Our church hosted First Fest on Saturday night. We went every year growing up, so it’s fun to go now with my own kids. Back in the day, mom was the women’s fitness director at our Christian Life Center, so she was always dressed in a costume for this event. On our way there, we were recalling some of her best ones, which included the year she went as a plumber (our family was in the plumbing business) and another year when she was a present. She wore a huge, wrapped cardboard box. I would give anything to have a picture or two. I don’t have those, but I do have these!

Here is our little tiger giving a loud roar to let everyone know he had arrived.

The best part of First Fest is all the inflatables they have. Jackson loves these. Curtis and I had our wedding reception in this outdoor area at the church. I think our groom’s cake was pretty close to where this thing is.

I’m really blessed because my groom turned out to be a fabulous dad.

There’s our tiger getting ready to take the plunge.

Me and AB, who happened to be A Bee.

Why is Santa Claus at First Fest and why isn’t he wearing red? Oh wait, that’s Noah, as his name tag clearly states! Meet Pastor Gregg, who was preaching about Noah the next day. Next to him is Bethie and our little bumble bee who was trying to figure out if she should grab onto Noah’s beard.

Here’s Jackson getting his face painted by Cinderella.

My camera battery died on me, but my friend took this of our family.

Here’s the Queen Bee at home.

And here’s her brother in a sugar high frenzy.

He kept saying, “I love candy!”

These shots are all the same – Annabeth looking a little iffy and Jackson thinking it’s hilarious.

Annabeth is 9 months today. I can hardly get over it.

We are planning to do another post on Thursday about the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration. We’ll have some info about a block of rooms and a group rate at a great hotel. We’ll also give those of you who are traveling alone a chance to connect with each other. Be looking for it on Thursday!

Whew! That title was a mouthful!

Siestas, congratulations on making it all the way to Scripture 21. It is finally time to register for the Siesta Scripture Memory Team Celebration! Woo hoo! (From now on you might see it abbreviated as the Siesta SMT Celebration.) This is a free event for all of our Siestas who have been working hard to memorize two Scriptures a month in 2009. It will be held at Houston’s First Baptist Church on January 22-23, 2010.

Before I tell you how to register, I need to emphasize one thing. We know based on the size of HFBC’s worship center and the number of comments that we get on our Scripture memory posts that we can accommodate every single one of our Siesta Scripture Memory Team members. Praise God! We are not in danger of selling out this event, for lack of a better word. Please know that you can take your time registering. If you’re not sure that you can really attend, please wait to register until you know that you can. We won’t close registration until two weeks before the event. Having an accurate count will help us tremendously as we plan for that wonderful and long-anticipated weekend. Thank you so much!

Registration Step One:
Please read our event FAQ page for all the details. If you have a question that isn’t answered, it will explain how to handle that.

Registration Step Two:
Follow this link to our registration page and register thyself!

We were a little nervous about rolling out registration on a Sunday because our web masters are not on call. But we really wanted to do it in conjunction with today’s verse. So if you have any trouble registering, please know that we will do our very best to get it sorted out on Monday.

The whole LPM staff is so excited to spend a great weekend with you, Siestas! We can’t wait. Thank you for taking this Scripture memory journey with us.

*You will see the post for memory verse #21 right below this.*

When Curtis and I started volunteering occasionally in the preschool department at our church, I was embarrassed to find out that I didn’t really know how to play with the little girls. The boys are easy simply because I have one and I am now equipped with the ability to make engine sounds, the importance of which cannot be overestimated. But toddler girls were a mystery to me. What has shocked and tickled me about them is how much they love to play with the baby dolls. I had no idea!

Usually there are more little girls in the classroom than there are baby dolls, so you can imagine how they follow each other around, hoping to recover any doll that may be fumbled. In spite of the inevitable fumble, these baby dolls are very well taken care of by their pint sized mommies. They hold them close, with their little plastic heads over their shoulders, and they walk around patting their little backs with such intensity. One Sunday Curtis had a line of girls who wanted their baby dolls swaddled. It takes a lot less energy to sit next to my friends in the married young adults department, but you cannot get entertainment like this anywhere else.

I never really played with dolls when I was small. I was much more into stuffed animals, My Little Ponies, and an E.T. doll that I dragged everywhere I went by one arm. Ironically, Melissa loved baby dolls and she has yet to have any interest in giving me a niece or a nephew. Even though I never liked dolls myself, I’ve been so excited about getting Annabeth her first one. I didn’t know when this big event was going to occur, but when Annabeth started crawling last week, and when she started crawling repeatedly to Jackson’s large plastic garbage truck, I knew it was time for some girly toys in our house.

So Mom and I went to Target yesterday and bought Annabeth’s first baby dolls.

Here’s the tiny one. I thought it would fit nicely in the diaper bag.

Here’s the big one, which I later realized doubles as a bath toy.

I am now presenting Annabeth with her first doll. We are in the dining room because it’s the only room that isn’t a mess right now.

Perhaps counting fingers and toes?

This doll is useful for teething.

We’ll take that over this.

Let’s see how she does with two.

Annabeth is either giving this baby the infant Heimlich maneuver or demonstrating the colic hold. She’s already so advanced.

Thumb sucking is Annabeth’s sign that she would like a nap. Motherhood is very tiring. Who knew that two were twice as much work?

Thank you for my first dolls, Bibby!

What was your favorite toy when you were a little kid?

I woke up this morning at 7:22 to a loud crash of thunder. In my pre-tea grogginess I could only form one clear thought: my sister is flying home this morning! I flew into a frenzy of getting myself and the kids ready so we could be at the LPM office when Melissa arrived there from the airport. But the rain, thunder and wind grew worse and I had to face the fact that she might not be arriving on time. Or anywhere close. Her flight had taken off on time but the airline web site was showing an hour delay. Then we got word that her plane was diverted to New Orleans. She’s safe and sound in the airport, but we don’t know when she’ll make it here.

I’m so bummed, Siestas! A couple of nights ago I was scooping the goo out of a tomato before I chopped it up. I don’t really like fresh tomatoes, which causes my mom to wonder how she could have given birth to me. She’s been known to salt one up and eat it like an apple. Curt and Jackson like them, so I went ahead and put one in our taco salad (see below). Jackson will eat tomato wedges like they’re candy, which makes me wonder how I could have given birth to him. Anyway, as I was scooping out the seeds, I was instantly taken back to when Melissa showed me how to do that. We were in the kitchen at the beach house we’d rented over the fourth of July. And I started to tear up because, y’all, that was the last time I saw my sister! The fourth of July! What is this world coming to?

Okay, I know I’m being melodramatic, but that’s seriously way too long. When I count it up, three and a half months doesn’t sound all that bad. But it seems like a lifetime ago.

I just got a text from my mom saying that Melissa has just boarded her plane. Praise Him! Please pray with us that she gets home safely and quickly.

You wouldn’t waste a prayer on my mom either. She had the taping at Life Today over the weekend and is now getting ready for this Tuesday night’s Bible study. It takes a lot out of a person.

Also, I’ve taken more pictures than I can possibly count this month. I can’t wait to share some (possibly a lot) of them with you this week.

In the meantime, here is my Uncle Wayne’s taco salad recipe. Most of my favorite recipes came from Uncle Wayne. When Curtis and I got married, he sent me a big envelope full of recipes from his and my grandmother’s kitchens. It was simultaneously sentimental and practical – the perfect gift! Especially since I only knew how to cook one thing at the time and that was frozen pizza. Oh, I’m kidding, y’all! I could also make pigs in a blanket.

Taco Salad

2 pounds of lean ground turkey meat
1 to 2 cans of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Iceberg lettuce, chopped (half a head should do it)
1 or 2 tomatoes, chopped
2 cups of grated cheese
1 bottle of creamy French dressing
1 avocado, sliced
1 bag of tortilla chips, scrunched in the bag

Brown the turkey meat in a skillet. Add kidney beans. Cover and cook on low for 10 minutes. Meanwhile put lettuce, tomatoes, and chips in a large serving bowl and top with grated cheese.

Drain the liquid from meat/bean mixture if necessary. Pour meat and beans on top of cheese in the bowl so that the meat gets the cheese melty. (Is “melty” a word?) Then pour French dressing over everything and toss well. Put avocado on top to make it look pretty.

*Most of the time the Jones family uses lean ground beef rather than turkey. What can I say? We’re Texans. I also tend not to use a whole lot of the dressing. It just depends on your taste.

Uncle Wayne’s helpful tip for this salad is that it doesn’t save well for later. It’s tragic when you think you’re going to have a few more bites later, only to find it’s all turned to Play-doh. If you want to enjoy leftovers, save some of the meat and beans and chips. Then start all over with fresh lettuce, etc. You’ll pat yourself on the back for such good planning. I hope you enjoy it!

*Update* Melissa made it to the office safe and sound. Thanks for praying!

Miesta Moose was on the road again. Where did he think he was going?

None other than Memphis, TN. Miesta Moose, you’re quite well traveled by now.

Miesta Moose waited with lots of ladies outside the FedEx Forum on Friday afternoon.

Here’s our fair mascot with Siesta Emily, who was attending her first LPL event with her mama, Lavonda.

M.M. waiting on the Word!

We heard Miesta Moose, along with many other Siestas, helped pay Starbucks’ light bill for a month after the Friday night session.

M.M. sang the blues next door to the Westin.

He even got to meet Morgan Freeman.

“Moose was here. 10/9/09”

Where will he end up next?

Did you know?
-Miesta Moose belongs to Melana/Moose Mama from Wyoming.
-He debuted at the Siesta Fiesta in San Antonio in August of 2008.
-Besides Memphis and San Antonio, he has also been to the Living Proof Live events in Billings, MT, Laramie, WY, a simulcast location Sheridan, WY, and to Travis’ Jesus Saves Live taping in Atlanta last January.
-When Moose Mama can’t take him, he travels with other Siestas.
-He wears all the wrist bands from the events he’s attended around his neck, but I’m told it’s getting a little crowded.
-He was originally intended as a gift for Beth, but Moose Mama says now he’s become “a symbol of the craziness that is Siestaville.” Amen to that!
-The camera loves him. His favorite pastime is taking pictures with all the Siestas.

Many thanks to Melana, Lavonda, Emily, Adrienne and Miesta Moose for making this post possible and for making Siestaville such a fun place to be.

Hi ladies! You all made my birthday so much fun. Thanks for your sweet words and for entering our big giveaway. Without further ado, here are our big winners who will each receive two tickets to the 2010 Living Proof Live event of their choice.

Jodi
Plymouth, MN
8:18 AM

Terry
Louisa, VA
8:29 AM

Lindsee Lou
8:43 AM

Sunni
Shreveport, LA
8:57 AM

Amy from Beyond Normalcy: Life with Twins
9:03 AM

Kelly
Hamilton, OH
9:05 AM

Tania Scott
9:06 AM

Melle
Waco, TX
9:38 AM

Jon and Brittany from The Yeagers
9:38 AM

Doanz
Washington
9:29 AM

Horsemom93
Fayetteville, GA
10:13 AM

Lisa
Cartersville, GA
10:28 AM

Bttrfly1976
Fort Worth, TX
10:35 AM

Kim C.
Athens, AL
11:19 AM

Melody Argueta
Cleburne, TX
11:19 AM

Vicki Cluxton
Fort Wayne, IN
12:05 PM

Kara
Franklin, TN
12:23 PM

Sarah Jenkins
Bancroft, Ontario Canada
12:23 PM

Joy Sherman
Springfield, OH
(I accidentally deleted
the time on this one.)

Lisa B.
Trussville, AL
1:57 PM

Gretchen
Cabot, AR
2:06 PM

Boothbloggers
2:59 PM

Bethany at 6HartsforHim
3:14 PM

Jennifer (HoosierMama)
Plainfield, IN
3:14 PM

The Gores
3:45 PM

Donna @ Way More Homemade
4:09 PM

Patti
Sarasota, Fl
4:35 PM

Deborah
Washington
5:11 PM

Ashley U.
Dunwoody, GA
6:36 PM

Bonnie
Wake Forest, NC
6:38 PM

Congratulations, Siestas! Just email us at [email protected] and we’ll fill you in on the details. Please include your contact info. Thanks so much!

Living Proof Live – Memphis from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Many thanks again, Rich!

Deep breath in…deep breath out. Deep breath in…deep breath out. Siestas, I have less than 48 hours left before I wave a fond goodbye to my twenties and embrace the big 3-0. As of right now I’m not freaking out. I keep thinking that I will enjoy being the baby of the 30’s more than the oldest of the 20’s. Let me recount some of the high points of the last ten years.

Age 20: The Lord started opening doors for me to serve Him in ministry for the first time. I got to help with youth camp and was a missions intern that summer. I also met Curtis Jones! I learned a lot about my Redeemer.

Age 21: I got involved with Breakaway Ministries at Texas A&M. It was such a blessing in my life. Curtis and I went on a mission trip to Venezuela with a team from Breakaway. We came home knowing we wanted to serve God together for the rest of our lives and started asking Him to make a way for us to be married. (At that point we were still in college and living 11 hours apart.) We got engaged shortly after and then Curtis transferred to Houston Baptist University and got a job working in the youth department at HFBC. The Four Moores took a trip to Paris and Switzerland that summer.

Age 22: I graduated from college and married Curtis a month later!

Age 23: This probably wasn’t the easiest year. I loved being married, but it was definitely an adjustment. This was my first full year of employment at LPM.

Age 24: Curtis and I left Houston for a 5 month stint in England. We had some amazing experiences and learned a ton of important lessons there. I led my first Beth Moore Bible study – Breaking Free – with a group of British women who were at least 20 years older than me. Bless them for their patience with me! I had sworn I would never do that study because my friends constantly told me how hard it was. 🙂

Age 25: We moved to Irving, Texas, a few days before my 25th birthday and we started our three-and-a-half year season working with students at First Baptist Church of Irving. We bought our first home that summer and the next day found out we were expecting a baby.

Age 26: The best and hardest year of my life – becoming a mom!

Age 27: I had a blast with my little family of 3. Jackson was a little bit older and we took him everywhere. We were always going to local festivals, having playdates with friends, and spending lots of time with our church family.

Age 28: I got to stand next to my sister as she married the man of her dreams. We moved back to Houston and got to be fully involved with Living Proof. We loved getting to share everyday life with my parents again. We found out we were expecting another baby!

Age 29: The Lord gave me a daughter! Sometimes I still have to pinch myself. We made some incredible memories as a family this year.

I have so much to be thankful for. Why shouldn’t I look forward to my thirties? Actually, I don’t want you to answer that. I would love to know from those of you who have been there or are currently there, what do I have to look forward to? What are some of the best things about your 30’s?

Let’s just pretend it’s really fall in Texas and it’s not crazy to be dressing my baby in this outfit. Let’s pretend that Houston’s not experiencing unseasonably warm weather with a heat index of 110. Let’s pretend that four months from now I won’t have a one-year-old!

Here’s Annabeth at 8 months.