Tami Brott

So much has happened in so little time!

2006-10-17T19:56:00.000-07:00

It has been 5 months and 9 days since my last post. It seems like centuries ago when I think of all that's happened since then! Let's see.... Chuck and I celebrated 13 years of marriage with a camping getaway to Muskegon....Rachel went to VBS twice- at River terrace and at our church....celebrated the birth of our grandson, Zachary...we went to 4 family reunions (Waterman, Willick, Aldrich, Robinson)...spent a week in Tennessee (Rachie and I) for the Willick reunion and a few days with my dad in Chattanooga...spent 5 days camping in Ohio....had a big ol' yard sale...went to Armada with my grandma to visit my grandpa's grave for the first time in 25 years....Rachel began 4th grade and is starting to settle in...got Rachel back into dance class and GEMS...enjoyed weekly visits with our grandson, Justin...

That brings us to today, October 17th- our daughter's 11th birthday!! I cannot express how very proud I am of the girl she is becoming. My prayer is that I will be the mom that she deserves and that God expects me to be.

What a weekend!

2006-05-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend was jam-packed with good times! (Good, but nonetheless exhausting!!!)

Friday was the annual Very Special Arts festival out at the school where Chuck works. It's a day-long event for all of the disabled kids in Kent county. Visual, vocal, instrumental, dramatic, dance, and poetic arts are all represented in interactive workshops for about 2500 people (students, staff and volunteers). It quite a day, let me tell you. We always pull Rachel out of school for it (since she is in a regular classroom, she doesn't go with her school) and she loves it! This year, my friend Suzanne Grasman (fellow Calvin alum) came out with her daughter , Amanda, for a couple of hours. I was so glad to have them there!

Saturday was a zoo! Chuck worked 6-9 am. At noon, Rachel was picked up and taken over to Godwin Heights (SE GR) to the school where her recital was at 1:00. Teri met them there and got her ready for the performance and watched it. Meanwhile, Chuck, Mary and I went to Justin's baptism. I am still groaning about the experience. When a baby is baptized (or dedicated), it's a very personal and meaningful time, right? Well, not this one!! The priest had 23 kids baptized at the same time!! 23!!!! It was literally an assembly line production. He never mentioned Justin (or anyone else) by name or anything!! After the service, we went back to Tammie's mom's house (Brenda) for a luncheon. It was very, very nice. All 6 of the grandparents were there, which I thought was just great. We left there at 4 pm, and went to the school for Rachel's 5:00 performance. We had quite the contingent- Mom, Grandma, Bob, Christy, Bill, Rachel, Paris, Kailey, Molly, Mary, Chuck & I. The performance was like nothing I have ever seen before. It was truly a time of worship and praise. Rachel's group "brought down the house" at both shows! Of course, I cried the whole time. We were so very, very proud of her. Afterwards, we all went to Russ' for dinner. Half of my family had never eaten at one before and were quited impressed. We finally got home about 10:45 pm.

Yesterday was another emotionally moving day. Jim Bates (one of my brother's two best friends for the past 20 years) graduated from U of M Flint with his doctorate of Physical Therapy. He's been plugging away at this dream for about 15 years and we were all there to witness it! I was so proud of him! Jim is as much of a member of our family as his own! We didn't get home last night until 11:30 pm.

All in all, one of the most fufilling weekends on record!

3 months in a nutshell

2006-04-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been nearly three months since my last post. So much has happened since then. In March, we all went to the Special Olympics state basketball tournament in Midland and had even more fun than in past years (which were great!) !! Rachie got a silver medal and scored two baskets! It was so nice that my mom, grandma, Bob (grandma's friend), sister and neice could come up and watch.

Later that month, we got free tickets to the "Smuckers Stars on Ice" show. We were able to get enough for much of my family to come with us and we had a ball! For me, it was a dream come true to actually see Olympic medalists in person! When I was in high school, a friend and I were able to see a similar tour, but with the gymnastic men and women. It is still one of my fondest memories!!

April seems to have flown by! The month started out lousy- I sprained my knee on the 28th(of March). I spent two weeks in an immoblizer which was no fun. Then I went to an orthopedic specialist and he said that the muscle that I sprained is one that I can't help but use every time I stand, so there is really nothing else to do but wait. He said that it ought to start feeling better in a couple of months. MONTHS!!! My patience ran out 2 weeks ago!!!! The only bright spot is that I've "graduated" from the immobilizer to an ACE bandage wrap.

The past couple of weeks have been one big blur.... we got a new car, a new baby was born in the family, celebrating Easter, Rachel's first dance performance, dealing with Rachel's school, and the death of a very dear aunt. No wonder I'm so tired!

Our "little" girl

2006-02-02T19:21:00.000-08:00

We took Rachel to the doctor yesterday. She's not sick, but she's been having a hard time dealing with things lately. Her frustration level is so high, and she can't (by "can't" I mean does not have the ability to) tell us exactly what's wrong. We are being referred to a specialist, which is exactly what we had hoped for.

We did have a surprise when we were there though. She got measured and she's taller than we thought. She now stands 5' 1"!!! And she's only 10 years old! The doc told us that we're in "trouble" because she still has 11 years of growing to do. Well, there's a good chance that she'll be as tall as her Uncle Chad, which means that I'll have to start scouting the big and tall shops!

Right now is basketball season, and it is alive and well in our home. Chuck coaches and Rachel plays on a Special Olympics team. We watch every Pistons game that is televised and faithfully follow the MSU mean and women teams. (At least Rachel and I follow our beloved Spartans!) It seems like we know the Pistons' starting line up personally now- it's pretty fun to be a fan!!

Appreciate the gift

2006-01-23T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have always known that there is no guarantee that I will live to a "ripe old age", that doesn't mean that I have ever believed that I wouldn't. This past week, a young man from our church died. Brian was 30 years old, a middle school teacher at the Christian school (that 90% of the kids in our church go to), a soccer coach, a gifted musician, and all around great guy. He was playing basketball on Monday with some fellow school teachers and just didn't feel right, like his heart was racing. He went home and laid down, and never woke up. Our pastor and a friend of his went to his house to check on him after he didn't report to work and they found him in bed.

I wasn't a close friend of Brian's, in fact I barely knew him, but his death has had a profound impact on me. Life just seems so much more precious to me than it did at this time last week. It has made me really stop and think about the blessings that I enjoy and the people that have blessed me. I've taken a closer look at my life and what I spend my time doing, or worrying about, or thinking about. I realize how blessed I am to still have both of my grandmas and both of my parents living. I value even more the time I have with Chuck and Rachel. I'm going to make a consious effort to make "each day count" and to thank our Lord for each day.

2006-01-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

This has been a rollercoaster of emotions for the past few days. I got to spend time with my siblings and neices on Saturday which was great, if not all too short. Monday was great too- I got to spend the day with my good friend, Teri. It's been a long, long time since we did that. We got to go to Olga's for lunch and then to see "Glory Road" at the theater. (The last time I was in a theater was last May, the day that Star Wars III was released!)

When I got home, we got a phone call from Tammie saying that they had just got home from Ann Arbor and that Justin was with them!! It had been exactly one month since we saw him last (the day after surgery), so we high tailed it over there. WOW!!! He has grown A LOT!!! He is now over 10 lbs and is longer too. We can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Matt, Tammie and Justin are coming over for dinner on Friday to celebrate both Tammie's birthday and Justin's return home.

Then on Tuesday, we learned of a guy in our church died very unexpectedly. His name is Brian Dyk and he's 30 years old, single, 7th grade teacher at West Side Christian School. He's been a member of our church for about 2 years, and he played the trumpet, sang in the choir, and ran the sound system. He was also the soccer coach for WSCS and had been a coach for the GR Eagles (a team of disabled players) for 10 years before that. I guess he and some other teachers were playing some basketball Monday night and said that he just didn't feel right, so he went home. As far as we know, he went to sleep and never woke up. A memorial service at the school will be held tomorrow, the funeral and burial is on Saturday in Kalamazoo, and I think that the plan for our Sunday Morning worship service has been scrapped and a third memorial service will be held then. Even though I wasn't really close to Brian, I can help feeling a sense of loss and wonder how I can be used to help others in this time.

And we're off....!

2006-01-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

It's only 10 days into the new year, and already it seems like our calendar is filling up to capacity! Between Special Olympics basketball and Rachel's ballet class, our Saturdays are pretty much booked up until the end of April. Add in Gems and Care Circle every other week, and it's no wonder that I'm feeling tired. At least all of those things are good ways to spend our time!

I made two New Year's resolutions last week, and so far so good. First, I'm going to read my Bible every day, or at least do my best to. You'd think after 35 years that this wouldn't be an issue, but it is. Secondly, I'm going to be more organized, so I don't feel so overwhelmed and out of control. I'm planning out meals for the month so that I have a plan for dinner before it's time to start preparing it. I'm making myself a housework schedule so that I can keep on top of it. Now, if the weather would cooperate, we'd be all set. For the past week, I haven't gone to bed before about 2 a.m. because the pain in my feet has been so intense. So, after I get Rachel on the bus, I usually end up sleeping and my housework plan doesn't go exactly as I planned.

All of my siblings are coming over on Saturday and I'm excited about it. Christy and Paris are the only ones who have seen our new place. Hopefully the Calvin-Hope game will be done before they get here. If not, I'll be a lousy host till it's over!

The year is nearly done

2005-12-29T13:34:00.000-08:00

I know that it has been nearly 3 months since my last post. I will try and summarize what's been going on. Our grandson is in Ann Arbor ICU. His second open-heart surgery was on the 16th of this month. He is just starting to breathe on his own again, which is a HUGE step in the right direction! Prior to the surgery, we had several opportunites to babysit and did we ever enjoy them!!! Justin is such a good baby. He especially loves his Aunt Rachel!!

We've been able to enjoy a lot of time with our families. We were at my Uncle Ross' for both Thanksgiving and Christmas Days and they were much fun (as always). My dad came up for a week or so while my sister was in the hospital, so we got to spend a few hours with him in person. We had Christmas with my Grandma Farrand last Friday, and that was great. (Especially since I got a batch of her famous sugar cookies for myself!!) I especially enjoyed being able to spend two days with my siblings and neices- it's always loud, but wonderful when we all get together.

On the down side, we had another funeral to go to yesterday. It was for Chuck's cousin, Sandy. His cousin, Joe, just died September 29th. They were both from the same side of the family and they were both the same age (just a year older than Chuck).

Tonight we are having our Care Circle (small group from church) Christmas party. We always have so much fun together and I'm sure tonight won't be an exception. We usually go to the same home for every meeting and Lil (the usual hostess) says that we are louder than the neighbors having a "kegger"!!!

I hope that the upcoming year will be full of blessings for all of us.

Yes, I'm still here

2005-11-04T23:42:00.000-08:00

Wow... it's been almost an entire month since I posted here. So much has happened that it's impossible to say everything, so I'll try to summarize. Rachel turned 10 on the 17th and it is still hard to believe! She had a fun party with our family and had a great time. Chuck's birthday was the 20th, and we celebrated quietly. Justin was home for two weeks before being admitted to DeVos Children's Hospital. He had been losing weight and not keeping anything down. Well, after a week, he ended up getting taken by helicopter to Uof M. He ended up having a stent put in his heart, to help with the oxygen flow. His second surgery has been bumped up to December 16th (instead of February) because the docs say that he won't make it that long. On top of that, I had 3 other family members in 3 other hospitals (across the state) at the same time!

Whew! Now I know why I'm so tired!

Can it really be 10 years already??

2005-10-08T01:23:00.000-07:00

I am getting plans in place for Rachel's birthday party next week. It's hard for me to believe that on the 17th whe will be 10 years old. Not having much of a memory makes this time seem like a blink of an eye. She is growing so quickly- she's not a little girl anymore. I so much want to just wrap my arms around her and protect her from any possible negative thing out there, but I know that's not possible. I can truly understand now what mothers mean when they say, "You'll always be my baby!".

I am so incredibly proud of Rachel and what she has accomplished in the past couple of years. Things that we were told that would probably never happen are happening!! It's so exciting to see her tying her own shoes, picking out her own clothes to wear to school, and doing well in school. She's in a special needs ballet class and is loving it! She just beams while she's there!! Basketball will be starting before too long- what fun that will be.

More than anything, I am proud of the person that Rachel has become. She truly cares for other people and their needs and feelings. She tries her best at whatever she attempts (except for cleaning her room!). She loves going to church and singing praise songs and hymns alike. She knows that God made her special and that He loves her. What can I say? I'm crazy about her!

The downside of West Michigan

2005-09-28T00:03:00.000-07:00

I love living in West Michigan. When I came over to go to Calvin, within a month, I just knew that someday this would be home- I just wasn't sure when. Well, I have lived in the area longer than any other place in my whole life and overall it's wonderful! I've got the whole Dutch scene figured out and can now pronounce names that before would give me a migraine trying to say. I love being only 40 minutes or so from Lake Michigan. The "quadrants" make sense now and are actually helpful when avoiding construction on the expressways. Traverse City is only two hours away making it a perfect day trip destination. Even the winters aren't terribly unbearable, usually.

One thing that bugs me though is the lack of enthusiasm this week about "Game Day". We used to go crazy all week leading up to Saturday. I don't know how many football cookies we'd go through every year; over here there is no such thing! The "friendly banter" with the blue & gold guys started on Sunday and by Saturday the two sides were not on speaking terms (at least during the game); no one seems to care about the game at all here. I tell my friends about how we'd decorate the house and split the family room in two. I tell them about the first time Chuck came to a gameday party and how I wouldn't sit next to him until the game was over. People here just look at me like I'm speaking of some foreign ritual!

Oh well. I know that in the grand scheme of things that this football game doesn't mean much. However, it will always be an important day to me. Maybe I should figure out how to duplicate White's football cookies and buy a CD of the Spartan band to play while we eat them!

2005-09-24T19:20:00.000-07:00

I have been sick all week and I'm ready for it to be gone. All that's left now is a nagging cough, and it is very irritating! I finally sent Chuck out for some Robitussin today- that should tell you how bad it is.

I ended up doing a whirlwind trip back to my hometown this week. I got an email from Jackie, my very first best friend. (We met in 4th grade in Mrs. Hoscher's room and we had the same birthday. We were inseparable for three years. We were still friends thoroughout high school, but weren't in classes together. After graduation, we lost track of each other. We hooked up again about 4 years ago, and we picked right up where we left off so many years ago. In fact, last year we were able to celebrate our birthday together for the first time in 25 years! ) Anyways, she emailed me to tell me that her mom had died. I found out Wednesday and the funeral Friday in Corunna. Thankfully, Christy was willing to drive over here to get me and take me to the funeral.

I have decided that there really isn't anything left in Owosso that I miss. White's Bakery, Val's Pizza, and even the Hallmark store are all gone. The people that I'd want to see aren't there anymore. We had lunch at Sir Pizza and even that was awful. This month is my 20 year class reunion, but I'm not going. I saw who I wanted to see already this week, so what's the point?

Today has been a banner day! First off, Justin is coming home today!!!!!! We can hardly wait to see him tomorrow (assuming that my cough is gone). Between that and the fact that MSU SPANKED Illinois today makes it a day for the books!!! Let's see... MSU is UNDEFEATED now....what is UofM's record??? Bring it on... we're ready!

Fall is finally here- hooray!!!

2005-09-17T21:47:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite time of year. I love everything about it- the colors, apple cider, sweatshirts, marching bands and college football. When I was in high school, my life revolved around band (which was a round year event; i.e. marching, symphonic and pep bands) and football season was the best. We worked like dogs all week to go out and perform and new show every Friday night (4 new routines and no music on stupid little stands attached to an instrument!!) We'd never get home before midnite on Fridays and it would take hours to wind down to sleep. Every Saturday morning was cleaning day, but even on minimal sleep, we would get everything done by noon, so we wouldn't miss kickoff of the Spartan game. (Either on tv or radio).

Today was a good day that reminded me of those "good old days". After Rachel's dance class and grocery shopping, we stopped by a farmer's stand to get fresh corn-on-the -cob and some apples. (They had cider, but it wasn't Uncle John's cider and I'm a "purist" when it comes to cider!) The weather was a tad warmer than I like, but not bad. The colors are just starting to turn and they are beautiful! We got home in time for the MSU-Notre Dame game and enjoyed it to the very end!

I really needed this day to be good. Yesterday, I got news from my doctor that I was hoping I wouldn't hear. He said that the neuropathy is getting worse and that I'm doing everything right. It just doesn't seem fair that if I'm following the "rules of the game", I get screwed anyways. I hate this disease. I hate the fact that almost my whole family has it and I can't do a blessed thing about it and I can't help them any more than I can help myself. I hate not knowing if I passed this on.

Well, I won't think about that anymore right now. In the words of my favorite movie: "...I'll think about that tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day!"

Camping...ah! That's the life!!!!

2005-09-09T20:18:00.000-07:00

Last week at this time, I was sitting around a campfire in Northern Ohio with friends. We went camping with friends and my sister-in-law. For four days and three nights, I was without tv, newspapers, or an alarm clock- it was wonderful! I had forgotten just how much I love camping (albeit in a trailer now- I always loved tent camping before) until this weekend. Each night, I sat around the fire, reclining back in our friends' really nice chairs, and just looked up at the stars. I honestly think that there were more stars in the sky this weekend than I have ever seen before!!

Whenever I sleep in a trailer, I immediately think of when I was a kid and going to my grandparents' trailer in Grindstone City. I loved those vacations. I think that my grandpa was smiling down on us last weekend. My friend's dad, Milton, went on the trip and he taught Rachel how to fish (with a cane pole) . She LOVED it! She caught four fish and wants to go again. Of course, "Grandpa Frey" didn't make her bait her own hook or take the fish off, unlike my grandpa did to me!! Regardless, I think Grandpa Farrand would have been proud!

We are really looking forward to the day when our debts are paid off and we can get a camper of our own. We'd like to have more relaxing weekend like we just had!

There's no place like home, right?

2005-08-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially moved in to our new apartment. We've been here a week tomorrow, and we are still living in the land of boxes and missing (or more correctly, unfound) stuff. I really hope that by the time this weekend is over we are at least able to walk around without the danger of injuring ourselves! I'm sure it won't take too long for this to feel like "home". It is a very nice apartment and we feel like this move was a "move up" for us. We've never lived in anything this nice before!

We've met Rachel's teachers at her new school and they seem to be fantastic. Chuck and I both said that we've never felt so comfortable with a teacher since Rachel was in PPI (preschool). I think that this new school is going to be a great fit for her!

By the way, our grandson (Justin) is still in intensive care at U of M hospital. He survived the surgery, but has had many ups and downs since. We all feel that we are on a emotional roller coaster that rivals Cedar Point's best. We're still very hopeful that things will turn out okay. I only wish that I'd be able to be more patient and trust that God's timing and plan are perfect, and don't follow my timetable.

Justin

2005-08-10T23:30:00.000-07:00

Our grandson, Justin Alan Loux, is finally here! After a terribly long labor, he arrived last Friday at 11:14 p.m., weighing in at 6 lb 8 oz and measuring 19 inches long. Due to the heart problems, we didn't actually get to see him until 6 am the next day. It was so hard to see this beautiful boy hooked up to several different machines, including a ventilator. I think the hardest part for everyone, especially his parents, was that we couldn't hold him at all. Matt and Tammie were able to hold him for about 5 minutes immediately after birth, but that was it.

Tomorrow is the most critical day thus far in Justin's young life. At 8 am he will undergo open heart surgery. The doctors said to expect the surgery to last about 5 hours. I know that he is in the best possible place, but that doesn't seem to ease anyone's fears. I don't care how much experience the docs have, it's still a very, very serious procedure. Matt and Tammie had the chance to hold him tonight- I'm so glad that they did. Chuck and I are not able to go down, so I'll probably pace a path in the carpet here.

Lord, please watch over our precious little boy. Please give his body the strength to survive the surgery and to recover without complications. Please give the doctors wisdom as they help to heal Justin's heart. Please give Matt and Tammie a real sense of your peace and good rest that they are in such need of. Finally, please help all of the rest of us (grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.) to trust in you and to give up our fear so that we may feel your peace and to be the support that we need to be to the kids. Thank you for your unconditional love and grace. Amen.

A Brady Bunch world....

2005-07-23T00:50:00.000-07:00

I got a new book last week and I just love it!! It's a Brady Bunch trivia book. I never buy books anymore because reading is just too hard for me since my brain injury in 1994 ( I can only read for about 20 minutes before a migraine sets in and then when I pick it up later, I don't remember what I read. Fun, huh?) Anyone who knows me understands why I'm so excited- two of my favorite things to do is watch Brady Bunch and play trivia games. There are only three people that I know personally that share in my enthusiasm for BB- Carol Ann (a good friend), Mel (my sister-in-law), and Rachel (my daughter).

I know many people think that the show is corny and full of "fluff", and they are exactly right. Maybe that's why I love it so much. It's a show that I can watch with Rachel and not have to worry about her seeing anything questionable. It's a show that I can watch for pure enjoyment, not trying to "get anything out of it". Every time I watch it, I am part of a simpler and safer world for 30 minutes. I can still remember watching it at my grandparents home, when it was still on prime time and not reruns.

With all of the turmoil of terrorism, war, famine, disease, crime, etc.. in today's world, it's nice to escape every so often. Watching Brady Bunch does that for me. Hey, it's cheaper than a vacation!!!

Ready to run

2005-07-17T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, our suitcases are packed and sitting by the front door. My bag of stuff (camera with extra film, cross-stitch project, address book, church directory, and cribbage board & cards) is all set and so is Rachel's backpack of stuff to do at Grandma's. We are ready to run as soon as "the call" comes!

Tammie said that it should definitely be this week. She's having contractions and other "signs" of impending active labor. She and Matt are seriously ready to have this baby now. They've been able to do nothing but worry for the last 2 months or so. The stress of knowing that your baby is already fighting for his life while still in the womb is about ready to double in magnitude- waiting to see how Justin will do during delivery, then all of the surgeries.

Chuck and I are ready too. It's been hard to plan anything since May, since we don't want to be more than a few minutes away just in case "the call comes". Please pray for our family; that God will give us peace, keep Tammie and Justin safe during delivery, and that Justin would be healed.

A good time was had by all.....

2005-07-10T23:01:00.000-07:00

My Great-Grandma Waterman used to take "minutes" at every family reunion. She died in 1974, but those immortal words "...and a good time was had by all" ended every entry. I used to hate going to family reunions and thus thought that those words were surely some cliche' that she HAD to write; surely not ALL had a good time, right?

Well, I know that I'm getting old, but my thinking has changed. I think that it is indeed possible to have a good time at a reunion. Today, we went to a reunion for Chuck's side of the family. We just found out about these reunions 3 years ago, and every time we go we have a good time. It's been really neat to witness the true "reunion" of this family! When we went in 2003, it was the first time that Chuck had seen any of that family in about 25 years. In April we went to a wedding in another cousin's family and he saw 6 more cousins for the first time in 30 years. I am helping to plan a reunion next year with hopes that all 40 or so cousins will be able to come.
What a great time that will be!

I've also been busy organizing the mountians of pictures that I have. (20 full albums so far...) This has made me think of another reunion that I'm looking forward to. I can't wait to see my grandpas, Uncle Howdy and Uncle John again in heaven. It's been 24 years since Grandpa Farrand died- so much has happened since then that I'd love to talk with him about. Grandpa Aldrich has been gone 11 years- he never got to meet Rachel and I can't wait to hear what he thinks about her. Uncle Howdy died 2 years ago and Uncle John 5 years ago. It seems like yesterday that I got those phone calls.....I miss both of them terribly, even more so during "reunion season"!

Our ultimate family reunion with our Father in heaven will be one for the books! (I wonder if I can get family pictures there too?)

What a day

2005-07-07T23:45:00.000-07:00

What a terrible day. I was barely awake when my sister-in-law called me and told me to turn the news on. I immediately knew that something was wrong, because she's only done that once before and that was on 9/11. (Even with my brain injury and subsequent memory deficits, I can remember that day "crystal clearly"!)

I don't know why this terrorist attack affected me anymore than those in Madrid last year, or any other previous act- but it did. Maybe because I have always thought of England as "the motherland". (Must be those Canadian genes or something) Maybe it is because it's closer to us than the others, geographically speaking.

I do know that I'm angry, bitter, and scared. I'm angry that there are barbarians running loose, hell-bent on killing innocent people. I'm bitter because I've heard so many people today saying that "if it wasn't for that war.... this would have never happened". (As a philosophy major, I have serious issues with that logic! As an American, I have serious issues with that thinking) I'm scared, because today shows that those idiots can strike anywhere at anytime.

Tomorrow will be better.... it has to be.

Happy Birthday America!

2005-07-04T23:53:00.000-07:00

Until very recently, I never really appreciated the fourth of July as more than a day to watch fireworks (and I love fireworks). As a kid, we always went to our grandparents' house down in Rochester and had a cookout. We bought sparklers and stuff from the convience store and had a ball.

Since I started working on my family histories (and my husband's), I realize how many of my relatives served in the armed forces. I have had someone in my family serve in every war since WWI and in every branch of the service. The list is much more extensive than I ever thought. I married an Army vet from the Vietnam war, and that has given me a whole new appreciation of what military life is like. My brother, Bill, was in the Navy during the Gulf War. I remember not knowing where he was when the fighting was really bad and how that felt. I just found out last week that a cousin of mine (my mom's cousin's son) is in Iraq now.

Chuck and I were talking about the current war yesterday. He said that he hoped that people "learned their lesson" from Vietnam". He explained that the soldiers that came back home were never recognized or even thanked for their service. I never understood that before. I'm ashamed to admit that I never appreciated any military service before the past few years. I hope that we, as a country, can support our troops- despite what we think of the war.

I know that this may seem too late to mean anything, but I would like to thank a few vets in my family anyways. Thank you Chuck, Bill, Grandpa, Uncle Sam, Doug, Bob, Uncle Bob, Uncle Vern, Uncle Howdy, Uncle Norm, Uncle Ray, Mike, Scott, Connie, Charlie, Ken, Penny, Rich, Nathan and Lyle. I'm sure that I have forgotten many others, but my thanks to all of you too.

When did I get so old?

2005-07-02T23:24:00.000-07:00

I got mail this week announcing that plans are in the works for my 20 year high school class reunion. Wow! 20 years? I'm not really all that interested in going to the event itself, but it would certainly be interesting how some people have changed in the last 20 years.

Yesterday, we were at our friends' home for supper and their oldest was talking about his "haircut" (or lack thereof). I told him that he looked like Shaun Cassidy and he had absolutley no idea who I was talking about! To make matters worse, I said that he was David Cassidy's brother, "from the Partridge family". His response: "What's a Partridge family?"

I, for one, am thrilled to be hearing "my music" (80's music) on the radio again. It would be nice if it wasn't considered "oldies" though!!!

2005-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

It's raining- finally! As much as I dislike rain, I am thankful that it's here to take the humidity out of the air. The past 4 days have been pretty much unbearable.

Well, it sounds like my brother, Chad, may have new employment in the near future. I don't know where yet, but that really doesn't matter. The important thing is that he'll be working and providing for his family. I am excited for them, even if it requires another move for them.

2005-06-29T11:27:00.000-07:00

Boy, am I tired! I know that it's due to the combination of extreme heat/humidity and Rachel's lack of routine. I am really beginning to realize just how vital a steady schedule is for kids with autism.

It sounds like Chad and his family may be moving back down this way. I can tell you- that sure would not break my heart! It would be great having them so close again. (After all, how can I properly spoil my nieces if I can't see them more than a few times a year?!?) Seriously, I dont' care where they live as long as Chad gets a job suited to him.

Is Summer really necessary?

2005-06-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

I really hate summer weather. Yesterday, we spent 4 hours in the 96 degree/98% humidity. What should have been a great day was seriously hampered by the heat. We went to the Waterman reunion at my grandma's house, which is usually the best of the 4 family reunions we have every year. It was just too hot to really enjoy it! Then when we got home, Rachel and I both got sick from the heat. I must say, it was nice to see family again. I got to spend some time with my cousin whom I haven't seen in 6 months.

Going into "reunion season" has made me really think about how precious my family is. We are anticipating the birth of our grandson in a couple of weeks. We already know that he has a rare heart defect and his prognosis isn't really too great. I am thankful for the family that I have and the closeness that we share. Sure, family reunions are sometimes a drag, but I am beginning to understand how privieleged I am to have family to reunite with!

Why can't I "practice what I preach?"

2005-06-19T00:30:00.000-07:00

Many days (and today was one of them) , I feel like the world's biggest hypocrite. I am so quick to tell others that God is in control and that he won't give us more than we can handle- and most days I truly believe it. However, when the stress gets overwhelming-like the past few days- why can't I feel God's presence or peace?

Yesterday, I was totally overcome with panic and emotion. I have so many things that seem to be going wrong that I just sat down and cried. I called a friend of ours from church. That really helped, just to have an "uninvolved third party" to vent to. Then, a couple of hours later, I felt much more peace, but also alot of guilt. Our friend is in our Care Circle (which Chuck and I lead) and she helped me sort things out- but later I felt like such a hypocrite because I was doing and saying and feeling the exact things that I help others to try to avoid.

With everything that we have been through in the past 11 years, we have never missed a meal, been evicted, had a vehicle reposessed, been without clothes or any other necessities of life. We have learned that things that we thought were so important to make us "happy" were just that- things. Time after time, God has provided when we thought there was no hope. So, why do I always feel like it's my job to work it all out? Why can't I put my faith into action? Why can't I practice what I preach?

Hi there!

2005-06-17T12:49:00.000-07:00

I'm finally part of the "cyber-universe"! Thanks to my brother, Chad, I am able to have my own blog! I'm not nearly "computer savvy" enough to figure it out on my own.

Rachel's surgery went well this morning. She was very, very nervous about it last night, but once we got there, she was fine. The staff at the outpatient surgical center was superb! She got to take her Cabbage Patch Kid, Alexandrea, and her favorite blanket (that her Auntie Reese made for Christmas) with her to surgery. The doc even gave Alexandrea a mask to wear!

I would appreciate prayer for my family. We are going through a really stressful time right now. It feels as if we are being "bombed" by stress from about 6 different angles, all of which are making direct hits! It's very tempting to just retreat and hide for a while and let things just settle down on their own, but that just isn't a possibility. (All of the stresses would still be there anyway). Am I supposed to be learning something from all of this? I must be a slow learner, because we have had constant stress for 10 years now!

Testing...

2005-06-17T12:26:00.000-07:00

This is a test post for Tami's blog.