Racin' for Mason.

I began this blog nearly a year ago, shortly after learning that my great-nephew, Mason, had a fatal chromosomal disorder, Trisomy 18. In my grief and need for support I was referred to Angie Smith's blog, Bring the Rain. I read nearly all of her blog, start to finish in one day, spending most of it in bed crying while trying not to let my tears drip on my laptop. And I decided then to blog as an outlet for my griefs and joys.

I journeyed with my niece through her pregnancy, trying to offer unconditional love and support, and trying not to say anything stupid or hurtful. Against all odds and doctors' wisdom, Mason not only made it to full-term, but he survived labor and delivery, and he lived a MIRACULOUS 5 days! He even got to go home to live with his mommy, daddy and big brother for 3 of those days, before flying to the arms of Jesus on January 12, 2009.

At one point in my niece's pregnancy, God orchestrated that Linda at my Bible Study, the receptionist at my own OB/GYN, my friend Shellie (who knew someone who...) and a stranger (who happened to be the cousin of Laura of SOP) that I met at a scrapbooking weekend retreat all told me that I needed to contact String of Pearls. God definitely did not want to just hint around, He meant business.

My niece was hesitant to call and asked me if I would call for her. I did and found Laura expecting to hear from me. I immediately felt God's peace rushing through the phone and into my heart. God is my rock, my shelter, my stronghold in times of trouble and He had clearly sent me to Laura and String of Pearls. Later that day my niece came over and I shared with her what Laura and I had talked about. I strongly encouraged her to call and meet with Laura. She did.

The help, support and love my family received from String of Pearls was priceless. It was more than we could ever have asked or imagined. Even still, they continue their support through the first years after Mason's death.

Now that I've brought you all up to speed on the last year, as it realtes to Mason and String of Pearls, I've finally arrived at the point of this whole post! On July 25, 2009 there is a local 5K run/walk the proceeds of which will go to String of Pearls. Our family will be walking as "Team Mason" in his memory and in support of String of Pearls' ministry. I'd like to raise more money in Mason's memory for String of Pearls than just our entrance fees. So, I'm extending to you the opportunity to donate directly to String of Pearls by clicking on the "Racin' for Mason" button. (I'm going to attempt to put it at the top of my blog and link it to SOP's donation page.) If you decide to make a donation, it would mean a great deal to our family if you would do so in Mason's name.

Wordless Wednesday - Splish Splash!

(Special thanks to Heather & G for inviting us to the pool with them!)

One of These Days.

One of these days when I get my thoughts all straightened out, I want to tell you all about Orlando (my trip, not the cockroach that stowed away in my luggage)!

One of these days, I want to share with you about my Jesus.

One of these days, SOON, I want to give you the opportunity to share again in the Miracle of Mason's life by helping others who will say goodbye to their babies before they even get a chance to say hello.

"Not Me!" Monday.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

My BIG boys went to camp this week. There no way that I made them do their own laundry before they left. Nor did I make them pack entirely on their own without even checking their suitcases to make sure they had enough any clean underwear. It is also not possible that my life seemed easier while they were gone nor that I didn't miss the incessant giggling those two are capable of. Nope, not me!

It is also not possible that I have been preoccupied with correcting the grammar of people who use prepostions at the end of sentences. Nor that any all of those poor souls have been pastors either writing a sentence on the wall for inspiration or preaching them in a sermon. Who am I to dare correct a man of God? After all that, you most certainly did NOT read a sentence in this post that ended with a prepostion. Wouldn't that be hypocritical? Certainly, not me!!

I did NOT leave the offending sentence just so I could say, "Made you look!"

My little Izaak SO did not strip off his jammies one morning this week and remove his poopy diaper, managing miraculously not to get it on a single thing, including his jammies. And after having quite a dialog about it on my Facebook, I did not fail to heed the advice to duck tape his diapers on. Oh, no! And my young son did NOT remove his jammies and a second poopy diaper the very next morning at the same time, this time soiling his jammies in the process. I'm not thick headed enough to believe that it won't continue to happen. Believe me when I tell you that 2 days later Izaak did NOT strip off his clothes after waking from his nap. He did not remove a completely dry diaper. He did NOT urinate in a large puddle all over his crib. NO SIR! I'm ahead of this game. That was SO not me! (or at least, I wish it wasn't!)

He's so NOT old enough to potty train!

Furthermore, Izaak did not occupy any of his time this week standing over the bathroom drawer, unwrapping pantyliners. If he had you certainly would NOT have read any tweets or Facebook updates about it from me! I follow strict decorum and would never idly post about feminie hygene products in a public forum. You did NOT just read that on my blog either. Nope, not me!!

So, be completely honest, what did you NOT do this week?

On Becoming Big Boys.

It hardly seems possible, but it is truly happening, that my baby boys are growing up. Just a few short weeks ago Izaak turned two. And while I love each new stage, I always mourn the passing of the last one.

Tonight both Kevin and Izaak began an exciting, wonderful, and alarming (to my mommie heart) transition. Kevin moved to the top bunk of the bed in preparation for Izaak to begin to occupy the bottom bunk. Izaak is at this very moment, sleeping on a mattress on the floor in his nursery in training for moving said mattress to the bottom bunk once he masters the art of not rolling out of a bed without bars.

Amazingly, Izaak took to the new sleeping arrangements by going straight to sleep and shocking both of his parents! It is hard to believe that he is really old enough for this transition, though he is probably the oldest of my 5 to still be in a crib. He's my baby, after all.

We rearranged the beds this evening after dinner and, of course, had to have a photo shoot in each room.





I'm hopeful that tomorrow morning more of this kind of snuggling will be taking place.

My other hopes include a move to the bottom bunk sometime next week, a move of my horribly messy craft room into an empty nursery (I'm not completely heart broken over the transition!), and shortly in the futre: POTTY TRAINING (but you can read more about that in my NMM post in the morning!)!!!! (psst, Bonnie, I smell a tackle coming on!)

My precious Mother-in-love has always said, "We raise them to let them go." While I haven't always found those to be the most comforting words, they are true and, at least, we get to do it bits at a time as they grow and not cold turkey!

Wordless Wednesday - Patriotic Passion, er, Puppy Love!

"Not Me!" Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I had a busy week this week, and that always means more not me's that I was perfectly angelic all week.

For instance, this week while flying home from Florida with the youth group after a missions trip, I did not request exit row and bulkhead seating for my extra long legs only to find that there was peaceful quiet to be found many rows ahead of the 54 teenagers. I did not revel in it by falling asleep with my mouth hanging open. Nope, not me!

On a venture to the lavatory I did not purposely stick my fanny in one of the teens' face. When she punched my fanny I so did NOT turn the other "cheek"! Uh-uh, not me!

On finding that I had brought home an unwanted stow-away (a flying cockroach), I did not scream! I did not obsess about it all week, nor did I name my unwanted friend, Orlando. I never cried to my husband about how freaked out I was about bringing home a cockroach, nor cry to my step-dad, a former pest control technician, about 'Orlando'. I'm so not freakish about a single little bug, not me!


I did not, in hopes of getting a good shot of a hummingbird flop myself down on the floor of the glass blower's shop with my camera aimed at their hummingbird feeder. I did not spend at least 15 minutes there in the doorway, blocking the traffic of their would-be customers.
I did not spend the better part of the rest of the hour on the bench outside the shop trying to get more hummingbird pictures. I certainly wouldn't abandon my huband to get ice cream for all 5 children all by himself while the photgrapher in me ignored all else to get the perfect shot. No sir, not me!
That was my perfectly angelic week! What did you not do, come on, be brutally honest!