Where's Waldo....Uhhhh....I mean Dave?

So, my son left two weeks ago for Army Boot Camp. He is in Fort Benning, GA learning all there is to know about the Army, it's core values, and what it means to be a soldier. Can I just say that as much as I miss him, I am so extrememly proud of him! Anyway, yesterday we got a letter from the Commander of his Battalion telling us all about what they have been doing and what we, as parents, can expect. We also got a link to the training facebook page. I have enjoyed scrolling through the pictures trying to find David Jr. He is in the picture here...there is a bit of a discussion going on as to which one he is, but he is in the picture :)

This past week....

the kids and I visited the hubby in Clarksville, VA where his new job is. Let's just say it didn't take me long to fall in love with the quaintness of this small town! From the historical homes to the lampposts and benches along main street....there was not much that I didn't love about this town. The people were so friendly too! They were helpful and welcoming.....it was so lovely!

This was my FAVORITE house!


Isn't it great?! It has been in the same family forever....but a little birdie told me that it may go on the market since the current generation of owners is not interested in keeping it....I hope David says yes if I ask nicely! :)

And check out the lampposts! LOVE!


There is a huge thrift store at the edge of town that is run by the Ruritans. The proceeds from the shop go to the library, the museum and other such things around town. So, of course I did not mind spending money there :) We got hubby a microwave for $19 that looked like it had never been used and a puzzle for the kids to work. I also got these babies....

Aren't they great?! There are a total of 19 and I only paid $5.50! That's 29 cents each! They are going to be re purposed once I figure out what I want to make them into :)

Our visit was way to short, but loads of fun. I miss my hubby already, but I know we can do this! Now it's time to head to bed because tomorrow I send this kid

off to the Army to serve his country.

Where have the years gone??

That kiddo up there graduates from High School in 2 short weeks! I have no idea how he got that big! When I first met him he was a 9 year old who told big whopper stories, like about how he raced dirt bikes in Germany (he lived there for 3 years....from the ages of 1-4)! He loved to ride in my big truck and he was curious about why I wanted to marry his dad. He was in our wedding and his first words after were "Do I have to call you mom?" I told him no that I was perfectly fine with him calling me Heather....his next words were "ok mom". He has the biggest heart of any teenager I know. He loves people and has never met a stranger. He has filled my life with such joy and I honestly cannot imagine not knowing him.

Maybe that's why my heart is breaking just a little right now. In conjunction with graduation we are throwing the boy a party. We invited all his friends and family and are looking forward to celebrating with him. However, some of his family have decided they don't want to be here. If it were distant cousins it probably wouldn't bother me as much, but it's 2 sets of his grandparents. They have decided that the way they feel about the past is more important than celebrating his future. I am trying really hard not to be bitter or angry about this. I have been praying that they have a change of heart and mind and come anyway. I do not understand their reasoning, and maybe that's a good thing. What I do understand is the way my son feels about it. He is hurt, although he would never show it.

So I end with this.....blending families is never seamless. It doesn't always turn out the way we dream it. All we can do is love each other. Make sure that the kids feel loved by all of us. And put our own feelings out of the way in order for our children to be happy. Life is too short to hold grudges.

Today my son turned....

Where have the last 9 years gone?! He has grown from a slightly insecure 9 year old into a brave, mature, confident 18 year old. I remember the very first time I met him. He was worried I would get mad when he got dirty playing at papa's house. I just laughed and told him that's what kids were supposed to do! The next time I saw him he told me a tall tale about being a dirt bike racer in Germany! This kid! On the day I married his dad he asked me if he had to call me mom. I told him he could call me anything but late to dinner.....he chose to call me mom. I have been so blessed to be his mom. I have only known him half his life, but I could not love him any less. In 3 short months he will be a high school graduate....and a short 2 months later a United States Soldier. I am so proud of this young man!

When we judge...

I think God should immediately allow us to feel what is going on with that person emotionally, physically & spiritually. Just a quick glimpse so that we can feel what they are feeling, good or bad. I think this would cause us to judge less and love more. This thought comes from much thought over a recent incident in my own life. I wonder if things would have happened differently had the person judging been able to feel what I was feeling right then. Am I saying that feelings should outweigh behavior, absolutely not. What I am saying is that sometimes our behaviors are the result of our feelings. How much more sensitive would we be to others if we knew that we would feel what they are feeling? Would we be more willing to just love them in spite of our opinion of them? Or would we judge just to get the gossip fodder? I would like to believe that we would love more. I think it would make us more sensitive to the differences between ourselves and others. I think we would be more accepting of those differences and would work better as a community. Isn't that what we are called to? To be an accepting and loving community?

Rambling Thoughts....

So, my oldest son is a Senior in high school this year. That totally blows my mind by the way. There is no way i am old enough for this! :) Seriously though, I can't believe how quickly the years have gone. My goal for this year is to make him a scrapbook of his life. This would seem a relatively easy task for most people, but for me the situation is a little different. You see, I have only been David's mom for a little over 8 years. I share all his memories from May 2002 until the present, but I have no pictures or anything from before that time.

In trying to make this the best album I can for him, I contacted his bio mom and asked if I could borrow her pictures and scan them so that the book would be complete. She agreed and I was so excited! A week later she brought me 6, yes 6 pictures. Seriously. Four of the pictures she brought me I already had thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law, so in essence she gave me 2 whole pictures. She told me they were doubles of hers, so I added them to the pictures I already had.

Well, tonight she walks in my house and asks for the pictures back. I was so dumbfounded I just looked at her. Then I told her I don't know where they are at the moment, which is true since I have been doing major cleaning this week. I am at a complete loss on this one. Does she really dislike me so much that she doesn't want to contribute to her sons graduation present? I just don't get that!

10/22/10
I started this post on 9/28/10. Since then I have really stewed over this issue....mainly because I still have not received any new photos and she still wants her 6 pictures back. However, I have come to a sense of peace over this whole thing. You see, I know that no matter if she contributes or not this gift will be cherished by my son. I know that with or without her pictures I will put tons of love into the project, and love is more important than stuff. Lastly, I know that she is the one that loses in the long run, and therefore it is her issue not mine.

Inside my head.....

are some thoughts that need to be out in the open for discussion. Sometimes things get stuck in there and I worry them until I feel like I need the opinions of others or I will go crazy. Sometimes seeing the words in print helps more than anything, but I truly do want to know what others think.

My nature is to be pleasant most of the time. I genuinely like people and want them to like me too. There are times that I can get irate, and unfortunately I haven't quite learned how to control my facial features when this happens. I also have a very black & white sense of right and wrong. I have a hard time seeing gray areas, and I don't necessarily think that is a bad thing. I think part of that is being an oldest child, but the majority is my past. I need to get over it, but some things are harder than others to reconcile.

I am a giver and I truly believe that if someone has a need I can fulfill then it is my job to fill it. I love to see people smile when a need is fulfilled. I love the peace that fills my heart when I know I have met a need. It's just who I am and I wouldn't want that to ever change.

Here's my "worry" though....I have a hard time understanding why others aren't the same way. I know that we are all made differently, but shouldn't we all have that same sense of meeting the needs of others? Even before I was a Christ follower I was this way, and the "gift" has only intensified in the 10 years sense. So, why aren't others the same? And more specifically, why aren't other Christ followers the same? I know that we all have differnt spiritual gifts, but Christ calls us all to give. Why does that seem so hard for some?

And even more than this, why aren't more people aware of the need to give to those who aren't Christ followers? And I guess this is the center of my thought....why don't people care more for those they know don't have Christ? Isn't that what our great commission is? Isn't that why we were created? Why can we call the sick church member who claims Christ, but not the unsaved spouse when they are sick? Am I crazy for even asking that? I don't think so.

So what this boils down too I think is that I don't understand the quick response to those who claim Christ, and the lukewarm response to those who don't.