Church Family Photo

Jack and Bampy

Bampy was very disappointed that he missed seeing the twins, but as you can see, he and Jack are getting along just fine!

To The Airport and Beyond!

I'm quite behind on all of my posts, so you can expect a flurry of posting activity in the next couple of days! For now, here are some pictures that were taken on the ride to the airport and after we got there (and before everyone started crying).

Life Goes On

Anne and Bryan got back to GA safely! They had a short plane ride and then a long drive, so they got home pretty late, but they are safe and sound and back in the land of peaches. We sure do miss them. Fridy was a weird day for us. Jack woke up and went straight to Anne's room. When he saw her bed made, he was shocked, and not just because she wasn't in it, but because I don't think he has actually ever SEEN her bed made (just a little teasing, sweetie)! He promptly turned around and went in to Bryan's room and stopped short, again. No Bryan. He then turned to me and whispered, "Bye bye". I don't think that he gets that they went "bye bye". I think what he was asking was whether or not HE was going "bye bye" too. Either way it was heartwrenchingly cute.

In the meantime, Bampy has come to visit! Yes, my grandfather is here visiting for a couple of weeks, and that has helped to distract us. We got some great pictures of Jack with Bampy that I'll post later. I am currently at my mother-in-law's house and I don't have the camera with me to post the pics! We've also got some great video footage of some summer highlights that we'll post as soon as we get a minute.

A & B, if you're reading today, we love and miss you!

Making The Most

The time is drawing to a close. We don't want it to end so we keep drawing it out by staying up ridiculously late. The kids have only two more days left! Tonight they spent some good daddy time together in the hammock outside. I prefered to take the pictures and then beat it to a safe distance where I could look out the window from my air conditioned office :-)

We love you, Anne and Bryan! Although we adapt to our lives the best way we can, it's never the same when you aren't here. We will miss you greatly and pray for you daily until we are together again!

Cycling Emotions

I changed my mind. I take it all back. They'll just have to stay.

(Unfortunately my emotions are much like the weather. Just give me five minutes......)

Dutton Update

I was given permission to post this letter from Mark Dutton. It is a great explanation of the things that are happening in their lives and may help to clear up any questions by people who were not able to attend last night's church service.


After much prayer and 18 years of ministry at Faith Baptist Church, I believe it is the Lord’s will for me to pursue a Senior Pastoral position. It has been my privilege to work under godly men like our former Senior Pastor, Bill Goode, and our current Senior Pastor, Steve Viars who has helped me to grow in areas of my life and ministry in ways I never imagined. I truly thank the Lord for these men and their influence in my life. The Lord has also used Bob Smith, and a host of others key leaders, who have strongly impacted my life and challenged me in my walk with Christ.

I’ve been praying about this transition for a long time and have tried to allow God’s Word to guide me. In fact, the Lord has been preparing me for this opportunity since September of 1989 when Laurie and I first came to Faith. I am thankful for the opportunities God has given me here in Lafayette, but I believe it’s time to “cross the Jordan” (Joshua 1) and move ahead for the glory of God! In fact, one of our Core Values as a church is “Strengthening Others” – that would include other local churches that could benefit from the teaching and ministry philosophy that God has provided at Faith Baptist.

The Lord has been so gracious and blessed the ministry here at Faith, but the principle of stewardship (Luke 12) motivates me to take the things I’ve learned and apply them to the kingdom work of Christ in another church, community, and city. You know the phrase that says, “to whom much is given, from him much will be required” (Luke 12:48). I believe that in order to give a good account at the Judgment Seat of Christ, this transition is important and the timing strategic.

I would like to ask you to pray for the ministry here at Faith as we undergo this transition over the next few months. I would also like to ask you to pray for the following requests:
1) For a church that would be a ‘good fit’ for me, given the philosophy and training I’ve received here at FBC. I would like to hit the ground running, if you know what I mean, but I’m open to whatever God wants.
2) For a timely transition – I would like to have this decision made in the next two to three months for the sake of our church family to stay focused on the ministry here, and for my family (especially the kids and the transition to another school).
3) For the sale of our house in a timely manner. We live at 308 Brookfield Dr., a subdivision next to FBC – 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths, a large backyard, a storage shed, and a real man’s fireplace (i.e. real wood – not gas!), and a deck in the back!

If you are aware of a church that is currently looking for a Senior Pastor, and you sincerely believe that I would be a good fit to provide pastoral leadership to the ministry, please let me know or pass my name on to them and ask that they contact me for a resume.

Thank you for your help and for your prayers. I appreciate your friendship and for your willingness to be a tool in God’s plan for my future ministry.

Reaching New Heights!
Mark

Stand

****Edit: It has come to my attention that some of my readers missed the announcement last night, so let me fill you in and this post will make a whole lot more sense!

Last night Pastor Viars announced that the Dutton's were leaving our church to seek a Senior Pastor position. Mark has always felt called to preach and teach in this capacity, and as a family they feel that the timing is best now for them to leave. There are no hard feelings, nothing hidden behind the scenes. This is just God's timing for them. That said, you can continue on to the rest of the post.......


Ok, now the cat is out of the bag--the Duttons are leaving and you are all reeling from the news. TRUST ME, I know. Go back and read my last post.

Can I just take a moment and try to put a little perspective on this? Each one of you who is feeling the pain of missing a mentor, friend, confidante, pastor, teacher, hero is doing so for one reason---because they invested themselves in you. Because they discipled you, counseled you, pictured Christ to you. Because they spoke the truth when you needed to hear it, even when you didn't want to hear it (sometimes). They invested their time, their personalities, their wisdom, their weaknesses in YOU. And now they are leaving. The gap is HUGE. Think of the people that they have touched in the last 18 years here. Who will continue? Shall we just stand around and look at ourselves blankly? Nah. We're going to fill the gap. We are going to invest ourselves in others. We will find the people that they would have reached out to, and we'll reach out to them. We will jump out of the boat and onto the crashing waves, and OUT of our comfort zones. After all, that's what they are modeling for us, right? This decision has not been an easy one for them, and they too, are missing us already. But they are out on the waves, where Jesus is, and the best thing that we can do, after the initial shock and good cry, is invest ourselves in them by praying for them. We can make this transition easier for them by getting on board and finding the ways to fill that gap.

I'm talking to myself here. Most of you cannot even know what this family has meant to me, or the panic I feel when I think of their leaving. But they taught me to rise above that, to not "park" in my sadness. I'm excited to think that I could be someone's "Laurie". Even just saying that makes me want to scream that I can't do it, but I can. I can stand in the gap for someone, because someone showed me how to do it.

Waves

I woke up this morning contemplating my life, and processing through some events that have recently come into my life, and into the lives of my friends and loved ones. In the past month I've known people who have lost loved ones, lost babies, who are experiencing lonliness, who feel isolated from those that they love by large bodies of water (love you, G), and who are facing uncertain futures after taking huge leaps of faith. I was reminded just last night of the words to one of my favorite Casting Crowns songs, and the impact of the words "step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown" and then these words "where Jesus is". Jesus is not in my comfort zone. He's not sitting in the boat with me, all warm and snuggly. He's out in the waves where the wind is blowing and the rain is pelting down, and all is a gray, blurry sea. He's holding out His hand. The question is, will I take it? For me there is comfort in holding on to the things that are dear to me--my family--my friends. Comfort is crying out like Jack does when I take something away from him. Comfort is indulging myself in a good pity cry when things aren't going my way. But that is not where Jesus is. Jesus is in the storm, arms open wide, bidding me enter it with Him. This thought-process lead me to another favorite Casting Crowns song. Sometimes God allows things to happen in our lives that we were not expecting, and we are "thrown" from the boat kicking and screaming" (insert a little smiley face here). It is good to know that Jesus is also there, again, in the storm. Just a little introspection from a sleepy mommy while her baby is napping.

The Voice of Truth (verse one)
Oh, what I would do
To have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out His hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth


Praise You In The Storm
I was sure by now, God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who You are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold in your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again
my strength is almost gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth

Misc. Fun Pictures

Things That Go Bump In The Night

Jack's been having trouble lately with sleeping through the night, and I don't know why. I don't know if he is having nightmares, or tummy aches, or just wants Mama to come hold him, but he's been waking up in the middle of the night for about a week now. Last night was no different, and so, I very sleepily climbed out of bed and went to his assistance. He was standing in his bed, crying pitifully, with his green blankie in his arms. As soon as he saw me he indicated that he wanted his monkey (he sleeps with it every night). What I didn't realize was that he wanted me to pick him up first, and THEN get his monkey. Unfortunately I reversed the order and went for the monkey. This was so distressing to him that he threw himself down in the bed, smacking his nose on the crib railing as he went. He sat dazed for a moment, then the blood trickled down his nostril, then the screaming commenced. I quickly got a cold washcloth and covered his nose, catching most of the blood. So, for only the second time, Jack slept in our bed so that I could be sure that he could breathe. I was so worried that he had broken his nose and that it would swell to the point of being unable to breathe. He quieted down, however, and although he was congested, he was breathing normally when I put him back in his bed. Whew. That was NOT how we expected our evening to go! This morning he looked a little worse for wear, but still a cutie.

Lots O'Landscaping

We've been doing some major "property projects" this summer. It's been fun having Anne and Bryan here to help out and lend their "expertise". We have an especially fun video of Bryan that we'll post later. Anway, most of the pictures were taken after dark, when the retaining wall was being finished, so that will give you an idea of how late we've been staying up to work on our projects! Gotta love summer!

Happy Father's Day

What all daddies need on Father's Day: A good nap.

Our daddy's was well-earned.

The single picture was Bryan's poster for daddy. For some reason every time I loaded it into the slide show, it turned it the wrong direction.

We love you so much, daddy! You work so hard and we are glad that you were able to have a relaxing day!

Time At The Park

No Surprise Here

Take the Quiz here!

Since I sympathize more with her character in "Sense and Sensibility" than Marianne's character, this is no surprise. I just wish Emma Thompson were...well, a little prettier.

Before and After

Outside Fun

Skipper

My mother recently moved to Indiana, and in the move she has lost most of her email contacts. She is posting her new email address so anybody who knows her can write her and let her know their email address!

Her new address is:

supermom216@gmail.com

Back Again

Whew! That was QUITE a dry spell! Let me assure you that it was not for lack of having interesting things about which to blog! However, it was due to the lack of time or energy needed to put it all down.

We have had a whirlwind of activity since Anne and Bryan came home. Our lives change so dramatically and wonderfully when they are here, and this summer has been no exception. The kids have had sleepovers, pool parties, endless playing with Jack, tramps out in to the woods, trips to Lafayette, days at the Monticello pool and quite a little bit of drama here around the homestead (more on that later)! We've also been strawberry picking, which means we also cleaned and froze 15 quarts of yummy strawberries. Those are just the berries that made it in to the buckets. You'll have to ask Bryan how many POUNDS of strawberries he ate out in the field. He has maintained his record from last year and I think even added to it. Jack thinks that his bubba and sissy are the best thing that have ever happened to him and I hate to think what it will be like the first morning he wakes up after they leave.

As for the drama......some of you may have heard on the news that on Tuesday a 17 year old girl was abducted from her home here in Carroll county. They found the girl in a field very near our home, and began searching for her abductor. On Tuesday we found ourselves completely oblivious to the events unfolding, literally, around us and were having a perfectly fine day. A & B's friends, Ben and Lauren had spent the night after a late night pool party the evening before. We got up and went strawberry picking (I was patting myself on the back for "arranging" all of the free pickers). That afternoon the boys got all duded up in their cami's and knives and went out "hunting" in the woods. The girls were a little less enthusiastic and had holed up in the basement to watch a movie. Jack and I were walking outside down the lane and swinging in the back yard, when we noticed a helicopter flying by very low to the ground. He continued to circle overhead for several minutes, then pretty much flew the perimeter of our whole property. He was so low that I could see the people sitting inside and read the call letters on the side of the copter. Jack and I just stood there in the middle of the lane, looking up at it and wondering what the heck was going on! I went in the house to see if there was something on the news, when my neighbor called me and asked if I was alone at the house. I replied that no, I had several children with me. She told me to get them in the house and lock the doors! Then she proceeded to tell me the above mentioned story of the abducted girl, and informed me that the police were looking through MY woods for the fugitive suspect! It was at this point that I almost dropped the phone because Bryan and Ben were IN THE WOODS!!!! I hung up with her and started calling for Bryan. I was thinking that it would be better not to scare them, but just tell them to come up to the house quickly. Well, if you know boys who are out playing, you know that they are loathe to come in, much less quickly. Consequently I was out on the door shouting my fool head off for them to "GET YOUR BUTTS IN THE HOUSE NOW"! They came a little more quickly as I am quite sure that Bryan has NEVER heard me yell at him like that before! Once inside I called the sheriff's department and confirmed that, yes, they were looking for the fugitive in my woods and we should stay inside with the doors and windows locked! So we were under seige. I called Jeff and he came home as quickly as possible. They had K-9 units out and police from 8 different agencies all looking for this bad man. On a side note, when Jeff came home from work he scared the kids to DEATH by standing in front of the windows to the basement. Poor Lauren, I think she may have wet her pants. Sorry, honey.

All the next day we stayed indoors where it was "safe" and waited to hear if the man had been caught. It was a beautiful day and we all wanted to be outside, but not if somebody was going to be waiting out there for us!

Today we heard that the girl made it up. Made it up. Sigh.....

So today we went outside! And then we went to the pool.

Well, if you've made it this far I applaud you! It has been quite an exciting few days and we are looking forward to the weekend!

Grandpa Ed

This is a baby book entry. This is the only picture (moving or not) that we have of Grandpa Ed & Jack together. We wanted to make sure that we saved it.

Fun With Daddy

Busy Days

It seems that the days are flying by! This weekend my mom came down for a visit to see her new house, set up accounts, turn on utilities, finalize paperwork and pick out new furniture. It was a whirlwind weekend, and somewhere in there Jack caught a little cold. Poor guy is all sniffly and sneezy, but cute as ever. This week will be crazy as well. Today Jack and I went to Grandma Poo's house while she was gone to let the carpet cleaners in. Tomorrow we go back and she gets HER new furniture delivered and someone needs to be there. Tuesday night Aunt Gigi is moving her stuff out and Jeff is helping with that. We are too, but with Jack is remains to be seen how much "help" we'll actually be! Wednesday is the only day that I don't officially have something planned, so I will probably be catching up on housework. Thursday Jack has a doctor's appointment, and Friday I pick up the keys to mom's new house, wait for her furniture to be delivered, then go with Jeff up to her house to start moving! Saturday we will come back here with the rental truck and move her in. Sunday, I may or may not be singing in a special group at church (Laurie, what's the final verdict on that?) which means a very long day on Sunday (but fun, because I love it). Monday I will prepare for the kids coming, and Tuesday I pick them up at the airport! Yikes! So, the posts may be a little slow in coming! In the meantime, Jack's half birthday is tomorrow! Happy 18 months, baby Jack!

My Mom

Like any typical 18 year old, I couldn't wait to grow up and get "out on my own". Through the years since I left for college, I have never again lived near my mother. We've always been at least 3 hours apart. As things have happened in my life, I've found myself wishing that she were closer. No matter what, your mom always loves you! I am so excited that it seems that God is going to grant me this wish! This week is my mother's last day of work....ever! She is retiring from her job at the factory, and she is moving here, to MY TOWN, less than 10 minutes from my house! I know that it has been a frighteningly huge step for her to take, but God has blessed in numerous ways and continue to impress upon us that this IS what He would have her to do! So Jack is going to have the blessing of growing up with BOTH of his grandmothers within 20 minutes of him, and I am going to get to spend time with my mother, not just in a visit for a day or two, but whenever I want! God is truly good! So, this Mother's Day, amid packing, and boxes, and calls to the apartments and plans, plans, plans and too many emails to count, I was so thankful to say that my mother is coming home to stay!!!!!! Can't wait til you get here, mom!

MPoo

When I found myself to be a single woman again, I couldn't imagine that I would ever be fortunate to find myself with another mother-in-law as wonderful as Shirley had been. However, once again, God blessed me beyond my anticipation by giving me Sharon Gray as my new mother-in-law. I cannot even begin to tell you how she has been there for me, helping me, teaching me, keeping me sane, loving me, and loving my son in a completely self-sacrificial way. I feel completely accepted and loved, like any daughter would with her own mother. Sharon has seen me during some of my worst days, and not only loves me, but keeps coming back for more! Thank you, thank you, thank you, Sharon, for being the wonderful mother that you are, and for giving me the most precious gift that I've ever been given, your son and my husband! Thank you for the gift of your friendship!

Always Mom

For ten years of my life, Shirley Zwolanek was my mother-in-law. From the moment I met her all those years ago, her warmness, her sense of humor, her sensitive spirit and her kindness made me love her. There is always a smile and a hug whenever she is around, and she has always embraced her sons friends as her "own". Some of my best memories of mom are of sitting in the living room on a Sunday afternoon and listening to her laugh while she was on her weekly phone call with her best friend. No matter what was happening, that laugh just made you feel warm inside.

A few years ago Mom and Dad Z gave us the gift of a lifetime, a trip to England! It was the best time, and I am still so grateful for the opportunity to spend that adventure with them. When hard times come, and things change in a way that you could never have expected, your memory tends to focus on stellar moments of happiness, and for me, that trip to England will always be a precious, precious time. No matter what has happened, or what happens in the future, I will always see this woman as my mother-in-law, and remember the times that we've had together, and the lessons in gentleness that she taught me.

My Grandmothers

This being the week of Mother's Day, I thought I would share some memories that I have of the special "mothers" in my life, starting with my grandmothers.

This first picture is of my great grandmother. I called her Grandmother because that is what my mother calls her, but she was also known as Mamaw. I already had two Mamaw's so I thought it would be much less confusing to call her Grandmother. She lived with my Grandfather in a tiny little town called St. Elmo, IL. I liked to visit her, which was usually only once or twice a year, because she lived close to my cousins, who were more my age, and therefore far more exciting. I loved my great grandmother because she had a very gentle spirit, and yet could sometimes get "sassy". My great grandfather was something of a character, and although she was a very obedient wife, she definitely was her own person. She always kept "sugar drop cookies" in her kitchen and I remember her offering us those cookies every time we came. When she passed away my sister and I sang at her funeral.


This is the only picture that I have of both sets of my grandparents together, and the only picture that I have of my father's parents. There are many other pictures, but the only that I had here at my house. My dad's parents were Walter James and Mary Elizabeth Carmen. They lived on a farm with all kinds of livestock, had a pond stocked full of fish, grew their own strawberries and grapes, and Papaw's pumpkins were legendary for their size! I most remember Mamaw Carmen in the kitchen. She was an avid canner--most of the vegetables that were eaten at her table were grown in her back yard. She also made homeade grape juice from the grapes in the arbor. They were a dark purple and made Welch's grape juice look like colored water. I get my facial features from my grandmother. My father inherited her large eyes, and I inherited them from him. As children we would cluster together in the living room and Papaw and Daddy would get out their guitars and we would all sing together. We sang old hymns and songs like "The Little Brown Church" and "Froggy Went A-Courtin'". My love of music was born in their house. Papaw died first, just a few years ago, and Mamaw died 3 weeks after him.


You have recently read of the passing of my Grandmother, "Boots" Cummings. I have posted recent pictures of her, but I thought that you might like to see her when she was younger, the way that I remember her growing up. She was absolutely beautiful! Her dark hair was NOT dyed, and it stayed dark with hardly any gray up until these last few years in the nursing home, and even then it could hardly be called "gray". No beauty tricks....just good French genes. I also remember Mamaw for her cooking. We didn't have meals at Mamaw's house. We had feasts! She loved food, and she loved to cook, and I think that my love of cooking was born in her home. As children we LOVED to go to her house. My grandparents house was a refuge, a fun place to explore and play. Compared to our house, their house seemed huge, and we loved playing hide-and-seek with our cousins. The only time I remember Mamaw ever spanking me was when she caught me jumping on her bed. So although their house was fun, there were limits! She had a lovely, infectious laugh, and Bampy adored her. He lavished her with a wonderful life, a life-time of passionate love, diamonds, vacations, and in the end, his complete and utter devotion when she needed him most. I miss Mamaw very much, and my thoughts will be with her a lot on Mother's Day, as last Mother's Day I was able to visit her and spend the day with her. One year here, the next gone. Blessed be the name of the Lord who took her to heaven!

I have been immeasurably blessed by the grandmothers in my life. So much of the time I spent with them was when I was a young girl. How I wish I could have them back now in my adulthood! They were all treasures and all a part of the mother that I am today.

A Great Year

Yesterday, Aunt GiGi sat with Jack so that Jeff could take me out for my birthday. We had SUCH a good time! Jeff had flowers delivered to the house, and then about 5 minutes later he walked in the door! We went to Don Pablos for dinner (yummmm) and saw several people that we knew, which is always fun. Then we went to Mennard's (at my request) for my birthday presents! Last year Jeff got me a bird feeder, and it has been an unbelievable source of joy for me to learn these beautiful birds and their habits. I simply LOVE watching them. So this year when he asked me what I wanted I was quick to reply that I wanted two new finch feeders! I will hopefully have a picture of them soon. They haven't been hung yet in their final place, so I'll wait until they're right and then I'll take a picture. One is a regular finch feeder, and the other is a special goldfinch feeder. Goldfinches are the only finches that can feed upside down, so this feeder only allows for feeding upside down (thereby ensuring that the only birds on the feeder will be goldfinches!).

After Mennard's we went to Riehle Plaza and walked across the bridge to West Lafayette. It was such a beautiful night! We got a Starbucks and sat and talked for a while, then walked back. It was extremely romantic and fun! Thank you, GiGi for taking such good care of our boy, and for giving me the pretty outfit I was wearing! And thank you, Jeffrey, for a lovely, lovely birthday. It just keeps getting better and better.

Day of Shopping

This morning Jack and I loaded up, first thing, and drove to Lafayette for the big garage sale at Brookfield Heights! We borrowed Uncle Jase's truck because we were on a mission. A few days ago, while visiting Laurie, Jack discovered her child size table and chair set and fell in love with them. I realized then that I needed to get him something, so today was the day to look. With half the town having a garage sale, surely we could find something. Turns out the Grandma Poo was up even earlier than us and called to say that she had found a little Jack sized picnic table for $5! It was a little dirty and not exactly brand new, but when I put it out on the deck with Jack tonight he went right to it, sat down, and started running his car up and down the table top (making the appropriate car noises, of course)! Success!

After a few hours of toiling through the sales, we had some lunch, and Jack went home with Grandma Poo while I continue to shop. Jeff said something completely extraordinary to me yesterday. As we were talking about the pants he was currently wearing to work (the ones with the big hole in the bahonkus), he said to me, "I need some new clothes". That's all I needed, baby! I LOVE to buy him new clothes, I just don't get the all clear from him very often at all! So I cashed out my voice lesson money for the week and proceeded to spend it all on two pairs of Levi jeans, one pair of khacki's, one pair of cami shorts, a t-shirt, and five new collared shirts (not hot ones, as requested). Yay! I also looked for shoes, but Jeffrey's size 15's are really hard to find, so I lucked out. Oh well, I'll keep looking! In the meantime, if I can keep him from putting a hole in the jeans or getting a stain on the new shirts we'll be doing good. I love my manly man, but, really, honey, you don't have slide down the roof with these new jeans, ok?!

I am completely exhausted. Off to bed!

Madame Shimer

Gaylene has a blog!

gayleneshimer.com

Cool!

Some Random Shots

Random

Jeff and I went to his company's end-of-year dinner on Friday night. It was great to leave Jack with Aunt GiGi and slip away for an evening with adults. It was a nice dinner, that I was actually able to eat after getting some wonderful Papaya Enzyme pills from the health food store. It was my first real meal since Sunday!

The other pictures are of Jack on Sunday. I think daddy took them--I'm not sure where I was--so that is all the description I can give.

And, the aforementioned orange tongue.......my goodness.

Short-lived

Thank goodness, Jeff's version of the "bug" was short-lived! After a day of rest and so much Gatorade that he turned his tongue orange (maybe he'll post the picture), Jeff is feeling back to his old self! He was sad to have missed church, since that is our favorite place to be together, but grateful for the rest and recup.

In the meantime, I am feeling much better myself. Today Jack and I are grocery shopping! That means that we had Bible Study this morning, went to the chiropractor, ate lunch at Chik-fil-A, and now we are at Grandma's house while Jack takes a nap. So no actual shopping has taken place yet, but while Jack naps I get my list together and decide what we're going to have for dinner this week! When he gets up we'll get the deed done and hopefully be back home with dinner made for daddy when he comes home from work! And that is pretty much our typical Monday! Hope you're all having a great day!

By the way, daddy, we know that you will read this from work and we just want to say that we love you, and we think that you are the best daddy in the whole world! Thank you so much for going to work so early every day and working so hard so that Jack and I can have days like today! We love you!

Oh Boy

I was in Lafayette tonight with Jack and Grandma when I got the call from Jeff that he was on his way home after puking on a construction job. He's now running a fever over 100 degrees and we are well into the "yuck" stage. Evidently there is a 7 day incubation period. Sorry to anyone we've come into contact with in the last week!

Lapse

It may have come to your attention that there was a lapse of sort in posts from the time that we went to the park until the time when I posted the park pictures. That is because Jack and Mommy have been horribly, terribly, nauseatingly SICK for the last five days. Every fear that I ever had of getting Jack and Jeff's "flu bugs" became a nightmarish reality this last week. It must be the my body was in a weakened state from the last couple of weeks, because when I fell, I fell hard. The puking began Sunday night at bedtime and lasted until morning. By the time 5:00 a.m. rolled around, Jeff had to practically carry me back to bed. He called in Monday morning and stayed home all day to take care of Jack. I honestly cannot remember the last time I was that sick. I was on the phone talking to the doctor by the time their doors opened and got some medication to help me stop puking. Uggh. Blech. Convulsive shiver.

Here it is, Thursday night, and I am only just now starting to feel my "humanness" again. In the meantime, Jack continues to have little bouts of tummy troubles because of his teeth. I think that not only the eye teeth are coming, but a couple of molars as well. It's hard to tell, since there are no visible teeth yet, just extremely swollen gums.

On the brighter side, Jack has begun to say some new words! He now uses two vowels! Such as: uh-oh and hi da da! He also says ball, done, drink, bath, and something that frequently sounds like "ga-ma", we think. He can also now climb up on top of the table, and he got a new wagon that I can wheel him around in up and down the lane.

That's all for now! I hope that you're all staying healthy and WELL!

A Day In The Park

Day At The Park

The Dreaded Eye Teeth

Lately we been having some behavior issues with Jack. I know, it's hard to believe something so CUTE could be such a TURKEY.... At any rate, this morning he was so whiny and clingy that I knew something had to be up. I laid him down on his back and looked in his mouth (a difficult and perilous task to be sure), and sure enough, it would seem that the gum where his eye teeth are supposed to be is very swollen. I've heard that the eye teeth can be the most difficult ones to cut. What is scary is that the gum is just swollen--I don't actually see any tooth under the gum. I'm a little worried that this may take a while. Well, I did what any good mommy would do, I drugged him up with some Ibuprofen and put him to bed! Hopefully when he wakes up he will feel a little better, not just for my sake, but for his too. I'm sure it's no fun cutting teeth.

Today daddy is coming home early and we're going to Columbia Park! Jack has never been, and I am really hoping that they have some animals out, especially the monkeys since that is Jack's favorite stuffed toy. He goes to bed with his monkey every night. He can also point out the monkey in his animal picture book (and the kitty too). I hope that you are able to get out and enjoy this wonderful weather! We'll share some pics later!

For You Are Near

--by Laurie Dutton

I will say of the Lord, He is my strength He is my song.
I will exalt Him all day long.
He is my hiding place; I’ll rest in His unchanging grace.
I cannot help but sing His praise.

I will say to the Lord, You are my refuge, my fortress.
You alone are the One in Whom I trust.
You have sheltered my soul for You are faithful
And I won’t fear.
I will dwell in the shadow of Your wings
For You are near.

O bless the Lord my soul and all that is within me bless His name.
He daily benefits my soul.
He heals and He redeems;
He satisfies my longings with good things
I will remember all His deeds.

How could I ever run from You?
You have the very words of truth.
And so my heart cries out
To You, my living God!

I will say to the Lord, You are my refuge, my fortress.
You alone are the One in Whom I trust.
You have sheltered my soul for You are faithful
And I won’t fear.
I will dwell in the shadow of Your wings
For You are near.

My heart, my flesh may fail,
But You O God are strong forever.
You are my portion and my strength.
Your word, your deeds, your sweet benevolence to me is all I need.
I find my true delight in You.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Fun, Fun, Fun

New Day

Just wanted to let you all know that we are doing good. We have had some rough spots in the last few days, both of us at different times, but we are still hanging in there, and trusting God. It was so good to be at church today. Jeff and I both had trouble at the beginning of the service as Titus called us to worship with scripture and praise spoken aloud to God. It was good to be able to sing with a full heart and tears streaming that "I will give You all my worship, I will give You all my praise. You alone I long to worship, You alone are worthy of my praise." I sat out of choir for one last time so that Jeff and I could worship together, and I am glad I did, but I will be ready to jump back in next week.

For now, we are setting small goals for ourselves, and planning things to look forward to. April 27 is the "end of year" banquet at Jeff's work, and we are looking forward to a night out together in Indy (and the bonus that usually comes from work). Next month the kids come to stay for seven whole weeks. I tell you what, that alone is enough to bring a smile to my face. In the past, I have loved other people's children as my own (and still do love those blonde southern boys), and having Anne and Bryan in my life just couldn't be more perfect--unless of course they lived with us all the time! At any rate I am looking forward to a fun-filled summer with the kids and can't wait for them to see Jack again and get reaquainted.

God has been and continues to be immensely good to us. Titus says in one of his songs, "Grace makes no sense at all" and it is so true. We don't deserve it, but he daily loads us with benefits. There's another song that I want to introduce to you, but I have to ask the author if she will let me "sneek peek" it on my blog (Laurie, this means YOU). If nothing else I hope she lets me post the words. She gave me a CD the other day and I've not ceased to play it every spare moment I get.

Thank you to all of you for praying, calling, sending flowers and cards, and especially commenting. I've learned that I am not alone and that I have a wonderful resource of Godly women who have dealt with the same pain that I have and are beautiful testaments of God's grace in their lives. Thank you, all.

Baby Blessing

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

A week ago this Monday I started experiencing some complications with my pregnancy. I went a whole week trying to believe the best and trust in the Lord for my strength and the life of my child. Although I was very concerned about the welfare of my baby, God gave me the grace to lift my hands in church on Sunday and sing praise to Him who had risen from the dead! What an awesome privilege to place the cares of this world in a God who has conquered death and the grave!

Sunday evening I had severe pain and bleeding, so on Monday I went to the doctor for an ultrasound. It was then that we learned that the baby had no heartbeat. We also learned that the baby was too small, much too small to be 10 weeks. It was difficult to determine if there wasn't a heartbeat because the baby was no longer alive, or if I was actually much earlier in my pregnancy--too early to detect a heartbeat. So we had to wait. But not long. On Tuesday evening, at home with my husband beside me, I miscarried. As we cried together over our loss, Jeff reminded me that this was simply the earthly shell of our child, and that it's soul was already in heaven with the Lord. Even in great sadness, it was easy to praise God for taking our child before it experienced pain, loss, hurts, evil and sin. Our child will never know the sorrows of this world because God is good, kind and merciful. And to us, He gives us grace to live without the little life that had just begun to make its presence known in our lives. We have named the baby "Blessing" because that is just what it was. Blessing has two brothers, Bryan and Jack, and a sister, Anne-marie. In the time we knew of the baby's coming, it brought smiles to all of their faces, and joy to Jeff and I. Blessing has brought Jeff and I closer together, and given us a greater love for God. It has also made heaven much sweeter. Our baby is surrounded by a great grandfather, a great grandmother, and a grandfather so recently passed. Blessing is also surrounded by so many other precious babies of friends, whose parents never saw their faces or held them in their arms. They are there together, our precious little ones, and heaven never looked so good.

Thank you, God, for your Blessing. Thank you that you give, and take away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Just this Sunday, we sang the words to this song, knowing that in all probability, our little Blessing was already with Jesus.

Alive Forever Amen

Let the children sing
A song of liberation
The God of our salvation
Set us free
Death where is thy sting
The curse of sin is broken
The empty tomb stands open
Come and see

He's alive, alive, alive Hallelujah!
Alive praise and glory to the Lamb
Alive, alive, alive hallelujah
Alive forever amen

Let my heart sing out
For Christ the One and only
So powerful and holy
Rescued me
Death won't hurt me now
Because He has redeemed me
No grave will ever keep me
From my King

I'm alive, alive, alive Hallelujah!
Alive praise and glory to the Lamb
Alive, alive, alive hallelujah
Alive forever amen

Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy of our praise
Worthy is the One
Who has overcome the grave
Let the people dance
Let the people sing
Worthy is the mighty King

Something New Every Day

Jack has finally discovered books. After months of forcing him on our laps to read any book that he would tolerate, he has finally developed a love for his books. He likes this book because it has all kinds of babies in it, all smiling and making happy faces. I walked in to the living room to "catch" him sitting in this chair, book in hand. It was so cute, and I was afraid that I wouldn't get the picture, but I got it!

Another thing that has happened recently is that Jack is climbing EVERYTHING. Tonight I put him in the bathtub with his toys and then came and sat down at my computer (the computer is right outside the bathroom door, so I wasn't very far away). I could hear him in there splashing around, talking, laughing at himself. Then I heard a thump, and yelled out in my best distracted mom voice, "You better not be standing up in there! Sit down!" I heard nothing else for a few moments, and then out of the corner of my eye I see a little naked boy rounding the corner on tiptoe. He took one look at me and let out a squeal and tried to run! I was shocked! So much for using bathtime as "me" time. My mother-in-law was quick to point out (when I called her hysterically) that soon he will be climbing out of his crib. Nooooooooo!

And in typical little boy fashion, the more weirded out I am by my son, the more he seems to take pride in his accomplishments. Maybe this baby will be a girl?

onetruemedia.com is GREAT!

Thanks, Danna!


Jack Outside

Better

Feeling a little better today....thanks to those who I know have been praying.

My post that I plan to write is about this topic: As a Christian, do I portray to non-Christians that I am better than they?

Blech....

I have this unusual, deep (high unusual for me) blog just dying to be posted, but I can't. I just can't. I feel terrible.....this is only my 8th week.....blech.

A Little Help?

Hey! I love making the slideshows with my pictures, but I have to admit that I really don't appreciate the pop-ups that come with rockyou.com. Does anybody know another website that will help me make my slides without the girlie pop-ups? Please, please comment if you do!

Home Again

We are back from our whirlwind trip to Kentucky for my grandmother's funeral. Everything went really well. Jack didn't have any major blowouts or upchucks, although he decided that he would stay awake for the entire trip down and back! THAT was interesting. We pretty much exhausted our song list memories, played pattycake and peekaboo too many times to count, and at times just turned the radio up really loud to drown out his protesting voice. Four and a half hours is just too long for a 16 month old who is used to running around wherever he chooses!

The funeral went fine, although it was a little sad. Obviously, I will miss Mamaw very much, but the knowledge that she is with Jesus far outweighs any desire to keep her here with me. Bampy seems to be doing well. I think that Mamaw stayed alive just long enough for Bampy to get to the point where he felt he could let her go. He is going down to be with my aunt and uncle in Atlanta for a few weeks, and then he will come back to Henderson to live with my other aunt. He has even tentatively said that he will come visit us!

It was very sweet to learn that when the grandchildren were listed in the obituary, Bampy included our unborn child in the number. He made sure that he told me that twice, and I know that it was important to him. We placed a picture of Mamaw holding Jack on the table beside her coffin. She really loved Jack and always lit up when he came to visit. Even when she was paralyzed from her stroke, she wanted me to hold him up to her so she could kiss him. And strangely enough, Jack was always very subdued and gentle with her. And he usually jabbered right at her, which made her smile. I will miss you, Mamaw!

Aunt Laurie

Today my friend, Laurie, came to help me. I have been overwhelmed by the last couple of weeks, and with Jack clinging to me and puking on me, it was difficult to face the task of trying to get packed to go to Mamaw's funeral. So she came loaded with Starbucks, food, and lots of perky cheerfulness to lend a hand when I was in a hard spot. This is not the first time that Laurie has helped me in a jam! Laurie has been with me during some of the darkest days of my life, and I know I don't say it enough, but I love you, Laurie Lu, and I can't thank you enough for being my friend.

A couple of years ago Laurie and I took a trip to Florida to see her parents and go to Disney. It was, without a doubt, a trip of a lifetime for me, and one that I look back on with such good memories that I just had to share them with you.

Thank you, Aunt Laurie, for giving me a bath and helping my mommy retain her sanity. Love Jack.

Thank you, friend Laurie, for once again, being where you were desperately needed.

What Next?

Jack just puked. Alot.

Mamaw

Please pray for our family, as we just received news that my grandmother has passed away. She has been ill for quite some time, and she knew the Lord. We are praising God that she is no longer suffering and is at home with Him, but we are heartsick for my grandfather, whose whole world revolved around his wife. Please pray for his health as well.

The funeral will be Tuesday or Wednesday--we're not sure yet. Pray for us, as this is the second funeral in as many weeks, and we feel a little weary at having more pain to deal with of the same kind. God is good and He is our All in All.

For Steve, Sharon, Jeff, Jill and Jason

Glory
by Nichole Nordeman

One day, eyes that are blind will see You clearly.
And one day all who deny will finally believe.
One day hearts made of stone will break in pieces.
And one day chains, once unbroken, will fall down at Your feet.

So we wait for that one day.
Come quickly, we want to see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

One day voices that lie will all be silenced.
One day all that's divided will be whole again.
One day death will retreat, and wave its white flag.
One day love will defeat the strongest enemy.

So we wait, for that one day.
Come quickly, we want to see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

We know not the day or the hour or the moments in between.
But we know the end of the story when we'll see Your glory.
Every knee falls down before Thee,
Every tongue offers You praise.
With every hand raised,
Singing glory to You and unto You only.
We'll sing glory to Your name.

Still Here

Hey everybody! We're still here, just had a really crazy, busy week. Tuesday was Jeff's dad's funeral. It went as well as could be expected. There was much sadness, but hopefully there was also a sense of closure for a broken family. It has encouraged all of us to "step things up" for God so that the legacy we leave behind for our loved ones is one that is rich with God's grace and mercy, and something to hold onto during tough times.

Jeff took the whole week off in order to put Grandma's house back in order (Jeff's dad lived with Jeff's grandma) and take care of numerous "loose ends" that unexpected death brings. I will have to say that this week has inspired me to clean out the attic!

Tomorrow is church and we are looking forward to that, since we love our church, and hopefully that will usher in a sense of "normalcy" again.

Jack is doing great--I'll try to get some new pictures up soon. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, to everyone who has been praying, has sent cards, letters, emails and flowers. Your love and support has meant more to us this last week than you could possibly know!

Stephen Virgil Gray

This morning Jeff received a sad call from his grandmother. It would seem that Jeff's dad has been very ill this last week, and sometime this morning, passed away. The viewing and service will be held at Abbott Funeral Home in Delphi, on Tuesday. The viewing will be from 11-1 p.m., with the service at 1:00 p.m. The family has a plot in Rossville.

This was unexpected. Please keep Jeff and the family in your prayers. Grandma Beaulah has now lost her husband and her oldest son within a few months of each other. We are unsure exactly of Steve's relationship with the Lord. There was evidence in his life as a young man that he knew the Lord, and just in the last year he had several opportunities to make good decisions for God. Only God knew his heart, and we are believing the best about his eternal destiny.

Already friends and family have been a blessing to us. Jeff's childhood friend, Andy, was with him when he got the news and stayed with Jeff for a good part of the day until everyone could gather. Gaylene came immediately and watched Jack for me so that I could go and be with Jeff. Laurie was a great comfort to me as she prayed with me on the phone for our family. Pastor Woodall called within the hour to express support from our church and to offer their assistance with a meal. The funeral director, who just buried Grandpa, made special arrangements to meet with the family this afternoon to help finalize the funeral arrangements. God is so good. There are many sad days ahead as Jeff, his brother Jason, sister Jill, and mom Sharon, sift through the belongings and memories of a lifetime. Please keep them in your prayers.

Concert Tonight!

Runaway Jack

A couple of days ago I was watching a TV program while Jack was playing. We were on the middle floor, the one that is pretty much totally baby proofed (give or take some items accidentally left on the table within reach), so I wasn't watching him very closely. I could hear him walking around and jibber-jabbering, and my program was quite interesting, so I let him go for several minutes before I really turned my attention to him. He was quiet and I thought, "ok, I should probably check", but then he started jabbering, very excitedly, again, so I went back to watching (I know, I'm terrible). Another several minutes passed and my show went to commercial so I decided I better go find out what was going on. I got up off the couch and came toward the foyer, when to my horror I realized that the front door was open, and that Jack was OUTSIDE. All three cats were surrounding him, as if to herd him on to the porch, and Callie was meowing loudly (she's the mommy). Jack was SO pleased with himself! I don't know how he made it down the wooden step, but for some reason the cement steps down to the drive intimidated him and he stayed on the porch. He was talking his head off to those cats, I think in an effort to psyche himself up to go down those steps!

Needless to say, we are now keeping the front door locked. This morning it was left unlocked by accident, and he actually opened the door right in front of me. Once again, the cats were in attendance. It's nice to know that they are looking after him, even when his mommy isn't!

Hopeful

I am a measly 5 1/2 weeks into my pregnancy. It was at this time in the pregnancy that I found out I was pregnant with Jack. I had about a week before the morning sickness set in that time, but I've already experienced some with this one. It hasn't been even a fraction as bad as it was, and I would be willing to stay at this level through the rest of the pregnancy if I knew that it would not get worse! I've been eating snacks often and drinking a lot of water. I found that I really like the Propel Fitness Water--it has vitamin B6 in it. Not only are the B vitamins good for energy (which I've definitely needed), but I was given a B6 plus a Unisom tablet as a remedy for morning sickness with Jack, and it was the ONLY thing that gave me any relief. So, maybe it's just the yummy taste of the water, or maybe it is psychologically helpful because of the B vitamins, but I like it and it seems to help me.

Jack has been doing great! This weather has been wonderful for him. Yesterday we went to the park and I let him run around on the playground and the grass. He was born in November, and by the time sring rolled around, Jack was still unable to crawl, so he has never really spent a lot of time outside, on his own steam, playing. He LOVES it! It was so funny to watch him fall down in the grass, get back up, and look at his hands in astonishment at the dirt. I plan to let Jack be a boy and get dirty outside. I know that it may sound silly, but I want him to appreciate the feeling of dirt on his hands, especially after working outside and accomplishing tasks with his dad. I pray that he gets his work ethic from his dad, who is tireless and ALWAYS working, instead of me, who will be distracted from the most important job by a new episode of "What Not To Wear"!

Today Jack played outside on our deck. I put a baby gate up so he couldn't get off the deck, took his toys outside, and just let him go! He ran around like crazy, petting the kitties (first time he's actually been able to get his hands on one), and dragging his toys all over the deck. It was really fun to watch him play, as we've been a little "stir crazy" in the house lately. Spring is coming! What a sweet baby boy who loves to run and play. God is so good.

Gray Family 6

We are happy to announce that we will be welcoming another little Gray matter into our family sometime in November. Yes, that's right--November. For those of you a little slow on the uptake, Jack was also born in November. Let's just say that February is a good month for us!

We told the twins last night and their response was typical.....Anne screamed and Bryan said, "Cool" and went back to watching his TV program. We sure do love those kiddos! Jack, well, he hasn't said much about it yet.

Jeff is very excited, and I am excited, yet dreading the morning sickness period. So, if you don't see me around much for the next 4 months, you'll know why. If you need a refresher, read this.

We are indeed blessed.

Two Year Anniversary: Gatlinburg Revisted

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The Wedding

This post is a little late, as our anniversary has already passed (yesterday), but as we were gone for a wonderful anniversary vacation, you'll have to accept it now instead of earlier!

So, where I left you last....oh yes, we had "decided" to get married. The day finally came. I was a bundle of stressful nerves all day as I waited for the clock to tick. The time finally came for me to go to Jeff's mom's house, where I was to meet Jeff, leave my car, and take off on this incredible adventure! We were so afraid that someone would find out, but I have sinced learned that we really were so sneaky that no one even suspected. I waited at Jeff's mom's house on pins and needles until Jeff finally arrived--he was late! He was also very worried, because he knew that he was going to be late, but tried to call me several times. I had left my cell phone in the car and so kept missing his calls! He was afraid that I had backed out. Silly Jeffrey. A teary grandma poo kissed us goodbye and we took off in the silver bullet.

We drove all the way to Gatlinburg, Tn that night (about 7 hours), but when I look back on it, it seemed as if the hours just flew. We felt giddy with excitement. We got in to Pigeon Forge late at night and checked in to our hotel rooms. I don't believe that either of us slept much that night....we were both too excited. Early the next morning Jeff, ever the planner, got us up and out before 8 a.m. He wanted to find the license branch and get our marrige license with plenty of time, just in case we got stuck in traffic or some other catastrophe befell us. It took about 15 minutes. Really. That's it. In Tennessee there are no blood tests or waiting periods. As long as we both had identification and someone was able to witness our signing, we were licensed for marriage. Scary, huh! From there we went to the chapel, again, just to check it out and make sure that we knew where it was. Our "wedding" was scheduled for 2:00 p.m., but when we arrived we learned that we were the only wedding scheduled for the day, and that we could get married any time we wanted! So, we changed into our wedding attire and got married at 11:00 a.m. The "reverend" asked me if I wanted to walk down the aisle carrying flowers. Honestly, I was shocked. "Absolutely not", I said. "Been there, done that, no reason to do it again". He was a little surprised, but then I think that everything about us was a little surprising. I mean, we weren't kids, and yet here we were, running away like kids to get married. We stood before him in the chapel and held hands. Jeff asked him if he could pray. Again, the reverend was surprised, but of course it was our wedding, so Jeff prayed for us, for our marriage, and thanked God that we were together, finally, forever. The minister then asked for our consents in marriage, then we read vows that we had written for each other. We exchanged rings and the minister pronounced us man and wife. We both just looked at each other and laughed. It was hard to believe it was really true. What took a very short time was packed full of meaning for both of us. I think that when most young couples get married and they make promises to each other, they have no idea to what extent they will have to go to in order to keep those promises, or how much work it will be, or how incredibly binding they are. Jeff and I already knew what it was to make those promises, only to see them torn apart. I guarantee you that we both said our vows that day with an incredible insight to what they truly meant, and that NOTHING would ever cause us to break them.

Then we went to Texas Roadhouse and had lunch.

It was all very fun, and meaningful, and incredibly exciting and romantic. We spent the next few days in a log cabin in the woods and we loved it.

Enjoy our photos. We look at them many times and remember how much we enjoyed that weekend. It was the beginning of our family. At that time, Jack was not even a tiny thought, and yet our family was beginning.

Thank you, Jeffrey, for marrying me, as flawed as I am, and loving me above all others. You are, and always will be, my best friend.



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The "Proposal"

It was a moonlit night on a warm, sandy beach. The palms trees were swaying gently back and forth........um, nah.

So what is our "engagement" story? It's pretty simple, really. We just decided to get married. On February 11, 2005, we realized that was what we wanted to do. We told no one but Jeff's mom and brother (actually I told my mom that we were going to get married, but didn't tell her when). Those two weeks before we got married were probably the hardest for us because of the fact that we knew we were going to be in big trouble when we got back and everyone found out. Unfortunately, there were circumstances that I won't get into and we just decided to literally "skip town" and get married. We started making plans to go to Gatlinburg, TN. I bought outfits for us to wear, purchased Jeff's ring, made travel arrangements, and did a ton of work at school to get ready for my absence (sorry, Laurie). I'm pretty sure that I didn't sleep or eat during that entire time! In the meantime, Jeff was putting a rush on my ring, and preparing the house for my arrival. Since no one knew we were getting married, it was going to be a shock to my two roommates when they found out that their roomie was no longer living in their house! There were a lot of things that, looking back, we could have done and wished that we had done differently, but the end result was that we left on Thursday, February 24, for Gatlinburg for an incredibly romantic weekend. And that will be another post!


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The Reason

Jeff and I had two songs that meant a lot to us. The first was "Bless The Broken Road", and the second was "The Reason".

Bless The Broken Road
(Boyd Bobby/Jeffrey/Hanna/Marcus Hummon)

I set out on a narrow way many years ago
Hoping I would find true love along the broken road
But I got lost a time or two
Wiped my brow and kept pushing through
I couldn't see how every sign pointed straight to you

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

I think about the years I spent just passing through
I'd like to have the time I lost and give it back to you
But you just smile and take my hand
You've been there you understand
It's all part of a grander plan that is coming true

Every long lost dream led me to where you are
Others who broke my heart they were like northern stars
Pointing me on my way into your loving arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road
That led me straight to you

Now I’m just rollin’ home into my lover's arms
This much I know is true
That God blessed the broken road that led me straight to you



The Reason
(Hoobastank)

I'm not a perfect person
as many things I wish I didn't do
but I continue learning
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I'm sorry that I hurt you
it's something I must live with everyday
and all the pain I put you through
I wish that I could take it all away
and be the one who catches all your tears
that's why I need you to hear

I've found a resaon for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you
and the reason is you
and the reason is you
and the reason is you

I'm not a perfect person
I never meant to do those things to you
and so I have to say before I go
that I just want you to know

I've found a reason for me
to change who I used to be
a reason to start over new
and the reason is you

I've found a reason to show
a side of me you didn't know
a reason for all that I do
and the reason is you

The Way We Were

Jeff and I will be celebrating two years of marriage this coming Sunday, February 25. It has been, without a doubt, the absolute BEST two years of both of our lives, and we are incredibly grateful for our marriage, our family, and the church that God has given us. Many of you may not really know the story of US, so I've decided that this week I will tell it.

Jeff and I were both divorced from our first spouses in the last five years. Our lives as "singles" were fraught with lonliness and pain, and yet, there were some real joys too. God gave us GREAT friends. When you are single and away from family, the friends that you make become your family. It was like this for both Jeff and I. Jeff was a member of the Career Class at our church, and although I attended a different ABF, I was dubbed an "honorary member" of the CC because of the fact that I attended many class events and became friends with many members. Our friends were our lifelines. Jeff's house was known as the "party house". I also had friends outside the career class--friends that were my family (and still are!) God gave both Jeff and I opportunities to do things that we would never be able to do as married people, and we are so thankful for that time. It was hard. We didn't want to be single. We were both searching for someone to share our lives with, and before we found each other, we had our friends. So this blog is dedicated to that people that were our friends when we met. We miss you! Things have definitely changed for us, and for a great number of you as well, be we will always consider you our friends, and a very important part of how we were when we met.

We'd like to invite you all this summer to our house for a bonfire--a career class reunion bonfire! We invite any former career class members and ANY current career class members to our house for a great time! All hammocks will be removed.

Love you guys!



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Bored Baby

As you can see, Jack is getting a little tired (as am I) of being in the house.

Today he took it upon himself to rearrange all of my pantry goods.