Ryley Stories and Other Exciting Things

Ryley loves going to church. We are particularly impressed with our church's children's pastor, who really knows how to interpret the Word of God and make it relatable to kids. Last Sunday, the church was having a special evening "event" for the whole family. I don't usually like to make the 20-mile trek back to church for evening services, and since Ryan had to work that night, I was hoping that Ryley wouldn't ask to go.

But alas... "Mommy! Tonight is a special church service about harvest, and we are supposed to go dressed like 'the country'!" I don't ever want to turn down my child when it comes to learning more about the Lord. And since her closet is surprisingly void of "country" items, I dug into my own closet to find a Gap shirt I wore circa 1996 (on Ryan's and my first date).



Next up: the kids' Christmas program with weekly rehearsals on Wednesday nights! I am appreciating more and more the sacrifice my parents made so that I could participate in all these things when I was little. :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday, it was about 17 degrees outside, so Ryley and I didn't leave the house all day. It was a great day for Ryleyisms:


1. There was some situation where Ryley ended up announcing that 12 is her favorite number.

Me: "Why is 12 your favorite number?"

Ryley: "Because I love clocks. And 12 is the end of clocks."


2. While we were eating dinner, Ryley started going off on the show that she had seen on TV earlier.

Ryley: "I hate the show 'Jungle Junction.' It's all about animals with wheels, and it's for little kids. I don't think I should be allowed to watch it."

Me: "Ok, you're not allowed to watch it."

Ryley: (grinning with relief) "Thanks, Mom!"


3. Later in the evening Ryley was talking to my parents on the phone. They were talking about favorite foods.

Ryley: "No, I don't like hamburgers or chicken. I'm a vegetarian!" (not sure where she got that word! And she said it as if that was an accepted "out" to not having to eat meat in our family, which it's absolutely not)

Mammaw and Pappaw: "What about bacon?"

Ryley: "Oh, I LOVE bacon!"

Nice. A vegetarian whose only meat is pork.


4. Ryley really was well-behaved all day long, so we finished the day with hot chocolate and board games in the family room. When Ryan got home and Ryley was getting ready for bed, I said, "Ryley, you were such a good girl today -- so happy and cheerful, and I would love it if we had another day like this tomorrow. Thank you for being a good girl today."

Ryley: (looking hopefully over at her Daddy whose attention was momentarily focused on the football game) "I'm sure Daddy would like to hear that..."



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have been meeting my lovely friend Danielle for lunch on Fridays. She and I work five minutes from each other, so it works out, and it's wonderful because conversation has always come so easily for the two of us. It's something for each of us to look forward to throughout the busy week. There's something so nice, too, about grabbing my purse and heading out of the office, yelling a casual "Meeting a friend for lunch; will be back in an hour" over my shoulder. :-) Yes, I do have friends!! I do have a life outside of the office. I am so thankful for Danielle's friendship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Can I share with you the relief I feel that yesterday, after five more hours of work, all my editing for the fourth issue of SHINE Magazine is complete? There will still be two more meetings to go over the proofreaders' suggested revisions, but all 28 articles have been read, revised, re-read, re-revised, and read again. I have literally found all the mistakes that I am going to find, and it's time for some fresh eyes to take a look. These articles are so powerful and anointed, and I am confident that they are going to be an encouragement and blessing to so many women! The magazine will be released during the third week of November.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, the most exciting news of the week can be found on my sister-in-law Alyson's site.

We are absolutely thrilled! Justin and Aly have been through so much, with three miscarriages and the loss of precious baby Jonathan. They're not quite out of the woods, yet, so please pray with us that everything will continue and progress normally and healthily. And in nine months, I will be an aunt! Yay!

Thank You, Jesus. :-)