Dad,
I hate not being with you on Father's Day, but I cooked some tri-tip roasts in your honor and we ate them all in your honor too. I let my kids eat junk food along side their veggies and smiled, thinking about how you always buy so many groceries every time you come visit and how I give you a hard time about buying the kids junk food. Making memories. That's what that's all about.
Today at church, Pastor Jim talked about the sins of our fathers and being intentional about breaking those sins generationally. It got me thinking about how you broke the chain of Mormonism in your family and what an impact that will have on generations to come. I am so thankful you met Jesus and you introduced us girls to him as well. This also got me thinking about Grandpa. How could I not? We have spent so many father's days together and I hurt for you thinking about how hard it must be to celebrate today without him. I hate thinking about the day I might celebrate it without you. You see, even though I'm sure there were some generational sins that got passed down along the way. I see many more things that I'm glad were passed down. You learned beautifully how to love from your Dad (and Mom). I really believe I chose a man that adores me because of what I saw growing up in our family. The way Grandpa always looked at Grandma, the way you look at Mom....and even the way Grandpa looked at us and I sneak glimpses of you doing the same. There can be a lot of love in a look and I can pull up a memory of Grandpa in a second just by thinking about the way he used to look at us and then our kids. He adored us all and poured so much into loving us. It is such a beautiful gift that I hope I am passing along to my own children. There are generational sins but there are also generational blessings wouldn't you say?
I also think of you a lot when I think about my little outnumbered family situation. How I long for a girl sometimes and I think of you and how you got your boys when we all got married. I hope that I welcome and love on my future daughter in laws in the same way that you have accepted my husband into our family. You might be the only real stable father figure he's had in his life and I'm so glad he has your example to follow on how to love and lead.
Thanks for being such a great Dad all these years. We feel so blessed to have parents we get along with and actually want to spend time with. It seems like a rare thing!
Blessings to you sweet Daddy-o!!
love. life. faith.
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label family. Show all posts
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Saturday, April 06, 2013
Hope
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Hope Ellen Anderson June 17, 1952- March 19, 2013
If you haven't already heard, March 19th, my mother in law, Hope Anderson, suddenly passed away in her home. Hope had many medical issues, the most glaring was a blood clot that ran the length of one of her legs. She didn't get much relief from this clot and it caused her a lot of pain and a lot of frustration. They believe that clot was most likely the cause of her death. That part of it broke off and went to one of her lungs. We will never know for sure what happened, but we do know she is no longer suffering.
The last two weeks have held a mix of emotions. As some of you might know, my mother in law and I did more toe-to-toe than we did eye-to-eye. Losing her so quickly made the reality of our relationship cut sharp. Although the things we disagreed on were things that I felt were necessary for protection of my own family, it doesn't change the fact that our relationship wasn't the best and that is just hard for me to swallow some days. Death, although simple and permanent, leaves a wake of complicated emotions and grief. Not being able to say goodbye might be one of the hardest things. Not being able to reassure her that despite the years of toe-to-toe I still saw her heart-to-heart. I still longed to see her whole, to see her well, to see her happy again. My heart broke to see her in pain, to see her let go...that all of my disagreement was with the hope that it would shine light to where she was hurting and that light would bring her some relief from her pain. I don't think she was ever able to see it that way while living and it hurts to think she thought I just didn't love her. I know that it doesn't matter now. She is free of pain, free of suffering and for that, I am so thankful. I am relieved for her to be able to leave her broken body behind. I hope as the years pass the hurtful parts of our relationship will fade and these memories will be what shines:
I will remember these things about Hope.
She adored her boys and loved them furiously. She protected them from harm and clung to them for love and hope. She came from a hard upbringing and fought her way out. I wish I could have seen this young Hope - the fighter, the lover, the one who lived full of life and joy.
This woman, she loved Jesus. She adored Jesus. She didn't do Christianity perfectly, but who does? Who ever could? She talked about Jesus, she dreamed of joining Jesus in heaven and she shared that dream with all who would listen. She looked upon this world as a temporary dwelling and in her departure I would like to think she was glad to say goodbye. Excited to run into the arms of her Savior. The only peaceful, perfect protection her heart has ever really known. Goodbye to the pain, goodbye to the heartbreak of lovers lost, goodbye to a broken body that let her down, goodbye to a world full of hate and sin and all that is anti-Jesus. She longed for beauty and redemption.
Nanny, her grandchildren called her. Nanny, was their grandmother that brought them little gifts. Nanny, was their grandmother that loved her little dog. Nanny, loved things that were pretty. She loved flowers and color and all God's living creatures. She found pretties and surrounded herself with them. A gesture of worship to the one who created all of the beautiful things, I think.
This woman, she prayed. She prayed for all things she knew that were hurting. She lifted her family, her friends, her hurts, her struggle, her lost love, strangers as friends, she lifted them all the same...she lifted them to the One she believed could heal and trusted He knew what to do with it all. Her faith was like that of a child.
She was beautiful, she loved, she was full of faith and worship and these are the things I will remember.
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All of the family together. She would have LOVED this.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Bag Assembly
Today was the day to assemble the bags! Thank you so much to so many of you that donated to help this cause! I want you to know that when you did, you did more than just help a homeless person. This was a great learning experience for ALL of us.
First of all, logistically, a month is not a lot of time to assemble the items we had hoped to receive and given the time frame we had I think we did pretty well. We were able to assemble 100 bags with a variety of things. Things that are both useful and a treat. We will definitely be partnering up with the Holland family this next year to get a head start on collecting items! We are all excited at the prospect of starting in January and featuring an item every month so we are more prepared come December 2013!
Going into this, I was really concerned about the boys losing focus on why they were doing it and getting caught up in a lot of the praise they might receive. And, of course, so many people have been very encouraging to them, and that's great. It would be hard for a mature person not to get caught up in the praise. (And, to be clear, we are very proud of them and have been encouraging them for following through on their idea and helping others). But, in the middle of all of it we had a teaching opportunity with one of the boys to remind him that we aren't doing it so people will recognize us. We do it because God has burdened our hearts for it. We do it because people are hurting and the more important thing is spreading some love to them whether we are praised for it or not. Ultimately I hope the praise and glory will be given to God. We prayed over those bags as we filled them - for the individual people that would have them in their hands tomorrow. My prayer tonight is that (if they haven't already) they will find the same hope for this life that we have. That they will feel the unconditional love, acceptance and grace that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has changed my life. It's that simple. I am so grateful for all He has done for me and I feel so incredibly blessed this Christmas in the ways He has shown Himself to me and the MANY blessings He has showered on me and my family.
So, with that. Here's some pics from today:
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First of all, logistically, a month is not a lot of time to assemble the items we had hoped to receive and given the time frame we had I think we did pretty well. We were able to assemble 100 bags with a variety of things. Things that are both useful and a treat. We will definitely be partnering up with the Holland family this next year to get a head start on collecting items! We are all excited at the prospect of starting in January and featuring an item every month so we are more prepared come December 2013!
Going into this, I was really concerned about the boys losing focus on why they were doing it and getting caught up in a lot of the praise they might receive. And, of course, so many people have been very encouraging to them, and that's great. It would be hard for a mature person not to get caught up in the praise. (And, to be clear, we are very proud of them and have been encouraging them for following through on their idea and helping others). But, in the middle of all of it we had a teaching opportunity with one of the boys to remind him that we aren't doing it so people will recognize us. We do it because God has burdened our hearts for it. We do it because people are hurting and the more important thing is spreading some love to them whether we are praised for it or not. Ultimately I hope the praise and glory will be given to God. We prayed over those bags as we filled them - for the individual people that would have them in their hands tomorrow. My prayer tonight is that (if they haven't already) they will find the same hope for this life that we have. That they will feel the unconditional love, acceptance and grace that can only come from knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has changed my life. It's that simple. I am so grateful for all He has done for me and I feel so incredibly blessed this Christmas in the ways He has shown Himself to me and the MANY blessings He has showered on me and my family.
So, with that. Here's some pics from today:
Tomorrow morning a reporter from the Tri-City Herald is coming over to interview the boys. I have no idea what will come of it, but would love your prayers that it is a positive experience for them and hopefully an opportunity to share what Christmas means to us!
THANKS FRIENDS!!!
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Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Donations for Homeless People
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| {Our 2 oldest boys} |
Thank you for your continued support and donations! It's been really fun to be a part of and there are more lessons being learned in this fun adventure than I had anticipated!
Hello friends! A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to have a date with my son Everett. On our date we were talking about his future and things he would like to do as an adult. One of those things was to help homeless people. Our family has long been passionate about helping those without homes and had ample opportunities to do so in some of the other communities we've lived in. Since moving to the Tri-cities 2.5 years ago we have had a hard time really finding our groove again. Recently our pastor's daughter shared her passion for adoption at church (thanks Jenise!!) and my heart was challenged to help my kids live out the burdens God has laid on their hearts. God has given our kids a burden for those who are hungry and in need of physical help. I was encouraged to help them fufill this calling on their own hearts! I'm excited to see how God is going to use them this way - to His glory! Everett and I sat and he wrote out a plan of action on what he can do now, at 9, to help the homeless people in our community. His goal was clear - he wanted to give them a Christmas gift. Something useful but also some things that are fun. When we got home he shared his idea with his older brother Lincoln (10). They quickly went to work on creating a flier. Tonight they will share their vision and burden with the youth group at our church and hopefully other people will answer the call with them! We invite you to answer this call. Help them see that God can use 9 & 10 year olds to love on His people!
We will take donations all the way up to December 22nd and assemble the bags on the 23rd. Our hope is to distribute them on Christmas Eve as a family!
Here is part of what their flier looks like. I helped a tiny bit - but the rest of it is all theirs!
Our goal is to create 100 bags to hand out to homeless
people on Christmas Eve - We will update as we receive items
38/100 received Hats100 Gloves
20/100 prs. of socks (new)
4/100 received- $5 gift cards to McDonald's or other fast food restaurant
100/100 - Gum
100/100 - Water bottles (disposable)
Share the love of Jesus & make someone smile this Christmas.
Donations can be dropped off at First Baptist Church of Ricland 1107 Wright AVE Richland with Hayden LeRoy (he's the youth pastor)
M-TH 9-5 we will also come pick donations up if you can't get to the church! Just send us an email or call!
Contact us:
theleroyboys@gmail.com
509.713.6334
509.392.3603
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Playing catch up
I've been such a terrible blogger lately - but I'm hoping to get a little caught up and then do some steadier posting! So, here are some of the things we've been up to the last couple months:
We ate at Costco more times than I care to admit.
because of that fun pool we found, we spent a lot
of time wearing goggles...a lot.
We went on a church camp out to Boardman, OR.
We played in the Columbia River, rode scooters,
and played chess with a wise G'pa from our church
with a gift for teaching!
We rejoiced (okay, *I*, rejoiced) in all the non homeschooled kids going back to school so we could play at our favorite park again without running the risk of losing a member of our family in the mob of children that play there in the summer. These 5 look thrilled to pose for me don't they?
We found the pool on the left at a yard sale this summer for $5! Hands down, the best $5 we spent all summer. We spent a lot of time in the backyard with the older 4 cooling off in this little pool and learning some great swimming skills! Phoenix had a much harder time keeping his head above the water in that pool so we set out to find him something smaller and somewhat durable, so we found the little turtle pool (actually I think it's a sandbox) at another yard sale for another $5! He had so much fun in this - we have video of him running and jumping into it! He loved having it all to himself. The last picture on the right is our back patio. This house has a covered patio that runs almost the full length of the house! I had a lot of fun setting up a little living space out here with some extra furniture we weren't using inside. We found the little outdoor fireplace on Craigslist for $15 too! What this city lacks in decent thrift stores, it makes up for in yard sales! My goodness, there's a lot of yard sales around here!
of time wearing goggles...a lot.
We played in the Columbia River, rode scooters,
and played chess with a wise G'pa from our church
with a gift for teaching!
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| I found a few projects to work on - like this one - which still needs some tweaking - but is a nice alternative to a plastic water or iced coffee mug! |
We played (oh so carefully) with friends down at the Columbia river. Swimming, digging in the dirt and looking for fish to catch! We found a sweet spot by the boat launch..trust me, it's safer than it sounds.
We celebrated Titus turning 4 and Phoenix turning 2! Phoenix also really enjoyed the discovery of worms...or did he enjoy it? I can't tell for sure from this picture.
We found an orchard in Yakima and picked blueberries, apples and pears and promptly ate all three (55lbs worth) within a week and a half of getting them home!
Hewitt and I spent some time at Swedish hospital in Seattle doing some diagnostic testing for his epilepsy. He did an admirable job of hanging out in bed for 36 hours...especially for a 6 year old!
We rejoiced (okay, *I*, rejoiced) in all the non homeschooled kids going back to school so we could play at our favorite park again without running the risk of losing a member of our family in the mob of children that play there in the summer. These 5 look thrilled to pose for me don't they?Having (real) espresso with a former student in Seattle. (Love you and miss you Leslie)
Painted Hewitt and Titus' room and we're slowly working on finishing the details. One of the fun projects I did was recovering this lampshade in yellow yarn! I really love how it turned out and love the yellow with the color of the walls!
A gracious friend shared a huge bounty of basil with us and the night before going into the hospital Hayden and I put up all this pesto in the freezer! Yay for a stock of pesto. I used it in a pasta dish 2 nights ago and the boys said it was "THE BEST PASTA I'VE EVER MADE." They also didn't eat their lunches that day because the broccoli cheddar soup I made was NOT the best soup I had ever made and they were particularly hungrier than usual. But, we'll go with "THE BEST PASTA" anyway. Every mom loves to hear those kinds of compliments on dinner!
And, here we are, the last pic of "just" the 7 of us before Hayden and I headed into the hospital to meet the new little one!
And many hours later - we have some proud big brothers.
A beautiful thing happened when the boys got to the hospital to meet him. He had been pretty fussy since birth - about 2 hours. He just couldn't get settled for some reason. As soon as they came in and started making all the noise that 5 boys make, Kingston settled right down. He knew. It was familiar. I loved it! It was such a sweet moment and a story I suspect I will be telling for years to come!
Monday, August 22, 2011
July
During the month of July my sweet nieces came for a visit. They live in Texas and their parents graciously shared them with all of us up here in the Northwest for a few weeks! It was such a treat to have them with us. We enjoyed a fairly low key week, hanging out at home, celebrating Phoenix's 2nd birthday, visiting the Farmer's Market and going to church. The weather was fantastic - in the high 80's low 90's all week and we had a great time reacquainting ourselves and just relaxing together.
Even though I grew up in a house full of girls it's been so long since I've had any girls around and it was nice to have a little balance in our house for the week! Also an eye opener to life with a near teenager and 7 year old girl....wow, girls are so different...and that's all I'll say about that. The cousins had a great time together, I think Cassie (the 12 year old) read about 50 books that week...okay, maybe 15. Either way, it was a lot. That girl can read. It was fun to see that side of her. A few clips of our time together:
Even though I grew up in a house full of girls it's been so long since I've had any girls around and it was nice to have a little balance in our house for the week! Also an eye opener to life with a near teenager and 7 year old girl....wow, girls are so different...and that's all I'll say about that. The cousins had a great time together, I think Cassie (the 12 year old) read about 50 books that week...okay, maybe 15. Either way, it was a lot. That girl can read. It was fun to see that side of her. A few clips of our time together:
Thursday, June 30, 2011
letting go
There was a lot of speculation as to whether or not baby #6 would be a girl and whether or not I wanted him/her to be a girl. A LOT. Obviously when you have so many boys already there is part of you that has just resigned yourself to accepting your life as the only female in your household. I pretty much did that around boy #3. At that point, we didn't know how many children we were having. We have always said we would take it one at a time and go from there. I'm sometimes surprised we didn't stop with #3 considering the challenges he brought and how COMPLETELY different he was from his very chill older brothers. But, with those challenges came a uniqueness that I cannot imagine our lives without.
So, for the many of you that have asked, and some that haven't. YES, I was bummed it wasn't a girl. When the sonographer said it was in fact another a boy I was stunned, and for about 10 minutes, I held the tears in. Then I thought of Everett, my sweet little nurturer and how sad he would be when he finds out it's another brother. I felt sad for him. I felt sad for all of the boys that they would miss the opportunity of having a sister. I just kept saying "really?" "Is it really?" Is that really possible?" For the first half of this pregnancy I've been saying with my mouth "it's going to be a boy, of course it is" while in my heart hoping and longing for a girl. I want to buy girl clothes. I want to do something remotely feminine with SOMEONE'S room and while that is all good and fun, those aren't exactly soulful reasons to want a girl. I am always thankful when we find out that the baby is healthy and there aren't any complications - I certainly don't want to minimize the tremendous blessing of a healthy baby! God has been working on my heart though and I am always amazed at His timing. I had the opportunity to see an old friend last week and I was humbly reminded of the simple fact that I am fertile and there are so many people that aren't. I have had 6 healthy pregnancies and that is an amazing and beautiful thing. There will always be a part of me that wonders what a little girl from us would've looked like, sounded like, all of those traits that encompass that. But, at this point, I'm excited for what IS and thankful for my sweet little (or not so little, depending on your perspective) family!
*****And for those of you that might be skeptical like me, it wasn't the umbilical cord. As you can see in the pics it is VERY clearly defined. So, I am so thankful for ultrasounds and for the opportunity to prepare myself for the arrival of another boy! There is something fun and unique about having all of one gender. I look forward to meeting this new little one!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
a few things we've been doing
A short update on what we've been doing for the last month or so!
The two pictures on the left (both top and bottom) are of our discovery of a "new to us" park in town that the boys have officially dubbed the Rainbow Park! We stopped and played tag, ate ice cream bars and let them burn off a little energy before bedtime the other night!
The rest of the top row pics are at our first visit to a newly opened spray park in town. I picked a cooler night (high 60's) and slightly drizzly and figured there wouldn't be a soul around! We are originally Western Washingtoners after all and can handle a little rain and low temps...I was right in my prediction about there being no one around, but my boys have acclimated to the warmer weather more than I thought! They played, but they froze. Phoenix just asked to be "cozy" the whole time and snuggled up in the towels and laid on the bench! Seriously, who's kid is that?
Oh, and snuck in there on the top row is a pic of a shelf I built on a Tuesday night (while Hayden was at youth group) out of some scrap wood. It's rough, it's ghetto, but it's sturdy and will hold some shoes on the back porch until I can find another solution! I was pretty proud of myself because I used a circular saw for the first time. WOW! That was pretty fun. I'm looking for more scrap wood to cut now. :)
The two fishing pictures are of us at one of our new favorite weekend hangouts. There is a great local family fishing pond in the next city over that is free for the kids to fish at and stocked with some pretty decent size trout. We have spent quite a few afternoons there over the last few months! It's been a fun "in town" getaway! Just don't ask how many fish we've caught. That's not really the point of being there!
In the middle right side of the collage is a pic of a dessert I made for our church's Memorial Day picnic. I found the recipe on epicurious.com, one of my favorite recipe collections online. It's a White Balsamic Custard Tart with Fresh Berry topping. It's simple to make and really delicious! I loved the combo of the balsamic and the berries. It was supposed to be done in a tart pan but I didn't have one big enough so I did it in my pie plate and it turned out fine. I would like to try it again in a tart pan though!
And the last two pics are of us camping Memorial Day weekend. We only got out camping once last summer and we are determined to go LOTS more this summer. We found a park about 20 minutes away from our house and managed to get the last campsite for the weekend! We had a great time relaxing, hanging out with my awesome sister Katie and just getting some good down time away from home.
One of my goals for summer is to make blogging a more regular thing! Sorry for the looooonnnngg delays between posts!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Playing Catch Up
This last month has been full of blessings, hardships and turns that I never saw coming! Because of some of these things, blogging has taken a back seat for a while. I miss writing and I hope to get back into some kind of routine again.
Just some of the things:
Announcing the arrival of our newest babe! That has been more of a blessing than I expected it to be. I tend to dread sharing it with people because I really don't want other people's negative opinions to taint my fun blissful excitement about this baby! So far, people have been gracious, encouraging and loving about it and that is a huge blessing to my heart!
We had about 3 weeks of company in April. It started with a fun visit from a college friend, Kelli, and then my sister, Katie came and joined her for a couple days. It was so great to spend some time with people that just "know" me - and I "know" them and we could just relax and enjoy the awesome weather we had that week.
After they left, my mom came and hung out with us for her spring break. It is always such a treat to get to have "Mom time." It doesn't seem to matter how old I get, I will always need my Mama! I am thankful we have the kind of relationship that makes our time together enjoyable still! I know that isn't always the case, so I praise God for healthy family relationships!
After she left, Hayden's mom, Hope, came to visit for a week. It's the longest amount of time we have spent with her since we got married 11 years ago! I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a nice week together. The boys loved having her around, we hadn't seen her in over 2 years so it was really a treat for them. She was coming out to meet with a potential job prospect with the idea of moving her out here closer to us shortly after. The plan was for Hayden to fly back out to Kentucky (where she lived) and drive her over here with her things and she would start the job she had arranged.
Hayden flew out Easter Sunday at 6am. When he arrived at the airport, she wasn't there. He called her and she was really confused and thought he was coming in on Monday. This was really strange because she KNEW he was flying in on Sunday I listened to their phone conversation and there's no way (from his side that I heard) that he said it wrong. So, she said she would call Mel, Hayden's sister in law and they'd drive the hour out and come get him. He waited 2 more hours, and there was no sign of her. At this point he had started calling her and Mel without any success of getting through to ANYONE. I suggested calling his brother (who was in Georgia at the time) to see if HE could get a hold of Mel. He did get a hold of her and she also thought Hayden was coming in on Monday and hadn't heard form Hope that day. She drove over to Hope's home to check on her and found her disoriented, confused, not knowing what day it was or that Hayden was waiting at the airport for her. Mel called 911 and got her in an ambulance. Something was not right! At this point Hayden had been at the airport for over 3 hours. It would've taken Mel another hour to get to him but she went to the hospital with Hope. After doing a CT scan they discovered Hope's brain was bleeding and wanted to transport her to a bigger hospital in Louisville right away. We decided to get Hayden a car rental so he could get out of the airport and free Mel up to be with Hope.
When they figured out what was going on, Hope had a 6cm bleed on her front right temporal lobe. This is a huge bleed and was causing a lot of pressure and pain for her. Thankfully it wasn't in a portion of her brain that affected any motor skills. They needed to do surgery to remove the clot. When they got in there the area affected was much larger than they initially realized. They were working with something the size of an orange - between dead brain matter and clotting, they removed a portion of her brain, and left some of the clot where they couldn't tell if the tissue was dead or not. They stapled her skull back together and waited for the swelling and everything to go down. She was doing really well after surgery and miraculously is doing great today. She hasn't lost any physical functions at all. Her short term memory still seems to be slightly affected, but she has all of her long term memories pretty well intact. (as far as we can tell) It's hard for me to gage if it's changed her personality all that much. The area it hit is the area that affects behavior, personality, etc.. But, never being around her for longer than a week or less at a time. It's hard to tell. I don't think a stranger would notice or think twice about it if they didn't see the huge scar on her head.
So, during the week Hayden was out there and she was in the hospital, we both came to the conclusion that if she needed to recover she needed to come here. She had already sold her home at the prospect of coming here and Hayden's brother and his wife don't have the resources to care for her. We really felt a peace that it was God's desire for us to do it, so we took a step of obedience and did it. We flew out last Monday morning and drove her back to Richland. We made it home Wednesday night and she is now a part of our household. The rehab center she was discharged from estimated it would be another couple weeks before she could be on her own again. So, we are hoping to help her find a job to get back on her feet again and move into her own place once she seems able to do that again.
It has been a beautiful thing to see God's hand woven throughout this whole ordeal. From the timing of Hayden being out there, to finances and everything in between. It has been clear who is in control and that is always so comforting in a crisis situation!
That is our crazy last 5-6 weeks! It has been an adjustment having someone here all the time - especially without knowing how long of a situation it will be. She and I have had a polite relationship over the years, but I would never describe us as "close." We have very different personalities and interests and at this point and I am just trying to take it one day at a time and trust that God will give me what I need to deal with each day. So far, I'm failing miserably at that...but, it's only been a week. I'm hoping I'll be more willing to give things over to Him soon or this is going to be a much longer and harder road than it needs to be!
We would definitely appreciate your prayers through this time!
Just some of the things:
Announcing the arrival of our newest babe! That has been more of a blessing than I expected it to be. I tend to dread sharing it with people because I really don't want other people's negative opinions to taint my fun blissful excitement about this baby! So far, people have been gracious, encouraging and loving about it and that is a huge blessing to my heart!
We had about 3 weeks of company in April. It started with a fun visit from a college friend, Kelli, and then my sister, Katie came and joined her for a couple days. It was so great to spend some time with people that just "know" me - and I "know" them and we could just relax and enjoy the awesome weather we had that week.
After they left, my mom came and hung out with us for her spring break. It is always such a treat to get to have "Mom time." It doesn't seem to matter how old I get, I will always need my Mama! I am thankful we have the kind of relationship that makes our time together enjoyable still! I know that isn't always the case, so I praise God for healthy family relationships!
After she left, Hayden's mom, Hope, came to visit for a week. It's the longest amount of time we have spent with her since we got married 11 years ago! I wasn't sure what to expect, but we had a nice week together. The boys loved having her around, we hadn't seen her in over 2 years so it was really a treat for them. She was coming out to meet with a potential job prospect with the idea of moving her out here closer to us shortly after. The plan was for Hayden to fly back out to Kentucky (where she lived) and drive her over here with her things and she would start the job she had arranged.
Hayden flew out Easter Sunday at 6am. When he arrived at the airport, she wasn't there. He called her and she was really confused and thought he was coming in on Monday. This was really strange because she KNEW he was flying in on Sunday I listened to their phone conversation and there's no way (from his side that I heard) that he said it wrong. So, she said she would call Mel, Hayden's sister in law and they'd drive the hour out and come get him. He waited 2 more hours, and there was no sign of her. At this point he had started calling her and Mel without any success of getting through to ANYONE. I suggested calling his brother (who was in Georgia at the time) to see if HE could get a hold of Mel. He did get a hold of her and she also thought Hayden was coming in on Monday and hadn't heard form Hope that day. She drove over to Hope's home to check on her and found her disoriented, confused, not knowing what day it was or that Hayden was waiting at the airport for her. Mel called 911 and got her in an ambulance. Something was not right! At this point Hayden had been at the airport for over 3 hours. It would've taken Mel another hour to get to him but she went to the hospital with Hope. After doing a CT scan they discovered Hope's brain was bleeding and wanted to transport her to a bigger hospital in Louisville right away. We decided to get Hayden a car rental so he could get out of the airport and free Mel up to be with Hope.
When they figured out what was going on, Hope had a 6cm bleed on her front right temporal lobe. This is a huge bleed and was causing a lot of pressure and pain for her. Thankfully it wasn't in a portion of her brain that affected any motor skills. They needed to do surgery to remove the clot. When they got in there the area affected was much larger than they initially realized. They were working with something the size of an orange - between dead brain matter and clotting, they removed a portion of her brain, and left some of the clot where they couldn't tell if the tissue was dead or not. They stapled her skull back together and waited for the swelling and everything to go down. She was doing really well after surgery and miraculously is doing great today. She hasn't lost any physical functions at all. Her short term memory still seems to be slightly affected, but she has all of her long term memories pretty well intact. (as far as we can tell) It's hard for me to gage if it's changed her personality all that much. The area it hit is the area that affects behavior, personality, etc.. But, never being around her for longer than a week or less at a time. It's hard to tell. I don't think a stranger would notice or think twice about it if they didn't see the huge scar on her head.
So, during the week Hayden was out there and she was in the hospital, we both came to the conclusion that if she needed to recover she needed to come here. She had already sold her home at the prospect of coming here and Hayden's brother and his wife don't have the resources to care for her. We really felt a peace that it was God's desire for us to do it, so we took a step of obedience and did it. We flew out last Monday morning and drove her back to Richland. We made it home Wednesday night and she is now a part of our household. The rehab center she was discharged from estimated it would be another couple weeks before she could be on her own again. So, we are hoping to help her find a job to get back on her feet again and move into her own place once she seems able to do that again.
It has been a beautiful thing to see God's hand woven throughout this whole ordeal. From the timing of Hayden being out there, to finances and everything in between. It has been clear who is in control and that is always so comforting in a crisis situation!
That is our crazy last 5-6 weeks! It has been an adjustment having someone here all the time - especially without knowing how long of a situation it will be. She and I have had a polite relationship over the years, but I would never describe us as "close." We have very different personalities and interests and at this point and I am just trying to take it one day at a time and trust that God will give me what I need to deal with each day. So far, I'm failing miserably at that...but, it's only been a week. I'm hoping I'll be more willing to give things over to Him soon or this is going to be a much longer and harder road than it needs to be!
We would definitely appreciate your prayers through this time!
Friday, April 15, 2011
6
If you haven't already heard our fun news, you can hear it now!
We are expecting baby #6 somewhere around October 21st. We don't know yet if it's a boy or girl, but we do intend on trying to find out. As we know from previous (ahem..Titus) babies, we don't always get a cooperative baby! But, it would be fun to know what to expect!
The boys are ecstatic. Everett tells every random stranger that will listen to him and is desperately hoping for a baby sister. He's pretty sweet like that! We just hope for healthy!
We are expecting baby #6 somewhere around October 21st. We don't know yet if it's a boy or girl, but we do intend on trying to find out. As we know from previous (ahem..Titus) babies, we don't always get a cooperative baby! But, it would be fun to know what to expect!
The boys are ecstatic. Everett tells every random stranger that will listen to him and is desperately hoping for a baby sister. He's pretty sweet like that! We just hope for healthy!
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
Sunday, January 02, 2011
new mornings
So much has been going on, I can't believe I haven't posted in two weeks! BAD blogger! Wow.
We had a lovely Christmas. The boys and I had about a week and a half before Christmas of creating crafts and decorations for the house, gifts, reading through the advent calendar and just hanging out and enjoying the break from school. This has been a fantastic time of renewal and refreshment for me and I'm (almost) ready to jump back into school on Tuesday. Most of my family was able to make it and we gathered at OUR house for the first time in Fraser family history! As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time we didn't celebrate Christmas at my parent's house. It was such a blessing to be able to host my family here, I loved every minute of it!
After Christmas, we had an annual youth trip from the 29-31st, down in central Oregon. We met with several churches in the Northwest and had up over 450 students. We meet at the Young Life camp in Antelope called Anderson Family Ranch. It's a beautiful camp, with a fascinating history (I'll share sometime, but I'm sure you could google it if you can't wait!) I haven't been able to go for the last couple years, so when I was able to get my childcare covered, I was ecstatic! Since moving to Richland, it has been hard for me to transition into the Jr. high and high school ministry with Hayden. This was a great way for me to be in the picture and get to know some of the girls better. I say this again and will say it as long as we're in youth ministry: it is a humbling privilege to be a part of these student's lives. I have been praying for the opportunity to join the team for youth group on Tuesday nights and I think God just provided the childcare we had been wanting!
As I look ahead to this coming week and starting school back up, I do so with a full heart. I love the opportunity a new year brings. I have a few "resolutions" bouncing through my mind and haven't decided yet which to settle on. I do think a book list of what I'll be reading in 2011 is in order though. That will be an upcoming post as well.
This year, while teaching my kids the calendar, God impressed something upon my heart in a new way. I had been having an especially hard day and just longed for it to be over. It was then I had this little epiphany, and God has continued to bless me with it:
Even in the small detail of our daily existence, the calendar, God knows our needs. He knew that we would have painful, unsuccessful, depressing, frustrating, mundane days. When He created the sun and the moon and the day and the night, He knew how much of a gift a new morning could be. He knew that we would organize our lives around this "calendar." He knew we would make New Year resolutions and have great success and yet also fail miserably year after year. Because God is a God of second, third, fourth.... innumerable chances. He doesn't need a new day to set things right, but He knew what kind of significance it could have for our hearts. Can you imagine if life was one long day? Ugh. I hate to imagine that. I praise God for His provision for our hearts, His provision for our minds and for loving us through every detail of our existence!
Happy New Year!
We had a lovely Christmas. The boys and I had about a week and a half before Christmas of creating crafts and decorations for the house, gifts, reading through the advent calendar and just hanging out and enjoying the break from school. This has been a fantastic time of renewal and refreshment for me and I'm (almost) ready to jump back into school on Tuesday. Most of my family was able to make it and we gathered at OUR house for the first time in Fraser family history! As a matter of fact, I can't remember the last time we didn't celebrate Christmas at my parent's house. It was such a blessing to be able to host my family here, I loved every minute of it!
After Christmas, we had an annual youth trip from the 29-31st, down in central Oregon. We met with several churches in the Northwest and had up over 450 students. We meet at the Young Life camp in Antelope called Anderson Family Ranch. It's a beautiful camp, with a fascinating history (I'll share sometime, but I'm sure you could google it if you can't wait!) I haven't been able to go for the last couple years, so when I was able to get my childcare covered, I was ecstatic! Since moving to Richland, it has been hard for me to transition into the Jr. high and high school ministry with Hayden. This was a great way for me to be in the picture and get to know some of the girls better. I say this again and will say it as long as we're in youth ministry: it is a humbling privilege to be a part of these student's lives. I have been praying for the opportunity to join the team for youth group on Tuesday nights and I think God just provided the childcare we had been wanting!
As I look ahead to this coming week and starting school back up, I do so with a full heart. I love the opportunity a new year brings. I have a few "resolutions" bouncing through my mind and haven't decided yet which to settle on. I do think a book list of what I'll be reading in 2011 is in order though. That will be an upcoming post as well.
This year, while teaching my kids the calendar, God impressed something upon my heart in a new way. I had been having an especially hard day and just longed for it to be over. It was then I had this little epiphany, and God has continued to bless me with it:
Even in the small detail of our daily existence, the calendar, God knows our needs. He knew that we would have painful, unsuccessful, depressing, frustrating, mundane days. When He created the sun and the moon and the day and the night, He knew how much of a gift a new morning could be. He knew that we would organize our lives around this "calendar." He knew we would make New Year resolutions and have great success and yet also fail miserably year after year. Because God is a God of second, third, fourth.... innumerable chances. He doesn't need a new day to set things right, but He knew what kind of significance it could have for our hearts. Can you imagine if life was one long day? Ugh. I hate to imagine that. I praise God for His provision for our hearts, His provision for our minds and for loving us through every detail of our existence!
Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Christmas Past
There exist so many elements to the holiday that is Christmas. The importance and celebration of these elements varies from family to family, individual to individual.
The birth of our Jesus.
The coming together of family and friends.
The giving of gifts.
The feasting.
The reflection of the past year.
The celebration and recognition of a new season.
The remembrance of those who have touched our lives, that no longer celebrate with us.
As I think back over the years, these different elements have come to fruition in many different ways in my heart and my life.
This year, as I prepare my home, my children and my own heart for the celebration of my Jesus, it is with a longing for what was.
As I've shared before, my Grandpa passed away in May; and as we roll through this holiday season I am reminded of the beauty and frailty of life in so many ways. My heart aches for that man that was a pillar in my life for so long. I would love to sit and hold his hand just a little bit longer, to kiss his weathered cheeks and hear him call me "scrounge." I would love to see the love and delight in his eyes, just one more time, as he watches my children play...
I am thankful for the years we had with him. I am thankful for the privilege of having a loving Grandpa.
But, I miss him, and that's just part of the journey of this life.
The birth of our Jesus.
The coming together of family and friends.
The giving of gifts.
The feasting.
The reflection of the past year.
The celebration and recognition of a new season.
The remembrance of those who have touched our lives, that no longer celebrate with us.
As I think back over the years, these different elements have come to fruition in many different ways in my heart and my life.
This year, as I prepare my home, my children and my own heart for the celebration of my Jesus, it is with a longing for what was.
As I've shared before, my Grandpa passed away in May; and as we roll through this holiday season I am reminded of the beauty and frailty of life in so many ways. My heart aches for that man that was a pillar in my life for so long. I would love to sit and hold his hand just a little bit longer, to kiss his weathered cheeks and hear him call me "scrounge." I would love to see the love and delight in his eyes, just one more time, as he watches my children play...
I am thankful for the years we had with him. I am thankful for the privilege of having a loving Grandpa.
But, I miss him, and that's just part of the journey of this life.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
i'm going to miss this part of the dog
as it turns out, jake isn't such a great fit for our family. he is a great dog, a GREAT dog, but he's just not meant for us. we hope he finds a great home.
and i will desperately miss how he ate EVERYTHING that hit the floor.
and i will desperately miss how he ate EVERYTHING that hit the floor.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
3 2
 |
| (Hayden and Hewitt) |
 |
| (Carrot Coconut Cake with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (i'll post about this tomorrow)) Happy 32nd Birthday Hayden. I still remember the first time we celebrated your birthday together - you were 17. I still remember the way my stomach and heart felt the first time I saw you swinging that bat, hair wet, swooshing across your face. I wanted you then, and I still want you now. (I must document these things before I can't say "I still remember") Thanks for giving yourself completely for another year. For loving the mess that is me. For being the most loyal person I know. For being so darn cute that I still can't resist you. I love you. I like you. And, again: Thanks for cleaning the toilet. It makes me feel loved. Sorry you're so full because I forced you to eat 1/4 of that cake pictured above. It was yummy though. Hope you felt loved today. We ALL adore you. Until next year. |
Friday, November 05, 2010
adoption possibilities
 |
| Hewitt, Titus and Lincoln posing with Jake |
We have been looking for a dog for our family for about a month now. We were hoping to go the adoption route. This week, through a friend, we heard about this little guy. The family goes to our church and is moving out of the country. Unfortunately, they won't be able to take him with them. They are really bummed and looking for a loving home! Enter - the ever expanding LeRoy household! He will get more love here than I'm sure he will even want...He is 5 years old, used to kids, up to date on shots, housetrained, fixed, etc...everything we were wanting in a dog! He is a Jack Russell and poodle mix. We will watch him for the next week and a half and if all goes well, add him to our family! The boys are ecstatic, it's so sweet. Hopefully we will be a good fit for him too! I'm really hoping the noise and chaos isn't too much for him! (he has already cleaned up the food under the table that I didn't sweet up after lunch, so he's already doing GREAT in my book, oohhhh, the possibilities)
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Thursday, November 04, 2010
park day. fall leaves. new friends. fantastic time.
all of these photos were edited at http://www.picnik.com/
i am loving this free editing software...trying not to go crazy with it, but everything looks better souped up a little!
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