Gig'em Y'all
Thursday, March 31, 2005
Monday, March 28, 2005
Egg Hunt
After church, we walked over to Central Park for an Easter Egg Hunt with the Vassar family.
When you are traveling by foot, hauling Easter baskets to the park is too hard, so we started a new tradition---brown paper bags.
Sam's a little confused about the whole deal, but as you can see, Jordan broght her A game--no time for pictures
When you are traveling by foot, hauling Easter baskets to the park is too hard, so we started a new tradition---brown paper bags.
Sam's a little confused about the whole deal, but as you can see, Jordan broght her A game--no time for pictures
Easter Sunday
A picture of us at the Pratt Mansion across from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Our church has been meeting there for the past few weeks.
Check out Brooke. Big girl!
Check out Brooke. Big girl!
Sunday, March 27, 2005
Times Square
Yesterday, we took the subway to Times Square. We ate at McDonalds and went to Toys R Us. A fun day!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
Dust
It's unbelievable! Who woulda thunk this city was so dusty? We have to vacuum every single day, and we fill the vacuum cleaner up everytime. I stubbed my big toe on a dustball a few days back.
At first, I thought it was because we had just moved in and the dust from all our junk was settling. Nope. After speaking to a few New Yorkers, it's just part of the package. Dust. Everywhere.
Here is a picture of Sam this morning standing by the balcony door as the sun is shining through. The dust is visible in the sunlight, and Sam is trying to grab at it.
Confucious say: Man who live in dusty place have many bugars.
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Easter
In advance of the Easter weekend, I wanted to share with each of you a blog (this word "blog"---what does it mean and why do I think I am hip enough to use it?) that JR Vasser wrote yesterday. Enjoy it.
Grace on the N,R,W
A couple of weeks ago, my family got on a subway to head home from an outing downtown. On to the subway walked a homeless man who was probably the poorest person I have seen in the western hemisphere. He was covered in filth. It appeared that he had never shaved or had a haircut. He was carrying a Styrofoam box that contained a chicken club. He sat down on the subway car floor just a few feet away from me and begin to tear the sandwich apart. With his blackened hands, he picked through the sandwich trying to find the bacon. After consuming that, he re-assembled his sandwich and holding it in one hand, scooted around the cart on his knees stretching out his other hand to beg.
I thought about that guy for several days. I wondered how he ended up there. I wondered how is one supposed to help a guy in that condition. I wondered if I should have given him anything. And then a thought came to me that shocked me, "Maybe I should have knelt down and embraced him." Imagine that. Stooping to embrace one who is covered in filth and grime and stench. Taking one in my arms who is poor and weak and who can do nothing for me. I must be honest, the thought of doing that made me cringe. It sounds absurd, unrealistic, unsanitary, and beyond my boundaries. It sounds like grace.
This is the gospel: a loving God stooped and lavished his love on people who were filthy, weak, poor, and unable to do anything for Him. Yet, for some reason, I think it is less of a stretch for God to do that for me than for me to hug a bum. Apparently, I have not really grasped this grace thing. I have not seen my own poverty and Jesus' wealth. And I have not seen him becoming poor for my sake so that through his poverty I might become rich. If I really savored the stooping love of God He lavished on me, one who is bankrupt of righteousness and no better off than a streetcar begger, then maybe stooping to love one a few rungs down on the social ladder would not be a jarring concept. I am not advocating we hug homeless people, though I think Jesus would and doing so might mean more to them than a fifth of vodka. I am advocating that we let God's grace turn us into stooping lovers who without prejudice lavish grace on all people.
See http://www.manhattanpastor.blogspot.com/ for more of JR's blogs.
Happy Easter to all of you.
P.S. Christine is inching closer to the computer at home. She's promised us a blog this weekend!
Grace on the N,R,W
A couple of weeks ago, my family got on a subway to head home from an outing downtown. On to the subway walked a homeless man who was probably the poorest person I have seen in the western hemisphere. He was covered in filth. It appeared that he had never shaved or had a haircut. He was carrying a Styrofoam box that contained a chicken club. He sat down on the subway car floor just a few feet away from me and begin to tear the sandwich apart. With his blackened hands, he picked through the sandwich trying to find the bacon. After consuming that, he re-assembled his sandwich and holding it in one hand, scooted around the cart on his knees stretching out his other hand to beg.
I thought about that guy for several days. I wondered how he ended up there. I wondered how is one supposed to help a guy in that condition. I wondered if I should have given him anything. And then a thought came to me that shocked me, "Maybe I should have knelt down and embraced him." Imagine that. Stooping to embrace one who is covered in filth and grime and stench. Taking one in my arms who is poor and weak and who can do nothing for me. I must be honest, the thought of doing that made me cringe. It sounds absurd, unrealistic, unsanitary, and beyond my boundaries. It sounds like grace.
This is the gospel: a loving God stooped and lavished his love on people who were filthy, weak, poor, and unable to do anything for Him. Yet, for some reason, I think it is less of a stretch for God to do that for me than for me to hug a bum. Apparently, I have not really grasped this grace thing. I have not seen my own poverty and Jesus' wealth. And I have not seen him becoming poor for my sake so that through his poverty I might become rich. If I really savored the stooping love of God He lavished on me, one who is bankrupt of righteousness and no better off than a streetcar begger, then maybe stooping to love one a few rungs down on the social ladder would not be a jarring concept. I am not advocating we hug homeless people, though I think Jesus would and doing so might mean more to them than a fifth of vodka. I am advocating that we let God's grace turn us into stooping lovers who without prejudice lavish grace on all people.
See http://www.manhattanpastor.blogspot.com/ for more of JR's blogs.
Happy Easter to all of you.
P.S. Christine is inching closer to the computer at home. She's promised us a blog this weekend!
Friday, March 18, 2005
Puff Daddy!
Check out Sam in his new ride! He's got front chair in the stroller's equivilent to the Excursion. Our other vehicle is a one-seater. We call it our Accord.
I figure me and Puff will be taking the Accord to get donuts tomorrow morning. Sam has been getting up at 5:30am every morning, so it will be good for us to get out of the house and let all the Princesses sleep.
Have a fun weekend!
I figure me and Puff will be taking the Accord to get donuts tomorrow morning. Sam has been getting up at 5:30am every morning, so it will be good for us to get out of the house and let all the Princesses sleep.
Have a fun weekend!
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Sunrise
This is a beautiful picture of the sun rising over the East River taken from our balcony. The balcony will be a great place to have coffee once it's warmer out.
Regis and Kelly
This past Monday, Christine and her mom got to go see Live with Regis and Kelly. A friend from work's husband is the sound engineer and he put them on the VIP list.
Christine said the studio is much smaller than it looks, and that Kelly is so tiny.
Christine said the studio is much smaller than it looks, and that Kelly is so tiny.
Happy Two-Month Birthday!
Yesterday, Little Brooke turned 2 months old. With all the craziness around her, Brooke is just doing her thing---eating and sleeping. And as you can see, she's eating well.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
First Day
Our little girl is such a trooper! This morning, she asked if today was her first day of school. I said it was. She said cool! We packed up the family and bore the cold for our 45 second walk to school. We walked her to her classroom, and she marched in there like she had been going all year. We had to call her back to give us hugs and kisses. We were so proud of her.
Her classmates loved her. They made a banner welcoming her to class. And each classmate made her a card. These are some of the letters:
Jordan, welcome to K-210. We hope you are very happy.
Jordan, if a boy is bothering you, just find the girls. Love, Jami
To Jordan, we want you to feel happy. Love, Skye
Her best friends are Christina, Jamie and some girl named "Kawakahai" or at least that is how Jordan pronounced it.
The teacher said Jordan adapted well. And most importantly, Jordan really loved it. She can't wait to go back tomorrow!
Christine said it was a little difficult picking up Jordan with Brooke and Sam in tow, but she made it.
Much better day!
It Wasn't Easy
Well, we are here. It hasn’t been an easy 3 days. As you might expect, traveling from Dallas to New York with 3 kids will test your nerves and patience. All things considered, it was a problem-free flight. No delays. No yacking. No major meltdowns---by the kids or us. But it was stressful nonetheless. We finally landed, got our luggage and met the driver. His job was to get us to the apartment, but I failed to give him route instructions, which I should have done given this was Christine’s first trip. He decides the best way from A to B is right smack through Harlem. “Here we are, Christine. Manhattan!” I did my best to explain that it gets better, much better. It was still a shock.
We arrived at the apartment around 5pm Monday. It was a beautiful evening—jacket weather, clear skies, children playing in the park down below. Inside, the apartment was a complete disaster, the biggest mess you’ve ever seen. Everything we owned was out of boxes and laying on the floor, in no particular order. Toys were stacked a foot deep in the kid’s room. We have entirely too many toys.
15 minutes after 5pm, Christine sat on the couch and began to cry. She missed home already. This was too much. The mess. Living in an apartment. Living only a few short miles from Harlem. The night was tough for all of us.
Tuesday was better. We got our game faces on and started getting the apartment under control. But we got bad news. We had planned on Jordan starting Pre-K mid-term to get a few months under her belt. We thought this would be good preparation for Kindergarten in the Fall. We were informed that NY is on a calendar year cutoff, and since Jordan is a 12/22/99 birthday, she is actually already supposed to be in Kindergarten and that she’s missed most of the year. As it is, she has 2 months of Kindergarten remaining, the summer off, then she’s in First Grade. Just like that—our first child is in Kindergarten. She starts today. 8:30 to 2:45pm Monday – Friday. She’s excited. Mom and Dad are sad that she’s growing up too fast.
People warned us that there will be rough days during the first 6 months or so. I thought I was prepared for the tears. They are tough to see. They leave me second guessing myself---what the heck are we doing in New York? But I am confident we made the right decision. I’ve noticed that with each passing hour, and with each bit of organization added to the home, things seem to get better.
It is still difficult on a mom of 3 in the city. Every little outing requires a huge effort. Just getting Jordan to school across the street will no doubt take hours. I eagerly await the day that we find a routine---one that Christine will be comfortable with.
Thank God for good friends. Ginger Vasser, JR’s wife, was a big help yesterday. They only live 3 short blocks away. She took Jordan to the library, and let the kids play for a bit. Meeting the Vasser’s has confirmed that this was a good decision. We are so excited about getting to know them better. And we are excited to be a part of Manhattan Christian Church. Although being part of a 10-person launch team of a church-plant was not on the radar when we decided to move, it is turning out to be the main reason we feel we ought to be here.
And thank God for good food---the best Sesame Chicken you’ve ever put in your mouth. The evenings have been good. We’ve been able to take a break and enjoy a good meal as a family.
It will take time.
We arrived at the apartment around 5pm Monday. It was a beautiful evening—jacket weather, clear skies, children playing in the park down below. Inside, the apartment was a complete disaster, the biggest mess you’ve ever seen. Everything we owned was out of boxes and laying on the floor, in no particular order. Toys were stacked a foot deep in the kid’s room. We have entirely too many toys.
15 minutes after 5pm, Christine sat on the couch and began to cry. She missed home already. This was too much. The mess. Living in an apartment. Living only a few short miles from Harlem. The night was tough for all of us.
Tuesday was better. We got our game faces on and started getting the apartment under control. But we got bad news. We had planned on Jordan starting Pre-K mid-term to get a few months under her belt. We thought this would be good preparation for Kindergarten in the Fall. We were informed that NY is on a calendar year cutoff, and since Jordan is a 12/22/99 birthday, she is actually already supposed to be in Kindergarten and that she’s missed most of the year. As it is, she has 2 months of Kindergarten remaining, the summer off, then she’s in First Grade. Just like that—our first child is in Kindergarten. She starts today. 8:30 to 2:45pm Monday – Friday. She’s excited. Mom and Dad are sad that she’s growing up too fast.
People warned us that there will be rough days during the first 6 months or so. I thought I was prepared for the tears. They are tough to see. They leave me second guessing myself---what the heck are we doing in New York? But I am confident we made the right decision. I’ve noticed that with each passing hour, and with each bit of organization added to the home, things seem to get better.
It is still difficult on a mom of 3 in the city. Every little outing requires a huge effort. Just getting Jordan to school across the street will no doubt take hours. I eagerly await the day that we find a routine---one that Christine will be comfortable with.
Thank God for good friends. Ginger Vasser, JR’s wife, was a big help yesterday. They only live 3 short blocks away. She took Jordan to the library, and let the kids play for a bit. Meeting the Vasser’s has confirmed that this was a good decision. We are so excited about getting to know them better. And we are excited to be a part of Manhattan Christian Church. Although being part of a 10-person launch team of a church-plant was not on the radar when we decided to move, it is turning out to be the main reason we feel we ought to be here.
And thank God for good food---the best Sesame Chicken you’ve ever put in your mouth. The evenings have been good. We’ve been able to take a break and enjoy a good meal as a family.
It will take time.
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