Forrest Gump's Mom Really Was Smart...

"Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get. That's what my momma always said..." I'm beginning to the think that truer words have never been spoken. I've been reflecting on our big move lately, and it's amazing how moving into a different part can completely up-end your life!

The move in and of itself was a great move for us. Tyron and I both LOVE our jobs. The kids are going to amazing schools. We are slowly but surely beginning to make new friends. It's all sweet and good, but there are some things that just jump out and shock you. I'm still trying to rebound from some of the shock!

Adjusting to a new place is exciting and hard at the same time. While most of the things that have shocked me are pretty petty and inconsequential (except my #1), they are clearly not deal breakers or regrets. I guess I'm just realizing how spoiled I am and how set in my Dallas ways I am. So without further adieu...drum roll please...

Melanie's Top 5 Move Shockers:

5.I miss the open fields and lack of Oil Refineries. Can I just say eeeewwww on so many levels? They stink and clutter up the landscape. Not to mention, they are U-G-L-Y. They. Ugly. Period.

4. I miss clean towns. I like new. I like clean. Baytown is not new or clean. Still adjusting. Having to fight myself on a daily basis because of the nasty. I feel like the entire town needs a giant bottle of Germ X dumped on it.

3. Stonebriar Mall. It's new. It's clean. It's safe. It's BIG. Need I say more?

2. Grocery Stores. I like lots of variety and quality produce. If they make their own tortillas, even better! I like to walk in and have a myriad of choices. It's also a plus if the store is clean and logically organized.

1. One of the things that has shocked me most is just how badly I miss my friends in Dallas. I knew that I would miss them. How could I not miss the women that shared their lives with me? I miss the frequent deep conversations about the Lord and having someone to pray with that knew all the deepest, darkest, ugliest parts of me and loved me through it and despite it. These ladies aren't just my friends, they are my soul sisters. It's not shocking that I miss them. It's shocking that I miss them like I would miss my right arm. I love you girls! Don't make any plans for June 2011 because our weekend trip is gonna happen come Hell or high water!

King of ALL Days...

"Light of the world, you stepped down into darkness. Open my eyes let me see..."

I think it's fair to say that God opened my eyes to let me see him a little better tonight. I was winding down for the night when Chris Tomlin's "Here I Am To Worship" starts playing in my head. I have always known (in my head) that God will meet us right where we are no matter where we are physically, emotionally, or spiritually, but for some reason God decided to write that knowledge on my heart tonight.

"King of all days, oh so highly exalted. Glorious in Heaven above! Humbly you came to the earth you created. All for love's sake became poor."

As I was singing this song in my head tonight, the lyrics "Humbly you came to the earth you created. All for love's sake became poor" really struck a chord in my heart. It hit me that God could have come as a king, a rich man, or an important person with influential ties. He could have come to earth as a high ranking priest within the Jewish Church, but he didn't. He came as a poor carpenter. Jesus was/is fully man and fully God. He experienced infancy, toddler hood, childhood, puberty, betrayal by his closest friends, hunger, thirst, anger, joy, and pain. I could list a million things that Christ experienced in his 33 years, but it would take a really, really long time. The point is this: God can and will meet you wherever you are. If you are experiencing life, God has been there. He KNOWS how you feel because he's been there.

Right. Where. You. Are.

I needed to hear and know that in the depths of my soul.

I'm not really a hyper-spiritual person, but I do love God. Jesus lives in my heart, and anything in me that is good is really just Jesus shining through all the nasty, dark yucky parts of my sinful soul. I want to be Jesus' hands and feet. I want to know God instead of just knowing about him, and I am thankful that he opens my eyes to who he is a little more every single day. I am beyond thankful for his mercy and his timing because this part of the year is sad and joyful for me all at the same time, and I know that "God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose."

"Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy, altogether wonderful to me."

I Am Officially Out of Space...

...for books. Y'all, I have stacks and stacks and stacks of books. I think besides my family and friends, books are my favorite thing in the world. First of all, you have to give it up to God for creating people who have enough talent to create entire worlds, people, events, and relationships through their writing. I know that I am a nerd, and I am in no way bragging, but even with working and having a family, I read around 5,000 pages a month. Seriously. (And I do sleep...when I'm not reading! :-) ) I can read freakishly fast, so that helps me move through books in a hurry.

I read some research a month or so ago that said if everyone read 1-1.5 hours a day, we would not only be a more literate society, but that reading also helps our children process, learn, and cope with things more easily. That is a huge statement! By the way, the school I teach at subscribes to this philosophy, and it is truly amazing at what great readers these kids are. They are fluent, smart readers with opinions and high test scores. That's why we are a Texas Honor School. Sorry, I digress...

I am not a particularly picky reader. If it's written, I will read it. I finished the Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon a couple of weeks ago. These books are not for the faint at heart. They are thick books that average about 800-900 pages per book (with 7 books currently published), but they are well worth the effort of reading. I just finished the Blue Bloods Series (super quick and easy to read), and I started Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett yesterday. To put a few minds at ease, I don't just read fluff. I LOVE classics like Mansfield Park, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice. I also really enjoy Christian fiction. Anything by Francine Rivers is amazing.

So, all this to say, I am out of room for books. I had to stop buying books because I officially have no where to put them. I love to buy books. I know buying books is a waste of money to most people, especially when you have a public library at your disposal; however, I love to buy books because I will re-read books over and over again. So for now, I am now a loyal library patron. As a matter of face I have been 3 times in the last week because I blew through everything I had checked out. Tyron asked me if they knew me by name yet, and I laughed. Now that I think of it though, it's probably only a matter of time before they do know me.

So, in case anyone is out there that wants to get me an over the top birthday present, I need another book case. :-) Because the library is great, but I like to own books too...and I need a place to put them!

The Power of Blue

Yesterday was the 2010 Barbers Hill ISD Tailgate Party. The Tailgate Party is basically a giant booster club event that brings in the pretty much the entire community. There were at least 2,000 people there! It was absolutely crazy, but we had a ton of fun. Each school campus designs and builds a float which people vote for by dropping tickets into a designated box. My campus didn't win, but we put up a good fight! After the tailgate party (which included dinner and treats for the kids, carnival games, and a pep rally), we went to the football game where the BH Eagles defeated the Nederland Bulldogs 28-21. It was a great game! Here are a few pictures from the tailgate party. Please excuse the quality of the photos...I was practically dead on my feet when I took them. :-)

Plinko "Eagle Style"

Daddy and Hannah

This is the outside of the arena where the Eagles play their home basketball games. Pretty awesome!!!

Family Fun

Our family came to visit over the Labor Day Weekend, and we had so much fun! On Saturday we went to the Kemah Boardwalk and let the kids ride the amusement rides and ate at Landry's. Then on Sunday, we went down to Galveston to the beach. The word "fun" doesn't even cover it. It was an adventure, to be sure! The weather was perfect, and the water was nice and cool. My kids had their first run in with marine life while we were in Galvest. Luke got attacked by a crab and ended up with a little gash on his foot, and Faith got stung by a jellyfish on her neck. To my surprise, they all jumped right back into the ocean! I can't believe how brave they were because, to be perfectly honest, I was a nervous wreck the rest of the trip! Tyron also got stabbed by some small animal, but we weren't sure what it was. It didn't phase him much though! Not to mention me and Kara's sunburns! Ouch! Here are a few pictures from the weekend! We are so blessed to have such a wonderful family!

Stewart Beach - Galveston Island

Sunday, September 5, 2010

The Cousins - MaKayla, Hannah, Kyler, Luke, and Faith

Kara and Me

Faith and Hannah showing their sandy hands.


The kids digging for seashells.

Hannah eating sand. Yum!

Luke's foot after his little run-in with a crab.

KEMAH BOARDWALK

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Faith, MaKayla, Hannah, Luke, and Kyler - The Lee Cousins

Having so much fun!

Tyron and Kara.

Kara and me...again. This time with make-up!

Tyron and me.

Hello Old Friend...

I know, I know. You've been on pins and needles right? Just waiting for the day that I resurrect my blog...I've been waiting too. Hoping that someone is going to do it for me...just kidding! Well, the only excuse I can give is that I have been truly busy.

A lot has changed in the past 4ish months. Tyron and I got new jobs! In Houston! It's been a crazy whirl wind to say the least. We are both now part of Barbers Hill ISD. It's an amazing school district that has extremely high standards that has welcomed us with open arms. Tyron is the Head Boys Basketball Coach, and I will be teaching 5th and 6th grade. It's an exciting time for us. Luke will start Kindergarten on Monday. I can't believe it! I am so excited for him. BHISD is an Honor School, so the academic standards are unbelievably high (which I LOVE). Luke is going to fit right in. Plus, he got the best teacher! I can't wait to tell you all about her, but I will leave that for another post.

As usual, God has taken care of us beyond any measure of our imagination. Not only did He deliver us into this amazing school district, but he also delivered us into a church that we know is our new home. Clear Creek Community Church is exactly what we needed, and God sent us there without having to weed through other churches. Clearly God knows my limits! We are also renting a house from a pastor and his family. It's been a huge blessing. Over the past week we have gotten to know them quite well through deep discussions about our God. We are even praying about joining their small group. :-) It's been a month of knowing that we are right in the middle of God's will for our family. That security is better than any insurance you can buy!

At church on Sunday, our pastor was talking about community. It's amazing what that topic did to me! I boo-hooed my way through the entire sermon! It's amazing what community does for a Believer. I can honestly say that I know there are times in my life that God marked me for purposes that are still unraveling. However, during those times of great joy and great suffering, God sent special women to walk through them with me. The funny thing is that it isn't even who I would have marked down on paper if someone asked me who those women were. During that sermon, God gave me specific memories of times in me and Tyron's lives that our small groups and God driven friendships carried us when we didn't think we could walk anymore. I am so thankful for those memories! It gives me hope that I will have deep, God driven relationships with women here in the Houston area. It gives me hope that the relationships I built in Dallas won't diminish because of the miles between us. It gives me hope because God proves himself to be more than faithful over and over and over. He has blessed me abundantly, and I am beyond humbled and thankful.

"Therefore, confess your sins to each other so that you may be healed. " James 5:16

"Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." Galatians 6:2

HE is Risen...HE is Risen INDEED!

I am so thankful for all that happened on the cross. Jesus was substituted for me on the cross. I KNOW that. The penalty for my wicked and sinful heart was paid in full by the ONE who was sinless. Now that I have kids of my own, I can't come close to even imagining what God felt as his one and only son was nailed to a cross, terrorized by wicked men, and spat upon by those who passed by. Instead of taking Jesus down and allowing him to be saved from the humiliation and pain, God allowed it. Even more, He ORCHESTRATED it. That is how much my God loves us. He ORCHESTRATED the death of his only son so we could know Him. As I sit here and reflect on that love, I have tears in my eyes. A love so deep, wide, long, high, and complete is beyond what my human mind can comprehend; however, I get to taste a small portion of it daily. One day when I am in Heaven, I will fully know God. Then and only then, will I truly know the full love of God. There I won't be limited by my wicked heart and human mind. Until then, I know that He is risen. He will come again, and I know Him.

This is the song that has been in my heart all week:

Savior I come.

I Quiet my soul, remember.

Redemption's hill,

Where Your blood was spilled.

For my ransom.

Everything I once held dear,

I count it all as lost.

Lead me to the cross.

Where Your love poured out.

Bring me to my knees,

Lord I lay me down.

Rid me of myself,

I belong to You!

Lead me, lead me to the cross.

You were as I,

Tempted and tried.

Human.

The word became flesh,

Bore my sin and death.

Now you're risen.

Oh and everything I once held dear I count it all as lost.

Lead me to the cross .

Where Your love poured out.

Bring me to my knees,

Lord I lay me down.

Rid me of myself.

I belong to You.

Lead me, lead me to your heart.

Lead me to your heart.

Lead me to your heart.

Lead me to your heart.

Lead me to the cross.

Where Your love poured out.

Bring me to my knees,

Lord I lay me down.

Rid me of myself.

I belong to You.

Lead me, lead me, lead me, lead me Lead me to the Cross Lead me to the cross!

HE IS RISEN!

HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Life...the Abbreviated Version...Because I Am Short On Time!

It's been forever since I have written on this thing! A lot has changed in the last month. First of all, Hannah turned 2! She is such a big girl! She can talk in complete sentences, get herself a drink, feed herself neatly with a fork and spoon, and sing. She loves to dance and do "tricks." She is also sleeping in the bottom bunk and no longer has a paci. Hannah is also fully potty trained. Talk about fabulous!!! Hannah is incredibly sweet and easy going (most of the time). We all enjoy her so much! We all love our Hannah Banana.

I also went back to work recently. I am currently teaching High School Biology and loving ever minute of it. I have 5 classes of Freshmen, and 1 class of Seniors. My classes have been amazingly good with very few issues, and I have enjoyed being back in the world of work. The kids will start Preschool on the 22nd. Up until then, they were staying with a very nice lady here in town that keeps kids in her home. They have loved every second of their "school!" Talk about major reassurance that I am doing the right thing! Staying home with them for the past 5.5 years has been an unbelievable blessing, but the kids were so tired of being home...and so was I. They were ready to be doing something else, so now we all go to school. I hope that it continues to go as well as it has been. :-)

Tyron's basketball team made it to the playoffs this year! It was an amazing season filled with amazing kids. We enjoyed them all so much. The kids in Farmersville are such a blessing. They played so hard throughout the season and won some pretty tough games!

We have had a hard winter of sickness this year. We have had everything from Scarlet Fever to stomach bugs to ear infections this year. Faith had 2 seizures due to high fevers. All I can say is that I am ready for some warmer weather and much less sickness! Can I get an Amen?

We are currently on Spring Break, so I will try to post some pictures of Hannah's birthday party and our trip to Mimi and Paw Paw's house soon. :-) Until then, I hope your day is as blessed as mine!!

Politics

So, if you have been reading my facebook statuses recently, you know that a lot of them center on the political status/government of our country. I know that a lot of people probably ignore or don't like what I have to say; however, it is our responsibility to know (and have opinions about) what is going on with our elected officials and our government. We are a Republic...not a pure democracy. Our elected officials get to make decisions as they see would be best for their constituents.

Here is one of my problems with President Obama and the Progressive/Democratic/Obama policies: He chooses to say that Republicans are choosing to play a political games instead of working with what he gives them. Really? Could it be that people genuinely disagree with his political ideologies? Let it never be that anyone disagree with what he has to say...Does that sound like a president or some other type of a head of state? If he thinks that Democrats, Republicans, Progressives, Independents,and the like are going to play pretty and agree on everything, he should know better. Different parties exist because the people of the United States have different beliefs and ideas as to how this country should be run. That is why people elect officials...to have their voices heard. He should not turn a deaf ear/accuse other political parties of being unwilling to heed to his expectations/ideas just because they bring other ideas and solutions to the table.

Another problem that I have with him is that he constantly plays the victim of the Bush Administration. Seriously? Didn't he have to know what you were walking into? Our country has been a wreck, and not just as a result of George W. Bush. Was Bush perfect? Absolutely not. I just think it's lame to constantly go back to that scapegoat. I want him to stop playing the blame game and do something about the state of our country. Period.

I could truly go on for a long time, but I won't. I just want people to know what is going on in their country. I want people to be aware so that if you disagree with how things are being run, you can go vote to change things. I want you to go out and vote if you like the way things are. Just be aware of what is going on around you. Our children's futures are always at stake.

Haiti

I am absolutely heart sick for the people of Haiti. I can't come close to comprehending the pain and loss they have suffered in the last 72 hours. Haiti is a country that had so little in the first place, that for them to suffer such devastating loss is unbearable to watch; however, I sit and watch.

I watch because we need to see. Anderson Cooper (CNN) said that as he walked along the streets of Port-Au-Prince, he made himself look at the dead people that lined the streets because we need to see them and acknowledge that those bodies are people. Moms, dads, sisters, brothers, grandmas, grandpas, sons, daughters, friends, babies, children, friends, mentor, teacher, missionary...all beloved of the LORD. We need to acknowledge their existence and the loss. We need to see that they are a people that have truly lost everything. They have less than nothing. No food, very little clean water, too little medical care for too many major injuries, no homes or anywhere safe to go. Children are alone and sleeping on the streets.

As I sit and watch, the news is reporting that mass graves are starting to be used. While I acknowledge that there is a need for such a thing, the concept makes the loss so much more real for me. Unidentified people who are being searched for by family and friends are being buried in huge graves. There will be no funeral or ceremony. Families will never get to say good-bye to the remains of their loved-ones, so closure will have to come some other way.

So, I will continue to watch. I will make myself see when my mind tells me to change the channel because there is so little I can do from my comfortable house in the United States. I want to acknowledge Haiti's loss and grieve for them. I want to triumph with them when help comes and head-way is made. I want to pray for the parents who lost their children, children who lost their parents, and families separated by physical distance. I want to pray that God would protect the minds and hearts of the children who are seeing too much for their young minds to comprehend and deal with; I will pray that we will be the hands and feet of Jesus to the Haitians, and that God will be glorified through this tragedy.

There are some simple ways to help. Click HERE for legitimate ways to help. Even if you think you have no money, you have way more than these people.

Catching Up

So, the past 6 weeks or so has been a pretty stressful time in our family. Complications started shortly after Thanksgiving when we found out that Tyron has Stage 2 Melanoma. We were immediately referred to an Oncologist and supporting Dermatologist, and a procedure to remove the spot was immediately scheduled. The oncologist and dermatologist checked Tyron out really good and found 3 other spots. 3 procedures later, we finally got clear margins except for one spot that is considered "advanced displastic cells" which means they are cells that are changing but to an unknown end. So, we are faced with a decision to do more surgery (which would involve a skin graft), low dose radiation, or waiting it out for 3 months to see if anything progresses to cancer again. So, with our doctors blessing we decided to wait it out for 3 months and re-biopsy in March. The other options seemed like over kill to us, and they did to the doctors too. They just had to give us all the options. So, for now Tyron is cancer free. Praise God. Talk about stressful and scary though. People act like Melanoma isn't a big deal, but it can be very aggressive and fatal. It's truly no less serious than any other type of cancer...it just has a higher survival rate because it can be detected earlier. Thank GOD for that! Tyron is the glue, and my life wouldn't be right without him. I trust God, and I am so thankful that as we walked (and are still walking this road) He has been right beside us the whole time.

During the whole Melanoma incident, I got pneumonia too. Talk about good timing! Wouldn't be December in our house without at least one case of pneumonia!

Christmas was fantastic! We got to spend time before Christmas with Tyron's family, and we got to spend time with my family after Christmas. Christmas was just us though...and it was GREAT! We very rarely get to just be a family because of football, basketball, and track, so Christmas was extra special family time. Not to mention the snow! What a fantastic treat! God really went all out this year!

The Christmas season also brought with it a lot of change. We moved Hannah and Faith into a room together, so Luke is now in a room all by himself. Crazy to think that we don't have a baby in a crib anymore! It's so fun to watch them all grow up together and love each other. Hannah is now potty trained, so not only does she sleep in a big bed, she is in big girl panties too! No more diapers and no more cribs! Our family is growing up so fast! Now if Hannah would just be done with her paci...maybe after her 2nd birthday I will work on that. This season has also brought about some teaching opportunities for me. I am interviewing tomorrow at BRISD, and I am so excited. So much change in so little time would usually leave my head spinning, but it has all happened so naturally that I am nothing but excited and grateful. God is leading my family, and that is all I need to know. I trust Him explicitly and totally. God has also led us to a new church. It's been amazing!

So that the 411 on the Lee's. It's been a scary and exciting time in our family, but through it all God has remained faithful to us...as we knew he would. Maybe life will settle down and I will be able to post some pictures, but if not, you can see them on facebook. Hope you had as fruitful and blessed Christmas as we did!