TV

We've been without cable television for 1 week.

We've stopped shaking and surprisingly, we kinda like it.

We could not get cable installed at our home due to the large numbers of college students migrating to the university this week. We were forced into a two week hiatus.

We've also agreed to wait to purchase a tv for our living room until we get some gift cards in the mail. This will take 4-6 weeks. By that time, we may not want a tv in our family room.

Here's what we've been doing instead of killing our brain cells watching mindless crap.

*The laundry is done. It's folded and put away.
*The kitchen is clean.
*We've played outside in the inflatable swimming pool.
*We've taken walks.
*We've cooked together and ate together.
*We've talked and talked and talked.

We're more productive and well...our home is more peaceful. We don't have any idea what's going on in the rest of the world, but our little corner of it sure is happy.

Feeling it

This week Baby Girl *finally* started moving around more. I always heard that you feel movement much sooner with a second baby, but I wasn't. Now, I am.

At the ultrasound she was breech and I'm fairly confident that she still is. But she's moving and growing. What a sweet time this is!

Being thankful

Someone once said - "make your words sweet; you might have to eat them."

I am eating my words.

A few weeks ago we Texans were experiencing a drought. We needed rain. Well, God provided. It rained. And that evening our local newscaster announced - "with the rain comes more problems." I said during that time to no less than 10 people - "can't we ever just be thankful for something?"

It has been dry this summer - we need rain. However, this week I need it to be dry so my landscaper can put down grass in my yard and I can say good bye to the mudpit. Big sigh.

Look at this forecast - my yard that was suppose to be completed last Friday - will now be a mudpit until at least Thursday - maybe later. Once the rain stops, we have to give the sun time to do it's job.

I want to cry. I want to scream. I want to lay down on the floor with Sam and kick my feet. This stinks.

But...

It doesn't stink for the farmer whose crop is dying.

It doesn't stink for the golf course owner whose revenues depend on healthy turfs.

It doesn't stink for our employees who have been working in 105 degree weather.

So...

I will be thankful today for the rain. I will be thankful that I know the landscaper personally and that the job will be completed.

Goodbye old friend

Well, it happened. I killed my cell phone.

In the midst of the craziness Sunday, I dropped my cell phone in a cup of water. It sputtered, coughed, and tried to recover, but alas it found it's way heading to cell phone heaven.

I've had a love/hate relationship with it for a few months. Repeatedly, it insisted on hiding from me. This caused me much grief. :)

So - if you are trying to reach the Kenley Family - call Scott. He'll have one of his 582 phones on him, I'm sure. :)

STOP!!!

I need time to stop. Just for today. Would that be ok?

We have WAAAYYYY too much going on right now and I'm overwhelmed.

Breath...Breath...Breath.

It didn't work. :)

Last week Scott's grandfather died and we spent most of the week in his hometown saying good-bye. It was a sweet time with family and we were glad to see some old faces again. Scott's granddad had been suffering for some time and so it was a blessing to receive the news that God had called him home.

Then we moved.

Moving is stressful.

Remember that I'm pregnant - about 6 months now. I'm huge. I can't lift boxes. I can only boss. I didn't do a good job of that. I basically for about an hour on Saturday morning lost my mind. After a good hard cry though - things got moving.

Scott and I spent Saturday night in our new house - without hot water. It's the best camping experience I've ever had. Sam played with Honey and Papa in Waco. Thank God for grandparents.

Sunday we spend the day finishing up our move. Most of our things are in the house now - except for the kitchen. We're waiting for the builder to fix some things there before we move everything.

Sam was a trooper Sunday - he played well and hung in there for multiple trips to Lowes. :)

This week's to-do list looks like this:

*Finish moving kitchen

*Start punch list for builder

*Landscape yard - Thank you God for no rain yet today so we can get our grass down!

*Close on house - Praise that the underwriter has all the documentation now and hopefully by the end of the day we'll have a closing date set.

*Jenny has two night events this week - I don't like being away from Sam and Scott in the evenings, but these were unavoidable.

I have 5 workshops this week, 1 private client, and need to somehow cook dinner for Sunday School friends without a working stove. (Please dear gas company, come turn on our gas today.)

So - this post is scattered - my mind is scattered. If time could just stop for a little bit, I think I could catch up. Although I'd probaby just choose to sleep instead! :)

"Wuv You"

Sam has started saying love you this week, only it comes out more like "wuv you." It's so cute.

He's also rediscovered his manhood. We're in between diaper sizes right now, so his diapers are just big enough that he can pull them out a little and say hello to his friend. He acts amazed each time he manages to accomplish this task.

The other night we were headed to bed. Lately Sam's been sleeping with us. (This is a HORRIBLE habit! Don't let this happen to you! :) It started at a grandparent visit and we're waiting until the move into our house to break the habit.)

ANYWAY...

We were headed to bed with Sam sleeping in the middle.

He looked over at his Daddy, patted him, and said "Wuv you!"

He looked over at his Momma, patted me, and said "Wuv you!"

Then he patted the front of his diaper and said "night, night."

Scott and I were rolling with laughter!

A Summer of Pictures

The camera is back and going strong! I need to attempt to update our blog with some pictures. So hang on...there are going to be several today.

In June we took a family vacation to Estes Park, Colorado. It was so nice to enjoy some cooler weather for a few days. This was Sam's first trip to Colorado and he seemed to have a lot of fun.

Below are fishing pictures. Fishing is one of my favorite things to do in Colorado during the summertime. Dad and I used to wake up super early and go together when I was a kid. We always caught something, but mostly we'd talk. And talk and talk. Some good memories were made on the banks of those rivers. It was fun to watch Dad pass on that tradition to Sam. At first Sam really did not want the fish to come out of the water. He would cry and get really upset. However, he warmed up to the idea over the course of the week.


Scott teaching Sam how to set up the pole.


Mommy helping Sam get the placement just right.

Sam decided he'd had enough and wandered off to search for some bugs, probably.


Dad and Jenny fishing at the pond designed for kids 12 and under. I'm sure Sam was around somewhere!!!!

A Summer of Pictures

At the place we stay they have a Thursday morning mountainside breakfast. It's a great tradition and I was so happy to share it with Sam.

"When do we eat, Momma?"


Dad and Jenny.


The family, minus Scott the photogrpaher.

A Summer of Pictures

Some nights when I don't feel like cooking we load up and head to the local pizza parlor. Sam loves these nights. It's a small enough place that he can practically roam freely. Typically, there are only one or two families there on the nights we go. He really feels like a big kid when he climbs onto the arcade games!


Sam's first lollipop! He LOVED it! And thanks to the random kid at the next table who kept bringing them to us from the hostess' stand at the restaurant where we were eating, Sam got to enjoy three before his breakfast.


Smiling for the camera.


Just looking adorable.

I'm starting a list

I'm starting a very important list. The list of things I never thought I would say.

Sunday afternoon Sam and I were having lunch together (after a very long and wonderful nap from 12-2....my kid has finally figured out how much his mama needs a Sunday afternoon nap!). Scott had already gone to some friends house and Sam and I were planning to join him after we ate something.

Then it happened...

I looked at my sweet, sweet boy and said...

"Sam, do not put cheese in your ear!"

Who knew that's where shredded cheese was suppose to go?

Baby update: It's a.....

Girl! We are so excited to announce that the next Kenley baby is a girl! Scott and I were super shocked when we went to the ultrasound this past week. From earlier ultrasounds the dr had told us that it was likely a boy, but he was wrong. This baby is definately a girl! :)

Everything looked great on the ultrasound. While it's so exciting to find out the gender, we knew that this would be a big day for our baby - they looked at her heart, kidney's, spine, limbs, and brain. They took measurements and then they took more measurements. Everything was right on track. And we had no reason to fear because we can rest on Psalms 139.

Psalms 139:13
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb."

Baby Kenley is on target to arrive December 24th! I wonder if they bring babies born on Christmas to their mamas in stockings from the hospital nursery? :) lol - it's going to be a wonderful Christmas at our house.

This is an extra sweet surprise for us, too. Many of you know that before Samuel we lost two babies to miscarriages. We know that the second baby we lost was a girl. I wondered if I only had sons if I might always think about that daughter and wonder what it might have been like to share that mother/daughter connection. I feel such peace from God...almost like this gift is just a little extra special. You know what I mean? God is good.

Blogging making Titus 2 happen

Weird title, huh?

Check out the Bacak Nation blog today. The link is listed as one of my favorite blogs to read. The writer is talking about Deuteronomy 6 and she's got some great ideas on how to make bible study come alive for your family. I like her ideas - they are practical and fun.

I have to be careful, though. Sometimes I read other mom's blogs and I start comparing. And then I start to feel like I need to up my game. But not in a good way - not in a Titus 2 kinda way - but in a - "man, she's a great mom. I mean, a great mom. She's spending her whole day praying or folding laundry or planning how to love her husband more." I'm sure you see how messed up my perspective can get!

So...sometimes I have to take a break from reading other people's blogs. :)