Yay for hand-me-downs

I laid out some jammies for Carter.  He looked at them and reminded me, "No, Levi's!" I corrected him, "Oh, actually those are yours now because you're 2!" (Mommy was veeeeeery delayed in changing clothes out this round.)  Carter giggled and quickly got dressed in his new-to-him Elmo outfit.  Glad to see you so thrilled about the hand-me-downs, buddy!

Nobody called on my Birthday

By the title of this entry, you might think I'm writing a pity post. Well, I'm not.  I only bring it up because it serves as a sad reminder.

Every year as far back as I can remember, I got a phone call on my birthday from my grandma and grandpa.  When my grandma began to decline with her dementia, my grandpa didn't miss a beat.  He had all his girls' birthdays written down and called without fail.  A quick "Happy birthday, Laura! I love you." was all he wanted to say.  I looked forward to it, and it always made me feel like his precious little granddaughter no matter how old I was.  When cell phones entered the picture, I could tell when he was calling.  He had the only "Blocked" number that ever buzzed my way.

Last year, Scott and I were away celebrating my 30th birthday.  I didn't hear the phone buzz and I missed it.  That special "blocked" number called me once again for my birthday.  I was bummed to miss his voice and for some reason he didn't leave a message, but I knew what he would have said.  Two days later while we were still away (one year ago today), I got a different call.  My mom informed me through tears that Grandpa had just passed away.

That 30th birthday is a bittersweet memory now.  Although not talking with him, I knew as always, he didn't forget.  And as this 31st birthday approached, I was emotional knowing that blocked number wouldn't make it on my screen this time.  I missed him then and I miss him now and every day too.

So again, this isn't a sob story about no one calling to wish me a happy birthday.  If you know me, you know I hate talking on the phone anyway! ha!  But the fact that there wasn't the ONE call I loved, made it sting pretty badly.

Today is Grandpa's heavenaversary.  We miss you down here, Oh Bob!  The Giants have stunk since you've been gone. So much is changing around us, but your memory doesn't!  Your smile, laughter, your baby blues, jokes and songs, prayers with thees and thous... We think of these with such fondness.  We continue to be thankful for your loving presence and the deep roots of faith you planted in our lives. 

It's so hard to imagine what heaven must be like, but it is sweeter picturing you there.  Still miss you though. xoxoxo

Recent Excerpts for my Mommy Memoirs

Here are a few conversational gems that I'd like to document for later on in life when all this chaos that I'm living in is a muddled mess of memories and I can't remember facts or specifics of the fun along the way. :D

During one of our BIG, clean-up missions (where Mommy's patience is always tested by leaps and bounds), I decided to throw an unwanted, broken toy away.  Noah spotted me in the laundry room disposing it and emotionally pleaded, "Mommy, DON'T! That's a toy that Levi got for his birthday!  He'll be so upset!  That toy is special to him!!" (It SO was not, by the way.) I tried to shush him so he wouldn't alert Levi to what was going on.  I told him that Levi would be just fine and the toy didn't work now anyway.  He was adamant that Levi would be so upset.  I thought I had succeeded in tossing it without Levi becoming aware, but as I walked by the little guy, sitting at the playroom desk within earshot of the confrontation, he looked up at me with a stern face (taking every cue given to him by big brother) and simply said, "Me set." (Me upset)  It was so hard not to laugh in front of him. Seriously! He didn't even know WHAT I had thrown out; he just relayed Noah's emotion.  Funny kid... It was a great reminder that he catches on to SO MUCH MORE than I realize.


Singing along to a Matthew West song in the car, "Hello, my name is child of the One True King..."
Gracie catches on and asks me, "Mama, how can you be a child if you are a grown up?"  I answer her.  Then she decides, "Well, if you are a child, then I'm a baby.  And Grandma and Grandpa are adults."  haha!  It seems she's assigned us spiritual ages like dog years! Clever girl.

In the car commuting to school, we were playing a popcorn game: go around and name one name of God.  Lord, Messiah, Jehovah, Bright and Morning Star, Alpha, Omega, Emmanuel... we were going for quite awhile!  (Thank you, Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant for the Isaiah 9:6 Christmas song!!)  So, the kids were running out of ideas so Hayden hesitantly offered up, "Man of Steel?" Nice try, cutie.  But He's stronger than that.

I was reading to the kids at bedtime out of 2 Kings chapter 3.  Gracie was getting a little fidgety at my side.  I'm trying my best to ignore it.  "And Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquire of the LORD?' Then one of the king of Israel's servants answered, 'Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah.' And Jehoshaphat said...(Gracie, what's going on?)."  Noah interrupts, "Wait! He said, 'Gracie, what's going on?'!?"  It took me a second to realize I had blended them together like that, but I was pleased that Noah was paying attention and didn't miss a beat!

And lastly, again preparing to read at bedtime, Noah excitedly asks, "Are we reading 'The Three Kings' again?"  We're reading 2 Kings, love." ;)