Oh Jason, Oh Jason ...

Well, we will see how the Aggies pull through on this one ... our theory, though, on why the judges were so awful to Jason ... he must be pulling in a lot of votes and they fear he will knock out one of the performers who actually has star ability ... if we could keep him one more week, he will be performing in Aggieland! How fun! Well, at least Cook sounded karaoke last night, too :)!! I have to give it to Syesha ... she gets better every week and well, David A. ... yes, your voice is gorgeous but oh this sounds like a "Simon-rude-comment" but ... I'm tired of ya!!!
Ok, more after the results ... Gig 'em, Castro!!
Yes, hubby, sympathy voted again last night!

Mexico Monday -Cinco de Mayo

In five weeks we will be in Mexico ... I am getting so excited. I thought I would let you know the overview of the week today. Everyday we will have a group teaching VBS to the orphans at Casa Hogar, a medical team that will set up clinics in the poorest areas to provide medication, vitamins, and the gospel, and a construction crew that is roofing this year. The American teenagers along with a mentor are rotating through all of these areas to get a complete taste of "missions". In the afternoons the VBS crew will be having recreation and art with the kids ... I am taking materials to make the "old school" friendship bracelets (remember those???). Our VBS curriculum has been finalized and is awesome (an answered prayer) ... we are doing Warriors for Christ and each day's focus goes along with a portion of the movie, Chronicles of Narnia. The art will connect as well with making the helmet of salvation, shield, etc. The recreation will also connect with team building projects, trust games, etc. It is fun to see this all come together.
This week's prayer focus: for the American teenagers' hearts to be open so they can receive a new perspective of our world with what they see and hear that week.
Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!!

Tornadoes

I can't say enough how much I dislike and fear tornado season in Texas! I vividly remember stirring the batter of my birthday cake when I was little in Paris, Texas giddy about having my first slumber party and my town being hit hard by a terrible tornado. Standing on my front porch (before my mother put me in a bathtub with a mattress over my head) I watched the Paris Lumber Co. get hit and catch on fire by a tornado and I will never lose that mental image!! I remember the still, green, calm sky before it hit! I remember the sound of a tornado that went over my home only two years later and took off the roof of the family that lived behind us. I woke up and truly thought I was going to be run over by a train because of the sound! All of that said because today ... I had to "take cover" with Kate in the laundry room while a rotation was above our heads ... it hit east of Tyler and west of Tyler and it was a terrible 40 minutes waiting to see if it would hit us as it passed ... I guess I have done this many times before but today was different because it was calm and green outside ... brought back too many memories! I knew the boys were safe in the basement of their school and hubby was evacuating patients from their rooms to the middle of the hospital (why did he have to be on call during a tornado warning???) and I felt so completely responsible for little Kate! I sat in the laundry room and she loved it ... my undivided attention! Looking back now, I should have gotten some laundry done while I was worrying! I am going tomorrow to get a new weather radio ... and to update my Thundercall. Here's to sunny skies ...

One more thing ...

I just blogged and I forgot something mighty important ... today, Kate stepped on my scale ... it usually turns on but does not register a number because she is not heavy enough ... and well, many people know what we went through in the Fall just to prove the girl has a great, fantastic, amazing metabolism (too many needles) and I am sooooo happy to report that this morning when she stepped up, the scale turned on and the number 22 showed up strong and clear ... we did a little dance!! Usually, after a "weigh-in" I do a little cry because the number is too big (me) or doesn't register (Kate) but today we did a little dance ... 22 pounds! You go girl!! To keep the dancing mood going i chose to skip my own weigh-in!!!
Oh, one more thing, Jason Castro ... I do not know how ... but you made it another week. Gig 'em!!

It's Busy and Fun ... It's Life!!!

Last Sunday we had a very special morning at church. Both Caleb and Josh were baptised ... by their dad. They were all sooooo cute and so sweetly shared their favorite bible verse and well, hubby, was just perfect. He wrote to the boys and told them that he was so proud of their accomplishments in school (so far all As) and their dedication and hard work in sports but what made him most proud was their decision to follow Christ.

Josh had a special tea for moms at school where the kids had a style show of hats ... the theme was Hats Off to Moms. Every child was dressed up as one of the many hats we as moms wear. There was a gardener, a chef, a plumber, a grocery shopper, a cleaner, a banker, and more but Josh came out last and had the most important hat of all ... the prayer warrior!

We also had fun celebrating our precious friend, Ellie's 2nd birthday!! She got a bubble blower, a tutu, and some plastic high heeled shoes ... all of which kate is most excited about borrowing!!! When Ellie started opening her gifts, Kate threw up both arms and yelled "Toys!!!" It was so funny! We love Ellie and the rest of her precious fam! Happy Bday, sweetie!!

other Glenney news ...

We are excited to be helping with our precious friends, the Bryans family, advocacy team. Please check out their blog (it's a link on the side because I have no idea how to make it link in the middle of a paragraph like my other blogger friends can). They are moving to Quito Ecuador to work with street kids ... as sad as we are to not be down the street from them for the first time in like 10 years, we are excited to see them follow God's plan for their life in the mission field. They are a precious family ... go check out their site :). Check out their ministry at Casa Gabriel at www.youthworld.org.ec

American Idol

OK ... I am admitting something first ... Chris and I vote for our Aggie, Jason Castro, every week. I know, I know, an Aggie with dreadlocks, but we just love the idea of an Aggie being the Idol! All of that said, right now I am so dissappointed with him. Something many people may not know about me is my love for music, theater ... Broadway ... love this Andrew Lloyd Weber music tonight and Jason said on live TV that he did not know "that a cat sang this song". I was crushed ... I remember sitting on the third row in NYC watching the beautiful matriarch cat belt out this song (Memories) and crying! Jason, Jason ... not knowing it was from Cats, singing a song that was created for a big voice, singing a song that was written for an elderly female cat... I am just sad right now ... but as I was typing Brooke sang and had to start over ... maybe there is hope for you Jason. My hubby said he is going to have to sympathy vote at least 8 times tonight for our Aggie!

Mexico Monday -- No Worries!

This week our team has been finalizing the details of the carnival we will have at the orphanage the second night we are there. With so many families going this year I think our little carnival will be awesome!! We have field goals, face painting, cake walks, balloon launching, bounce house, snow cones, cotton candy, and tons of booths ... exciting! That night is the first true interaction we will have with the kids so my prayer for this week is for the carnival night.

I would love to see the American kiddos and the orphans connect at the carnival... a blessing for us last year was that my boys each found a friend to play with during the week (Ernesto and Caleb, Josue and Josh) on that night. This "connected" them for the week even though they did not speak a word of each other's language. I pray that each child simply has fun, can feel God's love through us, and can feel comfortable to relax. I truly cannot even begin to comprehend what terrible things these chldren have been through at such a young age ... to experience freedom in Christ must be a huge challenge! Please pray along with me that they find the freedom, safety among us to have a fun-filled evening with no worries!! I am praying for ear-piercing laughter to ring throughout the night!!