My Week With the Johnsons

On Monday, Bladen Joel joined our family. Erin, Gregg, and Liz have welcomed him joyfully and are growing love in their home. I was incredibly blessed to be able to be with them this week to help everyone get their feet on the ground. After a couple of days, Erin asked me if staying with them was making me want to have children more or scaring me off. The question still makes me smile. I told her that it makes me look forward to that time to come. I'm not longing for it more or dreading it. I know it is in God's hands. This week was just a sweet taste of things to come. Even though getting up at all hours had its challenges, rocking a sweet baby and praying at 3:00 a.m. was some of the most precious time I have had in a long time. Bladen is a sweet boy already adding joy to our lives. His expressive faces and soft noises warm the heart and balance out the times he is less than happy. He has pretty much stolen this girl's heart! Watching Liz be curious at this person who never left was something else. She was gentle with him and patient for her turn with her parents. She is going to be a great sister! She still has a tug on my heart with that smile, her dancing, and all of her different laughs. She had Erin and I laughing until we couldn't catch our breath this afternoon. Erin was able to start the process of learning how to ensure both of her children are loved, cared for, and getting their share of her. She is an AMAZING mom! She managed to work in one-on-one time with both of the kids each day without neglecting either one. Even recovering from giving birth and adjusting to being a family of four instead of three, she was an incredible hostess. If every home had a mother like her, our world would be a much better place! Gregg is such a great partner for her. They balance each other very well. I love spending time with them because they still enjoy each other - joking, playing, praying, and working together through rest and sleep deprivation. It is obvious that they know how to laugh when they need to most. Gregg is a great dad - playing with the kids, taking care of tasks around the house, and making sure Erin is getting what she needs. The Johnson family is blessed to have him as their head.

Overall, it was a sweet week. It was hard to leave them but I have no doubt that I'll be back very soon (well - when needed or to get a sister/aunt fix). Much, much love to my Johnson family!

Daddio and Liz

Daddio was a big hit this Thanksgiving with Miss Liz! Between reading books, taking pictures, and his clean shoes, his granddaughter was quite smitten! I do love my dad and my niece!

Thanksgiving Lesson

The past two years, the two days before Thanksgiving break have been two of my favorite days to be a teacher. We would do rotations and in each group, we would have an activity to learn more about the lives of the Pilgrims and our Thanksgiving traditions/symbols. The kids LOVE it and we just have a great time. Since I am not in the classroom anymore, it was quite different today. I bounced around from grade to grade helping in their own celebrations. In addition to that, I spent part of the morning (yesterday and today) with one of my pull out kiddos. He is Jehovah's Witness and cannot participate in any holiday activities. Yesterday we "ran errands" around the school and played word games. It was really fun to be with this little guy. He talks a lot so I have to really be on him to be quiet in class. However, the past two days, he has been able to talk his heart out! Such a sweet boy!

*Sidenote: When I asked him to describe a clown yesterday, he responded with, "Cheeky!"

Today my team had a pot luck lunch. I was making fruit salsa with cinnamon sugar tortilla chips. Since it was fruit and I wanted it to be fresh, I decided that my time with the student today would be making the salsa. I bought a cheap chopper and let him go to town. All of that six year old boy energy chopped fruit faster than I have ever seen! While we chopped and mixed, we talked. About half way through, I asked him if he ever helps his mom in the kitchen. He told me that they just moved to a new hotel room and this one doesn't have a kitchen. As a matter of fact, he has never really been in a kitchen before.

This was a huge ah-ha moment for me. Instead of feeling sorry for him because he couldn't make a turkey, my heart broke for him. Here he was, a first grader, and his first experience making any kind of food was in a portable classroom with his reading intervention teacher. He loved every moment of it and was beyond enthusiastic! However, he has never licked a beater after his mom makes a cake. He has never helped ice cookies or helped stir the macaroni and cheese. He has never helped make a salad.

Instead of crying (like I wanted to), I told him what a good job he was doing. I said that he should be a chef. We talked about what a chef is and what kind of food he would make. I tasted the simple salsa and ooo-ed and awwwww-ed at what a fantastic job he did. He smiled this big crooked smile and asked if he could help me cook again sometime. I told him that in about three weeks I would need some more help (Christmas/winter parties). He just said, "aw-wight!" So in three weeks we will cook again and we will talk about being a chef. He will be the most amazing cook in the first grade and I'll do whatever I can in those few hours to plant seeds that can break the cycle his family is in.

Who knows - maybe the very next Emeril is sitting in my room instead of celebrating a holiday.

Lessons from the Corner

Each day on my way home, I get stopped at the intersection of I-10 and Hwy 6. Most days there is a man on the corner with a cardboard sign. There are a few regulars that I have come to recognize and have spoken to a few times. Nice men is need of a little help. There is even one guy that I look for because the next time I see him, I'm thinking of taking him to the new coffee shop on the corner. Most days, their signs talk about being in need of money, out of work, and/or being a Veteran. Most people get on their phones and avoid eye contact at all cost. My heart breaks for these men. They are treated like they have the plague.

Today, I sat at the light and looked over to see a new face. I've never seen him before but there he was - missing his front few teeth and leading the cutest dog ever. He had the most contagious smile I have seen all day long. He looked drivers in the eye, smiled at them, and waved enthusiastically. He made the corner of my mouth turn up a bit. I glanced at his sign and all it said was "Cheeseburger, please!" followed by a smiley face. It was too much. I burst out smiling and laughing. He saw me, smiled, waved, and gave me a thumbs up. I have never been so sad to not have cash on me. He made my day!

As I drove past, two thoughts entered my mind: 1) I hope he is there tomorrow and 2) what a brat I am! Here was a man with very little, obviously full of joy and seeking his daily bread. One smile, one meal, full of joy. There I was, sitting in my car on my way home to prepared dinner feeling a little down after spending a rough-ish day at my very secure job. There he was, with no income just hoping for the generosity of others, smiling like it was Christmas Day. It was obvious who has their perspective correct.

Today, I wish I was more like the man on the corner.

Praise!!

Thank you, thank you, and thank you for your prayers for my coworker! Today, an emergency C-Section was performed and this world welcomed little Dalton. He is 3 pounds exactly and is 20 inches long. There is concern about his lungs but he is in NICU for a little while. Mom is doing very well. She feels great and is beyond in love with her son. As soon as a picture is available, I'll share with you the results of your prayers.

"Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom!" - Psalm 145:3

Prayer Request Update

Thank you so much for praying for my friend! They did a stress test today and the decision was made to schedule a c-section for Thursday. The only area of development that the doctors are concerned about are the baby's lungs. They are giving her a series of shots to help in that area and then on Thursday, we will welcome her son into the world. She is OK but still in shock. As things continue, I'll update more. Thanks again for your petitions on her behalf!

Urgent Prayer Request

Last year, God blessed me with the opportunity to work with an amazing woman. She is the most positive, loving woman I've ever met. I don't think that I have ever heard a negative word come put of her mouth. She loves her students, family, and friends so much!

As we got to know each other, she told me that before moving to Houston, she and her husband lost a son in her eighth month of pregnancy. She had to deliver him stillborn and it was devastating for them. Time was healing them as much as it could and they leaned deeply on God. Then, last April, she announced to us that she was pregnant again. Aside from my niece and nephew, I've never been so excited or prayed harder for a baby in my life. She is due on December 18th.

I just got a call that she was admitted to the hospital this afternoon. The doctor is concerned that the baby does not have enough room so they are keeping her to observe the baby overnight. She just text me that everything is looking good so far. I'm just so scared for her to lose another baby at 8 months. She sounds alright but I know this is in the back of her mind.

Since God is not bound by time, I ask you to prayer for her and the baby as soon as you get this. I so appreciate you joining me in this!