A Lifetime of Love

is my 2 front teeth! Th lost his tooth! A friend of ours from church offered to pull it for him (that kind of stuff gives me the heebie-jeebies) and surprisingly, Th agreed. She got a paper towel, had him look out the window, and in a matter of seconds it was out. Th never flinched! He was so excited, as were TJ, Ta, and I! He got a drink of water and ran into the bathroom to look in the mirror. He was so proud, and smiled big at everyone he passed in the hallway. He couldn't wait to get home from church tonight to put it under his pillow for the tooth fairy. He also spent most of the church service feeling the gap between his teeth with his tongue. He looks so cute with his toothless grin! *I am thankful for friends with stronger stomachs than mine-- and the opportunity to witness my firstborn's first lost tooth.* Below is a picture (please ignore the mustard on his face- he had just finished eating a soft pretzel)

We’re home after a long week touring Ohio and visiting family. Our trip was nice, although it started out hectic because we were in and out of the car so often. Last Saturday we went over to my dad’s twin brother’s house (my uncle) to visit with his family. My cousins came over and all the kids played together. Sunday we went to the Akron zoo. It has been 10 years since TJ and I were there last, and it’s changed a lot. It’s a small zoo, but they have animals that the zoo by our house doesn’t have, so the kids enjoyed it. It has been remodeled and it’s really nice. We left the zoo and the kids napped when we got back to my mom’s. When they woke, we went to eat at my favorite Akron restaurant- Swenson’s. It’s a local drive-in franchise that has been around for over 70 years. In the past, males were car hops and females worked in the kitchen. Because of EEO laws, I think that’s changed, but the food still tastes great and we eat there every time we are in Akron. Monday we woke, packed up ...

We’re home! I’ll have another post at a later time detailing the remainder of our trip. For now, I am excited to share some news- Th has his first loose tooth! It began bothering him while we were away, and then on the drive home, he discovered it was wiggly. He is so excited, and he just had to call someone on the phone to share his news. However, he now refuses to eat anything that’s not soft or easily swallowed. He starts school in 2 weeks. I took him school shopping yesterday afternoon between church services so I could take advantage of the tax-free weekend. I picked up actual school supplies a couple of weeks ago, so yesterday was for clothes and shoes. It was just the two of us, and we had a nice time. He is getting more vocal on his likes and dislikes regarding the clothing he wears, so I think he liked having an opinion on the clothing we bought. On our way home, we stopped and got a milkshake to make our afternoon more special. I can’t believe how quickly he is growing up- wa...

I haven’t posted because we left last Friday to go to Ohio to visit my family. Thankfully the drive was pretty uneventful, although I did see 5 deer in the woods. My mind works in strange ways, and after spotting the 2nd deer, I began to wonder why God allowed me to see the deer and not anyone else in the car (the kids were too enthralled with a DVD and TJ was driving). That thought lead to this next thought: how many other “things” (events, circumstances, people, animals, etc.) has the Lord allowed me to see that perhaps others did not? I know, pretty deep thinking for no apparent reason. But, it made me appreciate seeing the deer as more than just a simple glance out the window, especially since some of them were pretty deep in the woods and not near the highway. The trip has been nice, although we are all running short on sleep. My kids do not sleep well when not in their beds, and this results in TJ and me missing out on sleep. Ta has a tendency to wake up at night and throw a tant...

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...