i've never loved him more

Nothing touches my heart more than watching my sweet husband lead our son's baseball team and close friends in prayer.  I pray that his investment in their lives will have a huge payoff one of these days.  These are really amazing kids and they all have their own unique stories to tell.  God is continuing to write their story every day.  It's a blessing to be a small part of it.

Let the redeemed of the LORD share their story.
Psalm 107:2

five

Little babe turned five four days after the tornado hit our town.  With all the chaos of the week, I was actually afraid I would forget it was his birthday.  We spent the four nights before this day in a hotel since we were without power.  It was a blessing to be home for his special day.

Will, you've brought so much laughter and joy into our home.  We are so grateful that we got to be your family.  May you always remember how smart you are, how brave you are, how strong you are and most of all, how loved you are.

DARE

The night before the morning we were so rudely awaken by a tornado in our neighborhood, Graham participated in the 5th grade DARE graduation.  Three long hours of lots of information about not doing drugs and I must admit that I needed some to get myself through the evening.

All the kids had to write an essay about what they learned in the program and the winners were given awards and prizes.  Graham was a runner up.  His teacher let me read his essay and I must brag on him.  He did a great job.  I was so impressed with his thoughts and how he expressed them through his writing.  And for that he received a gift card to an outlet mall.  Fun for him.

D, I won't do drugs.
A, won't have an attitude.
R, I will respect myself.
E, I will educate...

some posts are hard to write

I think I am still in processing/survival/post traumatic/shock mode after a F2 tornado whirled through our town and right down our very own driveway.

I am convinced that it is good to have children who are a tad OCD when it comes to the weather.  Because at 1:25am on Feb 29th, Graham came into our bedroom to tell us that his ipod showed a tornado over our town and at 1:28, that tornado was actually in our front yard and roaring over our roof.  It was the loudest sound I have ever heard and it was the scariest thing I have ever experienced.  Our neighbors to the side and front of us lost their homes.  We lost a lot of trees, but our home still stands.  We may have lost a sense of security, but the loves of our lives, those three boys who live in our home, are still alive.

In the aftermath, (aftermath, I never thought I would have to use that word), we were humbled by the goodness of the people in our city.  During those four days, it was not uncommon for a stranger with a chainsaw to stop by our house and cut down broken limbs.  It was not uncommon for the local college to bring boxes of food for us and the volunteers.  It was not uncommon for my phone to ring and a friend's voice to be on the other end asking if I was okay and could she bring me a sweet tea.  It was not uncommon for our school district to bring a school bus full of varsity track and baseball players, their coaches, principals and parents to haul limbs and trash out of our yard.  It was not uncommon for a sweet cousin to spend that first day with me, trying to take my mind off of what had just happened to us.  It was not uncommon of me to fall to the floor in tears only to be dried up by the sound of chainsaws outside...the sound of help, love and sacrifice.

It was not uncommon to go ahead and celebrate my fortieth birthday with the dearest of friends because life as I knew it had to resume.  As hard as it was, life had to continue.  And as I sit tonight, life has gone on.  But hopefully it's not all the same.  Hopefully I am more grateful.  More aware.  More loving.  More diligent.  More protective.  More joyful.  More me.

And I am confident of this, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Psalm 27:13