I know these are delayed, but that's how we are living around here....crazy and 'out of order'.

These are some pictures of Easter and if you look closely, you can see how Garrett is trying to buzz Lilah's hair with one of her toys:). Also, a couple of cousins in these shots....one of my favorite things about my married family is: so many people= so many cousins! I did not have a single cousin my age growing up and I think it's just precious to watch my kids with theirs. Even though they don't see them all the time, there is a familiarity there....they know they are family.

AAA was invented for people like me....I have locked my keys in my car more times than I can count. My poor dad has made me 'spare' after 'spare' sets. I lock those in the car. I have locked my keys in my car while it was running. I have locked my keys in my car on 3 consecutive days. I have never locked my keys in my car with my children in it, but I'm sure that is in my future. I am not proud, I'm just honest. I'm not really as scatter-brained as this makes me seem, I just try to do/think of too many things at one time.

I tell this story because I just had a really funny encounter with Money Makers man. If you are curious, Money Makers is a towing service that AAA contracts with.....and the name would make me mad if I was paying the fee every time, but I just flash my AAA double shiny deluxe platinum gold card (I made that up) and they say, "thank you Ms Burch, try to be more careful next time." And I laugh, thinking about how I quickly I recouped my AAA membership fee. By the way, I'm pretty sure I'm a few calls away from getting kicked out of the club....but until then, I'm riding the glory train.

So Mr Money Maker had to come today because my battery was dead. And I was all, "I'm so sorry sir, but I let my 3 year old play in the car and he must have left on the lights." He had no sympathy and said my real problem was that I needed a new battery. I told him I thought I had just had a new battery and he said "that is your original batry (the east TN version of battery), but I do think you have new tires." It is a sad state when the tow man knows more about your upkeep than you do.

Anyway, he asked if I ever used the automatic sliding doors without the car 'on'. Ha. HaHa. Seriously? We open those doors about 3212 times a day. You may know, my minivan is my nerve center. My command post. My office. Aside from the obvious, get us from point A to B, we use that thing for all sorts of purposes (e.g., diaper changing station, snack/drink center, jungle gym, etc.). All of which happens in the driveway or parking lots, requires the doors to be open/shut, and almost never involves the engine running.

Mr Money Maker says this "pulls the batry" and will "kill it in 1 year". I have to get in the car and start the engine before using my key to automatically open both side doors, he says. Ha. HaHa. Who does he think he's dealing with? I might as well trade in that bad boy (the minivan, not mr money) for a regular old sedan. The automatic sliding doors are the essence of that automobile. So, I glance over my handy 'new batry pamphlet' and learn that my new batry has 3 year warranty. I do some new math and realize I can keep on "pullin the battry", and get mommy mobile a new battry whenever the need strikes. I love warranties...now if I can just keep track of it.:) Click. Clickclick.

I have started to write this several times and have not gotten very far.....the truth is there are no words. Paul and I attended Hope in the Dark, a fundraising event to benefit Blood:Water Mission and Show Hope. It was top 5 most incredible nights of my life.....really, life changing. A room full of people who have given so much of their lives to serve God's people who are truly suffering in Africa. The statistics given were astounding: 120 million orphans worldwide, more people than live in the US are without adequate water in Africa.

The Watoto Childrens Choir performed, they were beautiful and incredible, and I was a goner. I cried through the rest of the night. I made Paul surrender his wallet, and luckily for him he only had $20, so we are the proud owners of 1 CD--which I love.

Also, Steven Curtis Chapman performed and was really moving. The Chapmans lost a daughter in a tragic accident about the time Lilah got sick, and we feel some sort of a connection through that. To hear his music and him speak, it was amazing to see how similar our journeys of pain have been, but especially to hear about God's mercies and graciousness in their lives.

A child of the Watoto Choir told us about how she (and everyone in the choir) had been orphaned, mostly by AIDS. She said that they had been left alone, with no one to care for their most basic of needs, with no chance of a future. (let me just say at this point I had this little girls room decorated in my house). Then she told us "But we know we are not forgotten. We have hope. We have a future because of Jesus, and God's amazing love".

I haven't quit thinking of all that I heard that night and I feel it changing me.

I know you all have been worried about our living situation and I just wanted to set your little hearts at ease. I was a bit worried about the situation, for all the obvious reasons. But, in that crazy little way God does, it has all worked out. We have found a perfect little 6-month rental and, I am so excited.....it is by The Target!!! Paul is a bit worried about me spending any more time/money at my favorite place, but I am so excited to be able to walk to a retail establishment. And that one, of all places. I haven't scoped it out yet, but I'm thinking there is a possibility of walking to Starbucks. That will really be divine intervention. Can you hear my squeals of delight???

I lead a dramatic life, I know. I should be telling you about how we bought a lot and are building a house, but in a 'it's overwhelming-stick my head in the sand' kind of way I am both avoiding and procrastinating on choices for said home. House building is not my forte (you are shocked, right?) nor my plan and I kind of wish there was some sort of magic fairy out there who could look in my subconscious and I could get to the final product of what I love (if I even knew what that was) without any of the work. Kind of like how I wish I could run a marathon or learn Spanish.

Have you ever heard that joke, "How do you eat an elephant?". The answer is "One bite at a time". Kind of makes my jaw hurt thinking about it:).

Due to circumstances totally unknown to me, but apparently under my control, per the Apple Man, my pictures have been floating somewhere in the black hole. Clearly, I am not a techie. But, thanks to many several dollars....I have some recent pictures. Enjoy them because, as I am not having great results with his instructions, my memories are about to disappear again. Unlike you all, Apple Man does not think I'm funny and somewhere in cyberworld he is blogging about this ditzy blonde who can't even keep her hard drive clean. :)

It was one of those days. Like an un-coordinated circus seal spinning plates--a comedy of errors. Yesterday started with Paul already at work, L waking up too early, and G waking up too late.  The prince rarely sleeps "late", and by 'late' I mean 7:45, which does not provide him with the adequate transitional time to get ready for school. Like every man I know, he does not like to be told what to do.  Imagine?! As if rolling over and hearing, "take.off.your.diaper.go.to.the.bathroom.brush.your.teeth.eat.breakfast.put.your.clothes.on."  isn't a pleasant way to start the day??  But, life must go on and yesterday, it went on in conflict.  You know, one of those mornings where no matter what you suggest, it is met with tears, whines, and a standoff? So, he goes to school with wild hair, and a stretched out shirt (that he had not only slept in, but pulled at like a banshee all morning because he didn't want to wear it.). Obviously my intent was not for him to wear that shirt to school, although due to Standoff #32.1, it was a collared polo shirt, not pajamas.  Oh, and also his face was covered in cheese crackers, because, like his father, it takes G about 2 hours to be ready for breakfast and that's all I could get him to eat.  And heaven forbid I send him to school without breakfast, because I think they eat snack at all of 9:30.
We gathered his lunch and materials for his class "egg drop", and I was feeling pretty peppy because, despite a questionable wardrobe, we were on time!! He cried the whole (1/2 mile) way there because "but, I want to bring a weapon to school" (i.e., plastic pirate hook) and arrived at school red-faced, disheveled, and unhappy.
My first clue was the sea of hairbows the size of Texas that I spotted in the parking lot.  My second clue was rounding the corner to his class and hearing "so glad you are here for picture day".  CRAP.  Picture day. I totally forgot.  Egg drop day? Totally prepared for, which did us no good, since it wasn't egg drop day. Of course, I could have gone home and gotten a change of clothes and a hairbrush (did I mention we are way overdue a cut?) and possibly some 'product' (yes, I use 'product' on their hair).....but that would have taken precious minutes from my golden Mothers Day Out time.  And, he probably wouldn't have put them on willingly anyway.
So, I figured G would just have to suffer the shame of being the only 'non-prepster' in the very prestigious Young 3s portrait.....and that we would not be ordering any of the $20 prints.  I could only laugh when I picked him up and he was wearing his 'spare' clothes from the bottom of his backpack, that were stained, mismatched, and tragically short.  I asked Garrett where he had his picture taken and he said "I stood behind the tree".   A little strategic placement, eh??  He also confided that he was making his 'penguin face':).  A photographer's dream!

My head is swarming so so many thoughts, dates, facts, and figures, that I'm sure my writing will be total rubbish. But, I didn' t want you all to think we'd fallen in some deep, dark, cyber hole. The short of the long of it is.....we sold our house, we have scoured the town for a decent dwelling, failed, and have now landed on the thought of building. Ugh- (this is a big I'm totally overwhelmed sigh). We thought building would be a fun little way to add a bit more crazy and chaotic into the mess we've already got going on around here.:) We are still, wait-ing and see-ing, so I'll keep you posted. We have to be out of here by May 3, which means a rental, which means about 100 other calls to make:)

Otherwise, the state of the union is great. We feel like the days and weeks pass in a very fast flurry, but it seems like that's just how it goes. Garrett is looking huge and acting exactly his age:) Lilah is becoming more aware, interactive and demanding everyday. They are playing together in a very minimal way, and are enjoying a love/hate relationship, as siblings do. Lilah has been remarkably healthy and we are so thankful! She is definately well aware of her physical limitations and more frustrated daily by her inabilty to get around on her own. I am hoping this is a good sign, and will traslate to motivation to move!