Happy Birthday My Friend Martha!

Okay, I know I am copying Martha, but I still wanted to wish my friend Martha a very happy birthday. When I moved to upstate NY, Martha was the first person I met who really reached out to me. I remember having a lengthy phone conversation with her, soon after moving to NY, and finding out that we had many similiarities. We have several children who are close in age and some of our kids remain friends even now that we have not lived in NY for four years. Martha's family has been a blessing to ours many times over the years. It sure meant a lot to me when Martha, Bethany and Josh took the big trip down to NJ for Ashleigh's wedding.

Martha, I hope you have a wonderful day. You have been a wonderful friend to me and I am so thankful for you! (I do wish I had a great picture to put here, but I don't have a scanner at home, so try to picture one of the many glamour shots that our girls took of themselves over the years;)

A Spring Break

This week my Bethany had her spring break. It is so nice to have her home. She is just a bright light in our lives and I always enjoy being around her. Today we are going to make cookies together. We were a mean-cookie-making-machine together when we made about 120 cookies for Ashleigh wedding reception. Today our goal is much smaller, but we will have a nice time being together. I am so thankful for children who have grown into such beautiful people.

Not Much To Say

So I have been MIA quite a bit recently from the blogging world. I do check in from time to time, but to tell the truth, I just haven't had much inspiring to say. I guess there have been lots of things to think about, pray about and read, but not much to blog about.

Alan and my middle kids were away for most of this week on a skiing trip. So, it was just Davin and me at home. We made out just fine, but boy was it quiet. (okay, except for the dogs)

This weekend Cheney will take his SATs which is a big deal to him. After that, we will head over to the Awana Games (formerly the Olympics!) to watch my Sparks team claim a victory???!! It will be a great time, I am sure. The Awana Games are always so much fun. It seems like just a few years ago that my girls and Bethany were practicing the games. They were so serious about it. They had such a good time and even won a couple gold medals along the way. My girls are coaches this year and are as excited as ever. I am hoping their excitement will spread to the girls and everyone will be so pumped up! If I were Martha, I would have one of the pictures of the girls competing to put up, but I don't know how to do that with old pictures. Martha???

Some Deep Stuff

Today we went to a beautiful memorial service for a man that I did not really know. I know his wife, though, and two of his children (daughters) have been in senior high since Alan and I have been sponsors. I am especially close to his youngest daughter. There were several testimonies of what this man meant to so many people. He had many struggles in his life, but God triumphed and this man let that be known to the people he came in contact with. They spoke about what a godly example he was in his business life, his home life and his ministry life. They spoke of the love he had for his children and his wife. They even read the words this man had written when he and his wife had a rededication ceremony quite a few years into their marriage. It left me humbled and thinking. What am I doing that makes a difference? What will I leave behind and am I making the most of my time on earth for Christ? Will I be pointing others to Him? It was a beautiful challenge and I will certainly be praying for this beautiful family as they begin their walk without their father and husband.

As I sat there I could not help but realize that this was in my future as well. If the Lord tarries, either Alan or I will be asked to give the other spouse back to the Lord and begin our walk without each other. It is not a sad story that is only told by a few people, it happens in every marriage. I don't think any other funeral has ever touched me so deeply or made me think so much. Maybe I was more vulnerable to deep thoughts because I have spent a whole week listening to wheezing and moaning, maybe I was more vulnerable because I am a bit older now. Maybe it was different because those children that sat up front saying goodbye to their father were the same ages as three of my children.

Whatever the reason for my deep thoughts, I am thankful. I am thankful for Christians that leave such a huge mark on others and an incredible example for me. I am thankful for the challenge that I received today. I am thankful for the reminder that Alan and I have only a certain amount of time together and I need to take advantage of every day. I am also so thankful to know that this is not the end. Since Christ is my Savior, heaven is my destiny.

No News is Good News???

Okay, not necessarily. I haven't posted lately because there was not too much to say. It has been a long week this week.

First of all, snow camp was great. We talked about boundaries. Boundaries in our thought life, tongue, actions. Such a great topic. There is so much to think and ponder about concerning that, no matter what your age. It was great to be with the kids and catch up with many of the teens. We made movies one afternoon and that was so much fun. We were divided into teams and we came up with videos that had to do with boundaries. Fun!

Well, I got home on Sunday night and Bethany thought that Davin had a fever. Yes, he did. He has been sick all week with that whole fever, coughing thing. Poor thing. He just can't seem to be totally on track since the surgery. In addition to the sickness, we have been to the orthopedic doctor (all is okay with his hip, by the way - great news! He can begin PT without any restrictions now.), the pediatrician (to make sure this sickness wasn't worse than a virus - it's not!), and today we went to the neurologist.

I am hoping for a better week next week for Davin boy. Poor thing to have to be in the house for so many days again. At least this time, there is no cast!

Davin Update

I finally was able to speak with someone from the orthopedic doctor's office yesterday. Davin is not to do anymore exercises or PT until he is seen on Monday. I am feeling a bit better because he is MUCH less sensitive about his leg than he was on Monday and Tuesday. Thank you for your prayers.

Alan and I will be heading to Snow Camp with our teens for the weekend. I am praying that Davin will be fine. His sister, Bethany is hanging out with him for the weekend and I know he is in great hands.

Nicknames

I kept Davin home from school today because his hip/leg is still really sore. I never heard back from the doctor which is really odd. I always hear back from him. I checked and double checked that they have my right phone number and I called again today, but so far, nothing. So, we are heating Davin's muscle, taking motrin and resting.

So, I decided since I was home, I would bake cookies and that lead me to thinking about my kids and the nicknames that I call them. When I was little, I didn't really have a nickname and I always wanted one. When I was in high school, some girls on my softball team gave me one and Alan calls me Heath. When we had kids, I wanted them to have nicknames. Just a silly thing, really, but they each have many.

Ashleigh - her sister and most all of her friends call her Ash, but I never call her Ash. By me, she is most often called Loubie, but she is also Sissa, Sissy, Loubie Lou.

Bethany - known by most everyone who knows her at all as Ben or Bennie. She is never called Beth by anyone who knows her well except my father occassionally calls her that. By me she is also Baby Girl, Bertina, Alyssa, Boop, Booper, Sissy.

Cheney - He is Cheney Alan, Chey, Chey-Chey, Chener, Brudder, brother, Bud.

Davin - We all have lots of nicknames for Davin. He is Bubby, Bub, Davin Boy, baby boy, snoodle and I think Bethany sometimes calls him Peanut.

Did you have a nickname growing up? If you keep your name a secret, you might not want to share, but if you don't mind sharing...

Tears and Fears

Last night we were doing Davin's stretching during the Superbowl. Davin started screaming and crying and even after we were done stretching (the side he had surgery on) he cried and cried, shivered and quivered. We each took turns holding him and trying to comfort him until he was doing much better. He slept fine last night, but when I got him up this morning, anytime I touched or moved his left leg/hip, he screamed, cried and shivered. It was terrible. I continued to get him ready for school, thinking that the PT could look at him for me and tell me if he should be seen by the orthopedic surgeon. Davin is always happy to go to school, but the bumping just to get him on the bus had him crying again. He cried the whole time they were strapping his chair into the bus. Poor thing. I did not know what to do. Get him off the bus? Would he calm down? Would he get bumped at school? Had we hurt him seriously? I ended up letting him go so I could get his PT's opinion and then I called her. She encouraged me to call the doctor which I did and am still waiting for a call back. In the meantime, I am beside myself picturing Davin at school screaming with tears streaming down his cute face. So, I called school and talked to an aide in his class. She assured me that Davin was "all smiles" (I certainly had not been thus far today.) and that he was doing fine. So....we will wait for the doctor to call and prayerfully Davin was not hurt and he is just sore. It is the worst when you feel like you hurt your own child and it could have been avoided. It is something I have struggled with ever since Davin was diagnosed since CP is a brain injury. It is not something genetic that happens to the baby. It is an injury and since I was the one carrying him, it was very hard not to feel like I had not protected him. Oi, so I give him back to God. God knows and God loves Davin more than I even do.

Tagged By My Friend Martha!

Martha tagged me, so I will try to come up with 7 random/odd facts about myself that I have not shared before. Maybe Alan can help me...

1. I hate to have my clothes get wet.

2. I do not like anyone's feet to touch me.

3. I have a hyphenated last name.

4. I am constantly thinking about how fat my chin looks.

5. I wish we would have had more children.

6. I sang and danced at our youth group's Lip Sync a few weeks ago.

7. I rarely ever read directions.

I do not think there is anyone left to tag, so I will not tag anyone this time!

13 Things About Bethany Alyssa

I don't think I have blogged about Bethany very much, so I thought I would write 13 things about my favorite 20 year-old.

1. Bethany was born in Niskayuna, NY

2. Bethany is very tall.

3. Bethany is very photogenic. (This makes her sister a little upset.)

4. Bethany loves basketball and played for many years in junior high, high school, and college.

5. She is loyal.

6. She loves very deeply.

7. She is a tremendous help to me, especially if she knows I am stressed.

8. Bethany is majoring in social work and Bible, and hopes to be a counselor.

9. Her best friend is her sister.

10.Bethany wanted to beat up a little child once because they said something unkind about her brother, Davin.

11.She would much rather wear basketball clothes than get dressed up.

12.Bethany loves to stay up late.

13.Bethany has such a heart for Jesus and a heart for people. I am so proud of the young woman that she has become.

It Can't Be True!

I may be in a bit of denial. It simply can't be true. My Cheney Alan turned 17 yesterday! 17!!!!!!! How did this happen and exactly when did it happen? This past weekend, I scrapbooked some pictures from his third birthday and I have a hard time believing that was so long ago. I guess it was, though. Cheney is now way taller than me, has a man voice, shaves his cute little face and as of yesterday, he has a driver's permit. (In NJ, you have to be 17) So, last night, against my wishes, he headed out from church in his sister Ashleigh's car. This would not have been strange, except this time Cheney was driving! Wow! Am I old, or what? I have three children that can drive. What in the world is going on? I was very nervous for Cheney to drive in Ashleigh's car. I pleaded my case, that it was dark out and he shouldn't really drive for the first time in the dark. Well, I was overruled. And since Ashleigh truly potty trained her sister was she was only 3 years old, I figured she should probably teach Cheney to drive, too! Anyway, I ended up being two cars behind him and he did a great job.

I've Been Around

I have not been on the computer very much as you may have noticed. My computer at home is in the baesment and it is very cold down there in the winter, so...... that is why you have not heard much from me.

Anyway, this past weekend, I went on a scrapbooking weekend with my sister and two friends. It was a wonderful time. Three days of scrapbooking. We never even had to put our stuff away. We just got up in the morning and got to scrapping again. Fabulous! PLUS, someone cooked all of the meals and I just had to go down to the dining hall and get the food. Wonderful! It was so nice to spend the weekend with my sister. I always laugh so much when I am with her. Alan and the boys had a nice "boys' weekend" and didn't make me feel one bit guilty for leaving them. Such nice boys that I have.

Now the weather is a bit more mild, so maybe you will hear more from me, but if we hit a cold spell, then who knows????

A Few Pictures

It was a beautiful wedding. In the first picture are our two daughters. They have been best friends since the day we brought Bethany home from the hospital and Ashleigh tried to feed her a french fry. (That surely is true love.) The second picture is the mother and father of the beautiful bride and last, but not least, the newlywed couple with Ashleigh's cousin Jonah who was their ring bearer. So, our family grows.....I think Kevin is a great addition.

Beautiful Day

The wedding is over, the people have all gone home and we only have a tiny bit of wedding cake left to eat. It was a lovely day and things ran pretty smoothly. Ashleigh looked beautiful and had a great time. Nobody changed their minds and they are now the newlyweds! When I get some pictures, I will post them, but Shelly is hoping to have some posted today or tomorrow! Thank you all for praying.

What Lies Ahead

I have a list that is a mile long, and have been faithfully checking things off to get ready for both Christmas and the wedding that will take place the week after Christmas. It is a very exciting time. Sometimes I stay so busy, I do not have time to feel really sentimental. However, the other day, I was thinking about the actual wedding and all that the ceremony will mean. My daughter will no longer share our last name, she will no longer reside with us and she will no longer be looking to us for the same kind of advice that she has through her 22 years. As I was thinking on those things, a vision popped into my head and I pictured her and Alan at the end of the aisle ready to walk into the sanctuary. The man I love walking my baby girl down the aisle to start her new life. The same little girl that he fell head over heels in love with the first time he met her (he wasn't present for the birth because he was away in the Navy). The same man that that little girl would wait to see after he came in from being away on the Navy ship for weeks at a time. The same little girl who carried a picture of her Daddy around with her for 6 months while he was away. The same Daddy who coached her softball team and helped her with her homework. It was overwhelming as I thought about this and I have to admit that I am not quite sure how I will deal with that moment emotionally. I know when the time comes, God will give me the grace to deal with things, but wow, it sure is a big moment in life.

2 and a Half Weeks

Yikes! In two and a half weeks, we will be having a wedding! We will be having it even if all of those little details are still undone. We have been busy with all of the last minute stuff that we keep thinking of. So many details. I guess it makes sense for there to be so many details. Marriage is such a huge decision. It is good that it takes a bit of planning and thinking before the big day. Marriage changes everything from that moment on.

The Big Ol' Cast

This picture was taken of Davin right before we headed off to the hospital to get his cast off.

FREEDOM

Yesterday Davin had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon and he was able to get his cast off! Davin was absolutely giddy about the whole thing. I thought I had been prepping him not to expect to get it off (since the doctor had said maybe two more weeks), but after seeing Davin's reaction, I realize he had no intention of leaving St. Christopher's with that cast on. He is doing great although he is very stiff and sore and does not like to be moved very much. We are taking it slow, and enjoying freedom!

Where to Find the Perfect Dress?

Well, as the mother-of-the-bride, I have been asked repeatedly if I have gotten my dress for the wedding yet. I have not because, as you know, I have a boy in a body cast and therefore I do not get out very much. Well, today (since the wedding is about 5 weeks away), my daughter Bethany and I went and started the hunt. I went to Macy's and tried on several dresses. Several had good points to them, but of course, this dress must make me look young and thing. I realize I am no longer either of these things, so I may be expecting a lot out of a dress, but hey, shouldn't I try?? So, we had no luck today with the MOB dress, but I will press on and if Davin is out of his cast on Wed. (possibly) then I will make it one of my top priorities! At least until I have other priorities....

My Thanksgiving Menu

I have been busy getting ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. It is so nice being home so much with Davin right now. I can spend some time baking and doing things that I don't always have time for. I have been working on my menu for tomorrow and my Dad and I have spent time out shopping for all of our ingredients. We are having....

24 lb. turkey
stuffing (a combination of my mom's recipe and my mother-in-law's recipe)
broccoli casserole
yummy salad (jello kind of salad)
applesauce (I made it for the first time today!)
coleslaw
blueberry muffins
mashed potatoes
gravy

Having a turkey dinner is not one of my favorite meals, but I have always loved preparing everything with my Mom. She and my Dad have almost always come to our house for Thanksgiving even when we lived far away from them. I believe the first time they came was in 1989. Alan had just come home from a Med-cruise. He was in the Navy and had been gone for 6 months. We had two little girls (4 and 2) at the time. My parents drove down to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with us and we had a wonderful time making all of the food together. Nice memories.

What are you having for dinner tomorrow?? Do you have the same thing ever year or do you switch things up??