Back in the swing of things

Ok I confess, I have been a horrible blogger lately. Time just gets away from me and I am exhausted some days. I am going to try and publish once a week as an update if anything else for awhile.

On the home front, our sweet daughter graduated in May, boy was that a crazy time. Lots of joy and lots of friends stopping by to say their "good-bye's", "I love-you's" and "Wish you well's" I will try and post some pics of the graduate soon. It was emotional for me. We are close, very close, and the thought of another one of my sweet one's heading off into this big world, worried me. She won't be going to far though, only about 45 minutes away. College is doable by staying home and commuting. She will be attending The Art Institute and Majoring in Baking and Pastry. Sounds yummy huh? Can't wait to be her gunniea pig lol!! No honest she is an awesome baker and does lovely work already. This will just make her even better!! So excited for her!!

Our oldest son has moved out on his own this weekend actually. He is NOT staying close however, a 2.5 hr drive away. He promises to stay in touch and keep his worried Momma in the loop. He'll be close to school and close to friends and he is happy and excited. I am sure I will be on my knee's quite often for him! Life is tough this world can be tough, so I am just praying that God will guide each step and that He will be honored in that. After all Ernie belongs to Him anyway, right?

Tommy is doing good. He is officially a Senior now! (see why all the emotions, lots of changes really quick!) He and his sister are at Youth camp this week and I am sure I will hear tons of stories when they return (my fav part!) I also pray they fall deeper in love with Jesus! Tommy has hurt his foot and has been in a walking boot for a few weeks, and in a few more weeks will require surgery. So if you could, remember to pray for our sweet kiddo and this surgery. He is a bit worried. He has been through more invasive surgeries when he was little, but he does not remember those. He has been at band camp the past few weeks and has one more week of it when he returns from Youth camp. I just ask myself where does the time go??!! Really??!!

My hubby is doing great, working tons but he loves the second job! We are doing all we can to get ahead and plan for this adoption! I don't think my heart could take a home without children in it for very long.

 My job is going well too. I just love the kids so much!! I have had to take some time of this past week because of an injury but its healing nicely (finally!) and I will be back to work tomorrow!! God has been so good to us and we are so thankful for His provisions and love! There have been days when I have been an emotional wreck for one reason or another, but he is unwavering in His love for me! So thankful that He never changes!! I was thinking today as Ernie left, and my heart was aching,....is this what God felt when He sent Jesus to be with us?? The heartache knowing the life He would lead, but the joy in the ending? I know life will be hard at times for Ernie, if it isn't he isn't walking with Jesus. I know Satan leaves us alone if we are complacent and life seems easy, but as soon as we are all in it for Jesus, life can get difficult at times. So I have comfort today, knowing that maybe God felt a little of what my heart feels for my son, when He sent His Son to pay the ultimate price for our sin. Thank you Lord for loving me that much!! There is good news in our family as well, cannot wait to share but I haven't quite been given permission to do that yet, but as soon as I can I will!!! God is SOOOOO good!! Did I mention I love sweet little ones?! Thank you Lord for the blessings of children! My own, and others as well!!

Love and Ladybugs!!

Our Vickie

Spring is in the air and reminders are everywhere. For us this year the warm weather does not only mean spring but the events that unfold at school during spring. Brings joy and sorrow to this proud parent's heart!

This weekend Vickie will compete in her last guard competition. It is State Championships and we are very excited. Their show is gorgeous this year, and this year just might be the year they take 1st!! We are just praying! It is hard for me to believe this is her last one though. We have had 8 seasons of Guard. The first one started out with an awkward Freshman trying to figure out if she could march and spin a flag at the same time. Boy did we find out she could!! Each season through fall and then into winter she just kept getting better and better. This year and last during Marching season they took 1st every single time! Winter has been a little harder but they have always been in the top 3! I just sit back and think, where did the time go? She was so unsure and has some lack of confidence about it.

 Now, oh now its like its part of her. The flag, the rifle is part of her body. She spins it beautifully! She always use to say I don't want to do any kind of dancing stuff, but guard has brought out a little bit of talent in that area. Its so funny now to think about that statement. She dances, she marches, she tosses, she spins, she keeps the timing. There is so much to it and she does it beautifully! I am sad to see it end, but so thankful for the memories!! I am not sure what I will put in her air gram this weekend. (Air grams are cute little notes they announce over the intercom while the girls are getting the floor set to perform.) We always tell her how beautiful she is and how much we love her and to not forget to smile. 




Now this last time how do I sum up all that the past four years have meant to us, in just a few short sentences? How she has changed and grown and how her kindness and love just radiates out of her. How do you let go, when your heart so badly wants to hang on? Oh but what joy and hope we have for her. We know God has wonderful plans that He will lay out before her. We are just so excited to watch!!

Also with spring brings Prom and the dreaded and exciting Graduation season! Now with our oldest I prepared myself.  But I have been so busy lately if I stop to think of it, my heart breaks. So I just move on and try not to deal with it. A little background on our girl. Our oldest son was a little over a year old and we decided that it was time to have another. Well boys tend to run in our families so we just figured we would have another boy (later on we did :) ) but we prayed and yearned for a little girl!

 Even Daddy wanted a little girl! So we dreamed and hoped, and never found out what we were having because we love surprises! So the day she was born by C-section and they popped her little pink head over that curtain and said "It's a girl!" my heart was forever hers! and her Daddy's too!! We both sobbed and thanked God for the gift of a little girl! And she has always had us wrapped around her finger! We adore her! Good and bad! She has not been to difficult to deal with in her teen years. Oh were we preparing ourselves for that, but she handled it just like she handles everything else, with grace and love! It helps that she loves Jesus with all her sweet heart too!! So I know the day our sweet daughter puts on that cardboard blue cap and gown, and smiles that beautiful smile of hers, my heart will once again be filled with love that God truly gave us a beautiful gift in our daughter! My heart will break too knowing its just a matter of time and she'll be off on the adventure of life and allowing others to be crazy about her just like we are!! 

Victoria Erin, your Momma and Daddy adore you always!! You will always be our Princess sent from God above!! Please always stay beautiful inside and God will take care of the rest!! We love you Sissy!!! We also know your gonna be a great big sis to your little meimei's!! Thank you for being you, we wouldn't want you any other way!!!! You will always have our hearts!!!- Love Mom :-)

Where does the time go?

It is the beginning of the school year again. I enrolled our daughter today for the last time in High School. She was not with me because, you guessed it, she was at band camp for the 4th week in a row. It was sort of surreal doing this enrollment. I went through the normal routine. "Do you have your proof of residency?" they ask me. "Yes with our new address on it" I say with a smile. Then its just the regular forms, were they signed by us and our daughter, Yes I made sure.

Each station I went to that I had to drop off a form I felt I was saying good-bye slowly to my little girl. I got to one station and a sweet teacher and dear friend was there, which gave me such comfort. This sweet lady is in my Sunday school class and is a very special person in our church so to see her warm comforting face, helped me relax a bit. She has taught my older two children since she arrived at our school, through one class or another, she has had one of our kids. I am so thankful to God that He puts good Christian people in our schools to guide our children. This lady loves our kids! She loves on them, and yet she makes them behave themselves if they ever need to be put back in line. Ya know what? I LOVE her for it too! What a blessing she is to our family! We talked for a bit and I asked her how SHE was doing, from one Mom to another, she is about to go through a change of her own next week with her family. Empty nest is setting in again at their home. Oh how I have prayed for her sweet Mamma's heart!

Anyway on to the next station I went. My heart however wanted to say, "Hey wait, slow down a bit, this is the last time I can do this for our girl." Don't you know our girl? She was the little girl who bopped right into Kindergarten with the sweetest smile on her face, ready to take on the world. "Do you know how she hurts and what makes her happy? Do you know how many memories she has made in the walls of this school?" Please do not rush me through this.

The next station beckoned me, so onward I went. I went to the next station and another sweet friend waited there for me. I was so excited to get to her because I love her so very much. She is such a sweet friend, and she too LOVES my kids! She asked about Vickie and where she was. I told her of my concern for her today. This new health issue had her not feeling well today, and I was worried for her. She understood my heart and told me she would pray for her, especially being out in the heat. See what a great friend! I might have forgot to mention, my kids go to public school. I just love how God orchestrates people to love on them, good Christian people, who know us and care about us and LOVE them, just as much as we do!

Again I was reminded of my sweet little girl who just had her long beautiful pigtails cut off for this sweet bob haircut, afraid to march into first grade, worried that no one would recognize  nor remember her. Of course that was not the case, we walked in the door hand in hand, Daddy on one side, me on the other. Wouldn't ya know it, the first person to say anything was her Principal and just commented how cute her hair was. That sweet smile appeared on my little girls face once more. Everyone remembers Vickie, she is so sweet and  She is a smiler!! Oh how I love that smile!

One more station left, asked if I wanted to buy lunch tickets, a normal answer to this would be yes, but I hesitated. I looked at the two sweet ladies sitting their and began to tell them my dilemma. See our daughter was just diagnosed with something that now every thought of food that is brought up has to be thought out. Can she have that, will that hurt her? So after speaking to them, I felt better, told them No I would not need a ticket at this time, we would wait and see. My sweet little girl who bounced out of my arms when she was 5 into a world of education and new friends, will now be walking through the doors of that school to finish off her last year of high school. I am so thankful that she has been surrounded by so many who have molded her and made her into the sweet, godly, young lady she is today. I know she has the tools to succeed in college and she will be a wonderful Pastry Chef. I love our daughter SO very much and it is an honor to be her Mom. I just keep asking myself, Where did all the time go?