A Lifetime of Love

Mother’s Day began SDW9. I woke up to Titus standing next to my bed with a Christmas-themed gift bag full of stuff. He begged me to get up and as I did, I could hear the other kids upstairs with TJ. When they saw Titus downstairs and me following up behind him, they started scolding him for waking me because they weren’t “ready” for me to come up. When I walked upstairs I immediately noticed signs covering quite a bit of wall and furniture space, as well as the counters and doors. They were all uniquely different expressions of basically “Happy Mother’s Day.” Some were written as acrostics, some drawings, and some distinctly bore the words “Happy Mother’s Day.” I had to chuckle because my kids really know me- a lot of the signs made mention of my love of teaching and reading.           My older boys redid a flower bed for me. It had been ripped up years ago to get rid of the scraggly bushes that were trying to grow, but we had never replanted anything in ...

Full acceptance hit this week. I didn’t cry (very much) and I didn’t get sad; rather, I just reached the point of acceptance. Acceptance that I am not returning to school this year, and neither are my kids. Acceptance that we will be social distancing for a long time. Acceptance that this is our new normal, and our previous normal will never return. I have come to realize that acceptance is a good thing. Acceptance brought peace and calm. It also gave me time to reflect, analyze, and think about changes I want to bring about in my life as a mom, teacher, and friend. I was able to go back and look through photos of my year in my classroom, and seeing my little people brought some BIG smiles; we had such a fun year! Acceptance also forced me to realize that there is no better time than now to pursue my goals. I want to be the best teacher I can, and in order to be that, I need to know more. When you know better, you do better. I enjoy school and learning, and I try to take advan...

Last Friday was my 35th birthday. Although not a "milestone" birthday by any stretch of the imagination, I have been dreading it secretly because it means I'm closer to 40. For years I have been (jokingly) telling my kids I am 29....and the young ones still believe me because they simply don't know any better! Late Friday morning, a friend of mine picked up the boys so they could do some work around her horse pasture. Tristin-Grace went with them since she had the day off from school.  My friend keeps another little girl who is Tristin-Grace's age.  The girls met at Vacation Bible School last year and got together frequently over the summer.  Since school started, this has been their first opportunity to get together (the girl lives in a neighboring town and attends school in another district.  Their days off don't always coincide). I decided to take Teagan, Annie, Taryn, and Ruthie out to lunch for a treat since it was just us "girls." We rarely...

Today is Tristin-Grace's birthday. I am so thankful for her as she is such a mini-mommy. Tristin-Grace likes to take Annie potty, brush her hair, and help her get dressed. She really enjoys helping me take care of Taryn by changing her diaper, dressing, feeding, and playing with her while I am busy doing other things. This year TG has learned to fix her own hair (a time-saver for me!) and we are working on braiding. Tristin-Grace has also started helping me more with laundry, cooking, and cleaning. She has learned to sort the clothes by color, and she can make her own cereal or oatmeal for breakfast and sandwiches for lunch. Tristin-Grace LOVES to clean, and really doesn't mind cleaning the toilets or washing dishes. The tougher the job, the happier she is! Since school has started, she has started to read better and it's been fun to listen to her read to her younger siblings (and sometimes Tanner). Tristin-Grace loves homework and on the days she doesn't have any, ...

T.G., I had no idea how being your mom would be such a blessing! You are a sweet, kind, caring girl who loves her baby sisters so much. God has given you a nurturing spirit, and you do it so well! You are helpful, especially when it relates to babies, cleaning, or cooking. I can already tell you will be a GREAT mommy when you get older! :) You have your own ideas regarding fashion and clothing, and your favorite color continues to be pink. If you had it your way, you'd wear pink from head to toe every day of your life! You also have an expressed opinion about hair styles and how you want to wear yours each day, and you refuse to have your hair cut except for an occasional trim. I am amazed that you don't mind it so long (it's almost to the bottom of your back) but it is absolutely beautiful, especially when you wear it down. We have had to start conditioning it daily in order to be able to brush it in the mornings, and you LOVE that you get to use grown-up conditioner. ...

Since money has been (and still is!) so tight for us, my mom sent money for us to take the kids to a pottery place to do something fun for T.G.'s birthday. T.G. has never been to one before and has wanted to go since Th has been doing his homeschool pottery class. We planned it on a day when TJ's dad and step-mom were coming out so they could help us with Annie. The boys painted airplanes and the girls painted butterflies. We ended our afternoon with a Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake as a special treat for T.G. (she has recently become infatuated with her).  =)

My life forever changed the day you were born.  I had no idea how being a mom could teach me so much about the character of God: I have a better understanding of God's love for me because of the love I feel towards you; I also better understand God's ability to forgive because I've been both the offended and the offender.   I am better able to serve others because of the many ways I watch you serve: each week you look forward to going to the pregnancy center to gather up the garbage and take it to the curb. It's a job that seems so menial yet blesses so many people who work at and visit the center. It is an important job that must be done in order for the pregnancy center to function on its core task: to save the lives of unborn babies. You do your work purposefully and to the best of your ability, and you don't mind that you don't get recognition for it. It is a reality check for me as a mother because so often what I do goes unnoticed yet is so cruci...

Our family changed for the better the day you were born. Although you faced many developmental challenges, you have managed to overcome them by God's grace and great therapists. I am so happy to say that you right where you should be in all areas of development, and you continue to learn and grow each day. You are so special and so sweet! We love you!! Happy 3rd birthday, baby girl!

Annie, you are such a happy baby...for the most part. ;)  You are crawling everywhere and get upset when we inhibit your attempts by putting up barriers to restrict access to certain parts of the house. In fact, you got so fed up yesterday that you decided to do something about it... You are beginning to walk independently, but only 3-4 steps at a time. You prefer to walk while pushing something, although when you are really trying to get somewhere, you skip walking and simply crawl because it's faster. Secretly I am glad you are not walking yet as you are the last baby, and I want you to stay that way for a little while.  Your quest for independence also means you are trying to self-feed. You don't really care to use a fork or spoon, that's what your hands are for! Although more ends up on your face and chair than in your mouth, you have managed to gain a couple of pounds. Annie, I am so thankful for you and I think your siblings would agree, we are blessed to hav...

I  can’t believe T.G. is 4 years old! Time just seems to pass more and more quickly, especially as my children age. I remember when I found out I was having a girl- I was so excited! I never could have imagined how blessed I would be when God placed you in our family! T.G., you are such a little princess, dainty and frilly in every way. You make me smile because you are the complete opposite of me: you adore wearing dresses, you LOVE to wear hair bows, and you absolutely refuse to leave the house without accessorizing with jewelry! Pink, of course, is your favorite color and according to you, one can never wear too much of it! You are a whiz at putting puzzles together and the more pieces there are, the more you enjoy doing them. You are great with Taylor Ann (your relationship with Teagan is another story!) and I am thankful you enjoy helping me out by “babysitting” her. It is obvious she loves you just as much as you love her. You adore your big brothers and have fun ...

Happy birthday, buddy! Stats: Height: 49 3/4 inches Weight: 56.6 pounds Favorite color: Red Life's ambition: to be a missionary and drive an R/V :) This past year has been marked by your baptism, along with changes to your education. You have excelled academically but more importantly, you continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Your love for the Lord spurs you to love others, and for that I am so grateful. You are a fabulous big brother, the kind I always wished I had when I was little. You are kind, caring, and take time to help and teach your younger siblings. You care about their spiritual walk with the Lord and are always sharing the gospel with them- a mini-missionary! The Lord truly blessed us when He gave you to us! We love you so much and are so thankful for your servant's heart!

Wow! Where have the past 3 years of my life gone? It is difficult to remember my life without having T.G. in it! I remember when I found out I was having a girl after having the boys; I was ecstatic! I immediately sewed a pink diaper bag and began to shop and stock up on dresses and other girl clothes. T.G. has been a blessing since the moment she was conceived and I am so thankful to have her! Compared to her two older brothers, she is quiet, sweet, and VERY girlie! Every day she tells me how she wants to wear her hair (in a ponytail, 2 ponytails (pigtails), pretzels (braids)) and what color hair bow to go with her clothes (usually pink). Since getting her ears pierced about 2 weeks ago, she is constantly looking at her earrings in the mirror. She also loves shoes, and takes a good 5 minutes each day deciding upon which shoes to wear. She is so opposite me that it makes me smile- she is truly a unique individual with her own ideas and thoughts. I just love it! T.G. has also recently s...

Today is Th's birthday. I can't believe how quickly the years have passed since the Lord blessed us with him. Some hallmarks to his last year include: entering and successfully completing kindergarten in public school growing tall enough to ride some of the "big" rides at Carowinds learning to read and enjoying it, especially when reading to his brother or sister figuring out to spell words when TJ and I don't want the kids to know what we're talking about :) a growing imagination that impresses me each time he uses it We are probably one of the few families who does not own a video game system. I am not into video games, and neither is TJ , so that has never really been a desire for us. Plus, I limit their television viewing each day. As a result, the kids play more and use their imaginations more. My boys love to build things, and play so well together for the most part. Th is able to see something in his mind and construct it out of blocks, train tracks, ...

Here are a few pictures of her first year, along with the Lord’s blessings throughout. . . September 21, 2008, 2 1/2 weeks before her due date of October 8th. At birth- 7 lbs, 4 oz. All cleaned up. . . She was very jaundice. She had to sleep on a light bed for about 3 weeks after we brought her home. So thankful for God's provision in providing a smaller " bili -bed" that we could have in our home rather than keeping her in the hospital for that long. At 3 months old, her first Christmas. . . At 6 months old, eating solid food like a big girl. . . At 5 months old Teagan was still not holding her neck steady nor rolling over. I knew something was wrong and mentioned it to her pediatrician. He referred me to BabyNet , South Carolina's name of the portion of the special ed law that covers children birth to age 3. Teagan qualified for physical therapy and this is her at almost 7 months old, sitting supported. Again, so thankful for the Lord's intervention. You can ...