Category Archives: love

Hide and seek

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I can let him stuff his face with cotton candy and then conveniently drop him off at his house with a sugar high that hits da roof- I like that!

With all this college stuff looming in the horizon (can stuff loom?), I need a diversion.

Two-year-old Jon serves that purpose. So does his baby brother Si but this post is about a delightful time I enjoyed with Mr. Walking Backwards Guy (aka Jon). He likes to walk backwards every time he sees me.

One day while visiting my sister and the babies, Jon and I played a game of Hide and Seek.

We would take turns hiding and it was so funny to see him looking hither and yon for me. He had a preferred spot for me to hide which made the game rather unchallenging but still immensely fun.

When it was my chance to find Jon, I would pretend to be completely baffled trying to locate him. I looked in the curtains. No Jon. In a pair of shoes. No Jon. In a drawer. Astonishingly, no Jon.

Every single time he hid in the exact same spot. When it was my turn, I’d tuck myself under the dining room table and wait for him to “find” me.  He must have thought, “Wow, Dees (that’s his name for me) is pretty dense,” since I usually hid in the exact same spot. But that’s one of the hidden rules of the game with Jon.

I’m so glad he put up with my antics.

We would still be playing hide and seek if it were up to him. How does he do it? He makes everything hilarious!

Doesn’t this look like fun?

I can’t wait to do it again and again and again! Bet you can’t find me – HA!

The next step onto West Point

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Today Nathan got a phone call from the local West Point recruiter.

He is a 1993 graduate and wants to meet my son.

The guy is coming by the school this Wednesday to answer Nathan’s questions and maybe meet with the principal.

One of the things I have appreciated through this whole process is how everyone seems to be very upfront and honest about what it takes to go to West Point Military Academy.

They aren’t sugar-coating this experience; I feel like we are getting an honest appraisal, perhaps more than at a traditional university. 

My son is Army strong but am I?

He can learn to run in the freezing cold and understand military strategy.

He will be able to scale walls and carry a rifle with ease.

But me, y’all, I am so terribly weak and vulnerable. I am such a wimp. Probably can’t even do a decent push up if my life depended on it.

I’m not talking about my physical strength.
I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, I have to tuck that truth deep into my heart.

I know that when I am weak, He is strong. What would I do without my Heavenly Father right beside me? As my friend Janice reminded me, the Lord knows what it’s like to give up your beloved son. While we were walking on the campus, I began to cry as I thought about my dad.

He never met any of my children having died when he was only 44 years old.

Warm tears streamed down my face as I thought about how proud he would have been of his grandson.

I thought my mother-in-law who is with the Lord now and wondered what she would had to say?

Thanks to some sage counsel from another friend, my husband reminded Nathan of this; he is going to a success wherever he goes. Mark is always a source of encouragement and perspective.

When Nathan was staying overnight in the barracks, he called to check in.

I asked my OS, “Well, what do you think? Do you want to go to West Point?”

He gave me the best answer I could have wanted, “I like it but I’m praying about it.”

Visiting West Point for the very first time

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We arrived at the Admissions Office at 8 am on Friday.

Since that time we have learned a lot of impressive things about West Point.

I am honored that my son is even considering this place.

West Point has a nobility about it that I haven’t felt at other universities.

Having not grown up in a military family, it’s strange walking around in a camouflage-colored campus where people all walk the same and salute each other.

General Patton with Quote

This beautiful print is available through a talented USNA and USMA mom. Check it out here!

I’m not saying I don’t like it, it’s just a whole new culture. You don’t see any dread locks in anyone’s hair or piercings or tattoos, no facial hair either. It’s a very clean-cut campus body.

West Point info we learned:

4,400 students attend

7 to 1 student/teacher ratio – This is less than in elementary school!

81% graduation in four years

Upon graduation cadets commit to five years of service in the Army – this is a very serious commitment

It’s estimated that a West Point education is worth $448,000.

Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Omar Bradley, Norman Schwarzkopf are just some of the notable graduates

Wake up time: 5:00, not 5:01, not 5:15.

It’s not pretty if you don’t wake up on time.

If Nathan goes there, it should be a VERY interesting considering time to see how he does with that.

Considering how much prodding his brothers do to get him up at 7 am, I wonder how he will adjust.

Your room stays clean. Impeccably clean.

I mean so clean not even a hair should be on the ground.

You don’t want a hair on the ground or a dust bunny or anything out of place. It’s not pretty. You will walk the plain (a large flat field on campus) or worse.

When we were walking around the campus, Mark was impressed with how many cadets called him, “sir” as he passed them by.

I only heard some cuss word while on campus.

When we visited another university, the cuss words were flying all over the place. I’m not saying they don’t use them (wouldn’t that be nice, though), it was such a totally different atmosphere.

I’m praising the Lord that I brought my trusty long undies as I was able to handle the chilly temp thanks to the layers of clothing. I wasn’t exactly working it but sometimes you have to forgo high fashion, you know what I mean?

I have cried at least six times but not in an embarrassing way. One time, yesterday morning, the lieutenant mentioned something about saying good-bye to your family and I almost lost it.

I drew a deep breath, getting ready to let loose of a few years but immediately Nathan looked over at me (he knows me pretty well) and I knew I had to try and get myself together. I sucked the tears back in and waited until Mark and I were together to let a few fall from my eyes.

We are awaiting news on his eye exam and physical so he hasn’t been officially accepted yet.

Nothing is a done deal yet.

My sugar boy and me. I'm not a flyer btw.

My sugar boy and me. I’m not a flyer btw.

However, I have to accept is this – I have to accept and yield God’s will for my son’s life whether it’s at West Point or somewhere else.

The Lord and not me, determine my precious boy’s future. We are earnestly praying and if I get ahead of myself, I’m a wreck but if I stay in the moment, I can handle things. It is obvious the Lord is using this experience to make us lean into Him more and more.

We pick Nate up at 1 pm and we’ll learn more about his overnight time with a cadet. Check back for more details as we continue on this incredible journey.

If you like the picture posted in this blog, check out this talented artist’s prints. She’s a USNA and a future USMA mom!

Flying to Fishkill

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We arrived here in Fishkill, NY after an uneventful flight. I really like uneventful flights, they are my preferred type of air travel.

Nate was really excited to see a few snowflakes. We went to the Wal-Mart to pick up a few things and Nate saw a small pile of snow. As a true Southerner, he didn’t have a clue so when he went to make a snowball only to find that it was a frozen chunk. Also in true Southern fashion, Nathan didn’t think he needed his winter coat. He insisted that he’d be warm enough with his fleece jacket and a soft shell jacket.
After spending a few moments in the East, Nathan decided he might need a hat. Duh! I think Nathan is going to learn the true meaning of frigid, bone-chilling cold if he goes to West Point.
We arrive at West Point by 8 am and we’ll tour the campus. Then we’ll say goodbye to Nate as he shadows a cadet and spends the night in the barracks. Mark and I will return to our hotel room without our boy.  That will be weird. I’m just taking this one step at a time, trying to not get ahead of myself. Taking in the experience, asking the Lord to give us all wisdom and direction, I’ll keep you posted. Stay tuned!

Guitar Jam Session

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“The babies are coming! The babies are coming!” I shouted as my two adorable nephews and sister began walking up the driveway. Mom had to go to the doctor again today and Denise and her guys decided to stop by while waiting to pick her up. I love seeing these two guys, I could write a blog about being an aunt almost as easily as I write about being a mom. A few moments with Jon and Josiah and life is good, really good. 

Five boys ranging in age from 5 months to almost 18 years old scurried around the house. Jon made himself comfortable and walked upstairs. There he huddled himself into Nathan’s room and felt like a real big boy in his Thomas the Train pajamas. Listening to the sounds emanating from there, I opened the door and saw Nathan treating his 2 year old cousin to an impromptu jam session complete with singing. Soon Aaron was joining in and Jon sneaked in a few strums on Nate’s guitar. Josiah was downstairs nursing having his own special moments 😉 
Btw, as a dutiful mom, I want to mention that my son does sleep with sheets on his bed. It was Monday and it is my washing sheets day. 

I’m trying to take care of my family like that cuz I’m not down with bed bugs and dust mites, ya know what I mean? Just didn’t want anyone thinking my boy was severely neglected. Oh, and one more thing, the bottles on his shelves, those are Izze drinks, a natural fruit juice made with a splash of sprinkling water. Completely healthy, non-alcoholic, refreshing and innocent. Ok, now go and enjoy the video clip knowing those little caveats. (I’m having trouble loading the video, technical difficulties, check back again, folks!)

Being a mom of three sons is a blessing, being the aunt of two adorable boys makes my heart sing!

Anticipating change

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My oldest OS Nathan got accepted to UNC-Chapel Hill last week. He has finished all his college apps and is awaiting news on the other schools. With only 20 minutes to spare, he sent his application to Georgetown University the other day. It looks like our son is going to spread his wings and fly! It could be to a well-respected school nearby or one nine hours away. 

As we anticipate great change in our household, I admit sometimes I struggle. 
Where does the Lord want my son to be? What if it’s far away? What’ll I do? I have to grant my son freedom to go where he feels called but ouch, y’all it’s painful!

This includes taking him to visit West Point Military Academy in New York.

In record time, Nathan completed all the necessary paperwork to apply to West Point. He had an endurance test, eye test and physical exam. He got a congressional nomination from a State Representative and we’ve heard they only give out five a year. Our boy was diligent and focused – normally these things take some time, Nathan did it all in less than a week.
One night before Christmas, my OS began to read his responses to the West Point questions on the application. With great conviction, Nathan recited his answers. He spoke clearly and didn’t waver as he read to me that he was willing to die for his country and stand up for what is right even to the point of sacrificing himself. That’s when I began to lose it. Whoa…I had to ask him to stop for a minute so I could get myself together. Of course I was crying as I told my handsome OS that my mama’s heart needed a second to gain some composure. “Nathan, you have never had little feet kicking inside you and you’ve never heard that person who you gave birth to, say things like this. Mom just needs a minute here.” 
My sweet boy understood as best he could. Pride, fear, excitement, sadness, love, oh the love overwhelm every part of me even as I write this tears stream from my face. 
Being a mom is at times the most selfish thing I’ve ever done but I’m learning to expect new lessons involving having to completely forget about myself and give my growing sons the courage to fly, even if it’s far from my safe and cozy little nest.

I’ll let you know how things are going. For right now, I need to get some Kleenex…

Sometimes it pays to listen to a 13 year old

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p1000563It was Isaac’s 5th grade Christmas band concert.

Last year I took my mom to the big event and we were late.

It is not a good thing to be late for Isaac’s special events. He has a wonderful memory when it comes to those types of things.

He’s kind of like me, his mother, with stuff like that.

We take things personally and our feelings get hurt easily.

Instead of running a quick errand at the mall, Mom and I decided we weren’t going to chance it and instead determined to be there on time. We were quite proud of ourselves when we stepped into the gym where the concert was last time and only four other people were there.

p1000567We puffed with pride and I eagerly told Mom to smile as I clicked away at the camera to pass the time away until everybody arrived.

I wanted to capture this moment to show Isaac how we were at the concert WAY ahead of all the other moms and dads and grandparents.

Since it looked like we had a lot of time and perhaps everyone else was just running late, I took a series of photos of my mom posing for the camera.

Here she is waving at the camera, showing Isaac that she had a front row seat to the Christmas concert.

We were acting silly and feeling very good about our punctuality until my middle OS Aaron noticed us in the gym. He was on his way to attend Isaac’s concert as well and he spotted us in the gym.

Aaron 8th grade picThat’s when my oh so wise 13-year-old Aaron informed us that we were in the wrong place.

The concert was in the new auditorium.

I insisted that Aaron was wrong but he didn’t relent.

Skeptically Mom and I and the other four women made our way to the auditorium.

We opened the thick auditorium doors and noticed the throng of people! We were hardly the first people to arrive in fact, if Aaron hadn’t found us, we could easily still be sitting there!

P1000579

We got to hear him play! So sweet!

We still got a pretty decent seat and Isaac was pleased to see us in the right place, right on time! Whew!

I’m learning there are sometimes when it’s best to heed your kids’ advice instead of the other way around 😉

It’s a guy thing, sign of the military life to come

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Foreshadowing of my life to come

Five and a half years later, I discover my blog post. I had long forgotten about it. West Point wasn’t on the horizon when I first wrote this. Nate had graduated from West Point and is in the middle of Ranger School. WOW!

My blog post on December 28, 2007-

I don’t get it and I guess I never will.

While driving to see family in South Carolina, Nate spotted a sign to a store I would have easily overlooked.

“Dad, can we go there?” he inquired and all the guy heads perked up with the mere mention of the store Nathan wanted to visit

Delk’s Army-Navy Surplus

No pretty store window dressing, no eye-catching fashions or thumping music –

just an Army issue green sign which read Military Supplies.

It’s a guy thing I guess because I didn’t have the same reaction as my DH and OS did as we parked our van.

My boys and husband practically skipped into the store, it’s true, you NEVER, EVER skip into a military store but it sounds funny!).

This was probably one of the few stores I have ever entered in my life where I was almost completely sure I wasn’t going to spend any money.

Everything you might ever possibly need regarding the military was there.

We’re talking K-Rations, camo pants, gas masks, resin replica assault rifles which my three OS really wanted, hand grenade candle holders (they wouldn’t match my decor) and more. Parachute jackets, ammo boxes, metal helmets, you get the picture.

The entire store was basically covered in brown, green or black.  I couldn’t find one pretty thing in the building!  This was really man’s land.

Only upon exhaustive searching, did I discover one teeny spot of thin, pink piece of nylon rope which made me feel only a little bit better.

My husband and sons were fascinated, I was ready to go.

We walked down the aisles and when we spotted the plastic military shields for $25, it was almost more than they could handle. I guess the girl equivalent would be like going to Archivers, a scrapbooking store.

I felt like quite a good wife and mom venturing into a place like that but I know that they have gone into candle stores and boutiques humoring me.

In a way, I actually found Delks Army-Navy Surplus store quite interesting but not so much so that I have to go back anytime soon.

As I looked at the sign, I noticed a typo. Can you spot it?

Too bad I didn’t have a machine gun to shoot in an apostrophe. At least now I know where I can get one!

Questions: Have you ever looked back on your children’s interests and seen the signs of their future vocation? If you have younger kids, do you see indication of your children’s future profession in their current obsessions and activities? It’s fun looking forward and backward!

Christmas menu – my little restaurant

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Cheesin’

My husband designed this chalkboard for my kitchen.

I love to write and do fancy things with doodling and stuff.

I pretend I own a restaurant and scribble away.

It’s fun playing house even though I am a homeowner.

I guess it reminds me of my dollhouse when I re-arranged the furniture and whiled away the hours playing make-believe.

The little girl in me hasn’t left, I suppose. This was my Christmas menu and you have no idea how much fun I had putting this on my chalkboard.

Shrimp

Blue cheese

Ham

Orange and onion salad

Sweet potato casserole

Homemade lemonade

Fresh bread

Baby Jesus cake (I’ve included a link but ours didn’t look like this!)

Chocolate chip cheesecake

Sometimes these little touches make things more festive!

Question: What do you do to make the holidays special?