no meal is complete without at least one casserole. Where everything tastes better with cheese or barbecue sauce. And where it would be seen as absolutely rude (and unheard of) to end a meal without some type of dessert.

On that note, I would like to share with you my Grandmother Dunaway's Deluxe Pound Cake, straight from Hollandale, Mississippi. Please do not post a comment informing me of how many calories this one recipe contains. :-) Just bake it and blindly enjoy it! Think of it as a lesson in Southern Culture...

Grandmother's Deluxe Pound Cake

(Let butter and eggs get to room temperature.)

Cream:
2 sticks butter
3 cups sugar
1/2 cup Crisco

Add:
5 whole eggs (1 at a time)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. rum flavoring
1 tsp. coconut flavoring

Sift:
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Alternate adding to the batter the flour mixture and 1 cup of milk until all is added.

Pour in greased and floured tube pan or 2 loaf pans. Bake 90 minutes (or so) at 300 degrees.

Optional glaze once cake is cooled:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. almond flavoring

Serve with a dollop of Cool Whip and some fresh cut strawberries!

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

My college roommate (and one of my best friends in the whole world), Kendall, is expecting her first baby! To celebrate, some of the South Bay staff girls threw Kendall a shower this past weekend. Sanli, who is not officially on staff but might as well be, opened her home for the party. I gotta be honest, throwing parties like this typically isn't my cup of tea. But I had a great time helping with this one as it was, to me, an expression of my love & excitement for Kendall.

Get ready for picture overload because you know I have to show off all of our hard work!

The fabric for the tablecloth is the fabric Kendall chose for her nursery. 

That's where we got the theme for this shower. 

We had lots of hostesses that each contributed something special!

Kendall's mom SURPRISED her by flying in from Alabama for the shower.

Oh, how I love a good surprise!!!

So full of joy!

A special prayer of blessing for a special new mom!

A Day of Celebration

Yesterday was one of those days that I thought to myself, "I am so thankful to be a part of the work God is doing through South Bay Church." It was an amazing day with over 850 people in attendance and 33 baptisms! No matter what word pictures I tried to write in this post, nothing would be able to recreate the excitement, energy, and sense of God's presence that was there yesterday. 

Andy gave a challenge for anyone who had made a decision to follow Jesus but had not yet been baptized to take that step of obedience at the end of each service. Some people had come prepared to be baptized that day. Many decided on the spot. Some pumped their fists with excitement. Some climbed in that baptismal pool with a tear-streaked face. But no matter what, each person's baptism was celebrated with cheering, clapping, whistling, and such joyful laughter that it would cause unsuspecting tears to spring in your eyes.

In keeping with the theme of celebration, we had a trash-can drumline join the worship band on stage during one of the songs. They were incredible!

At the end of Andy's message, we watched the powerful video of Tien's story. Tien is a 17 year old who has been attending South Bay for 6 or 7 months now. I'll let her tell her own story...

I've watched that video at least 4 times now, and the line that always puts a lump in my throat is when she says that she's sad that her decision to follow Jesus has caused some division in her family but she says, "I know that I still love them, and I know that God is doing something new in me." Yes He is, Tien! The old has gone and the NEW has come. You are a beautiful new creation and I am so excited to see all that God continues to do in your life as you grow in Him!

Teamwork

This week Andy and I have been pulling off some major teamwork.

Poor Caedmon came down with the flu last Wednesday, has had fever as high as 104, and is still running a low-grade fever today making it a full 7 days. He has been quite a trooper. Sore throat, wretched cough, a little vomiting and the other stuff, plus a couple trips to the doctor... Nothing hurts a mama's (or daddy's) heart more than to see your little one hurt.

The boys and I have pretty much been quarantined at home for the past week as we are trying not to share our germs with the rest of the Silicon Valley. But quarantining a perfectly healthy 3-year old who already has boundless energy is a tall order. That's where the teamwork has come in.

I mentioned in my birthday letter to Sammy that we ended up having to call off Sammy's party and go to Plan B because of Caedmon's sickness. Both boys took it in stride without too much disappointment. Andy still took Sammy to Chuck-E-Cheese for the morning and Sammy thought it was extra special because he got to spend that time ALONE with Daddy.

Andy also took Sammy to church with him on Sunday while Caedmon and I cuddled on the couch. Another great outing for him.

But then there was Halloween. I thought for sure Caedmon would be better by Halloween. After all, that was Day 6! But no, his fever was still 101.

One of the Santos kiddos (Cailyn) was having a birthday party last night in conjunction with Halloween. The boys had been looking forward to it, but we didn't feel good about Caedmon exposing everyone else to his sickness. So once again, Super Andy flies to the rescue, and takes Caedmon out for some special boys time together. They got a milk shake, hit up a few houses for trick-or-treating, and came home early to watch a movie.  Sammy & I went to the birthday party and trick-or-treating with those friends. At the end of the night, both boys felt loved and had a great time.

 Buzz Lightyear & Optimus Prime

This is Caedmon's "I feel like crap but I don't want to miss out on trick-or-treating" face. 

This morning I thought Caedmon's fever was gone so I was going to try to run a couple errands with the boys because we are down to half a roll of toilet paper and one diaper. Everyone was dressed and ready but then Caedmon had a major meltdown. I think the thought of having to run errands was too much for him. Right at that moment Andy called. I said to him (in a shaky voice), "I don't know what to do. There are a few places that I really need to go." And so Andy (once again) put on his cape and helped me come up with a plan of how we could tag-team it and get it all done. I have one awesome husband!

Today I'm so thankful that:

1. Sammy, Andy, & I have somehow avoided this bug
2. I have an awesome husband who is willing to be a team player
3. the director maintenance for our apartments just came by to fix something and randomly asked, "When's the last time the leasing office had your carpets cleaned?" Uh, never! "Have you ever asked them?" Yup. And we get denied. "I'll send a team over on Monday to clean them for you!" Ahhhh, Peter! You just made my week!!! 

The timing could not have been more perfect because I was literally about to change into some cleaning clothes and start steam cleaning my carpets durning nap time today. YAY!