Happy Birthday Daddy

Today is Daddy's birthday. He turns 52. It is hard to believe that we are getting so old, though now that we have reached the 50 year milestone, 52 doesn't seem old anymore. God has given us an amazing 1/2 century of life. He has been faithful, forgiving, endless in love, compassionate, comforting, ... He has allowed us to walk through valleys, rebel against Him, seek Him, lose it, shut Him out, yell, scream, kick,.... fight Him and yet, He has loved us unconditionally.... even to the depths of sparing His only son to die for us. It is beyond my ability to fathom; though raising kids gives us a glimpse into His love. It is just a mere peek at being able to understand. Our kids have often taken us through valleys, rebelling against us, seeking us, shutting us out, yelling, screaming, kicking .... fighting us to figure as they figure out who they are. Unlike God, I have been frustrated, hurt, and far too many times, struck back with impatience, yelling, kicking, fighting. Yes, there is a bit of understanding who God is when you love a child. The biggest difference is in how we respond to our children verses how God responds. Oh how God has been faithful carrying Daddy and I. If only our children can see the love of God and hang on to His hand through every step they take.... now rather then go through life without Him or an understanding of who He is. Thank you, God for bringing Daddy into this world, for giving him to me as a husband and allowing him to be the father of my children.... but most of all, thank you for saving His soul and for changing Him. Thank you for never giving up on Him and for guiding his steps in life. Thank you for loving my husband. Happy Birthday!

We spent the day at mamaws. I opted not to go to church. My knee is pretty sore and having to walk around at church didn't seem very smart. I didn't want to go to mamaws just because I wanted to stay off my leg...but it seemed like dDdy really wanted me to go. I feel like a whimp as it is, so I wasn't about to say no. Mamaw is the best though, I would do anything for her. Jake has recommitted himself to his diet and has added another commitment. He has given up tv all together. I think that one is the hardest on him. It has been a few very difficult days for him. Add the chaos of remodeling and you could safely say that the boys are going crazy!

I'm back. I can't say that I will be faithful, but I have set a goal to try to record the year. Life is much easier mow. The difficult times that sent me riding what I believe felt like an avalanche, are seemingly over for now. I can write freely once again. Yesterday was Ri's tenth birthday. It is hard to believe he is 10! Unfortunately, things are a little upside down right now. We had all the kids home for the holidays. It was an adjustment but well worth it! Emily, Caleb, and Erin left for Chicago on Thursday. Even before they walked out the door, dad and I were beginning the process of removing everything out of our kitchen, laundry room and bathroom because the remodeling process was to begin on Friday. To add a bit more chaos, staying true to who we are, I had knee surgery on Friday. So on Ri's birthday, I was laid up, we had no kitchen or appliances that come with a kitchen and a mess. We couldn't have friends over and I couldn't do anything special for him. Dad did all that he could to make it a good day. He and jake took ri and Elizabeth bowling and then took them to Taco Bell where Ri ate 6 tAcos!