Things I forgot to enjoy...

Well, we have officially been Birminghamians (Birminghamites?) for one week.  We are over the stomach bug - phew! - have all the boxes stored or unpacked, and have moved stuff around in our kitchen 3 times.  Busy week!  As we have been running to the store (I have been to Wal-Mart 5 times in 7 days!), trying out the library, and exploring our house and neighborhood, I've been reminded of some things I forgot to enjoy while I had them...
1. Not-white kitchen and bathroom floors.  Seriously folks... who in the world ever thought that textured white linoleum in the kitchen was a good idea???  I am going to have to mop these things every day!

2. A quiet house.  I kinda thought our home in Pensacola was noisy.  NOPE!  Yesterday A woke up early from a nap.  In order to get her to go back to sleep I had to be completely silent: no drying my hair, starting dinner, watching TV, talking to the phone, or anything.  I didn't really appreciate how nice a quiet, non- squeaky-floor, -creaky-doors, well insulated house was!

3. A quiet corner lot.  I love, love the location of this rental.  We can literally walk one block to a pharmacy, coffee shop, ice cream shop, pizza place, Mexican food, BBQ, and shops!  It's so close to everything!  However, that means lots of traffic.  When the near-by middle school lets out, we get lots of kids in our front yard!  Poor Rosco is going to have blood pressure issues from barking!  The teacher in me almost came out yesterday when this chubby kid was walking back from the ice cream parlor and came within two feet of our front steps.  He almost walked right into A!  I considered giving him a "talkin-to," but thought better of it.

4. Play dates on rainy days.  I mean, I enjoyed these things every time we met with our friends.  This week it rained for two days straight... A and I thought we would go crazy!  We missed friends nearby we could meet to take up a few hours with.
Here are a few snaps from our last play date before leaving town:

 So I miss all the things I forgot to enjoy in Pensacola, and hope we find some of them again when we find a place of our own here in town.  In the mean time, we're coming up with a new schedule, which today involved keeping A up a little past her naptime.  She let me know when she was tired, though.

Happy Thanksgiving!  Or, as Addie would say "gobble gobble"

Downsizing Stinks!

Downsizing stinks!  Not for the obvious reasons - that you have less space.  I have no problem with a smaller living area, fewer rooms, and zero counter space.  I can function (barely) in a kitchen about 1/4 of the size of my kitchen in Pensacola.  I can deal with one bathroom, and even smaller closet space than before.  Brad and I are both organized and we can both be minimalists.  (Brad would probably disagree with this; my version of "minimal" is just not the same is his.)The reason I say "downsizing stinks" is because we don't have easy access to our stuff!  Some examples: We cannot find the lids to any of my pots and pans.  My favorite hurricane to use on our dining table is missing in action.  Brad's favorite coffee mug is stored somewhere.  I won't be doing a lot of Christmas decorating, to avoid getting all of it out.

We talked all of this out before leaving town, and I labeled as many things as possible for the movers: the china cabinet and bookshelves were marked "storage;" we moved anything we wanted access to out of the guest bedroom and let them store everything in there; etc.  The movers were great to mark things appropriately, but I think that things like lids and small pyrex dishes were put into boxes with other items to take up space... now I can't find them.  Poor Brad had our storage area organized so well until I made him take it all down to help me hunt for these silly lids!  We never found them, but Missy lent us a couple of hers to borrow.

I forgot how much I love the location of this street, though.  We can walk around the corner to wonderful restaurants and a coffee shop.  We are less than a mile from a great park and library and more shops and food.  Everything is so convenient.  We are considering rethinking where we want to buy when it comes time for that!

Other things to note: the dreaded Stomach Bug attacked on our way out of town.  Literally as the movers were loading our truck, Addison threw up.  Later that day, as I was driving up here, I felt worse and worse, and wanted to die by the time I was in Birmingham.  (You would to if you came that close to barfing in a stall in Wal-Mart on Lakeshore Drive... not exactly the cleanest toilet to be crouched over, if you know what I mean.)  Brad and Bob have thankfully avoided it, but the Bug still plagues Missy in Pensacola and me here in Birmingham.  A is getting acclimated to her new room and our home... the rainy weather today has forced that a little.  She suddenly says "gank oo" (or Thank you, in English) any time you hand her something - so sweet!  She and I tried out story time at the Homewood Library... she made it through one story, but is a little rambunctious for more than that.

Brad is ready to start work tomorrow!  He is excited to get re acclimated to Dawson and the Rec Center.  A and I are looking for some pre-Thanksgiving projects to keep us busy in our new little home!  Any ideas???

shout out

We are leaving town tomorrow.  The packers boxed up all of our belongings today, and will load them in a truck tomorrow; Brad and I will follow them north.  Sniff sniff.  I've been in denial about how sad this is for weeks! The first time I tell Addison we are going for a walk and she asks for "Amy, Will?" I will be sad.  When I tell her we are going to meet some friends and she says "Henrah?" I may cry.  When I ask her if she wants to go to the park and she says "Emma?" and I have to tell her we're going by ourselves, it will be lonely.  The first time she asks for Brammy I will definitely cry!  Not because I think we will never have friends to play with, or will be lonely for long, but simply because I am sad to not see some sweet folks every week.

I've written over and over on here about how I have been abundantly blessed by my friends, both here in Pensacola and in the past.  It feels a little cheesy to say this, but I don't express it very often.  I have been ministered to in a profound way, especially in the last year, and I am feeling like perhaps this next season in our lives will be a chance for me to love on others in the way so many have loved on us.  So I'm taking a few moments to give a shout out to some sweet friends who I am so sorry to leave behind.  (In true obsessive-compulsive fashion, I'm listing them in alphabetical order.)

Ali - I am so glad you were never mad that you gave me your phone number!  I sort of feel like we have not stopped talking since we met.  I love how fast you talk; how you refer to "Friends" characters as if they're your close, personal pals - it allows me to do the same; how you seek to honor your husby in all things; and how you love your students and want what's best for them. I love that we share a birth- month (well, really a week), and that we both enjoy celebrating the entire time with food.  Thanks for "getting" me.  I feel like we were meant to be friends.  I love your kid.  I love that you want a bunch of kids because, let's face it - they're just going to get cuter.  Can I selfishly wish Ben would want to go to UAB for med school?

Amy - Officially you've been my friend for a long time, but I don't feel like I really took advantage of you until the last year!  How much time I have wasted!  You are such a good, sincere friend.  You always remember everything that's going on with people, and are always so careful about checking up.  (How do you do this?  I am always in awe.)  I strive to be a friend like this.  You are tireless in your quest to be a good mom: you look for the best ideas or things for Will, and share whatever you find.  You are absolutely the best researcher I know.  If I ever have a question about any issue, you either already know an answer or you look high and low to find it.  Also, I love that I have my own etiquette expert... so perfect for a gal like me who knows little of these things.  You have always been like family for Brad, and I'm so thankful for Addie's "Aunt Amy!"

Frency & Jana - Ahh, my surprise friends!  How thankful I am for our mutual friends who got us to hang out together!  The stories you share about parenting and wifery are stuffed with wisdom and humor!  Thank you for always opening up, sometimes sharing too much, and being okay with me doing the same.

Gran-Jan - With my sweet in-laws in town who do so much for us, you would think I have no need for another mom figure in my life.  I am so thankful that you forced your way into that position, though!  You are so, so thoughtful.  I want to be the kind of person who shows up with soup whenever a friend is sick.  You and Glen are role models for Brad and I, and we love all three of your kids.  I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for your family.

Kara - I love that one of my friends has girls Addison's age!  I have so enjoyed getting to know you this year.  You want to do what's best for your kiddos, and never stop asking questions to try to find out why, how, or how to find something better.  Thanks for sharing your girls with me.

Leslie & Lindsay - Neither of you had any connection with me when we moved here, but you immediately opened your arms and I felt like I had known you forever!  You are such sincere friends, always quick with a prayer or word of encouragement or phone call to check up me.  I am so, so thankful to you for being generous with your time, love, encouragement, and prayers.

Lindsey - I love your laugh.  If anything tickles you the right way, you laugh all-out.  I want to live all parts of my life like this.  You just say what you think, and ask direct questions, and I am never caught off guard because I've come to be grateful for friends who talk about all these aspects of life ("I heard you were pregant?"  Haha!).  I like to think of you as an old "double friend:" Brad's friend from high school, mine from college, and ours together now.  I love your crazy kiddos, and hope that our babies can grow to be so close.

Missy - No, I can't really say I'm leaving my mother in law "behind;" I know you'll be looking for any excuse to come to Bham.  I can't list the ladies I'm going to miss without including you, though.  I tell people all the time how thankful I am for my in-laws, but do I tell you?  Yes, you raised and prayed for the man I love, but you also took me in and have always treated me as if I was your own child.  Since moving to Pensacola you have also become my good friend, and I am so thankful for our relationship.

Stephanie - How can you ask "what are my gifts?"  What a ridiculous question!  In the brief time I have known you, I have experienced first hand several unique and beautiful gifts that you share so frequently.  Leadership - you jumped right into our Sunday school class and we all followed suit!  You lead at so many other things, lovingly and with the rare combination of good ideas and follow through.  Hospitality - you open your home so often, make others feel comfortable whenever they're around you, and are a great cook.  You are a wonderful mother.  Honesty - I believe this is a gift, and I'm blessed to have several folks around me who have this gift.  I love, love, love having a friend who I can email about something God showed or reminded me, or a crazy thing I am nervous about, or something new we should pray for or against.  I have not had that in a while, and I am so thankful that you took the initiative to get this started.  Thank you for challenging me.

Our calling...

I've been thinking about this for some time now: what is "God's will" for our lives, or what is "our calling."  So often it sounds far-off, and long-term or permanent.  Why can't God's will, or my calling for that matter, be temporary?  I wondered that when I quit teaching; I assumed that if I was truly called into education then that's what I was supposed to do for life.  (Aren't I teaching now?  I teach constantly!  "Addie, that's a pumpkin."  "That sound is an airplane.")  Then I read an article that touched on this, and today we talked about it for a minute in our Sunday School lesson, so now it's on my mind...  Don't we have multiple callings in life???

Take my mom for example.  She is a gifted educator.  I don't know very many others who could work for so long with preschool special ed and not lose their touch.  That is one of her callings.  She is also our Mama.  She get's multiple phone calls each week seeking advice on everything from should I take my child to the doctor to what kind of cleaner do you use on your new counter tops.  She came to help me pack our house 3 years ago when we moved to Pensacola.  She is also a daughter.  Mom takes care of, listens to, shops for, and often has to ignore my crazy, ailing Tutu.  She helps lead a young adult Sunday school class, hoping to grow that population in their small church and looking forward to mentoring young couples.  Most of all my mom is a wife.  That is certainly a calling!  She has given up all sorts of things for the sake of my dad's job.  She's is supportive and loyal and loving.  If we asked my mom what her calling is, her answer might depend on what she's doing and who she's focusing on that day.

I guess what I'm saying is, what is your calling today?  This week?  This season in your life?  Several years ago it became clear to me that God has blessed me with husband who is a minister.  (I know that sounds obvious, but it took some banging my head against the wall for me to get exactly what that entails.)  This means that Brad is not mine alone, and our plans for our family, like all followers of Him, are not really ours to make.  As a part of that, I feel that I'm called to be Brad's supporter and encourager.  When he feels led to do something and go somewhere, God showed me that I am to pray for Brad, talk through changes and plans, and to be open to whatever.  Now please understand: this does not come easy for me!  I am a planner by nature; I like timelines and concrete calendars.  The Holy Spirit is making me available and willing to face this new adventure.  I am "called" to be open to squeezing into a tiny rental.  I am "called" to make the transition as easy as possible for Addison.  I am "called" to make this move as easy as possible for Brad, not making him feel guilty or wrong for wanting to follow the dreams God gave him.  For the past year or so I have been so blessed by friends who have ministered to me almost constantly.  Perhaps this move is to put me in a place to do some ministering to others?  I guess that starts with my family.

leaps of faith

Well it's official: we are moving to Birmingham.  Want to buy a house???  The seller is VERY motivated!

In just two short weeks, we will be packing up this sweet home and unloading into a different (and much smaller) one.  We have been praying about this opportunity for months, so while it feels rushed right now, I have felt like the process has lasted forever!  We decided about six weeks ago that this is where God is leading us.  Ever since, we have had that decision confirmed over and over again.  It just became official last week, and now our move to the Dawson Baptist Church Recreation ministry is in the works.

Phew!  It has been a few years since I have had such conflicting feelings about an event inside of me!  I spent some serious time in prayer against this move.  I've said for a long time that being an Army brat is good preparation for becoming a minister's wife, but moving is never easy.  That said, the move itself is not what held me back for so long.  There are several things, the biggest being that a stay at home mom survives on play dates, parks, and mom-friends who share not only children but joys, fears, laughter, and (for me) a passion for serving God and their families.  (Actually I'm pretty sure all moms survive on those things, but you know what I mean.)  We have several friends in Birmingham still, but few who are on the same "page" in life that we are.  In spite of Scripture ("be anxious for nothing...")  I am anxious to see what Addie and I's days will hold.  Leaving our sweet friends and wonderful family had me praying for weeks that God would allow us to stay here in Pensacola for a little while longer.  He has drawn me out of that place, though, and into one where I am holding my breath and looking forward to new adventures.

And I am thrilled about the opportunity for Brad.  He served at Dawson before; we were married and he was ordained there.  More than that, Brad loves recreation ministry, and Dawson has one of the largest in the southeast.  He is so sad to leave the kiddos that we are so close to, but excited about being a part of a ministry like this.

So, with all of the pros and cons involved, we are taking this leap of faith to head back to Birmingham.  Last week when we drove up there to finalize some things and house hunt, I couldn't help but remember how I used to feel driving into town every year for college.  I love, love, love that city!  Uncle Lewis (a band from Samford when we were there) had a song that plays through my head anytime I just think about being there; it's like a soundtrack for me and the "Magic city," about coming to a place that feels like "home."  It may not feel like home when we pull into town on November 10th, but I am confident that God is faithful and it will soon.

I was reminded this morning during my quiet time that we've done this before: when we left Birmingham five and a half years ago I was not at all happy about it.  When we left Dothan I was upset about leaving my amazing friends, my wonderful job, and my sweet cheerleaders.  Each of those "leaps" has eventually led to a deeper faith, stronger marriage, and therefore a happier me.  I stress the word "eventually" because there were some serious trials in the mean time.  (I'll spare you most of the stories, but one involved a huge student backing me into a corner and asking if I wanted him to kiss me (he was later accused of raping a girl), and another student who was so pregnant in class that her belly got stuck under the desk, all in the same day.  Yikes!)  I do not doubt that this is where God is leading our family.  The "eventually" is what concerns me.

So until we leave I'm avoiding all of the unpleasant moving tasks by spending lots of time out and about.

More to come on the crazy life of the Gowings as we work on leaving town.  Happy Halloween!  Our gal's going to be a duck - of course she started refusing to say "Quack - Quack" about a week ago.

Month in Pictures

Good grief - it's been a whole month!  I had good intentions every week or so of updating this silly thing, but  each time thought of something else that needed doing, or was too lazy, or thought "who even looks at that stupid thing?" so I put it off, and now it's been a ridiculous long time!  Two people have mentioned it this week, though, so I need to update.
Hmm... what have we been up to?  Lots!  Here's our month in pictures:
Addison and I went to my NC to visit my family...

on our way to a "Hoe Down" at my grandmother's assisted living residence
with  Addie's newest cousin, Holmes

Favorite thing to do with Holmes?  Give him kisses!

Fewer toys at Rara's means we play with Mommy's makeup!

We got home to a long list of "to dos" around the house... I believe in fall cleaning instead of spring cleaning I guess!  We cleaned out the attic; Addison helped clean out my school boxes.

We went to the beach "one last time" this year.  Please check out the narly pig-tails.

Our friend Big A taught my "little A" how to give the "Stink Eye."  She does it well, huh?

We went to the zoo for the first time.  The Gulf Breeze zoo is kind of a hike from here, but it was so worth it!The pigmy (is that a word?) goats in the petting zoo area got a little out of hand... they practically over-ran our sweet kiddos and nosed through bags looking for food, and one crawled into my stroller!  It was hilarious!  And A has been making animal noises ever since!
  

I've also been taking monogramming "lessons" from Brad's mom. She has an embroidery machine and does such a good job on stuff for Addison, but I feel bad for always giving her "orders," when I know she has other things to do.  So she's teaching me how to use it!  Yay!  I'm a slow learner, but here are some things we've worked on:

I embroidered Holmesy's little pumpkins... which thankfully you can't tell are the
slightest bit crocked.  Missy did Addie's shirt.  So cute!

It started with this series of pants I made Addison, which turned out really great after a
couple of really dumb blunders on my part, haha.  Here are the brown cords...

Here are another pair of cords.  I took the extra fabric and appliqued this "a."
The backing of it is a little off, but you can't tell from the front.  Trial and error.

This is my favorite!  I guess Brad's mom technically made it, but I'm going to steal credit for the design!  I love the sweet colors and the Kath Cidston looking fabrics!

up close.  Notice the "vintage" stitches!

This whole monogramming thing could become a serious addiction for me!  Well, I need a room that I could close off and not see the mess when I wasn't working on something.  I don't have that right now, so I guess it's not too big of an issue.

Lets, see, what else is new???  Did I mention on here that I'm a rep for 31 Gifts?  I love their bags, and didn't know anyone else selling them, so I started a couple of months ago.  I've recently started my Christmas shopping and driven Brad through the roof with a few new bags for myself.  :)

Oh yeah - tomorrow is my birthday.  I turn 30 - woah!  The number does not bother me at all, but the gray hairs I keep finding in my bangs do.  Coloring my hair is simply not in the budget right now, so we'll just deal with a few stray strands.  :)  Add that to the list of things to try to be thankful for I guess, haha.

Middle of the Night woes

So, I've been up since 1:47am.  Ugh!  I am feeling okay right now, but am afraid that at 3 o'clock today, as I'm getting on our second flight of the trip, I'm going to want to kill myself.

One thing on my mind, among many things, this morning was an article I read last night in the August Home Life before going to bed.  In "Stripping the Veneer," Casey Avenriep talks about what it takes for a Christian to truly be authentic with people in our culture where looks and image matter so much.  A quote from the opening paragraph caught my attention:

Why is it so difficult for me to be authentic, to admit failure, to boldly defy worldly standards, and to cry out to God for help in the process?  Could it be that I desire acceptance more than I do obedience? 

Good questions.  They should have come out of my mouth first!  He sights reading a book called Veneer: Living Deeply in a Surface Society, by Willard and Locy as being inspirational and challenging.  (Maybe I found a new book to wreck my world?  I'll have to hunt it down.)  If we as Christians are called to be not of the world but in it, and to be Christ's hands and feet, how is it that my life seems at times a little "cookie-cutter"?  I lay awake last night thinking about parts of my life where I need to be more honest, more authentic, more deliberate in my conversations.  At first look, I thought "well, I'm pretty honest with these people," and that's true: I am basically an open book.  I talk about how dirty my house really is, how I picked a fight with my husband, things that frustrate me beyond belief, and when the last time I washed my hair with some people, particularly my friends.  I thought about why that is.  I have a few friends who I believe will love me no matter what I say - even when I admit to being hateful towards someone.   (I am thankful to you, by the way, more than you know.  I need to say it more often, but I'm so thankful to have people to share my life with.)

I guess that's the problem at hand, then isn't it:  Are we afraid of not being loved?  Are we afraid of judgement?  Are we afraid of not meeting the standards we believe others have set for us?  Or the standards we've set?  Do we imagine that if we don't look or act or behave a certain way, then we can't be a part of a certain group?  If I lose face and people see how I really am, will they want to be around me?  I think all of these things fall into play.  Oh when all these things were running through my mind (at 2:30) I became so disheartened!  I know I am guilty of not showing love in all circumstances!  Whether by a look or a comment, to someone I know or a stranger in Publix, I have passed a quick judgement and moved on, instead of pausing and listening and loving someone.  I am called to show Jesus to people!  As He loves my soul, I am called to love others'.  What a poor lover of souls I am.

I finally got out of bed at 5 and got my Bible and study book out.  As I sat over orange juice and the Word, I thought about all the places my mind wandered in the middle of the night.  It crossed my mind that maybe I needed to spend time thinking about those things.  Lately my quiet time has been hurried and less than ideal.  Perhaps because I did not set time aside yesterday (or all week) for prayer, the Lord set aside some time for me.  When I think about it like that, it's pretty cool that the God of the Universe woke me up last night to deal with me on some things.