Happy Birthday to Me!!

Today, I am 63 years old.  I don't know why I felt it necessary to start off with that announcement, but there it is.  63 is not especially a milestone birthday, however, I thank the Lord for each year and feel incredibly blessed with the life He has given me.  Actually, I guess from here on out each birthday should be considered a milestone.

I am writing this in the truck on the way back to Springfield from Houston, Texas.  We left last Friday afternoon, stopped in Durant, Oklahoma for the night and drove on to Houston Saturday morning.  Gary and I always go in October because Ruth Ann Bischoff has a birthday on October 9th and we try to go as near to her birthday as we can.  This year she turned 9 on the 9th.

Here we are at the American Girl doll store.  She decided she would buy another doll with her birthday money from us.  Bailey has Rebecca and Ruth has Ruthie (Kit Kittredge's friend) and Saturday she chose McKenna.  The sales clerk asked her if she thought McKenna would get along with the other two.  Ruthie said, "I hope so."  Well, I certainly hope so, too, Ruthie.  Wouldn't that be a bummer if they didn't get along.

Oh my goodness, that store is the best, well, if you are a girl anyway.  I don't know how long we spent there, but we could have stayed longer (if we had more money, that is.)  Here they are with their dolls.  Bailey and Ruth are the teachers and I think class is in session now.

That evening we had birthday supper and cake for Ruthie and I.  Wendy's famous spaghetti and meatball cake.  Yellow cake topped with fondant spaghetti and brownie meatballs with strawberry jam on top for sauce.

Sunday we went to this place for lunch.  Ever heard of it?   It is an Italian restaurant and very good.  I just thought the name was kinda funny.  We never did find out what it means.

Tuesday night Lucas had a football game.  It was raining the whole time so we sat in the lawn chairs under umbrellas.  Fun time!!  I guess you will figure out Lucas is #1.

 It's a pretty big middle school to have this many boys on the team.

And here's Lucas's pants before going into the washing machine.  Yuck!

Soaked to the skin................

Gary took Lucas and Micah to the golf course Monday after school, while Wendy and I took the girls to Target so Ruthie could spend the rest of the money she got for her birthday.

We had a wonderful time, but, as usual, it is hard to say goodbye to this family we love so much.  I kept telling myself, "I'll be back in November for Bailey's birthday, then they will be here in December for Christmas."

Hey, Micah, I just noticed I do not have one picture of you on here.....what's the deal?  You know that means that next time I go there your face will be plastered all over my blog.  Maybe I will put your Pedro picture on here.  Huh?  Vote for Pedro!

Happy birthday to me!

Donna

My Brother

What else can I say about William J. Murray than what I wrote for his memorial service?  I loved him so much and will miss him terribly.  Our brother/sister love has just grown deeper over the years.

Well, you think you know someone…….I thought I knew my brother.

I knew he was a great son, uncle and brother, although it must have been difficult at times being sandwiched between two sisters.

I knew he trusted Jesus as his Savior as a child and loved God’s Word.

I knew he was politically conservative, to say the least, and opened my eyes to the political scene and was my resource for knowing who deserves my vote.

I knew he was an avid reader and was extremely knowledgeable about a multitude of subjects. He should have been on Jeopardy. He would have cleaned up.

He loved to hunt mushrooms and fried up a plate of morels that were out of this world. He loved to grow tomatoes, make the best pot of fresh green beans, and talk about our family history in Greene County. He taught himself to play the guitar and banjo. He wrote many beautiful poems. He loved our kids and both of our boys worked for him and learned carpentry from him.

But just when you think you know someone…… you hear stories about his character and integrity from those he worked for and with and who knew him in the community. I have heard over and over the phrase, “you could trust him.” I hear stories about his kindness and generosity from those who have been recipients of it, stories of his humor and funny antics…like when he painted big red flowers on the sides of Gary’s old blue pickup he got from his grandpa. We don’t know why… What can I say? He was 15 and it was the 70’s. Flower Power!  So there you go…. Then I hear his love story and how deeply his heart could love and commit to his best friend and fiancé, Donna Marie.

I feel like I know him so much better now, but I miss him so much more. He has left a void in our family that will only be filled when we get to kneel with him at the feet of King Jesus in worship forever.

Some of my favorite pictures:

I did not know that he wanted to be cremated, but he had told Donna on several occasions that was his wish.  He did not want to be displayed in a casket or be buried in the ground.  So that's what we did.  None of our family had ever been cremated before so this was kind of foreign to us. But, hey, it's just a shell, right?  These old bodies eventually turn to dust and ashes anyway.  And one of these days we will have new bodies in a glorious new Home!  

Thank you Jesus for seeing us through this grieving process.  Saying goodbye to B.J. hurts just as bad as the others of our family who have gone on, but thankfully, we have a Comforter who comes to us in our sorrow and brings sweet peace. And then we go on.......

.........never forgetting,

Sis

Good Day...Bad Day!

Tuesday, August 14, 2012...beautiful, cool day.  It's a little cloudy, but nice.  I believe I will load up the kids...there's five today because school starts Thursday and the girls have to work Monday - Wednesday.  I really needed to check the post office, so off we go.

Since it was so nice and cool, I thought that we might do an end of summer outing to the zoo.  I pushed the double stroller with Cael and Ava.  Jadon pushed Jude in the single stroller.

We had a great time and the kids behaved so well.  We went home for lunch and got ready for naps.

Well, that was the good day......then came the bad day.

The kids were all playing in the playroom when Jude came running in to me saying "Cael's hurt!"  I ran into the room and could hear him crying but then I saw blood running down the side of his face and splatters all over the floor and bed.  He had fallen off the top bunk onto some little wooden trains and there was a huge gash on the side of his face.  I was pretty scared because it was right at his temple.  It was obvious it needed stitches, so I grabbed a wet rag for him to hold on his face and we came in to call Matt.  Little did I know, Lindsay was on her way out to pick up the kids.  Matt met me at a gas station at H highway and I44.  He took his kids and left to meet Lindsay at Urgent Care.  I took the other kids home to Todd and Heather, went by my house to grab Cael and Ava's bags and shoes.  Meantime Urgent Care had sent Matt and Lindsay to the emergency room at the hospital because they would not stitch up a gash like that on the face.  I headed to the emergency room.  Cozy had already gone by and picked up Ava and took her home.

When I got to the hospital they had already dressed Cael's wound and he was sleeping on Matt's chest.  They were just waiting for the doctor to come in.

He wasn't too crazy about all the tubes and stuff they had to put on him.  They tried to put the oxygen tube on his nose, but he just cried, "I don't want air!".  So they waited until they gave him the shot to sedate him.  Once the sedation kicked in, it didn't take but a few minutes to stitch him up.  They did one thread looped six times, so it would be easier to get out.

When he came to my house the next day, he said first thing, "I not going to top bunk any more."
And he hasn't.....so far.

Cael, you sure were a trooper and very brave.

I love you,

Mema

2012 Annual Cousin Pictures

Each year we try to get all the kids together for a picture.  One year they were cowboys; one was in swimming suits; one in polo shirts and jean shorts.  Last year we didn't get to get together in the summer so we did the Nativity at Christmas.  This year I wanted to do the Olympics.  So I found some flag shirts and Mallory and I added decals and Iron-on's to make them a Team USA shirt.  We all met at Founder's Park in Springfield and she took their pictures.

 Here's Ava playing in the water....with daddy's help...and some of the pictures that Mallory took that day.

After the pictures, we all went to Steak 'n Shake to eat lunch.....all 16 of us.

Next.....Gavin's birthday party!

What a great day!!!

Happy Birthday to Gavin!!

So Saturday was a very busy day.  After the cousin pics, everybody met at Matt and Lindsay's house at 6 pm for Gavin's birthday party.  He will be gone to Boys' Camp on his 11th birthday, so we are celebrating a bit early.

Lindsay fixed a yummy taco bar and Gavin's cake had a paintball gun in frosting on the top.

Gifts were mostly cards with money or gift cards.....woo hoo!!

Matt set up a slip 'n slide in the front yard and the kids had so much fun slippin 'n a slidin'....  Here they are waiting their turn to slide...

Happy Birthday, Gavin!!!  I have enjoyed every one of your eleven years on this earth.  I especially enjoyed our time together this year in St. Louis.  I pray that you will continue to look forward to the time you are not just a spectator on this mission trip but a participant and that you will remember that you are always on the mission field, including at your school.  You are such a deep thinker and enjoy being around and talking to people.  I'll be excited to see how God uses these traits in your life.  Hope this week at camp was a great time for you!

I love you,

Mema

SDC with the Bischoffs

Ironically, while I was in Kansas City, Doug brought the Houston's First Baptist Church students on their "Rush Week" (camp/mission trip) to Branson, Missouri.

So...again, I left the Global Encounter trip a day early, so that I could meet them at Silver Dollar city on Friday.  They were still handing out tickets to the almost 300 students and leaders that were there from HFBC when I got there.  Lucas, who is in the youth group this year had already gone with his small group, so I took Bailey, Micah and Ruth and we headed for the rides.  Doug and Wendy would meet up with us later when they got everybody in the gate.  Well this ride was sure fun and we got really, really wet, because just before the raft went into the building one of the boats got stuck so we had to wait 30-40 minutes until they got it unstuck.  Fortunately, we stopped right in front of a target that shot back at you when you hit it.  Micah shot that target over and over and over.  He was soaked!

So, we had to wait long enough that Doug and Wendy caught up with us and on we went to the American Plunge. Wendy was the only one that would ride with Ruthie.

Doug had to leave us and go pick up some drivers at the airport, so we went on to the Lazy River ride.

Next it was the Powder Keg and once again.....Wendy and Ruthie....

Wendy and Ruth in the second row, smiling for now.....

Hold on to your hats!!

Then it was on to the Exposition section where they rode everything over and over until, finally, we had to leave.  We said good-bye to Doug, Wendy and Lucas and these three went home with me to spend the night.  The others would meet us at Founders' Park in Springfield on Saturday for our annual cousin picture.

Just getting the weekend started...............

Mema