Matters of the Heart

Today I clicked on the link to my old blog. I read all the old posts and had a great time remembering some very fun times. It was crazy to see how much has changed. The last time I posted, Taylor was in his first year of middle school, and now he is in his first year of high school. My Claire was in third grade and now she is in sixth. Their lives have changed so much, so I guess in essence, mine has, too. I am pondering blogging again. This really is for me more than anyone else. It is just a means of self-relecting and chronicling all that God is doing in my life and the lives of my family members. And boy, is He doing a lot. We are busy, we are growing, we are changing, we are learning, we are making mistakes - we are basically living life. So, I might be back - I might not. I guess I'll know in the next day or two if I get the urge to post again. Only time will tell.......

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before? I went on a cruise! I wasn't sure if I would like it, but I did! I was a counselor at Carmel's chilren's camp. I attended Late Night with Roy in Chapel Hill. I taught in the youth ministry at church.

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year? Nope - no resolutions....I can't keep them.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Nope - but my brother and sister-in-law are expecting another baby boy in May.

4. Did anyone close to you die? No, thank goodness.

5. What places did you visit? Las Vegas, Bahamas - Castaway Key, Chapel Hill, Sunset Beach, Boone,

6. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? My vow renewal with Elvis in Las Vegas.

7. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

8. What was your biggest failure? Worrying - about my children's futures,successes and failures; about what people thought of me

9. Did you suffer illness or injury? Yes, i fell the day before my birthday and suffered a concussion after my head hit the pavement.

10. What was the best thing you bought? Pool

11. Where did most of your money go? Pool, private school tuition, household expenses, church and other charities.

12. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Our swimming pool (do you see a theme?)

13. What song will always remind you of 2011?

14. What do you wish you'd done more of? Read, spend time in God's word, being still and quiet

15. What do you wish you'd done less of? Waste time, eat, worry about what people thought of me

16. What was your favorite TV program? Friday Night Lights which Mike and I watched from start to finish in the summer. We also watched Survivor again

17. What was the best book you read this year? Pillars of the Earth

18. What did you want and get? Swimming pool, Kindle

19. What was your favorite film of this year? Limitless, Soul Surfer, The Help, Crazy, Stupid, Love

20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I was 42 this year and my birthday was quite unremarkable, albiet for the fall I took the day before. I suffered a concussion and therefore spent my birthday in bed. The next weekend I did go to my favorite Greek Isles for dinner with my family.

21. What political issue stirred you the most? I guess I continue to be amazed at political candidates who put themselves out there for public scrutiny and then lie about their past mistakes. I cannot fathom people who think in this age that their secrets will not be found out. The upcoming 2012 presidential election promises to dominate the news. I am not looking forward to all the mudslinging and lying by both sides. It really makes me want to ignore the whole process.

Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo and I decided to make it a fun event for my kids. I made up a menu and allowed everyone to "order" what they wanted for dinner. I had chips, salsa and a seven-layer Mexican dip for appetizers. I cooked chicken and ground beef and had hard and soft tortillas. They could order quesadillas, tacos or burritos. Every entree came with beans and rice, lettuce, cheese, etc.

It was a lot of fun, and they totally loved it. Claire and I made some decorations, but the best part was Claire's costume. She had me draw a mustache on her face with eyeliner and then she put her hair up and put on a straw hat. She added a poncho and became "Ricardo, the waiter." I wanted to take pictures but she said I was not allowed to post them so I will respect her privacy. No fun!

Outside my window... rain is on the way! My yard is still blooming and so green.

I am thankful for...a fun weekend in Charleston with my husband & good friends who will take care of my kids

I am wearing... Vera Bradley pj bottoms (what else?) and an old T-shirt

I am remembering...all the things that are going on in May as the school year winds down

I am going... to keep Knox today! YAY!

I am reading... "Same Kind of Different as Me"

I am hoping.. both of my children's science projects this week will be smooth sailing. I HATE SCIENCE PROJECTS!

On my mind...my brother's testimony in church yesterday and how God in is infinite grace and mercy saved him from a life spiralling out of control.

From the kitchen... baked chicken & rice, fat free brownies (they are good, I promise) not sure what else.

Around the house... laundry, laundry & laundry!

Plans for the week... keeping Knox today and Wednesday, work, kid's activities, bball practice, Mother's Day!!!

One of my favorite things... 100 calorie Mr. Salty chocolate covered pretzels

"My cup runneth over..."

This post is a little dated, but I still wanted to get it out there. What a weekend the Burch family had - last weekend. It started off a little auspiciously when Taylor's braces broke and had to be replaced Friday. I wouldn't have rushed to get it fixed, but Taylor was leaving to go on the Blessing Retreat and it was really bothering him. So - I ran around to two separate orthodontist offices before I got it fixed. THEN - I raced back to school to work for an hour before heading to the sixth grade middle ages day at school where I was in charge of the food for 100 kids. I got home in time to get Mike and Taylor off to the Blessing Retreat and then I wanted to CRASH. I was so tired. BUT - the Joy Prom was a few hours away, and I had media phone calls to make.

This is where the fun began. As expected - the Joy Prom was WONDERFUL. I love how one of our pastors said, "The red carpet at Joy Prom is what he imagines heaven will be like." It is so beautiful watching the guests being cheered on by hundreds of cheering teens. They truly feel like princes and princesses for the evening. It is one of my favorite nights of the year.

The next morning I woke up and began to get ready for the bake sale Claire and her friends were having. Her teacher had given her $2 as an investment that would be "multiplied" by performing some sort of fundraiser. They had been so excited about this for such a long time. My friend Nancy and her son Jere participated with us as well as Claire's two friends Camryn and Brynn. The bake sale was a lot of fun and we raised $300 for Samaritan's Purse to benefit the earthquake victims of Haiti.



After the bake sale we were able to relax a little but the fun was just beginning for my boys. The Blessing Retreat at our church is one of the best things we do. It is for sixth graders and their parents - boys go with their dads and girls go with their moms & dads. The weekend away at a conference center in the mountains is full of fun, games, fellowship -and is set aside for preteens and their parents to "pause" and "chart out" spiritual direction to navigate the preteens wisely through their teen years. I had been praying for God to speak to Mike and Taylor and to impact them in a big way and He really did. The weekend culminates in a very special and meaningful time for parents to give their child a "blessing." I can't wait to go with Claire, and I am so thankful for the weekend my boys shared together.

Outside my window... gray skies but a beautiful yard with blooming trees and plants

I am thankful for...my risen Savior

I am wearing... Vera Bradley pj bottoms (what else?) and a blue T-shirt

I am remembering... my crazy wierd dream last night. It involved having another baby (that wasn't even real), taking 12 boys to Florida on a private plane, the appearance of people from different times in my life. I can't even attempt to analyze this one.

I am going... to have lunch with a friend I have known since I was 14 years old.

I am reading... still reading Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala and the Bible in a year - I am sslloooowwww. I also bought a new book called "First Family" by David Baldacci.

I am hoping... to make it through the day without eating the cadbury eggs I bought last night. STUPID!

On my mind... friends on a mission trip

From the kitchen... not much - simple tonight b/c the boys will be out. Coffee and a peanut butter South Beach bar for breakfast and lunch with a friend

Around the house... pictures that need to be hung, laundry that needs to be folded, and rugs that need to be bought!

Plans for the week... errands, Claire's acting class, T plays ball at halftime of the Bobcats game, work, T's bball practice, packing to go to the beach for Easter, Claire's Easter program at school, dyeing eggs, celebrating the death and resurrection of Jesus

One of my favorite things... Easter candy!

Can I just say how much I LOVE Texas! I have often said if it were not to come home, I would have never wanted to leave Houston. It was such a fun place to live and we had (have!) some wonderful friends there. Of course, now that I am back settled here - it would be hard to leave, but I love visiting there. We had the best time last weekend showing the kids around and telling them about our life there. We visited old friends, ate at our favorite restaurants, went to the Houston Rodeo & Livestock Show, our old church, Space Center Houston, and a Rockets' game. We also showed Taylor where he was born, the house we lived in, and where Mike and I used to work.

The kids loved the rodeo. Of course they had never seen anything like it. Here are a few pictures of them at the rodeo.







Here the kids in front of some rockets and touching a moon rock at Space Center Houston:




Besides the WONDERFUL food - my favorite part of the trip was seeing my friends. The time with them was too short, but it was definitely sweet. It is so wonderful to be able to pick up right where we left off each time. It was really neat to see how Claire just fit right in with all of my friends' kids. When we didn't have our family close by, our friends were our family, and I wish we could see them more often.

I am so thankful for the chance to visit Houston last weekend. We had a blast!!