Merry CHRISTmas!

Since I don't send out traditional CHRISTmas cards - this blog post (along w/a mass e-mail to everyone's address I have & a posting on Facebook) will have to suffice. The "E" family wihes you a very Merry CHRISTmas!

The Brothers E

Just thought I would post some pictures of my boys for comparison. Each was 11-12 months of age when these pictures were taken, wearing the same outfit.

Connor - dated 9/8/03

Collin - 11/12/09

Am I the only one who can see the similarities (beyond the outfit)? They are both definitely cut from the same cloth.

Looking into the future

While watching Shark Week on the Discovery channel, Connor & Chad had a deep conversation that went something like this:

Connor: Dad, you'll have to forgive me.

Chad: What do I need to forgive you for?

Connor: Because when I grow up, I'm going to live near the ocean and dive with the sharks and I won't be able to visit you very much.

Chad says he tried to stifle his laughter & told me he's going to have to start spending more time with Connor before he moves off!

Dealing with Death in the E Family

First, I'd like to say that I feel extremely blessed to have had my grandparents live on earth as long as they did. All four of my grandparents were alive & fairly well up until last month. My grandfather (dad's dad) was the first to enter Heaven. He's had Alzheimer's disease for at least the past 8 years. His body was fairly healthy but his mind was another story. At the beginning of June, that started to change. He was admitted to the hospital with an infection in his foot and things just went downhill from there. My Dad along with his sister & brother stayed by his side the night of 6/27 until he passed on into eternity 6/28. Both of my dad's parents were living in a nursing home in Lufkin. They were admitted there after my grandmother was diagnosed with bone cancer in 2007 and couldn't live at home alone any longer. Anyway, my grandmother sat beside my grandfather's bed & held my his hand after he died. My dad said she told him something to the effect of "I'll be along shortly." PawPaw's funeral was July 2. Before the services began, Connor ran up to the casket & studied his body closely. I walked up behind him, expecting to answer any questions he had. Connor looked up @ me and said, "Mom, I think you lose your teeth when you die." Then he ran off to the back. Come to find out, my grandfather's dentures didn't fit him any longer due to his weight loss before he died. The funeral home tried to get them to fit as naturally as they could but he still didn't look like he had any teeth in his head.

This was not Connor's first time to see a lifeless body. My mother-in-law passed away in 2007 and Connor was almost 5. When he approached her casket at the visitation, he snuck up stealthly, crouching low & popped up to her body & yelled "Boo!" Of course nothing happened so he said it again. My 8 year-old niece was standing behind him and told him that she couldn't talk b/c she was dead. Connor promptly pokes my MIL's body on the forehead and surmises that "Yep, she's dead." He then runs off to play.

Just 3 weeks & 1 day after my grandfather's funeral, my grandmother enters eternity to be with him & Jesus. My aunt went to visit with her the weekend before she passed & everything had been fine. She left on Sunday & Grandma fell Sunday night, started throwing up then became unresponsive. The next morning she passed through the door way of death. I tell you , it felt like deja vu sitting at her services the following Friday. Almost eveything was the same: Chad was a pallbearer just as he had been three weeks prior, Connor sat to my left & my cousin's girlfriend sat to my right, the preacher was the same, the place was the same, the time of the services was @ 0900, & we ate at the church after the graveside service. The whole thing felt like the end of an era. No longer would we have a reason to travel to the town where my grandparents lived nor would all of my dad's family likely see each other as often - possibly never again.

These deaths had been weighing on my mind lately and I decided to read a book my Sunday School teacher had read & mentioned about to our class in the past - 90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper. The basic jist of the book is that the author, Don Piper, dies instantly in a car wreck in 1989. He immediately goes to heaven & describes his experience there in this book. A minister comes to the scene of the wreck & feels the Holy Spirit telling him to go pray for the dead man in the car. The minister climbs in through the wreckage, places a hand on Don Piper's shoulder & begins praying then singing a hymn. After being dead for 90 minutes, Don Piper comes back to life & starts singing along with the minister. I'm only half-way through the book & am at the part where Don Piper is describing his recovery - a horrible & gruesome recovery. Anyway, in one part of his experience in heaven, he speaks of his great grandmother. Here is a quote:

My great-grandmother, Hattie Mann, was Native American. As a child I
saw her only after she had developed osteoporosis. Her head and shoulders
were bent forward giving her a humped appearance. I especially remember
her extremely wrinkled face. The other thing that stands out in my memory
is that she had false teeth - which she didn't wear often. Yet when she
smiled at me in heaven, her teeth sparkled. I knew they were her own, and
when she smiled, it was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen.

I started laughing when I read that part, thinking about Connor's comment about losing your teeth when you die. Well, PawPaw must have one of the beautiful smiles on his face now & sparkly teeth to go along with it!

The Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY Wednesday 7/29/09...

Outside my window...actually my French doors - my husband & FIL putting tin on the new shop they are building

I am thinking...I need to get off of this computer & go get ready for the Beth Moore Simulcast meeting that is scheduled for 6:00

I am thankful for...Jesus's redeeming love and that He is the Son of God

From the kitchen...break-apart chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven - as requested by my eldest son

I am wearing...denim shorts & a Buna Redbud t-shirt

I am creating...nothing at the moment but keep thinking I need to sew a sling up for my friend who just had a baby. I've been putting it off for several months now.

I am going...to a meeting in a few minutes at the church.

I am reading...90 Minutes in Heaven by Don Piper

I am hoping...my house will stay clean for a few days after an intense day of cleaning.

I am hearing...the sounds of "Wall E" on the TV

Around the house...is a clean floor.

One of my favorite things...Listening to my baby's chuckle/giggle when he is tickled.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Hopefully we will be traveling to see my Mom in Northeast Texas.

Here is picture thought I am sharing... My family, parents, brother & his family at my grandmother's funeral last week. It was my first time to see my 6 week old niece & I just could not put her down & it's evident in the picture.

http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com

Family Pictures

I know I last posted a link to my friend's blog so you could see the pictures. I now own the disk with all of the pictures on it so I thought I'd post some of my favorites.

Man, the summer is moving right along for us! We just got back from Sam Rayburn Lake where we camped in Mill Creek Park with Chad's dad, John. Also present were Chad's brother, sister-in-law & two girls. The only thing missing was my late mother-in-law. As most of you know, she passed away two years ago in September. She loved the lake. It's still fun for the family but something is definitely missing with her not there. I'll get around to posting some of the lake pictures soon.

Family Pictures

We hade family pictures made yesterday and you can check them out on my friend's website - http://llm-photography.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default I'm very pleased with them & can't wait to see more.

Before & After Kindergarten

Taken 8/20/08 & titled "Getting a haircut before starting Kindergarten"

Taken today, 5/28/09 - Connor's last day of Kindergarten

My eldest child, Connor, "graduated" from Kindergarten this morning. I know he's grown over the school year but I found some pictures that validated my knowledge. Everyone, & I mean EVERYONE, who knew my husband as a child says that he is the spitting image of him at that age. Looking at Chad's school pictures, I can see the resemblance but I missed out on knowing him growing up. What a year this has been for this child! His teacher, Mrs. P., has been wonderful; exactly what you would want in a KD teacher.

Check out the "E" Men

The men of my house! Aren't they all so very handsome?

Saturday before Mother's Day

See my new exersaucer?

Second ever blog entry - The Night of Teeth

Well, I must be starting a trend - I'm blogging again. Connor lost one of his front teeth recently. The child now looks like he's never seen a dentist. I know all children go through this - losing baby teeth - but it sure looks funny. This is his 5th tooth to lose. Sunday a week ago, he lost his 4th tooth - in the middle of the night. He woke up with fever (tonsillitis) at 1:00 am and would not go back to sleep. I don't know about other kids, but fever revs mine up. At least it does for Connor. Not sure about Collin. To my knowledge, he's never had a fever. But I digress. Anyways, Connor comes into our bedroom @ 3:00, proclaiming he has lost his tooth. Apparently being awake for two hours left him little to do except for work on his loose tooth. Of course there was a fair amount of blood involved in the loss so Mom gets out of bed and takes care of the situation. That was the third time I had been up that night. While Connor was losing his baby teeth, Collin's first tooth broke through the day before thus making him cranky & restless that particular night. I was so glad when morning came! My husband looked at me the next morning & stated with an exasperated sigh, "Rough night, huh?" Funny, I didn't remember him getting up with me but I was aware that he was awakened right along with me. However, HE was able to roll right over & go back to sleep. Oh well! It was the desire of my heart to be a stay-at-home mommy after Collin was born. I consider it just part of the job that I love to do.

First ever blog entry

Welcome to my first ever blog entry! Never thought I'd ever start a blog but I've been inspired by my friends Jessica & Tiffany. Mine probably won't ever be as extravagant as theirs but they've had much more experience at it. To celebrate my grand opening, I'm posting a picture of my boys - Connor (eldest) & Collin (youngest). Connor didn't want to take a picture, thus the unflattering pose. I decided to start blogging for one specific reason - to keep track of my family's most memorable moments. The ones that I will always want to remember but if I don't record them in some way, I won't. So in closing, welcome again to my blog & stay tuned for more adventures with Carla!