A Lifetime of Love

I use the Kraft website weekly to plan my menu and then daily to follow the recipes when preparing supper. I run like a crazy woman back and forth between the computer and the stove. TJ has been after me for a while to replace my cookbooks and many recipes with a more modern digital version. I have been reluctant to change because, well, our desktop computer isn't that far away from the kitchen and I have a lot of hand-written recipes. I find it difficult to see the necessity of typing them into a Word document to save in a digital format. But, as usual, TJ had a solution: he removed my cookbooks and replaced it with a laptop that sits on the counter next to the stove. For my other recipes, he has a machine at work that scans the document and saves it in a digital format, meaning he can email it to me to save to the laptop. He finished the laptop Tuesday, and this weekend I have really put it to good use as I baked Christmas cookies. No more sprinting to the computer desk or sifti...

Last week, I received free tickets for ice skating at the outdoor rink in downtown Charlotte, along with free skate rental and hot cocoa vouchers, followed by tickets to watch the Charlotte Checkers play a hockey game as part of the WBT radio station’s celebration of Veteran’s night. It was awesome! Driving in downtown Charlotte is easy compared to a city like Chicago or New York, but nonetheless we made a few wrong turns and had to drive around the block in order to get into the parking garage. I am the navigator while TJ is the pilot (like our airplane talk?); however, he gets nervous driving in places he’s not familiar with. He was also driving fast, making it difficult for me to read street signs. Once we passed the garage, he was a little upset that I didn’t see it before he passed it (sorry, I try my best to read at 40 mph!) because, of course, the next intersection we came to was a one-way street. After much arguing discussing we got back to where we needed to be and found a go...

I received Christmas cards today from 2 very special people. Both are friends of ours from California, and both have had such a huge influence in my decision to go into the field of Special Education. They were both on our Special Olympic Swim Team (again, I haven't yet gotten that far in the writing of my life) and have been a part of our lives since 1999. They are definitely worth sharing about, and hopefully I can find some digital pictures (my Special Olympic years were well before I ever had a digital camera!) to share. Michael and his mom Pat are both brave people. Michael was born with Down Syndrome, and he has 2 other siblings (a brother and a sister). The children are grown and married, except Michael. Michael's father passed away quite a few years ago, and Michael requires constant care. Pat and Michael lived down the street from us when we lived in our apartment off base. It was nice to be able to stop by for a visit anytime I was so inclined. Pat was a probation o...

Below is the draft I typed up this afternoon to use as our family's annual Christmas Letter. I keep going back and forth as to whether I should send this. I'm not really sure why, I guess because most family members like to read an update on our family and how things have changed, which this is, but on more of a spiritual level. Anyway, here it is in all its glory. . . 2007 This year the Lord has really revealed Himself to us through various situations, and I feel compelled to share what TJ and I have learned as a result. Life can change in an instant. The Lord has proven that to us by the circumstances surrounding some people that TJ and I know. I do not know why any of the following life events happened to these specific people, but I do know they were God-ordained and He will be their source of strength (Isaiah 41:10). I will first begin with our friend Mark. Mark had cancer, and he was fighting for his life. But, to most people he appeared healthy and never complained about...

Today marks the 4 year anniversary of my miscarriage. I have not gotten that far in the writing of my "life journey", but because this day is both the worst and best day of my life, I want to share with you. Thanksgiving 2003 was spent visiting family in Ohio, although it was only myself and Th. I don't remember why TJ stayed in SC, but he did. While I was gone, I began to spot. I phoned the doctor and was told it is/was normal to spot around the time I would normally have my cycle (I was almost 9 weeks pregnant). The nurse I spoke with said to make an appointment the following Monday if the spotting didn't stop. I planned to go anyway because I was fighting a severe cold and needed some medication. The spotting never increased, but it didn't decrease, either. I also remember not feeling pregnant- you know, the exhaustion, the nauseousness, tenderness in the chest- I did not have any of those symptoms. I also remember thinking it was weird that my pants weren...

I am trying so hard to "decorate" my blog for Christmas but to no avail. I have no idea how to change the background colors or anything. I found a neat header I want to use but it just doesn't go with the white background I currently have. Anyone who is willing to help me, I would greatly appreciate it!

I try to read my Bible every day (I set aside time during the kids’ nap time) and I try to read the chapter in Proverbs that corresponds with the day of the month. For example, today I read Proverbs 19. I have been doing this for several months, so this is not new material for me. Yet, for some reason today, the words in verse 3 seemed to jump off the page at me. I don’t know why they seem so clear to me. Here’s what is says: “A man’s own folly ruins his life, yet his heart rages against the Lord.” That is so true! I know in the past, before I learned I needed to have the mind of God, that I felt that way at times. Think about all the stupid decisions, mistakes, etc. we have made, I have made, and how God receives the blame. Also think about all the blessings He bestows on us yet we take the credit. I know not every bad thing that happens to a person is because of a foolish decision, but in most cases, this is true. Think about drug users. They make a foolish decision to do so, and the...