Finally Graduated

Well, I realized that I haven't posted on here since March of 2010. YIKES! My excuse is that I was working and going to school, being a wife and mom! Well, one of those is gone now since I have finally graduated from DBU with my BBS in Business Administration. I will try to be more diligent in posting. I use Facebook more for that, but I will do my best.

We had family pictures made this Christmas by one of Randy's college buddies and he did a fabulous job. We love our north Texas sports teams so we went with that as our theme. The boys had so much fun with their poses too!

Ethan is in 5th grade now and thriving in his classes. He is in the gifted and talented class (LEAP) at his school and his teacher is so impressed with his creativity and love of reading. He placed 5th in their Spelling Bee - the word widget got him. He is also on the children's praise team at church, which totally surprised us since he doesn't like getting up in front of people. He loves to sing and dance on stage during "Rock" (children's church). He's very nervouse about going into the 6th grade next year so please be praying for him. He is still on the A honor roll at school and has decided he wants to attend TCU in Ft. Worth and be a microbiologist or marine biologist. He's still "thinking it over". He learned a valuable lesson about saving his money after his last birthday. He received lots of cash and gift cards and resisted the temptation to spend them right away, but saved them to get something he REALLY wanted without Mom and Dad having to help him. That's a good start!

Jeremiah - where do I begin with this little rascal. He broke his first bone a few months ago. The initial break happened on the playground at school (we didn't know) and then he fell off his scooter that same night and finished the job. He wore a hard cast for 3 weeks and then a brace for 3 more. Getting the hard cast off was a horrible experience. I told him to remember this moment before he tries anything dangerous in the future! He is in 1st grade and loving it! He seems to know "everyone" at his school and they know him. He is definitely our little social butterfly. He is so full of life and loves his friends. He is a hugger and loves to hug EVERYONE to show he loves them. His teacher, Miss Peoples, is a doll and she is so impressed with his work ethic in class. He, too, is on the A honor roll. He has made 100 in several of his classes, Math, Science and Spelling are a few. He loves to count everything and ask us addition and subtraction problems. I love seeing how much he loves to learn. On a spiritual note, he is very close to asking Jesus to come live in his heart so please pray for complete understanding on his part. He shares Jesus with all his buddies, but is being a little stubborn in that area. We have to tread carefully so we don't break his spirit, but enforce the biblical values we believe in at the same time.

Well, until next time. Merry Christmas!

Mom Would Be Proud

So, I get the mail today and there is a letter from Dallas Baptist University. The letter is informing me that I have been nominated as an inductee into the Delta Mu Delta International Honor Society at DBU. The Honors Banquet is April 29th at 6:00 p.m. If you want to come, I need to know by next Wednesday. The tickets for the dinner are $14/ea.

This may not mean much to others, but it does to me because Mom fought so hard for me to be inducted into the National Honor Society in high school. But because we moved my senior year, the new school would not allow me to be inducted because I had not been in attendance there for at least a year. She got "spitting" mad because I had such a high GPA and worked so hard. She knew that it would also help me get an academic scholarship to a good college. Oh well, God has always had a plan for my life and my journey has been enlightening even without having that honor.

I just wish Mom were here to see the fruits of my hard work. She always told me I could be anything I wanted to be, I just had to work hard and finish the task. Well, it's taken my almost 20 years, but by golly, I'm gonna finish the task at hand. Only now, the hard work will be for the benefit of my young family. Having an honor such as this on my resume, will help me to get a better paying job and/or promotion. It's funny that corporate America has to see a piece of paper stating that you're smart rather than actually seeing your intelligence every day.

They won't even consider me for the job in Denver because I haven't finished my degree. Forget that I've worked 20 years doing this and I'm well-qualified for the job, they need to see that piece of paper that says I am a college graduate and worth their promoting. Go figure.

Well, if I can make it past this class and research paper, I'll have 5 classes left before I graduate. Hopefully next year!!

My Brother, Citizen Soldier

Please be in prayer for Stephen and his unit. They are getting ready to head over the pond. I can't give details due to security (OPSEC). We won't have contact with him for about a month while he's transitioning in Kuwait. Please pray for my sister-in-law, Lacy and his 3 kiddos, Ashley, Jaime and Hunter. They miss him terribly. We love him and are so very proud of him for sacrificing time with his family to serve our country.

Remembering Loved Ones

The past couple of months have marked the anniversaries of several loved ones that have gone to be with the Lord. A sweet baby boy that I only knew through the stories his mom told on her blog. Oh how I wish I could have known him in person. As a mom, my heart breaks for the grief she's going through. I wish I could see her and give her a big ole hug and kiss to show my love for her and her sweet family. A hug and a kiss can go a long way to comforting a hurting heart. We pray for our family members that live so far away - pray that the Lord sends them comfort and peace.

My thoughts have turned to my precious mother-in-law and the loss of hearing stories about Randy when he was a little boy. The stories of how much she loved him and Jodi and how different they were. Stories only a mom could remember. My heart hurts because my sweet little boys will not get to know her and hear her words of wisdom in dealing with the ladies. She raised Randy to love and respect women. She raised him to put others before himself and to give generously and to love unconditionally. I thank God for her every day because she blessed me in the way she raised her son, my wonderful husband. My heart hurts for Randy because he and his mom were so close. They were 2 peas in a pod. Both artistic and tender-hearted, quiet but full of wisdom and grace. Mary Jane was such a free spirit. She loved life and experiencing new things. She loved to send special gifts on birthdays or just because. She had a way of reading people and knowing what they would like. Randy got this trait from her and for that I am greatful because it has helped me to not be so anal and "go with the flow". Old habits die hard, but I'm trying. Hey, he's gotten me to eat Chinese food!

The most recent loss was that of my mom. It's hard to believe she's been gone a year. Life does go on and we learn to deal with our grief, but it's never an easy task. I missed Mom calling me on my bday this year and singing off key to me. She would do it just to get a laugh. It's hard when you don't have anyone to call when your boys are sick and you don't have a clue what to do. It's hard when you're so tired and stressed and in pain and nobody understands. Mom always did and she would always pray with me and tell me "everthing will be alright, baby. God is in control." I wish I had a recording of her voice saying those words to me so I could just push play when I'm feeling tired and stressed. I wish I could just curl up next to her and have her sing to me and play with my hair like she used to when I was little. Grief is a funny thing. It can reduce you to a puddle of tears one moment and the next, you'll be laughing uncontrollably at some silly memory. My boys didn't get to spend near enough time with her and it hurts that they won't have more memories of her.

She won't get to see her son off to serve his country. She was so proud of Stephen's choice to join the Texas Army National Guard. She was so proud of all of us. When we hurt, she hurt. What's that old saying, "you're only as happy as your saddest child." She celebrated our successes and always wanted more for us than she had - that's what moms do.

"They" say time heals all wounds. I don't think time will heal the hurt of losing a loved one, it might lessen as time goes by, but it will never be completely healed. There are so many firsts and special occasions that will not be shared with them. That is the hurt I feel for my boys. They've lost both of their grandmothers. Grandma's are supposed to be the ones to spoil them when mom and dad are not around and bake cookies with them and make special gifts for them and a whole host of other "special" things. I don't wish for them to be back in this world for me because I know they are in a much better place. But, oh how I long for my boys to be able to have these special memories with their grandmas. Kids need their grandparents around to tell them stories of yester-year and to teach them the Word (along w/their parents) and to share their wisdom and insight into the world we live in. I remember my dad's mom teaching me how to make her "special" fried chicken. We didn't get to see my dad's parents often, but when we did, it meant the world to me. I loved hearing her say, "I'm so glad to see you, baby doll. Granny's got your favorite dinner cooking." She said it to all of us, but it made each of us feel special all the same. I loved her hugs and watching her go through her nightly routine. She always cleaned her face with Ponds cold creme. I love that smell.

It's truly amazing the things you remember when loved ones have gone. I wonder what my boys will remember about Nana and Grandma?

My prayer is that we all remember that life is short. Outside our relationship with God, family is the most important thing. The one thing that has pierced my heart since losing our loved ones, is that you cannot replace a loved one once they're gone so spend all the time you can with those you have left. The only guilt I feel is that we let lack of money keep us from visiting our loved ones more often. We lost out on special memories not only for us, but for our boys.

May the comfort and peace that passes all understanding be with you and your loved ones. May God bless you richly with family and friends that love you unconditionally. May your home be a destination and not a stop along the way. Be intentional in all your relationships. Share Jesus. Share Love. Share Yourself.

Eagles Soccer

Ethan decided he wanted to play soccer this fall. He's having a fun time learning. Their record is 3-3 and they have 4 more games to go. I've uploaded a bunch of pictures and videos on my Facebook page.,but here's a few for those not on Facebook.

We're just glad he's found some type of physical activity he likes. It's hard prying him away from the computer and books.

Brotherly Love

This my favorite picture of the boys.

Ethan - Our Soon-to-be 3rd Grader

It's so amazing how fast time goes by. It seems like it was just yesterday that Ethan was born. He is growing up to be such a loving and smart boy. He's very shy and doesn't like to have his picture taken (always covering his face), so I don't have any good ones of him to upload.

This year has been a little tough on him. We moved to a new school district and switched churches so that he could be more involved in the children's ministry and meet new friends. Then, my mom passed away. He has felt very insecure this year, but has still managed to make straight A's, except for 2 B's in 2 different six weeks. He has a hard time paying attention because his mind is always wandering to some new "creature" he's making up in his mind or some new invention he wants to make. We do not want to squelch his creativity, but he's gotten into trouble several times because of it. So, if anyone has any suggestions on how to keep him focused on the task at hand, I'm open to hearing them.

He and Jeremiah have become much more interactive with each other as of late. By this I mean that they are constantly getting into little skirmishes. You would think I would be used to it with 4 brothers of my own, but they are SO LOUD!!! I guess it doesn't help that we live in a small apartment and sound carries. You know that I wouldn't change it though. All this "fighting" now will only help to secure a strong bond as they grow up. Brotherly bonds are VERY strong and not easily broken.

I was always following my brothers around when I was little and we are all very close. I call them all "Bubba" so when we're all together, they all turn. It's so funny! It's amazing how memories come up at the oddest of times. We're all in our 40's and 30's, but we still act like little children when we get together. I wouldn't change it for anything because we love each other so much and I know they've "got my back" if ever I needed it.

Anyway, back to Ethan. He has met a sweet little friend, Connor. They are very close and do all kinds of stuff together. We have started a babysitting group with his parents and we trade off for date nights. What a blessing they are to our family. We all go to church together, so that makes it even sweeter. Jeremiah thinks Connor is his friend too and it's hard for him to understand that he and Bubba will each have different friends. Connor is sweet and tries not to get frustrated with him...he's an only child and not used to having a little one tag behind him. They are all so cute together.

He went to the dentist last month and only had one tiny cavity. It's on one of his baby teeth...that's loose and about to fall out. He will thank me as he gets older for making him brush his teeth so much. He did pretty good during the cleaning. We tried to get Jeremiah to sit in the chair, but he wasn't having any part of it.

Here's Ethan's class picture.

Front Row, lst on left

I'll try to remember to do this more often.

Jeremiah's Tball Team

It's been several months since I've been on blogger. I've been attached to Facebook...so much easier to upload content and pictures. Since I know not everyone is on Facebook, thought I should put some stuff on here.

Jeremiah (he doesn't want to be called JT anymore) started playing Tball in April. He didn't like it much at first because the games were early and it was still cold, but he's gotten used to it and loves playing now. He has got a strong arm. I think he gets that from his grandpa Jerry. Maybe he'll be a major league pitcher one day. It's so much fun just dreaming about all the possibilities your children hold.

We were even able to go to a Texas Rangers game with my company and he had a blast. I'll put some of those pictures up too. He's so cute because his tball team is the White Sox, so he wants to cheer for the White Sox. I told him we cheer for the Rangers since they're a Texas team. He said, "Oh yeah, that's right. Duh!" Where do kids pick this stuff up. He and Randy will watch the Rangers on TV sometimes and he pretends to pitch the ball, hit or catch it. So cute!!

Jeremiah is on the bottom row, 2nd from right.

I don't have any more pics on my USB...the rest are on my computer. I'll put a cute video up later.

Christmas

Well, I would have a bunch of pictures to put in this post, but Randy accidentally deleted ALL the pictures I took of Christmas. He thought he had downloaded them to the computer and then he deleted them from the camera. Poor thing, I think he was as upset as I was. Oh well, we have the pictures in our minds!

They boys had a wonderful Christmas. We don't do Santa at our house, but we've started our own tradition where Randy & I give the boys each 3 gifts to symbolize the 3 gifts the wise men gave Jesus. They get more presents from family, so believe me, they're not missing out on anything.

This year a friend of mine told me about The Jesse Tree. She made us one and we started it the day after Thanksgiving. You make a huge Christmas tree out of felt material and then in a notebook, you have bible stories that lead to the birth of Christ, with a symbol for each story. You read one story a day until Christmas and put that symbol on the tree. We had a great time reading all the stories. Jeremiah couldn't sit still long enough to read through a story, but he enjoyed putting the symbols on the tree. I will take another completed picture and upload it later. Here's a link that tells how to make the tree.

http://www.crivoice.org/jesse.html

My family's first Christmas with Mom was different. We just had snack foods and did a chinese gift exchange for the adults. We normally draw names since there are so many of us, but we wanted to do something fun this year...to take our minds off Mom not being there, I suppose.

I think my dad has the most fun of all. He had all the grandchildren gather around him. For those that don't know my dad, this is not like him at all. I think they all thought he was gonna give them a "talking to" about being thankful or something. Then, he took out his wallet and handled out $10 bills to each child. You should've seen their eyes. It was like they had won the lottery or something. It was so much fun. None of us knew he was gonna do that and didn't even expect him to do anything. Of course, the money was burning holes in our boys' pockets, but we made them wait and decide if they wanted to save it for something really special or find something now. They chose to go to WalMart and buy more Hot Wheels cars. I think we've got some cars fanatics on our hands. We're gonna need a separate room for all the cars they've collected.

We had the boys clean their toy box and pick items they would like to donate to the Christian charity store. At first, it was hard for them to let go of their stuff, but we reminded them that there are children out there that don't have 1 Hot Wheels car, much less the dozens they have. They're beginning to get it.

Well, another Christmas is behind us and the hope for a brighter new year is upon us. We pray that all our loved ones know how much we love them and appreciate the support they've given us during the past couple of years. We honestly don't know what we would've done with you in our lives.

Happy New Year!!

Clara Ellen Wilkinson Merrill

Mom is holding me and my youngest brother is in her tummy.


My mom was born September 19, 1943 in a small town in southeast Texas, Honey Island. Her parents did not have a ton of money. In fact, they had very little money at all. My grandfather died when Mom was only 11, so I never got to meet him or my grandmother because she died the year before I was born, in 1971. From the stories Mom told, they were both very special people. They taught Mom about Jesus and how to work hard and study. She passed those teachings on to her 7 children as well.

Mom was the youngest of 4 siblings and very smart. She was very talented too. She could grow just about anything and sew too. She made several of my clothes growing up and even my prom dresses, not to mention my wedding dress and that of my bridal party. Unfortunately, I did not receive those talents from my mom. My sister, Ellen, did. I think inherited her love of books, politics and a strong sense of family and friends. Mom always said, "Mary Grace, if you make it through this life with 2 good friends, then your life has been a success." Mom was right and both of my dear friends showed their support for me when they made the drive from their homes to mourn my loss with me.

My Mom wasn't perfect and she certainly made her share of mistakes, but she did the best she could and I have nothing but admiration for all the sacrifices she made for her family. She had such a bright mind and wanted to be a lawyer when she graduated high school. But, she met my Dad that summer, fell in love, and got married and started a family. I asked Mom if she ever regretted not going to college and she said, "Not one day! If I had, I wouldn't have had all my children and might live wouldn't have been filled with such joy." It was later, after all of us were born, that she decided to go to nursing school. I think she was almost finished when she got sick and had to have surgery. After that, she didn't go back. Mom was a good nurse...she had 7 kids to practice on and believe me, there was always some kind of illness in our house.

Mom was a great saleswomen and she sold many different products while I was growing up. I remember she sold Stanley Home Products, Catoni Lingerie (that was a fun time), Mary Kay, Tupperware, and Home & Garden Party. Mom didn't like to drive at night, so when I got home from school, I would ride with her all over north Texas so she could hold her parties. I would do my homework in the car and help Mom unload and set up for her shows. I was always shy, so I didn't participate, but stayed in the background while she did her thing. I guess I get my salesmanship skills from Mom because whenever there was a fundraiser at school, I was always one of the top sellers in my class. The nights when her parties were close to home, I would stay and make dinner for Dad and my little brother.

Mom was an excellent cook and she made sure all her kids knew how to cook the basics too. Some of us took to the stove and some of us didn't. She always said it was her job to make sure her children knew how to take care of themselves when they left the nest. Well, none of us look like we've missed a meal, so I guess she did her job well.

I didn't mind sitting at Mom's knee or standing beside her at the stove or riding for hours in a car all over creation. You see, when there are 7 children in a house, you learn to take the moments you can to to spend time with your parents. I learned many things from Mom. She always taught us to "believe none of what you hear and only half of what you see." I have been on the receiving end of gossip more times than I care to remember and have been hurt deeply from untruths, so I try very hard not to participate in gossip sessions by those that have nothing better to do with their time. Mom always taught me to show more compassion than I receive because I might be in that person's situation one day and need an encouraging word.

Mom's important lessons always had to do with scriptures. She said it's hard to forgive at times, but we must because Christ instructs us to do so. She said there will be those that will hurt you, but you can't let Satan turn your heart cold by being unforgiving. Not only does it hurt us in the long run, it displeases God and does not bring honor and glory to His name. When I accepted Christ as my Savior at the tender age of 12, I began to understand all the things Mom had been teaching me over the years. I came to realize that anger and resentment are wasted emotions that Satan uses to keep us separated from the joy and blessings God has for us.

I remember her saying to never go to bed angry and it wasn't until I began reading the Bible and studying that I found that scripture. All that time, I just thought Mom was wise. When I became an adult and became engaged to Randy, those were the words she gave me to live by. She said you can't let Satan get a foothold in your marriage. If you get angry and have a fight, always apologize and forgive before you fall to sleep because it gets harder to say you're sorry the longer time goes by.

My mom and I were never friends when I was growing up, she was my MOM! She made me do chores, go to school, do my homework, cook and mind my manners. She was always asking where I was going, who I was going with and when I would be home. All the things a good mom teaches her children. She even spanked my behind and popped me on the mouth when I got smart with her, as she should have. Of course, as a teenager, I thought she was mean. I'm sure my boys will feel the same way as they get older because I plan on being just as "nosey" and "mean" as my Mom was with me!!!

My Mom became my friend when I got married because she knew I had entered a different stage in my life so her parenting changed as I changed. It was then that I truly began to understand all the sacrifices a mom makes for her family. All the harsh realities of life she tries to protect her children from. There were still times Mom and I clashed because we're so much alike, but we always said, "I love you" at the end.

Now, I'm trying to find my way through this new stage of my life...life without Mom. She was my friend, my medical advisor, my sound board, my advocate, my seamstress, my teacher, my Bible study leader and my MOM! I know my Mom is in heaven praising our Lord and I wouldn't take that from her for anything. It's just hard sometimes when I realize I can't pick up the phone and call her when the boys do something spectacular or funny or if they're sick and I'm at my wit's end. When will the hurting stop and the healing start? When will I be able to make her cornbread dressing and chocolate pies without over-salting them from my tears. When will I be able to watch a movie about Moms without crying because mine is not with me anymore. When will I stop being scared that I'll lose my Dad too. I just have to keep praying for peace from that fear.

The one thing I've learned from my Mom and taken into my adult life is to love others unselfishly and to give of yourself. Don't let past hurts keep you from loving...love with everything that's in you.

Fall Fun

I love the fall time of year. I love when the weather begins to change from the scorching heat of the Texas summers to the fall breeze. We have got to see the beautiful leaves changing in October and November.

Some find raking the leaves a nuisance, but it's a reminder that life goes on and we're heading into the next season. We should always be thankful of the little things because we never know when or if we'll be able to do them again. Enjoy your time with family and friends and always leave with a hug and a kiss and an "I love you."

We went down to Stephenville for Thanksgiving last weekend and decided to have my niece take some family pictures. We went to the city park and the boys and Randy had a fabulous time climbing trees and throwing leaves and running...lots of running. I think JT may be in track when he gets older.

This will probably be our Christmas card picture.

A little bit older, but we're still one cute couple!!

Our two little tree climbing monkeys.

Isn't this the cutest picture you've ever seen. Such a beautiful smile!!

Here is our rambunctious little leaf thrower! I think he was sliding in to home plate here.

Here they are burying Daddy in the leaves. What fun we had!

I think they were trying to climb the tree here, but with little success.

Ethan had so much fun climbing ALL the trees in the park!

JT wouldn't sit still long enough for us to take many pictures of him. So, here he is playing with a stick.

I think Ethan liked being up high in the tree and hiding behind the leaves.

I love this picture of Randy & the boys walking along the path.

I will do a tribute to mom soon. I have some great pictures of when she was young.

Ethan's 2008 School Picture

Well, it's that time of year again! I plead and plead for Ethan to give me a beautiful smile. He wanted to show off all the teeth he's lost this year. Oh, and his spiked hair. He was trying to show some "tude" (attitude) with his pose!! He's so cute!

He's been doing very well in his classes. He got straight A's the first six weeks. Not sure how he will do this six weeks. He's had a rough time since Nana passed and his grades have dropped a bit.

Please send up some prayers for him to be at peace. He keeps asking us if we're going to die too. If Grandpa and PopPop are next. He's just feeling vulnerable and sad. He's been asking to visit his friends from his old school in Zellars too. It's hard sometimes for kids to adjust to change, but he'll be alright.

Ethan's 7th Birthday

It's hard to believe that my sweet Ethan is now 7 years old!! It was just yesterday that I was waddling around in the 100+ degree weather getting ready to have him.

Ethan decided this year that he wanted to go to Main Event for his birthday this year. Main Event is a huge facility that offers bowling, laser tag, glow golf and tons of arcade games and much more.

This is a picture of Ethan getting ready to eat his chocolate chip cookie cake. He's not a fan of regular cake...who does this kid belong to anyway.

This is our little bowler in action. He bowled a 79 and even got a strike. Even with bumpers up, that's pretty good for only his 2nd time to ever bowl.

All of his Sunday School friends and friends from school had a fun time bowling. They all bowled great...I was very impressed.

JT loves anything sweet and he surely loved this sweet treat. I think he was beginning to get tired though from all the excitement.

Below is the video of everyone singing "Happy Birthday".

He got a bunch of neat toys too. Grandpa gave him an Erector Set. He hasn't played with that one yet because little bubba tries to put the little pieces in his mouth. He got Battleship and Operation, which we have played SEVERAL times since. He also got a new game for his Leapster, NASCAR. Don't ask. Here are some pics of him opening gifts with his friends.

Jeremiah Tries Bowling for the First Time...

We were even able to get JT to try his hand at bowling. He didn't like it at first, but he started getting the hang of it. He really like "throwing" the ball down the lane.

Everyone had a Blast and I want to go back and play "Glo Golf". That looked interesting.

Trip to Montana

This summer we spent a week in Bozeman, Montana. This was mainly a Staples family reunion, which celebrated the 60 years of marriage of Randy's grandparents and their 80th birthdays this year.

TRIP TO YELLOWSTONE

Thursday, we took the boys to Yellowstone National Park. Ethan completed the Junior Ranger program and got a badge. They gave us a worksheet to complete while we traveled the road through Yellowstone. We had to stop at most all the attractions along the way because he had to tell things about each. Mom and Dad had to help with this one because he and JT fell asleep at one point.

The picture below is of the boys listening to a park Ranger talk about all the animals that live in the park and their natural habitats. Ethan was even able to raise his hand and answer a question. We were so proud of him. He doesn't like talking in front of crowds. We saw a bunch of animals, mainly bison, which is NOT the same as buffalo. The boys did like seeing these huge animals along the road side. We even got caught in a bison traffic jam. There were about 3 or 4 trying to cross a bridge and they were just taking their sweet time in both lanes of the bridge. I did not like being stranded on this bridge that was several hundred feet above this huge and rapidly flower river below. The best part though was the hippie lady in the travel trailer blowing kisses to the bison as they passed saying, "I love you." Quite amazing to watch.

Of course, what's a trip to Yellowstone without going to visit Old Faithful. We got to see it go off twice while we were there. It went off right as we arrived, but we didn't get to see the whole "show" so we stayed and ate lunch and then visited the gift shop while we waited for the next scheduled eruption. The Rangers said that the timing has been off since an earthquake a few years ago. It was about 90 minutes or so between the two eruptions.

It was a good trip and hopefully we'll be able to go back when the boys are bigger and will appreciate the history of it more.

FAMILY REUNION

Friday, we all gathered for a dinner reception to honor Randy's grandparents. There was much laughter as his dad and aunts and uncle remembered the "Good ole days". His aunt Loreen and her family even wrote and sang a little diddy. I've uploaded the video so you can have a listen. Totally cracked me up.

Randy painted them a landscape of Lake McDonald, which is at Glacier National Park (northern MT). It is a beautiful painting. We had a scripture etched on a plate and attached to the frame. "My Lord, O Lord, how majestic is your name."

All their children got up and spoke about how their marriage has influenced their own marriages and how sweet their memories are. Jerry, Randy's dad, made a touching tribute to his parents as Mary Jane would have liked. MJ always tried to find different ways to show others how much she loved and appreciated them. I know she was smiling down from heaven with Jerry's choice. He had special leis from Hawaii flown in to give to his parents. They were made of plumeria flowers. He even read what each petal meant in the Hawaiian culture.

• Aspiration


• Devotion


• Sincerety


• Faith


• Surrender

Jerry then presented all the ladies in his life with a beautiful plumeria flower necklace. This was so endearing because it was totally something Mary Jane would have done. It was a very moving moment for us all. We saw allot of kissing going on too. Grandma and Granddad are still so much in love after 60 years.

PICNIC

Saturday, we meet at Nadine's house and had a picnic on their beautiful lawn. This reminded of the church picnics we had when I was growing up. Eating was synomous with Baptists, but now that everybody is so health conscious, we don't have those fellowships anymore.

The boys seems to enjoy themselves. They played with their cousins and played lawn games.

"Farmer Jack" video

Ethan's New Glasses

Well, Ethan picked up his new glasses yesterday. He absolutely LOVES them because he only took them off to go to sleep. He looks so cute in them. They are very red, which is his favorite color.

The lady at the eye doctor's said they were girl glasses, but a few days after Ethan picked them out, another little boy came in and picked out the same pair. I guess he's setting a new trend!! They look very artsy, which fits him to a "T".

He sure is a little cutie!!

Ethan Started 2nd Grade

Ethan started 2nd grade at his new school today. We got to tour the school and meet his teacher last Friday, so I think that helped to alleviate some of his nerves, but not all. He was very excited over the weekend and was counting the days til he got to go to school. Oh, to be young again and love to learn!!

His teacher, Ms. Whited, seems to be very nice. We were told by another parent that she is very strict and tough. That's good though because Ethan needs to be challenged...he gets bored too easily and then starts talking and gets in trouble.

I dropped him off this morning and waited with him until the bell rang for classes to begin. Here are some of the pictures from this morning. Doesn't his new haircut look so cute!! He's lost another tooth too!! He's got 3 more that are really loose. He picked out his new backpack too. Speed Racer! He wanted to bring his lunch to school this year so he got a Speed Racer lunch box that matches the backpack.

He looks so little next to all the other 2nd graders. He's so cute with his new tan from swimming just about every day. He's now decided that he wants to be a swimmer, so I've got to find some indoor swim classes for him.

Here's a picture of him and Ms. Whited. I emailed her a little while ago to see how he was doing and this is what she said. "He is doing fabulous. He has already made several new friends today. He seems to be adjusting very well."

Randy and JT are walking there now to pick him up. I will have him get on tonight and give everyone an update on what his first day of 2nd grade was like.

Here's a picture of me and him waiting for the bell to ring.

Until next time,

Mary

Welcome to our family blog!!

Well, I think it's about time I got with the swing of things and started sending out updates on the family via blog posts instead of emails...sorry. I didn't realize all the neat and cool things you could do on these blogs. Like upload a video. I've been trying to figure out how to share some of the cute stuff the boys have done that we've captured on video, but they're too big to email. I NOW have my answer. (Thanks, Kari)

Check out our beautiful family. Randy has been getting some freelance graphic design jobs from a realtor in Plano. He loves creating new branding for people. I love watching his ideas come to fruition. God has really given him an awesome talent. One of my former co-workers wants him to come up with a painting for his sister's birthday. He's going to be doing a painting for our pastor's birthday and my mom's 65th birthday. He's going to be a very busy man!!

Ethan will be starting the 2nd grade next Monday, August 25th. He's very excited about getting back to school, but nervous about the new school and not knowing anybody. He's so outgoing so I don't think he'll have any trouble making new friends. He's my little peacemaker. He was bullied in both kinder and first and somehow managed to turn his tormentors into best friends!! What a sweet spirit the Father has given him. Now, if he would just use that gift in his relationship with Jeremiah!! Brothers! Boys!! We took him in for his 7 year check up last Friday and was told he has 20/40 vision and to take him to an eye doctor. He went today and he's nearsighted with a slight astigmatism, like me. He picked out his own frames and since his favorite color is red, he picked out red frames. A little girl in the office said they looked great, so I'll go with that. I'll send a picture next week after we get them back.

Well, we've been potty training Jeremiah for the past couple of weeks and it's been very interesting. At first, he had many accidents with No 1. He's pretty much conquered that, except at night. It's No 2 we're having troubles with. Moms, if you've got any suggestions, please share. I have never seen a child act this way when he needed to go No 2. He will run around holding his britches and doing something similar to the "peepee dance". We've titled this new movement the "poopoo dance", sorry but he's a 3 year old. He will then proceed to shout, I need to lay down, I need to lay down. Mommy/Daddy/Ethan, rub my tummy. After this going on for a few seconds, we try to coax him into the bathroom, which always results in a huge dramatic production that could rival any Broadway production. (I'm not really sure where this gene came from!!) The child has an amazing spincter muscle because we do this routine for about an hour or more some days before he will actually relax enough to go in the potty. Afterwards, we celebrate and remind him that he will always feel better once he's done. So, next time you think it will be easier, no way, not with this child! We are at our wits end.

Since we've moved into the new apartment, both boys love to go to the pool and swim. Ethan has become a little fish (I think the swim gene comes from both sides of the gene pool). Jeremiah, not so much. We can't get him off the steps that lead into the water. He has, on ocassion, ducked his head under the water, so that's an improvement. They both have nice tans, with white bottoms...so cute!! Could we have a little Michael Phelps in our midst...stay tuned.

I will be starting classes again next week as well. Thankfully, I will be able to take both classes online, which will allow for more time with the family and I won't have to leave work early, which has always seemed to cause a little friction with some people.

That's pretty much what we've been doing lately and what's coming up.

Have a great day!