Category Archives: Family

My peeps

In honor of this, the peewee’s day of birth

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Sixteen years ago, about this time actually, I was holding my newest baby girl, Kristine Michele.  I was exhausted but elated.  The nurses had, for some reason, taken a long time to get her washed up, measured, and so forth and so by the time they brought her to me in my room I was dying to get my arms around her.  She likes to tell the story, after seeing her birth on video, of how she cried and cried when she was first born but the moment they laid her on my chest she immediately stopped and just looked at me with her big brown eyes.  You can’t recreate or fully describe moments like that.  An instant bond was created with this new little one, who tried coming out with one hand extended above her head, as if to shake our hands and announce herself to the world.  When I was growing up I always thought I’d be a good mom to boys, since I was such a tomboy.  God knew better and blessed me with three girls instead and Kristine rounded out the family well.  She was a really happy baby, probably partly due to being third and her parents being much more relaxed this time around.  She was delighted to be entertained by her big sisters goofy antics and stories and was soon up and walking to follow them around.  They probably don’t know how much she has always looked up to them, how much she still does, and how much she loves them.

She talked earliest of the three, walked earliest of the three and was soon putting on shows, singing songs while doing little jigs, making us laugh, and giving us “bombs” Continue reading →

Rest for the weary with a side of blessings

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I read a prayer request sent to our office from one of our Indiana pastors yesterday.  He asked us to pray for his church and as I read his words I could relate to each and every one of them:

“People haven’t been able to identify it, they just feel blah, worn down, basically “weary”.  Weary from life struggles.  Weary from busyness.  Weary from trying to do good following Christ.  Weary from doing bad (aka…sin).  Weary from trying harder. Weary from failing… Just….weary.”

I think some of this could be a spiritual struggle, as the pastor shared with us, but I believe some of it is just life.  Sometimes life makes us tired.  Enduring and persevering are never a walk in the park – it’s work!  God enables us and strengthens us, but He doesn’t necessarily make it easy and that’s for our good even though it doesn’t usually feel like it.

Before you read on, please know the only reason I’m sharing this story is so that God will be glorified for what He’s done!  I’m not seeking pity or handouts – haha – but feel I need to share specifically enough to allow you to feel the impact of how God was there for us recently.  Okay, you can keep reading now…

Continue reading →

Sometimes a mom needs her mom (and dad)

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I found this picture in a stack of pictures from my grandmother’s apartment a few years ago, the day we cleaned everything out.  She had gone to heaven that week and we had the bittersweet job of sorting through memories and belongings to find what was worth treasuring and keeping.  I had forgotten about it until I was looking for photos a few weeks ago to create an anniversary slide show for my parents.

I love this picture.  For some reason it comforts me.  That little baby is me, of course, with legs so chubby the rolls could cut off my mom’s finger circulation if she didn’t watch out.  I look concerned don’t I? And what am I looking at?  Meanwhile my parents are both smiling and looking content.   They had it rough at times those first few years of marriage with hardly enough to live on, but made it through and brought me along for the adventure.  Even though I’m now grown with college and high school kids of my own, I still feel like that little one sometimes.  The last few years have been fraught with ups and downs and plenty of concerns but my parents’ steady faith in God has encouraged me.  I still need my mom and dad’s hugs and unconditional love.  I even need their parental pats on the back now and then, to know they’re pleased with me.  I know they pray faithfully for me and my family and it’s because their hearts are truly heavy when we hurt and joyful when we celebrate.  They look so young in this photo.  Time has changed that (thank goodness my dad doesn’t have those shorts anymore) but it hasn’t changed the impact of the role they play in my life.

This past weekend I got to spend time with them by myself – just me and my mom and dad.  It was really fun, really easy, and really special.  I don’t want to take one visit for granted.

When I look at this picture I feel their love still holding me, their prayers and support wrapped around me keeping me up.  How could I ever tell them how much they mean to me?

All of us little chicks

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When John and I got married, we started walking this narrow path together.  Little by little God added to our group and soon we had three little girls following along.  Sometimes we’d hold hands, sometimes they’d skip along on their own.  As they grew, becoming more independent, occasionally one might fall back a little, walking at a distance from the rest of us.   If one stumbled or got hurt, John and I were quick to help them up.   We’ve done our best to walk in a way that helps them stay the course and not be led astray.   I know Jesus is always with us, but it’s been nice to have the company of each other as we journey along, especially when one of us is having a hard time.

The last few years and especially in the last few months that image of us all walking this road together has become so vivid in my mind and it comforts me.  There have been times when John and I have faltered Continue reading →

Touch

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Never underestimate the power of a touch, of holding a hand, of a really good hug.

We went to see my grandmother today.  She’s 96 1/2 and making the most of her days.  Today she advised us to try writing with our left hands so that if we ever lost the use of our right hands we’d be prepared.  (She has lost the use of her right hand due to a stroke)   She also told us her thinker wasn’t fast enough as she was having trouble getting the words she wanted to use to surface when she talked with us.  She grinned a lot as we sat on the front porch of her nursing home, enjoying the autumn sunshine and breeze.  She always asks us what we’ve been doing and didn’t disappoint today.  The girls shared about school, boyfriends, hobbies, etc.  Grandma always asks for them to bring her pictures they’ve taken or drawn, come play music for her, share and leave bits of themselves with her to enjoy when we’re not there.

You need to know something about my grandmother.  Continue reading →

Pencil marks on a wall

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For a long time there were gray lines on our brightly colored, floral kitchen wallpaper.  My brother, sister and I were always eager to compare the measurements dad had made the year before and see that we had grown. Sometimes we couldn’t wait a year and asked him to check us more often, hoping to see a change.  We’d check to make sure everyone had their heels on the floor and stretched our necks up as straight and high as we could.  Just having that little pencil-line proof gave us a little boost of confidence and made us smile proudly.  Of course, inside we hoped to end up taller than the other two siblings. Continue reading →

The joy of no plans

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My sister arrived today from Phoenix to visit for a few days.  I was able to take those days off of work and so now we can do whatever our little hearts desire.  We have no big set agenda and we love it that way.  Well, Five Guys is definitely going to happen somewhere in the mix.  We might take a walk or two or three, might sit by the lake and watch the sun reflect on the water while we visit, might eat some ice cream, might just drive around through the open countryside and listen to music, will most definitely have some good laughs and heart-to-hearts.

She’s not much of a shopper so I asked her if she would still enjoy walking around the downtown square of Noblesville sometime this weekend.  She asked me, “Will you be there?”  I said, “Well yeah!”  She said, “Then I want to do that.”

I love my sister.

In it for good

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I played piano for a beautiful wedding yesterday.  The bride and groom looked awfully young to me…and happy.  Just like so many of us, they’ve thought about this day for a long time and repeat the vows after the minister with smiles while looking intently into the other’s eyes.  Hopefully this moment will just be the start for them of committing to each other and keeping their promises.

I remember well looking into John’s eyes way back in 1988 as we gave our word to one another, our hearts saying “This is for life.  I’m in this no matter what.”  If God had shown us that day all that we’d encounter together as the years rolled by we’d have been overwhelmed.  I like to think we’d both still be game, but we’d certainly be less starry-eyed and looking a little more like deer in the headlights.

It’s probably good that in the wedding ceremony the minister doesn’t go into detail in the vows, Continue reading →

The Life & Times of Sunny

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Today, on National Dog Day, I thought it only fitting to put down for posterity some memories of our family’s dog, Sunny.

We adopted Sunny from an animal sanctuary out in the desert near Las Cruces, New Mexico where we lived when the girls were little.  We always remember how old Sunny is by comparing with our youngest’s age, because Krissy was two when Sunny joined the family.  She was a golden brown, fluffy ball of fur with a curly tail and black snout.   Gentle and timid, it wasn’t unusual to find Krissy IN the crate with Sunny sometimes, or Sunny laying on the floor with one of the girls laying their heads on her.

We probably should have taken her to puppy class but never did so she was rather unruly when we tried to go for walks, Continue reading →

Jodi came along

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I looked up some quotes about sisters today.  It’s my sister Jodi’s birthday and I wanted to wax eloquent about her and the complex and wonderful relationship sisters share.  Here are a few I found, some sweet, some funny:

Sisters by birth, friends by choice – Author Unknown

The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.  ~Clara Ortega

Sisters are different flowers from the same garden.  ~Author Unknown

Big sisters are the crab grass in the lawn of life.  ~Charles M. Schulz  (Haha!  I hope that’s not too true for her!)

When sisters stand shoulder to shoulder, who stands a chance against us?  ~Pam Brown  (I love this one)

When I was about 2 1/2 years old, God provided me a playmate and friend. Continue reading →