Beginnings of our move to Cross Pointe

So it's official and it's really happening, we are moving back and yes I did say back to Atlanta or rather Stone Mountain. In 2 short weeks we will be leaving this wonderful city, Austin, and going to begin a new chapter in the never boring Burgess story. I am filled with excitement and anticipation as this journey begins. Cross Pointe Church will be our new home and Alfred is going to be the Family Pastor under Dr. James Merritt. Pretty cool God-size stuff if you ask me. Now I only need God-size patience. Eh, not to much to ask Him, he daily gives me doses:)

At the present I have a great deal of things running through my head about our time here with our GHBC family but I am letting that simmer a few more days before I blog.

I haven't blogged here since I've worked on the one for bear's heart journey but now feel the need to resume. This has been a crazy but good week with nothing of great significance happening. Bear continues to do amazingly well and we were able to get out in the sprinkler for a couple of hours today which make him wildly happy. We also went to the movies yesterday and saw several of his friends from church, that really made him and me feel like our life was returning to normal. The boys are playing doctor alot and each of them have their own little medical bag they take turns working on me or one of their animal friends. It's hilarious hearing them ask, "What hurts". They miss my Mom and Dad alot. This picture was their attempt to look like "Poppa sleeping". Bear thinks he looks the most like his because he doesn't wrinkle his eyelids and his hands match Poppa's perfectly! HAHA

I am so grateful to have this time to watch them play and imagine and I have to remind myself almost daily to sit and imagine with them. This time is so short and so wonderful and it will be gone before Alfred or I realize it. They really are my monkeys!!!

Extra Special Mommy Moments

So we've been hanging out on "quarantine" for the last week and it's been wonderful. Not only have I accomplished several items on my to do list but Bear and I have had a great time. Last Wednesday Brock stayed home with us and we had such a fun day. It was the type day where everything clicked and we were all in sync. I got the closet that Alfred and I share cleaned out and stuff that needed to be bagged up for Goodwill ready. It took about 3 hours but the boys were patient and played while I worked. Then as a reward we went and picked up Chick fil A and headed to a new park for a picnic. Now I know most parents say this about their children, but Brock is a very funny child. I truly have a difficult time not laughing at most of what comes out of his mouth. For a 3 1/2 yr. old he has quite the deep voice with a mix of southern drawl and some flavor we haven't quite figured out thrown in the mix. We are sitting eating our lunch at a picnic table and Brock looks at Barrett and says, "Beautiful day to eat some chicken outside." That kid just cracks us up!!! We played on the play scape for awhile pretending it was a pirate ship and we had alligators in the waters below. Brock was yelling constantly "Mom I can't protect you if you get off the ship."  Barrett then told me he needed to go potty and since there were a lot of trees I figured we could make use of one or two. I told Bear to head over to the farthest tree and do his business but I didn't clarify he needed to face away from the very busy road that is adjacent to the park. About the time he commerced  I yelled stop your going to get Mommy arrested, and then I scared Brock so bad that he wet his pants. It was hilarious to say the least. I apologized for yelling and then told Barrett why he should be discreet when using public trees. haha! It was hot that day so I told Brock his shorts would dry soon and if he didn't mind we didn't have to leave just yet. Of course that was fine with him, he is not my finicky child. After spending the rest of our time defending the pirate ship from alligators we were hot, stinky, and tired. We went and got ice cream before heading home and sat in the backyard eating our vanilla cones and talking about how much the ants wanted our sugary goodness. A bath, book, and snuggling in Mommy's bed completed our time. Brock said it best, " God made our family the most wonderful." My sentiments exactly!

Will my heart still be special?

It has been 5 years 3 months and 12 days since Barrett had his open heart surgery. In one sense it seems like yesterday and in another a lifetime ago. Mentally we have been preparing and hearing about #2 for several year, but emotionally I feel as if this is the first time. He was so perfect and so so small. I didn't know I was staring into the face of a fiercely passionate child that does nothing without exuberance. I didn't know I was holding the 5 tiny fingers of a child that loves so deeply he makes everyone around him feel special. I didn't know 5 years ago that this was a child who would dare to test my every resolve yet whose prayers would bring tears to my eyes.

 This child my oldest my first-born is such a gift in every way and when he heard he was being "unzipped" and his heart was going to be fixed he only had one question...."Will my heart still be special?" How remarkable at 5 years old to say such a thing.  In the days that followed that conversation I have thought about that question and have ask myself if we as Christian care or think about our heart's specialness to God. What I mean is, He created us but do you think we understand how SPECIAL our hearts are to Him? What a profound difference it would make in our day to day life if our actions reflected the love that our Heavenly Father has for us. 

"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid." Hebrews 13:6

Alfred and I have been praying for several months about Barrett's schooling next year. He is going to begin kindergarten and never did I think he would NOT enter a traditional public school setting. Since the beginning of our marriage Alfred and I have had very strong opinions about education. For instance privately educated children tend to be more spoiled and not authentic in their faith, public schools produced fairly well-rounded kids but only if those said children were in the best districts. And then there was the home-schooled children. Oh those poor children who's Mother was constantly hovering and wanted her children to remain in a protective bubble. But something happened, the more we have ministered to different families the more we've been exposed to homeschooling and somewhere over the last 3 years the stereo-type we once held to has been shattered. 

I have been reading extensively over the last few months about various families that homeschool, the different academic models, and why this is a viable option for education. The more I have read the more excited I've become. We no longer feel that there is a "type" of child that needs a homeschool environment, but God directs all types of families in this journey. As Alfred and I begin down this path with much much prayer and trepidation, I once again am exceeding thankful that God is in charge and not me, for if it was me I would be running for the hills right about now. Why God would be prompt me to teach my child is something almost laughable but nonetheless divine and for that I can only say, "Thank you". So as we begin the months of preparation and the research commences I will document this time so that I can look back on God's blessings, my mishaps, and my monkeys amazing educational journey!

Nicaraguan brothers

What a joy to have our good friend Guillermo from Nicaragua in Austin with us. This past weekend was our annual GIC (Global Impact Conference) and several months ago Alfred knew it was be extremely important for Guillermo to come and be apart of the weekend. The teenagers who went to Nicaragua last July were thrilled to see him not to mention the adults, but I think Alfred was the most excited. When you ask Alfred about Nicaragua or Chosen Children he becomes this impassioned talker. Truly he loves those people and the country. When he talks and shares about Nicaragua there is a fire that is contagious. He and Guillermo have developed such a dear friendship over the last 9 years. We are grateful that Jesus binds us to people all over the world to bring glory to His name. 

Super-duper Spring Break 2009

I could not have planned a better or more perfect Spring Break for my monkeys. Truth be told that is probably why it was so wonderful because it wasn't planned. We were able to go on a whim after Barrett's Heart Cath. on 3/13/09. He did so well that we knew we needed to seize the opportunity and head to Memphis. The boys stayed up late, they ate crazy stuff that isn't apart of their normal everyday diet and we visited a museum and planetarium.  They gave millions of hugs and kisses to NeeNay and Poppa and every few minutes you could hear Bear ask, "Poppa, you okay?" Such wonderful priceless moments and I soak them all in. I am so blessed by these two monkeys, I get frustrated at times and it is then I sit back and remind myself of the great joy Alfred and I have in raising and training up these two little men. JOY - pure and simple!!