Sunday, March 20, 2011

Feeling Better!

It's been a rough couple days at our house...I've had a cold and so has the little brown girl....now, Daddy has it!!  I think we're on the mend and yesterday I was able to leave the house for hair appointment and errands!  Hoooorrrraaayyy!  Fresh air and sunshine made it WONDERFUL.  We also got a new camera and I wanted to share some of my new favorite pictures.  Boy, does it make a difference.  Halle and I were tracing our hands yesterday and passing the time!!



Saturday, March 12, 2011

Hooray for a Sewing Nana!!

Halle has been in her BIG girl twin bed now since the end of October.  She is doing GREAT....and doesn't even need the extra side rail anymore. In the beginning she was using Mommy's old denim duvet cover.  We were waiting for Nana to have some extra time so she could put together a duvet cover for us.  She stopped by last week with this FABULOUS set!  Can I just tell you...she ROCKS her sewing machine.  I provided the striped fabric (two queen flat sheets) and gave her a few ideas of what I would like.  Check out the final results!  It should be noted that Halle LOVES all of this...in fact she laid down on it and exclaimed "PERFECT!!"

"PERFECT!"

All set up on her bed....the headboard and frame were Mommy's...we just gave it a fresh coat of paint.


AND...extra special...Nana made a matching set for her baby bed...now "Ruby" & "Chole" can sleep in comfort as well!!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Grief

Today I attended a funeral for a young man who was tragically killed while walking to a friend's house last friday night.  This has rocked our little community, church and his High School where he was Senior ready to graduate in June.  This young man's Mom was a co-worker of mine and she and her boys attend our church.  I do not know her super well, but....I am grieving with her.  Today was a celebration of his life and the legacy that he leaves behind.  He played football and soccer, but also had a creative side which loved music and playing the drums.  Most importantly he was a "Friend to All".  In his 18 short years, I learned today, he touched so many lives....he had compassion for those less fortunate, less liked and somewhat different.  He was a friend to other's when they had no other friend.  His smile could light up a room and he plainly loved to have fun with his friends.  He was incredibly giving, even through his death.  EIGHT people's lives, including two babies, were saved due to his generous organ/tissue donations.

I learned of this awful tragedy when it was announced at church on Sunday morning....I physically gasped when our dear Pastor announced his name.  I immediately thought of his sweet, thoughtful Mom.  Her boys are her life...she spoke of them and their accomplishments so often.  My heart just ached for her.  But, I knew without a shadow of a doubt where her boy was now.  He was in heaven with his Heavenly Father, whole and healthy...most likely playing soccer and having a sweet time with our Jesus.  I knew this week would be hard for our small, close-knit workplace. We are a group of about 22-25 women...all WOMEN. We share almost everything with each other...and are a lot like a group of sisters in a way. More than one of us wears our heart on our sleeve.  Not all of us worked closely with Tammy, but...a fair number of us did.  And some of the gals I work with have kids who attend the very same high school this young man went to.  You can imagine what this was like.  But, since Monday I've been really processing all of this.  I have that eternal perspective and I know that Jason will be in Heaven...his family and friends will most definitely see him again if they choose Jesus and what He has to offer.  But, other's process grief differently...death to them is so final.  I've been praying for those I work with that were hit so hard by all of this.....that Jesus would bring them peace and if they heard only a small portion of the message at his funeral it would be the truth about our Jesus and Heaven.  And ultimately, how they too could have the assurance that when they died they would join Jason in Heaven.  At least 350 students from the High School attended this service today...so many of them hurting and unable to process what has happened.  This young man died tragically, but today....over 100 people prayed the sinner's prayer at his funeral.  I believe my friend Kim said it best in her FB post today "One life given for so many.  What a beautiful and ULTIMATE expression of Christ. Wow."

Sunday, March 6, 2011

"Twirly" Skirt Tube Top....

This is a typical Sunday morning at our house.  Who says you can't wear your "twirly" skirt as a tube top??  With your pajama bottoms no less. When you're almost two 1/2 the Fashion Police aren't so quick to critique you.  Thank goodness...I'm sure she will be concerned with fashion soon enough. Creativity is what we encourage right now.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Made of Chocolate

This is Halle and Issac during our camping trip this past July....he is the son or dear friends Josh and Dena.  Unfortunately, Josh and Dena live TOO far away.....it's at least a three hour drive for us to reach their house.  We certainly don't see each other nearly enough.  We keep up via e-mail and Facebook & lots of text messages.  Just last week I got the cutest text from Dena.  She had been reading a book about Abraham Lincoln to Isaac, while reading the book he stopped Dena and said, "Some of those guys are made of chocolate....like Halle!!" The next day he added that only her face was made of chocolate because her hands are pink!  HEHE!!  Oh Isaac Lawrence....we love you!!