A new school year has begun!

School ~ Day 1, August 22, 2011

New beginnings are so much fun. I remember well, what it was like on the first day of school. The first day nervous jitters, even if you are returning to a familiar school. It is always the same, but for some it is worse than for others. Some children worry about everything and others seem to go with the flow.

This year, I have a Sophomore in High School. Wow! Did I really just say that? I remember my Sophomore year of high school and it is unimaginable that my little girl is old enough for THAT!!! Since we moved over the summer, she is attending a new high school. She does have some friends at this school and that is a huge blessing for her and for me. The school is also only two blocks from home, which is also a big blessing. The one thing that I know and count on for the first day is that good or bad, it will pass and we will all get through it. I know that our worst fears seldom happen. Since I have not received a phone call and she has not returned home in tears I will take that to mean all is well. She is my child that tends to worry about everything and everything is a big deal. As much as I would like to tell her it is no big deal, and I do at times.... I also know that if it is a big deal to her, it is a BIG DEAL. She is much more capeable than she thinks she is and I am confident that she can handle most any situation that comes her way. Can't wait to see how her first day went.

My son, is going into the 7th grade. Again, did I just say that?? It seems I just brought him home from the hospital. He is in his second year of middle school and is returning to the same school he went to last year. He is much more confident and self-assured than his big sister. I seldom worry about him because he seems to have no fear. And yet, as we sat in the loop at school waiting to drop him off, the first day jitters hit him too. He thought maybe, he could just duck down in the seat and not have to get out. I assured him he did indeed need to get out and that all would be fine. Middle school still scares me. I hated it when I was in middle school, I hated it when my oldest was in middle school and I still hate middle school. However, my son is smart and caring and confident. All of those things put together tell me that he will be able to figure out where to go and how to get there and he will be one to help another who has lost their way.

I still have one more year at home with my baby. She is completely lost. Today is a very quiet day as it is just the two of us and our dogs. I normally have a little girl here that I babysit and today she did not come either. So, my sweet little girl is wandering. It is kind of sad. I am excited though because I will have some one on one time with her this year and I aim to treasure every second of it. She is growing up so fast, right before my eyes, just as her older sister and brother have done and although I would love to stop time and not allow it to happen, I know it is the normal course of action and it is what is best. Next year at this time I will have three kids to herd off to school and three different schools to visit. What a day that will be.

I forgot to take the famous "First day of school" picture. I did the same thing last year and promised I would not do it again. So, I hope to catch them both when they get home. It is amazing how distracted I can get in the early morning rush or in the afternoon excitement of a first day. But, as my husband reminds me, he doesn't need pictures, he sees them every day. He is a hoot!

I hope everyone has had a successful "First Day of School" this year. Stay tuned for more excitement from the school Daze!!!

Early Mornings with Dad

I am not, and have never been an early morning person. I believe a good 8-10 hours sleep is mandatory and I do not think 8 am is an unreasonable time to be awake and start my day. So, although, it is not early, I do not consider it to be sleeping late either. Funny how God brings into our lives the very opposite kind of people.

One of my fondest childhood memories was spending time with my dad early in the morning. Looking back on my childhood, my best memories are all wrapped up in my Dad. He was teaching me so much more than I ever imagined. My Dad was almost always up by 5 a.m. He said it was because his back hurt, although I seldom recall him complaining about any pain. He always seemed to be strong, solid as a rock and bigger than life. He was what I referred to as a gentle giant. He was a very kind and humble man with amazing strength both physically as well as personal. On the weekends he would get up and the two of us would listen to "his" music. He loved country western music and his favorite was Hank Williams Sr. We would start listening to sad songs. Songs about death and loss and we loved every minute of it. To this day, I love to listen to sad songs. I love songs with a story. My dad gave that to me. I do listen to a different type of music. I still love country but the country music of today is NOT what my dad called "real country music". Those times with him were so precious to me. Unbeknown st to either of us, it was during those moments and those songs, that I think God reached down and touched my heart. You see, so many of those songs taught a life lesson and my Dad and I would often talk about them. I would ask why or what did that mean and he would proceed to explain to me what the song was about. One such song I recall talked about being careful of stones that we throw. I had no idea, that many years later I would learn through God's word that it was also a biblical truth. You see, none of us live life without faults, failures, short comings, well lets just be real..... none of us are without sin. I hear so many people tell me they have no desire to attend church or become Christians because they have seen "those" people and they leave little to be desired. I know what they mean. Some of the nastiest people have been the ones that are Christian. The ones who go to church regularly, are in leadership, etc. It seems that somewhere between learning of God and walking with God they have come to feel that they are superior not so much to non-christians but to each other. It has caused me to do a lot of praying about the condition of my own heart. Because as a small child I learned through music and my Dad, to be careful of stones that I throw. Unless I have made no mistakes in my life, be careful of stones that you throw. You see, I have enough issues of my own, that I don't need to be concerned with how another is living their life, unless it impacts mine and then I have the right to handle it with love and grace. My Dad believed in letting others live their lives and not to pass judgment upon them. We all come from different backgrounds and are raised differently and if it is not something we are comfortable with, move on and let them be. I so love my Dad and miss his simple way of life.
My Dad was a man that worked hard. When he was not at work, he kept busy about the house. He always had some project in the works. He loved to work with wood and I believe he could build anything. He had massive, huge hands. Not big like basketball players big, but short and thick. I have never met another living person with hands like his. They were like vise grips, hands of steel. Yet, he could hand craft the most delicate things. He was simple in so many ways. He wasn't out trying to make the most money and have the most toys. He kept himself busy with his life at home. He had a garden every year and spent much of his time working that and providing for the family that way. We also raised rabbits when I was young and at some point he would butcher them and we would eat rabbit. It was not my favorite meal. He also loved dogs, which may have a lot to do with my strong desire to have a dog right now. I know they brought him many hours of entertainment and love and it was fun to watch him interact with his friends. I do not ever remember him concerning himself with anyone else as far as to criticize or condemn them for how they live. He just did what he needed to do. He loved my mom and treated her well. He showed her respect. I do not remember my parents ever fighting, I am sure they must have, but it was done in such a way that it did not effect us. I was never really fearful of my Dad but I had a fearful respect for him. It took a lot to make him angry but I did get to see him angry on occassion and it was a frightening ordeal.

Wow, all this to say that it was in the early hours of the day when I would spend time with my Dad that my Heavenly Father was molding my young heart. I learned so much more by the way he lived his life than I did by any intended lesson he had to teach me. I learned that it is early in the morning when there is not another soul awake, the birds are still sleeping in their nests, the sun has not yet risen, and the world is still, that God speaks to my soul the loudest. My Heavenly Father is a morning person too, and he desires to spend time with me early in the morning. I just need to wake up. To be still and listen.

So much wisdom, so many blessings, so many mornings that I have missed. Is it any wonder that I am now called to be up early and alert to watch Aubree? I believe God has planned it this way for a reason. He is calling me to himself. Here I am Lord.

Micah 6:8 ~ He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.


I now look forward to the early morning hour. Time to watch the world wake up and know that I was awake to walk and talk with God before the rest of the world has captured my attention.

I miss my earthly Dad every single day. It has been heartbreaking to see how he was respected and loved in life by so many and treated so disrespectfully and without care in his death. It seemed that his life meant very little to the ones he lived for but I treasure every minute I had with him. He taught me so much about life and about people. He lived his life with a sense of humor. He learned to laugh at things that would send others into a tailspin. He was easy to be around.
I am so thankful that I knew the love of my earthly father in such a way that it pointed me to a deeper love for my Heavenly Father. I have been doubly blessed.

Dog Days of Summer ~ 2011

The Dog Days of Summer

So many changes have taken place for our household this summer. We have moved into our own home. That is so wonderful and exciting and, well, just plain exhausting. In addition to a new home, we decided it would be wonderful to expand our family and add t

wo new additions. Cooper, a beagle mix and Mia a pug.

They have enriched our lives so much in such a short time. We originally went to look at a pug and when we did Cooper, (Arnie at the time, we changed his name), found Aaron or Aaron found him and it was instantly a match. Cooper needed a boy and our boy needed a beagle. Needless to say, the pug we went to look at was

not a good people dog and was ruled out before we even got there basically. So, we went home to think about what to do. Aaron had the saddest face and demeanor for the next day thinking he would never see his dog ag ain because he knew his mom and sisters had their hearts set on a pug. I have wanted a pug for the longest time and I swore I would not stop til I got one, although, I almost gave in and gave up on the pug. Then Dan decided that we could get both. He still can't believe he ever agreed to it but we didn't wait for him to come to his sen

ses and change his mind. So, we ended up with two dogs and we got them both the same day.

Cooper: Cooper is a beagle mix. He has a very deep, hound dog bark but rarely barks. When he does it is adorable. He was scheduled to see the vet to have a tooth pulled a few days after we got him and as it turned out, he had 9 teeth pulled. So he has not quite been himself, which of course we don't know what that will be just yet. He seems to love the back yard. He also ha

s taken to sleeping with Aaron in his room. They both seem to be very happy with the new living arrangements. Cooper is a gentle, loving dog. He loves to cuddle and love on anyone that will have him.

Mia: Our little pug is fun-loving and energetic. She loves to play with her toys. She is all personality. I am not sure but she seems to be part dog, part pig, part cat and part people. She is so much fun to watch and she keeps us entertained. The kids are already annoyed by having to help her fish the toys out from under the couch, that is her favorite thing to do... hide and seek I guess. They are both potty trained and I am so thankful that we do not have to deal with that kind of mess. Just as Aaron laid claim to Cooper, Jessica has declared Mia to be her dog. Truth is, they are both family dogs but they do sleep with Jessica

and Aaron.

It has been so hot here in TX with temps over a hundered for the last 35 days or so. It is exhausting just to exist. So, being locked up inside the house with a/c is not nearly such a drag when we have the dogs to keep us company. Justina was so afraid of dogs and she has had to learn that they are not going to hurt her. Now, she loves them just like the rest of us, and they love her and are extremely gentle with her. Justina is intrigued that Mia's tail curls so she can be found trying to straighten the curl right out of her tail.

I am so thankful for finding two dogs that are so loyal and loving and fun. They are a perfect fit for our family. We are learning that life doesn't have to be so complicated. The life of a dog is so simple. Love others and they will love you in return. Set a routine, eat breakfast in the morning, play a little, sleep a little, love the kids, play a little, sleep a little, eat dinner, play some more and then sleep. There is a good balance between playing and sleeping. However, there is the undertone of a job. They see their people as their job. It is their job to make us happy and to protect us to the best of their ability. They do not care what we look like, they don't hold grudges or demand something in return for their love. They just simply love to be around us. How easy is that. To love someone just as they are, simple and uncomplicated with no conditions attatched.

If all we do in a day is feed the dogs and play and sleep, we are happy too. We do not need tv or video games or swimming pools or tons of activities to keep us happy, just two sweet dogs that love us like we are, warts and all.

I remember having a dog around when I was growing up. We always had at least one dog, usually more than that and as many other critters as my mom and dad would allow. I know that on some of the days when I was sad and lonely there was always a pet to love me and reassure me that it would be better. When life was going well, they still loved me. And it wasn't just me, they loved everyone in the family. I have always known that a dog is man's best friend and I am so glad that I can now give my children that kind of friend. I hope it helps them learn to love others and to be loyal. Such wonderful qualities to have in people and in animals.

Summer is coming to an end, despite the high temperatures. The kids will soon return to school and life will take on a new routine. A new schedule and the clock will rule our lives once again. Time to get up, time for school, time for dinner, time for homework, time for church and extra curricular activities. The lazy days of summer will be over and we will be more pressed for time. The one thing I know I will be able to count on is that my kids will always have a friend waiting for them at home. It can make all the difference in the world.

Thanks for letting me introduce you to our family. I hope you have a four-legged friend to make your life complete.