The heat returns...

Well, our AC has quit working for the second time this week. It sure makes me thankful for when it is working. The irony of it is that Holly's went out this week,too. We gave her the number of the people we used the first time and they came to her house that same day. So, today, we called them and asked them to come and fix it and they said that they would be out on Tuesday of next week. What? We found out that since we are getting this service through our home warranty, which Holly was not, we would be put on the bottom of the list. They know that we have to use them. Things like these tend to fire me up. I am trying to keep my testimony, but I am very tempted to give them a piece of my mind. As you can see, I have trouble being in a good mood when I am hot and my kids are fussy because they are hot, too. We stayed at Mom's house over the weekend and are trying to give her a break. I'll probably be there tomorrow night anyways since Jeff is out of town.
Jeff is taking Kent down to Honor Academy in Tyler, Texas. He will be there for a year. I cannot believe my little bro is going to college. We are sure going to miss you, Bub. The kids want you to call them often.

Wow!

I cannot believe it has been a month since I last posted. We have so much to write about but I will do that later. We got home from vacation on Saturday and our AC is not working. We began to unpack and Sam was drenched in sweat in about 2 minutes. So, we have been staying with Mom until the AC is fixed. Should be today. It has been over 100 degrees in Charlotte. Whew! The beach wasn't so bad because we had a good breeze and the water to cool off in. This is terrible without a pool, though. Hint, Hint, Jeff! I have been begging Jeff to get a pool. Jeff, being raised in Fla does not see the benefits of getting a pool when you can only use it for 4 months out of the year. :) I love to swim. I probably would not get very much accomplished because I would be in the pool all of the time. Well, the last time that we had this kind of weather during the summer, we had a great winter. Lots of snow and snowdays! Today, that sounds so great!

Joy In the Morning

I don't know why, but today I really miss my Dad. Sometimes it just hits me like a ton of bricks that he is not here. For instance, my brother Kent has his old cell phone and cell number and his car. Sometimes when Kent calls, I will think for a second that it is Dad. Or when I see his car, I will think, Dad's home. I know that this sounds weird. We all miss him. Nothing is the way it used to be and I hate that. I wish that he were here to see my kids. I have a hard time accepting the fact that my kids will probably not remember him as they get older. He loved them so much. My children are blessed with 3 wonderful grandparents. They all love them so much. But, they should have had their Grampa Dwyer, too. When I worried about Sam and his health, Dad would just listen and encourage me. He would reassure me that everything was going to be OK. I always believed him. He did that for my sisters, my brother, and my Mom. It seems like we all need him right now. I think that is why it is hitting so hard at this moment. Everyone seems to be going through some hard times and we all feel kind of lost without him. I had no idea how much pain people are in when they a lose a dear loved one. The magnitude is incomprehensible unless you have been through it. Since the death of my Dad, I look at people so differently. I remember the first time that I went anywhere after he died, which happened to be Walmart, go figure. Anyways, it felt so silly and weird to be there. I kept thinking, "How can I shop for groceries when he is not here?" Why is everyone smiling? But, the thing I remember the most is wondering how many people here are experiencing pain so heavy and terrible yet are forced to continue living. We all still have to go to Walmart. It's not just for the soccer moms, the PTA presidents, the Sunday school teachers, and everyone else who we think has it all together. There are people all around us who have just found out devastating news, has a sick child, lost a loved one,yet still has to buy milk and diapers. How can life simply go on? Without the ones we loved? We have to.. It is our calling. He has called us to get through. He will carry us through. He hurt the way we hurt. He has already paved the paths that we have to walk through. He watched His loved one die, too. A death so painful that He had to turn away. Yet, His Son's death was necessary so that our own pain would not last forever. He has promised to wash away every tear. I cannot wait for that day. Often at night, I grieve, I worry, and I stress. I guess that this is normal because the Lord has given us a promise regarding this. He does truly give us joy in the morning. The fears are not so heavy and the grief is not so strong when the sun comes up. The kids get in our bed and soon remind me of the joys that He has filled my cup with. It does run over.






I'm sorry about the topic being a little less perky, but I needed to write. Tomorrow, I'll be back to the adventures of the family.

Kids Say The Cutest Things

Tonight, the kids and I went for a walk while Jeff mowed the yard. As we were walking, a couple of girls drove by in a convertible. Susanna goes, "Mommy, I will never drive a car without a lid on it. They are so dangerous. Why don't they have a lid on it?" It was funny. She is definitely the little Mother Hen. Yesterday, my brother Kent's dog kept following Susie around the house. Susanna asked my Mom why the dog was following her all over the place. My Mom told her that the dog just really liked her. Then, Susie said, "But Grandma, I just need some alone time for a little bit." Mom got a kick out of it. I did too.

A Bit Overwhelming...

Luke and Susanna have been misbehaving quite a bit today. I don't have a voice to get on to them. My voice has been gone for about 2 days now. Let's just say that it has been a little rough today. Is it normal to have days that you feel as though you are failing as a parent? I mean, some days when everything is going wrong, I think about all of the things that could and should be done better. It sometimes terrifies me to think of this great responsibility that God has given Jeff and I. How can I make sure that they will love the Lord, love others, have a vision for their lives, be strong, know how to brush their teeth for 2 minutes, tie their shoes, sit up straight at the table, have good manners, be polite,play an instrument, button their pants,learn to write,know how to read, know their addresses,know not to talk to strangers, eat all their vegetables and fruit,be able to play ball, clean their rooms without hiding stuff under their bed, share with each other,know all the little songs that I want them to know, speak uplifting words and not words that tear down,stay away from drugs? OK, I know I am getting a little ahead of myself but the task does seem a little overwhelming, especially today. How do you have time in the day to prepare them for life? I don't mean to sound negative. I love and enjoy raising them. It would be so easy to get them to just survive this world. But, we want so much for them to thrive in this world. I want them to know that God has a purpose for their lives and a plan. He wants them to glorify Him, live and breathe His Word, show others His love, and be Kingdom-Minded. How can Jeff and I do this? We make so many mistakes, it's scary. I mean, sometimes I wonder if we even have a chance of turning out kids that are normal. We can't do it alone. We need Him every moment of every day. I think that is where I often lose focus. We can't do it alone. It's too big of a task to do without His guidance every day. I am so glad, that even though today I probably snapped at my kids too many times that His grace will see us through.