Soldier Boy

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When Nathan turned the corner in the Oath Ceremony, I think I saw a little glimmer of a smile. I think he saw us running after him trying to get a few more pictures. This is a picture of Nate marching with his Company. Doesn’t he look so handsome? It was God’s favor that we were able to see our son fairly easily.This was like the most important parade I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life and trust me, I was desperate to see my child! We were already warned we might not be able to spot him and it was recommended to just simply “adopt” a cadet and start taking pictures. New cadet parents then post them on a website and you might just get a picture of your son/daughter. But oh, what joy it brought to my soul when I saw New Cadet Nathan! He was still hanging in there, praise the Lord! His newly shaved head and BCG’s (otherwise known as glasses), his crisp uniform, my son saluted and seemed to be following orders after a blurry day of instruction. No wavering or hesitation, just a steely eyed forward gaze. There were other people shouting things to their cadets, in particular friends and siblings, as for me, I was simply speechless as the tears poured down my face. Mark yelled something like, “Go, Baby!” but I knew Nathan wouldn’t like it if his mom said something cutesy or strange. I have gotten in trouble numerous times for spontaneous outbursts and I don’t think I want to mess around with a soldier! HA! We were absolutely exhausted so I can only imagine how he felt. While waiting for the ceremony, I finished my letter to him and got it in the mail. I have to write him everyday, that is my promise to myself.



The ride back on our nearly final leg of the journey was quiet. Sniffles could be heard from the back and I had to comfort my two remaining olive shoots who were missing their big brother. We all just want to get back home and resume a new level of normalcy and wear all our newly acquired West Point clothes. I will be wearing something West Point every time I go to the grocery store, Target, anywhere there is a chance someone will see me and realize, “Hey, wait a second, that’s not just an ordinary woman, that’s a mama of a soldier in the aisle, wow she’s a West Point mom!” HA! One door is shut, another one is opening, we’re all adjusting to this new season of life…if you want to read more about this, click here. Jon Scott, anchor on FOX “News Live” shares his experiences when he dropped his own son off at West Point last year. It is really interesting.

R-Day, 60 seconds

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“You have 60 seconds to say your farewells,” a member of the cadre announced as we all stood and prepared for our goodbyes.

A petite framed cadet whom I really wanted to hate was just doing her job. I don’t envy her of having the task of separating parent and family from child.

It was like every sentence she was saying felt like a Peanuts cartoon where Snoopy just hears, “blah, blah, blah, blah.”

Of course all of us knew it was coming, the mood was solemn as we all filed in and took our seats. I wasn’t the only weepy mom in the bunch so I felt a kindred spirit among us.

Oh I held him so tight. Be strong, be strong, I tried to remind myself.

Oh I held him so tight. Be strong, be strong, I tried to remind myself.

There was such a feeling of love and pride, but we all entered into some private, intimate place in our hearts and hugged our babies for the final time for a long while like we were the only ones in the place. Nate grabbed his meager belongings and confidently strode to the front of the auditorium and never looked back.

That was a good thing because if I had seen his face one more time, I would have taken it as a sign to rush forward to get him. I know he is divinely placed where the Lord wants him to be and this is perhaps the most unselfish thing I have ever done as a mother. We prayed and prayed for the Lord to put him where he was supposed to go. I cannot second guess my Heavenly Father. Saying goodbye and letting my beloved child set forth into a new life, I am filled with tears and pride, both never ending.

I remember child birth being very painful but this is really rough. I was in labor for four hours, and it hurt like crud and this process is much longer. West Point is such an austere and noble place, I am humbled to have a son who is in the class of 2012 and have the hat, t-shirt and matching handbag to prove it. I shall be wearing black, gold and gray for a really long time. There is a dignity and a respect I don’t recall seeing at other college campuses we visited. This is the right place for my son and I am thankful to have met a lot of nice guys Nathan will soon be calling friends. Take a look and click here at this link to see what his first day was like. OY!

We are all entering a new phase in our lives. After saying our farewells, there were two floors of vendors and organizations to greet us. Nearly ever booth had a box of Kleenex. It was reassuring to see that in the midst of all this decorum and granite, they had chiseled out a lot of compassion and concern.

We arrive home tomorrow and I do laundry which will include some of Nathan’s dirty clothes. It will be the saddest load of laundry I have ever done in my life thus far. I found the toe nail clippers he used before we dropped him off at West Point. They were in the hotel bathroom and yep, I cried.

The Hubs and I weren't the only ones struggling.

The Hubs and I weren’t the only ones struggling.

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. I am the mama of a soldier. I am the PROUD mama of a soldier. Go Army, Beat Navy, Huah!

Psalm 63:7- 8

For you have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.

Leaving civilian life behind, becoming military parents

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We just ate our last lunch as a civilian family in our home. In about an hour, we will head out for West Point, first stopping at a special family’s house along the way which is sure to be a bloggable event.

We are becoming a military family, I guess. In true W-H fashion, we did not have a Norman Rockwell dinner or lunch where we were all sitting around the table, laughing and smiling with every bite, singing Kum-Bi-Yah.

I guess we are a really human family and my expectations might have been too high. I am disappointed but trying to not dwell on things not ending perfectly like I wanted. :/

At this point, I’m averaging about 6-8 crying jags a day and think waterproof mascara is the order of the day for about the next week at least.

If you are reading this, please pray for us as we make this important journey. It is becoming a reality and I need to keep my eyes on Jesus.

I am the mama of a soldier…I am the mama of a soldier.

“My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” Psalm 73:26

A Father’s Day Gift Every Dad Wants

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The tear fest has been re-activated as we are inching closer to the day of sending our boy off to West Point. I think the only one excited about Nate leaving is Aaron because he will be the head honcho (or so he thinks) around the house. He will be the oldest (theoretically) and that’s important for a guy stuck in the middle.

 
Whereas Aaron seems to be just fine, Mark and I were a mess on Father’s Day. Although the guys and I gave Mark some pretty sweet gifts: DunderMiflin Paper Company t-shirt, frisbee golf discs along with handy-dandy holder and a very clever book (click here), it is the written words of our sons that were the most heartfelt and memorable. 
If only every father received such tender sentiments. What a world we would have if every father deserved such merit.

 
Nathan has quite a knack of making cards for others. They are usually hilarious, the guy could get a job at Hallmark, no problem which would be a lot easier than West Point, but I digress.
 
This Father’s Day, Mark received a different style card which included a picture of Mark and baby Nate. 

In the photo, Nate is perched high on his daddy’s backpack. Now this same precious child is a young man walking onto a new life and places, proud and muscular, confident and ready. Someone wrote that “tears are pride overflowed.” Invest in Kleenex, folks. 

 
 
 

Baccalaureate

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It was a speaking day for our family on Sunday. In the morning, Nate addressed the church youth group along with family and friends and gave an inspiring message. He was awesome if I do say so myself. 


Later on in the day, it was my turn. I spoke at a high school baccalaureate. When I was initially asked to be the speaker, I hesitated. Why did they want me? What do I have to offer?
 Apparently my insight regarding young people and my work in the schools gave me some measure of credibility and that’s why I was chosen. I prayed about it, sought the counsel of godly friends and agreed to do it. 

Page upon page of my prayer journal was devoted to contemplating the message I was going to share. As the day approached, I found myself excited and a bit anxious. Rehearsing the 20 minute speech with my family gave me confidence. My husband liked it. My sons thought it was good. Even my mom liked it. (Ok, my mom LOVED it but that’s her job. We always have to LOVE the things our children create, it’s in the job description. She’s such an encourager!) And most importantly I felt the Lord was pleased with my efforts and He was my main audience. 

Sunday rolled around and I was soooo ready to get it over with. There is no weird twist in my story or anything like that,  I did a good job and was satisfied with the message the Lord placed on my lips. If you want a copy of my message, I’ll send it to you. I used the word “puberty” several times in my message which made my OS Nate rather uncomfortable but it had spiritual relevance. 

The venue was at an outdoor amphitheatre which might be redundant. Are amphitheatres always outdoors? Hmmmmm…NE way, when my family and I approached the place, I commented that I felt like a Roman, you know in a coliseum kinda thingy. My husband and OS rolled their eyes with my bold pronouncement. When I said I felt like Abraham Lincoln or Billy Graham addressing the audience, they really thought I was slightly exaggerating the experience. Whatev…


Athough the baccalaureate began at 5 pm, it was sweltering heat. We’re talking 100 degrees plus even when the sun gave way to a bit of shade. I was sweating bullets. There was a part of my message where I thought I might tear up. No chance. Too hot. Dehydration had set in. I couldn’t have cried if I had forced myself.

Despite the oppressive temperatures I believe the audience of about 300 really tried to listen and concentrate. I was blessed. Unfortunately I left my water bottle with my husband so as I was speaking at the podium, I simply prayed, “Lord, give me enough saliva to finish this speech.” He did. 

Afterward, several people told me I did a great job. One mom actually got out of her car as we were in the parking lot and asked for a hug. It was a sweaty hug but still a blessing.

You know that feeling of doing a job to the best of your ability? I had that, hallelujah! When I came home, I didn’t want to speak anymore, I just wanted to shower and do a non-talking task…finish my nephew’s blanket. 

Sew Much Fun – Chapter 3

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We are nearing record temperatures in our neck of the woods (100 degrees plus!) and I made another blanket. Last night, while in the living room, my husband  looks around and exclaims, “We have blankets all over the place and it’s summer for Pete’s sake!” Ex-squeeze me? What’s he trying to say? That he hates me and my crafting??? That he’s getting tired of random threads and piles of fabric all throughout the house??? Zheesh! At the time, we had five blankets in the room (one of them belonged in our bedroom). I thought this comment was pretty funny and a fairly astute observation. What can I say, we are a snugly people! After about nine months, I finally finished a coffee blanket I made in honor of Nathan’s senior mission trip to Costa Rica which is the reason we have at least one more blanket in the room. It was so nice to finally get that project done, Yay!  Surely there are better and more creative seamstresses out there but I am proud of my amateur skills and after working so diligently on my creations, it’s hard to put them up for the summer. 


So guess what I’m working on right now? Yep, a blanket. Only this one is for my darling 2 1/2 year old nephew Jon. The guy is totally obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine. He has a one track mind in every sense of the word. You walk into the house and you are offered a train. Just don’t ask for Mighty Max. You can probably place a delicate finger on Gordon now (that used to be his favorite) but that’s i
t. I don’t care how much Jon likes you and how many things you have done for him, Mighty Max just can’t be shared. And for another example of how Jon is full tilt on Thomas and the gang, the other day, he was outside playing with his dad and getting cold water sprinkled all over his back and you know what he exclaims? “I’m covered in coal dust!” 

Who could not love th
is guy. I am smitten and his little brother is the stuff of everything delicious and pure. I wonder what Josiah is going to be crazy about in the future? Will he like trains or another mode of transportation? Will he like penguins like his Aunt Deees (that’s me) or tree frogs (like his Cousin Nate)? Whatever it is, I’ll make a blanket for it. I’m ready for the next project!



 

Little buddy Monday and Tuesday

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An absolutely adorable work in progress

An absolutely adorable work in progress

Well, two of my three children are in trouble.

I hate the term “grounded,” as it conjures up bad memories of my own rebellious adolescence so I will refrain from the terminology.

It could be a long and lonely summer at our house because unfortunately our guys are proving there is great truth in James 3:6

“The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.”

So instead of being able to use their tongue in conversation with their friends, their punishment is to spend time with me.

It’s funny to consider that I am a form of punishment but it’s true.

Aaron, my middle OS had his iPod, book and electric guitar removed from his possession and it has been replaced with laundry, a vacuum and his Bible.

Everything is fine right now, he has apologized and we’re moving forward, thank goodness but restrictions are a consequence of his actions!

We have work to do and I’m not backing down on raising three godly young men of honor.

That’s my job and I can’t give up, can’t back down, wimp out, no way, ain’t gonna happen, nuh-uh, no way Jose.

With one son preparing to leave our nest and go off to West Point, my prayer is to see the two remaining guys ready to do amazing things in their lives. They don’t have to be cookie cutter fellas but my heart’s cry is for them to glorify the Lord in all they do.

So yesterday Isaac was my companion and today, well, both Aaron and Isaac are by my side. We could be spending a lot of time together if they don’t watch out.

Ike and I did errands and such and despite it being a punishment, I think he had some fun. I called it Little Buddy Monday and it looks like it’s Middle Buddy Tuesday also.

Instead of strumming the guitar or hanging out with friends, the guys went with me to Nate’s final pediatrician visit.

Nate got three shots, a TB test and three vials of blood drawn.

And to his chagrin, I documented a vast majority of it because I knew you would want to see.

Yes, we all looked like goobers but times like this are ending as my oldest OS begins his journey at West Point in a matter of weeks.

I only get one more shot (pardon the pun). I took this picture of the door when the guys and I were politely asked to leave for the more “personal” parts of the exam.

I ended up feeling a little wistful as I realized that my 18-year-old son is grown. He can see the pediatrician up to 21 years of age but who does that? I can so easily remember the days when these doctors were measuring his head circumference, checking for ear infections, etc.

Today Nate didn’t need nor want my hand to hold although when he had a woozy moment, I was able to stroke his peaked head (I think I needed it more than he did).

Now he is venturing off to grown up places and I entered the pediatrician’s office feeling like we were turning another page. I think it was a blessing it was Little Buddy Tuesday after all.

So our summer begins and parts of our life kind of end. Will there be a Little Buddy Wednesday? Probably! Who knows! Stay tuned!

This was Nate enjoying a little Motts Totts juice box to help him not pass out.

Sigh…

Sew Much Fun – Chapter 2

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Here are some new projects I’ve done in the last week. I’m getting my money’s worth on my super awesome Project Runway Brother sewing machine.


As opposed to cleaning my house or other mundane things, I made:


Napkins for my co-worker who has decided the time of talking about love, sex and relationships is over. She is a big Elvis fan so I made her eight Christmas Elvis napkins and four of reversible, fringe-edged dinner napkins. 


Pillow cases – these are not difficult but NOTHING is as easy as it seems. I made Isaac this digital ACU pillow case in honor of his big brother going to USMA. It doesn’t look especially fancy but I had to think of my “audience” and my OS don’t really want a tricked out pillow case, thank you very much. I’m going to make several of these including one for me so I can feel closer to my son who leaves very soon. It will be a tear-soaked pillow case, btw. I might make that one a little more fun since I will be using it. 


And since I had an abundance of holiday material sitting in my drawer and really like making things, I made this Christmas pillow case and trimmed it with a red and white gross grain ribbon. It is so cheerful and I’m donating it to the family reunion as a prize for an activity planned.  

Words Aptly Spoken

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Most people look down on communications majors. They say it’s an easy major and not really that big of a deal. Some even chuckle and minimize the accomplishment amongst their Bachelor of Science kin but I think there’s real merit in a communications major, because, well, I am one. Ok, I know pre-med and accounting majors are crazy tough but I think there’s a lot to be said about well, saying things correctly. I feel so strongly about it that I have devoted a large portion of my life to that cause. And I have instilled this in my three OS, the value in being able to articulate their thoughts in a cogent and engaging manner. It has been a joy in my 18 years of motherhood to see my children flourish in this area of life. To think that I could have passed on a skill to my sons is incredibly humbling and rewarding. I have little to offer them athletically or intellectually. In fact, sometimes I think I don’t have much to give or offer, that the only things they could ever get from me are less than admirable qualities. (just being real here) Maybe that’s why this means so much. 


However, last week I saw the Lord bestow a gift upon me. I saw my oldest OS  address his high school class for one last time. Nathan was selected by his classmates to be one of a few chosen students asked to impart some final thoughts to his fellow seniors, underclassmen and their families. At the senior assembly, Nathan sent a charge to those left behind. He deftly handled the microphone and boldly proclaimed a powerful message. I have included a YouTube link if you want to see it. It’s a little hard to hear but so sweet. Worth 3:47 minutes of your life. 


This week, my middle OS will also speak. He will address his middle school classmates. As the student body president for middle school, Aaron will offer his reflections upon his time in middle school. I have heard snippets of this presentation and I think it is quintessentially Spurny (my nickname for my boy which only his family is allowed to call him so don’t even try).

In a few weeks, I will be speaking at a high school baccalaureate to about 500 people and I pray my words will be as wise and clever as my children’s. This will be a daunting task so please pray that I will only share the words the Lord desires in a cogent and engaging manner. (sound familiar?)

I beamed with pride as I watched my beautiful child wax so eloquently. Here are a few of my favorite quotes,

“Don’t think that you have to be a straight A student to do well because life isn’t about grades and you are much more than your report card. You are the son or the daughter of the King of the Universe and He deserves nothing less than your best.”

“My parting message to you is to always do your best no matter what happens and no matter what life throws at you. In the end, you must do your best because you know that you are working for someone for greater than yourself. You’re not working for your parents or your teachers, you’re working for Jesus.”

If we are able to tape Aaron’s message, I will also post a link. Today I simply pause and puff with pride (in a motherly and most appropriate way, not cocky or boastful, but rather in a humbling and deeply thankful way) and consider this…

Proverbs 25:11
“A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.”

Trying not to cry, I simply say…

Amen

Awkward carrot

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My dad amidst his bountiful tomatoes.

My dad amidst his bountiful tomatoes.

My dad was an avid gardener and I guess I thought it might be in the “genes” as they say.

But I do not have a green thumb.

The Hubs and I are not great landscapers and do not have an eye for flora and fauna.

A while back, we decided we would try a garden.

I love fresh veggies and would take a fresh, warm tomato over a piece of chocolate any day.

Over the weekend, Mark was weeding the “garden” when he traipsed on into the house with this…probably the funniest looking vegetable I’ve ever seen!

According to the seed packet, we should have enjoyed this carrot and all its orange friends a LONG time ago. Our carrot has taken a major time to grow, to say the least

There is a spiritual connection to all this. The Bible speaks about bearing fruit, fruit that will last (John 15:16).

So let me ask you a personal question, what kind of fruit are you growing?

According to the seed packet, we should have enjoyed this carrot and all its orange friends a LONG time ago.

Our carrot has taken a major time to grow, to say the least.

How are you maturing in the Lord?

Can you see growth or development or are you in a weird kind of place, stuck in a rut for years, much like our carrot?

Do you know how long it took for this beauty to grow?

Three years.

That’s right, for three years we have been waiting for something to sprout from our pitiful little garden.

Take a look at the picture, I think it must be a boy carrot. How perfect that a mom of three SONS would receive such a treasure! We have had a lot of laughs with its most awkward shape and at the risk of impropriety, I had to share it.

But I pray you find yourself bearing fruit of a most abundant variety from your verdant figurative garden of faith and if you’re so inclined, from the literal garden the one you might be growing this season.