though i did consume a healthy amount of fruit while i was there,
which might be why i am thinking of casa de fruta}.
outfit numero uno
top~ maui {you'll have to go there to get one}
jeans~ kohls.
flops~ uhhhh, where are my flops?
outfit numero two-oh
{apparently i speak "spanglish" today}
top~ kohls
shorts~ old navy
necklace~ lisa leonard
flops~ flojos
outfit numero three
is on video!
{gracias to my camera crew, señora lindsey.
stacy & clinton from "what not to wear" should be very afraid of tlc's next hit, wiww!}
i never know what to wear when i am meeting blog people.
{i've met 8 blog people so far. meeting lots more at blog sugar next month!!}
however, i've "known" linda in blogville for 3 years...
i knew when it came down to it we didn't care what the
other person was "wearing wednesday,"
we really just wanted to finally SEE and WRAP OUR ARMS AROUND
each other!
linda, it felt like we were long time friends.
what a gift our time together was.
can we have a meet up every week? please!!
i promised linda, i wouldn't video...
i lied.
pop over to linda's at thoughts on these things,
say "hello" and tell her denise sent you!
you will love her,
i promise!
we had a FABULOUS time together!
each one of these girls was even MORE BEAUTIFUL {inside & out} in person
than in blogville {i didn't think that was possible}.
being with them was an ABSOLUTE JOY!
i asked my husband before i left if i should vlog the meet-up.
his response was, "NO!"
we both agreed that a completely different denise comes out when the video camera is on
{need proof? pop yourself a large bowl of popcorn and visit here,here,
i certainly did not want to scare these girls away.
HOWEVER...
after dinner when we arrived at our desert destination,
kim mentioned a vlog of mine that she had recently viewed...
"SHOULD I VLOG NOW?" i asked,
and without waiting for the answer the camera was out...and so was i!!!
you're welcome.
you know what happens if you give denise a video-camera...
she'll vlog all sorts of video non-sense.
here we are later hang'n at wendy's casa.
saying goodbye wasn't too gut-wrenching because
there are only
46 days, 2hrs, and 2minutes till i see these girls again at blog sugar!!!
{but who's counting}
have any of your blog friends become real life friends?
who would you most like to meet {other than me, of course}?
{"j" and i. our kids- our girls are now the same age we were when we met. crazy}
julie has lived on the other side of the world in virgina for 15yrs {blah}
{the other side of the world is a meany for stealing her}.
if i'm lucky i get to see julie once a year {double blah}.
this year i was lucky!
julie knows i am supersentimentalsappy.
so she wasn't at all surprised when i drove through our old stomping grounds
while blasting tunes from 1986. "i wanna be a cowboy and you can be my cowgirl... yippee yippee yi, yippee yi yo yo."
{we are from the "cowboy capitol of the world" so this song is totally appropriate}
here we are at the old Oakdale Jr. High School
we met in 1986 in Mrs. Rowland's Music/Drama class.
in 86' julie totally rocked the skater look
{her bangs were longer post pictures}
while i attempted to
soar into jr. high popularity with my feathers
{obviously i failed}.
next we headed over to good ol' Oakdale High School.
{we were attempting to get jumping pictures, but gravity wouldn't let us}
oh, the memories!
"there's fungus among us," homecomings, drama with mr. oksen, dance with ms. usher,
crushes on boys, spiral perms, guess jeans, keds, tanning lotions that turned us orange,
This month has been PACKED FULL of living in community goodness!
And let me tell you, we needed it!
We had been hibernating for months; knowing this was a "winter season" for these too-committed people to be dormant {It was coming strangely easily to us, so we knew it was God's will for a time}. But just as March ushers in Spring, so too has God been ushering in a new season in our lives. A season where not of ourselves, but of Him, we take pleasure in the simplicity of community.
"You have not chosen one another, but I have chosen you for one another."
i'm joining blog friend kristen with another week {or two} of joys (btw- kristen is hosting a give-away at her blog}.
i'm the mom that wants her kids to think she's cool {"cool" for me equals off the wall, silly, spontaneous, and playful. note webster's definition of "cool" is entirely different than mine}.
however like all mommies i get caught up in laundry, school work, bills, "training them in the way they should go," disciplining, and the daily droll of life, thus the playful/joyful side of me becomes non-existent.
when i am out of sorts with that playful side of me i feel that i am in a "cool mommy" deficit.
i loose what brings me joy...
me bringing my family joy.
i want to be a source of their joy {not The source, but a source}.
so i kicked my "cool" up a notch.
breakfast date with my kids; french toast n' bacon, chocolate milk, playing skip-bo and uno, and being told "you're so cool mommy" 50 times {back in the saddle again}.
breakfast date continued at the bowling alley.
30 more "you're so cool mommy" praises.
noah is 12 {hence the smug look on his face. the age 12 is the top reason i am in the "you're a cool mommy" deficit} finding joy with a jr. higher is becoming increasingly more difficult. awe, but it is not impossible, i just have to be more intentional about finding it, spreading it, living in it!
noah playing pinball with the "king of rock'n' roll." a girl i knew in high school decorated her room in elvis paraphernalia. in 1990. weird, right?
that girl was me!
a much needed double date night with friends, eric & michelle.
pf chang's, 3 rounds of lazer tag, and dessert at marie callendar's.
my lazer tag name was "swpdalgjny" {sweep the leg johnny, watch this video if you don't get it}.
and that yummmmmyyyy brownie sunday with michelle.
michelle and i scored "your the coolest wife" praises from our husbands for planning an awesome date {i'm never in a "cool wife" deficit with michael because he is crazy about me}.
i do a little side job for someone from home. it's mindless busywork that can be done while homes schooling or watching gilmore girls {or "glamor girls" as josie refers to them}.
this side job is paying for michael and i to go to MAUI this summer to celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary!!! just anticipating joy brings joy. i have enough saved so we can go. woot woot! child care is arranged so we can go, yipeee!! now i need to work on saving for meals, outings, and souvenirs (like a t-shirt that says my parent's went to maui and all i got was this shirtfor my kids).
breakfast courtesy of the kitchen of lorelai and rory gilmore; rice krispies and mini marshmallows... they're magically delicious, and equal a dozen more "your so cool mommy" accolades!
finally, michael went snow-camping with my our good friend jeff this past weekend {crazy menfolk!}. snow-camping would bring me absolutely no joy, however it brings my husband TONS of joy, and that makes me joyful.
while they trekked through blizzards and slept in what might as well have been an igloo, jeff's car "ginger" was parked in my driveway.
Me: Josie, come sit with me, let me hold you for a while.
(Josie crawls up in my lap and I cradle my baby who is one week away from her 9th birthday.
I kiss her soft cheeks, close my eyes, press rewind on the years, and imagine us in a rocker almost 9 yrs ago).
Me: Your birthday is in a week.
Josie: I know.
Me: Don't grow up.
Josie: I have to. You wanted to grow up when you were little.
Me: Yes I did... but I had to grow up so I could be your mommy.
Josie: {pulls me close and whispers} I have to grow up so I can be "Elise Denise's" mommy.
Me: Yes. I hope you will feel about your children as I do about you.
Josie: {smiles} I will.
Me: You will love them so much it feels like your heart will explode.
Josie: {smiles} I know I will.
Friday 2/04
A much needed 1hr 42 minuet phone conversation with blog friend turned real life friend, Kristen. She loves me. I love her.
Watching videos from when the kids were little (birthdays always make me sappy).
Friday Evening
Me: (after playing my guitar and singing for a bit) I love playing my guitar and singing.
Noah: It's your medicine, your "mommy medicine."
Me: How did you know?
Noah: I just know.
Later this message from Emilie was left for me on my cup of vanilla chai tea.
Saturday 2/05
Saturday morning breakfast and cartoons at the Hilliard's new home (so glad to finally have friends that live near by)!
Getting acquainted with a new neighbor who found herself in our yard chasing her new dog. I asked what brought her and her husband to live here in "the middle of no where." She shared that her parents live up the road in one direction, and her sister (whose home she described) down the road in the other (I know this is a dull story, but I have a purpose for sharing it).
Sunday 2/06
After church (which is 45 min. from our home) we traveled to another town (another 25 min) to pick up a traction table we found on Craigslist (the traction table is for my back (woot woot!). I used one in physical therapy and it brought me incredible relief). We arrived at the home of an adorable newlywed couple, Nick and Nicole (too cute) to purchase the traction table, and got to talking. We discovered the sweet couple loves Jesus too (always a delight), and then got to talking about where we are from. We mentioned that we lived outside of Oakhurst (not giving detail where because it is in "the middle of no where" and would be pointless). Nicole mentioned her parents live near a lake by "the middle of no where. " We discovered they live on our road! CRAZY. Nicole went on to describe her parent's home... SHUT UP! That is when Michael and I looked at each other and said, "NO WAY!" Are you putting two and two together blog friend?? Nicole's mother is the sister of the neighbor we just talked to YESTERDAY! Of course we told Nick and Nicole all about the conversation we had the day before with her AUNT! Nicole was thrilled to discover we are her aunt and uncle's neighbors, and shared that they pray for them to come into an intimate relationship with Jesus.
So long story short (in case I lost you) we live in "the middle of no where," and met our also "live in the middle of nowhere" neighbor one day, and had a conversation... then we drove to another "middle of no where" town the next day only to meet the relative of our "middle of no where" neighbor!
And why? WHY?
Here's what I know... God is intimately woven/ intertwined/ and about the details of our lives.
He has a purpose. Something is up. ... Use us for your glory God.
Sunday Afternoon
SUPER EATING SUNDAY (a.k.a. Superbowl Sunday)!
The one day a year I can wear my barely used powder-puff jersey (I only signed up to play to get the jersey anyway) and devour...
Sliders, "pigskins" in a blanket, taquitos, tortilla chips w/ black bean salsa and/or guacamole, "don't give me that so so soda..i wanna rock'n rolla" Shasta Soda...followed by chocolate fondue with strawberries, bananas, angel food cake and marshmallows for dipping!
It's been 2 days and I still have a tummy ache.
Monday 2/07
A day with Ginger while the kids skied with daddy and the grandparents. It is good to have a friend that takes you just as you are; under construction, and sees walls coming down in your soul, new rooms being added on, staircases being demolished. It is good to have a friend that delights in the building process more than the finished product.
Tuesday 2/08
2 words...ROLLER SKATING!!
I'm anticipating joy as tonight kicks off Josie's birthday (Feb 10th) festivities!
We share the same history; "For God so loved the world HE GAVE His only son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."
(Dinner at El Cid Wed. Feb 2, to Celebrate Tami's 49th birthday, and to honor our beloved sister, Amy).
Each one of them part of my body, which is His body.
Each one of us created in His image; created for His glory.
They have His eyes. They walk by "faith not by sight," embracing the Good Shepherd's mysterious ways. See in others what they cannot see in themselves- redemption.
They have His ears. They listen. Bear with one another. They hear the beat of His heart, and walk to the rhythm of that beat; metronomes inspiring each other to "tune our hearts to sing God's praise."
They have His mouth. They open their mouths and let the Lord out. They speak truth over lives.
They have His arms. They draw you in close; wrapping one another in Comforter, Life-Sustainer, Savior.
They have His hands. They give what was never theirs. They hold what is His.
They have His feet; beautiful feet that bring good news. News of hope and grace.
They have His knees. Knees that fall to the earth in intercession. Knees that fall to the earth in humility and weakness. They Exalt the LORD, ask for wisdom from the One who gives generously, and hope in the LORD our God.
Like me, they fail. Fail themselves, their families, each other. But Grace never fails them.
We are God-sisters.
The blood of Jesus that was shed for us for the redemption of our sins flows through the veins of each of our souls.
In Him we are one body.
Part of each other.
As one we feel the anguish that comes from the brutal loss of one of our limbs.
We ache for union with her; our dear God-sister.
We know that part of us will be forever missing this side of heaven.
This grieves us.
But despair does not own us.
We KNOW that "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
Jesus has overcome death!!!
Each one of us is reconciled to God through the cross.
"Mommy, do you have your camera?" One child asked.
"Oh, I just want to stay here and look at it!" Were his words.
"It looks like a sea of marshmallows," Was her response.
"The sky is purple! Purple!" He shouted.
"I want to live right here!" He exclaimed.
They squealed with delight over the majesty of the sea of fog blanketing our view of the earth; prompting me to 4-wheel it to a spot of earth that seemed to be carved out of a hillside just for us for that moment.
As I parked and the kids exited the vehicle, a song...
"How lovely is your dwelling place, Oh Lord Almighty My Soul waits, and even faints for you. For here my heart is satisfied Within your beauty I sing beneath the shadow of your wings. Better is one day in your courts, Better is one day in your house, Better is one day in your courts than thousands else where."
The Spirit said, "Stop. Listen."
The lyrics would be food for my aching soul later.
The kids didn't know they were pleading with me to let them worship the Creator, but I knew.
I knew we were entering into worship as we stood on that hillside.
I knew we were beholding the majesty of the Maker.
Who tonight allowed the earth to be blanketed in a billowing sea of thick fog.
But Who also brilliantly displayed His wonder and glory as the the sun set on the horizon that rested upon that deep sea.
I knew they were worshiping.
I didn't tell them.
Father knew.
Worshiping beside them I didn't know how desperately I too needed to enthrone (to place in a position of authority or influence; to assign supreme virtue or value to) One-True-God.
Father knew.
I stood in the fading light on that bit of land, and thought (but now know heard), "there is bitter-cold, gloom, despair in that sea... but above it, in it, over it, GOD REIGNING!
The Spirit leading me to look beyond the fog towards Savior.
Later at home
a phone call.
Words too painful to speak,
devastating to hear.
"She's gone."
A precious sister-in-Christ and dear friend.
One who has spoken truth over my life too many times.
Who has lead by example as a mother and wife, delighting in her family.
Who has embraced ALL God's people with tenderness and compassion,
glorifying Him with her own life...
gone.
"How lovely is your dwelling place, Oh Lord Almighty My Soul waits, and even faints for you."
Please join me, fight with me, hope with me in prayer for a husband, a daughter, and a son.
Pray with me for siblings, nieces, nephews, friends, a church and a community.
#1. Josie's "Talint Show Starring Josie." 7 acts, singing, dancing, piano, complete with costume changes. This kid, she CRACKS. ME. UP. almost as much as she cracks herself up!
#2. Studying the book of Isaiah (BSF). This weeks' words tenderly convicting me to place my energy in what stands forever- the word of God. Nudging me to shout, "Here is your God!" rather than cowering out of fear of offending someone. Finding comfort in our Sovereign LORD and Gentle Shepherd.
And I said, “What shall I cry?”
“All people are like grass,
and all their faithfulness is like the flowers of the field.
The grass withers and the flowers fall,
because the breath of the LORD blows on them.
Surely the people are grass.
The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
You who bring good news to Zion,
go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God!” See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,
and he rules with a mighty arm.
See, his reward is with him,
and his recompense accompanies him.
He tends his flock like a gentle shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
#3. Sunshine. Glorious, wonderful, SUNSHINE!
#4. After having "the talk" with Noah a few months ago, we have continued to pray that his perception of "pseques" (yes, I'm talking about sex), and intimacy would grow to be healthy and godly.
His Jr. High Sunday school class is currently teaching from the Song of Solomon. The teachers are leading with wisdom, sensitivity, and honesty. As a result we have had amazing conversations with Noah regarding marriage, worship (intimacy with God), and sex. His maturity and what is being firmly planted in him BLESSES US! Makes our mommy and daddy hearts so glad.
I tell you this to encourage some of you who haven't entered this stage yet to PRAY. God has been so faithful to go before, alongside, and behind us in this.
And just in case you're as much of a chicken as I was about this subject let me recommend this lengthy but helpful book, A Chicken's Guide to Talking Turkey With Your Kids About Sex by Kevin Leman (The title totally suited me).
#5. After weeks of longing for community a friend "stopped by" for 3 hours! No one ever stops by our house because we are located in "Novascotia near Timbuktu." The likelihood decreases when gas is $3.40 per gl (let me just give a big AGHH to that)! But she did! and I needed to breath in her presence. The Spirit of someone else meeting with make-up less, ordinary, foggy hearted me. Thank you Julie!
#6. J.A.R. (Jones, Allen, Rogers) dinner night; Mexican pizza, laughter, a game of pick-up-sticks, pistachio ice cream and cookies, a cozy chair by the fire, quiet conversation, finding home in each other.
#7. Bunko night with the ladies, old friends and new. I am the "Dice Whisper," whispering to the dice the numbers I need in each toss. My whispering powers work 20% of the time.
#8. While preparing dinner with Noah he brought up a favorite tune from his littleboyhood. I proceeded to find the old c.d., crank it up, and loudly sing and air-guitar for my almost teenage boy Jesus Freak by D.C.Talk. As is the Jr. High custom Noah rolled his eyes and pretended to be utterly annoyed by my strange existence. Later however when his sisters returned from their outside play Noah cranked up the same song and fully expected another performance from his mom, which he got. "People say I'm strange does that make me a stranger if my best friend was born in a manger."
#9. TWO KID FREE DAYS IN A ROW! The girls went skiing with Michael Monday, and today all three had school (girls have all day classes 2x a month). What did I do? Me shopping and lunch at Panera one day, and a dentist appt. followed by lunch with two girlfriends today, which became more of a comedy show as I attempted to chat and eat while my mouth was half numb with novacain (note to self- don't schedule dental appt. on no kid days. however i won't complain about my dentist, as he is very handsome and very free- perks of being married to his son).
#10. Josie: Mommy, why do they call it Super Bowl? Me: because of all the super bowls of food!
Only 12 more days till "SUPER EATING SUNDAY!" What's on your Super Bowl Menu? I'm thinking Sliders, Onion Rings, Ruffles n' Dip, Pigs-in-a-Blanket, Chili, Tortilla Chips n' Queso, and bottles of Tums and self-respect for the day week after.
if you have 14 minutes with nothing better to do than watch this lengthy movie from a little surprise birthday gathering thrown for me.
in the video (which i should have aired as a vlog mini-series because it is so long) i am blessed with the filling of a jar (J.A.R. is the name of a dinner night we have on occasion which includes the Jones, Allen, and Roger's families).
My love language is "words." The best gift i could ever receive are words of blessing...and michael's homemade heath toffee crunch/homemade caramel/ topped in skor bar cheesecake!
Earlier this week i Skype met Sara Haynes fromSimply Sara.
I have adored Sara since we first “met” in blogville.
She is lovely. She is Intentional about her relationship with God, her husband, and her 3 (almost 4) children.
She has spoken much truth and encouragement into my life via blogville. I have come to cherish the internet moments we share. I am dyeing to meet her in real life! I know I will. I don’t know when, I don’t know how, but I am certain I will. What a day that will be (I’m sure I will vlog it)!
Sara and i blog met around the time i wrote a post titled Birth Story. In that post i conveyed the importance of telling our "birth stories" of how we came into a relationship with our Savior, Jesus. I expressed in that post that just as mothers delight in retelling the stories of how their children were born again and again, God also wants to retell again and again the story of how we came to life in Him! We are His voice, we must tell that glorious story.
Sara’s birth story is testimony of God rescuing, redeeming, and lavishing His love on His children.
The video below is Sara, being God's voice retelling her birth story!
Let the video load while you pour yourself a cup of joe or tea (that’s what Sara is drinking).
Then settle into a cozy seat, and share in the wonder of new life!
(Sara recorded this for me last spring. Now is the perfect time to share it).
I am very sentimental (and a bit wacky), I remember dates. I can't remember what I walked from my room to the kitchen for, but I remember dates. Tell me your birthday once and I'm likely to remember it. I'll remember the date we had coffee 3 years ago. Give me a date, any date, I'll likely remember what I was doing on that day.
So when an event rolls around that was especially important to me (or maybe shouldn't be important to me), I remember it.
Today I am remembering that a year ago I was in Portland, Or. meeting up with Idaho Mom, Kristen Cheney, for a weekend adventure.
Today I am so grateful for blogging (the date I began blogging was April 6th, 2007- it was Good Friday). Thankful for this online scrapbook/journal//video archive.
I'm thankful for the friendships I've made along the way...So Thankful For You!!
Now, head back to my old blog (where videos are included, links below) to see what a weekend adventure with me would be like!
Then tell me when and where we are going to meet up?
(I'd like to add the date I met you to my mental calendar). A girl can dream.
last weekend (which in blogville was forever ago) we joined friends, jeff n' kelly hayes, for a date night to celebrate jeff's birthday.
i've blogged about jeff a number of times. he and i have been friends for a hundred million years... well since 1985! back when ronald reagan was president, "back to the future" hit the big screen, and every little girl wanted a cabbage patch doll. when tears for fears was singing "shout," madonna was singing "crazy for you", and everyone was singing "we are the world." yep, jeff and i have been friends for. ev. er!
25 years (gulp)!
jeff and i had similar upbringings. both our stories could have played out tragically, but God rescued each of us, and lead us into victory.
over the years i have watched jeff overcome, seen him lavish love on his wife and boys, and have taken notes from him on how to be intentional in my walk with God. seeing him live his life in faith thrills me to no end!
it has been a gift to grow up with jeff, but it has been a greater gift to grow up in Christ alongside him.
we celebrated jeff's birthday with a ride in his 1964 convertible corvair!
this was my first time ever in a convertible (sad, i know). i envisioned myself riding in his convertible with a scarf beautifully framing my face, large sunglasses shading my eyes (you know like all the glamor girls do in the classic movies). but it ended up like this.
next time i will use duct tape to secure my scarf.
after i tamed my hair, we enjoyed a delicious italian dinner together. after dinner jeff was serenaded howled happy birthday.
when the dinner festivities were done we went out to the parking lot where i could be found drooling (yes, literally) over jeff's car (whose name is ginger) a bit. i think i'm in love (you might recall i have a bit of an obsession with old cars).
eventually the gang pried me away from ginger, and we went geocaching (another first for me)!
I'm Denise Jones~ Michael's wife, Noah, Emilie, and Josie's mommy.
Jesus knows me this I love.
Praise is who I am, praise is what I do.
I love words: written, spoken, sung, lived.
I have a love/hate relationship with homeschooling.
I value time spent with a good friend.
I go nowhere without my lipstick!
"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us- set us right with him, make us fit for him- we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all; We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his doors to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand- out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting praise."
"Even in childhood was implanted within me a trace of that mysterious unity from which I was derived" St. Augustine Everybody has to change or they expire. Everybody has to leave, leave their home and come back so they can love it again for all new reasons. I want to keep my soul fertile for the changes, so things keep getting born in me, so things keep dying when it is time for things to die. I want to keep walking away from the person I was a moment ago. Only a good story has a character that's different at the end than it was in the beginning. Through Painted Deserts - Donald Miller
"Our whole life was only given to us to advance us by great strides toward our heavenly country." Lancelot Andrews
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life - your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life - and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him."
