2 Timothy 1:5 ~
I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother and in your mother and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Follow this link to Baloney's blog and add your own Perfect Sunday Pairing!
Blessing: Uncle Zach
When Uncle Zach comes to town, it is like the rare look at a groundhog as he comes out of his hole or a admiring a blue moon that rarely appears in the sky. We do not get to see Tom's youngest brother very often, but feel so blessed to enjoy his company when he does come to visit. He lives in New York and travels the world, in fact is heading to Rio on Christmas day. We hope he comes back to see us very soon!
Blessing: Basketball
In a stretch of a basketball season more brutal than any I can remember the last 10 years, we have lost 3, count em, THREE players for the season to ACL tears. Unheard of. We have lost 2 to broken wrists and 1 to a high ankle sprain. 1 player quit the team. Though we may get back a couple of these guys in a week or two, right now we are down to 5 scholarship players. That hurts, not only for us, but for these kids, who eat and sleep basketball. Regardless of what is SEEN, the God we serve who is UNSEEN, can do anything. And a couple Wednesdays ago, he did just that. With our "Mighty 7" - this was before we lost 2 other players - we defeated Missouri of the Big 12 in the Mabee Center with a last second shot. Scoreboard and ESPN play below. We're counting our blessings on this one, and praying for other unexpected miracles. Cause we need them right now.
Blessing: O Christmas Tree
Did I mention I love our Christmas tree this year? Oh, how I love it! It makes me so joyous. So beautiful and fragrant and the fact that it was all Tom's doing makes it that much more beautiful in my eyes. I'm trying to get the full effect of every pine needle.
Blessing: I got a job!!
Yes, this may be one reason my blog has been so neglected lately; however, it is a great job for me. I am working in half-time position as Gifted/Talented Coordinator at Jenks East Intermediate - helping with enrichment for 6th grade students. I just so happen to be partnering with a very, very good friend who works with the 5th graders. I am still getting adjusted to working and managing everything, but the blog will NOT be put on the chopping blog nor will reading your blogs, though I haven't been able to read lately. Sorry! 
Blessing: Bunco Babes
My new friend Tiffani (pictured on the left), who should win the Nobel Peace Prize for uniting people, put together a Bunco Group. New to our city, she has pulled 16-20 of us together for this very fun activity! I have never been in a Bunco group before, and never really had time for much "me" time, so I am loving the time with my new Bunco friends! (Many of whom are also from my and Tiffani's church!) 
Blessing: O Christmas Tree
Never in the history of my very fine marriage to Tom has he been around for the decorating of the tree. Ok, maybe he was around a couple of times, but slept through it on the couch. This year, however, not only was he around (a miracle in and of itself), but he went and picked out a tree, brought it home and helped us decorate it!!! We have always used an artificial tree, so can I tell you how awesome it is to come home to the fresh pine smell everyday? Tom so made my Christmas this year by picking out the perfect tree for our family. Thank you basketball for allowing him to be available! I love our tree with all my heart! 
The blessings keep flowing abundantly... more to come tomorrow!
Here are some pictures of Cancun in no particular order because I am too crazy to rearrange them and if I would've been smart I would have uploaded them in the preferred order but I didn't so now they are all helter skelter and don't really tell a story but I can't worry about it because it is December 5th and this week of vacation in Cancun was so wonderful but put me behind Christmas-wise and the only thing I have done to this point is my Christmas cards, which is great, but there is not one, I repeat not one Christmas item up, they are all still in my attic. Deep Breath. So not as to neglect the documenting of our family story, I add these pictures with a few phrases to help me to remember in the future what fun filled experiences we had in Cancun, Mexico in November 2009.
Hallie and Kami on the beach,
Luke relaxing in a hammock.
Kami and Tom taking in the deep blue expanse.
Preparing to Parasail!
Gotta love birds that dive headfirst into the water for their lunch.
Game Time!
Luke and Josh poolside.
Hallie has excited eyes while parasailing!
Fun with sand.
We love our players.
Thanksgiving Day fun? Wet and Wild Water Park
The kindergarten crew.
Luke and Lauren by the Palms
Don't palm trees make nice background?
Looking for shells our last morning in Cancun.He's a madman I tell you!
Every since we returned from our 6 day stay in Cancun, Luke can think of nothing and I mean nothing but Legos. It's as though he's taking one long drag on his Lego cigarette. Ahhhhhh!
Saturday, while Tom and I unpacked, did laundry, cleared out the Thanksgiving decor, etc., Luke made Lego creations FROM 9 AM to 9 PM. Twelve hours of Legos. No breaks. No commercials. No kidding. The child didn't even want to eat. Yesterday was no different, although I did have to to force him get out of the house to visit Granny and Gran Carolyn. That was like extracting his toenails.
Then yesterday evening, I began to find some strange items around the house.
A screwdriver. 3 tiny screws. 
And the remainder of this little basketball prism that lights up and twirls around on a base in his room. He uses it as a night light.
Or should I say USED it as a night light.
On the beach in Cancun, Mexico looking for shells and waiting for the sunrise....
God's brilliant splendor fills the heavens, and the earth is filled with his praise. His coming is as brilliant as the sunrise. Rays of light flash from his hands, where his awesome power is hidden.
~Habbakkuk 3:3b-4
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On our way to Cancun, we got to experience the newfangled x-ray machine at our local airport that looks like something Captain Kirk may have used. Forget the good old walk through xray. On by one, we stepped into an intimidating looking cylinder. We each had to space our feet apart and form our hands, strangely, into a diamond shape on top of our heads. Then, a whirring panel circled around until somebody in uniform yelled "clear!"
I didn't get the magic word "clear," but instead was whisked into a separate holding area, apparently for terrorists and moms alike. I stood there on the mat, my naked feet placed into the printed shoe outlines with my arms straight out in surrender. "Just relax ma'am," said the guard. How could I relax when I feared that someone may perform a body cavity search at any second?
At that same time, another guard notified me that I needed to watch him search one of our bags that had come through the x-ray machine. "Ok!" I said, relieved, dropping my arms. "Don't move," barked the first TSA official, "You are not clear!" 2 seconds later, he bulleted, "CLEAR."
I walked over to the bag searching area. The bag in question was Ellie's black carry-on, covered with neon colored peace signs. Did they think a bomb would be planted in a bag covered with peace signs? He began disassembling the contents of Ellie's bag with his rubber-gloved hands. Remember, this is Ellie we are talking about. The one who wore an elf hat the whole 12 hour journey to our destination. The one who loves gadgets of any kind. A strange little soul. Knowing her bag was being searched and picturing herself thrown in jail, Ellie's face soon matched her hat. 
He slowly pulled the following items out of her bag:
1 pair of large binoculars.
1 Nintendo DS case with a variety of games
1 pair of neon green vampire teeth
2 large bouncy balls
2 chapter books
1 small etch a sketch
3 rubber rats - 2 black and 1 grey
1 dog wallet
1 duck tape wallet
1 large white and black spotted leopard stuffed animal
and finally, he fished out....
1 pair of metal handcuffs.
Dangling them in front of my face, a smile spread over his.
"THIS," he said, stifling a laugh, "is the problem."
At that point the whole line of officers burst out laughing, as Ellie began panicking.
The tension finally broke and we all tried to reassure Ellie that everything was OK.
She was not going to jail, she was going to go to Cancun and she had probably made everyone's day. As we walked off, the head officer joked with my mom from his platform, "hey lady, are you the one who brought the handcuffs?" "No!" she yelled back, "can you guess who it is? The one in the elf hat!"
Little did mom know that her time was coming. On our way home from Cancun, she was pulled into a separate area and searched with a metal detector not once but TWICE! Can you picture that scene? The officer waving the wand over every part of her body and mom fit to be tied. At least we got a good laugh from it all!
We have been at Moon Palace in Cancun, Mexico for the last 6 days.
Once November hits, my world spins a little faster than normal.
Basketball season arrives.
If I could cuss on my blog, I would do that now.
Because (insert cuss word), it can really be tough on a family.
Yes, I am thankful my husband has a job. I am thankful I have a husband. I am thankful for health. Believe me, I am counting my blessings.
But allow me to whine for just one moment, will you? Because being married to a coach can really be (insert cuss word) sometimes.
The traveling. The losing. The injuries. The missing. The pressure. The stress. The unknown. The busyness. The absentness. The lonliness. The future. (insert cuss word)
I get this way every season. You think I'd get used to it. But it's hard to get used to your heart getting stripped dry. It is hard to get used to putting up the Christmas lights by yourself for the 14th year in a row. It is hard not to feel sad again when I turn on the radio and hear that the Golden Eagles have lost a game.
But every year, this year being no exception, God humbles me and reminds me that this is where he wants me. It is not coincidence that the dark and cold days of fall and winter are the days I am seeking His face most. It is in fact a privelege... because left to my own devices I would most certainly, certainly try to do it all on my own.
But November levels me. Reminds me.... I need God. I need Him on a very real and personal way. I need Him more than my fleeting prayers and my Sunday sermons and my quick look at His Word. I need Him like I need my next breath.
Basketball season gives me the opportunity to experience Him working in a very real and powerful way in my life. Giving me strength (and patience!) to deal with 3 demanding kids on my own. Giving me wisdom to understand that my life really does not depend on 12 college basketball players, but Him alone. Giving me more faith each and every year. I can feel it growing. It does hurt. But it's just a few faith growing pains. Reminding me that "the rock" is not that round orange ball, as it is sometimes called, but HIM.
He is my rock.
Then come the blessings. The assurance. The peace. They do come. Not immediately. Not at all immediately. Annoying slowly actually. But in His time.
I have a feeling I am not the only one. We all have the things that bring us to our knees. I want you to know I can relate. When you think you are the only one struggling with whatever. Just know I struggle too.
Deep breath.
The cussing is over for now. I am determined to trust in the Lord with all my heart and rely not on my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledge Him and He will direct my paths. I pray you do the same.
My prayer for our children:
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle
~Romans 12:9-10 (The Message)
Follow this link to Baloney's blog and add your own Perfect Sunday Pairing!
I opened my window
and pushed out the screen.
Had to capture a picture of the
blazing fire outside my bedroom window,
while it's still burning.
Hot!
Perhaps that post title sounds a little racy.
Just trying to be a little creative here.
The local aquarium has HallowMarine
and the zoo has Hallowzooeen.
This is the Hankins' family version! Hankoween.
One blogging challenge is how to make the same types of pictures from annual events fresh and interesting every year.
I am blogging my FOURTH Halloween! I am excited about that fact, but aware that Halloweens 2006, 2007, and 2008 could look scarily like the Halloween of 2009, just different costumes.
Traditions:
We always go to a Halloween party with my sister and her family before Halloween, followed by a grab bag of Halloween parties and decorating cookies at Granny's house. Finally, we have the visit to Granny's on Halloween Eve and then Trick or Treating in the Mackey's neighborhood, followed by a quick strike back in our own neighborhood. It is just about the most fun a kid could have. And with the weather this year, I was feeling the fun... it was absolutely gorgeous... plus there were no heavy winter coats messing with the presentation of my kids' costumes.
Speaking of that... what is up with my kids' choices of costumes?
I guess Luke's choice was pretty typical for a 6 year old boy... he always wants to be mean or scary... this year he was Cobra from the G.I. Joe show....? I have no idea who that is, really. Could be a character of a serial killer for all I know.
Then Ellie chose to be a nerd. I told her she didn't have to dress up to be a nerd. She could just go as herself. Ha ha. She was cracking us up with her suspenders, taped up glasses and pens in her pocket. She collected her Halloween candy in a backpack. Here she is with her cousins, Ana and Hallie. Look how DARLING they both look, and then, there's my nerd. One thing she does have is personality!
And Kami got this totally original idea to be duck tape girl. Duck tape seems to be "the thing" this year... the girls at school are making duck tape bracelets and covering their notebooks in duck tape. If you didn't know already, duck tape (as opposed to duct tape) comes in a plethora of colors. Even plaid. Kam fashioned her costume out of some old clothes and orange, pink and purple duck tape. The costume was actually about $ 40.00 cheaper than the Cobra dude that Luke dressed up as.... she also has a silver duck tape bow and a striped duck tape cape. Here Duck Tape Girl is with her friend Goldilocks at a Halloween party.
I thought my girls both looked cute and their costumes were just right for each of them. However, for just once could they possibly look like my sister's children? Just once, put on a frilly skirt and revel in their girlishness? Pleeeease?
I call them the three pretty princesses, because that is what they are. Gorgeous. Adorable. Princessy. Precious. And such a contrast to my nerd, my duck tape girl and my... um... cobra man. 
Take a look at an up close contrast: the nerd and the ballerina. Sigh. I've given in to it. 
Don't get me wrong... I adore my kids just as they are. I am not going to squeeze their fanny cheeks into a frilly costume they don't want to wear. I might consider it though! ;-) Costume choice is just a funny part of our Hankoween.
So is all the other fun stuff, like getting Boo'd. Did any of you get Boo'd? That is when someone comes and leaves you Halloween treats at night. They ring your doorbell and run away. Then, you return the favor to someone else. My kids got Boo'd and they Boo'd some friends. These lovely teeth above were from one of our fun boos. 
Like the eyeball cookies we made this year? Ellie called this her "Here's Looking at You" cookie. 
Possibly the cutest Halloween costumes I saw were the Oompa Loompa and Willy Wonka, which further proves my point. My kids don't have to be frilly, just coordinated! That would work for me! I am not getting bitter... just sayin'....
Eating some severed finger gummies. Oh so yummy.
The spookiest house in the neighborhood... visiting it is a Hankoween tradition.
Kami and her purple skittle of a sweet friend. 
This picture just kind of sums up our Hankoween. The preciousness of time with friends and family. Showing love and attention to others. Having a zest for life and breathing in each second.....
.... even if it is with my Cobra man, my nerd and my duck tape girl.
