Birthday Celebration

  Now that Bethany has shared Campbell's birthday blog -- I'll post mine. 

                                                                                                                                          photo by Rachel at Love is Rising

Last Saturday evening when we got to Bethany and Mat's place in Kansas City it was "Birthday Central"  Bethany had a lengthy to-do list for us all to work from and it as a whirlwind of activity- from the time we arrived until we went to bed on Sunday night -- it was soooo  much fun!  Nobody worked as hard as Bethany and Mat - and I would have to say Katie and Marshall ran a close second.

Bethany's theme was Flamingos (since they stand on one leg -- and C turning ONE - it seemed to fit).  Bethany is the ultimate party planner and that came early in her life (at 6 she planned a surprise birthday party for me with her daddy and asked me who I wanted to invite to my surprise party)  This year, true to course, Bethany even worked in a birthday dinner for me on Saturday evening the night before Campbell's birthday bash!--

Campbell was quick and into everything!

Two days before, on Friday, C took her first three steps while visiting her great Granddad Good for the first time and then teased us the rest of the weekend -- but wouldn't quite get up the confidence to walk again.  She became "rubber legs" every time we tried to get her to do so.




So many GOOD memories - 


everybody pitching in to pull this party off -- 
  
Marshall and Katie left Denver late Saturday night and made it in about three hours before the party!!!  What a welcome sight!! We were all thrilled they could make it.  They got to stay only about 7 hours ~


With an 80% chance of rain -- Terry and Katie working together to put up a portable canopy
(loaned from next door neighbors)  HOWEVER no rain -- lots of prayers and Hallelujahs for that break in the weather)  

Marshall was the designated "snow cone maker" and worked out of that tent all afternoon making sure everybody was well taken care of.

Campbell and Dirvy were thrilled with the wagon Pappa and her Daddy put together --

Don't know who enjoyed it more!

                                                                  photo by Rachel at Love is Rising

There was a water table, and inflatable baby pool with, a bubble machine and a ladder game the adults played.  Campbell was totally enthralled with the pool, the children and playing with sticks.

                                                                           photo by Rachel at Love is Rising

These two are sooooo competitive!













Campbell loved her little pool -- 

it amazed Grammy Jan and I as we watched  over her "swimming" how long she sat mesmerized by the water

                                                                                                                                                       photo by Rachel at Love is Rising

She planted face down!  More sugar than she's had in her entire life!!!!

Lots of Yummy treats:

There were stuffed jalapenos, taco bites, cheeses, fruits, veggies and lots of deeeeeelicious sweets

One little two-yr. old must have eaten a half dozen of Bethany's strawberry cake balls (with Flamingo skewers, of course)

My favorite, too --  --                                           photo by Rachel

Cute flamings to carry out the theme made by B's friend Elizabeth Fank -- Photo by Rachel

Bethany set up a photo booth for all the guests to have their pictures made with Campbell - Rachel snapped some great ones!!!

 

Our thoughts were also of Parker Grace

Lilies we planted last June in honor or Parker Grace.

and we released a dozen purple balloons for her celebration in Heaven with a prayer by her Pappa.

Traces . . .

 

Traces of Relationships --

My attic toss project is evolving and as I went through tubs of my Mother's yesterday, I found letters exchanged between she and my Dad before they married and valentines they gave each other throughout their marriage of 51 years.   My greatest find was letters from my grandmother, whom I had never known, written to my mother -- I can't wait to sit down with these and learn more about this special lady.


There were letters from Terry's mother written to me in college (before she became my mother-in-law).

Letters that my mother's friends had written to me my first few weeks in college --

I kept lots of these and I can't wait to read 'em --

I filled a 39-gallon trash can with all the other cards Mom and Dad received from others or exchanged with each other. There were tons that my brothers and I had sent to them. . . . all of these representing traces of relationships and reminders of precious relationships --


I looked at that bulging trash can and thought "Hallmark surely made a lot of money on that!"
In all of these -- one dominant theme -- expressions of love and caring the words unsaid were "you matter to me"

We do it differently now -- we text message a few words -- we shoot off an e-card, e-mail or we send some crazy forward that tells us we are loved and if we don't hurry and send it on in 8 sec.we won't get our wishes granted -- - writing letters and sending cards are going out of fashion.


Traces of my  past --
I found my report cards from elementary school

         ---- my dolls and all the doll clothes my mother had painstakingly made -- one poor doll was so old her leg had disintegrated (I told you my Mother was a treasure keeper)

               --- 4-H project books and ribbons earned

                   --- my childhood Bible

 -   my college projects that I'd labored over  for days some 40+ years ago

--an evaluation of my first year of teaching -- certificates from  various volunteer organizations --

                                       
                   there were letters written from a foster daughter who was with us for 19 months in the late 70's

                            artwork done by a high school foreign exchange student who lived with us during Bethany's first year
                             

Church bulletins and newspaper articles when we arrived at a new church -- the same when we moved on

                              Special accomplishments or recognitions granted -
                                       -thank you notes for some act of kindness

This much needed Attic Purge Project has flooded me with memories and given me impressions of my "people" and traces of the past that connect to my future and are a part of who I am at this moment.

I have been blessed to know such loving people through family, friends and church - People who left impressions and traces  on my life -- all are a part of my forever family -I'm gonna have an eternity  to spend time retracing and reconnecting these relationships!

Treasures

It's been a good day -- it was all about treasures. . .

                 Got a phone call from a very close friend from childhood and
                             had a new friend to lunch to work on children's curriculum--treasured friendship

                                   Got a beautiful home-baked birthday cake and a visit from two special teens
                                                   at Church - treasured gifts of the heart and hands

Finished my "Nana-stitching" for Campbell. What a treasure to sew for this little bundle of joy!   Here's a couple of my favorites:

Memory treasures . . .
I took a walk down memory lane and sorted a couple of keepsake tubs that I found in my attic purging project:

In my mom's tub, I found keepsake boxes she'd created  -- one held baby shoes and an envelope of baby teeth.(funny memo on the envelope- she had no idea whose they were -- oh well   -- there were letters I'd written her from college one of them marked "save" wonder what I said? -- mail from my brothers --and it seemed ALL the cards anyone had EVER sent her.


My tub held an article I had written for a ministry magazine way back in 1983, entitled, "So You Want to Marry A Minister" (10 helpful pointers --- hmmm maybe I'd better re-read that.),  letters from Terry when he was in India while we were dating, the flute I played in elementary and middle school,  my 2nd grade reading glasses and a straw bonnet from my childhood.  My mother was the ultimate treasure keeper.

You can only save so much -- how many tokens from your past does it take to help you remember what a happy childhood you had?  I'm not certain -- but the time remembering was so rich -- they were sort of anchors to the past --
                       the time spent with friends was even more a blessing securing me to the future.

It's hard to believe that this little lady will be one year old -- just 6 days from now.  I remember those weeks of bouncing her on a huge therapy ball beside the humming vacuum cleaner to get her to finally sleep.
Her family and friends are coming together to celebrate this blessed year we've had with her in a few days.  God's grace has been with us these past 12 months as we've savored every bit of time we could get with her.  It's sure to be a gala event -- I won't share the theme -- but it's one only her momma could think of --of course I'll post the pictures.


In a parenting class last night, the DVD teacher, Tim Kimmel talked about how Hope and Grace are the two sides of a coin. It was a beautiful lesson on the helplessness of our babies and how as we extend grace to them, meeting their every need, we give them hope, building in them a sense of anticipation and trust.   He went on to parallel the fact that our Father has built that same Hope in us as HE's  gracefully cared for us.

That's our two girls -- While we're celebrating a beautiful year together down here with Campbell Hope our own precious Parker Grace knows the fullness of HIS grace and love. She's basked in His love and celebrated the glory of being in His presence these months.  Heaven is even dearer and sweeter now --Some day we'll be a forever family with you, Parker Grace -- our thoughts will be with you this weekend. You are our treasure.  Love you, Nana

Look at this little peeper???
Can't you just read her mind . . . "hmmm what's up here I can get my hands on???"

School's Out -- School's Out -- Teacher Let the ????? Out?

How did that Song Go???  I remember singing it in elementary school - what did the teacher let out???  Was it "teacher let the monkey's out or mules out?"
It dawned on me today that I'm FREE for at least 8 weeks -- so I made my bucket list:

LOTS OF TIME WITH MY FAMILY  --

WORK OUT & WALK -- 

LOSE WEIGHT -- 

READ A LOT-- 

SORT - TOSS and DECLUTTER (wait, wasn't that on last year's list??)

I have to start it NOW or mid-July -- I will have forgotten my good intentions-

It's been a crazy busy week, with tests, end of the semester projects to grade, last day check out procedures and to top-it-all-off - we had to get our rooms ready to have the ceilings gutted for new HVAC  systems to be installed.  There was the fridge to empty -- the small one I never did get defrosted -- and all sorts of things to box up -- I finally walked out of there by 6:00  I think I was the last one in the building.

But my day started with this and it energized me the WHOLE DAY --

Got this one today . . .

With a tag that said, "Have my people call your people . . . we'll do lunch"

. . . .

We're sitting here - waiting on the storms to hit -- wondering what the effect will be -- seeing all the pictures of Joplin's devastation,  watching the death toll rise and realizing that some 50 people still have not been found. There have been so many tornadoes this storm season --one report was 1000 so far.

Terry's got our storm closet readied with all sorts of supplies -- thinking still about the people in Joplin -- looking around at our stuff -- wondering what few items I should put in the closet -- thinking how all of their things are scattered throughout Northeast Missouri for miles -- I am certain  that every approaching storm from this point on will cause them terror and fear.

So many different stories -- one touched me personally:

Marinelle, told me of our friend "the basket lady".  I met this Godly woman and her husband 4 years ago on Labor Day weekend when  Marinelle, her mother  and I went to make baskets at their place not far from Pitcher.  The Pitcher tornado devastated their lovely retirement home and took the life of her beloved husband.    She moved to Joplin near one of her daughters  and had to endure it's tornado on Sunday.  For a while no one knew if she survived this one--  It is reported to have only damaged  her home, while the house across the street was demolished.  I can only imagine the flashbacks and panic she endured during that time.

There is much to be said about the human spirit of resilience in times of tragedy.  We saw it recently in Japan, as their people banded together to help one another.  We witnessed it during 9-11 and earlier in Oklahoma City.  But in all of it -- the tremendous loss --

It's been a season of loss in our school community, as well -- a recent graduate -- whom many of my students were close to, died in a car accident coming home from college two weeks ago. It rocked our school.  Last Thursday one of my student's father was in a deadly car crash on 169 in the early morning hours.  His funeral was today.

We  often go about our days  without a thought, planning our schedules for weeks and months to come.
It takes something like the tragedies and severe weather forecasts we've been hearing for two days to make us think soberly about it all.

Jesus didn't return on Saturday to end it all as some were anticipating -- but HE did come for these recent victims.

Scripture says that God knows the number of our days --and at that time HE'LL come to take us to HIS house.  I like what I heard in Church on Sunday -- Just like a groom waiting for his wedding -- Jesus is so anxious to come and get us -- just waiting on the word from the Father.

Like Mother -- Like Daughter

She's EVERY where in a flash and So Was Her Momma

 

Sittin' a Spell

Qu

Going Home

If I heard it once -- I must have heard it 25 times, "Oh, Jannie, you look so much like your sweet momma."  This weekend, we were at the Vaughn Hill Church of Christ, where I grew up, to do a marriage enrichment workshop. Being back on home turf, seemed to make my mother's day last for an entire week as I heard those words from so many of my mother's 80-90 yr-old friends.   I hadn't seen these ladies in almost 10 years -- and I was blessed beyond words!!! 


Terry took over all the workshop set-up so I could spend a few hours Friday afternoon with my long-time friend of 59 years, Charlene Bandy.  We talked nonstop as she took me out to see the house where I grew up and then on to surprise her 95-yr. old mother in the retirement home where she lives now.

Charlene saved this sampler for me that her mother had stitched.    Beside it is a little pitcher that was always filled with milk  and on their table at every meal.  It was such a precious link to my past.





 
So many highlights of the weekend:
>>>it was fun doing a workshop again with my man -- it's been  2-3 years since we'd been able to do one -- so we had to tweak the powerpoints a bit. . .  I'm still amazed at how much work Terry puts into those!

>>>getting back with Mark Moran and meeting his wife, Annie -- they were awesome hosts and it was so good to reconnect and share in their work for the weekend.  That Church is truly blessed to have them!

>>>>being with Boyd Goodson and his sweet wife, Bonnie who've been married 57 years and have served in ministry together for sooooo many years.  What a testimony they are to living a life of love.

>>>>seeing the families that have grown up and remained part of this church and their children (who were preschoolers when we moved away)  now leading and guiding the growth of this church family.  (There was a special group of 4-5 year olds that my mother taught  35 years ago and she was certain they were going to be the future of this Church.  She put extra effort into making sure she taught them the Bible stories in great detail in her Sunday school class.  So many from that Sunday school class are leading the Vaughn Hill Church today!   I think Mom and Dad are looking down proud of what they've all become.)

>>>being together with our couple friends from our early days of marriage.  We were part of a young married's group that enjoyed getting together about once a month.

 
Well, 40 years and lots of gray hair later we all got together Saturday night for dinner at Paul and Doris Joiners -- what fun catching up and remembering the fun we'd all had -- amazing how many knee replacements there already have been in that group! LOL

>>> It was a weekend that honored and gave tribute to my parents. I was overjoyed when I heard it mentioned that the "Thursday School" (a Mother's Day Out program) had just had their graduation the night before.  My mother and another lady had started that ministry some 40+ years ago and it is still going on!

In our workshop we asked the couples to describe married couples that they had observed and wanted to model their marriage after, many talked about my parents and what they had taught them about commitment and care for each other, remembering all those years Mom cared for Dad when his muscular dystrophy left him in a wheelchair.  So many of the people at this Church would come to her rescue when she needed help.

Going back home was such an awesome experience of renewal and reconnecting. We drove away with hearts brimming over,  realizing God had done something huge for us --bringing us back to where we had dated, fell in love, started our marriage and ministry together to do this workshop.  We thank God for making it all come together in such an unbelievable way.

Checkin' out the Fridge --

Guess I'll have to get my own lunch . . .

Campbell Hope has had a busy week and her momma says she turns away for a second and the little lady gets busy!

Got this picture text msg'd to me during praise and worship yesterday ---

It was titled "Headed to Church"!

I have to admit, that even though it was a very pivotal time in the service . . . I did have to glance down at my phone in my purse and take a peek

It reminded me of how many prayers were offered up for this little lady this time last Easter. . .

Nana and Papa Sitting

Campbell wearing her momma's Sesame Street Live Shirt from 30 years ago

This little lady's mommy ran a half-marathon in Austin with one of her best friends - and she needed her Nana and Papa to come stay with her -- we were only TOOOO glad to oblige!!! 

The tornado/ severe thunderstorm Thurs. night caught us and we had to turn around and head back to Tulsa.  We got up EARLY Friday morning and headed to KC - I drove a large part of the trip and by the time I gave C her lunch I was pooped.

 Early Friday afternoon I left her with Papa to take quick nap (short refuel for the next few hours) -- I came back in to find that Papa was worn out from chasing our active little adventurer and had built barricades -- he was pretty proud of himself.

Mat was on a 12 - hour shift at the hospital and so we were not quite sure how the evening would go -- to keep things calm we thought we'd best keep to Bethany's schedule -- except for the fact that we did take Campbell out to KFC for supper -- (no problem -- we decided against the extra crispy crust on her's ;-)

Things went well through the night Fri. night and so with a morning nap accomplished we decided with the sun finally out to warm up the chill we'd head for the park with Campbell's daddy

Campbell is always on the move and does lots of exploring -- (the name plate on the wall was one of her curiosity pieces --Mommy had to take it off the wall over her crib --don't know how long it will last on the floor, either).


We all worked pretty hard to keep Campbell Hope happy so she wouldn't miss her Mommy.  I told Terry I didn't know how I could have done the weekend without him.  I forgot how much fun he always was for our kids and how many songs he entertained them with.  Here's my favorite of:
"Bee Bop a Louey"

Delivery Day

Remember those lap quilts my students finished in January -- well, we finally got them delivered today.

We arranged with a residential care facility near our school and they were thrilled for our students to come and make the delivery in person.  We arrived when they were all in the breakfast room and their hostess had decided that having a drawing for the quilts would make it more fun for the residents.  It was a special moment for all of us! One young lady recently lost her grandmother to Alzheimer's and was touched by whole experience.

First Thoughts

As I was preparing for my Sunday school lesson yesterday . . . I came across a web link of one the stories of Jesus last days I was researching.  It was a plea from a children's Bible teacher saying if that we don't teach them well these words of truth-- the message of God's love will die out with our generation.

He cited examples of other nations that because these lessons from Scripture have not been carefully taught.now only 1% of the country are believers in Jesus   He plead for each generation  to pass Jesus teachings to the next.

This was still on my mind this morning when I woke up and set out to complete today's lesson for my rowdy  4-5th graders (mostly boys) -  How do I present this story of Jesus last days on earth to help them get a grasp of how passionately he taught about the Kingdom, living a life of service, and loving God first and foremost?

Parts of several verses came to my mind

". . . a famine for hearing the words of God" Amos 8



I thought of the generations that will come after me . . .I want to teach them well --
my favorite is from Deuteronomy 5 --
showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

and also from the same book -- this was impressed on me this week
The LORD your GOD will circumcise (cleanse) your hearts and the hearts of your descendants so that you may LOVE him with all your HEART and your SOUL and your LIFE.   Ch. 30:6

It’s Not about Me –

There’s not time to wallow in who we’re not – continually apologizing for our shortcomings and slip-ups and misdeeds.  There is such a need and call placed on us to go and be His hands and His feet that we dare not spare the time for such self -pity and self-loathing.    Jesus wants us to repent of it and  get over ourselves because He has a world out there that needs re-claiming and re-connecting to His redemptive love.   

That happens  when we do what we’re good at – LOVING – in the special unique ways he has made us ---but It’s not ABOUT us – It’s about what he wants to do in, and through, and with us.

I like what was in this Friday’s post from “Meet Me in the Meadow”

Self-righteousness, self-justification and self-sufficiency   do not magnify the Lord’s sacrifice, redemption, and atonement for us on the cross. It is only through brokenness,        humility,  and repentance that we can fully magnify who the Lord is and what He has done in our lives.

For it is out of our poverty that we magnify His riches;

 it is out of our smallness that we magnify His greatness;

 it is out of our frailty that we magnify His power;

it is out of our need that we magnify His fullness;

 it is out of our flaws that we magnify His perfection;

 it is out of our deficiency that we magnify His abundance;

it is out of our unworthiness that we magnify His mercies;

it is out of our imperfection that we magnify His beauty;

it is out of our weakness that we magnify His strength;

it is out of our insufficiency that we magnify His grace.

It’s been a week!!!   I’ve heard the saddest stories of rejection from my students and I’VE HAD IT  with parents who launch their children – walk away from their families or toss their kids out of the nest --long before they can handle it.  I came home yesterday with “Friday Fatigue” that was tinged with the feelings of despair – “WHAT CAN  I DO TO MAKE UP FOR THIS SHORTFALL IN MY STUDENT'S LIVES???”  Every day I see teens left out while parents start new lives without considering their kids or have become over-involved in their careers  – I see the depression and  hear their despair in the stories they tell ---  These are Kids who’ve given up on their academic work this close to the end of the year because they no longer think it’s important.. . .they don’t think  THEY’RE ALL THAT IMPORTANT --and many make poor decisions that they reap harsh consequences for a long time.

BUT ON THURSDAYS . . . my hope is reborn. . .

70-100 kids crowd in my room for lunch – and I never quite know how where they or the Lord will take us– I thrilled to hear their stories last week of what they’d experienced with God during  their Spring Break mission efforts and where they’d seen Him work at home during this break in their busy lives.

This week 2nd lunch bunch decided it was time for a YA (Youth Alive) Praise Day --- seeing them get lost in the wonder of praise  --  one girl playing her djimbai – one girl’s sweet voice matching one of the guy’s – hearing another of my third hour guys on his guitar – didn’t know he was so gifted.  My classroom was different after they left -- The Spirit of God was there. . .

And then on my tired drive home. . .

God sent me a sweet reminder that HE's in His Heaven and loves ALL His kids SO VERY MUCH !!!

Okay --Okay--  I do HAVE to add the video clip -- (notice how "tuned in" to the other kids Campbell is.)