Lemonade Stand

What is it about kids and lemonade stands? Has this been going on since the invention of lemonade? Jamie decided she wanted to do a lemonade stand and although the temperatures were nearing 90, she sat in our front yard for hours patiently waiting for a thirsty traveler to happen by.

After time had passed and no sale had been made, she persuaded brother, with the promise of 25 cents, to dress up in his Darth Vader costume and wave down some unsuspecting passersby. Remember, it was nearing 90 degrees out there!
"Luke, I am your father...now buy some lemonade."

After 2 days of selling lemonade for 25 cents a cup, the kids made a total of about $4, half of which was from our local ice cream truck man who stopped and bought some both days. What a nice guy.

Covert Park Beach and Campground

The campsite

'Smores again

The beach was really nice, better than Van Buren

Hours of fun

Night swim

Van Buren State Park Camping

The campsite

Gotta love the 'smores
Nothing better than sitting around a campfire with your family
We rode on the Kal-Haven Trail

Beautiful sunsets

Mom

Ten years ago today my Mom passed away from acute leukemia caused by the chemotherapy treatments she was undergoing for breast cancer. The song playing is Mindy Smith's "One Moment More". She wrote it after she lost her Mom to breast cancer. I thought it would be fitting to play today.

It’s so hard to believe ten years have passed. At the time Jodie was 3, Jamie was 6 months, and Chase wasn’t even thought of yet. And ten years from now, Chase will be graduating from high school. Where does the time go?

I took Natty-dog for a run today and we went through the cemetery where Mom’s grave is. We stopped for awhile. I think Natty sensed my sadness. At first she sat and licked my face, but then she lay quietly next to me while I cried.

I miss my Mom. I miss the sound of her working in the kitchen. I miss the smell of her Sunday dinner…try as I might, mine’s never as good as hers. I miss hearing her hum while she was lost in thought. I miss the way she would try not to laugh at my jokes, but then she’d smile that crooked smile. I miss how she would make even the simplest things special, like shaping little tomatoes into roses just to make the potato salad look nice. I miss listening to her play the piano. She played all her favorite hymns by ear. I miss her exceptionally soft hands and face, that even at 70 years of age had no signs of a wrinkle. There’s more, but mostly I just miss her.

We really weren’t as close as I would have liked. She wasn’t a warm-fuzzy kind of Mom. She didn’t talk about her childhood or tell stories about her past and she never talked about her feelings. I wish she would have. I would liked to have known her better and I think if she had to do it all over again, she would have wanted me to know her better.

That’s a good lesson, I guess. I want my kids to know me, to know what I believe and what I’m passionate about. I want them to have a huge list of all the things they miss about me when I’m gone! But mostly I want them to know that I loved Jesus and I loved them and that loving others like Jesus loves is what really matters in life.

Even though my Mom was kind of private and I didn't know her the way I would have liked, I know I loved her and she loved me and I miss her very much. I wish I had just one moment more....

The Shack

So have you read the book by William Young called "The Shack"? Maybe you read the back cover and then, like me, said "No way will I ever read that. Why would I want to read a gut renching book about the tragedy of losing a child?"

After being coaxed along by friends and my sister-in-law, I decided to borrow a copy and take a look at it. I was hooked just by reading the forward. Finished it in 2 days. I'd highly recommend it. You'll be hooked too...you'll cry, you'll laugh, mostly you'll think about your view of God and wonder.....

That's all I'm going to say about that.

Somewhere a dog barked.....

Hero Mom

Yesterday I got to be a hero. Here's how this rare title became mine for a few moments in time.

As I was putting the kids to bed, boy wonder couldn't find his new Star Wars Storm Trooper. He said he left it in the cargo pocket of his church pants, but he couldn't find his pants. I said that I had seen them in the laundry hamper. He said he looked there and they weren't there. We walked to the laundry hamper and there they were right on top. Figures right? That's not the hero part though.

When he looked in the pocket there was no Star Wars Storm Trooper. Things began to get tense. He had just purchased this the day before with his own money. We looked around, but couldn't find it and it was getting late. I told him he needed to get to bed and that we'd look for it the next day. He fought back tears as he climbed into bed. "I think I lost it and I'll never find it." "Don't worry buddy, we'll find it."

A few minutes later while I was reading a book, he came to me with red watery eyes and said, "Mom, will you wake me up early tomorrow so I can have time to look for my Storm Trooper before school?" I reached out and pulled him up into my lap and said, "Let's think about where you had your Storm Trooper." Step by step we retraced the activities of the day. Took it to church, came home, played outside; "did you take it outside?". "No". "You played downstairs, did you take it down there?" "No, I looked there already." Hmmm....we continued to try and recall all that we had done. Then I remembered that we went out to eat after church. "Did you take it to the restaurant?" "Yes." "What coat did you wear?"

With lightening speed he jumped from my lap and ran out of the room. Within a few short minutes he returned with a somber look on his face. "Did you find it?" Sheepishly he opened his hand and revealed the cherished Storm Trooper. He climbed back up in my lap and gave me a big hug. He didn't say the words, but I'm sure he must have been thinking that at that moment his mom was his hero. It felt good.

Comment to Love Wins

Ah Joann, I think about mom and miss her everyday as well. I have always loved that picture of you and mom in front of the bathroom mirror. I think that bathroom was turquoise.

Being 6 years older than you I do remember a few things about your birth and babyhood with mom. She loved to cuddle you. She loved to put a curl on the top of your head. (I thought it looked silly.) She loved dressing you in pink. She loved to rock you and hum you a little song. She would let me hold you by putting a pillow on my lap and laying you on it. I have a vague memory of mom putting you in the “buggy” (they weren’t called strollers back then I don’t think) and taking us all for a walk around Bundy street.

As you grew older she loved that you liked to play dress-up in girlie clothes. I always played dress-up by putting on Jimmie's clothes. It was the only time I got to wear jeans and to me that was freedom! After 6 years with a tomboy, she was so happy to have a girlie-girl who liked girlie things. I was totally ok with that since it took the pressure off of me to conform!

Mom would be proud of us, Joann; not with many words, but in her quiet way. She’d smile that sort of half smile where it would start out as if she was trying not to smile and then it would turn into a big grin. You know the one, we see it now in Jodie. I wonder if she would see herself in Jodie if she was still here.

Thanks for writing about mom. I miss her so much, but I’m thankful that one day we will all be together again. I love you Joann. And I love you mom.