A Different Kind Of Memorial Day

Every year on Memorial Day my family usually gets together and have a cookout and just be together. This year was no different. I am so grateful to all the soldiers past and present who have given their lives for my freedom. My own daddy served in the US Army in Korea and I am very grateful I still have him. This year Memorial Day was a little different. We said goodbye to a special girl. Maggie, our 15 year old golden retriever. She was such a sweet girl. She had hip displaysia pretty bad but hobbled around okay. She went into heart failure early Monday morning and we made the decision to have her put down. That is so hard. Just last year I had to put both of my dogs down within a couple of months apart and it was just horrible. I am going to miss Maggie and the way she would smile at you and shove you with her big ole paw. She is one I will always remember.






Sweet old girl. We will miss you, Maggie.

Lillies

Let's face it. I do not have a green thumb. I adore flowers and I have always planted pots full and filled up my flower beds but I neglect them terribly. I prefer to let God water them than to fill a watering can or wield a water hose. I never dig up my bulbs or separate my hostas or even empty the old dirt from the pots. A few years ago I bought some really pretty lillies at Lowe's Home Improvement and when they died down in the fall I just stacked the dirt filled pots at the corner of the house behind a holly tree. And lo and behold the next spring they grew out of those pots. I was thrilled. Then fall came again and I thought they were dead and once again I threw the pots behind the tree. A few weeks ago I got them out and those sweet lillies had sprouted up again. No water, freezing temperatures, major neglect. I stuck them on my back steps and they have really grown. And blossomed! Take a look.


I love the red color and if you look very close and click on the photo you can see ants crawling on the petals. I hate ants. They are evil.





They are so pretty and to think what a life of neglect they have lived!




If you think about life and all the analogies we can make. We humans are like flowers. We can be disregarded, abused, forgotten, left unattended, thrown away...and yet we can still blossom. We can still lift our faces up to the Son and drink in His living water and thrive. We can bathe in His attention and His tender care and grow. Isn't that amazing?? How God can take a hurt, lonely, neglected little flower of a person and nurture them into a strong and thriving child of God. No ants allowed.

The Wave

This week was a rough one at school. On Tuesday morning we had a bus to overturn with a full load of children. As the driver yelled over the radio, "I'm flipping, I'm flipping!!" Other drivers just went pale and the school went into overdrive. It is amazing how Christians seek other Christians out in times if crisis. A teacher came into our dining room where I had about 50 breakfast eaters and grabbed my hand. I knew from her face there was something way wrong. She said to pray, just pray. We have a bus with 40 babies on it that has just wrecked. I just squeezed her hand and went to get my coworkers so we could be praying for this emergency. It was like a wave of prayers being sent heavenward. For about an hour we really didn't know anything. Then the news wave came in short bursts. In the end 31 of 38 children were sent to various hospitals but none had any serious injuries. A couple of pretty bad scrapes and some glass that had to be dug out but all in all these children were fine. Praise the Lord. The next day I got to talk with many of them and they acted just like celebrities. Children are so funny and so strong! One little boy said,"I cried like a baby." I told him don't worry I would have to! They wanted to show you there cuts and bruises and each one wanted to tell you about how the bus turned over. Almost proud that they were on that bus that morning. So sweet. But ...so scary. God protected those children. All of us at school have said that over and over. It is really a treasure to work somewhere that we can go to one another in a crisis or when we just need a quick prayer from a believer. I tell kids often that I pray for them and I do. Some really need it. The staff prays for each other and I know that many of them have prayed for me in the past and they know they can come to me for prayer anytime. That what prayers really are too...waves to God.

Weeks End

Whew! I am t-i-r-e-d!!! This has been a very hectic week. The kids at school are through with testing so school is over for them really...even though we don't get out until June 10th! Stupid snow days. Piper's regular sitter in the morning went to visit her children in Montana and fortunately Megan has been home to keep her before her job starts. I get home at 1:30 and take over. Megan is exhausted. she never thought baby watching was so hard. Ha-Ha...they take up all your time. Piper is especially active and very nosy. She messes with everything but she is so smart. She already knows what to stay away from and what she can get into. As bad as she wants the dog dish she is crawling away from it before I mover her little fanny!! Cutie-pie. Megan is out with her boyfriend, Erica took Piper home right away tonight so I got a chance to plant some flowers and weed around the house and drain the water off of my pool cover and weed & water Megan's vegetable garden. Tomorrow I plan on opening the pool even though the water will be freezing cold. It is so nice to sit beside and listen to the water bubble. There is never a dull moment around my house! I know I am rambling but another thing I got to do this week is to lead our ladies Bible study. Our Pastor's wife is out of town and she called and asked me if I would mind. Mind!! I jumped on it. One of my deepest desires is for the ladies Bible studies at my church be a community outreach that grows and grows until we outgrow our sanctuary and have to hold them for two nights in the week! That would be wonderful. I love discussion and I love the different outlooks and answers the ladies offer. On Sunday afternoon I am riding with my niece, Brittany, to where her wedding will be this September. I am doing a photo layout of the grounds so we can plan the ceremony, reception and placement of flowers and such. She is getting so excited and can hardly wait. She is like one of my own daughters to me and I am very excited for her and Aaron too. I suppose the next wedding I will be planning will be Megan's'. She says it will be awhile but I don't think it will be too far in the future. I am just praying that she finds a "real" job before too long. She is applying like crazy but jobs are still difficult to find. Thank the Lord she has her life guarding job for the summer. At least that will get her by for a little bit. I am grateful that my kids both graduated college with good degrees and both of them are smart, capable young women with very bright futures. After this week though, I am looking forward to some not so bright skies so I can just fall asleep!

A Proud, Proud Day!!

Yesterday my baby graduated from college. What a joyous day for her, let me tell you. when Megan was in the third grade I picked her and her sister up from school. She got in the car and as always I asked them, "How was school today, girls. Did you learn anything new?" Megan just sighed...really deep and said, "Mama, how old do I have to be to quit school?" Coming from her this question was not a surprise. She has never liked school...not one bit. She didn't cry or pitch fits about it, she just flat out did not like school. I though about her question before I answered for a minute. With Megan you had to really phrase your answer just right. She was a master at picking apart your responses. I looked in the rear view mirror and told her, "Baby if you are still in high school at 21 years old your daddy and I will let you quit." Her face kind of fell a little but she was satisfied. To a 9 year old 21 seems pretty far away. Needless to say she did graduate high school and now she has completed four years of college life. This past semester has been murder for her too. She had 21 hours of classes and a schedule that was a nightmare. She spent many evenings crying over the phone to me about this and that and at the end of every conversation she would tell me that she was quitting school. I still phrase my answers to her carefully. I knew deep down she would finish, I just reminded her that she would make it and she would live through it and in ten years it wouldn't even have any bad memories to haunt her. She is a very dramatic child but that is one of the many qualities about her that I just love. She keeps my life full of energy and events. She is such a funny, fun-loving young woman. She says she is home to stay forever. I am thrilled to have her home but...forever is a long time. I am thinking that a certain young man kind of has his eye on her for some other plans in the not so distant future.

Her graduation was one of the sweetest things I have ever been to. NC State University is the largest university in North Carolina. It has 38,000 students. The campus is like a city within a city. Huge! I was really dreading the crowd, the traffic, let alone finding a seat in the stadium. But, praise the Lord, Megan graduated with the agriculture department and it was a small group of concentrated degrees. Only 40 graduates with three separate areas. Megan's group was only five students receiving degrees. Each student got to speak for about a minute and it was just such a nice surprise. Most just thanked their families and the families got to stand up and be recognized. Almost every student thanked God and many of them actually said that they would like to thank their Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. This was just wonderful to witness. The professors all said that the strong faith of these students was just outstanding. Just when you think this world is sinking lower and lower you get a nice reprieve. I was really just so proud of Megan. She was the first and only winner of a special horticulture award that was a real surprise to her and to me too! I am glad she is finished with school and I know she is thrilled beyond measure to be out of school and back home.



Megan and her boyfriend, Thad, before she walked.



One last hug from her mama!



Her student advisor, Dr. Croom. He was just the nicest man.




Megan and Dr. Flowers. What an appropriate name for an agriculture professor!






Megan did a really good job with her speech.



Back home for a cookout and even baby Piper wore her NC State onesie!!

Life Interrupted

I am currently in the middle of the Bible study, "Jonah, A Life Interrupted" by Priscilla Shirer. It is so good. This is the second time that I am doing this study because I am pretty dense and it usually takes twice for the good stuff to sink in! Also, for me the second time in the same study is like dessert. I really enjoy the homework and the digging and the whole thought process of an in depth Bible study. Jonah is a short book but is really packed with lots of information. One of the main themes is discipline. Jonah is strongly disciplined by God and while it is a hard lesson learned....it worked. Jonah finally listens and obeys. This week we learned about being squeezed. When life is just tough and squeezes you all over. When you feel pulls and tugs and pressure on every side of you until you are just plumb worn out. Then, and only then, can we be poured out as a refreshment to someone else. Imagine squeezing an orange into a glass until all the juice is gone and nothing is left but peel and pith. But, you pick up the glass and drink the sweetness of the fruit. Discipline never feels good but results in fruit if we follow it with obedience. Jonah learned this the hard way and I am afraid that most of the time that is how we as children of God learn too. I have been living a life interrupted for the last few years. The second time through with this study has made it click for me that it isn't necessarily a life interruption I have been dealing with as much as it has been a "Divine Intervention." God has something good for me in the future. The road is hard and maybe long...but the end result will be so worth it.

Mother's Day 2011

This was my first Mother's Day as a "Grandmother". It was fabulous. I have so many great memories of Mother's Day in the past. From sweet cards made in Sunday school to home grown marigolds in styrofoam cups nurtured in school windows to bring running to my car in the pick up line with smiles from ear to ear. Breakfasts made for me by teenagers, to cards and a quick wave to run out the door to some other thing. Doesn't really matter. At the end of the day both my girls have always said, "I love you, Mom...Happy Mother's Day." I have a great memories of my own mama. She is the best. She loves her girls to pieces and all her grandgirls too! We are a big ole girl lovin' family. Motherhood is hard...real hard. To let them grow and learn and fail and succeed and fail and cry and celebrate is exhausting. From waiting up, to getting up early for this and that is exhausting. The endless listening to their concerns, questions that you can't answer, opinions they do not want to hear and the endless stream of , "No", from your mouth. Will they ever know how you hate saying no for what seems like all the time? But...Motherhood is also so rewarding. The endless "Watch me, Mom", smiles that light up your day, goodnight kisses, rocking a sleeping baby, seeing the world through their eyes, all the ballgames, recitals, concerts, plays, parties, proms, dates gone bad and dates that lead to rings. Watching your daughter become a bride. Seeing your baby graduate with awards from college. Seeing dreams come true. Watching others fade away, change or just die. Yes, motherhood is hard but thank heaven that we serve a God who will equip us to the task. Easy, it isn't but worth it? You bet.




This is the best gift ever!




Me, my mama and my sister, Becky.









Megan, me, my mama with Piper and Erica.





A sweet first-time mommy on Mother's Day.

Nine Months Old

It is so hard to believe that you are nine months old!! You can crawl everywhere now. You are pulling up and I don't think it will be long before you will be walking around. You are so funny. You make the cutest faces and have such a sweet disposition. Every now and then you show a little temper but most of time you are such a good baby. You are just growing way too fast!


Crawling after you Frog Prince so y'all can have a photo session!





Are you paying attention Froggie??





We are ready for our close-ups!

Things I am lovin'

Listening to the sound of frogs peeping and birds twirping...

Warm weather...really warm

Playing with Piper in the baby pool...

Watching Piper and Megan make funny faces at each other...they just click

Seeing Penny run and run and run and run and run and run and run....

Watermelon...

New flowers....

Gummy baby kisses...

Helping my niece with her wedding....

Watching my daughter become a wonderful mother...

Watching my baby girl graduate college....

Chubby baby fingers waving bye-bye....

Later and later sunsets....

Good girlfriends to laugh and cry with....

A Saviour who loves me...yes, even me....