A Busy Week

I can't believe it's been more than a week since I posted on here. It has flown by! You've probably all been wondering what's happened to us. There really hasn't been anything noteworthy enough to take pictures of to post on here...just a lot of busy-ness. I guess I don't need pictures to make a post though.

Besides freezing corn, we also canned green beans. We've had company a couple of times. My cousin's husband went home to Heaven, so that took up a couple of my days. I had a big project to do--decorating 96 favor boxes for our pastor and his wife's 25th wedding anniversary celebration taking place this afternoon.

I also had an eye appointment on Thursday. When I told the opthamologist that I was having trouble with blurry vision in the mornings, he had the nerve to tell me it was because I was 44! That wasn't nice of him! He double-dilated my eyes so that everything was blurry until bedtime. He concluded that the prescription isn't strong enough in the glasses I just got in March....thus the blurriness as my eyes try to adjust to putting on my glasses each morning. Now I have an appointment at the optometrist on Tuesday to get a new prescription in my glasses. I'm not sure how this is progress. I've always had to see an opthamologist, but he did everything for me. Now I have to see 2 different eye doctors and pay 2 different eye doctors. Somebody's making progress, but it's not me!

Last night was a fun break in the rat race of the past week. Krissy was able to trade with someone at work, so the whole family was able to go to a Southern Gospel concert in Bourbonnais, Illinois. It was a wonderful, uplifting evening of music and testimony with one of our favorite groups, The Whisnants, and two groups we'd never heard before, The Perrys and The Taylors. One thing I came away from there with last night was that God is giving us a story....through cancer, through trials and heartaches, through the loss of a baby....and we need to share that story. Share the story as an encouragement to others. Share the story to bring praise and honor to the Lord. Share the story that someone through us might receive Christ as their personal Saviour.

We have a couple of trips coming up in the near future, so maybe there will be some more interesting news than canning and doctor's appointments. We are all looking forward to a little time of relaxation. It's been a hard summer.

A Job Well Done

We picked 6 or 7 bushels of sweet corn to do today.
Since the heat index was about 110 degrees today, we spread a sheet in the dining room and did our shucking inside.

We did mounds and mounds of corn.

I had 3 pots boiling on my 6-burner cooktop all afternoon.

Meagan cut most of the corn off the ears with a little help from me at the end of the day. We ended up with 20-5 cup bags. That was a lot of work done by 4 uncomplaining little girls--Laura, Kara, Leah, and Nanna. Erin and Heather have been gone to Youth Conference at the First Baptist Church of Hammond this week, so they missed all the fun. I went to town tonight and got ice cream treats for all the hard-working little girls and us big ones too. How does a Frog Spit Ice Cream Bar sound? It's vanilla ice cream covered with lime sherbet on a stick. Sounded gross enough for any kid to love. Frog spit! Yuck!

Your Comments

This is my third post this evening, so scroll on down to read the rest. Meagan thought I should write a post about how to post a comment. I got an email from a friend this morning with her comment because she didn't know how to post it on the blog, so I guess Meagan was right. It might be necessary to explain how to post a comment here. It's not as obvious as posting in the Guestbook on Caringbridge.
At the bottom of each entry that I post on here, there is a line that says "0 comments" or "1 comment." If you will click on the word "comment," it will take you to another screen with a box to type your comment in. Then you just need to click to post or publish your comment. I can't remember the exact wording. It will be obvious to you once you have typed your comment in the box.
We love to read your comments! Leave some!! We're still getting cards in the mail. It's such an encouragement. Thank you!

A Good Read

I just finished reading "Choosing to SEE: A Journey of Struggle and Hope" by Mary Beth Chapman, wife of Steven Curtis Chapman. It was about the loss of their five-year-old daughter. She was tragically killed when her older brother ran over her in their driveway. After reading her book, I know there is no way I could write a book. She did such a wonderful job expressing her feelings.....things I feel/have felt too. Can I quote part of her book here and pretend they're my own words?
"It might on certain days be buried deep down in my heart and have a hard time computing to my brain, but here is what I know and what I choose to believe, over and over again. I know God loves me and my family. I know God is sovereign and He knows what is best for us. I know He has our days numbered and makes no mistakes. I know that He will bring beauty from ashes...that is what I cling to in order to make it through another twenty-four hours."
There are days when I do pretty well, and then there are days when I find myself wiping the tears away most of the day. It's then that I have to "choose to believe" like Mary Beth said.

First Sweet Corn of the Season

We picked a couple of dozen ears of corn for supper tonight, even though it wasn't really quite ready yet. In two or three days, it will be perfect. We have two other varieties that are a later maturity, so we can eat sweet corn a little longer. Mmmm!!

Leah & Laura helped pick the sweet corn for supper tonight. Leah was even able to butter & salt her own ear this year.

Even the puppies like sweet corn!

Laura loves sweet corn. How many ears did you eat?!!

Heather enjoying sweet corn.

Kara lost her two front teeth recently. She's having a hard time eating her sweet corn. She seemed to miss a couple of kernels with each bite, but it was worth the effort.

Earth Night at the Fair

Tonight was Earth Night at the Newton County Fair. We go every year. They have free snow cones and popcorn. They have several earth/conservation-related games with prizes for the kids. They always have a wildlife program. This year it was Birds of Prey. The girls enjoyed all of that and touring the animal barns. Of course, a visit to the fair isn't complete without a visit to the Commercial Building where they give away all the freebies. The girls each chose one ride to ride before we left for home.

Even at the county fair, there were reminders of Lainey. Twice tonight I saw the cutest little Down Syndrome girl with dark hair. I just wanted to go up and hug her. She probably wouldn't have minded.

The girls all got helium balloons in the Commercial Building. Some of them took their balloons outside and released them.....to send them to Lainey.

A Hard Day's Work

Boy, am I tired!! My mom & dad came over today to clean up the trees that blew down over the 4th of July weekend. Dad cut the trees up and split some of it. Mom & the girls cleaned up sticks. The girls and I stacked the wood in our little lean-to where we store the wood we use in our firepit. We aren't completely finished, but we sure did get a lot accomplished. When we were out this morning moving all the dry wood to one end of the lean-to, I decided to start a fire. We cooked hotdogs on the fire for our lunch. I kept the fire going all afternoon so we could have a mid-afternoon snack of marshmallows or s'mores. I love the smell of wood smoke, and I really enjoy cooking over the fire. It's so relaxing to me.

Our Purpose

Over the 4th of July weekend, one of our guests said how she was drawn to our family. We've had others express the same feeling on different occasions in the past. I've put a lot of thought into that this past week. Why would people feel drawn to us? Is it because we're so fun & witty? Not a chance! Is it because we have fame & fortune? Definitely not! The answer I came up with is from the book of John where Jesus says (paraphrased), "If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me." I hope the real reason people feel drawn to our family is because of Jesus in us. I hope our relationship with Him is evident.

My relationship with Christ stems back to when I was a child. It was 35 years ago this month that I was in a tent revival and the preacher was preaching about Hell. By the time he was done, I knew I didn't want to spend eternity there! I realized I was a sinner, even at the age of 9. After all, the Bible says in Romans, "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." I also realized that the payment for that sin was death in Hell as it says in Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Through Jesus' death on the cross, I was able to have eternal life in Heaven. I went to the altar that night and did what it says in Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." I asked Christ to forgive me for my sin, come into my heart, and take me to Heaven when I die. It's because of that night that I know I will spend eternity in Heaven where I will meet Lainey and have a sweet reunion with my daughter.

It is our purpose through this blog to lift up Jesus as it says in John. If someone is encouraged or inspired by our life represented here on this blog or if someone receives Christ as their savior because of this blog, we will be so blessed.

Welcome

Welcome to our new family blog! We decided it's time to discontinue use of the Caringbridge site we have used for the past few months to keep friends, family, and other interested by-standers informed about Lainey's health, her death, and our thoughts & feelings since that time. I have never had any interest in having a family blog as so many of our friends have, but we decided after the interest people have shown in our family over the past several weeks that a blog would be a good way to be a witness and encouragement to many people. Our decision was confirmed this morning in Sunday school when the pastor used Matthew 5:14-16, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Please stay tuned as we continue to develop our blog. We will try to give you a glimpse into our "strange" family. Please leave a comment. We'd love to know what you think or what you'd like us to post about. We're new to the blogging world and would appreciate your input.