My new Fat Babies

 

I must apologize for my lack of posted Christmas pictures. Our camera broke just before Christmas, and we frantically rushed to buy batteries for our back-up. Then after Christmas, I couldn't find the connecting cord to upload pictures. Grrr. Today at work, I was able to find a converter and I will bring my backup camera in tomorrow to upload pictures. But, in lieu of actual family footage, I wanted to blog a bit about my Christmas gift from Jeff. Back up a bit...there's a story.

A few weeks back, we all went out for dinner at this place called Dillon's. It's just a local grub house here in Prineville. our server had some cool boots on...they weren't quite cowboy boots, but they kind of were. No pointy toe, they were short, almost like something you might see someone wear while working in the barn. So I said, "Love your boots! Where did you get them?" She said, "Thanks! Big R." Now, if you are not privy on Big R, let me just tell you about my initial thoughts of what Big R was. I'm thinking K-Mart for the Western Lover. Ace Hardware for the Western Lover. Or if you are from Wisconsin, Menards for the Western Lover. I am not thinking of a "hoity toity western clothing shop". So I was impressed. "Hmmm, I would actually LIKE something from Big R?!?!?!?!"

Jeff took note and with his cash bonus from work in hand, made a SALE purchase at Big R for a sweet pair of FAT BABIES. Yes, friends, this is what they are called. Fat Babies. Now, maybe I am the last person in the world to know about Fat Babies. Maybe not. I am sure my family in Wisconsin hasn't seen a lot of Fat Babies in their days. But the picture above is what they look like. My boots are a little different, but you get the idea. And seriously, they are pretty popular in Central Oregon.

So, what's the big deal right? Well, here I go with my spiritual analogy. The other day, after I was a proud new owner of my Fat Babies, I was reading from the Book of Jeremiah, chapter 29. It was talking about the people from Jerusalem who had been exiled to Babylon, to live under the rule of a rotton king. Their other choice was to die from God's judgements because he was super mad at the Israelites. But he bargained with them and said that if anyone wanted to survive the judgement, they needed to exile to Babylon and live under the crappy king. So a group of people did. I am sure they were hoping to live for a short period of time there, and then return to their home after it was initially destroyed. But God gave them these words:

"Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so they too, may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper."

Basically, "bloom where you are planted". I have heard this phrase before, but never really applied it to my life. Then it says in Jeremiah 29:11:

"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

Many of you know that I didn't want to move back to Prineville. I had said, "I will never move back to Prineville, unless God forces me to." Well, I was pretty much forced, due to a family situation. And when I got here, I was a little upset. I missed my friends, my church, my job, my rinky dink 2 bedroom cottage at the sea. Nothing could compare to living at the beach. Our life was just right.

BUT, it was time to embrace my new life in Prineville, frustrations and all. I got a job. A good job. Jeff has a good job too. We found a new church that we are getting involved in. We bought a house. We plan to plant a garden and reap the rewards of it in the fall. We are putting down deep roots, knowing that we are in the hand of a loving Father and he will direct us. Right now, our direction is to live in Prineville, embrace what it has to offer, and give back with what we can give. Buying a pair of Fat Babies cowboy boots is part of embracing Central Oregon and holding it close to my heart. Who would have thought?

Now, if you think you are going to see me in a pair of Wranglers (especially those without back pockets) anytime soon, you are pushing it...