wild wednesday, thrilling thursday

The last two days have been exciting (and busy) ones in the Brewer home. On Wednesday, Anderson was thrilled when he awoke to me informing him that he was missing school to go and have his picture taken. He really enjoys Lisa, our photographer, and he loves any excuse to miss school, although by the time we were doing his make-up work Wednesday evening, he was wishing he had gone! The boys had a ball posing for photographs, even though Bennett was not as chipper as usual as he had fallen asleep on the way to Lisa's, and he did not want to wake up, and Anderson was hyper--probably from all the excitement. I can't wait to see my proofs next week!! I got a sneak peak at a few and they were ADORABLE!!

After our photo session, we stopped at Zaxby's (I LOVE their grilled chicken house salad with lite ranch dressing...try it if you haven't already.) I was so busy helping the boys eat, that I never did finish my meal, but it was nice to have a meal with just my babies nonetheless.

A stop at Granddaddy and Granny's house followed lunch, and Anderson stayed to hang out with Granddaddy while I took Bennett home for a nap. But Bennett and I didn't head home before taking a ride on one of the four-wheelers. We chased Granddaddy and Andrew through the woods on their "voom", as the boys call it. It was too cold to ride for long, but we did manage to warm up by the fire Granddaddy had made in the backyard. Anderson paid Nanny a visit at her preschool where her four female students gave him a huge ego boost! When he left the school, the girls were squealing for him out of the school's bathroom window. I remember having crushes on older boys when I was little, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I would have a crush on Anderson if I were still little (and, um, obviously not his mother!).

One of the highlights yesterday was my sister-friend, Stacy (my boys' "Aunt Stacy") formally announced her pregnancy! Congratulations, Stacy and Rhett Butler! We are so full of joy for you, and we can't wait to meet the little Butler bean in September. I hope to see you and your soon-to-be growing belly very soon. The shower plans are officially underway.....it is never too early to start planning!

While yesterday was a bit frantic yet fun, today was refreshingly peaceful because my dear, sweet, attentive husband recognized that I was desperately needing some time alone. He took Bennett with him to Toys R Us and to Lowes while I went for a manicure, to the bank to take care of some things I had been wanting to tend to but didn't want to take a baby to do, and to grab a sandwich that I enjoyed eating all by my lonesome. I made a pitstop at the grocery store on the way home to grab a few things (including diapers, which is always on the list), and now I am cooking dinner for my sweet "fellas". Those "fellas" are upstairs playing guitar hero as I type, and Bennett is loving it because he dances right along as they play. Normally, Anderson is not allowed to play during the week as he seems to focus better on what he needs to take care of when there are restrictions on such things during the week. But he made a 100 on his pre-test for spelling so he doesn't have to take tomorrow's test, he already said his Bible verse, so he only has Latin to study for tonight. He is off to basketball practice in a few hours.

I want to take a moment to thank my sweetheart for seeing my need and being so willing to meet it. Honey, you set a high standard that few could ever meet. I'm so glad I picked you.

my little entrepreneurs

The title of this blog could just have easily been "Like Father, Like Sons". Some of you know how shrewd Anderson can be when it comes to making a buck. Like the time he found rocks in his granddaddy's yard and told Jackson he could buy them for $1 a piece (even though Jackson could have found his own rocks for free, right in that very spot). Probably the funniest part of this story is when Jackson went to Granddaddy to ask for the money, and when Granddaddy found out what Anderson was up to, he loaned Jackson $2. When Anderson bragged to Granddaddy about his business deal, Dad took one of the dollars from Anderson's hand, to which Anderson protested with a "HEY!" Dad's reply was simple: "You got those rocks off my land. This is your cost for the rock you sold. Welcome to the world of enterprise." Yes, the apple didn't fall too far from two trees--his dad and his grandfather.

Anderson has been begging for us to buy a game for his Nintendo Wii called "Guitar Hero". Webb and Jackson have it at their house, and it is safe to say that we all love it. I have only played it one night, and I have seriously thought about going back to their house several times just so I could play it. Many of you have probably heard about this game, and if not, then take my word for it--it has been all the rage in the Video Game World for quite some time. Anyway, Webb informed us that Game Stop was featuring additional credit on trade-ins, so Anderson gathered up all of the games that he no longer enjoys playing. This afternoon, we went to the store, and Anderson traded them in, receiving over $134 in credit at Game Stop. The game, "Guitar Hero", costs close to $90 brand new, but Anderson found a used one at the store for $75. So, he left the store with a good-sized credit for future game purchases.

We were so proud of Anderson for figuring out a way to purchase this expensive game. He didn't have enough Christmas money left to buy it, but if the adage, "Where there's a will, there's a way", has ever been true, it certainly is when it comes to our children when they really want something. Even Bennett exhibits his determination when there is something he wants that he can't have. Believe me.

While Anderson was wheeling and dealing with the Game Stop employees, Paul was chasing Bennett around the store. Bennett happens to love Paul's business cards because they have the Pack Man Mobile Storage logo on them, and as I think I've mentioned in previous blogs, Bennett LOVES the Pack Man truck. Anyway, Bennett has a business card in hand and is offering it to every stranger he sees. After seeing the smiles he was getting from people in the store, Paul comments that Bennett is as good at advertising his business as anyone. By the time Paul and his boys were leaving Game Stop, one of the employees commented, "You sure do have two business-savvy sons!" What can I say? They come by it honestly.

bath tub bubbles

I am trying to discover the proper way to blog about something Bennett did today, but as you will read, it involves a subject which requires discretion. So, let's see how I do.

I have been quite tired lately from a very busy week without adequate sleep, so today after my run, both Bennett and I needed a bath. To conserve time and energy, I decided to bathe with him. Our bath was quite enjoyable as he was showing me his nose, then my nose, his ears, then my ears, his eyes, then my eyes....you get the picture. It was time to wash and rinse my hair, so to do that, I let him sit on my belly because we have a very deep bath tub, and I feel safer when he sits up out of the water while I recline. As I finished rinsing my hair out, Bennett makes a "bubble" in the bathwater...while sitting on me, which was alarming since I wasn't exactly sure what would follow....get my drift? (If you don't understand what kind of bath bubble I am referring to, think Eddie Murphy in the hot tub scene in the film, "Trading Places". ) Anyway, my response to his bubble startled me, then made me giggle. I said, halfway jokingly (thinking a toddler cannot control this natural function), "Bennett, don't do that on Mommy." Well, he just thought that was hysterical. I mean, he truly belly laughed, and then he proved my "he-can't-control-it-theory" wrong by trying to do it again. Seriously. He started straining, his face turning shades of pink. And he succeeded. So, I reprimanded him again, but I at this point am finding it impossible not to laugh because he is laughing so hysterically. Then, he did it again. All I could think of was my mother-in-law's advice when we were first married: "Never laugh at a child for doing something while they are little that you will have to discipline them for later." I believe in manners, after all, and I work hard--sometimes to no avail--to make sure all THREE of my boys use them. (By the way, Paul thinks this story is hilarious.....) I kept thinking to myself, "What kind of example are you setting for Bennett?" Anyway, I decided to end this game, even though I hated to put an end to the infectious and abundant laughter, so I got out of the bath tub with Bennett in tow. I put him down on the tile floor, turned to walk in the closet to grab a sweater to put on when I see that he is squatting on the floor, laughing, straining--still trying to do a you-know-what and get a response from his mother. I had to quickly diaper him since it appeared I could not prevent him from straining and producing something that I would not want to be cleaning off the floor.

I am amazed at God's creation of boys. While most girls think (or should think) that doing such a thing is impolite, boys inherently think it is hilarious. I think they are born that way because I haven't seen what Bennett did today modeled for him so that he would imitate it. I can say that because I have spent the last nine years teaching these kinds of manners to Paul and Anderson. I haven't totally eradicated their lack of restraint or the laughter that sometimes follows. But, thankfully, I have at least tamed them enough that I can take them out in public.

happy presidents day

Anderson was out of school today in honor of Presidents Day. He spent the night with Granddaddy and stayed up until 2 am. He was bragging about that to me this afternoon inbetween yawns. Other than that, he doesn't seem tired, but that is because he probably slept past 10 am this morning.

This afternoon, Granddaddy took Anderson, Jackson and Andrew to Wal-Mart to pick out a toy and to McDonald's for lunch. Needless to say, they were thrilled and each came home with a prized possession. Anderson chose a tractor trailer truck that carries a race car in it. Jackson made a similar choice, while Andrew chose a gun that shoots out sponge-like nerf darts. Just what he needed! It's a double barrel gun--so it improves his chances of hitting his target, which may not be a good thing. Of course, it would not be as dangerous if he shot someone with this gun as the beebee gun he shot at his grandfather a few weeks ago. (Don't ask. Just consider it a lesson learned for Granddaddy. Just when you think Andrew is not capable of cocking a rifle, he proves you wrong.)

Tonight, Paul brought home the truck which carries all of our portable storage units. Bennett is smitten with this truck...or "tuck", as he calls it. Actually it is the "pah tuck", which is his way of saying the "Pack Man truck". He played in it with his daddy until dinner time. Since the truck is usually not at our home, Bennett crawls in his daddy's lap and says "tuck" just so that Paul will go to the Pack Man website and show Bennett a picture of the truck. He reminds me so much of Anderson at this age. Anderson, too, was so fascinated with heavy machinery. We would be driving past construction sites, which seem to be on every corner in our area, and he would actually tell me what each piece of equipment was--a bulldozer, a track hoe, a back hoe, a skid steer, a front-end loader, a dump truck, etc. I had no clue, but he knew them all, thanks to Granddaddy.

In other news for today, Paul sold the remainder of the NC State basketball tickets for this season. I was very pleased with this decision as NC State has not been a source of great joy but of tremendous frustration for my boys this season. We are weary with the inconsistency, and so we will wait until August for football season. Then, maybe we will get excited about our school again. In the meantime, ignorance may be bliss as far as the outcomes of Wolfpack basketball is concerned.

the shack

My mother-in-law called me last week and told me that I "must buy this book called The Shack right away...", so I followed her recommendation. I am so glad I did! If you ever read another book in your life (except for the Bible, which is in a class all its own, never to be matched), you absolutely must read this book by William Young. I found myself immediately addicted, compelled by suspense and by the drawing of the presence of God that I felt enveloping me as I read. One of several reasons that I have not blogged in almost a week is because I had locked myself inside this book at every spare moment, reading passages over and over again, soaking them in. I found myself rejoicing and repenting, crying for joy and weaping with sorrow. And the laughter that spilled out into the room as I read could not be restrained. It was the kind of laughter and tears that come from the deepest well inside of your soul.

For those of you unfamiliar with this book, it is the story of a man named Mack who had encountered such heart-piercing pain and tragedy in his life and how God mended his brokenness and restored him in a way that if I wrote it to you right now, your skepticism and cynicism would probably disable you from believing it could have happened. But I can tell you that by the end of the book, I was convinced that the author of this book himself had a true, revelatory, life-altering encounter with God.

If you are like me and are tired of man-made religion which prevents us from truly experiencing God's deep love, grace, mercy and forgiveness and those human establishments which hinder the relationship Jesus truly desires with us, then you will be shouting "Praise God and Hallelujah" throughout this book. It confronted my theology at every turn. I found myself breathing sighs of relief in realizing that I am not alone in the transformation of thought God has been birthing in me for years. In those deep, dark corners of my soul where "religion" was still hiding (and by "religion" I mean the conformity to rules and traditions as a means of easing my conscience and as a measuring stick for my spiritual life), it was called out on the carpet and commanded to flee! If you are more comfortable with religious traditions and keeping God in a box that does not threaten your current theology, you will not like this book. But if you are hungry to know God more, to discover who He really is and how He relates to you, to have your faith challenged--THIS is a book you will definitely want to read immediately. If you don't feel that you grasp how much God LOVES you and how much He desires a relationship with you, read this book! Believe me, you will fall head over heels in love with Him. I know I did, all over again.

I just finished the book this afternoon, and I don't think it is premature to say that God has used it to change my life. The way I view and relate to Him and the way that I relate to my children, husband, and others has forever been altered. I do not say this lightly--I realize what a bold statement this is. But God revealed such strong Truths to me through this story that have cleansed and polished the lenses of my spiritual eyes so that I can never view things exactly the same way.

I will close with just one example of how God ministered to me through this book. We left our former church not quite a year and a half ago, and it was a painful and, in some ways, disgusting experience. Over the last year, I have experienced God's healing and restoration, softening my heart as I forgave and easing any doubts as I prayed and searched His Word. But there were costs to our decisions, and still, there were these residual wounds of cynicism, skepticism, and faithlessness which had not entirely disappeared. As I asked God to take them, I felt His reassurance that He would, in time, but this was not happening as quickly as I preferred. However, God used this book not only as the ointment which brought healing to these wounds but as confirmation that the decisions we had made were not only right but necessary for a hundred different reasons. For the very first time, I had COMPLETE peace and assurance that we, as family, are right where we are supposed to be--without any memberships or affiliations with an organized church or denomination. Instead we are surrounded by many dear and true relationships that we enjoy with other followers of Christ from various backgrounds and experiences. I realized that we are blooming right where we are planted--with the goal of following the Spirit of God wherever and to whomever He leads. And I must admit that the journey has been far sweeter and refreshing than exhausting myself by working in every ministry to which I had some gift to contribute, thinking that I was serving the Lord, yet missing out on a more intimate relationship with Him. I was too busy to really spend time with the very God I was trying to serve!!!!

This summer, I am considering hosting a book club to read this book and to investigate how Scripture supports the truths throughout it. If you are interested in coming, let me know. I'll save you a seat. In the meantime, go buy this book, read it, and then pass it along. As long as you don't mind having your traditional beliefs about the Lord put to the test, you will LOVE it.

EDIT: I also recommend reading the book before you read reviews online. I'll say it again--the spirit of religion will resist any kind of thoughts that are contrary to what we have traditionally been taught as Christians. I can show you many Scriptures that support the nature of God as depicted in this story. Yes, this book is a work of "fiction", but I believe the truths found inside of it are just that--truth--and that it can be a tool God uses to open up your heart so wide to Him. (The poor reviews I read online seemed to be coming from a religious point of view.) Again, the Bible is the authoritative Word of God. God can use anything He chooses to speak truth into your life. That truth will always line up with what His Word says and will not contradict it. Our point-of-views concerning God have in many ways been skewed by traditional thought and translation. If we could re-read the Bible from a pure point-of-view, I believe we may find that God, as depicted in The Shack, is beautifully depicted as the one found in the Bible.

our little chatter box

Bennett's jabbering seems to have increased exponentially over the last month. Sometimes we understand it. He seems to always understand it. Right now, for example, he is walking around the playroom with Paul's putter saying "putt putt, putt putt" and hitting golf balls across the floor. (Paul is practicing his putting.) Could this be a foreshadowing of things to come for Bennett? Is he a budding golfer? Only time will tell, although when I was pregnant with Bennett, I kept telling Paul that I really thought he'd love golf like his dad. (Anderson prefers basketball and football right now.)

Bennett just paused for a moment to go over to the red tractor Anderson had when he was Bennett's age and said, "tat-tar". Now, Anderson has entered the playroom and is shooting basketball, so he is approaching Anderson saying, "ba-ball, ba-ball" with his hands extended towards his brother, which is his way of asking for his turn to take a shot.

Today, I believe Bennett said his first intelligible phrase. I was loading the back of the van with groceries. He was already buckled into his seat and was playing with his "baboon" (balloon). Suddenly, I heard a loud pop, so I walked around the van and opened the door where he was seated, just to make sure he had not bitten the balloon and had remnants in his mouth. As soon as the door slid open, he looked at me with a puzzled look and a balloon string in his hand and said, "it boke" (it broke). Too cute!

I also want to add that he seems to think that my dad's name is "Pa Pa". He goes by Granddaddy by the other grandsons, although there have been various forms of this name over the years by toddlers who could not speak clearly. For Anderson, he was Dan-da; For Jackson, he was "Waaa Waaa" (yeah, like a whining baby sound....my personal favorite); And for Andrew, he was "Gaga". Anyway, every time we drive past my parent's home, Bennett starts pointing at the house and saying "Pa Pa".

Although we understand more and more of Bennett's vocabulary, most of the time he says things like "bla la bu ba ta tee". Anyone fluent in toddler-speak, feel free to send me the interpretation.

a funeral "first"

Today we celebrated the life of my Aunt Louise at a service for her in Clayton. Believe it or not, at my cousin Dianne's request, I ended up conducting the service. This was certainly a first for me!! I think I won the honor simply because I don't mind getting up and talking in front of a large group of people, but nonetheless, I was truly honored. Dianne was unable to get in touch with the man who had conducted my uncle's service, so since I was going to be singing anyway, Dianne just asked that I open the service, pray, sing, read Scripture, and close the funeral. In between that, Dianne gave a very touching, honest, compelling tribute to her mother that I truly believe was a blessing to everyone there. Aunt Louise had threatened us last year, after her husband's funeral, that if we ever made her out to be a saint, she would come back to haunt us, so of course, we respected her wishes! So my favorite moment was when Dianne shared how Aunt Louise struggled with depression and how the Lord taught her to have victory over it so that she didn't spend her entire life in that battle. I know this story alone ministered to many. All in all, I believe it was a service that was just what Aunt Louise would have wanted.

sweet dreamer

My previous blog was about a dream Anderson had a few nights ago. It seems that he has been having lots of dreams lately that he has wanted to talk about. This morning, he woke up and said, "I had a crazy dream." I asked him what he dreamed about and he said, "I dreamed I was spending the night at Nanny's house." (Nanny is his Aunt Anna, in case you didn't know. Nanny was what he called her as a toddler, and now all of her nephews call her Nanny.) "We were inside, but you were sleeping on her porch in a sleeping bag, and it was raining, so I went outside to wake you up, but you were still sleeping, even though it was raining. So, I covered you up." I told him how sweet that was for him to be concerned about his mother, and that is when he, for the bazillionth time it seems, touched my heart with such a sweet response. "I'll always look out for you, Mom. Rain or shine."

Such sweetness....

come, Lord Jesus

These are the words penned by John, the author of the book of Revelation. He wrote them upon hearing Jesus say this concerning His return to earth for His people: "Yes, I am coming soon." I couldn't help but think of them when Anderson shared with me a dream he had last night. It was a fairly detailed dream, so I will write as Anderson tells it to me.

I saw the antichrist. People were getting the mark of the beast on their foreheads, the number 666. I saw a little boy who had the mark on his forehead, and he said, "I wish I never got this mark." So, I told him, "Tell your parents not to get that mark like you have." Then I went to play basketball, and all of the people playing had the mark of the beast on their foreheads, but I didn't, so they said that since I didn't have it, I couldn't play. God then tells me to go to Satan and to tell him that his time was up. I didn't want to look at the devil because he was so ugly, but I went and told him. He had a brain that was outside of his head, and when he got angry, it grew. Then, we were in the park and I see this thing in the sky, and I say, "What is that?" It was Jesus coming in the clouds. So he comes down, and we got on, and we go to heaven. When we got to Heaven, we saw that there were flat screens in the houses. (I have to interject and ask, "Does this sound like his dad's dream of Heaven or what?) And if there was something that we wanted on earth, God gave it to us, like a welcome gift. Mine was Jango Fett (a Star Wars figurine that he likes). Then the alarm went off, and I thought it was the trumpets, and I woke up.

After Anderson tells me about his dream this morning, he kept saying, "I can't wait for Jesus to come back and get us. I wish he'd hurry up." It was really very sweet to see him longing for this. It was at this moment that I thought of two things, one being John's words, "Come, Lord Jesus", and the other being the passage in Ecclesiastes which says that God has set eternity in our hearts. I saw eternity in my son's heart today.

I don't know if Anderson's dream occurred because his Biblical knowledge and imagination merged and created this fascinating dream, or if this was something inspired by God. Only God knows. I know for sure that these kinds of things are prophesied in the Bible--both the dream and the return of Christ. I'll close with this passage from Joel 2:28-32.

"And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

I'm with John and Anderson. Come, Lord Jesus.

bennett boo's boo-boo

Today I had lunch with my mom, and our lifelong friends, Faye and Lori (also a mother and daughter), and Bennett was supposed to join us. But when I drove into the driveway, Dad and Andrew greeted us and informed me, "Bennett Boo is staying with us." Bennett's response of excited, delightful squeals and arms reaching for the two of them let me know clearly what he preferred to do. So, I didn't argue, and I enjoyed a nice, relaxing lunch.

When I returned, Andrew and Bennett were on the back deck. Dad was following behind, but I could tell that Bennett was really trying to run ahead of them, so I cautioned him, "Be careful, Bennett. I don't want you to fall down the steps." Andrew so sweetly said, "It's okay, Hoddy. I look after him. He not get a boo-boo. Don't worry." He took Bennett's hand and started walking with him across the back yard. What a kind big cousin! I was so proud.

I'm sure Andrew did look after Bennett, for a minute or two, but it wasn't long before Bennett did get a boo boo. He touched the manifold on the four-wheeler and burned his finger. That wasn't Andrew's fault, of course. Who really leaves a 17-month old in the care of a three year old anyway?! Seriously, Granddaddy was watching the boys. He just did it when Granddaddy's eyes were not on Bennett, and at this age, you pretty much have to keep them glued on Bennett in order to keep him from harm. That's not an easy thing to do, I know. I thought he was following me down the hall this morning, and when I realized he wasn't behind me, I went searching for him and found him standing on my toilet (thank the Lord the seat was down!)! I had to pick Anderson and Will up from school not long after the incident, so needless to say, it was not an easy ride to school. Bennett kept his finger in a cup of water for most of the ride and almost fell asleep, but then he decided that he wanted to drink the water in the cup. He was then left with no relief for his finger, so I had to stop at a convenient store to get some more. He cried off and on until 3:30 when he fell asleep for a second nap. I'm happy to report that his finger hasn't bothered him since he woke up from his nap around 5 o'clock.

On an entirely different note, we began our Bible study tonight with Kim and Jimmy who work with Paul. We had such a good time just eating, talking, and sharing with them. I am really looking forward to our times together each Monday evening and studying the book of John. A special thanks to Anderson for looking after his brother tonight so Paul and I could enjoy some adult time.

aunt louise is home at last

My great-aunt, Louise, said she had "come home" at the end of December when she moved back to North Carolina after living most of her life in California. She was thrilled to be back in her home state, surrounded by an extended family that loved her deeply. We, as her family, were so happy that she and her daughter, Dianne, were back where they belong!

But truthfully, North Carolina isn't really her home, though it was, in my opinion, the next best thing. Today at around three in the afternoon, Aunt Louise went to her true home--to Heaven. When I received the phone call just moments after she passed, I couldn't help but think of the homecoming she was enjoying at that very moment. I believe my grandparents and her husband, my Uncle Alfred, were among the many who were greeting her at the gates. And knowing them like I do, there was sure to be plenty of laughter and lots of jokes, which I am guessing may be a little cleaner now that they are in Heaven. (It is from this side of the family that we have gotten our sassiness, I assure you.)

I will miss my Aunt Louise. Her relationship with the Lord, her wisdom, her joy, her knowledge of the Word, her incredible sense of humor, and her fieriness--I have treasured it all in my heart. Her legacy will live on in our family, especially with Bennett because she helped name him. Before he was born, she and I were sitting in my mother's kitchen. I told her that we felt his name was to be Bennett, which means "blessing or blessed one", and that we felt God had prompted us through many circumstances to give him this name. She heartily approved, and I told her that I needed to come up with a middle name. We discussed family names for awhile, and then I told her that Paul's middle name was Townsend and that he was named after his uncle, General Townsend, the city planner of Greensboro. (Who, incidentally, I just discovered is listed on NC State's famous alumni list. Crazy, huh?) She said, "Bennett Townsend. That's it! I love it. It's a strong name." Right there, Bennett was named, and I knew even then that I would always think of my Aunt Louise when I thought of Bennett's name.

I could tell a hundred stories about this woman and how she has impacted the lives of many--stories of how she ministered to people, how she counseled in her wisdom, how she forgave many hurts, and how she blessed so generously. But I will instead tell a funny story that I will probably still be laughing about when I am 95 years old.

When my Uncle Alfred had his first of several strokes, my mother was asking Aunt Louise about him and how it had affected him physically. My mom who asked, "Do men still want sex when they are that age?" And my Aunt Louise didn't miss a beat. In her dry, witty tone she replied, "Honey, it's the last thing to go." We all laughed, of course, but we knew she was telling the truth.

I am rejoicing tonight because I know where she is and Who she is with, and I know that we will be together again. I am so glad we know Jesus so that can happen! I really wonder what people who don't know Him feel like when they are facing death--either their own or the death of a loved one. What assurance do they cling to? Where is their promise? Where is their hope? Well, I know where mine is. It is in the Lord. I love the way the Apostle Paul put it in 1 Thessalonians:

"13 Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage each other with these words."

I'm comforted to know that our time apart is but a breath when you consider that you have eternity to be together. In the meantime, we will carry on her memory and her legacy in our lives. And as for her, I know that today she was comforted when she heard the words we spoke to her just a month ago as she settled into her new home here in North Carolina--only this time they came from the voices of Jesus, of His angels, and of those believers who preceded her in death.

Welcome home, Louise. Welcome home.

a saturday with the boys

Bennett woke up a little before 6:30 am, standing up in the bed, his hands banging on the headboard with a huge grin on his face. It is unusual for him to wake up that early and to be so energetic as soon as he awakens. It is definitely unusual for Anderson, our sleeper, to wake up early, but by 7:30, he was up, too! When I mentioned to him that he was up early, he looked at the clock and said, "Whoa. I didn't know it was that early," as if he would have stayed in bed a little longer had he known. Anderson came into the playroom where Bennett was playing, and he sat in his bean bag to watch television. Then, the sweetest thing happened. Bennett walked over to Anderson, crawled up in the beanbag, and put his head over on Anderson, like he was hugging him. He rested his head for at least a minute while Anderson was snuggling him right back. I desperately wanted my camera, but I knew as soon as I got it and attempted to sneak a photo, the moment would be long gone.

I cooked breakfast for the boys (pancakes for Anderson and Bennett, French toast for Paul), and not too long afterwards, Paul and Anderson left to run an errand and then headed to Anderson's basketball game. I couldn't go because Bennett needed to take his nap, but both said I should be glad I didn't go. Anderson's team is still struggling, though all of the teams, including his, do seem to be making improvements as the season progresses.

While Anderson and Paul were at the game, Bennett took his nap, and then we went for a run. We really enjoy our runs together, but when it is really cold, I try to run on the treadmill, even though I have a wind and rain cover for my baby jogger. Thankfully, it was over sixty degrees today and very sunny. It was really a beautiful day. I even noticed that the birds were singing again, and it was so sweet to hear them. For the first time this winter, I began to feel really excited about the fact that spring will be here soon. Supposedly, the groundhog saw his shadow today, which means six more weeks of winter, but I'm skeptical. With all of this global warming talk, you'd think that Al Gore and his environmental buddies would want to make sure that groundhog didn't see his shadow as further evidence that the earth is warming up. I guess Punxsutawney Phil (the groundhog) didn't get Al's memo.

As we finished up our run, Bennett and I stopped at the pond behind our house to feed two ducks that always make me think of elderly people in Florida--they are seasonal residents. When we got there, I couldn't find the ducks, but we threw some bread out on the pond anyway for fish or turtles. We never did see those either. The funniest thing happened to Bennett while we were there. I had been holding the back of his shirt to keep him from walking into the shallow water at the edge of the pond, and he was doing a fairly good job of keeping his feet out of the mud. But as soon as he saw a piece of bread that he did not throw far enough into the water, he went after it. He tripped and fell, face-first, into the water. Fortunately, it was only an inch or two deep, but the entire front of his body was soaked, along with his shoes. He didn't cry, but I sure was laughing. I picked him up, took his clothes completely off, and wrapped him in a big blanket I had taken with us, just in case he needed it. It certainly came in handy as I stripped Bennett down, his precious, little body trembling from the cold. I quickly had him snuggled warm in the blanket and back in the baby jogger, headed for home.

We spent some time reading books, which is one of Bennett's favorite things to do. Really, he just loves looking at the pictures, of course. Afterwards, he had me in stitches when he found my running shoes and wanted to put them on. He brought one of them to me saying "sue". He tried to balance on one foot and slip the other one into it, but he found that difficult, so he started stretching his arm out to support himself on a piece of furniture, but he couldn't quite reach. So I put his foot in it, and he walked all over the second floor of our house with that shoe on. He had this look on his face which said, "I'm big, and I know it."

Late this afternoon, Paul and I both had a craving for hibachi chicken, so he brought some home for us, even though I had baked a casserole for dinner (we'll eat it tomorrow...sometimes you just have to indulge those cravings). Afterwards, I cut Paul and Anderson's hair, and I must say--they look so handsome. I think their eyes sparkle even more when their hair is cut short.

Tonight, Bennett is sound asleep and Paul is reading the Bible to Anderson. They are trying to read through the entire Bible this year. I am resting on the sofa and trying to put the thought that the kitchen needs to be cleaned out of my mind. Overall, I'd say it has been a nice Saturday. As usual, it hasn't been that restful, but it is always a pleasure to have time with the boys.