Some New Pictures of Laura

Picture 1 - Berry picking. BUT, since she is allergic to poison ivy, she had to stay in her stroller and watch us pick!

Picture 2 - Harassing the cat! She loves the kitty. And she loves to carry around cooking utensils!

Picture 3 - John and William dressed her in her overalls today and took her out to play in the dirt. As soon as she was sufficiently dirty, they brought her to me for a bubble bath! I don't know if she has more fun getting dirty or getting clean!

THE FAMILY TABLE

Proverbs 14:1 says, "A wise woman builds her house, But the foolish pulls it down with her hands (mouth)." I have a story for young wives and wives to be.........

This is our new table. My husband and young sons built it for our family. It is the family table. For many years I have wanted a large table where many could sit and eat and fellowship. We found one at the furniture store. It was $3500.00!!!!!!! Of course, we talked of how we could afford it, or save for it but that is soooo much money.

So, we began to think about building one. I drew a plan for one and put it on our fridge. Sunday after church, Meredith asked if I wanted to go to Lowes and buy the materials. Well, all I wanted to do was take a nap! But, this was my opportunity. So, we loaded up and went to Lowes. Understand, young wives, that when you husband offers to do something for you, don't put him off. You both will miss a blessing. Just have a cup of coffee, smile, and go!

Around 6:30 Sunday evening Meredith, John, William, and Luke began working on the table. They measured, cut, sawed and hammered for 4 hours. And then they were done. We stood looking at our new table. John and William stood watching me study their work. They asked, "What do you think Mamma, do you like it?" Meredith stood behind them looking at me too. I knew he was as anxious for the answer as they were but he was too grown up to ask. Now, at that moment, I could have been critical of their work. I could have pointed out little flaws here and there and totally crushed them. But, I remembered Proverbs 14:1 about how a wise woman builds up her house but she can destroy it with her hands (or mouth as I usually think about it) and I smiled from ear to ear and proclaimed, "It's perfect. I just love it. Thank you guy so much for building our family table. I am so proud of it and of you!!!!!!!" They were absolutely beaming. The next day I stained and varnished it. It is truly lovely.

There are so many lessons to glean from this project. As I pondered our experience today, this is what I learned.

First of all, the memories we made are priceless. Would they remember so well a furniture truck pulling up in our yard and bringing a factory made table into our house? Or, when they are married will they tell the story of our table to their young wife? Will they tell her of how they built the very same table in which they sat to tell us of their engagement? Will they assure her that they will build her one prettier that mine? Will they remember how proud their little hearts were the night they got to stay up after 10pm to finish it for me?

Second, do you think my dear husband might be just a little appreciative that he didn't have to fork over thousands of dollars so I could have a beautiful table in which to continuously yell at our children not to ruin? Do you think he was proud that he was able to make me happy by building something for me with his own hands?

Third, I was thinking of how our "Family Table" reminds me of our family. You see, it is Meredith's vision that designed the table (he changed my design to a better one) just like it is his vision that gives our family a plan to follow. It is his strength that built the table just as it is his strength that is required to lead our family. Once he had the vision cast and the table built, I added the color and shine just as I add grace and joy to Meredith's leadership within our family. The children made the building of the table challenging and exciting, just as they add childlike excitement to everything we do in our family. God's design for a family is so wonderful and when we follow it, we can be sure that the result will be so beautiful for generations to come.........just like our family table! It will stand strong and serve us for many years just like our family stands strong and will serve the Lord until we meet him in the air!

So, please, stop by some time and see our table. We are all very proud of it. It's not perfect. Neither are we. But we love our table and we love each other. That's all that matters. You are welcome to sit at it and fellowship with us. Have some berry cobbler and ice cream, sit a while, share your time and you life with us and always be sure to ask me about the joy that is in my heart because I am just so excited to share it with you!

So, young wives, please read this and learn some of the most valuable lessons for a happy home. Be very appreciative of everything your husband does for you, don't ask for things that he might not be able to get for you, let your children see you admire their daddy, thank them daily for their service to you, love your family, read your Bible daily, and ponder everything to learn God's lesson for you and your family.

God bless you and your family!

When you walk in the way.......

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets beween your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:5-9

All Grown Up

Well folks, it happens to every child in the world. They grow up. Bradley moved out today. Yep, he is sharing an apartment with Lela. How did this happen? He was walking around singing "Mama, mama, mama, mama," only yesterday. I was trying to keep him from eating the butter with his fingers at meals the day before. Just last week Meredith and I were potty training him. I made his 3rd birthday cake on the grill last year..................Time flies when your raising kids! He will be 18 May 29, has one more English paper to write and he will be ready to graduate from high school. He has a full time job as a gunsmith at his dad's gunshop. He's looking to buy a motorcycle to drive to work because of the gas mileage. I have been telling him no for a year but now.........he can do what he wants.

Isn't that what all of us want? To just do what we want when we want without anyone telling us we shouldn't? It just don't work like that. You see, our life is not our own. It was bought with a price. The blood of Jesus at Calvary. To live for Jesus is to die unto ourself so that we can do His will, obey His commands, and work out our salvation unto His glory. LIVING is to make sure we wake up every morning, ask God to fill us with His Spirit, and not step out of that bed until we are sure we are right with Him and can accomplish only those tasks that the Almighty has planned for us today. Don't add anything or take anything away from His perfect will. Then, the glory of the Lord will shine in and on us and spreading the Gospel would be sooo easy because people would always ask us for the secret to our happiness.

Thankfulness is the key. Be thankful for the blood that was shed on the cross, be thankful that we can serve a Holy God, and tell Him daily how thankful we are and ask Him, "How can I please you, today, my Lord?"

I am thankful for my children. I am thankful that Justin, Lela, and Bradley have grown up to be indepentant thinkers. They don't believe you because you say it but because they have thought it out and made the decision for themselves. They are hard workers that can put in a day's work while laughing along side their fellow worker. They are encouragers and can really lift others up just when they need it. They are loyal to friends and family. You can always count on them. I am so thankful to God for my grown children.

I am thankful for my little children. They make messes and they make me laugh. They are cute and they are learning how to be good Christians and citizens. They keep me going when sometimes I want to throw my hands up and say, "UNCLE!"

I am going to miss Bradley. I am going to cry tonight after everyone is asleep. I am going to enjoy our new relationship that alway develops when a child is grown. I am going to pray for him always. I am going to enjoy watching him make his way in life just as I do with Justin and Lela. I am going to give thanks to God because as Bradley drove off today with his bed and his old recliner and TV, I could rest assured that he has been given the knowledge that he needs to become his own man and a man for God.

More Beach Pictures

Luke and Laura at the Beach

Yesterday we took Laura for her hearing test to UTMB in Galveston. Good news first......her cochlea can hear. That's the inner ear part that picks up sound and transmits it to the brain via the auditory nerve. Bad news......her ear canals are so tiny that sound can't get to her middle ear (ear drum) to be sent to the cochlea. We will have to wait until she is 5-8 to see if we can repair the ear canal, find out the function of the ear drum, and let sound transmit normally. Until then, she will have a bone conduction hearing aide. It will look like a head band with a sound transmitter that will send the sound to her cochlea via bone so she can hear "fairly normally". Her cleft palate surgery will be May 8, 2008 with her lip repair following in about 4 months. She will start speech therapy as soon as she has her palate repair and gets her hearing aide. Yeah!!! We were so happy to find out that she will be able to hear.

One of the hearing tests required her to be asleep. Well, let me tell ya. Laura sleeps at NIGHT! But, as God usually works out all things for His glory (and to the benefit is those He loves "us"), He let her stay awake the night before until almost midnight (something she never does) so, about 8:30 am she went into a deep sleep in my lap and the audiologists were able to do the entire test. All I had to do was sit in this comfortable recliner and hold my baby!!!! (my favorite thing to do) I am here to testify that God is good and He knows what he is doing!!!

While Laura and I were at the hospital, Nene and Luke were at the beach! We didn't tell Laura!

I put on this cute outfit with flamingos on it for Laura to wear and she was the hit at the hospital. After leaving the hospital, we went to Fishtales and had a wonderful seafood lunch WITH bread pudding for dessert. Then, we took Laura to the beach.

The girl is not only a country cowgirl, she is a bonafide beach bum!!! No kidding! The wind was blowing and she stood with her face to the wind and headed for the water! She seemed to forget that she can't walk very far yet and she made a trail of little footprints in the sand. She was going swimming! This is the same child that only 7 weeks ago was terrified when I sat her in a baby bathtub. Now she was going to swim in the ocean!! Let me tell you guys, she is a trip. Her smile was bigger than the sea itself. God sure put her with the right family because genetically, she lines up with the same things our bio kids love......the farm life and the beach life!! We are going back soon so all of us can have a little fun on the beach before her surgery.

I got just a few pictures of the children so I'll post them. In most of them, Laura's head looks really big because I was snapping pictures as she was running toward the water from an angle above her. But all the pictures are really cute and the kids are adorable.

Mimi, thank you so much for the little flamingo outfit and for the use of your beach house. You are a fabulous grandmother and sooooo generous with us. We love you sooooo much. Enjoy the pictures!!!!

Laura is Walking!

Yes, the title is correct. This morning John was playing with a measuring tape. Laura was playing with the other end of it. She stood up and holding on to the tape, she began walking. She then realized that she was walking ALONE! John was jumping up and down with excitement. Laura was grinning from ear to ear.

So, later in the day, she decided to try it without anything in her hand. She has insisted on holding at least one of our hands before today. If we let go, she would just sit down. But today was her day. She stood and took a few steps toward me, fell down and giggled. I clapped for her and she clapped too. Then, she tried it again. She kept practicing all afternoon.

I called Daddy in to see her new trick and she refused to walk! Until he got her favorite toy and teased her with it. Then she walked to him too.

We are so proud of her. She has accomplished so much in just 5 weeks. She is really a conquerer! As soon as I can get pictures of her walking I will post them for all to see!

God bless.