What's Your Explanation???

Good grief....I can't believe it's been over a year since my last post!!  Of course, getting the newest addition to the family last November made things a bit busy!!  He (Daniel Paul) is now a little over a year and sleeping eleven hours straight, so life is getting a little easier.

Christmas is fast approaching.  Very cliche', I know, but it's the truth.  And I'm so relieved to say that I am actually looking forward to it for the first time in almost four years.  I had Mylah and Danny both last year, but Mylah's biological mother was getting visits during this time, and it was stressing me out.  This year, Mylah is ours, and it looks like Danny will be ours soon!!  God has blessed us more than we could ever imagine.  We call Danny our BOGO baby because we didn't anticipate adopting two, but we can't see life without him now.  We've had him since he was two days old!!

Memorial Tree for Mal and Dad

 

I was able to decorate the house early this year, and all of the kids loved it.  I have also been wrapping gifts and watching Christmas movies.   This was always something Mal and I did together, so it hadn't been easy in the past.  But, God is still letting us feel Mal's presence during this time.  Let me give you an example, and you figure out an explanation.  One of Mal's favorite Christmas snacks was Little Debbie Christmas tree cakes.  I wasn't able to buy them until last year.  And guess who inhales them?? Mylah Elizabeth.  Now, we don't talk about Mal to Mylah, but when she sees her picture, we tell her that is her big sister, Mimi.  That's about the extent of it, and it doesn't occur often at all. This weekend, a box of Christmas tree cakes was sitting on our island.  Mylah pointed to the box and said, "Mimi".  I asked her to repeat herself and she said "Mimi" again.  She has also decided Jim Carrey's The Grinch must be watched daily.  Again, another of Mal's favorites.  And My is only two!!!  You would think she would prefer Disney or Frosty...but, nope!!!  So, my only explanation is that God is bringing joy to us.  I do NOT believe in reincarnation, but I DO know that God will give us unbelievable joy and comfort when we turn our lives over to him.

A Small Piece of the Puzzle Falls Into Place

Tonight we had our parent/teacher conferences at CMS.  I always enjoy getting to spend time talking to some of the teachers that I don't get to see very much.  During a lull in the stream of concerned parents, one of my co-workers told me about a testimony that another co-worker's son had given at church.  She said he had mentioned Mallory in his testimony.

This young man had been a very close friend of Mal's since they were five years old!!  I have tons of pictures of them together in kindergarten.  When "P" was ten, he invited Mal to his birthday party.  Of course, she went.  There were 13 boys and Mal there! And when all the boys stayed the night, he just couldn't understand why Mal couldn't stay!!  As they got older, they didn't run in the same circles, but I know that P was always very important to Mal.

High school put them in completely different worlds.  Mal was caught up in socialization and being in the middle of everything.  P, unfortunately, went down a bit of a rocky path.  But, even though they didn't hang out anymore, they were always there for each other, if needed.  The last day before Christmas break of Mal's junior year, she was in a pretty destructive fender-bender in the high school parking lot.  By the time I got there, P had already taken care of her.  He saw the crash, called the towing company, found her insurance card in the glove box, and calmed Mal down.  He took such good care of her and the situation.

I don't know how often they saw and talked to each other for the last couple of years of Mal's life.  But, I do know that P had a rough time dealing with the loss of his life-long friend.  He drew a beautiful picture and left it at the cemetary.  I would see him every once in a while and was always so concerned that he wouldn't get his life straightened out.

So, tonight when I heard that he has totally turned himself around and is on fire for God, I couldn't help myself; the tears began to fall.  Apparently (I haven't read it for myself) he confessed that he had a hard time dealing with the understanding that God would take Mallory home at such a young age.  He saw her as someone doing God's work, while he was doing anything but that.  He just didn't see the reasoning.  But, as someone whose faith has matured in the past three years, I believe that Mal had done God's work in a very short period of time.  P's new faith is evident of that!!  If losing Mal had ANYTHING to do with saving P, it makes my heart swell.  And I know how she must be smiling!!

Someone had me read the poem about a tapestry.  In this poem, it compares our view from Earth as the underneath of a tapestry; full of knots, loose strings, and a mess!!  God sees the tapestry from heaven; looking down on the top, where it is beautiful and perfect.  What an amazing metaphor!!

I am so thankful that God lets me find an errant puzzle piece from time to time.  But, believe me, this puzzle has an infinite amount of pieces!!  I'll never know the complete picture until I stand in heaven next to the throne.  Until, then, I am hanging tight to my faith.  And I'm also praying earnestly for P!!  I pray that his fire for God burns long and bright....


Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I set you apart!”

Is This 23 or 24 Years? If I Have Lost Track, Retirement Must Be Close!

Tonight was Central Middle School's Open House.  I can still remember how nervous I was for my first year of teaching!!  How did my poor students survive me?  So, I was trying to remember just how many of these nights I have completed.  I'm stuck:  is it 23 or 24?  I'm 99% sure it's 23.  Thank goodness I teach English and not math.

I remember hearing veteran teachers talking about which year would be their last.  They would talk about traveling to Jeff City to meet with someone who would help them determine the best time for retirement.  I always thought to myself, "I don't need to pay attention to this.  That is SO far away."  Now, I'm the one that is initiating those conversations.

I had the best surprise tonight.  My classroom had become pretty crowded.  I was handing out the syllabus and talking to the parents.  A family of five approached me.  I handed them the paper and just kept right on talking.  I noticed the dad had his ballcap pulled down rather low.  The mom had the sweetest face and I was primarily talking to her.  When I got a closer look, I realized the dad was a student that I had in the third grade, during my second year of teaching!!  I know that teachers are not supposed to have favorites.  And as far as how my students are treated in class, I really feel that I don't give uneven amounts of  instructional attention to any students.  But, this guy won my heart when he was eight years old.  He just had the neatest personality.  He was so well-rounded, and strived to do his best in everything.  Joey had run across him in the work place a few years back and told me that Paul had said to tell me hi. 

The face that smiled at me tonight was the same face of that eight year old all those years ago.  He gave me a big hug and told his kids that I had been his favorite teacher.  Seeing a former student who is "all grown up" with a family of his own gave me the kick-start I needed to start yet another school year!!  More and more I run into former students who are now raising families and holding down steady jobs.  And I'm always so proud of them. 

So, yet another math problem:  how many students have I taught throughout my years?  Well, give me a minute......14 years of elementary school (14x25) and eight years of middle school 8(6 hours x 25 students).  1550 kids?????  Can that be right?  (somebody check my math!!) That's a pretty daunting thought.  That's like the size of a small town!!!  So, if I make it the full thirty years, that gives me a grand total of 2750 students that I have taught.  How many of those did I screw up???  Hopefully, none, but you just never know!!

I can honestly say I love my job.  It definitely never gets boring.  And I teach with some of the most caring people in the world.  Every single staff member is a Christian.  It makes such a huge difference!!!  I can safely say this will be the place of my retirement.  I never dread going into work and the adults have just as much fun as the kids!!  And I'm happy to say that once again, our students achieved the highest test scores of any school in our Mineral Area Conference.  Happy Staff = Student Success.  That's one equation I know I got right!!

So, I think I've figured it out now.  This Thursday will mark my 23rd first day of school as a teacher.  I still get excited for it.  I'm still looking for new ways to improve upon my teaching.  And even more importantly, I love picking out my "first day of school" outfit!!

Deuteronomy 15:10 NIV

Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to.

Love/Hate Relationship with Snow Days

I cannot believe it has been so long since my last post!!  That's what happens when school starts.....life becomes crazy!!  There are so many things that I want to blog about, but right now all I can think about is SNOW!!  We are in the middle of non-stop snow days.  This year, I have found a few cons to these days at home.

 

  Don't get me wrong ~~ there are still tons of great things about them.  Like...being able to sit and read while I have coffee in the morning, actually cooking real-live meals (which forces me to keep my kitchen clean), laundry is always caught up, and most of the time I have my hair in a ponytail and my favorite sweats on!

 

 On the negative side, I have been forced to go two days without a fountain diet Pepsi from Conoco.  For those that know me well, they will be very impressed I lasted that long!!  But, I've discovered that too much down-time is not such a good thing for me anymore.  I've found that I am getting way too much rest and don't sleep well at night.  If I don't stay up until 1 or 2 a.m., then I lay awake, missing Mal and Dad.  Therefore, I have to stay up watching late-night TV.  I'm amazed, even with 1,000 channels, there are many times when there is NOTHING on TV.  Thank goodness for TiVo!  I can record many, many episodes of "Say Yes to the Dress" anytime I want.  (That show is extremely addictive!)  I will also watch hours and hours of ANTM, Chopped, Cupcake Wars, and Top Chef.

 

  I've developed a pretty ugly coping mechanism also ~~ beware feint of heart ~~ when I get lonesome for my girl, I tear the skin off around my fingernails.  I hate it!!  Joey and Luke are really good about telling me when I'm doing it, and trying to get me to stop!  This has been on-going for many months.  I know it could be much worse, but I'm tired of wearing Band-Aids constantly!! Soooo.....I've started knitting and crocheting like a mad woman!  I know that makes me sound really old and sad, but at least I have not collected dozens of cats.  And I really don't think that will be an issue because I'm not a big fan of felines!! At all!!  So, anyway, I've been making all kinds of yarn-y things.  My great-niece, Kate, now has her own blankie.  Her big brother Eli decided he probably wouldn't share his.  I've also started crocheting the sock caps with the earflaps.  I'm almost finished with my first one, and I have to say, it's pretty cute.  I fear that I will turn into the old, moth-ball scented aunt that everyone dreads visiting!!  That seems to be the stigma with knitting and crocheting.  I'm going to do my best to prove that wrong!!  I'm also getting ready to make Kate some crochet beanies with ribbon running through them.  Her momma, my lovely Staci, would never tell me if these handmade gifts are hideous.  She tolerates my therapy with a very big heart!! 

 

 So, tomorrow will be my fourth consecutive snow day.  We've had nine total (I think).  Luke's basketball games have also been canceled, so I haven't had those to distract me.  But, I keep plugging along.  And praying along.  I keep thinking that God will send us our first foster child any day.  I really thought we would get him/her on January 26th, the day that marked two years without Mal.  Didn't happen.  God must think that I will need this "little distraction" even more on a different day.  We're just waiting on the state to give it's stamp of approval.  Could be any day now.  I know when we get this addition to our family, that I won't have time to mess up my fingers!!  That will be a blessing. 

 

 I WAS able to venture out today!!  I went to Wal-Mart (whoo hoo) and got a fountain soda!!  The world seemed to be right again! We're off school again tomorrow, so I'll be making hats like crazy!! My nine-year-old niece told me that she would LOVE to have one!  She doesn't know any better yet!  I'll go ahead and post a pic of the one that I'm almost finished with.  I have to get the second ear flap done, and add a bit more to it, but I think you'll get the idea.   So, if anyone actually WANTS something made with love, I'm your girl!  What makes me seem like a lonely, old woman, is actually keeping my blood pressure down, and soothing my soul!!  But, even more importantly, when I catch myself starting to digress, I am going to try to remember this verse.  God is the best way to cope with any worries!!

 
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Above:  Kate's blanket.  I started this as soon as Staci told us she was pregnant.  I wish I would have waited so I could make it more "girly"!!

Above:  This picture shows the cap from the side.  It looks a little messy because I have more to add.  The ear flap will come down longer with a pom pom on the end.

 

 

 

Roller Coaster Week

What a week this has been!! August has always been an extremely important month to me, but all the emotions that usually occur in that whole MONTH, hit me in one week. This year began my 22nd year as a teacher. I absolutely love my job. I taught in the NC school district for 19 years, and then God led me to Central. I'm so thankful He did. I can see, almost daily, why He put me there. I'm surrounded by the most Godly staff I've ever taught with. They circled me with love when Mal left us. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. I need to back up and start at the beginning of the week.

Mal's best friend, Blair, is going away to college this year. Because she and several other kids had to leave for school early, Blair planned the balloon launch to honor Mal's birthday on Sunday, the 15th (Mal's birthday is the 17th). We did the balloon launch last year. But, I was still a little out of it, so the memories aren't as sharp. I do remember pulling up to the cemetary, thinking there was a funeral. But, all the cars were there for Mal's balloon launch. This year, there were probably just as many people there. The emotions hit me pretty hard. But, this time, it wasn't so much about missing Mal, but just more shock that this many people still felt strongly about honoring Mal. It was beautiful. I tried to build the kids up and give them some of my jewels of wisdom. Mal would LOVE the attention!

On Monday, I had to go back to work. It was a day filled with meetings, but it was so good to be back with my co-workers. I had my cheerleaders come in decorate the school for Open House that night. Getting back to work is always good for me. During the summer, I have too much time to let my mind wander, which can lead me back into depression, missing Mal. Going back to school fills my mind with so much, the depression doesn't get a chance to creep back in. Teaching middle school kids keeps me hopping, mentally and physically!! And my cheerleaders never let me get down. The picture below gives you an idea about the staff at CMS. This was taken during Spirit Week on "rocker day". We have a really good time, no matter what we do!!



Then, begins Tuesday, Mal's 20th birthday. I can still remember the August I was pregnant with her like it was yesterday!! Elvis' death was sometime in this month, so while awaiting her arrival, I watched Elvis movie marathons!!! She had so many birthday wishes on Facebook from all the people who love her. I did ok that day! I wore my t shirt with her pic on it. I don't usually wear it in public much, because I don't want to appear too "creepy"!! But I felt I should honor her that day. Our school district began the morning with a prayer service at the high school's flagpole. It was definitely what I needed that morning. I had to attend a coach's meeting that afternoon. One of Mal's favorite volleyball coaches moved to Central this year and I sat with her at the meeting. She shared several stories about Mal's sweet and respectful personality. It made me very proud!! (Do you get the roller coaster of emotions yet??) I ended the afternoon by going to Boen's to order football shirts for Mom and me to wear to Luke's games this season.



Wednesday was pretty uneventful. I spent most of the afternoon in my pool because I know those days were coming to an end!! I went to choir practice that evening. I absolutely love FBC choir members and our new director, Bret Stanford, is definitely an answer to prayer!! I have known his wife Courtney since she was a little girl and now I keep their son Gavin in Sunday School. That family has become very precious to me.

Thursday dawned with the beginning of a new school year!! I always have nightmares the week prior to school beginning. I usually can't find my class, have no clothes on, or my class is full of future inmates!! This year was nightmare-free. That was a first for me!! This was the first day of Luke's last year of public education!! He and I are both feeling bittersweet about it. I know he'll be so ready to graduate by May, and I'm afraid I'm going to be anxious for him to graduate. Joey promises I don't have a curse on me that prevents my children from graduating, but it still scares me a bit. I have to remind myself to led God lead us through this year!! I'm very proud of Luke. He is actually turning into an awesome young man! We always worried about him, because he was about having a good time and worrying about consequences later!! He still loves a good time, but is much more mature about it. He's doing cadet teaching with me this year, which means he'll come to classroom every day. I love this time! I very rarely get time alone with my son. He loves to surround himself with the important people in his life. And I enjoy just sitting back and watching him. As his Gram says, Luke fills the room when he comes in! What a blessing!! This picture is him on his first day of junior year. (Slacker Mom hasn't downloaded the first day of senior year yet. I'll have to get on that!!)



Ahhh.....Friday!! Friday in the fall can only mean high school football!! Joey's all-time favorite part of the year. This year, Luke is starting as a tight end on the team. He played quarterback all through school until last year. He's built perfectly for a tight end. He's following in his dad's footsteps. Joey played the same position. Last night was the jamboree. The team scrimmaged three other schools. You can't really judge the season by last night because everybody gets subbed in and gets playing time. Luke did a good job. We were very proud. Luke has such a great group of friends on this team. The boys all get along and have no jealousy at all!! They honestly want each other to do well and they work perfectly together. Luke has played football since he was 7 years old!! It's going to be so strange to not watch him after this year. We just have to move on to a new stage in our life. We've gotten really good at doing that!! Who knows, we may have another son playing in about 14 years!! Holy smokes, we would be 57!!! Joey always stands up by the press box. I don't know that he'll be able to climb up there then!! I'm just kidding. We plan to roll with whatever God brings us!



So, that was my week. A very memorable one. I had so many good moments, but there were also a few sad and melancholy ones. But, our lives are full of emotions. I would hate to go through life as a robot. Even my tears are very healing. I always feel better after a good cry. God gave me those tears as a release. But I do look forward to my days in heaven where I won't feel sad anymore. I can't imagine how we will feel and the love we will have for each other. God certainly knows His stuff!!

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven; a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace." Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"Accidental Births"?? I Don't Think So!!

God has blessed me with six nephews and two nieces. I am amazed at how different each one of these kids are. Our family was so excited with each and every birth. They span the ages of 26 to 6. (This includes both sides of the family.) While my nephews are amazing and crazy, I want to blog about my two blonde nieces.

First of all, the title of this blog doesn't mean that any of my family were accidents. I'm not even sure they were unplanned, but that's getting a bit personal with my siblings!! haha But the premise for this blog is that everyone in this world has a purpose. Many times, I don't think we even realize how we affect the lives of others. Since Mal's accident, I have really begun to notice pieces of God's beautiful plan. One of Mal's favorite expressions was "Everything happens for a reason." This includes the placement of people in our everyday lives.

Let me start with my oldest niece, Staci. She was born when I was 17. She was my baby!! I carted her around everywhere and claimed her as my own. I climbed into playpens with her, fixed her first ponytails, and loved her more than anything. She was my adorable flower girl and has been part of most all of the important events of my life. She even shares my wedding anniversary, love of shoes, and is also an English teacher. Joni and I have always said our girls were switched at birth. Mal shares many things with her Aunt Noni.

Staci and Mal have a very loving relationship. Stac was the big cousin. She carted Mal around with her!! When the girls were 1 and 6, they both dressed as Hershey's Kisses for Halloween. They were precious. As they became older, the realization of being raised only with brothers hit both girls. At this time, they decided to claim each other as sisters. When Staci would come home from college with the newest phrase of Staci-ish, Mal would instantly adopt that phrase and use it every chance she got. Mal was a candle-lighter in Staci's wedding and formed an instant bond with Staci's husband, Scott. I thank God over and over that Mal got to hold and see Eli for a couple months before she left us.





Carly came along a bit later. She is the third offspring from my brother, John and his wife, Meri. Mal was eleven when we found out Meri was having a girl. She had mixed emotions. Mal really enjoyed being Maw Maw's girl. She didn't think she wanted to share her grandma with another girl. She was excited, but was unsure that Maw Maw could love more than two granddaughters. She awaited the birth of another cousin anxiously. From the moment Carly entered this world, Mal never had those feelings again. Now it was Mal's turn to lavish love on a younger cousin. And believe me, she loved Carly to pieces!! She spent as many nights as she could with her. She and her friends took Carly places and loved treating her like one of the "big" girls. There was a bond between Mal and Carly that is unbreakable. My heart breaks every time I think of how Carly was affected by the loss of Mal.





Now, for the "accidental" birth issue. One thing I do remember from the night of Mal's accident was repeating over and over "not my girl!!" Our mother/daughter relationship was exceptional. And while I know I won't have that exact relationship again, I am once more amazed at how God has given me Staci and Carly to help fill that hole. Staci is filling the loss of my adult daughter. I love how she calls me when she has something exciting or funny happen in her life. I love how we can share teaching stories and stories of our husbands!! I love how she always greets me with a hug and kiss. And I love how her son, Eli, calls me Maw Maw!!

Carly brings back my memories of Mal when she was a little girl. Carly is eight now. She is so smart and talks to you like she's an adult. She and Mal had that in common. She's so affectionate and hugs and pats me all the time. But, this summer, I noticed a huge similarity between Mal and Carly that I hadn't seen before. My brother and I live right next to each other. Even living that close, we don't see each other very often. But for some reason, this summer Carly decided she needed to come and swim with me. (My earlier blog revealed my obsession with my pool!!) Carly has a pool in her backyard, also. I think the attraction to my pool was that our deck is attached and she loves jumping into the water. Their deck isn't finished yet. So when she saw me in my pool, she decided to join me. Just like her older cousin, Carly is a fish in the water. It was like having Mal with me again as a little girl. Their body shapes are so much alike. And Carly was standing on her hands and swimming around my raft and sticking to me like glue!! It was like having my eight-year-old Mal with me in the pool again.

So, as I think about these two blonde girls, I know that God gave them specifically to me!! He knew that he was going to have to take my girl home before I got there. And he knew that I would need TONS of help to continue on with my life here. So, he gave me these nieces. I really don't think either of them has a clue that they are helping their aunt move forward in her life. One of the blessings I have received from my Mal leaving me, is being able to slow my life down and marvel at how God has designed EVERYTHING!! Nothing in this life is accidental if you can follow God's plan and not your own.


Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
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.

Lucas John

My baby boy turned 17 this week. I can't believe he will be starting his senior year of school. Let me tell you a little bit about my son. There were so many signs (even before his birth) of what kind of boy he would be. While I was pregnant with him, the doctors told me that he was a twin. Sadly, I miscarried one of them. Luke's reason for this is that he was so hungry, he ate the twin!!

We also knew that he would be extremely devoted to baseball. Luke's due date was July 11. Joey was a bit panicked because the All Star game was scheduled for July 13 that year. We made it through the due date with no signs of his arrival. I had a doctor's appointment on the 13th and he told me he was pretty sure I would deliver that evening. All Star game would just have to be missed that year. But, being the baseball lover he is, I made it all the way through the game thinking the doctor had been mistaken. The game had been over MAYBE 10 minutes, and I went into labor. I kid you not!! He was definitely Joey Hicks' son!!





Luke was born in 1993, the year of the unbelivable floods!! Of course, it began to storm when we reached the hospital. The electricity went out and the generators kicked in. It seemed like that storm was ushering in my own little storm. After a few medical problems, Luke arrived at 4:47 a.m. on July 14th. 8 lbs and 6 oz ~~ 22" long. Pretty big boy for a mom who was 5'2".

Mallory was mad at me for about 3 weeks after I brought her brother home. This disgust showed up every now and then for their 15 years together!!

Luke was lucky enough to be born after my dad retired. My mom kept Luke until he was two years old. This created an unbreakable bond between Luke and my parents, especially my dad. He followed him everywhere. I was afraid if Dad stopped walking quickly, Luke would end up crammed up a certain orafice of Dad's. He learned farming, hunting, repairs, (really anything you name) from my Dad. I honestly feel the loss of Dad in 2009 devasted Luke almost more than the loss of his sister. Dad was his hero. He patterned his life from Dad's. All of his teachers told me all Luke talked about was his grandpa. And I see a lot of Dad coming out in Luke.






Luke started going to school at North County. He made tons of good friends and did well in school (as long as he applied himself!!) He felt the real reasons to go to school were the socialization and sports. He could talk non-stop and still hear every word the teacher said. It drove them crazy!! After his freshman year, I got a teaching position at Central, and for a few pretty good reasons, Luke decided to go to Central with me. It was a decision that has worked out amazingly well. He has a group of tight-knit friends that are incredibly loyal and just really good boys!!




Luke has so much love and devotion to his family. He is very fortunate to have a bunch of cousins!! There are 6 boys and 2 girls and he is close to all of them. He has always had so much admiration for his older cousin, Andrew. This past June, Luke was a groomsman in Andrew's wedding. Luke was so honored to be asked. And an even greater benefit was escorting his oldest cousin, Staci. They were adorable together!!






Luke has always loved sports. When he was just a little over a year old, he got a baseball glove for Christmas. It was the first present he opened, and then refused to open any more. He walked around with his glove the rest of the morning. Mallory got to open the rest of his presents for him. He plays football, basketball, and baseball. I would say baseball is his favorite, but it usually changes, depending on what he's playing at the time.




I am very happy to say that Luke has always had a strong belief in God. He was saved when he was only 6 or 7 years old. I remember crying as he and I walked down to the alter at church. I was so proud and relieved that both of my kids had made this decision. After the loss of Mal and Dad, his faith has grown even more. He knows he'll be with both of them again. I'm also happy to say he has a girlfriend who is just as faithful in her Christian walk. Briley has been so much fun to have around. She is a great girl and she makes Luke happy!!



For his 17th birthday, he had quite the crew to the house to swim and just hang out. I loved having them fill the backyard. There were so many different things going on, it was impossible to keep up with.

Today, he had some of his senior pictures taken. It was bittersweet. The pictures are amazing. (I've included the link below if you want to see them!!) But I can't help but worry that he'll make it through his senior year. Joey always assures me that I don't have a curse on me that my children won't ever graduate. I just remember doing all of these thing with Mal and I guess I took them for granted. With Luke, it seems like I savor every moment. Every minute I have with him is so precious. I understand, now, why God gave him this crazy and adorable personality. God knew that I would need a son exactly like him to help me when Mal was taken to heaven. Luke keeps me going and gives me a reason to look forward to my future. As his Gram puts it, "Luke fills up a room when he comes in." And it's true. I don't know that he really understands how important he is to me. Sure, he can make me want to pull my hair out, and his, but I would honestly be lost without him.

There's no promise that any of us have tomorrow. Believe me, I know this. I just pray that God will let Luke have a long, happy, adult life. And I can't wait to see what kind of grandkids he'll give us!!








Senior pictures taken by Dustin Jenkerson. www.mjphotography.smugmug.com