Joey and Mariah - Graduation

 Dear Joey,

St. Louis Christian College - May 8th, 2010.  I can not even begin to say the words of how proud of you I am.  This was a long road for you, but one that I knew that you would finish.  It isn't about graduating from college or graduating as a Minister ... but what you are prepared to do with your life.

I think about your childhood and all the silly things you did ... and your teenage years when what you did wasn't so silly.  Then I think abut the man that you've become and what you yet have to experience, and how life isn't always going to be fair .. but mainly I know that you can handle anything because of who you are.  You are prepared.  For Life ... because of Faith, and for that I am so proud of you.

Not only are you wise in your choices, but who you chose will always be there for you.  You two build each other up and have so much wisdom for your young years.  I love you both so much .. and I am so honored that my Son and my Daughter in-law are both children of God, and are both now Ministers of God's Word.

How Blessed can a Mother be?!

Joey - Senior Chapel

Monday night Juli and I along with the kids drove to St. Louis so we would be there bright and early Tuesday morning for Joey's Senior Chapel. He graduates May 8th as a Minister, and this was his time to lead the church services at the college. That is my son that stood at the pulpit and preached words that will change peoples lives.

I was there when he first started college, and I was there at one of his first sermon's. This time was so different for me. As his Mother, of course I was proud, but as one of God's people, I heard his message loud and clear. I have replayed it about ten times on my computer, just to hear his voice, and just to help myself come to grip with the fact that this man is my son. His message was strong, respectful and full of truth.

This is the kid that had no sense of direction when he was a teenager. He couldn't drive across town and find the gas station. Wrongly, I helped him way too much with his homework and I made his life easy. Now he's found his way and all the hard work he's done has paid off.

Along the way he grew beyond what I had imagined. His faith is strong. He chose his path. He got married, and now he has a plan. Joey and Mariah are a good team. She believes in my son, and I love her for that. They both graduate from college in a few weeks. I am so proud of both of them.

Married Bliss and the Couch

Today was a busy day. The Mission: Buy Joey and Mariah a Sofa. It was my gift to them.

The Honeymoon is over, they made it home yesterday ... so we started out early this morning searching for the perfect Love Seat. They both have less than one year before they are out of college and back home. Their apartment is going to be very tiny .... like college married students cracker box tiny. So we started out "Love Seat" ... but I soon talked them both right into "Sofa" mode.

Anyone can do anything for 9 short months ... such as trip over each other and live cramped up. But when they come back home, they'll need a Sofa for their house. So they might as well get what they want and get something that is going to be more useful. So a few minutes into the search, they were transformed into looking for the perfect Sofa.

As you can see, we had lots of help ... and the help acclimated very quickly in a very large furniture store with hundreds of Sofa's and such. Very quickly. In fact, like little ducks in a row ... they tried out almost every seat in the house. We couldn't have done it without them!

Rich Chocolate Brown. They found the perfect one. Happy Wedding Gift Joey and Mariah. I love you both very much ... and I hope you love the new Sofa! Maybe for Christmas, we'll shop for the Chair!

Joey and Mariah {The Wedding}

Joey and Mariah got married Saturday ... and it was a good day for a wedding.  Mariah was a beautiful Bride and of course my son Joey was just as beautiful.  The look on his face as she walked towards him was priceless.  I'm surprised, knowing Joey, that he didn't stop the wedding and do "this" before anything even got started.

A Mom can't take more than one wedding a year you know.  This makes three in a row for my older kiddo's and most likely, I pray, the end of weddings for about twenty years ... until the Littles start getting hitched.

He loves her.  She loves him.  It made my heart feel so good for these two to get married.

Yes, I took their pictures ... and yes, I had help.  It wouldn't have been so cool to have a big camera bracket and flash hanging around my neck as I was escourted in, now would it?  Thank you Dana Shroeder for lending your expertise.

More to follow ....   I promise!

Jump Baby Jump!

Playing Possum!  Joey and Mariah came over yesterday evening to see the kids, and to gather up all my canning equipment.  They're going to can green beans this week and do Tomatoes.

In the meantime the kids had to show them their bedrooms and all the work we've done.  Of course, one thing led to another and before we knew it .... I had a bunch of kids in their beds having a bunch of fun.

The big kids were having way too much fun tickling the little kids.

Not only did they play in and mess up Meg's bed .... they moved on to the boys beds as well and let the kids jump back and forth between them.  I didn't have the heart to stop them since they were having so much fun; plus the fact that they won't get to see Joey and Mariah as much since they'll be living in St. Louis for another year, after they get married in two weeks.

But the main thing is .... they had fun!  All of them!

Say Cheese!

When all the kids were here Sunday ... we played Photographer and did family shots for Juli and a few for Joey and Mariah.  Josh and his family had already left and Jared and Elissa opted out since I do a full blown shoot every time I get my hands on them.  So we set up a backdrop in my living room and pulled out my hot pink and lime green "alien bees" strobe lights and said CHEESE!  It almost looked like a Disco!

Here's Juli and Derek in the "love pose."  We kicked the kids out of the way and snatched a few of just these two.  Did I ever tell you all that Derek is over a foot taller than Juli  ... and she is tiptoeing on a stool since he's so tall.

Love bird city here.  Mariah has Joey caught!  These two love having their pictures taken ... and I love taking them.  I catch them every chance I get too!  They're my practice targets!

This one was Mariah's idea.  I love it!  Wonder what she'll say when I tell her to do this at their wedding this coming July when I take their pictures! ????

This one was my idea.  I love this picture of them ... and for all of you that heard the ring story ...  here it is!

I'll try to post the gallery link to all of when I get them edited!

Enjoy!

Confession of a Bad Mother

I did something very bad today, and I have to confess to cleanse my soul, or else it will eat at me forever until I dry up and blow away.

You see ... I've been awake for One Thousand Two Hundred Sixty Six days (1,266). That's how old my Littles are. I'm exhausted, and I really needed some sleep. When you're up for over three years ... you start to act a little goofy!

Once I finally got them to sleep this afternoon, I had so much to do (check my statcounter) that I couldn't take a nap when they did, then time got away from me, and darn it, before I knew it ... they were up and running again. They tend to do that when they come with built in playmates.

When I just couldn't take it anymore and I thought they desperately needed to sit in their beds and watch "Bob the Builder" ... I locked us in their room, and kicked back in the recliner A.N.D. totally passed out. Like a drunk sailor. Dead to the world. My poor kids were on their own to fend for themselves. I'm so ashamed.

Somewhere in my trance I felt like I was suffocating and getting buried alive. I wasn't dreaming. My cute little self-surviving triplets ... since their Mother left them unattended in a safe locked room with nothing but a bunch of toys and a passed out Mommy ... piled every pillow, every toy, every blanket and then, they used me as their personal trampoline!

They were jumping from Sam's bed, to on top of ME! The giggles were hysterical, and so was the mess. Somehow, I didn't feel a thing until I was completely buried under everything in their room.

Then I got caught sleeping on the job. The big kid in the picture came a knocking ... and the fun began all over again.

I DO NOT recommend that anyone ever try to stay up for three and a half years. It makes you crazy. Now I feel better ... I've confessed that I left my children unattended, and the burden of guilt is lifted forever! I kid. I kid.

Now I have to go clean their room .... **sigh** (the price you pay for sleep)

Be Blessed Everyone.

What's in a Name? .... Joey

(click the picture to enlarge)

Today I had lunch with this man. His name is Joey ... and his name means, God will increase, enlarge ... multiply. I never really thought much about that before today, even though I gave him that name twenty-four years ago. I never realized to what extent he would live up to that name.

We didn't talk about his name today. Instead we spoke of the poor, and not the physically poor, but the poor of spirit and the homeless. This child of mine gripped my heart all over again today. I listened to him tell me the stories of the people he sees every Sunday afternoon at three o'clock. He is always there, and they trickle in. He feeds them. He feeds them scripture and he feeds them wisdom ... wisdom far beyond his young years. They feed him strength, and he is their trumpet, and their hope for something better.

He has no fear. I do. He has strength. I have none. He has belief. I am scared. I am his Mother, and I want him to be safe. So I dwell on the good that he is doing ... and I pray for God to keep him safe.

When I gave it more thought, it awed me to think that forty-five thousand people can be exiting Busch Stadium, after a ballgame, in St. Louis, Missouri on any given Sunday afternoon ... and it is "my kid" that is standing beside the Arch, the gateway to the west, preaching to the homeless. It is my kid, who has given his heart to Jesus and who is destined to increase, enlarge and multiply.

Just like in "The Field of Dreams" ... if he builds it, they will come. ... and they are. One homeless person at a time. One baseball spectator at a time. One person at a time. ... and he is leading them, and they keep coming back, every Sunday afternoon at three o'clock.

I know now what "Joey" stands for ... it means that he will draw them in. From the streets, the gutters, the bars, and the alleyways of downtown St. Louis. .... and they will increase, enlarge and multiply. They will come, and they will listen ... and he will be heard.

In two weeks, I will be there with Joey as he preaches beside the Arch in downtown St. Louis ... and I won't have fear.

Be Blessed Everyone.

My real fear will be when he leaves for a mission trip to India next month. I want to keep him grounded, guarded and protected ... but he is on a mission. A mission for God ... and a mission that I can't stand in his way.

Happy Birthday Joey

Dear Joey,

Today is your birthday .... and you're twenty-four. It's hard for me to believe that you're a man, yet to me, you're still my little boy. Not only are you a grown man now, but you're a man of God. As a young man you found God, and he has changed your life in so many ways. Of all your many accomplishments in your life, I know that this was your destination. The place that you were meant to be. The paths that you traveled to get there were not hard for you, and I especially love it that you found him when you were young. He will fulfill your whole life in so many ways. Of course, you'll still have struggles, as we all do, but you have the strength of God standing behind you and lifting you up in your life. You're a lucky man.

Joey, we've never talked about this, me and you, but I feel in my heart that God has a plan for you. One that you don't even know yet. I feel that your mission will be to speak to the poor, and your voice will change the lives of many young people. I feel that there will be times in your life that you will be hungry, for you will do without, and give to the needy. I know that you know that God will see you through. I feel that there will be many times in your life that you will be poor on this earth, but so very rich in spirit, and I know this will happen because it will be your choice.

Over the past three years as I've watched you grow in your love for God, I used to think that you were moving away from me, that you were somewhere above me, but I know that you know my heart and I know that even if you're away from me in miles, you're always right here, just a phone call away and you'll always be with me no matter where you are.

My fear used to be that you would move far away, to another country even. I feel it in my bones, that you'll live where you're needed, somewhere that isn't the home you know. We've always been so close, and it's hard as your Mother to let you go, but I know in my heart that you're already gone. There are others in this world that need your presence, and the gifts you have, more than I do. But I also know that I am your Mother, and you love me very much. I'm very proud of you and the choices you've made in your life.

Joey, you're going to be an awesome Minister and I hope that through the course of your walk, you'll find, and lead, many to walk along beside you. Remember to hold their hands, for if they fall, you'll be there to help them back up. Your strength will be like that mighty Oak tree that we've both searched for in the bible, and can't find, the one that must have been in my dream for you, many years ago.

Happy Birthday my beautiful son, and I love you very much!

Mom