Little Man is not so little anymore

Sixteen, as of today, Little Man is sixteen! What an adventure it has been and continues to be. He is the one whom we never thought would be and then he came into the world and completed our family. 

Let's go back a few years . . . 

After Puppy came into the world, we believed she would be the last of our biological children. In fact, we started looking into adoption because we didn't want her to be an only child. Because of the uncertainty of additional children, we never talked with her about having another baby. She was it!

Then, in December of 2004, in the midst of a very eventful Christmas in northwestern Oklahoma (that's a story for another day), I found out I was pregnant with Little Man. We were excited beyond measure. Another baby on the way. God was showing up and proving the doctor's prediction wrong. How exciting!

God provided the pregnancy, but he made no promise it would be easy. To begin with, I was over 35 (gasp!) and labeled with "Advanced Maternal Age". That brings with it its own set of complications. As with Puppy's pregnancy, all care was by a perinatologist, Dr. Adam in the Houston Medical Center. Dr. Adam is one who does not take any chances and takes every precaution. When it looked like I might lose the pregnancy in the first trimester, she gave me medication to stop it. I remember her asking me if I wanted the medication and then telling me that we might be playing with fate. I was willing to take the medication believing if the pregnancy wasn't meant to be that God wouldn't have allowed it in the first place.

As I moved into the second trimester, I had surgery to make certain Little Man stayed tucked safely inside as well as given asthma medication to control preterm contractions. Unfortunately, my body didn't like the asthma medication that worked so beautifully when I was pregnant with Puppy. In fact, the medication had a rare affect on my body and caused my potassium level to drop - drastically. I was already on bedrest at this point. My chest felt so heavy that I was having a hard time breathing. After a call to my doctor, it was determined that I needed to get to the ER immediately.

Once at the hospital, Dr. Adam, because of a case study she had done in medical school, was able to take the necessary measures to get my potassium level back up prior to my going into cardiac arrest. Dr. Adam and the case study - coincidence? I think not! Unfortunately, it was discovered that the umbilical cord was wrapped around Little Man's neck and it tightened every time I had a contraction. So, in the hospital I stayed where I could be watched and closely monitored.

During this time, Puppy was passed around between staying at home with a caregiver when The Professor couldn't be home, going to my parents', and going to The Professor's dad and stepmom's. It was very hard on all of us. I was in the hospital confined to a bed, The Professor was juggling being at the hospital with me and making certain Puppy was taken care of, and Puppy was living in a uncertain world. Through it all, though, God showed up, took care of us, and there aren't any permanent scars - except for the crazy C-section scar.

Thankfully after a five-week hospital stay, Dr. Adam deemed it safe for me to return home on complete bedrest with a daily visit from a perinatal nurse and electronic monitoring. It wasn't completely smooth sailing from that point forward, but it wasn't that bad either. It was good to be home.

On Sunday, August 7, 2005, my Sunday School class threw a baby shower for Little Man. My parents came down from Oklahoma. I was able to get out of bed, dress in actual clothes, fix my hair, and put on makeup! It was a good day. I was one week from my scheduled C-section. Dr. Adam was out of the country, due back for the scheduled C. Little Man was a large baby. Dr. Adam had said that if I should go into labor in her absence, not to worry. Little Man would be fine to come a week early.

The baby shower came to an end, my parents were packing up to head back to Oklahoma, and I felt rather "odd". After a bit of time and a call to the nurse line, it was determined that I should get to the hospital. I was going into labor. Being that it was Sunday evening, Dr. Adam's partner wasn't too keen on coming to the hospital to deliver a baby. He suggested I be given medication to try to stop the labor. He was hit with a resounding "NO". Dr. Adam had already said it was safe for Little Man to come early and that is what I wanted to do.

My refusal to take the medication brought a very unhappy "Partner" to the hospital. In the wee hours of Monday morning, August 8, 2005, Little Man made his entrance into this world of ours. 

He was the cuddliest of babies and wanted nothing more than to be held. Puppy wanted to know when we could send him back. (Remember, we hadn't talked much about babies. All she knew is that her mommy had spent nine months in bed, had gotten really fat, and now she was holding this BOY all the time. LOL)

Time has marched on. Little Man is now SIXTEEN! Puppy has accepted that he's not going anywhere and they have a pretty good friendship. Life would not be complete without him. I am so thankful that God chose me to be his mom!

This boy of mine brings great JOY to my heart.

"Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit," says the LORD Almighty. Zechariah 4:6

A New Chapter for Puppy

    In looking back at my previous posts, it appears that I have become the once-a-year blogger. Oh my! Never my intention but I guess that life got in the way or something like that. The past year came and went with so much drama and complete boredom all rolled into one. It was the most eventful uneventful year that many of us have ever experienced.

    I always find the beginning of a new year exciting for one reason only - Puppy's birthday! Today, January 11, 2021, my Puppy is 19! For the last several days my mind has been racing with memories of the birth of my second-born little girl. The rainbow baby, the one who came after a great loss.  My miracle girl, the one who wasn't suppose to be. I can't help but smile as I think of how God worked in such a great and mighty way to bring her into this world.

    You see, I was told there wouldn't be babies, ever! Then, I got pregnant with Maggi Kaye, our first born. Sadly she was born prematurely and only lived for 46 hours. Again, I was told that there would be no babies. Believing that God is more powerful than doctors, The Professor and I continued to have faith that we would have a baby as we cancelled the surgery the doctor wanted me to have.

    It is that faith that led me to the church altar back in 2001. Following the example set by Hannah in I Samuel, I asked God for a baby. It wasn't that many weeks later that we found out I was pregnant with Puppy. The doctors were wrong. I was having a baby! Overjoyed is an understatement.

    The pregnancy was not without complications. I had surgery during the first trimester to keep Puppy safely tucked inside. I was on bedrest for the entirety of the pregnancy. I had numerous emergency trips to the hospital. At 22.5 weeks (the same point in the pregnancy when her sister was born), I had to have what is called a Mag Wash and preparations were made for a pre-term delivery. Again, God showed His power and prevented delivery. I was able to return home for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was monitored electronically from home, and The Professor was trained in giving me shots of medication. 

    We made it until Christmas and then into the new year. On January 11, 2002, I went into labor and just before midnight, Puppy was born via caesarean. For all those months we prayed for her to stay safely tucked inside then she was reluctant to come out and had to be surgically removed. She has been doing things her way ever since!

    I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.                                                                                                                                                       I Samuel 1:27

Now, here we are - Puppy's 19th birthday and the year of new beginnings. Over the course of 2020, we celebrated Puppy's high school graduation and her acceptance into the Mellon College of Science at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Due to Covid 19 shutting down the life to which we were accustomed, Puppy stayed at home last Fall and attended classes online.

    In less than two weeks, we will fly to a city to which we have never been to move our daughter into a dorm room on the campus of a university that we have never seen in person. Two weeks from today, The Professor and I will be flying home and leaving Puppy in Pittsburgh. Trust . . . we have to trust. Over the last year, through all the uncertainties of what the future holds, God has time and time again shown us that we need to trust Him alone.

    As we make preparations to fly halfway across the country to move our Puppy into the dorm for her first on-campus semester of college, God is allowing us to see His hand at work. He opened the door for her to get a room in the dorm after being told that it would not be possible for her to get a dorm room. He provided another student to take her place in the house where she had secured a room. He has blessed her with a wonderful group of friends who are looking forward to her arrival in Pittsburgh. Even though her class load this past semester was incredibly difficult, she finished strong and has a good study group in place.

    As Puppy is stepping into this new chapter of her life, we are resting in the trust that God is going before her and preparing the way. Pittsburgh is not new to Him. So, today, as we celebrate the life of our girl, we are thankful not only for the blessing of her life and the gift that she is to our family, but we are also thankful for the way in which God is working in her life. We are excited to see how He uses her for His glory as she moves forward on the path He has prepared for her.

    There is JOY in watching Puppy move into the next chapter of her story.

Catching Up . . .

2019 came and went! What in the world happened?

I decided back in December when it was apparent that I would not be mailing Christmas cards that I would wait and mail out a New Year's letter in January. Did you all enjoy hearing from the Buckles family in January? Ya, it didn't happen.

As everything seems to be getting busier by the minute as we prepare for Puppy's high school graduation in May, I decided it a good idea to put some thoughts down on paper or in my blog, same thing. As I sit and wonder where to begin, so many memories come crashing in. Eighteen . . . Puppy turned EIGHTEEN in January. I knew . . . hoped . . . dreamed . . . of this day being reality . . . my baby girl growing into a young woman. I just didn't have a concept of how quickly it would happen.

All I ever wanted in life was to get married and have babies. When Puppy finally made her debut in 2002, all of my dreams came true. After the birth of  Little Man three and half years later, I knew our family was complete. However, I believed that my baby fever would never die, but then it did. As the kids have grown and matured, I have enjoyed each stage and, honestly, like that they can take care of themselves and don't need me all of the time. To say I am a proud momma is no exaggeration.

Currently, our lives are wrapped up in presenting the best Puppy we can possibly present to colleges that she "thinks" she "might" like to attend. What a process! Puppy has big dreams that include solving crazy math problems and numerous world uncertainties. She has the mindset of "go big or go home"!  She would rather try and fail than not try at all.

In my momma heart, I feel this little twinge of uncertainty and wonder what life will be like when my little one is halfway across the world. (Yes, even though she hasn't heard back from the majority of the schools yet, we know that she will be in the northeast no matter what.) Even as I type that it takes my breath and brings tears to my eyes. But, isn't this what we have prepared her for? Isn't this making my hopes and dreams come true when she is making her hopes and dreams come true? All I have ever wanted for her as well as her brother is for them to chase THEIR dreams, for them to grow into the woman, the man, God created each of them to be.

In all of this uncertainty and waiting for others to make decisions, we rely on one absolute certainty - God alone is in control. Because of our faith in Him, we believe without a doubt that Puppy will end up exactly where she needs to be for the purpose that she needs to carry out. We believe that this is not only true for Puppy, but is true for you as well. Jesus came to die, to raise, and to save. Because of our salvation through Him, we know, we trust, that even though we do not currently know what Puppy's future is, we know who holds the future. What peace that gives to us. I pray that you, through faith in Jesus, have that same peace.

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

Psalm 118:6a

There is great JOY in watching my kids grow and mature in their faith in Christ. There is great JOY in watching Puppy spread her wings.

Tami

Then Came Harvey . . . The Finale

On Friday, September 1, 2017, we were planning to do work at the new house when we learned that we could access the flooded house. Thankfully, the water receded rather quickly. In other parts of the city it did not.

Within a few hours of our arrival at the house, there were more people there than I could count. Our church community and our homeschool community were amazing! Talk about people not afraid to get dirty. Those people - men, women, boys, girls - were sloshing through several inches of sludge inside the house as well as out! There wasn't even a place to sit down without getting muddy.

I was in a state of shock and somewhat paralyzed. It was so difficult to think and then actually follow through with getting something done. I was so overwhelmed. Thankfully, a fellow homeschooler and church member was able to basically take over. She could see a need and send someone to take care of that need. I thank God for sending her to help when we desperately needed help.

There is nothing quite like having every single possession you own being sifted through by someone you don't know and then moved out onto your front lawn. Like I previously said, we were able to move most cherished items upstairs, but there were still drawers and cabinets that were full, one being my nightstand. It contained the Bible that my daddy gave me. There was no saving it. My mother recently asked about a picture that Puppy drew in kindergarten. I don't know if it went down in the flood or not. I don't want to think about it. As long as I don't know for certain, there is still hope.

Any furniture that was not 100% wood was already falling apart. No one even considered trying to save fabric or leather furniture. It all went to the curb. In some ways it was easier having other people gutting the house. It moved me a step further away from the reality of what was happening.

There is no way I can adequately express our gratitude to those who helped during one of the most difficult times of our lives. In my mind, I can still see faces of people whose names I do not know. Those in our community who were not helping to muck out houses were making meals and doing laundry. Their sacrificial giving . . . I cherish it all in my heart.

My mother and brother arrived on Saturday. My mother brought her little pickup to us so that we would have transportation and could return the Cs' car to them. It was nice having my family here for a few days. On Monday, my mother, Puppy and I drove to Dallas to meet up with The Professor's mother. She also had a vehicle she let us borrow.

We were very blessed that our house got mucked out so quickly. It is all because of our church and homeschool communities. Once everything was out of the house, everything remaining had to be sprayed with special chemicals and left to dry. Because we are still hopeful that we will sell our house, we hired a remediation company to get the house dried out and to confirm that it is mold free. We wanted to have certification that we can show a future buyer.

Most in our area did not have flood insurance because we were not in a flood zone. We received a small amount from FEMA and our insurance company let us claim a very small amount for a sewer backup rider. We definitely had plenty of sewer backed up! Insurance on our vehicles was great. We were able to replace them without any difficulties.

We and our neighbors moved all of our good stuff over to our new house. Our neighbors who became our "Roommates" moved into three of the bedrooms and used the unfinished game room as their storage room. With the help of girlfriends, I worked on getting bedrooms set up for my kids. This had been very hard on both of them. I was hopeful that by getting their rooms together that they could start settling in. Puppy was taking online classes that had started and were continuing without her. She really needed to get settled so that she could get back to class. (Allow me to have a mom brag moment here. Even with starting out two weeks behind, Puppy played catchup and came out with excellent grades both AP English and AP Chemistry. That little girl worked very very hard under extreme circumstances for those grades!)

Unfortunately, not everything went as smoothly at the new house as we had hoped. To start off with, we had a clogged sewer. Urgh! We just went through a flood and now a clogged sewer at the house that didn't flood. Not fun! After going a couple of weeks without being able to use the sewer and going through three different plumbing companies, we finally called the former homeowner, figured out where the outside sewer pipe is located, and got it all replaced. During this time period, we spent some time at the home of one of  The Professor's coworkers. Such sweet people. They had previously experienced a flood so they could relate with what we were going through. The coworker had also helped move things to our new house. On the days we stayed at the new house, I learned to bathe standing in a plastic crate. LOL. I would stand in the crate in the shower, let the crate catch the water, then The Professor would carry the crate outside and dump it. I am so glad that memory makes me laugh. At the time, it was not very funny! The Professor was bathing at the flood house without hot water.

We also learned when the brand new clothes dryer wasn't drying our clothes that the dryer vent pipe going through the ceiling was completely clogged. The Professor and I discovered this about midnight one night. Yes, we were up in the attic above the second floor banging around trying to unclog the vent pipe. Oh my! If only I had a video camera going. I know that was a sight to see!

Our Roommates were the smart ones during all these mishaps and stayed with friends. I have to say they were great Roommates. They experienced us at our worst and still speak to us! At this point, we are more like family. We have shared way too much together. We often joked, "What happens in the Buckles' house stays in the Buckles' house." We really thought we should have our own reality show.

Our Roommates were with us until mid January 2018. No, their house is still not finished. They moved into their upstairs with the downstairs still under construction. They are hopeful that it will one day be finished.

We are still working on both of our houses. The Professor's primary focus has been the flooded house and mine the new house. However, we have each done work at both houses. Our former church, FBC Humble, blessed us greatly by providing for the flooded house all of the insulation and sheetrock. They went a step further and lined up a work crew from New Jersey to install the insulation and sheetrock. The Professor has acted as our general contractor. He has spent many hours cleaning and doing what jobs he can do himself. The rest he has hired various workers to do. I have spent my time making our new house our home. I have been to a lot of antique/junk stores. I thoroughly enjoy finding a great bargain! We still have a ways to go on both houses, but we are getting closer every day. Our prayer is that we can get the flood house back on the market sooner than later and that it will sell!

There are several things that stand out in my mind for which I will forever be grateful.

• The friends who stocked our frig and pantry at the new house.
• The friends who washed all of my muddy dishes.
• Those who brought us meals for weeks after the flood.
• Those whom I do not know that sent gift cards in the mail.
• The friend in Oklahoma who took up a collection and had gift cards delivered to her friends who flooded.
• The friend who did my laundry when my new washer and dryer weren't working properly.
• The friends who took Little Man home with them to get him away.
• The friend who let me spend the day at her house doing laundry.
• The friend who went out of her way to bring me chocolate!
• The friend who gave me furniture and left bags of chocolate for me.
• The way our community came together. No one cared about skin color, one's line of work, or  in which neighborhood one lived. We were all flood victims. Love was in abundance. I pray as we move further and further away from the flood that we can keep that love flowing.

You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent.

LORD my God, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 30:11-12

There is JOY in praising God in all circumstances.

Tami

Then Came Harvey . . . Part 2

We were dropped onto dry land at the community center without any form of transportation, very little battery life in our phones and bad cell service. As we made our way through the center, we encountered people who were just as lost as we were, some even more so. The Professor and I were both trying to find a spot where we could get enough cell service to make a successful call. Inside the building wasn't working. Outside the building it was continuing to rain, very noisy, and still not very successful. We were praying and calling those in our contact list whom we thought could pick us up.

We finally reached Mrs. C. She had become a friend after being Puppy's teacher in various subjects over the last several years. I am certain she never thought she would be taking in her former student's wet, muddy family. Once we reached her by phone, she told us that she would send her husband to pick us up. The only problem was he couldn't make it to the community center. He was directed to go to the middle school that was several blocks away. Our next task was to find a ride from the community center to the middle school.

The people who came out to help those of us who flooded were truly amazing. A couple in a pickup drove up to the community center and announced, "Anybody need a ride?" They were on their way home from the grocery store and decided to see if they could help. Puppy and I climbed into the front seat. Little Man and others were in the back seat. The wife was crammed into a child's car seat while the husband drove. The Professor climbed into the bed of the pickup with others. I don't know the names of that couple or even really remember what they look like, but I am thankful for their kindness.

We arrived at the middle school and Mr. C was there to pick us up. We were very happy to see him. We arrived at the Cs' BRAND NEW home with our wet muddy selves and could not have been more warmly greeted. We removed our shoes in the garage, but I am not certain that really helped any in not tracking through their house. We were covered in sewer water!

We were escorted upstairs to bedrooms and bathrooms where everything was new and shiny. We were told that we could get cleaned up and then go downstairs for something to eat. It felt wonderful to take a shower. It was like washing some of what had happened down the drain. Mrs. C gave us a basket, told us to put our wet clothes in it, and put it outside the bedroom door. A few hours later, she returned to us fresh clean clothes. She also took Mozzy and gave him a bath.

When we went back downstairs, we learned that the C's had also taken in an elderly couple who had truly lost everything. That couples' home was a one story so no moving anything upstairs. When they left their home with the clothes they were wearing, that is all they had. Their daughter lives in the area, but could not get to them because of the flood water.

We stayed with the Cs several days over the next week. They cooked for us, washed our clothes, and let us borrow their car. They were a great blessing when we were truly homeless. We will forever be grateful for the kindness they showed us.

Our "new" house is a couple of miles from our "old" house. For a couple of days, we had no idea if the new house had also flooded. The friends who were going to stay there ended up going to another friend's where there was furniture. The area around the new house was underwater so it was not accessible. We were hopeful that it remained dry.

Once it stopped raining and the water started to recede, our friends went in a canoe to check out the new house for us. We were overjoyed to learn that it did not flood! The house beside it and the houses across the street from it flooded, but our house was high and dry. We had a place to go! Thank you, Jesus!

We jumped into high gear to try to get the new house where we could move into it. We talked to our handyman and asked him to get toilets installed in the bathrooms as soon as the house was accessible by car. A friend let us borrow air mattresses and sheets, and she and her daughter cleaned for us. The house had never been cleaned since the former people moved out and all the construction work had been done. It was a dusty mess to say the least. Again, we are so grateful for the kindness shown to us.

I spoke to my neighbor by telephone numerous times. She and her family had been taken a different direction when they left the neighborhood by boat. They were staying with friends who were also housing several other flood victims. Each of us was trying to keep the other informed of what needed to be done and when we could access our flooded homes. Her husband had been able to go in by boat and sent us a few pictures. When she told me that she had no idea where they were going to go, I immediately told her that they could come to our new house with us.

 

You see, our new house is large. It has a total of six bedrooms, five of which are upstairs along with three bathrooms. Why did we purchase such a large home in great need of repair? I had no idea at the time, but God worked it out for us to purchase it. After the purchase, my prayer was "May this house be a safe haven." A "safe haven"? Why those words? Why were those words put on my heart? Why did I pray those words daily? And, now, here we were going through a flood and had enough space for not only our family of four, but our neighbors as well. We were most definitely in need of a "safe haven". God provided what we needed before we even knew we needed it.

And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

There is JOY in trusting God to meet my needs.

The story will continue . . .

Tami

Then Came Harvey . . . Part 1

In order to give you, my reader, the full picture of what was going on in our lives and how everything worked out in the aftermath of Harvey, I must first go back to the Spring of 2017 and give you a little background information. The Professor and I love to house shop. Not certain why, we just do. We are always watching the market and looking for a "really good deal". Over the years, we have contemplated purchasing an investment property, but never actually followed through with anything.

There was one house that we watched for a couple of years. It was on the market, then off the market, then on the market again. In trying to work out a deal on that house, we found another house and I fell in love. The Professor liked it, but not as much as I. He was, though, willing to make a low-ball offer. Sadly, someone else was interested in the house and made a higher offer than we did. We were disappointed, but felt it was for the best. We would keep watching the "other" house. A couple of weeks later, we got a phone call from our realtor saying that the offer fell through. We were back in the game if we wanted to be. Of course, I wanted to be! Again, we made a low-ball, as is, offer. It was accepted! Now, we have an investment house that needs A LOT of work just to make it livable. Pretty much everything in the house is broken, doesn't function properly, or is just really really old. We hired a handyman/painter to start to work. Things that we could not do ourselves would get done first and then we planned to complete the remainder. We would continue to live in our current home until the projects at the new house were almost complete then we would put our current home on the market and move into our new house.

That WAS such a great plan. What could possibly go wrong? We spent time making certain our current home was in tip top condition, touched up the paint and replaced a few rotting boards on the outside of the house. We even hired a repairman to get the built-in refrigerator in top working condition. We were set for everything to fall into place.

At the new house, bathrooms had been gutted and remodeled (everything except toilets - we were waiting until the last minute to put in the new toilets). Non-working appliances had been taken out of the kitchen and replaced. The aged faux finish on the kitchen cabinets had been sanded off and everything painted a crisp white. We were moving forward. We were only a few weeks away from being able to move into the new house. It was time to put our current house on the market.

Summer was coming to an end. What perfect timing. We had our current house on the market, we were finalizing everything in the new house, and we were planning to move in the Fall when the temperature was a little cooler. How exciting!

Then, news of Harvey forming out in the Gulf was all over the news. He was going to hit Texas and hit Texas in a big way, but he wasn't going to get close to us. We didn't need to worry. As time progressed and we saw that the Houston metroplex was in fact going to get a lot of rainfall, we talked to several friends who were told they would definitely flood. Even though our new house wasn't furnished and only one of the bathrooms had a toilet, we offered it to friends who were forced to evacuate their home. We had taken The Professor's truck to the new home, but then decided it best to bring it back to our current home just in case we were to need it. Still, though, we were not concerned. Our house was not in a flood zone. It hadn't ever flooded.  We didn't need to worry. Flooding happened to other people, not us!

On Monday, August 28, 2017, when the golf course behind our home and 90 percent of our yard had disappeared under the water, we started to be concerned for ourselves. The Professor and I discussed the situation and we decided we should probably leave. First, though, he thought it best to drive out of our neighborhood and assess the situation. The Professor drives a 4X4 equipped with an off-road package so he thought we would be good to go, but wanted to make certain. He was only gone a few minutes when he came back to say that the water was already too high on the street that leads out of our neighborhood for us to safely leave. We needed to stay put and ride it out.

Thankfully, I had been to the grocery store and bought a supply of nonperishable food and water just in case we lost electricity. We decided that we should take those items, as well as anything else of great importance, upstairs. We were doing this just as a precautionary measure. We weren't going to actually flood. But, with the very slim chance that we might flood, I put plastic trash sacks on the legs of the dining table. I was being prepared! Our home was split level in that the Professor's office was up four steps from the main floor. We decided - again, as a precautionary measure - to move anything we could carry up to his office. Even if water did start coming into our home, there was no way it would get that high. The Professor and I also decided it was probably best if we and the dog slept upstairs - just as a precautionary measure.

I couldn't sleep. Every time I put my head on the pillow, I would think of something else that I needed to grab - just as a precautionary measure. We weren't really going to flood. About midnight, my phone range. It was my neighbor saying her house was taking in water. I went downstairs to find that our house was also taking in water. It was a moment of disbelief, shock, urgency, all rolled into one. Everything that we could carry had to go up, either on top of counters or all the way upstairs.

I had called my brother earlier in the evening and he advised that we shut off power to the house for safety reasons. The Professor, Puppy, and I worked all night in the dark splashing through rising sewer water carrying load after load up the stairs. Little Man was fast asleep in his bed unaware of what was taking place. It was unbelievable how quickly the water was rising. One minute, it was coming in under the door and the next it was almost to my knees. Thankfully, we took all of our clothes, shoes, important papers, computers, and every cherished item we could think of upstairs. Items that we didn't want ruined, but were not as cherished, were placed on top of the kitchen counters. Even though the water was coming in quickly, it definitely wouldn't get that high. Would it? Yes, yes, it would get even higher than the kitchen counters.

The sounds. Will we ever forget the sounds? Air being sucked out of kitchen cabinets as they filled with water. Car horns going off as cars were dying under the water. The breaking of glass and crashing of furniture as it was knocked over.

As the sun was rising on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, I was sitting in Little Man's room staring out the window in the direction of the street that leads into our neighborhood. There is only one street in and out of our little two-street section. Little Man had awakened at some point in the night scared. Once the water was too high and we determined it unsafe to try to save anything else, I had stayed in his room to be close to him. As the day started and I could see out, I started watching the street. A neighbor who has a boat left the neighborhood. Other neighbors, one street over, went out on a jet ski. I saw a canoe float by upside down. I later learned that the canoe had tipped over with a friend's brother and his wife inside. They had to grab ahold of a tree until they could be rescued, which was quite some time later.

At this point, I knew that the only way we were getting out was by boat. I had looked downstairs and the water was to the top of our kitchen counters and still rising. It had reached The Professor's office. From Puppy's bathroom window I could see that the water was up over the hood of  The Professor's truck. My SUV was in the garage out of sight. From every window all we could see was dirty nasty water.

My neighbor called to say that the battery in her phone was going dead and to please not leave without her family. Puppy had discovered that we could charge our phones using her computer so I was able to get enough charge to still be able to use my phone. At this point, I could not get a call or text to go out, but I could use FaceBook. I found that to be rather crazy.

The outpouring of support from those on FaceBook was such a blessing. I started receiving messages from people assuring me that they were working on getting a boat to us. I had numerous offers from people saying that once we got out we could go to their home. I even had an offer from someone whom I have not met in person! A high school friend offered to come from Oklahoma with his boat to get us if we were not rescued soon.

Our neighbor returned with his boat. He first went to the house across the street from us. I was able to communicate with him from Little Man's bedroom window. He assured me that he would get to us. I never felt scared nor that we were in danger. We were safe upstairs. Even though the water was continuing to rise, we were up high.

Then, the boat came. I will never forget Guy from Longview and his son-in-law, Daniel, the firefighter from Corsicana. We were their first rescue. They heard the need, hitched up the boat, and drove to Houston to help. They put the boat in the water, started driving and landed in front of our house.

We grabbed a few changes of clothes, our toothbrushes, and headed out. When I stepped off of the step onto the main level of our house, the water was up to my chest. I was holding my arms straight up with a bag of clothing over my head. Our dining table - you know, the one with the plastic bags on the legs, LOL - was floating past me. I thought that I could put my stuff on top of it and use it like a raft. Uhh, no, that does not work! It started to sink so I abandoned that idea. The entryway to our house was built up a couple of steps. It was nice to be able to step up a little bit once we were across the living room.

Guy pulled his boat up to our front steps as close as he could get it. Daniel jumped down into the water. He first took our dog, Mozzy, and got him to the boat. He then grabbed me under the arms and carried me to the boat. He apologized for how he carried me! Definitely no apology necessary. I was good with any way he wanted to get me out of that water! Next, he carried both of my kids to the boat. We were so thankful to see those two guys that we were almost giddy!

It was a small boat, not meant for many passengers. Little Man, Mozzy and I crammed into a seat. Puppy was on the floor. The Professor and Daniel were on the front of the boat. Guy was driving.

Being that Guy had not previously been to our neighborhood, he had no idea where the street actually was nor where mailboxes were located. The Professor was directing him around mailboxes and telling him which direction to go to get us out of the neighborhood. The Professor and Daniel had to duck when we went under power lines! The current was so strong at one point that Guy had to really rev up the motor just to make it through the current. We were boating down the street passing other boats. Everywhere we looked it was under water. It was unbelievable!

We finally reached dry land and were dropped at the local community center. We were wet, cold, had very little battery life left in the phone, and spotty cell coverage. We had no idea what would happen next. All we knew is that we were on dry land and were safe.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5 and 6

There is JOY in standing on dry land!

You will have to come back for the rest of the story . . .

Tami

Words are EVERYWHERE. Some are good and some are bad. Some can lift you up while others can bring you down.

Some time ago, as Puppy got into the car after a day at school, she was almost in tears. Honestly, thinking about it also brings tears to my eyes. Someone had used their words to bring hurt.

Someone seemed to think that it was very funny to make fun of something that Little Man had done. Not only had others been talking and laughing, this someone decided to tell Puppy about it thinking that Puppy would join in on their fun. Puppy didn't think it to be so funny. In fact, she was quite offended and hurt by the actions of others. She took the opportunity to take up for Little Man. That was a proud momma moment right there!

You see, Puppy knows her brother oh so well. She knows that he is not your typical kid. She knows that he is one that functions outside of the box. He is a very compassionate, intense, and sensitive kid to the point that he has what are known as sensory issues. Sensory issues come in many different forms. What is key is that they make kids function outside that box in which most kids fit. (If you would like more information on sensory issues, I can point you in the right direction to learn more.) Puppy is very sensitive to the issue because she herself has some of those sensory issues. Her's are just manifested differently than her brother's.

I know, kids will be kids. They have their good moments and their bad just as we adults do. They often say or do things without thinking about what it does to another. When someone is a little different in how they move through life, those inside the box at times look outside the box and find humor in those differences. To one who is different, there is no humor, but there is often hurt.

I am reminded that what we say about others is very important. We can use our words to either build each other up or tear each other down. As Puppy reminded me when we were talking about what had happened, once the words have been spoken they cannot be taken back. That is an ongoing lesson. May we all stop and think before we speak something against another even if we might find humor in it.

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

May others receive JOY from the words we speak. May our words build up and not tear down.

Tami

How secure are you?

Gone are the days of leaving your car unlocked when you are out running errands. Gone are the days of leaving your house unlocked even while you are inside. We are living in the age of added security. One cannot turn on the television nor listen to the radio without news of a murder, a break-in, or a terrorist threat. We teach our kids to take extra precautions. We ourselves are always on the lookout.

In this day and age, is it possible to have security? I mean "real" security.

A while back, on a very rainy morning, Little Man and I headed down to the museum district for a field trip with our homeschooling group. From our home in the northeastern part of the city down to the museum district is about a 45-minute drive. When it is raining, it can take even longer.

As I am splashing my way down Hwy 59, I take a glance in the rearview mirror at the back seat. There sits Little Man without a care in the world. He is not paying one bit of attention to the rain outside, the cars moving all around us, or my driving. He is lost in his own sweet innocent little world of being a kid! What a wonderful little world it is.

I remember those carefree days. The days when someone else made all of the decisions. Someone else paid the bills, cooked the meals, and did the laundry. (I had great parents. Yes, my mom did ALL the laundry!) I was the one being toted to my various activities while someone else did the driving and worrying about if we would arrive safely and on time. Weren't those wonderful times? I rather enjoyed them. I felt secure.

Now that we are adults and living in a day and age where there is so much crime and things that can go wrong, is it still possible to feel secure? Like Little Man, is it possible to sit back and enjoy the ride while the storm crashes around you?

Yes, it most definitely is! God's Word tells us in Isaiah 41:10

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

There is only one key to this security and that is Jesus. If you belong to Him*, there is no need to live in fear. You can rest securely in the palm of God's hand no matter what life throws your way.

May you find JOY today in resting securely in the hand of God.

Tami

*If you do not know what it means to have security in Jesus, I would be happy to explain it to you.

Comparing

Oh, comparison. We are taught at a very early age to compare things.

Which one do you like best?

Which item is larger, which is smaller?

Who has blue eyes, who has brown?

How many pieces of candy did you get?

It goes on and on and on. As we move into adulthood, we start comparing education, jobs, houses, cars, and prices at the grocery store. There are even times when comparisons are based on assumptions that just aren't true. The Professor is a highly educated man having a college degree as well as two graduate degrees from really good schools. I, on the other hand, chose not to go to college after high school. I went to a trade school and became a secretary. I loved being a secretary. I love to type!

It is often assumed that I have a similar educational background as The Professor. Prior to marriage to The Professor, one person was in great error in making this assumption. In the middle of a lengthy one-on-one conversation, she actually told me that it was impossible for her to carry on a conversation with someone who did not have a college degree. Oh the ignorance! Having a piece of paper stating a college degree does not make one smart, and it definitely does not give one wisdom!

When you think about it, aren't all of our comparisons just as crazy? Not only do we compare our own physical appearance from what size we are to how many wrinkles and gray hairs we have, but we also compare our children.

My child is the best baseball player, best dancer, or the champion of the spelling bee! From the time the child enters school, his intellect is compared with the other kids in his class via daily grades as well as other kids across the country on national tests.

What if the world stopped comparing? What if it no longer mattered who has the best job or if your child is the best at this or that? What if everyone could just be the person God created him or her to be?

In more recent years, I have been told by some that I "should" be doing this or that. I have even had some look down on me when I haven't done what they deemed I should be doing.

Last night I had the privilege of attending the LifeLine Pregnancy Center's annual banquet. It was such a blessing. The Professor was the keynote speaker. It was such an honor to be there in support of him as he shared his heart on the sanctity of life. We are 100% PRO-LIFE!

The Professor pointed out how through the life of the prophet Jeremiah* we can clearly see that each life is ordained by God prior to coming into existence - every life, not just certain ones here and there. Not only is every life ordained, but every life is created for a specific purpose! Can you let that sink in for a few minutes?

Basically, stop the comparing. God created YOU to be YOU! You are intended to be YOU to serve God in the way He has purposed. He just wants YOU to shine in the way he created YOU to shine. I can tell you, he did not create me to sing! There are many times throughout my life that I have "wished" that I could be like someone else in her talent. It is very freeing when you can come to grips with who God created YOU to be.

This goes for our kids too. It is so unfair to compare them to other kids even if your kid comes out on top in the comparison. God did not create Puppy to be a gymnast nor Little Man to play football. He did give them talents in other areas that are not necessarily the "norm" in each of their respective age groups. When they were younger there was a lot of pressure to put each of them into standard activities. Yes, we tried numerous to no avail. Not only have I received freedom in just being me, there has also been great freedom in allowing my kids to pursue their own interests even when it falls outside the realm of what is the "norm".

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

May you find JOY in being YOU!

Tami

*Please see Jeremiah 1 for the story of Jeremiah's genesis.

Having Fun, What Goes on Behind Closed Doors, and The Sovereignty of God

I absolutely love to laugh. Within our home, we do not go a day without a good belly laugh in some form. Even within the midst of heartache, we somehow find a way to laugh. It does my soul good. The Professor, even though he has a tendency to act like a PROFESSOR, has a great sense of humor. He often comes up with some type of riddle for us to mull over while eating dinner. Because he is a professor and doesn't have class every day of the week, he is at home the majority of most days. With us homeschooling, the kids are at home the majority of most days as well. In other words, we are together as a family A LOT!

Between chores, schoolwork, and outside activities our days are probably just as crazy as the next person's. For the most part, we just do it all under the same roof. We each go about our days doing what needs to be done to accomplish whatever task each of us needs to accomplish.

Then, evening comes. Very seldom are we not all together in the evening. There are a couple of days this semester that The Professor has an evening class. On those days, we wait for him to get home to have dinner so that we all eat together. After dinner, we have a tendency to scatter. The Professor typically goes to his office to accomplish a little more work. Puppy usually has to put a few final touches on a homework assignment. Little Man likes to perform a few more yoyo tricks or play one more computer game. I, well, one never can tell what I might be doing.

As the evening starts to come to an end, we all gather together in our family room for what was dubbed many years ago as "Night Night." This is our time as a family to come together for what is most important to us. For what is at the very core of our existence, our beings. It is during this time that we push to the side everything but one thing - The Main Thing. The time in which we pause, take time out from the world around us. The time in which we focus on God.  Even as we love to have times of laughter, we also cherish this most serious of times.

The Professor gets out his Bible and reads the words that were written thousands of years ago, but are so true today. I believe that I would be doing my friends a disservice if I do not share this aspect of our lives. The is the reason that we live, that we move, that we breathe. It is behind every decision that we make. The relationship that we have with God, the creator of the world in which we live, is the most important of all relationships.

We believe in the sovereignty of God. We believe that He alone has the supreme power, authority, and control not only over our lives, but the world as a whole. Because of this belief, we also believe that one day, when this life is complete, we will have to give an account to Him for how each of us has lived our lives. I will give an account for ME - not my mother, not my husband, not one of my kids, just ME!

First and foremost, God will ask if I knew his son, Jesus. His only son. The one who came into the world via virgin birth through Mary. The one who was persecuted, crucified, buried, and then rose from the dead. The one whom I believe lives eternally at the right hand of his Father God. The one whom I strive to follow and serve on a daily basis.

All of this has been weighing so heavily on my mind as I listen to our "Christian Community" spew hate and draw lines against each other over who will be president of the United States of America. It is a great country and I feel so blessed that through my mother I am a fifth generation American. However, my God is so much bigger than the United States. He doesn't love one country more than another country unless we start talking about Israel. And, well, that is His chosen country and the Jews are His chosen people. You can read about His relationship with Israel and the Jewish Nation throughout the Old Testament of the Holy Word of God. The United States, as great as it is, is not His chosen country. And we, Gentiles, are not His chosen people group. Thankfully, through the saving power of Jesus Christ, a way has been made for me and for you.

When it is all said and done, when I have to stand before God and give an account of ME, I do not believe that He is going to ask me for whom I voted in the 2016 Presidential Election of the United States. I DO believe He will ask me, "Did you know my son?"

Behind the laughter, behind the closed doors of our home, there is one thing that stands true today, tomorrow, and always, the Power of Christ. It never changes. It was the same yesterday, today, and will be tomorrow no matter whom I vote for or who wins the Presidential election. My God is bigger! He loves babies more than I could ever love. He hates ALL sin - even the sin in my life! And He loves every human being including Trump, Hillary and the terrorist.

My job is to seek Him, follow Him, strive to be like Him and to love at all cost. In that, I have JOY!

Tami

Forgetful

Are you a forgetful person? I sure am.

There was the time several years ago when I forgot my friend's baby shower. You may be thinking, "That's no big deal. It can happen to anyone." What made it so bad is that I was a hostess! I had spent the day before making food for the shower. The food was sitting in my refrigerator when the call came questioning my whereabouts while I was out shopping.

More recently, I forgot to go to a workshop that I signed up for and paid $25 to attend! Not only did I hate that I missed the workshop, but I also felt bad for the friend hosting the workshop. She was even kind enough to refund my money. I hope others attended.

Then, last week I went to put clothes from the washer to the dryer only to discover that there were WET clothes already in the dryer! Who knows how long they had been there. Obviously, not only had I forgotten to take them out of the dryer, I never turned the dryer on to begin with!

We so often think of forgetting something as a bad thing. Often it is. In the above instances, forgetting was definitely not a good thing. However, there are times when forgetting is a good thing. It can even be the best thing. Little Man recently asked me about something that he had done in the past. I honestly didn't remember it. At the time of the offense, he asked for forgiveness, I granted it, and didn't give it another thought. I told him that he too needed to forget about it.

Do you realize that is how God is? He can be VERY forgetful. The key is forgiveness. We are told in Hebrews 8:12:

For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.

Basically, if I ask God to forgive me, not only am I forgiven but my sin is forgotten! Forgotten in the sense that He will no longer hold it against you. You really can't get any better than that. That is when forgetfulness becomes the best thing.

I pray that today you find JOY in not only forgiving and being forgiven, but in forgetting the past sin in your own life as well as in the lives of others. There are times when we would all benefit from being a little more forgetful!

Tami

God is Quite Funny

Yes, I believe that God has a sense of humor. That statement may have you wondering why I believe such a thing. Well, I have created a list to support my belief and since you are reading this I am going to assume that you would like to know why I believe what I do so here goes . . .

1. God created humans. Can you get any funnier than that?

2. I am a very "neat" person. My life motto is "Everything has a place and everything should be in its place - at all times!" I am married to a man, The Professor, who is well . . . ummmm . . . not that way. I also gave birth to two little people who are the messiest humans ever put on the earth.

3. I do not like to be touched. I have this comfort zone and I am only comfortable when I am the only person in the zone! I gave birth to this little person who loves to touch. For the first six weeks of life this little person would not sleep unless lying on my chest. Even though this little person now weighs almost as much as I do, this little person still wants to sit in my lap.

4. I am an introvert. You know, one of those people who gets rejuvenated by spending time alone. I homeschool my kids. Homeschool moms do not, I repeat DO NOT, get time alone! I also gave birth to this little person who follows me everywhere I go. If I go outside . . . if I go to the laundry room . . . if I go upstairs . . . if I go to the bathroom . . . you get the picture. I never, even in my own house, go anywhere alone.

5. I am not a morning person. I like to wake up and have a few minutes to breathe, not talk, adjust to my eyes being open. Well . . . you guessed it . . . I gave birth to a MORNING PERSON! This little person wakes up early and starts talking the minute another life form is heard. I am typically greeted with chatter before I ever cross the threshold of my bedroom. Waking up and slowly adjusting to a new day just flew out the window.

6. I really like to be in control. I'm sure that statement makes some of you laugh out loud. I truly imagine God chuckling at that statement or at least shaking His head, which leads me to one of my favorite Bible verses.

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.   Proverbs 16:9

I often think that God uses this verse to get a good laugh out of me. I really like to have all of my little ducks in a perfectly formed row, everything organized, and just so. Our schedule this semester is a prime example of me getting everything "perfectly planned" and then it all going haywire!

I started the semester believing that I would be at home alone for three hours every Monday and Wednesday. The Professor has Monday/Wednesday classes and I "had" both kids signed up for coop classes on Monday/Wednesday afternoons. I had wonderful visions of peaceful, uninterrupted time to myself, and a sparkling clean, well-organized house with everything in its place. What a dream it was!

Not only was my dream shattered when a coop class did not work out, but now every Monday and Wednesday I get to make the five minute drive to the coop school four times per day! Perfect example that I really have no control at all. Once again, I am reminded that it was so silly of me to think I did!

However, in the midst of the messy, touchy, crowded with people world in which I live, there is JOY.

There was that special moment with my little one, who hates to write, laughing through his writing assignment because he found the paragraph he was writing to be so funny. I would have missed that if I was at home alone.

The hugs, oh the sweet sweet hugs, that remind me that even though my baby is no longer a baby, I am still needed and wanted.

Being followed everywhere I go. That one is reminding me that my little one still wants to spend time with me, values my opinion, and wants me to know what is happening in her life.

Those morning greetings remind me that God too wants to hear from me, spend time with me as I start my day.

In the messiness, I am reminded that those messy people are way more important than everything being in its place.

So, today, I am taking a deep breath and finding JOY in all the chaos of this wonderful life I live and choosing to cherish the time I have the privilege of spending with the ones I love.

May you have JOY amidst your chaos!

Tami

Can I Text You?

I have two kids who never - and I mean NEVER - stop talking. They both attend coop classes with our home-school coop. The minute they get into the car at the end of the day there is a battle for who gets to talk. I try to make them take turns, but I am not always successful. If you by chance have one of my kids in class, by the time the evening is over I know just about every detail of everything that went on in your class.

Honestly, I wouldn't want it any other way. Sometimes I get a little worn out, but if they are willing to talk then I am willing to listen. If your child is a friend of one of my kids and you are wondering what is going on with your child, give me a call and we can talk! LOL

Today, though, I really needed to help Little Man with his homework. He is taking a class that is way out of his comfort zone and needed a little one-on-one with Mom to get started on his assignment. Puppy had not used up all of her words. Poor thing. I told her that I really needed her to stop talking so that I could give Little Man my full attention. Again, she interrupted with something that was . . . ummm . . ."very important." How important? Well, on a scale from one to ten with ten being the most important it was about a ZERO!

Finally, I said to my sweet Puppy, "If you cannot stop talking, you have to leave the room. I really need to give Little Man all of my attention. You can have another turn later." To which she promptly replied, "Can I text you?" Oh that kid. NO! You cannot text me.

I wonder sometimes if God feels like Puppy wanting attention. We are going about our days moving here and there taking care of this and that with no regard for Him whatsoever. He is doing everything to get the attention He deserves and yet we continue to ignore Him. I know I am very guilty.

It is very hard as a wife, mom, home-school teacher, dishwasher, laundry service, taxi service, cook, and every other job we do to stop and just be still with God. The thing about it is that we are absolutely nothing without Christ. He doesn't want our attention for selfish reasons, but because time spent with Him will improve our very being. As we are told by Jesus in the book of John:

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

May you have JOY in being attentive to the call of Christ.

Tami

Friendship and Laughter

Yesterday was not the best of days. The morning started with my feelings being hurt, not once but twice. My mother-hen feathers were big and bold and they were ruffled!* That is not a good way to start the day.

To top that off, I had to make the 45+ minute drive down to UH to have new lenses put into Little Man's glasses. That in itself was not that big of a deal, but because a major change was made in the prescription for the left eye, Little Man had trouble seeing out of them. To confirm everything was how it was supposed to be, we had to go back and see the doctor again. Needless to say, the appointment took longer than anticipated. Since we had not eaten lunch prior to leaving home, we were both starving by the time it was all said and done.

Thankfully, God sees and God knows. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows when feelings have been hurt and spirits are weary. He knows our every need.

Late in the day, Puppy and I headed over to the lakes at the entrance of our neighborhood to check out lighting for her upcoming photo sessions. As we were walking around one of the lakes with Puppy snapping pictures, our neighbor was driving by, spotted us, and stopped to check out what we were doing.

She ended up hanging out with us for a while. We laughed, we talked, we walked, we laughed a little more, we stopped, we posed . . . Puppy snapped lots and lots of pictures . . . we laughed, we walked, we talked, and we laughed some more. I know the lady walking the circle around the lake for her evening exercise must have thought we were crazy. It makes me smile just to think about it.

I will say it again, God sees and God knows. Nothing is hidden from him. He knows when feelings have been hurt and spirits are weary. He knows our every need.

God knew that I needed to laugh. He knew that I needed a friend to show up. This friend didn't know that my day had started with my feelings being hurt. Until she reads this, she still doesn't. No mention was made. There was no need for her to know. But God used her just the same to bring light into the darkness of the day.

Spending a couple of hours of laughing about insignificant things changed the day. Puppy also got some crazy pictures that are very good blackmail material she could use against my friend and me. I'm thinking that we need to stay on her good side!

If your day is not going as planned, your feelings have been hurt, and you are frustrated, I pray that God will send laughter your way. It truly does change everything.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22

There is JOY in laughter.

Tami

*Apologies have been made. Forgiveness is a good thing.

Celebrating the Kids

Have you ever noticed? Kids are EVERYWHERE! If you do not have one living in your home, all you have to do is go to the grocery store, Wal-Mart, the drug store, or just step outside your front door. They are EVERYWHERE!

There are tall ones,

short ones,

and in between ones.

Some are intelligent beyond their years

and others are working hard to keep up.

Some are star football players,

soccer players,

baseball players, golfers,

or basketball players.

Some are white belts,

yellow belts,

green belts,

black belts,

or somewhere in between.

Some can't walk across the room

without tripping on their own feet.

Others can't walk at all.

Some love math

or spelling

or science

or grammar.

Some hate math

or spelling

or science

or grammar.

There are ballerinas,

spelling-bee champs,

actors,

young scientists,

math whizzes,

and wallflowers.

Some talk . . . all the time.

Others never say a word.

There are some who like to

spin

and twirl

and dance

and sing.

There are others who like to

sit perfectly still.

Some like yoyos,

origami,

and computers.

Some like taking pictures.

Others like being in pictures.

Some are loud

and rambunctious.

Others are as quiet

as a mouse.

Some are dramatic

while others are dull.

Some are

the life of the party

while others

blend into the wall.

There are those who

can draw and create

while others have trouble

holding a pencil.

Some can't seem

to get enough sleep.

Others don't seem

to sleep at all.

There are some that

never stop laughing.

Others seldom

crack a smile.

There are those

who will never be able

to read enough books.

There are others

who will never pick up

a book unless forced.

There are others

who are writing books.

They come with

dark

medium

and light skin.

They come with hair that is

red,

brown,

black,

blonde,

and all shades in between.

And then some do not

have hair at all.

Some are healthy

while others are sick.

Some are fighting for life.

Some are losing the fight or

have already lost.

Some have brown eyes,

some have blue,

some have green, and

some have hazel that

just can't seem to make up their mind.

Some are in your life for your lifetime

some are there for a few years,

a few months,

a few weeks,

a few days,

a few hours.

No matter if you have one, two, three, or more, celebrate the uniqueness of the kids in your life. Rejoice that no two are exactly the same because they are all "fearfully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14.

May you have JOY today in Celebrating the Kids!

Tami

A little encouragement can go a long way.

School started this week at our house. I enjoy homeschooling. When my kids were younger, we did all subjects at home with me as the teacher. Now that the kids are older, they either attend classes offered by our local home school coop, have private tutors or take classes online. However, there is one subject that I decided to teach myself to one of my little ones because it is a subject that this particular child really doesn't like. I want to oversee this subject and make certain that all bases are covered no matter if we enjoy it or not.

This week has gone well. It is off to a good start. I have learned that if I write down everything that is to be covered for a particular day and leave it for my student that my student will get up each morning and get right to work on that day's assignments. The most despised part of the subject is always left until last, but it is getting done. However, there is no smile involved.

I really like smiles and I like the people living in my house to have smiles on their faces. When there aren't smiles, I like to do what I can to bring a smile to the face. Yesterday, as this little one of mine just wasn't happy with the work that needed to be done, I grabbed that little face between my hands and looked into those sweet eyes and said, "You might hate this subject and not like doing the work at all, but . . . " At this point I was interrupted and my little one said, "But I have to do it anyway." I replied, "What I was going to say is 'you are very good at this subject. It may not be your favorite, but you have what it takes to do it and you are very good at it.'" That sweet little face got the biggest of smiles and said, "Really"? "Yes, really."

I have to say, today went a little smoother. The attitude in doing that assignment for the not-so-favorite subject was much improved. It is amazing how a few words of encouragement can change everything. Is there someone in your path that could use a kind word or two?

Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.

Proverbs 16:24          

May you have JOY today in speaking kind words of encouragement to others.

Tami

A Tribute To My Daddy

As of today, August 9, 2016, it has been a year since we said our earthly goodbyes to my daddy. In so many ways it is hard to believe that it has been a year.  I still often think, “I need to call Daddy and tell him . . . ,” and then I remind myself that I cannot do that.

My mother, as well as a few others, wanted me to speak at my dad’s funeral service. That is not something that I felt like I could do for emotional reasons. Instead, I wrote out what I would say if I were speaking and let my mother read it. She accepted that. Now, on this one-year anniversary of his death I share with you my words about my daddy.

My daddy was a man who loved to serve. He was a hard worker and good provider for his family. If someone was stopped on the side of the road and needed help, he was the one to stop and offer help. He visited those who were in the hospital and those in the nursing home not because it was an obligation but because he loved and cared. He was the one who made certain all the widow ladies were taken care of. He had a heart for the people of Mexico and traveled to Mexico numerous times over the last 35+ years to build churches, homes, an orphanage and to minister to the people.

He was a born leader. As my family and I were putting together his obituary, I came to realize that there were very few organizations of which he had not been a part. He served his church and his community well.

I truly believed – as I think many others do – that my daddy could fix just about anything from broken hearts to cars to an antique windup jumping dog. He considered it a challenge to fix something that was broken and he was always up for a good challenge.

Everything I have mentioned are things that most everyone who knew my daddy already know. What you may not know is the daddy that he was to me. He was the ever present father who never missed one of my activities. He was the one who came running if I called out in the middle of the night. That held true not only while I was living under his roof, but also after I moved into my own apartment. He was the one who taught me not to accept handouts but to work hard for what I wanted in life.

He was the man who carried me down the aisle when I accepted Jesus as my Savior at the age of seven and then walked me down that same aisle when I married my husband 20 years later. He was the one who built dollhouses and treehouses. He was the one who climbed trees to rescue me from treehouses. (He did that more than once!) He was the one who moved me more times than I can count. He was the man who supported me no matter what, loved me, cherished me, and called me “Doll”.

He was the man who didn’t want to die because he didn’t want to leave my mother. He was the man who even in his illness was still trying to take care of others. He was truly a living example of the hands and feet of Jesus. He was the man who had the use of his hands, feet and voice taken away by ALS.

He is now the man whose hands, feet, and voice have been restored all because of his faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior. He is now rejoicing in Heaven. I am thankful that I have the hope of joining him one day.

There was no other man like my daddy. I was blessed that God chose him for me!

As we are reminded in Psalm 30:5, “weeping may stay for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning”. Even though in so many ways we still mourn Daddy's absence here on earth, we rejoice in knowing he suffers no more. In that, there is JOY!

May you too have JOY in remembering your loved ones.

Tami

Summer On The Mountain

 I have really neglected my blog. We are entering the end of July and I haven't had an entry since May and that was an entry by The Professor. When I first started this blogging journey, my hope was to have an entry at least twice a week.  Well . . . that obviously hasn't happened. Summer hit and other things became more important. Life is like that. We think something will be a priority and then other things come along and before you realize what has happened time has passed and some things have gone by the wayside.

In case you are wondering, it has been a good summer here in Southeastern Oklahoma. I always seem to walk a little lighter just being in the Great State of Oklahoma. It is so very near and dear to my heart. We are so blessed to be able to spend our summers here in the Ouachita Mountains.

This is our sixth summer here and it marks a new norm for me. We started spending our summers here the year my dad was diagnosed with ALS. Over the next five summers, most weeks on at least one day I would make the hour drive to my parents' house to spend the day with my dad and to help my mom with chores around the house. My dad always had an agenda for me, which did not typically include any chores for my mom. It typically included going to his shop and him telling me what and how to do something that he wanted done but could no longer do for himself. So many times I said, "Daddy, I can't do that." to which he would always reply, "Sure you can." Yes, I ended up doing several things that I never thought I could do. I will treasure those summers forever.

This is our first summer without my dad so we are finding that new norm. I have still made the one-hour drive to my mother's house many times. She has also come to visit us more than she has in the past. She too is continuing to find her new norm. Throughout my dad's illness, she amazed me with her strength and perseverance. She continues to amaze me in how she is moving forward with such grace and determination. If you live close to her, drive by her house and see her yard. You will get a glimpse of what I mean!

In settling into the new norm of the summer, The Professor and I have both been very busy with numerous projects. In doing these various projects as well as living on the side of the mountain, I have learned a lot. What have I learned? Oh, I am so glad you asked.

1. If you give The Professor a shovel and tell him that you would like a spot on the mountainside for your picnic table, a spot you will get. That man has dug up more rocks and toted them UP the mountainside than I thought was humanly possible.

2. Craft paint from Wal-Mart is a wonderful thing. It can be used to paint birdhouses, dye coffee filters (that are then turned into flowers), and paint furniture. To top it all off, the bottles seem to be bottomless. The paint just keeps going and going and going . . .  I highly recommend buying a few bottles if you don't already have some. You will be so glad you did.

3. In the midst of all the projects, the chores of life do have to continue. I recommend that you continue to do chores on a daily basis. For example, you shouldn't go for days on end without doing laundry and then try to get caught up in a couple of days. This is especially true if your only water supply is from a very slow producing well. Doing ten loads of laundry over two days, running the dishwasher, watering all the plants in the front yard, and hosing down the ground where you burned some weeds will cause your holding tank to run dry. This is really not fun if you are in the middle of taking a shower when this happens. There are times when bottled water is appreciated more than other times! Unfortunately, Little Man experienced this firsthand.

4. This summer has not gone without some illness. We learned that hand/foot/mouth disease is not just for toddlers. Teenagers can also get it. Puppy suffered greatly with this horrible illness. We also learned that even though the doctor's office has a sign on every wall that states: "We will not prescribe hydrocodone under any circumstances. Do not ask for it." that they will still prescribe it.

5. You really shouldn't get upset with your credit card company for denying your credit card charges just because you are using your credit card in an unusual location. When your credit card number is actually stolen, it is nice that your credit card company notices and denies the charges. This is also a very good way to learn what automatic payments you have going to your credit card. However, it is really not fun to have to change your credit card information with all those companies. 

6. If you decide to take a break from your life on the mountain to make a quick trip back to the city with your mother in tow and stop to do a little antique shopping, you probably shouldn't take a detour off the main path. If you do take a detour, you shouldn't tell that lady having a yard sale that you do not see anything you want nor should you tell her you are looking for a little side table. She will open the door to her home, wake her husband and have him bring out the table from their living room. She will probably get upset with you when you tell her that you don't want the table. Consider yourself warned! Just to add a little side note, I really think it is unfair that my mother thinks she should always be Lucy just because she has red hair. Sometimes I get tired of being Ethel and want to be Lucy!

7. If you do leave for a few days and leave your kids on the mountain with dad, be sure and tell them to take a bath whenever you call to tell them goodnight. Otherwise, they just might not bathe the entire three days you are away. (After reading this, one child did declare that she in fact took a bath while I was away. The other child was wearing the same clothes upon my return that he was wearing when I left. You can form your own opinion on that one.)

We have had a lot of fun times this summer. I always find it bittersweet when I know our days of being in Oklahoma are getting close to ending.

 

Through all the changes that took place last summer that caused us to find a new norm this summer, I am so thankful that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). That, my friend, brings JOY to my heart!

I pray you are having a JOY filled summer.

Tami