Two Peas in a Pod

Two years ago today, we added another daughter to our fold, when youngest son Kyle married Dani.  Dani was an only child and how she blends in so well with this huge, loud, crazy family we will never know, but we are sure blessed that she does.  Two months after they were married, Kyle's sisters Karen and Jamie each gave birth less than forty eight hours apart.  I remember reading Dani's facebook post that read "I'm an aunt again for the second time in two days!  I love this family!"  How could we not fall in love with a girl like that!

When Kyle first started kindergarten, he was in the same class as a sweet special needs girl named Tristan.  Teachers constantly told me how compassionate and kind Kyle was to Tristan.  I was told that for many years the school made sure that they were both in the same class because Kyle was so helpful to her.  In junior high and high school, it was common for Tristan to see him across the track field or gym and run across to say hi and give him a big hug.  One time when a carnival was in town, Tristan's mother looked for Kyle to ask him if he would take Tristan on a few of the rides.  Tristan moved to a much bigger town, three hours away, when her and Kyle were Sophomore's in high school.  Occasionally he would get a text from her on the phone, but other than that, Tristan was just a fond memory.

Unbeknown to us, in the town that Tristan moved to was another Sophomore named Dani.  Their class had two hundred and fifty kids in it instead of the forty some that were in Kyle's class.  Nevertheless, Dani noticed Tristan and she always made a point to visit with her and help her out if she ever saw her having trouble with anything.  Several years later, Kyle attended college in Dani and Tristan's home town.  Kyle and Dani met and the rest, as they say, is history.

When their wedding day arrived, Tristan was one of the invited guests and her Mom and Dad brought her to the reception and dance.  She was so excited to see both Dani and Kyle and to be a part of their big day.  During the dance, several times through the night, we would see either Dani or Kyle dancing with Tristan.  At one time, we looked up and they were sitting on the edge of the stage with Tristan in between them!  Typically, they didn't worry one bit about themselves, or about it being "their day", but instead made sure she felt completely welcome and included.  

Now, two years later, they have both finished their first year of teaching special ed students.  They both love their jobs and you can tell they have a passion and love for the children they teach.   I know people say that opposites attract, but other than the only child / big family thing, Dani and Kyle seem to have an awfully lot in common.  We sure are glad their "pod" happens to be in our area, and I've been told there are a few parents and students who feel the same way!

Wiggy

Today is our granddaughter's birthday, she is seven years old.  She has a beautiful given name, it is Kierstyn Denae, but when she was a squrimy little toddler her Daddy started calling her "wiggles", it got dropped to Wiggy and it stuck.  I'm sure when she's older she will ask us to quit calling her Wiggy and call her by her name.  I have to admit, it will take some concentration to do so.  I honestly have to stop and think what her name is, she will always be Wiggy to me!

If you had a slang dictionary and looked up "Cute as a Bug's Ear, there would have to be a picture of Wiggy! She has long dark hair that almost touches her waist, dark brown eyes and the cutest speckling of freckles across her nose and cheeks.  And she is as sweet as she is cute.  The typical middle child, she is always willing to give into the others demands.  She gives the best hugs ever!  She loves to play board games and she loves school.  When you ask her what her favorite part of school is, she says "Oh the work!  I just love the work!"  And it shows.  Although she is just now finishing kindergarten she is reading at a third grade level or beyond.


Wiggy's vocabulary has always been huge for her age and some of the words she would use in the correct way would absolutely amaze us!  But even though she had an amazing vocabulary, Wiggy was hard to understand for most of the years of her life.  She had a hard time saying many sound combinations.  Clear up until she started school last fall we would often have to ask her Mom to interpret what she was was trying to say.  She just graduated from speech class.  At her last meeting the speech teacher asked Wiggy how she felt like she was doing and Wiggy immediately said that she thought she was doing good but there was one word she couldn't say right.  The teacher asked her what it was and she told her "geo-cache".  So they worked and before the session was over she could say geo-cache with the best of them!

One of my favorite Wiggy stories took place shortly after they had moved to a new town and her older brother had had a bad day at school because of someone picking on the new kid.  Her mamma had all the kids in one room saying there night time prayers.  As they were praying that things would go better for Kyson the next day, Karen said thank you that Kyson had other friends and a family who loved him and could help him through any future hard times with this particular boy.  Right then, with much enthusiasm, Wiggy jumped up and shouted "And for a PaPa who'll burn his house down if we ask him to!"  (She had easily come to this conclusion because hubby Mark can get rather passionate when he thinks one of his own is being picked on!)

I can't believe she is seven years old already.  My word time flies.  How many times do we hear that said but Wow, is it ever true!  So Happy Birthday Miss Wiggy!  I love you very very much and am looking forward to years and years of fun and laughter with you, and someday you and I will go hunt geo-cache's all day long!

Anxious thoughts

Quickly reading through two articles in the paper today made me pause.  The first one was about the search for missing victims of the massive tornado's in the south.  It told of a father who was present when the body of his twenty one year old son who was a college student in Alabama was found among the debris and twisted trees.  The father kneeled down and caressing his son's face started talking to him, telling him how much he loved him, how proud he was of him and how much he would be missed.  Having son's close to that age, it was easy to put my son's faces on that young man.  The horror of what those poor people have been living hit me like a ton of bricks.

 Next, I read about a Rwanda woman who was testifying at a trial against a man who carried out ethnic cleansing murders against her entire village, killing her husband and three young children.  Reading stories like this make me ask so many questions.  How can such horror be happening to others while I am safe here in my own home and my concerns are so trivial they are laughable.  How do people go on after something like that happens to them?  Why have I had such an easy life, nothing truly bad ever coming my way or to the ones I love?  And the big one...would I keep my faith if it did?

I've read countless stories and personal testimonies from people who have endured the worst imaginable things.  People like Corrie Tin Boom who was imprisoned in a Nazi camp and lost her sister there who not only kept her faith through it all but who's faith was strengthened.  Or the man who wrote the hymn, "It is well with my soul", who wrote it the morning after all four of his children drowned at sea.  Or Elizabeth Elliot who's husband was speared to death by the Auca Indians in South America and went on to live and teach in the very village of the people who killed him.  Would I be that strong?  Would I be able to praise Jesus name if a trial like that came my way?  Oh Lord, I hope and pray I would, but I can't say with certainty what I would do because I have never had my faith tested in that way.  It's easy to sound all pious and say I put my trust in the Lord when I live as charmed a life as I do, but what would I say or do if was all taken away from me?  On the other hand, I can't imagine how anyone could ever get through a tragedy without Jesus taking them by the hand, guiding them, loving them, comforting them.  I have a feeling these are common feelings, if I am anything, I am just a common person.  I think the only thing I can do is make sure my relationship with Christ is strong.  Make reading his word and praying the most important part of everyday.  Ask him each day to strengthen my faith.  Ask him in advance for the grace, spiritual maturity and strength I will need for any future trial.

After the last paragraph, I was interrupted by a phone call from hubby, needing me to make a "parts run".  On the way to town I prayed and thought about all these things and Jesus reminded me of two very important things he said to all of us.  Number one - Don't worry about tomorrow, today has enough worries of it's own and tomorrow will take care of itself. (Matthew 6:34)  Number two - My grace is sufficient for you, for when you are weak, I am strong!  (2 Corinthians 12:9)

All I've got to say is Wow!  How amazing is He?!?  How much calmer my heart feels after hearing those words.  If he is concerned enough about me to know exactly what I need and comfort me over anxious thoughts, how much more is He there when someone has fallen into the deepest darkest pit?  Lord Jesus, I pray for all the people today, trying to put their lives back together after a storm or the loss of loved ones.  Lord, in my comfort and peaceful place today, let me not forget that others need lifted up.  Please let them feel your presence so strongly, please show them how to lean on you, please hold them close in your arms.  Let them feel your peace that transcends all understanding.  Amen