Sunday Letters

Dear Nick,

You are growing up too fast. You started a small part-time job at the golf course for the summer yesterday. You came in from your first few hours of work starved to death. Four chicken sandwiches and two drinks later, you were full. Sheesh! You keep eating like that and I'll have to go to work with you!

A part of me wants to take you back in time a few years. I miss the little boy who used to climb on my lap to "take a sit-down". And yet I am so proud of the man you are becoming. It's happening right before my eyes and I want to reach out and slow the clock down. I love you so much, honey!



Dear Daniel,

On Monday you leave for your first week-long football camp. Four days away from home - will we make it? I know how much you love the sport and I get such a thrill out of watching you play. You have been working so hard lately to get in shape and it is showing! You have a strong sense of discipline when it comes to things like that - thank goodness you took after your dad in that department.

We went to the airport tonight to walk and you brought along your bicycle to ride. You had the best time. And the faster you went the better you liked it! It reminded me of when you first learned to ride (at 3 years old, I might add) and how you would fly down the road at Miss Mae's to try to beat us when we came to pick you up. You are adventurous at heart!


Dear Jack,

YOU DID IT! This was the week you learned to ride a bike without training wheels. Your dad and I knew you could do it. You practiced hard for two days while we walked and then you just took off! Tonight while Dad and I were walking, you pedaled your little heart out on your Spiderman bicycle. There was a moment when you were ahead of me, the sun was shining/setting in front of us, and I could see the outline of that little red bicycle helmet on your sweet head. I thought I would have a spell right then! It was a mental picture I hope I can remember forever. Your dad, the brothers, and I are very proud of you.


Dear Robert,

I enjoyed at our little getaway this past week! It was so nice to spend time with just you. And the outlets. Grin. Even with the rain we had a good time. Plus now we know we are definitely not the sitting kind of people. Unless we're at the beach. How funny that we anticipated this trip for MONTHS and then couldn't wait to get back home. Another lesson about where we're the happiest. Thanks for the reminder this week that we are not going back to "BEFORE". Keep my feet to the fire with that one!


I love you all more than I could ever express. Now let's go have a gReAt SuMmEr and try not to fuss too much with each other!!

Nineteen on the 19th

On June 20, Robert and I will celebrate our nInEtEeNtH wedding anniversary. That's unbelievable to me. It doesn't seem like it's been that long. So, in honor of our anniversary, I thought I'd list 19 things I love about Robert on our 19th anniversary. (In no particular order...)

1. He does the laundry.
2. He makes me laugh every day.
3. He's quick to forgive.
4. He's a terrific father.
5. He has a very strong faith.
6. He's a hugger. He's not afraid to show affection to his family.
7. His brain is full of true, but totally weird, facts and/or trivia. We
refer to him as the Professor of Interesting Stuff...
8. He lets me think I'm right even when we both know I'm not.
9. He's a family man. He talks to his parents every day.
10. He takes me shopping and never complains when I spend hours in a store
and then walk out with nothing.
11. Did I mention he does the laundry?
12. He eats whatever I cook and says it's delicious even when it's terrible.
13. We never run out of things to talk about.
14. He's never met a stranger and tries to make everyone feel comfortable.
15. He works hard to provide for us.
16. He fills my car up with gas. Every week.
17. ThE lAuNdRy!!
18. He always gives his best in whatever he does.
19. He's a great bible teacher.

And last of all - and most important - he is my "best frand". I would rather spend time with him than anyone else in the world.

Happy Anniversary, Robert! I'm looking forward to a few days alone with just us.

What Makes A Father

We are right in the thick of our parenting years. One son in high school, one son in middle school, one son in primary school. Most days we get it more wrong than right. We make bad decisions. We fuss. We cuss (under our breath, of course!). We wonder where we went wrong, what we should have done differently. Then I walk by Nick's room and see him with an open bible. Or I hear Daniel listening to a Christian song on his i-pod. By his own choice! Or I hear Jack say to me, "We're supposed to love God first, right Mom?" And I pray that we are getting it more right than wrong. That we make a difference. In our weakness, there is strength. HIS strength. Doing what we cannot. Molding and shaping hearts IN SPITE of us.

What makes the best father? A desire for Godliness. Pursuit of righteousness. A desire to do the right thing, even when it's hard. Loving unconditionally. Listening first. Being objective. And then add to that a man who realizes he can't do any of that on his own. A dependence on The One who can do what he cannot. Robert is one of those men. I am so thankful for his leadership in our home. He teaches our boys by his example. He shows them how to have fun. He spends time with them.

These things make the best kind of father.

Happy Father's Day, Robert! The boys and I love you so very much.

A Test Drive...

Alrighty, then.  I have worked forever and by trial and error am trying to figure out how to blog.  Checking to see what this looks like.