Beyond Bringing Up Boys

My mother-in law was given a preliminary diagnosis of ovarian cancer at Thanksgiving time. I have taken care to protect my mother-in-law's privacy--since it is her story--after all. But since she doesn't have a blog and many of you have written or called to inquire of her, David thought that it would be okay to give you an update. Glenda had surgery on December 20th. The tumor, which was malignant, was removed and many biopsies were taken. She was able to go home the day after Christmas. She has been weak but improving day by day. She returned to the doctor's office with some trepidition yesterday while all of us waited for a call to hear the outcome of those biopsies. We were elated to hear that she had no positive biopsies! She was given a stage of 1C, meaning that she will be treated with chemotherapy as though positive cancer cells were found in the abdominal fluid. We were already expecting this because the tumor size necessitated the surgeons' opening and dra...

I love my sister-in-law, Lisa, for many reasons. But today, I love her even more. Two nights ago, David grabbed a brownie out of my hand since, "you are on a diet...and you would be sorry tomorrow." Am I holding a grudge? You be the judge. Lisa evidently read my blog where I grumbled because I had to share my beloved Reese Peanut Butter Cups . Today in the mail, I received this beautiful box of jewelry with this note at the top (click on the pic to enlarge). Since I was alone, I opened and ta-da! My favorite treat!! And no one was here to remind me that I should be dieting... Chocolate craving satisfied, I have now forgiven David. And the diet...there's always tomorrow.

Where do you find friends who are willing to drive 6 hours with three kids to come HELP us paint our new house? This summer our friends from Louisville, Erick and Junia Hall, came to Georgia and helped us add trim boards and paint! What a blessing they were to us! Our kids got along beautifully. So well, in fact, that their youngest daughter has decided that she should come live with us since she and Samuel do not fight (evidently she was having a bad day with her brothers). We would consider an arranged marriage but after dicussing their strong personalities--we think that it might not be a match to last--but aren't they too cute? Thanks for being such great friends! For another great picture of Jericka and Samuel see Junia's blog .

I began writing in 2007 to “be real.” Not the “keepin’ it real, dawg” of our current culture but in an effort to openly share where-the-rubber-meets-the-road faith. I opened my days to you. I shared my fears and openly celebrated our successes. And you were kind. What began, as an avenue to share my life as a believer, has also become a lifeline through my lonely days of our move to Georgia. I have to say how grateful I am to you-- thank-you, friends, old and new who have come along beside me this year. I am amazed that you stop by and read my meager thoughts (and many are brave enough to say so!). The New Year arrived "quietly" in our home this morning. As quietly as possible when a two-year-old is sleeping nearby and 2 older brothers are outside on the deck with sparklers, despite freezing temperatures and gusty winds. (Kentucky freezing temperatures that is, 45 degrees) The boys were settled and we climbed into bed. David's eyes held mine and said, ‘It’s been a tou...

Samuel loves to wear pj's...at home. So when I got the note that the first graders were having a pajama party at their Christmas party, I thought,no way. He will not want to wear pj's to school--he's so modest. But I was wrong. He wanted to particpate and so he wore them with slippers to school today. Teachers are definitely underpaid but first grade teachers must be underpaid and insane--to choose making gingerbread houses for the craft today! The boys had frosting up to their elbows so it was great to have a sink in the classroom! Girls are MUCH neater, I discovered.

I love lists. I have a list right now for things to do before we leave for PA. I often have a list of things to accomplish in a day. When I was pregnant with my sons, I longed for a checklist for God. Audacious, I was. But it would have been titled, “Things I Don’t Want Passed Down to My Son.” I don’t like my nose but that wouldn’t have been on the list. I always wished my hair was thick like my sister’s, but hair wouldn’t have been on the list either. Scoliosis would have been at the top of that list. It has caused me a lot of frustration over the years. The doctors attempted to brace my back with a rigid plastic brace but I was non-compliant. Being compliant meant being excused permanently from recess and PE. But most of all, in those elementary years, being compliant equaled being teased by other students. And kids are so cruel. My non-compliance (although I didn’t realize it at age 10) was my ticket to a spinal fusion at age 15 and body cast for 6 weeks after that. And anoth...

I have an obsession with floors! I think it is because I am closer to the ground than most folks. But whatever the cause, I was always searching for the perfect floor cleaner. Grandma gave me some cleaner concentrate that she had bought from a door-to-door salesman. It was good stuff. So good, in fact, that I thought more would be better. The floor was shiny indeed. But the moment I stepped on it, my feet stuck like glue! What a mess! It took me forever to get that stuff off! Then there was the time that I used an industrial wax on the floor in a basement apartment that we lived in while my husband was in graduate school. Oh, did it shine! But when my brother-in-law and my husband got the dog to run in circles round and round on it, he left claw marks everywhere. (I shouldn’t mention how mad I was about that!) Finally, I found what works for me!! I have been using this product for at least 4 years. Rejuvenate claims to “instantly bring back life to almost any flooring to ma...