Tuesday, October 30, 2007

It's time for B-A-S-K-E-T-B-A-L-L!!


Tayler made Basketball!! What a relief!! As Brian watched kids come out of tryouts (week long) who have played since kingergarten and scored average of 20 pts per game NOT make it, his hopes were beginning to go on the on the "dark side" .........but, Tayler made it!!! He is good and is very determined/persistent, worked hard, and in my opinion, deserves to make it (I AM his mom-ya know!), but believe me this is God's grace!! Obviously, God saw it fit in His plan for Tayler's life to be part of this team. Because the coaches grade on height, teacher comments, grades, skill, we were worried he wouldn't make it b/c of height.......and.....we were on pins and needles all day....to say the least......)more like all year for his momma!) We knew Tay had excellent grades, teacher comments, and skill but as a parent, you still worry!! Although, Tay knows EVERYTHING about football and coaches the coaches on the game when he plays (lol), basketball is his favorite sport to play!! I have been worried since last year about try-outs!! Of course, we will post pics of his playing!! Thanks for your investment in his life and ours as well! We love you all!!

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Girly time! and fourth visit!

We played make up and top model-Makaylyn's favorite-her poses are so funny!! Enjoy!

ps Although they had make up on, Karin did not!:)





Tayler cut his hair!!



Yes, this is worth posting about because his locks have been long for about two years now. He finally cut it...I think he was ready but he had to cut them for basketball. He looks taller to me, but maybe he just looks more grown up with his hair shorter! He's my cutie!

It's Pumpkin time! (and some girl time too)








These are pics of last weekend...I know I am very behind on blogs but been very busy. Enjoy the pics!

ps That intricate detail on the pumpkin was not easy!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

M & M's second visit!







Through a special yet really hard to describe set of circumstances, we have had these girls over the past few weekends and will continue to have them on the weekends for quite a while....it may result in more, we aren't sure. We are unsure at this point but are enjoying our time with them now......they are so precious! We have had great friends give us so many clothes...recognize any of those clothes Jules/Wendy?.....and my little ponies..gotta love those..I wrote many a story about those ponies when I was young..."my little ponies, my little ponies!".....oh, how magical those ponies were.....they were as magical as unicorns and such..with feelings, hopes, dreams, how funny!.... and barbies..gotta love princess barbie! don't we all wish we looked like her?!

for these gifts we are so thankful!!! Thank you lovelies!!

Excuse the blurry pics! It is hard to get good pics when you are taking care of several children:)














Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Beautiful Flowers and Beautiful Friends!




I receieved these flowers from several friends at work. They are just beautiful. We have them as the centerpiece on our dining room table. Everytime I pass them, they make me smile. These friends and others have truly refreshed, renewed, and blessed our spirits at this time. I wanted to share the beauty with all of our fellow bloggers and family. What a blessing good friends are in a difficult time. I pray I will always be the same to others as they have been to us.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Tribute to Mom



This is the slideshow played at our mom's memorial service. The end of it is a part of her final choir performance at her church performed a few weeks earlier.

Sunday, October 07, 2007

Thank yous , the worst week ever and a small world...





We got back from Arizona late Saturday night. I would like to thank everyone (most of whom we need to thank will never read this so we will be sending out letters in the next few days) for all your love, support and help. This week was way more stressful than I could have ever imagined but having an awesome support network of friends and family around the country praying for us was a big help. People did everything from helping us financially, giving us rides, watching Tayler and Cookie and having us over for dinner. Even the people at American Airlines put us on the same flight as my sister on the way back and the clerk at the hotel gave us a great view from our room. We got home and received several cards and emails of encouragement and condolences.

The worst week ever is pretty obvious. We got off the plane and spent the entire day Tuesday on the planning of my mom's memorial service. We also began going through some of her things for us to take home. There was so much to get done and we basically did (and paid) for all of it. One thing that I learned this week is that funerals can bring out the best and worst in people. My siblings and I were treated as second class family members for most of the week and it was a challenge to truly grieve the loss of our mother. But, it was good to be with my family through this time. We spent most of the last few days after the service just hanging out- my brother and I hunting Star Wars characters. We had one last meal together and said our goodbyes. The last few days felt completely different from the first few in that we all had such a weight lifted off of us. I am proud of my brother for his leadership and hard work this week. He stepped up to his role and kept peace as best as possible. He was a great leader and made sure that mom was honored to the best of his ability.

Now for the small world. I never knew what my mom did for a career. Admittedly we have not been very close but I have never known what she has done jobwise. Well,when I resigned from the church in May I began looking for a part-time job shortly after that. I have not told to many people where I work for a couple of reasons. One is that it is so far out of anything that I have done I did not know if I would be there very long. Two, I almost have my Masters and feel the job is beneath me. However, I have bills to pay and so I accepted the job. I am working with A.R.S. Indiana. I am an appointment generator in the Home Depot's. Now, I have done very well with this and have exceeded sales goals by 300 and 400% each month.

Last Tuesday I was riding around with my sister and she asked if I was working at Home Depot. I told her what I did and she said "No way! That's who mom worked for!" Not only that but my sister also worked for them for a short time. My head hurt! I called my boss the next day and he said he had the email about my mom's death on his desk. He said there would be people from corporate at her service. I just could not believe that I had been working at the same company my mom had and that she was so beloved by the company. There were so many people and flowers from ARS at her service. So, while it is not my dream job I definitely have more pride in what I do knowing it is a bond I share with my mom for now.

Monday, October 01, 2007

The hard part begins...

Karin and I are leaving early Tuesday morning for Arizona. It has been a very long weekend. I could not have imagined the depth of loss that I feel. Admittedly my mom and I were not that close over the past several years and yet there is an emptiness inside of me that I am surprised by. My first thought is that I do not want God to fill this emptiness. I want to embrace it and experience this loss fully. Maybe someday I will want him to fill it but not now. I talked to my grandmother and she pointed out that it probably feels like a dream right now. And she is right. Once I got the travel details down and some other logistics I put the coming week in the back of my mind. I am fully anticipating that the week ahead will be far more than I can handle on my own.

There is so much more to write but I do not want to take the focus off of my mother this week. My dad was admitted to the ER over the weekend and there could be some uncomfortable dynamics this week (and that is a HUGE understatement but I will explain later). So, please continue to pray for us as a family and our time in Arizona. We have received so many wonderful words of prayer and encouragement. Thank you. Please don't stop because the hard part is still ahead and I cannot go through this week without a covering of prayer. Sometimes life can feel so isolating and you hate that a tragedy has to occur for people to realize what is truly important in life and to move past the pettiness.