The Countdown Has Begun...........

As I ponder topics to "blog" about each time that I have a minute to think about blogging, I realize that at least for now I would have absolutely nothing to write about were it not for my kids.  JDeven is a bit less agreeable for me to share things about him for the most part......not that I would obtain permission or refrain from blogging as a result of his objection.....however,  the other JD has absolutely no problem with me sharing pictures or stories about her. 

So, we will focus on her.........

Her High School Graduation is just around the corner now and it is a bit surreal.  It is hard to believe that I have a child old enough to graduate from high school.  I am very excited for her to be out of high school........the drama that high school girls create is a never ending past time of many immature drama queens. 

Jealousy is the root of all evil in high school or at least the majority of it with regard to girls.  Girls are ruthless, vindictive, and you just have to hope that one day they will look back and realize that things could have been and should have been so very different.  That words do hurt and all the energy they wasted trying to cause pain and sadness was time they can never regain.  Luckily, the words and opinions of others don't define who we are.  It will be a huge relief for JD to be rid of the constant ugliness from those that have attempted to destroy her resolve and I am so thankful that she has been able to stand tall and rise above all that stuff.

 I am under no false pretenses in which I believe that my children are incapable of wrong doing or lying or of behavior that would be disappointing to me or their father.  I am realistic and although I want to believe everything I am told by my children as being the absolute truth I am not a naive parent.  That said, I choose to "PROVE" my children right by doing my job as a mother and making sure that my kids are doing what they say they are doing!!!!! 

Now, however, life is about to change dramatically.  I realize that things will never be the same here at home and with our sweet little family.  It is a sad time but also a necessary step of faith that each one of us must face as we transition from young adulthood into adulthood.  What we have experienced with JD up till now has been practice tests----all leading up to the real thing.  Now we see where rubber meets the road.  We learn if she has truly learned the lessons necessary to tackle all that life has to throw at her.  Lines become blurred when you are thrust into a world with people from all walks of life and beliefs.  She needs to remember these 3 things:

1.  Simply being a Christian isn't enough.....We need to have both a relationship and fellowship with Christ.

2.  To pray without ceasing

3.  To read her Bible daily

He never leaves us without a way out when we face difficult situations.  We have full reign in making our own choices but He assures us that if we only ask Him for help that we never have to make decisions alone.  Life is an open book test- what an Awesome God.........I mean, how often are we allowed to take OPEN BOOK tests?  Life is all about choices and we have numerous daily opportunities to make good choices.

She will always be my little girl but I know that she was His first.  She has been in training for this moment her entire life.  She has never been more ready.  She hasn't learned all the lessons that she will need........and as long as she is alive she will never stop learning I hope.  None of us will  fully "ARRIVE" while we are in this ol' world. 

As sad as it is for this chapter to close, I can simply not wait to see what God has in store for her.  I can't wait to meet the friends that He has waiting for her in this leg of her journey.  I can't wait to see her take that leap from the tallest mountain and watch as her wings begin to unfold and see the look on her face as she realizes that she didn't plummet to the ground but rather she took the leap of faith and she realizes that He is now the wind beneath her wings.  It is the way it is suppose to be..........and I want to avoid spending my time mourning for the loss of what has been and make sure that I don't miss a moment of what He has in store for now and for everyday of the rest of her life. 

How could I be more proud?  

Here is a couple pictures of her and members of our youth group at my church singing today at her Baccalaureate Service at my church.

Caught a sweet moment with JD and JD

This will be a very busy week...............next up is Senior Awards Day tomorrow.....

Been There Done That..........But JDare Must Have Borrowed My T-Shirt

Well, here we go again. 

There will be knee surgery again for JDare.  Not only does she have to have surgery again, but because of her busy schedule (you know like graduating from high school, teaching summer school, the matter of rehabilitation, her desire to enjoy our summer vacation, starting college in August etc.....) the only time left for surgery was the day before she turns 18. 

On a positive note, I suppose she will be celebrating her birthday here at home with her parents and brother!  Isn't this the way every 17 year old dreams of celebrating their 18th birthday? 

Perhaps she will realize that although 18 is a significant number in the life of every person younger than 18, it really IS just another number.  She will be able to vote, yes, but will she even know WHO is running for the various offices??????  We will see! (I crack myself up) 

On the matter of knee surgery, I hope she isn't in a race with her parents.  Between her father and I, we have endured almost 20 knee surgeries.  All jokes aside, I sincerely hope though for her sake that this is the last time that she goes THERE and does THAT!!

Jubilee!!!!

I have such vivid memories of getting ready for church when I was young.  Mom always made us get up........MADE us get up.............it wasn't hardly as bad as having to get up during the week but opening the eyes on a Sunday morning was still not an easy task for a young person needing their "beauty rest!"  Once up though, we had to eat breakfast, (and yes kids I ate pretty regularly what you only have occasionally at your mamaws- sorry-) and then get ready for church. 

It was easier to get ready when music was playing..........I have always LOVED music and been motivated by it.  But, it wasn't the music I wanted to listen to.  Mom always had to turn the channel (one of 3 channels we had until cable finally made its arrival well into my childhood) 5 to hear The Gospel Jubilee.  Though I liked some of the music I was into more of soft rock/country and I wasn't very appreciative of the TV being up so loudly because I couldn't even play my records.

But music speaks even when you don't want to hear.   And the words reach you even when you try not to listen. Not only do they reach you but they stay with you.   

Then you grow up singing the songs and finding yourself enjoying a concert that celebrates that music.  The words have a whole new meaning as God applies the words to your life in a whole new way.

Enjoyed a wonderful concert on Sunday.  I love me some southern gospel music!!!!!!!!!  Though many individuals that I have heard on The Gospel Jubilee have gone on............their music continues to live on!  I am so thankful for the Gaither's  Homecoming Friends.

Priceless

There is nothing any better than getting to spend time with those that we love......... 

 We had a chance to spend a little time with our niece last night.  She is absolutely precious, witty, and unknowingly very funny.  We knew she was very musically talented and that she didn't get her musical talent from her dad (well, at least that is what we concluded after she indicated that her dad "doesn't REALLY sing very well)  And we knew she played some sports.......

But, we didn't know that she was awesome at bowling......and apparently she didn't know it either since this was her first time playing.  This is how it went down.

First she looked through the games and picked one that she wanted to play.

Then it was time for a commercial break..........a quick pic with her photo obsessed cousin



Then her cousin pal Jerm helped her

create a Mii for the Wii

Then Jerm had to help his grandfather which left JDare to bowl with her cousin..........they took this competition very seriously

and then.....outta nowhere came this

S T R I K E

JDare would later say that once she learned that her cousin had never played before this game and when JDare was beaten by her cousin that her first thought was "This is embarrassing!"  ha ha

I love it!!!  Well, Happy (a little early) Birthday to The Niece.  One very special little girl!!! 









Today and Everyday

Though I am glad that a day is set aside to honor mother's I am quite sure that EVERYDAY should be Mother's Day.  I say this not because I am a mother but because I am a daughter who should honor her mother every day.

Mother's and their daughters often struggle with relationship issues depending on the age of the daughter.  As teenagers, daughters often feel as though they no longer need guidance or instruction because they have this whole "life" thing figured out. 

At that age we are often very disrespectful and offended when our mother offers guidance about our gal pals or especially our boy friends because----

#1-we know so much more than our much older mother

#2- we simply just know everything

and

#3- "THINGS HAVE CHANGED SINCE YOU WERE YOUNG AND YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THE WAY THINGS ARE NOW!!!!"

How very wrong I was................there were times I was convinced my little mother had been sent here to ensure that my life was miserable.......I rarely got away with ANYTHING because she "just had a feeling!"  UGH!!!!  HOW could she have known when I was up to something?  HOW?  Didn't matter how, she just knew. 

She knew when a guy wasn't right for me even when I would want him to be so badly........even girls that I was friends with...........she always knew who was friends with me and who was a friend  to me.  She even made one prediction that I was convinced I had proved her wrong about many years later but guess what.......she was right and I sadly was wrong. 

Mom has a quiet strength about her.  She doesn't share her disappointments or the things that breaks her heart.  Often I have been the cause I am sure, instead she just prays, and trusts, and believes that her God is big enough (and she is right to think so.) 

I think from the moment that I became a mom that God just opened my eyes.............completely.  What a responsibility to be a parent.  From that moment on and even now I am in awe of mom's sacrifices and ongoing selflessness for her family. I have felt remorse for all the grief I caused her over the years.  For the disrespect and rebellion.  I was such an ungrateful brat.   I can't come close to measuring up to my mom but I do realize that she is the example that I should try to follow.

My hope is to make my mother (and father) proud of who I am.  They don't measure my success by the amount of "things" I have in my life, the house I live in (as long as it is clean), the type of car I drive, the amount of money I make or any of these things. 

The only gift I can give you mom (and dad) is to try and live authentically.  To love God and have a relationship and fellowship with Him.  To show evidence of that relationship by how I treat my family, my friends, and my neighbors.  By being honest, and humble, and thankful, and giving, and kind............  By being a better parent everyday, a better sister, daughter, or friend.  By showing people how much they mean to me rather than just telling them or assuming they know.  By being bold and standing tall, and working hard, and never giving up.  By getting up when I get knocked down and saying I am sorry when I make a mistake. 

  Mom, I honor you today and every day..............and I honor your mother for her Godly example as well.....

I will never be able to thank you enough!

Defining Moments..... IT IS WHAT IT IS

As I age I understand all the more just how temporary this ol life is.  Time use to just drag by and now of course I feel I can't keep up most days. 

There are defining moments all around me now and in the near future.  I hope that I can handle the changes as gracefully as those before me but sometimes I wonder (as I am sure my family does too!)

Tomorrow doesn't really count as a defining moment but it will be a trying day potentially.  The moral of this story may very well be NOT to send a man to do...........well you know the rest.  JD took our 17 and 15 year olds to the oral surgery regarding their wisdom teeth.  JDare has 5 and Jerm has 4 that must be removed.  So he scheduled them both tomorrow morning.  LOVELY!!!  Actually I am glad that they will each be able to get it over with........or rather, I expect to feel that way AFTER we live through the next few days. 

JDare had knee surgery about 16 months ago and is still in rehab (yep, this even though she has signed to continue to play basketball in college)   She has informed me to contact her surgeon tomorrow to schedule her an appointment with him as her physical therapist feels she may need to have another procedure (much less evasive than the first thankfully) so we will soon see.  Surgeon may disagree but either way I am glad she is hitting it head on.

She will graduate soon............(I feel look and feel my age but still.........) 

How do they go so quickly from this

to this?

Well, time gets away from us.  I don't want to be sad or desperate........and I am not.........I simply want to know that I have taught them everything I possibly could.......pointed them toward Christ......and also make sure they know that although I will always be their MOM (not their best friend-perhaps that will change when they are adults and I can at least be a real friend to them----but there is still a clear difference and responsibility with the roll of a parent).......that their father and I will ALWAYS be here for them no matter what.  All I can do when she leaves for college next fall  (other than stalk her, and I am not above it) is pray for Him to place the right people in her path.......people that will encourage her to continue to seek HIS face in all that she does. 

Believe or not I am excited for her for her to experience the next chapter in her life.  High school is tough and maybe more so for a girl.  Girls are mean and easily jealous.............need I say more?  Well, lets just say that she has experienced the ugly side of having to deal with her peers...........on the bright side, it does make it less sad for me to see her move on into the next chapter of her life and for her to be separated from all that immature junk.

And my little man...........well, driving is not too far away.  For a child with (like his mother) ADHD, the challenges are ongoing.  But I can't complain too much.  He has a heart of gold, tries really hard most days, is very compassionate, isn't ashamed to be affectionate with his family,  and is always ready and willing to help his grandparents with any project they have going on- so I will take him......just the way he is.

I am sure that I will have much more to share in the coming days and months ahead about my kids.  I am proud of their successes and tell them I expect more of them when they perform less than they are capable. 

But I am grateful that He entrusted my husband and I with them for what little time we will have them. 

But as I look toward the future, I realize that thinks won't always be as it has been in the past.......or as it is now.  It is sad to see strong individuals age and develop health and emotional issues.  We are facing that right now with a very special family member whom we have seen many times a week. It has been this way for nearly 20 years for me and more like double the years for my husband.  It is especially difficult for our kids.................I pray that I can lessen the burden somehow for those most affected with providing her with care. 

I realize life takes unexpected twists and turns.
  Things happen in an instant that change our lives forever.  I won't go into detail now but I can say that I have experienced many defining moments over the years (some really good and some really not so good) and one of the most difficult occurred approximately 10 years ago with the loss of this beautiful young Christian family member (my sweet cousin) that passed from a rare form of lukemia at the tender age of 16.

Isn't she just the most beautiful little gal?  But you only see the outward beauty and I assure you......she was even more beautiful on the inside.

Having a daughter leave for college or a son begin to drive in the coming months doesn't compare to such a painful loss.  I know that God has a plan for all of us and that He gives us what we need when we need it (never early and never late) and my challenge is to remember this when I allow life and its ups and downs to cloud my mind and resolve.

I feel that life is a test.........sometimes I fail miserably.  The good news is that He keeps giving us the same tests till we get it right!  But I want to live each day humbly and thankfully for all He has given to me and my family. 

Pray for my kids extractions tomorrow and that we, their parents, make a good team as we provide care for them.