Somewhere

Somewhere in some small town in some house somewhat like mine is a mom who is broken.  Rather than planning holiday activities for a Christmas break with her child, she is looking at a future on this earth without her precious child.  Unlike my dining table, which is covered in glitter, glue, and bits of construction table, hers is filled with flowers and food from mourning friends and neighbors.  Instead of giving and receiving holiday cards, she is receiving sympathy cards and sending thank you notes in return.  Her ears will no longer hear the soft snores and quiet breathing of a little one in the next room. 
My mind cannot fathom what it is like to lose a child but when I think about it for even a minute my heart is filled with an emptiness that is hard to shake.  This is nothing compared to what the families of those beautiful children in Connecticutt are feeling now. 
There are so many pictures, crafts, and Christmas activities I have to share with you but in the last few days, every time I think about playing blog catch up, all I can think of are my sweet babies and how blessed I am to have them here with me.  Spending time uploading pictures of Santa crafts and holiday fun just doesn't seem appropriate right now. 
I hope that the families affected by this tragedy can find hope in the fact that their babies are with God and will no longer experience the evil in this world.  I pray that those of us who can still hold our babies will thank God for that gift. 

Sad

A former co-worker of mine and her family need your prayers.  Two of her nieces, ages 16 and 15, were in a four wheeler accident Saturday night.  Hope, 15, sustained some injuries but was released from the hospital later that night.  Whittany, 16, died last night in the hospital.  These girls were first cousins.
Please pray for their families and for my friend, Michelle.  This is going to be very difficult for them all. 

Death leaves a heartache
No one can heal;
Love leaves a memory
No one can steal

Irish Tombstone

Prayers

Check out this blog and read about little Lucy.  She has cancer and is in the fight for her life right now.  Her family is in Memphis staying in the Target House while she receives treatments at St. Jude's.  They could really use your prayers right now.  She also has an address posted on her page for cards or letters to be sent to Lucy.  J and I are going to send her a picture.  Your kids might want to do the same.
Lucy is only five and she was just diagnosed in February so I'm sure that any little word of encouragement would make her day! 

Also, don't forget about Eden and Beth.  Beth keeps her page at Caring Bridge updated so you can read about how sweet baby Eden is doing.  You can find her address here if you would like to send them a card or letter. 

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ~William James

After the Storm

There are times in our lives when we need before pictures to compare with the after.  We just don't know we need them until after.  I saw Vilonia this past weekend for the first time since the storm.  

I didn't know what to expect. A lot of work has been done to get that little town up and running again but there is still so much left to do.  We drove through town Sunday afternoon and took a few pictures. 

It's hard to tell in the pictures but there are places looking into town where no tree has a top.  Some houses that I remember are completely gone. 

 Yards that were once full of trees are now empty. I have never understood how a tornado worked. 

It's amazing to me how it can rip up trees that have been standing for years and not touch the house next to them and take the house across the street but not the trees in that same yard. 

Trying to explain to J why parts of the town were broken was difficult. 

He kept pointing out different houses and trees that were "broken by the tornado."  Just last week he thanked God for the tornados.

We tried to explain to him that we are thankful when no one gets hurt and we pray for people to rebuild their homes and have food and clothes but that we really don't want a tornado to come.

I think he finally gets it.


Tomorrow is fresh, with no mistakes in it. ~L.M. Montgomery

Photo Shoot and Stars

Mom and I took K and J to Sears today to have pictures made.  I am only about a month behind with having K's pictures done but we did it and they turned out pretty good.  She was not a fan of the girl behind the camera and it took FOREVER!  However, the great thing about going to Sears is you get a ton of pictures and a copy of them on a c.d. for a fairly low price.  So, me and my savvy computer-minded self made a little silent film for you to watch.  That's right...silent...I'm not so savvy that I have music downloaded to my computer. 

We were leaving Mom and Dad's tonight and J looked up at the sky.  Guess what he saw?  Stars.  He was amazed!  It was like he hadn't seen them before.  Last week we felt like we might never see stars again.  But God has blessed us with a beautiful cloudless night.  Isn't He awesome?


Silently, one by one, in the infinite meadows of heaven,
Blossomed the lovely stars, the forget-me-nots of the angels.
     ~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline

Storm Recovery

With all of the storms lately, some of you may feel as helpless as I have in trying to find ways to help.  I have found a few ways to aid the victims of the tornados in Vilonia and Alabama. 

Vilonia:
Saturday, April 30 Members of Sunset Church of Christ from Nashville are heading to Vilonia to clean up. 
You can join them or volunteer on your own.  Many of the churches need volunteers to help pass out clothes, food, and other items that people need.  Also the old gym needs volunteers. 
Many people need help cleaning up their yards and houses.  Bring gloves, chainsaws, etc.
If you are able to volunteer, you can go to Vilonia Primary School with a valid I.D. and they will provide you with a volunteer badge and send you in the right direction to help.

If you are like me and can't go to Vilonia to help but you can send supplies or monetary donations, call 501-626-2093.  Some of the biggest needs are diapers, cleaning supplies such as mops and brooms and work gloves, fuel, and non-perishable foods (pop top cans of soups and fruit, Pop Tarts, water). 

There are many families that have lost everything and are going to have to start over.  If you are interested in "adopting" a specific family, let me know and I can get information for you. 

Alabama:
If you would like to send items or monetary donations to aid the victims in Alabama, you can send things to this address:
New Life Fellowship
c/o Linda
3519 Gilbert Drive
Hueytown, AL  35023

They are currently taking everything...clothes, shoes, toiletries, blankets, pillows, food, etc.  Walmart and Target gift cards would also be appreciated because those two stores are still standing and many people don't have money, credit cards, or I.D. because it was lost in the storm.  You can read more about this at The Handmade Dress.

You can also shop at Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops for E patterns or at Olabelhe for E patterns or paper patterns.  Both shops are sending 100% of the proceeds to aid the tornado victims until Sunday night. 


I hope this helps.  I'm sure there are many more ways to help but these are the ones I've come across.  Most importantly keep praying for all of the people involved in these disasters. 


"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.  It's not."  ~Dr. Seuss

Vilonia

I feel so helpless because my little town of Vilonia was hit very hard last night by a tornado.  There are people who were hurt and a few lost their lives in this storm.  So many people lost their homes and the town is a mess.  I love this place and although it's been a year since I've been back, I still have many friends there and millions of memories from living and working there.  Please pray for the people in Vilonia and if you live there I love you and hope you are safe.

Beth and Eden

In my last post, I mentioned adding Beth and Eden to your prayer lists.  I hope that you took some time and looked at Beth's blog.  She is a friend and coworker of my cousin A.  From what she has said, Eden is not expected to live through the summer.  Beth is a single mom and has taken the rest of the school year off from work to care for her and spend as much time as she can with her baby girl.  I am posting Beth and Eden's mailing address.  Please send Beth a card or note of encouragement.  She would be so grateful that people are thinking of her little family.  Some of you may want to help by sending a care package or gift card.  Anything you can do for this family would be appreciated. 

Beth Brooke
3304 Meadowlake Drive
Bryant, AR 72022


"Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child." 

Sewing Machine, Sick Kids, and Prayer Request

Tuesday was a big day for me...HUGE!!!  It took over three months but I finally did it.  I looked at my sewing/embroidery machine for the first time since my mom unboxed it after Christmas.  I have been avoiding it.  It's scary and overwhelming.  After I looked at it things started to unfold.  This is how we became acquainted.

I took the machine cover off...plugged in the machine...turned it on...picked up the user's guide...put down the user's guide...turned machine off...unplugged it...left the room.  Later that day...opened the user's guide...plugged machine in...turned it on...found thread...actually followed directions and threaded machine...unthreaded machine...found bobbin...followed directions again and put thread on bobbin...threaded machine a second time...began to put bobbin in it's place...called Mom!  It seemed that the bobbing was putting me in my place.  I had no idea what I was up against so I called in the professional.  My mom came quickly because she is ready for me to learn how to embroider a "K" and a "J".  She expertly set the bobbin to right and began sewing!  WOW!  (By the way, did you know that upside down "wow" becomes "mom"?)  After a pep talk and visual demonstration I felt a little better. 

Skip ahead a few days and I have become a crazy sewing lady.  Staying up late, using patterns, reading tutorials online.  This is what I created. 

My mother in law wanted some owl teethers to give as baby gifts. Remember seeing them here?  And don't forget the tutorial here.  I thought they turned out pretty cute.  I also made a pair of sleeping pants for J but I will not show you those.  They did not turn out cute but he likes them so that's all that matters to his mommy!

Enough of the sewing novella.  K has had a cold this week.  She started coughing last weekend and hasn't stopped.  I got it next and now J is running fever with a runny nose and cough.  Karrie had a picture of her sick season arsenal on her blog earlier this week.  I contimplated posting one of my own but didn't have as many weapons.  However, as the week goes on, our own arsenal has grown! 

For K:  Infant Tylenol, Saline drops, and nose bulb
For J:  Children's Tylenol, Saline spray, and Boogie wipes
For both kids:  Benedryl and Vic's BabyRub
For Me:  Mucinex DM
not pictured: the half dozen boxes of used Puff's Plus we have already been through this week...YUCK!

K seems to be doing better.  J is just starting this and I am somewhere in between.  Let's just hope B doesn't get it. 

On a serious and much more important note, I hope you will take the time to check out this blog.  Beth adopted Eden from Ethiopia with the knowledge that she may have some special needs.  She was severely malnourished and had been in an orphanage for over 14 months.  Eden did very well for a very short time but then she became ill.  She has now been diagnosed with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy also known as MLD.  It is life threatening and very rare.  Most children with this disease do not live past age 5.  Eden is not yet two.  Please pray for Eden and Beth.