Saturday, November 22, 2008

Finally, Something to Say!!

Okay, America, after many weeks of silence I finally have something to say. I have found my voice and I have lots to post about.


I must start off by formally announcing that the 2nd grade Cougars beat the pants off of the Vikings today (32-13) in their first ever playoff game. In an act of good sportsmanlike conduct I hugged the Vikings coach, who was once a friend of mine, and said, in a sincere voice, "I am so sorry we kicked your tail today." He took it very well, I think.
The Cougars will play the Bobcats in the championship game on December 6th and we are all pretty excited. I would say that the Cali friends should come in for the game, but this is expensive and they are only 7. You have many years ahead of you to come watch my son snap a ball in between his legs with his head upside down and deliver it perfectly to the QB every time. Tempting isn't it!?! If you can't make it, we'll send you the DVD!






There has been so much happening in between football games and practices. We will begin with Sophie's 5th birthday party. It was a Hello Kitty Extravaganza. She asked for a Hello Kitty party at home and she wanted our friend, Mr. Rod, (KZ Rod from KCBI) to do his puppet show for the kids. Rod makes puppets out of things like vacuum cleaner hoses, wrapping paper tubes and random stuff. The kids go crazy. They absolutely love it. She also wanted his 11 year old son, Benjerben (Benjamin), to have a sword fight with Landry. A duel, as it were, over her friend, Sara. She talked about it for months. I just kind of ignored this request, since I thought it was kind of stupid and hoped that she would forget it. But Ben, in his preciousness, showed up prepared. Instead of a sword fight, Benjerben did a magic show for the kids. It was perfect. He finished it up and Sophie came to me and said, "So, when is the sword fight?" I promptly introduced her to another helping of cake.


The party was great. All the kids had their faces painted like kitty's. They had kitty ears (compliments of my mother). They made kitty cupcakes (compliments of my mother). They ate kitty cake and kitty ice cream and opened kitty presents and then we all threw up kitties and passed out on the floor. Actually, it went very smoothly (compliments of my mother :).


So, now that Sophie is five I must tell you the excellent things she has learned in the past three weeks. I am warning you, this is not for the faint of heart or the home schooled...



1. You may not color your entire leg with an orange marker.
2. It is not okay to cut yourself some bangs.
3. It is inappropriate for a 5 year old to tell their brother, or anyone for that matter, that you are going to kick their ass.
4. Pecker means wiener and it is not a nice word especially when you are singing about peckers to the tune of deep and wide. ie. "pecker and pecker, pecker and pecker there's a mountain flowing with peckers and peckers." If there is a mountain flowing with peckers, I do not want to go there!!!
5. Nothing surprises your mother any more.


What's funny is, she is so embarrassed about all of these things. She does not want me to tell anyone anything that she says or does. I would respect this request of hers if it wasn't for the c-section scar on my stomach that gives me the right to say anything I want to anyone I want for the rest of my life. And if she keeps being so danged funny I will keep invoking that right!!!!

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Missing my friend!

Okay, I have been trying to post for a week now and never seem to be able to finish. My funny bone is broken and I think it will take a while to heal and even then it will never be the same. So I struggle to write this blog today. One, because it is hard to see this in print. Two, because I can't see what I am typing when my eyes won't stop leaking!!!
This past week my precious friend, Jessica Kaylor, went to be with the Lord. http://jessicakaylor.blogspot.com/ . Jessica bravely fought cancer for the past three years. She would get through one battle only to find out that she had another battle to fight. She seemed to always get back on the horse. She was a strong warrior. Doing what it took to keep on living life to the fullest. I honestly didn't think she would die so soon. I truly thought she would have many more years. I have to say that I have been blindsided and the sorrow that I feel is overwhelming. When I found out that the cancer had spread so dramatically and the cancer treatments had broken her body down so much that there was nothing else the doctors could do to prolong her life, I began praying constantly that God would heal her in a miraculous way and that if his will wasn't to heal her here on earth that he would take her quickly and not let her suffer. Even though my heart is aching over the loss of my friend who is a wife of my friend and a fabulous mother to my sweet Katy, Jadyn and Bryn. I am so thankful that he took her to be with him as gently as he could.

I remember the first day I met Jessica. She was visiting our church with her mom, Judy and her aunt, Sandy McNutt. Her daughter Katelyn was 2 1/2 or 3 at that time. Clay and I were teaching a preschool Sunday school class. We had the same group of kids since they were 6 months old. We loved them. Katy came in the class surrounded by Jess, Judy and McNutt. I think that fireworks went off when Sandy and I saw each other. She introduced me to Jess and Katelyn and told me to take care of them and love them. When Sandy tells me to love someone, I know they are worth the effort and because she had already showered so much love on me I had plenty to shower on her loved ones.

I remember thinking that Jess was so quiet and not as exuberant as her aunt Sandy but Katelyn was a whole other story. It only took about 5 minutes for me to see that I wasn't dealing with an ordinary child. She was confident and clever and so very adorable with a head full of reddish brown curls. Katy fit into our little crowd of already much loved and adored kiddos without missing a beat. She was easy to love. I know now that when someone loves your kids you love them just because they love your kids. Jess trusted me with Katelyn for two years and I am so lucky to have had that opportunity.

For the past few days I have a movie of Jessica moments playing in my head. I am amazed at how many things I remember and how many times something she said or something she did changed my life. I always loved being with her because she was so peaceful. She calmed me. I felt peaceful around her. I have tried for years to model her patient tone of voice and calm demeanor. Try as I may, it just isn't me. When I would talk to her about something that was troubling me she would listen and then very thoughtfully express her opinion. Even if it was different than mine, she never made me feel stupid or less spiritual. This is important because we Christians have a way of deciding who is spiritual and who isn't based on our own flawed judgement. I never realized until a few years ago that Christians are so hard on each other. We are so worried about the speck in someone else's eye when we have a whole log cabin blocking our view!!! Jessica never picked at my log cabin and I don't ever recall seeing a speck in her eye. She wasn't perfect, but she was extraordinary.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, I told her that I didn't know what to say or how to handle this and she said, it was alright she didn't know either and we would figure this out since she was my first "cancer friend". She said it so sing songie. We laughed even though we wanted to cry. A year or so later I told her that I had decided that she wasn't going to be my "cancer friend". She was just Jessica to me. If I wanted an update on the cancer stuff I would go to the blog, but with me she just got to be Jessica, my friend. And that she was! I prayed for her constantly and she continued to be a great friend even when she wasn't feeling well. She is one of the reasons that I do a lot of the stuff that I do right now. She encouraged me to transfer my kids to Wood. She encouraged me to be on the PTA board. She inspired me to do the Weekend Backpack program and she is the reason I will continue it for as long as there is a need. She inspired me to love some people that I had a hard time loving. She built me up and encouraged me on a regular basis. She let me be me and loved me for who I am. She was goodness and light and I miss her.

Katy girl, I know you and Chandler are reading this and I am going to tell you that you are blessed beyond measure to have your mom in your life. She isn't physically here anymore but she left obvious imprints on so many lives. I can name names if you want me to. Did you see all of the people at her memorial service. I think she would be a little embarrassed but she would have handled it with the grace that she handled everything. I am so proud of you and how you have let people love you through this. I am so proud of your dad and the grace and strength that he has allowed God to show through him. For the rest of our lives we will have fun telling Jadyn and Bryn stories about your mom. Someday, we will be able to share these stories without our funny bone aching so much. I love you guys. Thank you God for Jessica Kaylor!!!!

Tomorrow I will tell you some funny things!!!!