Just Thinking.......

I've just been thinking today. I went to a funeral with my T this morning. One of her friends lost her daddy this past Friday suddenly. I cannot imagine losing my father now at age 44, let alone at age 19. To the C family, my condolences. M will be missed. J, I love you!

So I've been thinking about how my girls would handle losing their father right now. Not well, I know.

I've also been thinking about some testimonies I've heard about letters from dads to their children and from children to their parents. Wondering how to go about writing such a letter to my own daddy. Or one to my girls. What would happen if I were taken to heaven suddenly? Would they know how much I love them? Would they know how to take care of their own families some day? Would they know how to take care of their sisters?

What if?

I know it's kind of a downer thought. But God tells us we should be ready at any time to go home to Him. So while I am ready in the sense of salvation, I am not ready in the selfish sense of wanting to be here for them. I want to grow old with Gary and watch them graduate, wed, have families, be happy. Is that wrong? I don't think so, just human.

So I will live each day to its fullest, let those I love know it, and be at peace in knowing whatever life brings, wherever the road leads, God is in it.

My Muse?

A long-lost, newly-found friend (http://www.octamom.com/) asked on her blogger today "What is your muse?" What inspires you to write about a certain something? Many of the comments she received were inclusive of family, jobs, schooling, etc. My muses are the same, I suppose. I am pretty new to this blogging thing and sometimes the words come flowing out, but most of the time - it's a big blank wall. Maybe reading about others' muses and listing some of my own will help the creative juices flow.

My daughters are probably my biggest muse. They are always good for a story or two, especially the littlest one, A. You forget how the world looks to a toddler once they outgrow that stage. We are being reminded of how simple life really is....eat, sleep, play and pray with a few things in between that you may or may not like. Such as take medicine, go shopping (GASP! How did I end up with not one but two who would rather not shop?), wear clothes when a diaper is sufficient for most days, things like that. Our little A is an amazing reminder of what T, L, and R were like at that age.

My animals are a muse to me too. They are the subject of just as many stories as the girls. Some day I will blog about them.

Another muse is God's creations - the flowers, the sunsets, the trees. (I have a story in mind about a couple of trees, but just haven't gotten it quite right yet.) His creation of my children, my husband, my parents, my family. One question we ask A all the time is "Do you know why you're here?" She always answers "Yes!" but never tells us. Maybe that's another muse..........Why are you here? What is God's purpose for your life?

Speaking of God's purpose for your life, another friend's blog/job/foundation http://www.hugaway.org/ is her one of her purposes and another muse. I have known this woman for 20 years and have seen what the power of God can do. Some day, maybe I'll ask her permission to write about some of it.

So, I guess I can no longer say that I have nothing to write about. I have lots to write about and lots of people to meet through this blogging adventure. And so it begins..............

And Daughter Number 2....

This is L, daughter number 2 of 4. She is a freshman in high school and is 14 going on 24. L likes music - the "emo" kind. I guess it is every generation's job to annoy the previous generation with their music. She is far from being "emo" but she sure likes the styles and sounds.

She also dances - tap and jazz - and has from age 2. We tease her about her dancing everywhere she goes - feet tap, tap, tapping. This from the child who used to run into walls. L has been an assistant teacher at her studio for the last 3 years for some of the younger classes. Next year she hopes A (daughter number 4) will want to dance and she'll be her teacher! Recital is in a couple of months - can't wait!

L doesn't play sports like T and R, but she is their biggest fan and has sat through many a practice and game to support her sisters and their teams. Such a good sport!

She is the "Suzie Homemaker" of the group. She likes to cook and take care of A. We call her the other mother sometimes. But only if she's not busy on the computer, texting, or reading. Then she is all typical teenager...."whatever" is the favorite word if irritated.

L - daughter number 2, gotta love her!

Another Little Girl

This is another of my girls. B is 12 and in 6th grade. She has a ready smile and loves to be with her friends. She is 3rd of the 4 and would have been totally happy to be the baby forever. A new sister at the age of 10 was a little difficult to handle for her, but now doesn't know what she would do without her sissy!

B dances, plays basketball, soccer and now has just made the school volleyball team. I am very proud that she took the chance to try out, knowing she is not an accomplished player. I sure wouldn't have! Of course, sports have never been my thing.

B is also the first one of the girls to have an interest in band. She plays the saxophone and in my opinion is pretty good. I hope she continues to play.

At the age of 12 she is almost as tall as I am (which is not saying much!) and her legs are longer than mine. I think she will be the tallest of the bunch. She also loves jokes and riddles and has a good sense of humor.

Just a little insight to my number 3......love her!