The Best of 2009

This time last year I felt the big 4-0 breathing down my neck. What is it about that number that strikes fear into the hearts of millions? I'll admit I was no different. 40 makes you take a long glance behind you and wonder what you've accomplished. So as I began the new year I did what I always do. I resolved to do better. And since half my life was behind me I figured there was no time to waste.

I wanted my 40th year to be a year full of meaningful moments. I wanted to take advantage of each experience God handed me and come away with something to give away. I wanted to spend more time listening to God than giving Him my list of requests. I wanted to pray more for others than for myself. I wanted to love my friends and family more deliberately. I wanted to make a concerted effort to take care of myself even if it meant I had to...gasp...exercise.

So, now the big 4-1 is fast approaching with the new year and I'm glancing back again. What do I see? I'm not sure I've done as well with all of it as I should have, but I do know I'm confident I've made some big improvements.

In order to take inventory as I have in years past, I've spent the last few days pouring over the pictures I've taken in the last 12 months and reading the blog posts I've written to prepare for this year-end summary and I think I can sum up 2009 with one word.

Surprises. Up until now I've not been a big fan. But I think I've changed my mind.

2009 started with 2 separate and equally amazing surprise birthday parties. I had an incredible college reunion with old friends who surprised me by how much they hadn't changed. There were, of course, the looks of surprise on The Ocho's face that gave me unspeakable joy. Like when she found out about The Jonas Brother's concert. And when she saw Glinda descend from the sky in "Wicked". And when she fed the swans in Florida.

I surprised myself by reading more and watching TV less. I surprised my friends by becoming more Facebook friendly. And I surprised everyone when I committed to the 30 day shred and completed it. (I'm still doing it by the way. I've lost 14 pounds so far. Yay Me.)

There was also the surprise of some friends traveling to Africa that eventually introduced me to a little girl named Mary.

And there was the sweetest surprise of a small rainbow in the sky on a cloudless day in November.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all is that 40 turned out to be the best year of my life so far.

When I look back at 2009 here's what I'll remember: My Peeps wearing boas and singing "You Write The Songs". The Silver Platters and a serenade by Davy Jones. Selah's 80's skating party and Handiman's spot-on Flock of Seagulls hairdo. Walking along the beach at sunset with my Mom and daughter. J-Day with Flat Tasha. Getting a hug from Dr. Wilson. The RC Cola and a Moonpie Festival. My last children's musical as a teacher. The Ocho's first piano recital. Dancing and screaming like a lunatic for the JoBros. Being moved to tears during "Wicked" while watching Elphaba fly during "Defying Gravity". Kit Kittredge and The American Girl Store experience. The bling-bling posse. Ocho mowing the lawn. Taylor's sweet 16 and all the baby peeps in a row. Being on the lake with my girlfriends and Big Nanny's blue hair clip. Jim's 80th birthday party. Leading music in chapel. The big church hunt. The masquerade ball and a big slice of brie. The father/daughter dance. Charlie Brown Ice. Tammy The Christmas Sweater Lady. And finally, my snuggie.

When I blew out my birthday candles in January I wished for a good year. I would have never even thought to wish for as much goodness as I received.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 4:20

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Bring it on 2010. But I'm warning you. You've got big shoes to fill.

Got a minute?

If you find some time today, please say a prayer for these 5 wonderful people: Tabby, Alicia, Jesse, Angela & Sumer.

They're on their way right now to Africa. They've all got families they've left behind. They've all got fears and anxiousness. And they've all got a heart for Jesus.

While you're at it, pray for the orphans they'll hold. And the people they'll feed. I can't even let my mind imagine the despair they'll encounter. But I can rejoice in the hope they are taking with them to share.

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." Psalm 82:3-4

Settling Down

I've been working on this post in my head for days but I cant' get my thoughts to settle down.

First I want to talk about what an overwhelmingly wonderful Christmas we had here at the Wood house. Amazing food, sweet time with family, laughing and crying. And the presents. Don't even get me started on the presents.

Santa brought us a Wii and I'm officially addicted. I also need to ice my shoulder from all the tennis and bowling. That's no joke. I really do need to ice my shoulder. But when it starts hurting too terribly bad I take a break and pop in the game that RubyDooby gave us: Disney Sing It. I promise you've never heard the Jonas Brother's "Lovebug" until you've heard my version. And The Ocho can rock some Demi Lovato. Handiman has yet to partake but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.

Another favorite gift was my Snuggie. From what I can tell on Facebook 98% of the population got a Snuggie for Christmas. I hope their's are living up to expectation. Mine certainly is. I'm able to sit on the couch wrapped in warmth and comfort until it's my turn to bowl. Then without removing it I throw my signature shot and boom..... "Strike!" Then I return to the couch still wrapped in warmth and comfort.

I must say, though, that my gift from Handiman was my favorite. This year he was able to not only take me completely by surprise but move me to tears with his thoughtfulness and generosity. You probably think I'm being sarcastic and there's a punch line coming because, well, usually I am and there is. But not today.

He's arranged for someone to come and clean our house twice a month! I seriously cried for 5 minutes after I opened the card. Of course, it comes with the stipulation that if I ever quit working full-time, the cleaning lady goes away. And I don't have a problem with that. Because just the thought of not having to dust, mop and vacuum on the weekends fills my heart with immeasurable joy.

So, as you can see I wasn't lying. This Christmas brought abundant blessings. The greatest was celebrating our Savior's birth and all that His coming to earth has meant to our family.

But in the midst of it all I kept finding my mind wandering. Towards a friend who was remembering the birth of her son on Christmas day 4 years ago. The son she had prayed for years to have and only held for an hour or so on this earth.

Then I thought about a group of friends preparing in a few days to leave their families and all the comforts and riches of this country to travel to Africa so they can be the hands and feet of Jesus to the poorest on our planet.

And just yesterday I learned that a close friend's father unexpectedly went to be with Jesus early Sunday morning. And I stomped my foot in anger at God for doing that at Christmastime.

But He knows best. And I know that. Because that's what Christmas is all about. Without it, I might still have a snuggie and cleaning lady but Elisha and Sam wouldn't have the home they have today and those orphans wouldn't have a chance. I think I'll settle my thoughts right there.

Gifts of Christmas Past

Last night our family set out on our annual Christmas lights tour. It is tradition to put on our Santa hats and turn up our favorite holiday tunes as we drive around and marvel at the spectacle of lawn decorations. As we drive we usually talk about Christmases gone by. Usually, just Handiman and I share stories as The Ocho listens and laughs as if she's never heard them before. But this year she was excited to share her own memories. Since she's got 10 Christmases under her belt, she has a few now to choose from. She sweetly talked about receiving her Barbie dreamhouse from Santa. Then she made us all dissolve in laughter by recounting the year she inexplicably fell out of her chair at the kitchen table while decorating Christmas cookies. One second she was there. The next second she was gone.

Over the years I've thought about how blessed she is with great Christmas memories. She's always been surrounded by family and friends in every direction. She's never woken up on Christmas morning and not found exactly what she requested from The Big Guy. Each year she's received more love, more presents, more candy and more Christmas cheer than some kids know in a lifetime. And somehow I tend to think she's got it better than I ever did. But that's not exactly true.

As I was looking through pictures of Christmases past I discovered I had it pretty good too. Sure, her dad is better than my dad was. And her mom doesn't work nearly as hard or sacrifice nearly as much as mine did. But I never woke up on Christmas morning disappointed.

Exhibit A:

Just look at this haul. I spy books, a tea set, a Barbie, a baby doll and a baby buggy. Not to mention a swell record player.

Exhibit B:

A tricycle and a rocking horse? Score!

Exhibit C:
The Barbie Dreamhouse. Enough said.

Exhibit D:
One of my favorite gifts ever. My musical jewelry box.

And it might seem random but I do consider one of my best Christmas gifts ever to be the year my 6th grade teacher realized my promise as an actress and cast me as Mary in our production of "The Little Drummer Boy":

Basically I just stood there until the choir of angels (and shepherds) sand "Mary nodded...pa-rum-pa-pum-pum". Then, I nodded. With conviction. (I should also point out for comedy's sake that Joseph was played by a little boy named Joe T. Ingram. He had the filthiest mouth at Edgewood Elementary. I'm pretty sure he introduced me to the first curse words I ever heard. And the little drummer boy was played by a boy named Jimmy Carter, during the Carter administration no less.)

As it turns out Christmas has always been a time of blessing in my life. Of course, I had to wait 31 years to find the best gift under my tree:
Our family would like to wish each and every one the merriest of Christmases. We hope you find everything you've wished for under your tree. We hope you laugh until you cry and eat until you're stuffed. But mostly we hope that you remember the greatest gift of all.

Jesus. His name shall be called Jesus.

Merry Christmas!

Peeps in PJs taking Pictures

Friday night I played hostess for our annual Christmas party with our Peeps. It has been a time-honored tradition that we meet together the Friday night before Christmas for dinner, a pre-planned activity and a round of Dirty Santa. This year I brought back an old favorite: Breakfast for Dinner and Christmas Pajamas. The activity was a little different though. I decided we'd take to the streets for a photo scavenger hunt. I knew it would be risky sending this crowd out in public dressed in pajamas but a life without risks is not a life well-lived.

This one took a lot of advanced planning and careful thought. First I knew I had to form teams that didn't include spouses or certain competitive personalities. Then I had to come up with a list of things to do that would be fun, challenging and somewhat embarrassing without getting anybody arrested. It all came together nicely and I must give props to everyone for being so willing to put themselves out there.

These people were in it to win it.

Team One consisted of Robyn, Handiman, Trisha, KJ & JT. It's always dangerous putting Handiman & Robyn together. They act alot like brother and sister. They fight. They call each other names. They fight again. And they try desperately to beat out the other one when competition is involved, thus the reason I put them on the same team. From what I've heard the fighting and name-calling were out in full force anyway.

While most of the items on each list were different, 2 things were the same. The first was that every team had to sing a Christmas Carol at somebody's house. My apologies to our peep Ashley who couldn't make the party. Since she was home, 2 teams decided to carol her house and Handiman's was one of them:

While they were there, they decided to make use of her bathtub to check off another task:

Team 2 was made up of Big Nanny, Eric, Nicole, Rob & CoolShellyT. Not only did they also carol at Ashley's, but they sang the same song! Again, sorry Ash.

And here they are trying on shoes at Kohl's.
Team 3 was Me, Steve, Andrea, Brian & Tracey. We were the renegades. We actually tried to carol at a stranger's house (not my idea, by the way). Once he politely told us to get lost, we headed for an old neighbor of Steve's. Thankfully, she was way more receptive. From there we headed to Target to try on hats:

And to Sonic for a little trip down the slide:

The biggest laugh of the night came when all the teams met back at our house to compare pictures and tally up our points. That's when we discovered the Great Christmas Irony of '09. Allow me to explain.

Besides caroling, the only other identical item that each team had to complete was taking a picture with a complete stranger wearing a Christmas sweater. Our team found ours at Target in the bedding department. Her name was Tammy.

Once were were back home comparing stories we discovered something unbelievable. Moments before we arrived at Target Big Nanny's team was there. And they snapped this photo:

I mean, seriously, what are the odds? Poor Tammy. She was attacked twice in the span of about 10 minutes by two different groups of deranged strangers wearing pajamas. And she never once complained. I heart Tammy the Christmas Sweater Lady. She will forever be one of my favorite Christmas memories.

Once we reviewed all the pictures and tallied up the points, Team 1 was named the winner. But really, we were all winners. We will carry with us forever the memories of Eric mowing down a little child in Books-a-Million and Steve trying to convince the employees of a fast food restaurant to allow us behind the register to snap a photo by touting his position as Administrator of a well-respected business in the community, all while wearing that ridiculous Jingle Bell Hat. And then there was Handiman laying in Ashley's driveway and curving himself the wrong direction while trying be the letter "C" in the word CAT. Nicely done.

As usual, I will not be sharing the details of our Dirty Santa game. What happens in the Wood bonus room stays in the Wood bonus room. I will tell you that the most sought after items of the night included a rapping snowman, a talking toilet and a thigh master. That's all your gettin'.

If it's true that pictures don't lie then my friends and I are still 16 years old and completely out of our ever-lovin' minds. Merry Christmas Peeps!

Meeting Mary

I've been nursing a cold for a few days now and I've made it no secret to anyone coming in contact with me that I am miserable. I've also spent my entire Saturday cleaning in preparation for a long week full of Christmas activities. So on top of being sick, exhausted and covered in dust I had to venture out into the freezing cold to take the dog out. I decided to kill two birds with one stone and get the mail. When I saw the return address label I suddenly didn't care how cold it was or how sick and dirty I was. I was about to meet her.

Today our highly anticipated letter from Amazima Ministries arrived. We applied for sponsorship a few months ago and prayed we find out about the little girl before Christmas. Prayer answered.

The information sheet says her name is Nabukeera. They have given her the English name Mary. She is 8 years old and lives with her Grandfather in a house made of bricks, mud and a tin roof. They are about 2 miles from the nearest water source and their main source of income is digging for food.

Mary's being treated for Malaria. Her favorite subject is English and her favorite pastime is "sweeping the compound."

And that put everything back into perspective for me.

I was a little disappointed there was no picture included until I found this behind her profile report:

It's going on the fridge right next to The Ocho's drawings as a reminder to me. I have a cold but Mary has Malaria. I have a dirty house but Mary's house is made of mud. If she can find joy in sweeping the compound, maybe I should too.

**They promise a photo is coming soon. I'll post it as soon as I get it.

Survivor: Opryland

I've never followed the show "Survivor" very closely. I think I watched 2 or 3 episodes in the first season. I do remember a really angry lady giving a speech about a rat. Anyway, I think I understand the basic concept.

A group of people willingly volunteer to be dropped in a harsh, remote location so they can be tortured and "challenged". Then they pick each other off one by one until somebody is the ultimate survivor who goes on to fame, fortune and federal prison. Or something like that.

This past weekend I'm pretty sure I proved to myself I could be a contender.

First, I suggested to my family that it would be fun to visit Opryland on the first Saturday of December. The lights! The decorations! The music! It would certainly be a magical, fun-filled time and give us Christmas memories to hold for years to come. So, Handiman, The Ocho & I headed to that remote location filled with rugged terrain called Opryland.

First challenge: Parking.

If you know anything about visiting the Opryland Hotel you know that it's free. There's no admission price to stroll through the hotel and gaze at the spectacle because the folks at Gaylord are so generous and filled with holiday spirit. There is however, a small parking fee. And by small I mean $14.00. Yeah, there was no way Handiman was going to pay $14.00 to park. So we took Ms. Cheap's advice and decided to park at Opry Mills. But so did everybody else in the greater Metropolitan area. We knew we were in trouble when traffic stopped right at the exit from the interstate. After about 10 minutes we made it to the parking lot. Then we spent another 25 minutes driving around. And around. And around. Because as it turns out all 95 bazillion parking spaces were taken. But The Wood family was not deterred. Wait, I take that back. The Ocho was deterred. After about 15 minutes she started that whiny child groan "We're neeeevvverrrr going to paaaaaarkkkkkkk. I'm going to diiieeeeeeee in this caaaaaarrrrrrrr." She was met with no mercy and lots of laughter. Just then, mere seconds before she would have certainly met her untimely demise, we tasted victory. Not only did we spot a patron backing out of a space but it was actually close to an entrance.



Next challenge: Hiking.

Once inside the mall we realized our ultimate destination was on the opposite side. Of course. If you've ever visited Opry Mills you know that calculates to approximately 2000 miles away. Then you should figure in the 1.5 million shoppers we had to navigate through before we reached the door. We finally reached our destination, the Charlie Brown Ice exhibit, only to find there was a 25 minute wait. Outside. In the 40 degree weather. So there we were, exhausted and cold, breathing in second hand smoke from all our fellow line-dwellers who just had to get their fix before they reached the entrance. Finally we were given our shiny blue parkas and allowed through the door.



Next challenge: Frigid temperatures and dangerous terrain.

You think you know how cold it's going to be. I mean it's 2 million pounds of ice sculpture. Obviously they have to keep it pretty chilly. But seriously? When I tell you it was freezing please believe me. And I had on layers of clothing. There were men walking around without coats and gloves. One guy didn't even wear the free parka. I believe the scientific word for him is Idiot. The exhibit itself was impressive and very nostalgic. They had every scene from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" sculpted and laid out in sequence. And at the end there was the most beautiful Nativity scene I have ever laid eyes on. But honestly my appendages were throbbing so much and my face was so near frostbitten I couldn't adequately appreciate it. I just wanted OUT.



Next challenge: Finding food

We walked out of the Ice exhibit and back into the oddly refreshing 40 degree weather. Then we hiked over to the Opryland Hotel where our intention was to grab some dinner and show the Ocho the grandiose Christmas lights and decorations. We should have known better. I've been to that hotel dozens of times and each and every time I get lost in the maze of Delta's and Magnolia's. And it goes without saying that the 1.5 million shoppers we encountered at The Mills had obviously migrated over. We did manage to find a moderately priced burger restaurant and sat down for a nice "relaxing" meal. After regaining our strength we headed out to see the sights. There were the green and red dancing waters and the giant poinsettia trees. The millions of sparkling lights and the ginormous Christmas tree. The Ocho was highly impressed but mostly she liked the boat traveling down the "river" in the middle of the hotel, which you can see any old time.







Next challenge: Escaping

After what seemed like days but was actually only about an hour we located our exit and started on the long hike back to find our car. We encountered many senior citizens leaving The Grand Ole Opry, a long line of people still waiting to suffer death by frostbite with Charlie Brown and one drunk lady who stumbled out of the hotel shouting something about the Easter Bunny. As a family we have never been so happy to see our Camry. She was warm and cozy and provided a shelter from both the cruel elements and the crazy people. It was then all up to Handiman to get us out of the parking lot, which he did about 45 minutes later.

Was it a good idea to visit Opryland on the first weekend in December? Probably not. Will we ever do it again? Probably so. The experience left us feeling cold, cranky, tired and completely stressed out. Ah, yes. Now it feels like Christmas.

Confessions of a Church Shopper

As a woman, I'm a bit on the abnormal side. I don't like jewelry. I never wear eyeshadow. I hate wearing heels. I'm not a Twilight fan. And, I detest shopping.

I know. I'm a disgrace to my gender.

Here's what I call shopping. I realize I need something or maybe I just really, really want it. I find out where it is and how much it costs. I march into the store, I pick it out, I pay for it, and I go home. There's no browsing. No cost comparisons. I either get what I came for or I leave with nothing. End of story.

This brings us to the Wood family's dilemma of searching for a new church home. I told you 2 months ago that we were feeling led to leave the church family we'd been a part of for most of our marriage and all of The Ocho's life. It was a tough decision but one we know we needed to make. But maybe not for the reasons we had originally thought.

When we set out to find a new church we took with us all of our past experiences, both good and bad. We knew what we were looking for and we knew what we were not looking for. As with all shopping trips, I had a list of must-haves. These things weren't going to secure anybody's salvation and they're certainly not found in scripture. They're just little details that I consider important to my overall worship and serving experience.

1. I need a choir. It's who I am. It's who God made me to be. I don't need the choir to be big and flashy. I don't even need them to be good. But I do need them to exist. I'm not saying I'm anti-praise team. I hold no ill will towards the lone worship leader and his band. But, for me personally, I need a choir. And they need to at least look like they enjoy singing. This alone has presented a huge problem on our church hunt. Much to my surprise, choirs don't exist much in these parts anymore. We visited a couple of churches that had them but by my estimation I would have seriously curved the age bracket. And I'm no spring chicken.

2. We need to be needed. Now, I know what you're thinking. Between my children's choir skillz and Handiman's profound teaching abilities what church wouldn't need us? We should be a pretty hot commodity around these parts, right? Well, maybe not. First of all, Handiman likes to teach Sunday School and as it turns out, most churches don't actually have Sunday School anymore. They have Life Groups. Again, we have nothing against Life Groups but they sound a little too laid back for Handiman's Book of Gigantic Church Words. Also, they're held in people's homes on different nights of the week. We prefer Sunday morning on church property. Call us old-fashioned if you must. Had we been able to move past this, I'm sure I could have found a place to serve in children's music but see #1 as to why I was unwilling to do so.

3. We need to fit in. This one is tricky. We visited lots of different kinds of churches and even ventured outside our denomination a couple of times. We visited old churches and new churches. Small ones and medium ones. (I strongly resisted visiting any church larger than TSC because I really wanted the Ocho to experience the small church atmosphere. She wasn't a fan.) Some churches had primarily older members. Some had members that were mostly our age or younger. But no church gave us that feeling of belonging. It's not that people weren't nice or welcoming. They were in almost every circumstance, but we've been around the block. We're veteran church members. We know pretty quickly where we'll fit and where we won't.

We've had a good laugh at how easy we thought this was going to be. I mean we live in The Bible Belt for Pete's sake! How hard could it be to find a small to medium-sized Baptist congregation with an energetic choir that likes to sing both hymns and contemporary worship songs and that also has a Bible preaching, likable pastor with a children's ministry that won't frighten our shy, introverted daughter and a group of adults willing to sit under Handiman's tutelage during a Sunday morning Bible study held on church property which is within 20 minutes driving distance of our front door? I mean really, does that sound like too much to ask?

Apparently so. But the experience wasn't a total loss. One church gave us a coffee mug. One church gave us free donuts. One church sent us a sweet letter thanking us for our visit. And one church made us sit down during the welcome time in front of the whole congregation so they could stare at us and make us feel awkward.

I've spent the last two months of Sundays being the visitor and I've learned some important lessons in the process.

I've learned I wasn't always the most welcoming church member in the crowd. Now, I know how good it feels when somebody shakes your hand and tells you they're glad you're there. And how lonely it feels when they don't.

I've learned to put my circumstances aside and come into His house ready and willing to worship Him because if you've made the decision to put yourself in front of a congregation, be it in a choir, on a praise team or in a pulpit, you'd better look like you want to be there. You'd better smile. You'd better look like you love Jesus. Because a visitor might be sitting in the congregation sizing up the spirit of the church based on the joy you're projecting that particular morning.

Finally, I've learned to appreciate what a "church family" is. I thought I did before but now I really do. Just like any other family there are some relatives you don't agree with and some you don't want to sit next to at dinner. And there will always be some family traditions you could live without. But there are also those family members that make you laugh everytime you see them. Family who have your back in times of trouble and are always just a phone call away when you need them. Most days you love them all. And they love you. They're not perfect but they're your family.

In all our months of praying for direction and searching for our place to belong, last Sunday afternoon we decided maybe we'd found it, at least for now. There is one church we've attended that had a great choir. And we know there are places we are needed to serve. We knew from the minute we walked through the doors that we fit in and the people there treated us like family. They haven't stopped telling us how much they want us to come back and visit. So this Sunday we will.

I guess there really is no place like home.

Junior Prom

The moment I found out I was having a little girl I dreamed of a night like this.

Just the words Father/Daughter Dance make me want to cry. The night of the Masquerade Ball we received a flier that our local Kiwanis club was sponsoring a dance on November 21st. I'm sure Handiman realized instantly that he'd better mark his calendar. There was no way I was letting this opportunity slip away.

I suppose I've lived vicariously through my daughter on more than one occasion. After all, she is living out the life that I so desperately wanted as a child. And she has the long blond hair I always wanted. But there's no other part of her life that I would have envied as a child more than her relationship with her Daddy.

I never knew what it was like to have the kind of Daddy that the Ocho has. I never loved my Daddy the way she loves hers. Because of him she has a respect and admiration for men that I never experienced at her age.

And I love that when we first heard about the dance he never even questioned it. He didn't need to check his calendar or see what was on TV that night. He just knew he was taking his little girl. He even helped her shop for her dress and shoes. In fact, he's very proud of the fact that he was the first one to spot the dress she chose. I don't doubt his love for it was a big reason it was chosen. Few people's opinion matter more than her Daddy's.

Before he came home she had me paint her nails and put a few curls in with the curling iron. She put on her fancy dress and sparkly shoes and proudly went to him for approval. When she found out he was taking her to The Olive Garden for dinner she was beside herself. "Wow Mommy. That's the fanciest restaurant in town!"

The hardest part of the night for me was having to relinquish control of the camera. I pleaded with him to take pictures but honestly I didn't get my hopes up. You Moms out there get it. Usually if Mom doesn't take the picture, it doesn't get taken. But he surprised me.

What made the night even more special was her 2 BFF's also have amazing dads. They all got to hang out, dance and act silly together at the dance.

When I grilled The Ocho for details at the end of the night, here's what I got:

"Dinner was really good and I didn't get anything on my dress." (I may or may not have been belligerent about this particular detail when they were leaving).

"The dance was really fun and I really did dance!" (She generally doesn't like to participate in activities where complete strangers might watch her do things like dance. I might have said something along the lines of "I'm not buying a new dress and spending money on these tickets so you can sit in a chair all night long. You'd better dance!")

"Daddy was a little embarrassing but the other Dads were too so it was OK". (Daddy fancies himself a great dancer and tends to breakdance during Michael Jackson songs. Too bad for her they played "Billie Jean".)

"I had a lot of fun but I didn't get on the stage like Abigail & Selah". (Her friends are slightly more extroverted than she is so when they decided to showcase their abilities by walking on the stage and bustin' a move to "Love Story" she decided to hang back.)

Now, on to the pictures:

Just like a princess going to the ball

The Ocho & her cute date

Hanging with her girls
Best. Dads. Ever.

*One final note. I'd like to give props to our friend Steve for confronting the DJ when she decided it would be a good idea to play "Fergalicious". Ummmm, what exactly are people thinking? I think it's just common sense that Fergie shouldn't even be on the playlist of a dance designed for children held inside a church. Thank you and goodnight.

Senior Prom

**See below for a very important edit!

It's been well documented that my senior prom experience was less than stellar. And I believe every girl deserves a do-over in this life. On November 7th I got one.

It all started when our friends Nicole & Steve told us they were planning to attend a Masquerade Ball put on by our local Chamber of Commerce. Steve's a respected member of the Chamber and surprised his wife with tickets and the opportunity to buy a new dress. Only problem was she wasn't going to know anybody there. That's where her Peeps came in.

She kindly asked, then sweetly persisted, then became downright pushy. Some of us had better buy tickets and go with them or else! Before too long, we bought tickets. Eventually our friends Rob & Robyn and Price & Andrea were in as well. All of sudden it felt just like we were back in school planning our big prom night out.

We all shopped for new dresses, shoes and accessories. We all called and emailed each other incessantly wanting advice on dress color, wraps and of course our masquerade masks. We were all instantly 17 years old all over again.

Our dates really didn't have to do that much time-travel. Back then their only responsibilities were to pay for the tickets, rent the tux and show up on time. That was pretty much all we allowed them to do this time.

When the big night finally arrived it was just as we imagined. Steve & Nicole picked us up. We took photos in front of the fireplace and oohed and ahhhed over each other. Then we met our friends at the dance and oohed and ahhhed some more. We got a table all together, piled our plates with food, commented on other people's outfits, took a few turns on the dance floor, had our portrait made by the photographer. Of course we really put the Senior in Senior Prom when we decided to ditch the party around 10:00 and head back to the Ellis' house to play a board game.

There were a few things that made this experience a little different than prom. Like legally served alcohol. And a dance floor that caved in the middle. And brie cheese served up like a piece of cheesecake (long, funny story). But all the things I ever dreamed of having at the perfect prom were there. I had a fancy new dress, a cute date, my best friends and great memories.

Me & My Date:

Me & My Peeps:


**Edited to add: We had heard a rumor that the portrait we had made might make the newspaper but we weren't quite sure it would happen. While thumbing through The Tennessean today at my in-law's house I saw this:
What you can't see is the caption. While all the pictures above us list their names, we are simply "Guests at Spring Hill's Masquerade Ball". Thank you very much. We'll be available for autographs next week.

A long way to go and a short time to get there

Wow. Did I just quote Jerry Reed? There's no excuse for that.

The point of this post is to say to my mother and the other 3 people who are checking here daily to see what's up that, yes I do indeed have lots of fun (The Father/Daughter Dance), interesting (The Masquerade Ball) and exciting (The bathroom's been tiled! I repeat, the bathroom's been tiled!) things to post about, but time is not my friend.

So, all of those things will have to wait for a day when I have an hour or two to put my thoughts together.

I'd post them now but I'm headed out to a movie. I've talked Handiman into taking me to see "The Blind Side". He's understandably resistant since it stars the Queen of the Chick Flicks and he already paid his dues by taking me to "The Proposal" this year. Also, odds are I'm going to cry. But technically, it's sorta about football. And Phil Fulmer makes a cameo. So I argue it will be almost exactly like sitting at home watching ESPN.

I promise to have all my stories up to date in the next few days. Until then, watch ol' Bandit run.

Jesus Loves Me

In case you were wondering what I've been up to this week, I'll tell you. I've been working. And taking care of my family. And watching a little TV. But mostly I've been enjoying the presence of Jesus. Because He's been popping up in the most unexpected places.

Of course I found Him in the rainbow last Sunday but as wondrous as that was, it just seemed like somewhere He'd show up. But you and I both know that more often than not He's in the places we never think to look for Him. That's mostly where I found Him this week.

Monday morning He showed up in the car line. He drove right up in Tabby's car and presented me with a beautiful gift bag full of candy and a sweet card. Tabby wrote the note but I knew it was really from Him.

Later in the week He showed up in Mrs. Eller's hands. She was Lydia's 2nd grade teacher. She gave her the softest, sweetest teddy bear because she knew this was a sad week for her. She said the teddy bear was from her, but I knew it was from Him.

He also put a few cards in my inbox at school. He signed names like Cindy, Robin & Sherri.

Then he showed up at our faculty meeting and prayed over our family crying the sweetest tears from Mary Beth's eyes that you've ever seen.

When I came home each day I would find cards He'd sent and emails He'd written. They were all signed with names like Shelly, Richelle, Larry & Kate, Trisha, Nicole, Melissa, Gena, Julie and of course the sweetest remembrance was signed Sonja. Every year He sends that one. : )

Would you believe He even writes comments on Facebook? Lots and lots of them. He also wrote some very sweet comments right here on this blog.

To all of you who reached out to us and prayed for us again this year, please know that we love and appreciate you more than words can express. We've had a good week. But that's only because the hands and feet of Jesus were hard at work on our behalf.

Rebekah's Rainbow 2009

Yesterday would have been her 4th birthday. We marked the occasion as we always have, with flowers, balloons, a prayer and singing Happy Birthday. Then we released our balloons into the sky as we cried and smiled.

For the past few years our gift has been service to others. We've tried to find ways individually to sacrifice on the behalf of friends or strangers that come into our lives and be the hands and feet of Jesus just as so many were to us 4 years ago. But this year, my heart was moved in a different direction.

A few months ago I started feeling a tug at my heart to do something more missions oriented. I wasn't sure if that meant going on a trip myself but I knew God had a plan so I just prayed and waited for Him to let me in on it. It was soon afterwards that my friend Angela posted THIS on her blog. I'll admit I was surprised and even a little jealous. As I heard more about the trip I wanted to become a part of what they would be doing. In her blog, Angela linked another one written by a girl named Katie. Katie runs an orphanage in Uganda and the team Angela is traveling with will be working there on their trip. I didn't click the link right away. Then one Saturday I decided to take a look. And I knew.

After reading for hours I was in tears. The pictures alone will do you in. But it's her faith, her complete dependence on God and the way He's using her to do what all of us as believers are called to that humbled me, challenged me and left me with no other choice but to do whatever I could to become a part of it.

(I hope you'll find time to read her stories. The blog can be a little overwhelming at first so if you're looking for a place to start click HERE. Then read THIS incredible story.)

A few days later I filled out the sponsorship form and sent in the check. In a couple of weeks we'll find out about the little girl we'll be sponsoring through Amazima. We'll know her name and have her picture. The Ocho is super excited since she'll be able to write her letters, draw her pictures and even send her presents. I've told her it will be like having a little sister in Africa.

While the amount of the check seemed significant at first, I realized it was less than we'd be spending on Rebekah's birthday and Christmas presents this year if she were with us. Then all at once it seemed insignificant and left me wanting to do more.

It's exciting to think that my friends will be there in January. Maybe they'll get to meet her. Maybe one day we will too.

Yesterday The Ocho & I sported our Africa t-shirts in honor of our family's life-long Rainbow project:


After praying & singing we watched our rainbow float across the sky:
It seems whenever I leave Rebekah's grave and sadness is lingering, God does something unexpected to make me smile. But this time he took my breath away. As we were driving home on a beautiful, sunny day I looked up in the sky and saw it. Thinking my eyes were playing tricks, I quickly asked Handiman & Ocho if they could see it too. They could. It was a small rainbow.


God is close to the brokenhearted. Much closer than I usually give Him credit for.

Remembering......

When we first celebrated Rebekah's Rainbow 2 years ago, I wrote a short story to share with everyone and had The Ocho illustrate it. I thought today I'd post it here to remember not only our precious daughter, but that day when so many friends and family gathered with us to celebrate her life.

Once upon a bright and sunny day not long ago
God looked upon the earth for someone special down below.
He had the most amazing gift to share and tried to find
A little girl whose heart was full of love, both strong and kind.
A girl who would be brave enough to take His gift and share.
Perhaps she waited patiently for some unanswered prayer.
He knew for sure the girl that would be perfect for the task.
There was a girl named Lydia who had politely asked
If God would send a sister she could love and call her own
So He decided then and there to give His gift a home.

The gift that he was giving wasn’t something you could see.
He’d wrap it up in something and He knew what it would be.
He placed it deep inside a baby’s tiny perfect frame
And sent it down to Lydia. Rebekah was her name.
Her mom and dad were filled with joy and Lydia was elated.
It seemed this baby was the dream for which their hearts had waited.
They made big plans and dreamed big dreams and thought they would come true.
But God’s dreams are much bigger than those dreamed by me and you.
God soon revealed Rebekah wasn’t on this earth to stay.
“She’s here for just a while” He said. He gave her just 6 days.

They told Him this did not make sense but still He held them close
And in those days they were surrounded by more love than most.
He sent them friends to love them and to pray with them each day.
He sent His church to serve and love and help them find their way.
He made sure that their broken hearts were safely in His hands.
He sent His Word to show them they were part of His great plan.
God knew that Lydia might be the one who would most miss her
So He gave her time to hold Rebekah, hug and softly kiss her.
She knew that Jesus planned to take her sister home real soon.
Her soul would float to heaven like a pretty pink balloon.

It made her sad to say good bye but happy she’d be there
To find a place to play in heaven that one day they could share.
She talked about her all the time to family and friends.
She wanted to make sure they knew those 6 days weren’t the end.
Some folks he leaves here longer to tell others of His Son.
He took Rebekah home so soon because her job was done.
He’d sent her here to let us see what happens when we pray
And trust God to take care of us when there is no other way.
He sent her here to show that God is our only true provider
He took Rebekah home but left the gift He’d placed inside her.

No one who met her can forget the sacrifices made.
The love, the time, the prayers, the tears that people freely gave.
When time came for her birthday and they wanted to remember
They gathered all together one sunny day in cold November.
The gifts would be for others and the songs for God above.
Balloons would fly as symbols of their sacrificial love.
The colors filled the sky that day just like a perfect rainbow
And Lydia was sure Rebekah saw through heaven’s window.
She looked around and smiled that day at all that God had done
Because she took His gift and shared a piece with everyone.

Tomorrow I'll be sharing what our family did this year to commemorate Rebekah's Rainbow. Thanks again for the prayers, cards and emails. We are overwhelmed by your love for us.

Favorite Foto Friday

The Great Sadness

I started reading "The Shack" last week. I've been saying for years I'd never read it. I've heard conflicting opinions from several friends and figured I probably wouldn't like it. Then Handiman read it and was profoundly affected. He shared the plot with me and many of the details and told me I should steer clear. Since it deals with the loss of a daughter and all the emotions that go along with it, I took his advice.

But last week something changed. I guess I was intrigued. So I picked it up.

This post isn't meant to serve as a review of the book. I'm actually not quite finished with it yet. But there's a phrase used throughout the story that speaks to me. The main character, a father dealing with the brutal murder of his young daughter, calls it The Great Sadness; that feeling of grief that appears, sometimes out of nowhere and for no apparent reason, and completely takes you over. It's like heavy boulder dumped right on top of you and all you can do it gasp for breath beneath it.

We've known our Great Sadness for four years now. It hits everyone in our family in different ways and at different times, with one exception. For the first 2 weeks in November, it seems to settle over us like dense fog.

Today marked it's arrival for 2009.

I'm not sure why but I was surprised to find it here. I've certainly been watching the calendar and could see her birthday coming up but I was feeling OK. I thought maybe this year it would be a little easier. A little more tolerable. I've been sleeping fine and so far had not shed one tear.

Then this morning as we were getting ready for school The Ocho started to cry. I thought she was upset about her hair. Or maybe an upcoming test. When I pressed her for the reason she was so upset she timidly said "I miss her." And there it was. The Great Sadness.

So we sat on her bed, held each other and cried. For 10 minutes we cried.

We were late to school, but it didn't matter. I thought if I could just get to work the busyness would distract me. Then, in the car line a little 3 year old girl named Hannah asked me to hold her hand going up the stairs. And The Great Sadness reminded me......

"Rebekah would have been in Hannah's class this year. They probably would have been friends. I'll bet Rebekah's hand would have felt a lot like Hannah's walking into school today."

After car line was over I came in and met the principal in the hallway. One of our aids was sick and her sub hadn't arrived yet. She asked if I could help out in Mrs. Curry's class for a few minutes. Then The Great Sadness began to suffocate me.....

Mrs. Curry would have been her teacher this year. Today she would have been painting turkeys and beginning to learn Christmas songs. She would have been sitting right over there on the floor playing with Tommy and Lauren.

Soon it was time for chapel. Today's speaker told a story about how she loved November because it meant her birthday was coming. She talked about the day her baby sister was born and how whenever a new baby is born, it means God is giving the world a new gift. Then all the children with November birthdays walked to the front of the church while everybody sang "Happy Birthday" to them. That's when The Great Sadness completely took me over.

As soon as I could I took a break. I found a quiet place alone and said a prayer. I tried to distract myself by checking email and Facebook. That's when I updated my status letting everyone in on how I was feeling. Soon it was lunchtime and I started to feel better. The Ocho felt better too. There is no doubt that was because of the countless prayers being lifted up on our behalf at that very moment.

We made it through the day with no more tears and The Great Sadness has lifted for a while. Thanks to all of you who prayed for us today. Please keep it up. Sunday will be a tough day for us too. Then will come the following Saturday. Although we are so thankful not to depend upon our circumstances for our joy, this grief is something we'll live with for as long as we are bound by our earthly calendar. But thank you Jesus, that won't be forever.

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:1-5