We had a few leftover cans of cranberry sauce from around Thanksgiving. (A few? Like a dozen or so!) We don’t like to waste stuff, you know, waste not want not, and since we’d given so much away our family didn’t need any more cranberry sauce for the next year, Louis decided to be creative. (This is always the BEST when he decides to dream up something new!)
So, 1 cup soy sauce, 8 ounces of cranberry sauce, some garlic, ginger, assorted seasonings, ½ cup of pineapple juice, veggies, and some meat.
It was the best sweet and sour we’ve had! This will likely be our go to dish in a pinch. We might just finish up our overage of cranberry sauce before Thanksgiving.
I haven’t been writing for my blog often. I’ve been very busy lately! (And yes, the picture is an old one, like 4 years ago, but it’s one of my favorites of Becca & Anastasia.)
This past week was totally amazing in how God just orchestrated things to work out for good.
If you’ve been reading, you probably know my little sister has been going through some rough medical challenges. Read this if you don’t know about it. (Okay, she’s always going to be “my little sister” to me, even though she’s a very competent adult.) On Wednesday, my Mom texted me at work (she was playing taxi for Becca) with awesome news!
God had closed up one of Becca’s varicose veins! But she was already prepped for surgery and had prepaid for it so the Doctor said they’d do the worst vein on the other leg. That was so amazing! Actually, they scared her to death before telling her it was good news. The nurse with the Doppler says “stop talking” and moves the Doppler around with a serious face. Becca’s heart jumped into her throat. Then she sets the wand down. “Let me get the Doctor.” And then Becca had to find her calm place and bite her tongue as they both moved the Doppler stuff around and made comments like “I see it” and “yes, that’s odd.” Becca said finally the nurse says to the Doctor, “shall I tell her, or do I?” and then they told her it was gone. They offered, since she was already prepped, to just start in on the other leg (the worst, largest vein) so of course, Becca said yes.
The second miracle happened two days later. Anastasia has been severely allergic to eggs all her life. Like so allergic she needs an EpiPen and can’t touch anything that touched eggs. We have chickens, so you’d think our house was a definite no-no, but we are very diligent about keeping her away from our eggs and washing everything (hands, countertops, etc) to keep any contaminates from her. And we bake cookies, breads, ice cream, and cupcakes without eggs anytime she’s over. She’s really good about asking if it has eggs in it. (Louis picked up a cookie snack from Aldis when she was shopping with us & she asked, “does it have eggs?” so we put it back and Christina made eggless cookies instead.)
Anyway, so much for backstory… at the end of school, the school gives back all medications to the parents. Normally, that’s on the last day, but they almost gave Anastasia’s EpiPen back on Thursday instead. Her Dad wisely didn’t take it; he told them her Mom would get it on Friday.
So her EpiPen was at school for the party day.
And that was when she needed it. She misunderstood somehow and thought the cupcakes were eggless, so she ate one and two bites into it, her body rejected it and it ended with her in anaphylactic shock. Although she had to go to the hospital, my brave 5-year-old niece recovered fine. Becca raced from work to get to her. The paramedics let Becca drive her to the hospital and she was admitted with a “severe level 5 reaction” so the doctors had to observe her in case her reaction returned as the medicine wore off. (It didn’t.) The Doctor was extremely helpful and handed Becca his card, which had John 3:16 written on it!
God lined everything up so that Anastasia would have her medicine and get just the right care.
Our family has felt the love of God and amazing miracles in the prayers, support, and love from all of you! Please continue to keep Becca in your prayers! I just had to pass along how awesome our week had been in the way God had been letting Becca feel His presence through these challenging moments.
God always has our best. We give Him our lives with all of our stuff and He blesses us with His constant love and care. He shows us love and grace and we are the hands, feet, and arms of Jesus on Earth. Sometimes we are the givers and sometimes receivers. And sometimes God shocks everyone with something totally unexpected like healing something in our bodies!
Thank you God, for Your warm arms gathering my little sister and her baby in Your tender care!
My little sister has a big fight ahead: Spreading her story is one way I can help.
May 6, 2019
Fighting “the Silent Killer”
For the past few months, we’ve been praying and hoping as Becca, my sister, went from doctor to doctor, clinic to clinic, and eventually the hospital over an unknown infection that was bothering her on her leg. They said it was ringworm, an infection from “dirty water at work,” a spider bite, etc. She heard everything but none of the treatments seemed to help; most only caused severe pain where there hadn’t been pain. Her main complaints were a growing discoloration, open wound that wouldn’t heal, and itching.
Last week, on Friday, May 3, 2019, she finally had a serious answer. A wound specialist here in Saint Augustine told her for sure (results of several tests) that what was causing her leg problems was a condition that usually affects those over 55 – burst varicose veins causing blood clots. This is often called “the silent killer” because there aren’t any painful signs. If left untreated, the blood clots begin to travel. Once a blood clot reaches a vital organ, it causes death.
Doppler tests (like a sonogram) showed several blood clots. Three are already traveling. The specialist stressed immediacy. Becca was glad to have an answer, but she had no clue how she could pay for the six (6!) surgeries needed as soon as possible. Without counting medications, aftercare such as dressings, lack of income from missing work, and the looming bills from previous misdiagnoses, she will need $18,000.
Then a series of God-orchestrated tumblers began to fall; family volunteered to help, Becca found she could “cash in” her vacation time for an emergency, and her credit card limit increased – she was able to gather enough funds to start one of the six surgeries. Her first one is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2019. We are praying and believing God will guide the surgeon’s hands, heal Becca, and cover medical costs for her.
Several of us suggested using “GoFundMe” as I always help when I see one local. Becca didn’t want to ask; so we decided to do it for her. We love our sister and although, yes, I’m sure over time she’d make it work – she needs this now. Without having a big enough fund to grab into, we have each other. Each of us, giving what we can, helping as she does for us, we can all pull together and help Becca.
The reason we like “GoFundMe” and local networks that ask for help is because it shows the power of each of us in our community. One woman needs help moving – pretty much has the whole job packed and moved in a weekend. My midwife is constantly letting us know about moms, babies, or families in need: I always try to give. Becca always gives. I find hope in seeing people help each other. I enjoy helping at food pantries and raising money for charities. I love these because everyone’s little bit helps to make big things work.
Becca started crying tears of gratefulness when she realized people donated shortly after we set it up. Thank you for showing our community’s heart. This is how we fight the silent killer.
Please pray for Becca now and if you can, please consider donating.
What kind of “deep thoughts” about life and love come from a bitten cookie?
February 28, 2019
Behind the Picture! Bitten Heart
It was Valentine’s Day.
I was at work (Playroom not coaching this evening). Christina and Kimberly had come with me because my workplace is about 12 minutes from my sister’s house versus my house being about 35 minutes distant and Christina wasa going over to babysit her cousins. (Kimberly is a year older than Livy, her closest cousin, and they LOVE to do anything together, so she jumped at the chance to spend time with her.)
Louis and I never really do anything special on Valentine’s Day as we are usually working it! Christina considers Valentine’s Day a married-adult-only holiday and the chocolate on sale the 15th as the holiday for her.
We celebrate our love daily. At least, I feel like we do. At this time, I was dealing with a pretty bad allergic reaction to the inhaler medication and trying to keep normalcy while managing that and figuring out a new method to help when the black mold in our house messed with my breathing. Louis was home (supposed to be resting his back) keeping everything in line there. He’s an amazing chef and always had an awesome lunch /dinner when I came home between jobs. There’d be a fresh hot dinner, usually just for him and me, when I got home from gym (between 8:30 and 9:30pm so the kids had already eaten).
When my sweet sister picked Christina and Kimberly up, she gave me a yummy, organic, cookie she and her youngest daughter had made. (It looked so beautiful I almost didn’t want to eat it!) She is a fitness instructor, nutritionist, and thoughtful, loving sister!
I was at that moment, a very hungry pregnant lady.
While watching the youngest in the playroom, I was studying and working on my journal for Christina (More about that in a later post), and I don’t like to eat around those who don’t have something to eat. So the heart sat there, calling me, until the boys brought in their own candy and the baby went home.
When I took a bite, instantly my mind thought of how when we give true love (our world uses a heart to symbolize love), it is without expecting anything back. We expect the recipient of our love to consume that love and we are thrilled if they enjoyed our offering. My sister and niece happily created a labor of love (the cookies) to selflessly, happily give away without expectation of anything in return.
Of course, in true loving relationships, both parties give love continually to each other. In the varying seasons of life, one may seem to be giving more than the other, but true love gives without considering reward. We expect our “hearts” to be “eaten” by those we give them to. If we truly love, we are happy, even excited, that our love accepted and enjoyed our labor of love.
Jesus gave his love (no greater love has a man than when he gives his life for another) to us knowing that many would not even accept his gift. They would live their lives, partake of all the gifts Jesus gave (air to breathe, beauty of creation, life itself, etc…), consuming His labors of love one by one, yet never returning anything. Some would come to enjoy relationship with Jesus, but He knew some wouldn’t and yet He still poured out His love.
All this ran through my mind at the sight of one bite taken from a cookie. (So, yes, I took a food picture.) A little deep, maybe, but that’s my writer’s brain.
I plan to continually shower those around me with as much love as I can give, and this picture will remind me to not think of getting anything back – to rejoice always when they accept and consume the love I give.
A birth story of our little angel (and a slideshow of proud siblings & family!)
February 22, 2019
The Story of Baby Thea
If you’ve been following my blog, you know I was growing my seventh little angel.
Today, I get to write the story of her arrival!
On February 19th, a beautiful Tuesday morning, my day started normally. During my 32 minute drive to work, the Baby started thinking there was not enough room and my body did the stretching contractions (Braxton-Hicks) that is very normal for me in the last month or two before birth. I didn’t think much of it, really. After my boss left for appointments, one of my office companions, Lily, a beautiful brown and white pittie belonging to my boss, started laying at my feet and wouldn’t let me go anywhere without her! This was a bit of a warning to me because Sheba (my Aussie mix) always does this to me when I’m in active labor. I left at one (normal time) to get to Christina and then my midwife appointment.
Christina had been babysitting, finished some errands at the college so she would be ready for the summer semester, caught the bus to 207 (the road I take into town), and was waiting for me. Along the way, my midwife texted to reschedule the appointment to Thursday and I laughed during my voice-text because I was very tired and that worked great for me. I added, “or when Baby is ready,” as a joke because my babies have all come on or after the due date. Everyone had been rooting for a February birth since the official “due date” was February 24th, and except for Lucas, my wee ones were between 9 and 13 days “overdue” so I usually ignored the due date and just gave a general month (in this case, I’d been saying March).
I got Christina, teased her about driving (she’s recently received her learner’s permit), and we headed home. Sheba was acting odd, I was starving; Louis had made lasagna Monday so I ate a huge plate and took a short nap.
When I got to gym with Becky (her class is on Tuesday, the others are all Wednesday), the contractions were still there, but, like I said, that is normal for me. It had been happening off and on already for about a week and a half, so I just went about work because they were easy to ignore. Some friends and I chatted about babies as I was leaving, and someone said, “you know about your body by now, right?” I laughed, “each is different, but I’m still thinking March.”
Wow, was I wrong.
As Becky texted Christina and Louis to tell them we were off & headed to pick up Christina at CAP, Becky said, “Mom, I can’t drive us home, but if the baby keeps contracting like that, maybe Christina can.”
We laughed. Part of the driving restrictions on a learner’s permit forbid night driving for the first few months; but we always teased Christina that she’d have to drive home in the dark if I was in labor.
Home, I was starved, but my belly felt full after four strawberries. I took a shower and crashed. I kept waking up every couple hours, but I’m a light sleeper so that’s also normal. Each time, though, I noticed contractions. I’d check my phone just to see what time it was. Midnight. 1:40. 2:30. 3:50. At almost 4, I realized I was sweating and I decided to wait for fifteen minutes (so the water softener cycle was finished) and take a shower. The next glance at my watch showed 4:19. I took a shower and the first contraction after the water hit was very strong. I felt movement inside me. “Wow, you sure you’re ready?” I asked. I was sure that was just a fluke and usually the warm water calms contractions down. When the next two made my legs feel like jelly, I got out of the shower and crawled back into bed. The phone said 4:35. I wasn’t about to wake anyone or call Misti for three oddly strong contractions.
I tried to sleep. I had about two hours before I had to get ready for work.
At somewhere before 6am, I tried getting ready for work. I had to stop and breathe through contractions that were easy to time and I felt the baby moving slowly down inside of me. I was about to wake Louis but ended up stretching through a contraction. We have a mind link, I think. Louis woke up as I was stretching. He goes into mega cleaning and question mode. This is his serious mode. He has been through it enough to know we were going to have a baby this morning – or at least today. He told me to call Misti, he woke the kids up to help clean (normally, we clean before bed, but they had been in a non-cleaning mood the previous night), and directed the house with efficiency. I was restless, so kept walking around in between. Christina and Becky didn’t want to get out of bed. I went into the barracks to find out why not.
“Mom! You can’t have the baby in here!” Christina shrieked, covering her head.
“So, get up please and help Daddy with cleaning. Y’all should have done that last night. Once you finish, you can go back to bed, but he’s really stressing about the house and people coming so please help.”
No answer. I could feel another contraction creeping up. “Okay, you have about 20 seconds before I get another contraction and…”
Christina bolted, “MOM! I’m up! I’ll help Dad! GET CONTRACTIONS OUT OF MY ROOM!”
Becky was up too. Kimberly was definitely awake. Mission accomplished. I went back to the kitchen table. My “leave” alarm reminded me to text or call my boss. 6am though, I figured I should just text – plus I didn’t want to talk to anyone at the moment.
Misti showed up (can’t remember if the house was clean, but based on the voices and giggling and a movie being on, I’d guess it was straightened). Mom was on the way, she told us she had to be at one of my brother’s promotions at 8am. The girls had turned on “The Two Towers” and as Louis walked by during the Uruk-hai production scene and he ordered, “Turn that off, you can see a real birth soon enough.” I can’t remember if the result was “Wild Kratts” or “Dumbo” but there was something far less messy on the tv a minute later. (I did hear one of the teenagers or preteens quip, “Mom will sound like an orc.” Louis and I laughed. We’re nerds.)
By 8:30, I was immune to the world. I heard Misti’s voice, smelled Louis (I was leaning on him), and faintly heard background voices. I was focused on this job.
8:42am and our little one came into the world, veiled. Misti took the bag off and the Baby screamed to test the limit of her lungs! (We didn’t know Baby was a “she” just yet!) Baby opened her eyes fully and stared up at me. Then she screamed to rattle the roof again. The dogs were barking. We discovered our Baby was Thea!
Welcome to our crazy world, Theadora Taliesyn Tart. You are loved and cherished!
Theadora (after her great-grandfather Melvin Theodore Pearson) means “gifted by God” and Taliesyn (feminine form of your grandfather’s favorite character from a Celtic legend) means, “one with the shining brow, one who sings wisdom.” And Daddy chose the nickname “Thea” because he likes it. (Your uncle texted that he’d call you “3T” – yes, Daddy searched for two “T” names we both liked!) I kept both names the same length, since that’s what we’ve done – all of the children’s names have the same number of letters in the first name and middle name. Theadora 8 letters, Taliesyn 8 letters – told you we are nerds.
Mom (Grandma Joanne in the pictures) came back with a shower of baby girl goodies! (And, yes, this is why she’s in such cute clothes once we managed to get them on her!)
Theadora, I pray you always feel the love of your family as you wiggle your way up to adulthood. I pray you feel the warmth and see the light of God’s love reflected in the faces of your sisters and brother, mother and father, aunts and uncles, grandparents and cousins. We have accepted the honor of being your guides to lead you to Jesus, to raise you in love, and to give you room to find, develop, and follow the passion of life God has rooted within you. You are a daughter of God, a precious gift to us, and chosen to bring light through your smile.
Becky said I can’t post a baby story without her pictures! So here is a little slideshow:
Lucas kept trying to “pet” and “kiss” Baby TheaChristina & Thea (oldest & youngest)Lucas said “you are my love, Baby Thea!”Grandma Joanne & TheaChristina and Becky are already vying for who gets the babyKimberly and TheaJillian and TheaTheadora Taliesyn TartThis is Christina’s favorite from Thea’s birthdayJaquline and TheaBecky and TheaDaddy and TheaAunt Becca and TheaThea and Mommy
Okay, seriously, just me bragging on my amazing man of God! 🙂 Yes, I think I am allowed to do that a little.
February 4, 2019
My Knight
“Mom, can you stay working and Daddy stay home like this, I like it!” Kimberly says.
I smile. That’s always the result of Louis being home during the day!
He’s an amazing chef – turns regular food into culinary masterpieces that the children like to eat!
He doesn’t get stuck in writing or multi-tasking like I do – he has a finish-the-job mentality so cleaning tasks actually get completed in minute detail.
He knows how to make everything entertaining or hilarious – this leads to lots of children working without realizing they are working!
He doesn’t second guess himself and when he feels like taking them somewhere fun, he just does it! (That freedom I haven’t figured out yet.)
Louis hurt his back so is supposed to be “resting” for six weeks. (He’s been doing stay-at-home-Dad who drives occasionally when he thinks his back is better…) I’ve been working at two outside jobs lately: I leave before 7:20am, basically dropping in after job one about 1:45pm to 2 or 3pm for lunch (which is always ready and amazing), grabbing the corresponding gymnastics student, and sprinting off for the next job. I come home to an immaculate house after 8:30pm (sometimes after 9:30pm if I picked Christina up from CAP or Cyber Patriot). I’m constantly impressed.
Louis has been making my coffee-shakeology and makes sure I have water and eat (I will totally forget to eat); little things that make me feel so loved and cared for. I feel like I’m always receiving at this snapshot of time. I ended up with a cold I misunderstood as an asthma attack because of the way it attacked my breathing – so not only have I been fighting a cold, but I’m allergic to the emergency inhaler so I had almost six days of allergic reaction to let it “run its course” along with the cold (so far both of the colds I’ve caught since asthma have turned into upper respiratory infections) and my weakened immune system wanted a few days of nothing-but-sleep, but you know, life = bills and work! (And, yes, I’m so grateful for my jobs!)
I’m so grateful for simple things like running hot water and modern plumbing.
I’m super grateful for my loving, giving husband who’s always looking out for me.
I’m a few weeks or so from giving birth to our seventh little miracle.
Lying in the bed (because of some biological oddities to hit just as this baby started, the cold that normally would take me two or three days to fight is taking a stretched-out time; I’m on day seven) Louis says, “if the afterbirth is harder each time, maybe we should stop with this one.”
I smiled, but since I was lying toward the wall, he couldn’t see. “I’ve always treated each time as if it may be the last.”
“Really?” I guess this shocked him a little because I love being pregnant, I love the infant stage, I love the growing independence of the toddler stage, I love each and every step so far in this journey. Although I’m fully prepared for God to say, “this is the last one” sometime, I’m also fully prepared to continue going through this amazing cycle of mothering a miracle.
Yes.
I guess it’s complicated.
See, about the time I was pregnant with Kimberly, I grew a great deal in my understanding of how to allow God to have full control in my entire life. I thought I trusted Him with everything but realized that I was quietly hoping to have a multitude of children and not really okay with less – or even three. But I asked myself, “What if God’s perfect number for you is three?”
I began to realize that God’s perfection was not limited nor driven by my wants. (DUH!)
I decided early during that pregnancy (with Kimberly) that I would savor every second, every feeling, every hiccup, stretch, movement, and challenge that came along as if this were the last time I would carry life.
I already loved being pregnant. I shared that love with my mother and Louis’ Grandma Honey (she told me once she would have been pregnant her entire life if God had allowed her!).
At that time, I had a shift of my mental state. Instead of trying to always project perfection, I wanted to savor life with my family. If this meant not fully finishing with a cleaning chore before we went somewhere, then okay. If this meant taking a break to look at a cool flower while I’m supposed to be hanging clothes, okay. If this meant letting someone else watch the kids so Louis and I could go out, then that was okay. I realized I was trying to follow other peoples’ ideas of what my life should look like and had unconsciously adopted those ideas as “perfection” – and yes, perfection as it was in my brain was never truly achievable!
My stress level fell so much in those few months while I grew Kimberly in my belly and started a new “temp” job. I may have looked busier, but I felt so liberated!
Even though what followed (from 5-weeks after Kimberly’s birth) was what I honestly believe was the most grueling, difficult 18 months of Louis & my married life, I was able to find a well of thankfulness to pull from when I felt so far down. Without my new understanding of submitting totally to God’s plan, I would have probably allowed the horrid miscarriage to drag me into the jaws of depression. I realized even as I cried in the stupid bulk-grocery-store bathroom, by myself, hundreds of miles from home, while I “passed” the fragments of what was once a life I felt and loved, that God had even this time in His hands. He knew all the whys and I wasn’t to understand them; just to trust Him.
So, fast forward almost 12 years and here I am lying with this little miracle kicking up a nice sensitive bruise under my right side. Life in its cycle, totally unexpected, another prime example of God’s timing and perfect wisdom (Click here for that crazy amazing story!). I’m rubbing on my belly because it makes the Baby move around and react to my touch – and I LOVE that. I’m playing with this little one before he/she is born!
God has done so much, so many unexpected things that have lifted us up despite the weird, harsh, and unexpected challenges this past year. God has taught me to savor all life – all stages and parts, from babies and pregnancy to friendships and siblings. Take time for and savor everything. There are miracles everywhere. Yes, I’m okay if this is my last pregnancy and birth. I’d long ago given all control to God. I mean, if I trust Him with something so awesome as my salvation and eternal life, how can I not trust His wisdom in family size?
Teaching the girls to research to make educated food choices at the grocery store.
January 14, 2019
The Off-Brands
What is in a brand?
Kimberly and Jaquline were discussing how they liked a certain Aldi off-brand snack better than the name brand one. Christina commented that she didn’t remember how much better she liked said off-brand snack over the original until she’d tasted the original again that day.
Honestly, I love the new Aldi store because most of their off-brand stuff is healthier than the name brand it is replacing; one of their colored cereals actually is colored with natural pigments, has less sugar, and contains more vitamins and minerals per ounce than the name brand we could buy elsewhere.
Because of the arrival of this Aldi store, our healthy options seriously improved without demanding more on our budget. In most cases, we were leaving with more groceries, healthier choices, and a smaller food bill. A full cart with more than half of it filled with bargain fruits and vegetables? Oh yes.
We studied some about brands. In some cases, the girls discovered that only the outside label is changed! This was surprising. For several items they researched, the only change between certain off-brands and their competitive name-brand item was seriously a label.
Jaquline heard an ad on the radio station and said, “there’s another name-brand making us think they are better than the store kind because they pay for advertising.”
She’s nine.
They are convinced there is nothing as good as Oreos brand cookies, but then I think there is nothing as good as Christina’s chocolate chip cookies and Louis’ oatmeal cake cookies.
How Becky discovered gymnastics and is now motivated to workout for personal improvement! Mom is thankful for her fitness goals!
January 12, 2019
Motivation
Sometimes motivation comes from a course you don’t expect.
I often find motivation coming from my study or from life events.
For Becky, the motivation to workout has just never been there. Christina got motivated to run and work out when she joined Civil Air Patrol. Kimberly always wants to beat everyone, so when her dad, sisters, or sister-cousins were running, she matched them, when her sister and friends were seeing who could do the most push-ups or pull-ups or climb the rope fastest, she had to work harder. Jaquline and Jillian get motivated anytime dad, mom, or one of their big sisters happens to be working out. Lucas never stops.
Becky suddenly wanted to be the best. Becky found her motivation to work harder and get stronger.
I am so thankful that she’s found something to help motivate her toward a healthier state.
For some people, a fitness gym or club with others to hold them accountable works, for others, the freedom of working out at home or on the go with the possible aid of an online coach is perfect, others need a structured team event, some need a goal like training for a 5K. I love helping people find and exploit their motivation towards being healthier.
For me, health has been our lifestyle, so modifying my lifestyle in various ways to make healthy easier for us is always in the back of my mind. So as my schedule continually gets busier, my commitment to one fuel and nutrient packed shake each morning has definitely helped me stay on track!
I love watching the girls grow in their personal choices. I am excited about the educational, fitness, and social gains Christina has made at Civil Air Patrol. She’s grown so much in the past year and a half! I can’t wait to see what gains Becky makes in her personal life as she advances in gymnastics – what growth will she produce toward her goal?
Only time will tell, but I’m excited that Becky has found some motivation in her health because I want her to be the very best she can be!
Who else is excited for 2019? Who else looks at the new year like a child on Christmas morning looks at presents around the tree?
December 31, 2018
Fresh New Year
“It’s still 2018, right?” asks Kimberly, working on her History.
“Yes, it’s the last day of 2018,” I respond. Christina pipes in with, “and our Aunt’s birthday!” (One of their aunts is born on December 31!)
This makes me think: (uh-oh, I just heard two kids say “Mom’s writing another blog in her head.”) Yes, my children know me!
Tomorrow starts a fresh new year. We are given a new beginning each day as the dawn warms our skies and the sun rises to dry the dew.
In the service industry, all days blend together and all the New Year has meant for me in the past 8 years was a barrage of people calling to order reservations at 1am on New Year’s Day from the Bayfront downtown or 11pm from the Saint Augustine Beach peir (two locations at the times we can never promise) so then it turns into irritated people who don’t understand the simple line, “I can’t guarantee that time at that location, you can try to call us at the time to see where our cabs are.”
I’m so glad today does not involve dispatching! I’m only answering questions from the school table – awesome!
In 2018:
I started working at WGV Gymnastics as a coach (LOVE this job).
We closed our taxi company in December. It feels awesome to be able to shut off my phone and not worry about missing a reservation call!
I’ve rejoiced with the addition of my best friend’s 10th baby!
I’ve rejoiced with my sister who is due about the same time I am! (They will be close cousins!)
I’ve mourned and rejoiced with my family after my Daddy passed.
I celebrated the first Christmas ever without him – that was his favorite holiday.
Christina achieved CAP rank of C/CMSgt, become Red Cross certified, started officially babysitting, started working as needed at what she calls “my somewhat part time job,” and completed her third college semester.
Becky completed her second college semester, bred and raised a few dozen chicks up to “independence” for clients, raised her batches of “babies” (aka Guinea Piglets), joined gymnastics classes (finally finding something to encourage her fitness!), and has taught most of her siblings the Latin terms for every body part since she’s been dissecting animals in her biology labs!
Kimberly joined gymnastics classes with her gung-ho attitude and is expecting great things from herself, was gifted a bunny (she’s been saving to adopt one for almost a year but her awesome big sisters beat her to it) and Minuit has never left her side.
Jaquline discovered the amazing world of Geometry and everything is now interpreted in shapes or gymnastics skills!
Jillian started losing teeth, is studying sketching (she’s getting rather good actually!) and digital art along with Becky, and getting herself lost in the world of reading!
Lucas started trying to write his name!
We are all expecting amazing things to come in 2019. God has paths lined up for us that we may not even be able to see yet – if you’d told me at the start of 2018 that I’d be teaching gymnastics for an awesome Christian boss, be pregnant again, and have no taxi company, I would have laughed.
But (positive!) God knows the desires of our hearts! He knows I love children, love teaching, and that gymnastics has always been a dream. (Dream job come true? YES!) He knows Lucas loves babies and is super excited about getting to “take MY BABY home from church.” (All the other babies he’s been around are those of church family, so he can’t take them home.) He knows that rebuilding hybrid batteries is something else I love – tinkering with electronics as Daddy taught me & a niche few offer around here so maybe that will be our main income soon!
I’m about to polish and release a few more children’s books (maybe an entire new series working around my budding illustrators’ work!) and my goal for this year is 12 releases.
Who else is excited for 2019? Who else looks at the new year like a child on Christmas morning looks at presents around the tree? I see each day as a gift from God to be opened at each dawn. I see gifts we can’t even dream of yet sitting there, waiting God’s perfect timing for us to unwrap and enjoy. I’m praying that certain things are there – which day holds the gift of my child’s birth? Does a gift in that pile include a property or home of our own? Is there a gift of being able to read my books before a class, teach a grammar workshop, or tutor another child? Only God knows what each gift holds. My Daddy loved seeing the smiles and squeals of excitement on Christmas morning as his children opened presents – I love this part of Christmas morning as a parent too. I can only imagine God smiling as we open each gift and yelp with excitement!
Enjoy your daily gifts in 2019! Happy, blessed New Year!
