Back In The Saddle

About a week a go it hit me, I think I might be back in the Saddle.

After coming off the summer of losing my father and all that encompasses that, I felt like July was a fog.  August came and I started cooking, going to the grocery store, getting back slowly into the routine of life- or at least the motions..  Now don't get me wrong- there are still nights I can't sleep, days where the lump won't get out of my throat, & I tear up at the faintest thought, but the other day I felt like I had a little bit of a break through.
I offered to keep my dear friend Emily's kids while she ran some last minute errands before their trip to the beach. I picked up my camera (something I hadn't done since May for Anna Caroline's birthday) and took pictures.

Mary Stewart adores Durham.  We are thankful to have such a handy friend to help us fix our car!

I can't quite describe it, but as I watched our children enjoy each other I felt like for the first time in a while I was back in the saddle.  Just a normal Friday morning.  Enjoying cute kids playing together, picking up around my house, making a picnic lunch- nothing extraordinary, just normal Donald living.  Thankful that though I'm never really "in the saddle"- meaning I never have it totally all together, thankful to feel kinda like I am.

Some days Anna Caroline spends lots of time snacking, as it is the ONLY place I can contain her besides her bed!!!

I tried desperately to get a picture of the "Caroline's" but as you can see mine would have nothing of it. These girls are about 6 months apart, but in about another year, that will seem like no time at all!

Speaking of the saddle- Preschool started this week.  I better get my saddle ready, because I have a feeling this horse is about to take off.........

Know the song from the 80's- wild wild west something or other, the line that comes to my mind is "love her wild wild hair"

A Star is Born

Today a star was born.  Well actually she has been a star since day 1.  But today made it official.  Today Mary Stewart had her first ballet class.

A few weeks ago I told Aunt Rachel (who was a ballerina also) that Mary Stewart would be taking Ballet this fall.  She immediately asked if she and Brian could get Mary Stewart her ballet ensemble for her birthday.  I immediately said YES!  On a little tangent...... Last week Mary Stewart asked me when I was going to take her to get her slippers so she could be a ballerina.  I told her Aunt Rachel & Uncle B were getting them for her because Aunt Rachel was a ballerina; with the widest eyes Mary Stewart replied "Aunt Rachel is a REAL ballerina".  Thought it was precious.   Well on Monday I realized ballet started today and not next Wednesday.  Thankfully Dee Dee helped overnight a package and walla the world was saved.

This morning we went on a walk and when we returned the packaged had arrived.  As soon as she saw her shoes, tights, & leotard she immediately wanted to be full assembled.  It's hard for an almost 3 year old to understand it's 9:30 am and the ensemble isn't meant until 4:30.  She pranced around some time in her leotard and shoes until I bribed her somehow to take it off.

As soon as she was up from her nap, she immediately wanted to get dressed.  

Virginia & Mary Stewart before class!

As soon as she stepped foot in class she immediately began dancing!

She found the barre & was a natural!

"Look momma I am a ballerina"

Libby, Allen, Virginia & Mary Stewart (Lily Kate you were missed)

 I would have to say today seemed like a success.  

Who is excited for a recital in May?

 

Baby Anna Caroline

Baby Anna Caroline isn't so much a baby anymore.  Where has our time gone?  At 14 months 1 week I would consider her full fledged walking.  As long as she is moving she is happy.  Thankfully the more she walks, the less she climbs.  She is still long and lean.  I'm thinking she may be around 22 or 23 pounds.  We still have ONLY 4 teeth, but I am thinking we are working on some new ones.

Anna Caroline is now insisting on feeding herself.  Don't you dare think you could hold the spoon and feed her.  Miss Independent.  

I love hearing her & Mary Stewart giggle in the other room.  They are playing more more everyday.  She truly has such a sweet spirit, complemented with feisty independence.

I wouldn't have her any other way!!!!  

Seeing Double!!

                                          Mary Stewart & Randi Marie

Kinda crazy how much they resemble each other.

I've come to the conclusion after seeing this comparison and looking at my fair skinned, red headed baby, the Donald genes sure are dominant in our family!

Hope you all are having a great week!

Thank You

 So I've started writing "Thank You" notes for the kindness shown to me over the past month and I feel so foolish even writing those words.  How can those 8 letters even begin to encompass the emotion felt when I try to convey my feelings.
How do I even begin to say thank you for the prayers, thoughts, calls, emails, text messages, food, clean house, care for my children, care for crazy maggie......how?
If you know me, you know I long for community.  I love to feel connected.  During a horrible, tragic experience I saw a community both near and far.  Going "home" to Louisiana for 3 weeks, I knew I would be taken care of- never knew to what depth.  How sweet to see the church I grew up in, but remember I've been married and gone for 7 years, embrace my precious family. The sweet church I attended in college (the same church Matthew's family attends) fed us! People I've never met bringing food.  Visits to the hospital.  Faces I haven't seen in YEARS!  What precious effort and thought.  Grown men in tears in a waiting room, speaking so kind and highly of my father.  Did I mention the countless meals, magazines, and coffee's that made there way to us.  A wonderful team of doctors and nurses that walked us through everything.  Nurses who hugged & cried with us.  How can I possibly say Thank You.  That was just in the walls of the hospital......
What about my sweet in loves- all of them.  I couldn't have even imagined what it would have been like to even have to worry for a moment about my children.  Truly Papa, Dee Dee, Rachel, Brian & Randi took my children- and I never looked back at once.  If you have children you know this is a gift. Matthew's sweet grandmother kept our clothes clean & Paw Paw Emile kept the babies laughing.  Even my dear brother & sister in love so far away yet calling to help with crazy Maggie dog.  How do you say Thank You for keeping the ones you love so much so happy & content?
The whole time I am in Louisiana, I was constantly reminded of the sweet sweet community I left in Marietta.  Friends who went to much expense and traveled many hours to be by our side, for a campus minister who married both my sister and I & who poured so much into us through college, to walk in the church on such a day.  To know our church was praying for us, for all the offers to keep our house watched, mail checked, lawn mowed, all the details of life it was oh so reassuring.  To come home to a professionally cleaned house, a stocked frig and pantry and meals lined up for a month.  Nothing short of the miracle I needed. For truly having neighbors and seeing neighborly love.    I continue to be amazed at the kind words and the constant "what can I do?" even weeks later.  It is evident I have the community I have always longed for.  How do you say Thank You to those sweet friends who are still pursuing me in my good days and my bad?
And what about flowers?  To walk into a church that is FILLED with beautiful flowers and plants and so many of them sent from so many dear dear ones.  Something so beautiful on such a hard day.  How do you say Thank You for the bright spot on a dreary day.
I truly have a  whole new perspective on the body of Christ.  I am humbled by the way so many have loved us and continue to do so.  I will try to say Thank You to all of you who have touched me so, but just know truly the words Thank You don't even do it justice.   Below is Phillipians 1: 3-11.  I have heard these verses many times over the years, but they have a new meaning to me.  Truly I am so thankful for all the kindness shown to me over the past month.  There were so many days, and even now I feel stuck in chains (though I know Paul had it MUCH worse than me) but when I see how God has used all of you in my life, I am so thankful to be part of such a body.

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸ God can testifyhow I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

I say I believe God is sovereign and that He is good and kind and faithful to those who love him.  He is.  I can say that because I have seen him Love me through you.  So as trivial as I feel a "Thank You" is, Thank You.

Have to Laugh.........

A month ago I would have told you the worst week of my life was the the last week in January of my sophomore year of college.  Within a span of 3 days my boyfriend broke up with me, my grandmother died, I realized I had been going to geology instead of geography for the past 3 weeks and I caught the flu (despite having had the flu shot).  Just have to laugh right......

As most of you know I have spent the last 3 weeks in Baton Rouge.  My sweet sister beautifully documented our journey with our dad through his car accident and then his passing.  You can read about it here.

I am thankful that the Lord gave me the sprit of peace or might I say the spirit of laughter.  Despite the emotionally and physically exhausting journey we had been on, I thought I'd give you all something to laugh about.

We were in Baton Rouge for 21 days!  Ready?

 On day 4 it was confirmed Anna Caroline had chicken pox.  She had received the vaccine 2 weeks earlier and the live virus decided to pop itself out.  Luckily it was a mild case.  Sadly the girls both had to be quarantined from other children.  This was super sad because my sweet friend Suzanne came in from Shreveport to spend that 2nd weekend with us.  Her 2 boys are very close in age to my 2 girls.  So so sad to be in the same city, yet not be together.

Day 5 my iPhone falls out of the car and shatters.  It still works but as Mary Stewart says, "Mommy your phone so scratchy".

Somewhere around Day 13 or 14 I RAN OVER Matthew's iPad and his work computer with our car.  I am accepting responsibility though there is speculation on whether or not he set his bag in a less than ideal spot (passenger tire).

Day 17 is the day we buried my father.  The sweet family I nannied for in college kept the girls for us.  Mary Stewart plowed into the coffee table and required 6 stitches!!!! We were so fortunate that Robert & Louisa were able to take Mary Stewart to see a dear Dr. friend of my sister who just stitched her up in the office!  Mary Stewart, they say, was so tough, never asked for me (i'm not surprised) and was happy as long as she had "purple lollipops".

Day 18 a weird stomach virus attacks me as Suzanne predicted.  I'll spare all of you the details but it was a long 3 days.

Throw in there 3 cavities being filled too!

Just have to laugh right..........

another post is coming, one that will try to capture the love and care I felt from so many of you both near and far.

Mini Vacay

There is something so comforting as the innocence of a child.  As my days have been filled at a hospital my girls have found a mini vacay in Baton Rouge.  Though there have been many tears on my end, there have been many giggles on theres. 

Anna Caroline and Lizzie Goose hanging out!

I am so thankful how my in-loves have totally embraced me by showing there love for me in the way they have taken care of my girls.  I know God has used this time to imprint them on my children's hearts even more.

Strawberry Gelato with Dee Dee

Thank you Papa & Dee Dee, Uncle B & Aunt Rachel, Aunt Randi, Anna Mae & Paw Paw Emilie for doing for my children what I could not this week.

xoxox