Reflections

My family and I are in Baton Rouge, LA spending time with Dave's family from Florida. We "met in the middle" so that we could all spend time with Dave's uncle Louis who is battling Cancer. He is unable to travel, but he is in such good spirits. We have had such wonderful visits with him although we are aware of the pain he is in constantly. So much of what he is going through reminds me of what Debbie went through. And just like Debbie, he is doing it with a dignity I'm not sure I could ever muster. As with her, he is such a witness and testimony to everyone around him. It has been amazing to visit with him and to watch him interact with the 6 little cousins.

On that note, I must pay homage to Debbie once again. December 23 would have been her birthday. It was and has been a week of such reflection on her and the inspiration she was in our lives. I know her family and especially Chris and Ashley, her kids, must have had such a hard holiday season without her. Even Madeline and Charlie still speak of her. We have had banana bread (thanks to my Sister-in-Law), and we have discussed how Uncle Louis is sick just as she was. And sometimes Madeline -out of the blue- will remind us again:

Madeline: "Mom, do you know why I'm sad?"
Mom: "Why Baby?"
Madeline: "Because Mrs. Debbie died."
Mom: "I know, Honey. I'm sad, too. But we know that Mrs. Debbie is so happy in Heaven with Jesus. She's not sick anymore. But you know that she loved us very much, right?"
Madeline: "Right."

Fills and breaks my heart at the same time. I really miss her and sometimes the loss feels like it was just yesterday. I think of all the things she is missing out on- my kids growing up, and especially Caroline, whom she will not know and that Caroline will not know her. She misses out on Madeline's dance programs, Charlie's home schooling, Halloween costumes, Christmas dresses and presents, first teeth lost and first teeth coming in, crawling, pulling up, laughs, babbles, and so much more. And at the same time, I know full well that sweet Debbie isn't really missing a thing. She is standing at the feet of Jesus and praising him with an abandon that we can never experience here on earth. She is the true winner here. She is happy, healthy, painless, and nothing else matters except looking into the face of Jesus. My grief is for her presence in my life and in the lives of those she left behind. I miss what she's missing. I want her here for my selfish reasons. And yet I wouldn't ask her to leave where she is for anything.

"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others who have no hope."

Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas, Debbie. We love you.

Winter Fun!

Again, I am behind on my posting. Allow me to catch up!

Caroline tasting lemons- thanks, Dad!

My sweet girls co-sleeping.

Caroline at 8 months-what a ham!

All bundled up for the Christmas parade!

I've always wanted girls I could dress alike.

Playing in Madeline's Frosty hat.

Caroline's first Christmas tree.

I always hang the jungle bells low for the kids.

Our first Gingerbread House. The kids had so much fun- so did I!!

Our friend Hope made one, too!

The Dancing Woodburys

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

More of Fall...and...TWINS!

Here are some more updates...

Caroline is old enough to take "Big Girl Baths."

Daddy teaching Caroline to play piano.

Halloween 2008- 2 Pink Poodles and a Blue Jungle Fury Power Ranger

And again, the Three Musketeers- Hope was a cat.

This is "Pink." Madeline named her herself.

This is Caroline ready for the costume contest. She slept right through it.

One more of Caroline... and...

TWINS! Can you believe this? This is Charlie's first Halloween and Caroline's first Halloween. Pretty amazing!

Woodbury Fall

I know I've been behind, so I'll post a few pics of our happenings this Fall so far...
Rodeo Day at Madeline's Preschool

Dave winning First Place in the County Sesquicentennial

Beard Contest for Most Creative Beard. (There were 4 contestants and

4 categories, but who's counting?)

At the Pumpkin Patch. "Where are all the pumpkins?" you ask.

So did we!!

But we made the best of it!

This is Caroline's first and best friend, MollyRatliff. Now, Caroline has been

dubbed "the bully" already- she likes to take whatever

Molly has. We're waiting for Molly to return fire.

Happy Fall, Y'all!

The whole gang! Charlie, Molly, Hope, Claire, Caroline, and Madeline.

And I have to report that Claire has not had a seizure in over a month!

She is rolling all over the floor and even holding her head up while on her tummy.

Miracle indeed!

The Three Musketeers! These three cannot go a single day without asking

to play together. They have often asked to have sleepovers and even

to live together! And Charlie and Hope will tell you freely that they are

boyfriend and girlfriend! There is never a dull moment when they are together!

Our Happy Family!

"Mama said there'd be days like these..."

Ok, so I'll admit that not every day is a great day for Homeschooling. As every kid does, Charlie has his moments of defiance and my reaction to these is not always ideal. In his head, he is tired, hungry, thirsty, or just wants to do something else at that time. He gets frustrated when he spells a word incorrectly and wants to give up. He gets overwhelmed when he has to write too many sentences. And we simply do not do enough hands-on activities. In my head, we need to get the schoolwork finished before we play, watch a movie, play computer games, or have Hope over. (Hope is his "girlfriend"- the daughter of our very good friends the Ratliffs, from whom even half a day is far too long to be away.) And so we butt heads at this point and reach an impasse. We end up sitting at the table until the work gets done. I don't give in; he must. And man, can he sit for a long time!

Today was one of those days. I must keep in mind that "Mama said there'd be days like these," and keep on keepin' on. We decided to home school for a number of reasons and one of those was to make school more enjoyable. To have school as a team, as a family, and to have fun in our learning. I know that we are still in the "honeymoon" phase of this new endeavour, and I am sure that it will pass. Tomorrow is a new day and Charlie has assured us that he will do his work with a good attitude. We are confident that we are doing what God called us to do, and so I will seek to find a balance with Charlie, and look for teaching styles to match his learning styles. I will rejoice in the good days and small victories. I will continue to encourage him when he is frustrated and celebrate every word spelled correctly. Pray with us as we work through the struggles and please continue to support us in our decision.

O Happy Day!

The beard is gone!! But not before creating its own identity on Facebook. And not before winning first Place in the Most Unusual category of the Beard Contest in Nocona. (But we won't tell it there were only 4 categories and 4 entries!) I must say, I am happy to bid farewell to the scruffy, wiry thing, for now I do not have to worry that when I go to kiss my husband, some infantessimal being might jump out at me. We will now also save money on shampoo. And I am reminded, once again, how handsome my husband is! Welcome home, Honey.