A Lifetime of Love

My cell phone is only 2 years old. The contract expires mid-August, and I’ve been having problems with my phone. It no longer takes a charge from the vehicle charger, which is not a big deal, except lately the phone only holds a charge for a short time. Recently, it’s started to shut down on its own, even while plugged into the wall charger. I had to run some errands one morning with all 3 kids and planned to go to a friend’s house for lunch. I got my phone to call TJ and tell him of my plans, only to find my phone off inside my bag. I powered it back on, made the phone call, and before I could even hang up, it powered itself off again. Ugh! This was a few weeks ago, and was the last straw! That evening, after supper, we headed to Verizon to see what could be done. I didn’t want to replace the battery because when my contract expired in 6 weeks, I was eligible for a new phone. Of course the Verizon store was packed, so I waited in the van with the kids while they watched a movie. I tol...

My sis told me last week that Paul received a phone call from his best friend still in Iraq. She didn’t know what was said, but when Paul hung up, he was really upset and didn’t want to talk about it. All he told her was that somebody from his unit in NC, serving in Iraq with him, had died. Here is the link to the article. Remember, only 2 people have offered to die for you: Jesus Christ and the American soldier. The first for your soul, the other for your freedom. Don’t take either lightly.

Sorry for not posting in a few days. TJ and I attended the wedding in Sumter on Saturday. As I suspected, memories of our time in the Air Force came rushing back, and our conversation during the drive home reflected some of those feelings. TJ and I both agree that although life in the military is tough, we both like the fact that we (members of the military) are working toward a bigger, common goal. We want our children to understand that, as well. In civilian life, the focus is on “me” and “Number One.” We want our kids to know that what they do affects others, not just in our family, but in all aspects of life, like a ripple effect. The military really helps one to learn that important life lesson. For instance, as a mechanic, if I didn’t do my job correctly, that affects the aircraft. If the plane breaks down, then the mission cannot be completed, and more than likely, there are others depending upon the mission (whether for fuel, supplies, people, equipment, etc). My poor action ne...

Believe it or not, I don't really have much to talk about. The derm appointment went well considering I had one child who couldn't sit still, one who wouldn't sit still, and another that was about to break out into tears at any moment. Thankfully the nurse listened to me when I told her Ta was very nervous and asked the doc to take off her white coat (hence the term "White Coat Syndrome"- it really does exist!) before entering the room. It seemed to work great! Ta didn't like her looking at him, and he didn't say one word the entire time the doc was in the room, but he didn't cry, either. That is real progress! Oh, about the diagnosis. All 3 spots are unrelated to each other. The bumps on his foot are a birth mark that will continue to grow as his foot grows. The spot on his leg is, um, I don't remember because I had difficulty concentrating on what she was saying because I was distracted by 2 of my kids. I do know it's not contagious and it f...

I cleaned the house yesterday. I didn't finish everything I had hoped to accomplish, but I made good progress and feel better knowing the house is clean. . . even if it is short-lived. I just have a few minor chores (i.e. cleaning the downstairs bathroom, mopping the kitchen floor, & dusting the dining room) to do today in order to be totally finished, and will do it this afternoon while the kids are napping. Ta has an appointment with a dermatologist today. He has had some bumps on his foot for at least 2 years, if not longer. I mentioned it the pediatrician at one of his well-visits (either 9 or 12-month), and she wasn't sure what they were, but since the bumps weren't changing any, she wasn't overly concerned. Neither was I. Until about 2 months ago or so I noticed a bump on his stomach. It has now "spread" into the same type of bumps on his foot, except these bumps on his stomach itch. He was also scratched by one of our dogs a long time ago, and the s...

I planning on taking full advantage of the boys being at science camp this morning. I am hosting some friends of mine for Bible study on Wednesday morning, so today is the perfect opportunity to clean my house while the boys aren't here. I plan to begin upstairs with the bedrooms and full baths, then work my way downstairs to the half bath, kitchen, dining, and living rooms. I have 2 1/2 hours to finish. Ready! Set! Go!

It’s been a busy week for us. Monday night we promised the boys we’d take them bike riding in our church parking lot on Tuesday because Th wanted to learn to ride without training wheels and our neighborhood is too hilly. However, the worst storm we’ve had in months hit Tuesday night, forcing us to retreat to our house. We have been in a drought for a year and the night we want to do something fun for the kids, it doesn’t just rain, it storms! The storm was so bad that lightening struck TJ’s building at work, causing him to be extremely busy on Wednesday and work a 12-hour shift. We couldn’t go bike riding Wednesday because we go to church on Wednesday nights, so we finally made it there last night. Of course, it was overcast and threatened to rain the entire time we were there, but nevertheless the kids had fun and Th learned to ride his bike sans training wheels. Speaking of Th, I am so proud of him. We did the same thing last fall, and he was just so afraid of falling that he would...