She Makes Me Laugh

Mom, seriously, I don't whip out my camera every time

you feed Lainey, do IIIIIIII??? It's a boob, let's move on...

Always trying to get a laugh

Ok, we are having some serious fun with this bird...

(Cracker Barrel, $20, worth it!)

Dream Girl

Natalie has been having dreams lately.

She's been having them all along, no doubt

but she's able to remember them now and tell us about them.

The first one she told us about was last week.

She came in at her usual time of 6:20 a.m.

"Mommy, Mommy, Lainey was crying

(she HAD been crying most of the night, more teeth issues)

and we were in OK and I sang to her and she fell asleep!"

She proceeded to repeat this over and over
with excitement building. She was so proud of herself.

I asked her what song she sang to Lainey.

She said the "ocean song"??

When I asked her how it went

she sang, "OHHHH my soul rejoice..."

Ocean, oh my soul, I can understand that.

The song she is referring to is "I Love You Lord"

the song we have sung to her anytime she was/is upset

since she was a baby.

She is comforting her baby sister

the same way she has been comforted.

Scripture coming to life already in Natalie's life (2 Cor 1:4).

Sweet.

Of course, there have been the

not so profound dreams too...

like the one when some baby's big foot fell off

and Nat tried to put it back on and

"it was asgusting!"

("disgusting" in layman's terms)

Here's Natalie singing a little of that song...

Lucky Me! Lucky Me! Look at What I'm Dripping With...

...can you name that tune?...

(A line from one of Natalie's favorite movies right now.)

Doing her research (A Nattie shot)

one of my favorite pics of Nat when she was little

all of the pics on the blog taken by Nat are with this mother

....LITTLE GIRLS!!

(that's right, "Annie")

About My First Love

"Years ago He was a swinging speck in the distance;

now He is close enough I can hear His singing.

Soon I will see the lines on His face."

(taken from Blue Like Jazz)

Six years ago today,

my Dad met His Savior

face to face.

I can't imagine what that must have been like.

Or what it will be like.

We wrote letters to my dad

for his 70th birthday,

three months before he was diagnosed.

This was his last birthday.

Here are excerpts from my letter:

"You know you're my hero. I always tell you that and it never fails, you always laugh in disbelief. So, I figured what better time to take a walk down memory lane and prove to you just why and how you became my first true love.

The first memories I have of falling in love with you are those when I was around 4 or 5. Our "before bed" routines would always end in your bedroom right after our night session of "Bullfight". Mom would be blow-drying our hair, finishing with the classic line, "Dad, aren't they the most beautiful girls ever?" You'd agree and motion for us to jump in the bed for story time. Oh the adventures we embarked upon. The most fun, of course, was the dramatic journey through the wardrobe and being introduced to Narnia and Aslan in "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe". Dad, you were and still are the BEST storyteller I've ever known. What a precious gift that even now your grandchildren are sharing in. Thank you for showing me how to love without limits, despite the stressful day at the office you might have had.

Thank you for my first date when I was in pre-school. I had won a dinner for two and Mom dressed me up and curled my hair. You were in your suit and tie and I was sooo nervous! I just kept thinking, "this is my first date with a boy!" The butterflies in my stomach kept me from eating my dinner at Jason's Deli. After that date, you had me Dad. Remember how I'd cry to you saying I wasn't going to ever marry if I couldn't marry you?! Dad, thank you for showing me for the first time how a woman should be loved by a man as you loved and continue to love us and Mom so passionately and purely. You helped me set my standards for a husband, even if they are so ridiculously high that I may stay single for the rest of my life!

Thank you for the memories we shared every morning before school. I would get dressed and come down and watch you shave, tie your tie, put your suit on, all the while listening to James Dobson's "Focus on the Family". There were also the times you played Jesus in our passion play at church and I was the little girl that sat in your lap as you quoted, "let the children come unto me" and how special I felt. I remember how sad it made me to watch the soldiers beat you and hang you on that cross. Dad, thank you for showing me that love sacrifices and is unconditional, but most of all, thank you for introducing me for the first time to a personal, loving Savior, Who has transformed my life and given me reason to live and love in return.

Once I remember insisting on believing in Santa Clause, although you and Mom always told us he didn't exist. Donnie and I stayed up all night with milk and cookies on the table ready to see St. Nick. You let us, with no argument. I also remember insisting again on signing the cross-head to chest and shoulder to shoulder-after every prayer, just like our Catholic friends. You explained to me that it wasn't necessary but I wanted to be a little rebel of our charismatic church, I guess. You just laughed and let me, for you knew that this phase would last all of one day...maybe. Dad, thank you for teaching me the great lesson of patience, grace, and for letting me make my own decisions-guided of course by your gentle, Godly wisdom. Thank you for never taking your hand off of me.

How sweet were all the times when we've stayed out under the stars in Colorado as you pointed us in the direction of the North Star, the Big Dipper, Orion's Belt, and The Seven Sisters. I still look for those constellations when I'm out at night. And the boxing lessons we'd leave crying from and the many dance lessons in the living room that we all laughed through!

Dad, these were all such great times, but I remember the sleepless nights I've had too. Those nights I would come in crying and wake you and Mom up...not only would you let me climb in bed with you guys, but you would take me in your arms and I would finally fall peacefully asleep as you prayed in my ear.

Thank you doesn't even seem adequate for the life you've shown me and allowed me to lead. Thank you for the mutual sharing of fears and failures, hopes and dreams. You are the most precious gift I have ever received and I thank you for the legacy you are leaving for us all.

I love you Dad and Happy 70th Birthday!"

My dad no longer sees through a glass darkly,

as 1 Cor.13:12 states.

He has seen the lines on His face.

Very cool.

Visiting Daddy, Missing Natalie

Kill me now.

I'm missing my baby girl so much,

I feel like throwing up most of the day.

Not pregnant.

Natalie is in OK for a couple of days.

Having a blast.

My house is almost too clean

and definitely way too quiet.

So Lainey and Mommy went to

see Daddy at work today.

I caught something moving out of the corner of my eye.

This made us laugh so I grabbed my camera.

Where's Lainey? Anybody seen her???

Don't mind me guys, I'm just trying to...reach...my ball!

Why can't I reach my ball...and why is my HEAD HURTING?!?

Ok little girl, who are you and what have you done with our smiley baby??

THERE SHE IS!

And now for my next trick, I will toss this mini pizza dough

over my head with my really, really long arms!

Lainey, you have a gift girl. You brighten every room you enter and make anyone who looks at you smile! Once, you brought a lady, a complete stranger, to tears when you gave her your famous Lainey grin.

She said you made her day.

You do that for us every day...especially when needed most.

We miss you Natalie!