Funeral funnies

I better post these sweet little stories before I forget them.

We went to Oklahoma last week for Peepaw's funeral. It was a whirlwind trip...8 hours in the car Wednesday....3 on Thursday....10 on Friday. I am glad that it is over. The trip was full of ups and downs. The downs were what you would expect....we were saying goodbye to someone we love. And although we certainly do not grieve like those who have no hope....it is still hard to say goodbye. But, on the upside...it was a giant family reunion of sorts. We got to see Tommy and Deanna and baby Jordan. Also, Rayden's Aunt Jodie and all her kids and grandkids were there a well. It was fun to be together, catch up, give hugs, and recall wonderful memories.

The stories I want to tell, though, have nothing to do with Rayden's extended family. They center around the comic relief that my sweet boys provided during some very heavy moments. Leave it to children and their impeccable timing to lighten the mood.

The first story involves Kaleb, the funeral, a song, and a very loud comment. I had the amazing honor to sing at Peepaw's funeral. I sang "the old rugged cross" (which happens t be my very favorite hymn of all time) and "Amazing Grace." I sang "the old rugged cross" first and then I was to sit in the front pew and wait until the eulogy was finished before I came up to stage to sing again. Well, I made it through the first song without tears and I began to go and sit down. I was walking down the stage steps in silence as Kaleb shouts out, "mommy, that was beautiful." Oohs and Aahs broke out across the room. Such a sweet boy...and a precious memory.

Okay...story number two. This one is about Nathan, a graveside address, and a big hole. We had to drive about 3 hours from the church to the cemetery where we buried Peepaw. When we got there, there were so many new people that we decided to go ahead and do a whole other service. I sang again and they again delivered a short address. Nathan and Kaleb sat in the front row with Grammy and Grandad (which I tried to avoid all day since it was open casket, but oh well...that didn't work). They did such a great job being still and quiet. Then, the address was over....tears were in many of our eyes and there was a heavy feeling. It was almost as if no one really knew what to do next....how would we proceed? Well, sweet little Nathan breaks the silence. He calls out to the man doing the service..."Umm, sir? Be careful...there's a big hole behind you." (referring to the grave). Everyone laughed and smiled at this charming little boy. It was the perfect transition.

Funerals can be difficult....even when you know that someone is dancing on the streets of gold. My advice....bring small children with you. They are funny, innocent, and a wonderfully cute distraction. If you don't have any of your own, I will rent mine out for a very small, but appropriate, fee. =)

An emerging personality...

What fun it is to watch a baby grow into a child...to see likes and dislikes form...to watch as they become a real little person. Aubri has always been such a delight. She is living breathing proof that God hears our prayers and that he loves to give good gifts. I treasure this little beauty. She is rapidly developing in her language skills. And you can't tell her she CAN"T do something...if her brothers are doing it, you can be sure that she will join in shortly. She loves to put her babies in the baby bed and tell them "nigh nigh." She enjoys playing cars with her brothers, jumping on the trampoline (actually she enjoys sitting there while she bounces to and fro while we jump), eating any fruit she can get her hands on, drinking milk, and following mommy around. She also is not afraid to throw herself down on the floor and scream, cry, hit, and kick with the best of them. She has quite a way of letting you know she is dissatisfied. Yes, I love this girl....all of her. I can't wait to see her develop even more. I know God has wonderful plans for her. I pray that she will have an undivided heart and that she will always see herself as God sees her. May it be so, Lord!


Presenting the may faces of Aubri Jane...

"Look at me....aren't I the cutest little thing you've ever seen!?"
"I can't yet verbalize all that I think of...but I can assure you...it's good stuff."

"Things are not okay....here I am....a hot little mess...and instead of scooping me up in her arms...my mommy is taking my picture. Someone help me please!"

"Na na na na na na na na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na BATGIRL!

"Chocolate pudding is delicious....wonder why mommy doesn't let me use a spoon on my own very often?"

getting creative

The month of March is tricky in Memphis. Some days it is 75 degrees with the sun shining and birds chirping. Then, the next day it might be 55 degrees with rain and overcast skies. Forest Gump said it best when he claimed, "you never know what you're gonna get."

We've been running out of stuff to do in the house on those days we can't get outside to play. Mommy has had to put her thinking cap on and get creative. I very rarely toot my own horn, but....TOOT! TOOT! these are some good ideas!


1. We got out a beach towel and a favorite stuffed animal and created a sort of parachute. The game was to work together (a skill these two boys need to practice often) to toss the penguin in the air as high as they can while still catching him on the way down. This provided us with a whole 45 minutes of entertainment!

2. I must start by saying that I did NOT come up with this idea (a very hearty thank you to Mailbox teaching magazine!). I did, however, make it and teach it to my kids.

You take plastic easter eggs and spereate them. On the small halves you write all the lower case letters. On the larger halves you write all the upper case letters. The boys had to sort through them and match the correct upper and lower case letters together. Since both boys were paying I gav Kaleb all the lower case halves and Nathan all the upper case halves. But, this would work just as easily with one child...they just sift through a bigger pile to find the match on their own.

So, those are my two new good inside fun ideas. I am in need of many more. Got any you'd like to pass along?

Go Riverkings!

Last Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, was faith and family night at the Memphis Riverkings game. Our very own student worship band was invited to play the National Anthem and play a couple of songs between each period. It was a lot of fun. I wasn't going to get to go because I was originally supposed to be in Chicago at the WillowCreek Children's Conference, but since Peepaw passed away all the plans changed. I was able to go and also able to take the boys (little Aubri stayed with Erin Wukasch at her house since we didn't get home until 10).

The boys were in awe all night. From the loud music, the fast motion, the flashing lights, and yummy food....what's not for a little boy to love? One of the highlights was seeing daddy on the jumbo tron. Also a favorite was getting a puck that flew off the ice during practice (our friend Nat caught it and very generously gave it to Kaleb....Kaleb now loves his "pebble"....he can't seem to remember that it is called a puck). Another big hit was mini corn dogs and onion straws....gotta love stadium supper!

The band was superb...and we weren't the only ones to think so. They were asked to come back and play for a weekend playoff game and then stay after and play for the entire public skating time. How cool is that? I think we are going to try and make it a church wide event....we are transitioning to a more family style of ministry....imagine that....a church that doesn't separate families....rather, it keeps them connected and has them together. This could be a cool way to help families realize that spending time together is fun and meaningful. I can't wait for the next game!
This is Kaleb doing his "hockey face". I was trying to take his picture with his new puck and he kept making this face. He told me that when he makes this face he looks like a hockey player.

The Riverkings mascot, Sheldon.

They gave all the kids in our group these little hand "clappers". Kaleb, no surprise, began entertaining our group by using them as his arms. He was giving hugs and high fives to everyone.

The band getting ready to play after the second period.

Daddy on the jumbo tron! How cool!

We filled an entire section with people from our church coming to support Rayden and the teenagers. Maybe next time we will bring even more!

an unplanned haircut

First, let me start by saying that I love our church. I love the people in our church. I especially love the sweet childcare workers in our church. They are wonderful. It is difficult to do what they do week in and week out. All that said, yesterday one of those precious, wonderful, blessed childcare workers gave my son scissors to complete a craft project and then walked away. This was the result...




Nathan got an unexpected haircut. When I picked him up from his class the teenage helper in his class informed me that Nathan had "snipped his hair during the craft project." I grabbed him by the hand and calmly walked down the hall and into the women's restroom. Here is the conversation that followed...

M: Nathan, why did you snip your hair?
N: I wanted it to be a little bit shorter.
M: okay, but do you think it's your job to make your hair shorter?
N: no ma'am
M: do you know that snipping your own hair is a bad choice?
N: Yes Ma'am
M: What are we supposed to use scissors for?
N: snipping
M: snipping what?
N: paper
M: so should we ever snip our hair?
N: no ma'am

Simple and straightforward. Then, I swatted his sweet little behind for making a choice that he knew was wrong and we hugged and went to find daddy.

When Nathan found his daddy and showed him what he had done, this is the conversation that followed:

D: Dude, what did you do?
N: Snipped my hair
D: now you look like a goober
N: NO! I'm not a goober! I don't want to be a goober!
D: well, we'll buzz your hair off later
N: yes sir

And that's just what we did. Good thing it's spring. A buzz cut in winter would be a bit out of place.

hawaii...or bust!

Just a quick video for your viewing pleasure. The other night, after the bath, the boys asked Rayden to do their towels around their waist like he does. The rest is history...

It's been a rough one...

It's been a rough week. This week we said goodbye to our PeePaw. It's actually Rayden's maternal grandfather, but I love him enough to say he was my PeePaw too. His health has been rapidly deteriorating and this last week we were sure the days were coming to an end.

He was such a great man. A pastor for more years than I have been alive, he has grown God's Kingdom in more ways that I can count. He was a faithful husband....this November he would have been married to his bride for 62 years! He was a WONDERFUL grandfather. Rayden has countless stories of all the fun he and his cousins and brother had staying with Peepaw at the lake. He will be greatly missed.

I think the thing that is so hard about it was seeing him so helpless this last week. He was such a strong and vibrant man...you knew when Peepaw has arrived! And in his last days he laid in his room in a hospital bed unable to move, open his eyes, or talk. When I saw him in the bed for the first time 2 days ago my heart leaped up into my throat. He looked so small. I swear he had shrunk down to half his size. And there were no jokes about how beautiful he thought I was...no big kiss on the mouth. Nothing. I don't even know if he knew we were there. But, we kissed him, praised him for a life well lived, and said goodbye. Actually, I told him to give my Jesus a big kiss on the mouth for me. I don't know if that is sac religious, but I know if Peepaw could he would've let out a big belly laugh and then agreed to my request.

I know I will never forget Peepaw. And not just cause I love him. I will see pieces of him in my husband everyday. I think that's why I feel so connected to him. He and Rayden and so alike. They both ave the "it" factor. They attract people. They make people laugh. They have BIG personalities. They love to make other people feel like they are important. They are both pastors. They did/will do GREAT things in ministry. Peepaws legacy will live on...we will be sure of it.

Peepaw passed away this morning at 5:30 am. It was right after an electrical surge that sent sparks flying all over the street. Way to go "out with a bang". Peepaw wouldn't have it any other way!

And then later today...

I got a call from my mom's psychiatrist's office saying that they thought she was off her meds because she seemed to be having some delusions. They said that she is convinced that my dad is calling 911 on her and trying to have her committed. Well, that's just not true. These are, in fact, delusions. After Rayden gets home from work I will head over to her apartment and see if she is taking her medications.

I just don't know how to help her. She has NO health insurance and she thinks that nothing is wrong with her. How to do help someone like that? I am begging for God to intervene and heal her. I am pleading with God to change what feels lie a hopeless situation.

Months ago I promised the Lord that I would march into this cave my mom is in and take her by the hand and march her out of it. Well, easier said than done. She doesn't seem to want to leave. And in the meantime, I hate this cave. It is lonely, and dark, and my anxiety grows the longer I stay in here. But, I made a vow to the Lord. I will emerge from this cave WITH my mother's hand in mine. I do believe that. I am just asking the Lord to give me strength, hope, peace, comfort, and the ability to endure. Not to mention, I am asking that it be over soon and that the road might not be so difficult to navigate.

Would you join me in praying for these situations? We would sure appreciate it. We are learning more to trust God through prayer and we are seeing evidence that He is powerful and present in the lives of people who pray. May God get glory from everything in my life and yours!

"rah rah...rah rah..."

My mom came over to have lunch with us today. That in and of itself is a wonderful victory. She was confident enough to leave her apartment and follow directions that Rayden wrote for her. She even made it without getting lost. Life is about celebrating the small victories.

She brought with her a rocking chair that was mine when I was a little girl. Aubri really likes it. She sits on the edge of the seat (if she scoots all the way to the back of it she almost tips backwards) and she rocks....singing, "rah rah.....rah rah." Which translates into, "rock rock....rock rock". I took some sweet pictures of her enjoying her new treasure. Notice also that her sweet little hair has grown long enough for pigtails....there is nothing cuter!

She's such a little ham...you'd think she's had her picture taken once or twice!

It's cousin time

What fun we had tonight with our cousin Cruise. His daddy (Rayden's cousin Chad) and mommy went downtown to the Jessica Simpson and Rascal Flatts concert, so we spent the evening with 4 kiddos instead of 3. It was a lot of fun. Aubri kept leaning down really low and looking at his face and saying, "baby." The boys also had a great time with him. I think it was especially fun for Rayden to see his kids hanging out with his cousin's kids. Most of Rayden's growing up years were spent down the street from his cousins. We are praying that the Lord always allows us to be close to enjoy more nights like tonight.

Doctor updates

Today we ventured to the doctor's office for both Nathan and Aubri's well checkups. The reports were good, but, man, do I hate being in that tiny room with all three of my crazies while we wait for the doctor. At least we were he first appointment of the day. Here are the details...

Nathan....coming in at 3 ft 4 inches and 39 pounds. He is in the 50th percentile for height and for weight. That means he has slimmed down quite a bit. Those chubby cheeks are disappearing before my very eyes. So sad!

The highlight of his visit today was getting to pee in a cup. He has never done that before and he just could not get over how silly this was. The nurse gave us the cup and we went into the bathroom. Our instructions were to put a little peepee in the cup and then leave it on the counter. First off, it's a smidge difficult to catch a 4 year olds urine in a tiny cup while he is laughing at the craziness of it all. All this while stopping Aubri from putting her hand in the potty. I got skills...if I do say so myself. The next challenge was that Nathan was having a hard time "stopping the flow" if you will. The cup was about to overflow...I swear the temperature in that tiny bathroom was about 90 degrees. Finally, he understood what I was asking him to do and he turned and finished releiving himself in the potty. Then, I put the cup on the counter and we began to leave. Kaleb said that maybe we should leave a note so that the next person who uses the potty will know not to drink it...he's so considerate.

The lowlight of the visit was getting his finger pricked. Although...he was VERY brave and only cried for a second. We had practiced the night before closing our eyes and counting to 5. I told them that shots only hurt for 5 seconds so we can count and then the pain will be gone. After his real life experience today Nathan looked at me with wide eyes as he exclaimed that I was actually right.

Aubri....she is now 31 inches long and 25 pounds. That puts her at about the 35th percentile for height and the 50th for weight. She too has slimmed down. She had always been 75th in weight. I guess trying to keep up with those brothers of hers is a good weight loss plan...too bad it's not working that way for me!

She looks great and is developing properly. She knows all the things she should know. She can point to several body parts and can call out several animal sounds. The doctor wanted for her to know about 5 words, but my little overacheiver has about 30 in her repetoire!

Aubri had to get two shots today and she did great. We'll get some tylenol in that girl and send her to bed!

Well...you can consider yourself updated. The sickness is finally gone from the house ( I hope). Rayden has a big week at work....we just hired a new senior pastor so he will start to see some changes coming. And then in 2 weeks I am headed to CHicago to attend a children's ministry conference at WillowCreek. Busy busy times.