Lilac's

This morning, about 7:00am, Marlboro Man came walking in from milking the cows like he does every morning. ... but this morning he had his hand behind his back, and a awesome smile on his face ... and these beautiful Lilac's in his hand. He'd picked them from a bush he'd grown from a start, many years ago.

Long ago the coal mine came through the old home place where his Grandma and Grandpa had lived. .... and right before they bulldozed it, his Dad and him went over and dug up the Lilac bush for his Mother. He planted one too, and now we have this beautiful bush that belonged to his Grandma from a long time ago.

Just as he held them out for me, Meggie said, "Daddy, are they for me?" Being the wonderful Daddy that he is, he gave them to her, picked her up and swung her around and off they went to get a vase of water!

It made her day! Lucky little girl isn't she, to have a Daddy who brings her flowers!

It made my day too!

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.

The Simple Things

It's really funny how kids see things. It's always entirely different than how we as adults view things. These are just empty jugs .... just worthless plastic that hadn't made it out to the "recycle rope" yet.

But through my Little's eyes, they didn't see trash. They saw these as something to treasure, and they saw these as something new, something that came in three's, and something that is for boys and something that is for a girl. I have to sit here and smile as I think back to last night and the things I heard them say about these jugs.

Marlboro Man picked the kids up from his sister's house last night about 8:00. She's been so good to keep them the last two evenings since I've been sick. So when they walked in the back door, the first thing they spotted were these empty fabric softener bottles.

Sam was first to grab them, and as the "leader" he gave each of them a jug. He handed Jay a blue one and a Meg a pink one, and he kept a blue one. The boys were so excited to have a new colorful jug, even though they didn't have a clue what it was. They had so much fun throwing them up in the air and were talking a mile a minute about their new found treat.

With wide eyes, Megan instantly grabbed her pink bottle, hugged it to her chest and exclaimed, "Oh-My-Goodness! It's Pink. Did you buy it for me Mommy? Just for me?"

I sure did Meggie .... just for you, just because it's pink.

Such simple things .... just melt your heart when you're a Mom.

Lady Bugs

This morning I woke up to this. You have to go visit Nan at her blog to see the full post. She is hilarious! It made my day! It also made me cough because I laughed so much! Having Pneumonia isn't much fun!

The funny thing that I haven't told Nan is that this little tune is driving me nuts too, and has been running through my head non-stop since Saturday! It's very addicting! But I love it.

When I first heard this little jingle, I thought of my Mother-in-Law that I truly loved from the bottom of my heart. I think about her often and especially when I see Ladybugs. She was always on a mission to get rid of them, and they were so plentiful that she could never get them all.

So I started looking at Ladybugs differently after Mom passed away. I saw them as cute, busy little creatures ... just like Mom was. She was a joy in my life and I miss her so much. There are days I look at my kids and just would give anything if they could have met her. Then I see a Ladybug and they make me smile! So in my heart, I like to think that Mom knows my kids, for her presence is always with us.

You didn't even know it Nan, but thanks for the reminder of her this morning! Her birthday is coming up next week and you gave me a great reminder of someone I really loved.

If the little Ladybug song isn't playing when you read this .... you can scroll down to the bottom and click it. It will make you smile!

Have a Blessed Day Everyone!

They Know What Love Is ...

Tonight, I turned around and I saw these kids differently. I saw them no longer as my babies, but as little kids. They talk to me and they talk to each other with meaningful conversations and they mean what they say ... to me and to each other.

All about Sam!

He's the sweetest little guy and he's a leader. He's the quickest temper and he's the softest heart. He loves his animals as if they were real. He cuddles them and holds them and strokes their faces and kisses them. He loves them. He loves me. He tells me so. He rubs his cheeks on mine and tells me, "we're so soft." He feels his love in his heart, and he talks about it. He knows what Love is ....

Megan. Her voice is so sweet. She tells me that mine is too. She says that she is my baby, and that she loves me so much. I love her too. It's been so many years since I had daughter this young. I almost forgot how sweet it is. She talks about love, and girl things and how we'll go shopping and be the bestest of friends together and forever. How can she know this at her age? She knows, and she knows what love is ... So do I. I feel it in my heart.

All about Jay.

How lucky can one Mommy be. He's tender. He's sharp. He's quick. He wears his heart on the outside and we watch it softly beat. It beats with love for his sister and his brother, and he's always ready to take care of them when they hurt. He loves them. He tells them so. He loves me too. He says it every time the thought enters his mind .... and it's often. He smiles all the time, he's happy and winks at me like he has a secret. ... and he does. He knows what love is.

It's so wonderful to watch these kids grow. I sometimes wonder what did I do to deserve this. This opportunity doesn't come along very often in a woman's life to have this kind of love in triplicate. I'm so very blessed ... and so are they.

Be Blessed Everyone.

Comforting Sam ....

Does this ooze L.O.V.E. ... or what? (click the picture to see it bigger)

This picture makes my heart melt into a million little pieces everytime I look at it. I can't even print it and frame it. It is so out of focus and so pixelated, and so everything bad as far as a image can be .... but it's my favorite. I photoshopped (more like chopped) it to death to even get it this presentable.

This past Sunday morning I set up a background and my nifty little "Alien Bee's" (studio lights) in my living room and stripped the kiddo's down to tee shirts and underwear. I don't know who had the most fun .... them or me!

They rolled around and posed, and hugged each other .... rode their stick horses, turned flips and smiled for me. They forgot that a camera was clicking away, and they had so much fun.

THEN .... Sam purposely hit Jay upside the head with his stick horse, and it was all over. Instantaneous quiet overcame them. Sam sat down on his little green chair, with big tears in his eyes, and his two little comrades comforted him. They always "feed the hand that bites them." That has to be LOVE!

It's so funny how in one split-second, things change around here! Click the picture to see their faces .... and please ignore how bad the image itself is. There are tons more of this session that I have to wade through that are just perfect .... and I can't wait to edit them!

Be Blessed Everyone!



p.s. and to those of you that have missed me posting .... Maybe I haven't ever posted that the end of the month and the first two days are absolutely nuts for me. Reports are due in ... gotta keep that job you know, so I can by a new lenses, a new camera, a new backdrop or two, etc... OH, and pay my cell phone bill so I can talk to some of you!

~ My Kids ~

Jared, Josh, Juli and Joey


My family. My older kids all together. It's hard these days to get them all in one spot. With Joey still in college in Missouri, and Jared teaching and working in Mississippi, it's a rare moment to hold them down for a picture. They're "thick", as in best friends. They love each other, it's so obvious. Even though the miles separate them for the moment, they talk on the phone to each other all the time, and of course, I talk to each of them almost every day. Even though they're in their mid-twenties, they're still my babies, and I'm sure they always will be.

Almost twenty-seven years ago, I started writing letters to Josh before he was even born. I continued this with all four of them. I filled a big notebook of their beginning and their school years, and everything in between. Reading those letters out loud to them used to be their favorite past time. It's amazing how much of the little things you forget as a parent, but as we would read those letters, it's amazing how much they remembered from those days. Another example of how the little things become the big things in life. I haven't given them those letters yet, but I'm sure when I do, they will cherish them as much as I do.

I get teary eyed when I see them like this; having fun and goofing off, and posing for me. The lighting was not the best. Actually, we were in a dark room with only a ceiling fan for lighting and this quick snapshot turned out just perfect. I got their shining faces, all smiling and it's a beautiful picture to me. My children ... happy, smiling, loving each other and being together again, if only for one day, was wonderful.

I am yet to get all seven of my kids in one picture, but in two weeks, I'm setting up a studio at my brother's house and I'm doing family portraits of all of us. All of my sisters and their families and my brother and his family, and all of our kids and our parents. It's going to be a busy day, but a another fun day!

As we all get older, I think holidays take on a special meaning. I look forward to them, and all of us being together. Living away from my older kids is the hardest thing I've ever done ... you'd think I was hours and hours and a thousand miles away from them, but I'm only an hour away, yet I miss them so much. I miss the days of them running in and out and all the activities and all the running everywhere with them, and I'm looking forward to doing it again with the triplets in a few years. I'm a seasoned Mom, and I know exactly what's in store in for me!

Now Christmas is just around the corner, and I can't wait until we're all together again. Were you all together yesterday, and did you get pictures of those you love?

Be Blessed Everyone.