Karate Champ

So B started Karate lessons this month. After watching the first lesson of Benjamin's first day I was sold! What other sport do they focus on self-control and respect as well as personal goals, physical strength, health and the like? I was super pumped about my boy gleaning from this kind of experience! So how this all started is I bought one month of lessons at the TCA silent auction for $1. That's right, $1 for a month of karate and a free uniform! Woo Hoo! So, why not try it, right? At th time I bought it, I had no idea where we would be living. We;; guess what? The karate school just so happened to be at the first major cross street from our house. Literally 1 minute drive. What's even better is it's in th same shopping center as my gym, so Cait and I can walk down and workout for 45 minutes while B has class. Awesome!



So B has been going for about 4 weeks now and he has already earned a strip on his white belt. He is Super cute doing his little kicks and punches! I LOVE it!






Here they get to learn how to break boards with a plastic form that splits in the middle.






He DID it! Very impressive!



Here he is practicing his self-defensive moves with a partner. His "Ha-ya" was a little scary obviously because the boy is flinching! I love that they are learning moves on how to ward of a stranger who might be trying to abduct them! Makes this momma feel better!









So fun to see them grow up and learn new things!

Who is Paul?

Man, if I had a dollar for every time I got that question over the last few months...I'd be RICH! Well, today is the perfect day to answer that question for you.

Six months ago today I went on a blind date. Yep. It's true. No, I wasn't desperate for a date and neither was he. BUT...God ordained the circumstances and looking back neither of us know why we agreed, but we did.

My friend Amy, from church, asked one of her friends named Ashley if he knew of any great Christian guys for her friend Tamra. Ashley said that he DID know a great guy that happened to be one of his clients. Ashley is a financial adviser and Paul was just on of his clients...that he thought very highly of. Ashley contacted Paul in September or maybe early October of 2007 and asked him if he was interested in being set up with a nice Christian girl. This, of course was all without my knowing! No reply came form Paul. Another e-mail from Ashley and still no reply from Paul. This went on for several months. Finally Ashley sent Paul a picture of me and he finally gave in. January 2008 Paul called me for the first time. A little awkward at first, but not too bad. After a little get-to-know you talk Paul asked if I'd like to go out to dinner sometime. I thought, "What can it hurt?" so I agreed.

So, Friday, January 25, Paul picked me up at Trinity around 6:00 pm. When I came out of the front doors and took one look at him I was pleasantly surprised! He looked exactly like what I wanted him to look like...a man. Not a boy, but a man, and a nice looking one at that! So, after a little bit of awkward giggling and uncomfortable introductions, we got in the car and headed out. He took me to a SUPER nice restaurant called Go Fish right down the street in Addison. The food was amazing, but the conversation was a little painful. Seriously, neither of us were acting ourselves and it was just weird. It was obvious that he was a genuinely nice guy that loved the Lord and his family. We even seemed to have lots of common interests, but it was still painful. After dinner we went to the Watertower Theater where we saw "Much Ado About Nothing" by Shakespeare. It was an excellent choice on his part. Lots more laughing and good conversation happened there.

Well, even after a painful date and many embarrassing comments on both of our parts (that we STILL tease each other about today) we are still continuing to spend time together. Tonight, to celebrate 6 months of wonderfulness, we are going back to the same restaurant where we had that first date. We are celebrating what God has done in bringing our paths to a crossing point and giving us the opportunity to grow as friends over these last six months.

So...there ya go. That's Paul. I wish I could tell you all the things that make him so wonderful in my eyes. I wish I could tell you why he is such an obvious blessing from God to me and my kids. I wish I could share with you all the amazing evidences of God's hand in this relationship. But that will have to wait until another time. I'll have to leave you with more to come because right now I need to go get ready for my night on the town!

Tenth and last day of vacation

Our friends, the Bacaks had to go home pretty early this morning of our tip. We had a great time visiting, but more company was on the way. Mom had a "honey-do" list for dad, me and Paul to get ready for our company. All my dad's family, mom, brothers, sisters, cousins, children, the children's children were going to be there. It was going to be a full house!

Mom read a little bit to the kids that morning after we were all set and just waiting for everyone to show up. This is the version of "Cinderella" that I had growing up. Man, do those pictures bring back a flood of memories!











Here's grumpy...I mean, Uncle John



This is Riley, my cousin Michelle's first baby.
She's a dumpling!



Mommy Michelle with her baby


Cousin Angela leaning in over my Aunt Shanon's shoulder.
Aunt Sharon sitting across from them on the other couch.


Benjamin was impressed with Riley's "muscles."
He thought hers were bigger than his.
Seriously!


I SO wish I had more pictures of the family from that day. What was I thinking? Oh well, you'll just have to trust me that it was wonderful catching up with everybody!

After lunch and a little visiting it was back to Dallas for unpacking and getting ready for life back in the real world. I'll end the vacation report with my favorite picture. Benjamin took this picture with my camera. Pretty good, huh? It's not so much the picture that I am fond of though, as it is the person in it.

Vacation Day #9

Day 9 of our trip was a great one. It started out with some boating and riding on th jet skis. It ended with a visit from a very old friend. Well, she's not old, but our friendship is!
Jennifer Seay Bacak and I have been friends since high school. How we really became friends exactly, neither of us could quite remember, but what does that matter? Jenn and I were always and still are in many respects a lot alike! We just thought alike. We had common interests (both loved to sing) and we both loved the Lord and wanted similar things out of life.

Well, after college, our lives kind of went indifferent directions (literally) and we lost touch, save the annual Christmas card! I had seen her babies grow year by year through that Christmas card picture. I loved it! Well, two Christmases ago Jenn got a little bit different card from me in the mail. I signed the card as usual, but this year...2006 I signed it,
"Love, Tamra, Benjamin and Cait Perkinson"

Jenn picked up the phone immediately and wanted to know what was up. Last time she checked there was another member in our family. I remember her saying, "Did he die?!?!"
I had to laugh because in a lot of ways it felt like he had. Ya know, you think you know someone and then you find out that person doesn't exist. He is not who you thought he was. It really felt like a death in a lot of ways.

Anyway...seeing as how she and her husband, Rusty live 30 minutes from my parents' lake house, we invited them up for a visit. We were so blessed to have Jenn and her two oldest kids, Emma and Jax to come and play and stay the night. Oh what catch was needed between the mommies and what fun was to be had between the kiddos! What a blessing to see the wife and mommy that she is today and be encouraged and spurred on.

Instant friends!



Jax and Benjamin after their baths, in PJ's ready for bed. They are snacking on cheese whiz and crackers. B said, "Jax, I don't know about this stuff, but it sure does taste great!" I bought him a can of this cheese whiz today at the store. He'll be so pumped when he finds out!



JAX!!!



Here's the gang with their morning hair! What a crazy bunch!
Cait, Emma, Benjamin and Jax



Jenn and I both decided that we would pretend that this (below) was a picture of two buddies hugging. Well, in actuality Jax is abducting Cait and she was rather enjoying it!



It was a fun time with fun friends! We are definitely planning to do it again in the near future!

Vacation Day #8

No, once again, I did not forget a day of our trip. Day #7 was a super fun day! But for some retarded reason I have no pictures of it. The 7th day was the day we had to leave the beach!! Boo hoo! We packed up and headed up I-45 to the Woodlands. There we met my parents and both of my grannies for lunch. Both of my grandmothers were anxious to meet Paul, I think and give him their stamp of approval. After lunch, the Lewis family headed back to Fort Worth, but mom and dad, the kids, Paul and I all headed to the lake house for the 4th of July.

Day #8, the 4th of July began with a boat parade that morning. Check out these boat floats, would ya? So fun!













Parade watching...mom and dad. So sweet!



Sitting on the boat watching the parade in the shade.









After the parade it was time to get wet! We went over to Dick and Sue's house on the other side of the lake and had lunch and then swam a little. B and Paul were having jumping contests to see who could jump the furthest or make the biggest splash or the best cannonball, etc. It was hilarious! Here are a few shots from that day...










Then some fishin'!



And of course some fireworks that night. What a display we saw all across th lake! SO cool!
















A great end to a great day. I love my family! What a blessing they are from God!

Two more FUN days to go with LOTS of great pictures! Can't wait to tell you about them!

Vacation Day #6

So, the next day of our trip starts out with running downstairs to check on our precious crabs that we caught! Time to say goodbye! Parting is such sweet sorrow!



Next on the agenda was a lesson from Mr. Lewis (Paul). He taught us all how to go crabbing in the back bay. First we got some chicken necks, tied string to them and then threw them out, holding onto one end. When the line got tight you slowly pull the string in. While the crab is busy eating you scoop him into the net and you have supper!
Here we are getting our tutorial from the crab catching expert!





Waiting patiently for a crab to snap at our bait.



Swinging the bait out was an art form in itself!














CRABS!!!!!





After we caught all the crabs we could, then headed out to the jetties. We walked out into the middle of the ocean!









After a full morning of play we had some worn out kiddos!
We headed back to the beach house where we played on the beach for rest of the day!



FUN TIMES on Day #6!!!
More fun ahead!