Forever, for always, no matter what.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T12:27:00.000-05:00

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1: 14

Happy Christmas Eve!

2011-12-24T23:08:00.002-05:00

We enjoyed having my sweet Aunt Blanche and cousin Britt for Christmas Eve dinner. I hope we've started a new tradition.

(New goal for 2012 is to find Britt a man so she won't move to a bigger city when her nursing contract is up next November!)

NYC

2011-12-18T19:28:00.011-05:00

Drew planned a really special New York trip to celebrate our 20th anniversary. Brant managed the Bigs while also studying for exams and my dear friends, Jena and Keith, took in the Littles

for the duration. As if they didn't have enough to do wrangling their own 6 kids.

We visited our old building at 865 First Ave, ate at several old neighborhood favorites, saw three shows (all of them amazing---and yes, Harry Connick, Jr. is just as gorgeous in person), toured the 9/11 Memorial, did a little Christmas shopping.....and made a concerted effort to eat all the delicious types of food we can't find any where around here.

Five days away with my husband was just the thing I needed to finish out 2011.

Thanks, Drew. Here's to 20 more.

This WILL make you happy.....

2011-12-01T19:26:00.001-05:00

Click here to hear Will's string quartet performance!

Sixteen Candles

2011-11-28T23:35:00.000-05:00

Happy 16th Birthday, Will!

This WILL make you nervous.....

2011-11-23T23:23:00.004-05:00

Will loves Thanksgiving more than any other day of the year....it's the cleaning assignments beforehand that he hates.

Shortly after I took this and Will finished up dusting that niche above the front door, he said to me, "I think I'll just jump down rather than go down the rickety ladder. It'd be safer, I think."

REALLLLLLYYYY??????

If anybody knows when adolescent brains develop the synapses connecting their crazy impulses to common sense, please tell me. I'd love to know.

Another year older.....

2011-11-14T11:15:00.001-05:00

A delivery from ProFlowers makes turning 46 a little easier.....

Go, Deacs!

2011-11-09T00:49:00.005-05:00

Some one (pretty sure it had to be my mom since she's the only one who ever reads my blog anymore) complained that I never post pix of myself, so here's one of me trying my best to be a good Deacon fan at Wake's big game against Notre Dame Saturday night.

With all his buddies back in town, Drew was giddy at the tailgate, convinced this was the social event of the season here in Winston-Salem.

Will would rather be ANYwhere other than a Wake football game, but he puts on his game face if there's Bojangle's chicken and biscuits involved.

Ditto for Ty.

Tricky Treaters

2011-10-31T22:37:00.000-04:00

Travel ball

2011-10-30T10:10:00.000-04:00

The Carolina Rockies have wrapped up their fall season with an 18-11 record.

We spent the weekend in Myrtle Beach watching Jay and his teammates tough it out in very cold and super windy conditions.

After loads of practicing and 8 tourneys in 3 months, I think Jay's feeling ready to hang up his cleats and pick up a basketball.

At least until February.

Jay is 14!

2011-09-04T21:27:00.000-04:00

Completely hard for me to believe but Babe turned 14 today. At 5' 10" and about 140 pounds, he's no Baby Jay anymore, but sometimes...because he looks just like he always has....I can picture him sitting in the bucket swing with a melting popsicle running down his arm.

Love that baby boy of mine.

Jay had Chuck E. Cheese parties for his 1st through 8th birthdays, so it seemed like time for a return trip to see what ol' Chuck E. was up to.

Babe and his buddies had a blast. And the pizza has vastly improved since 2006.

I love the smell of bus exhaust!

2011-08-25T19:27:00.000-04:00

Luke and Ty started the school year today at our town's brand-spanking new school, Morgan Elementary. They sported all the new necessities: backpacks, pencil cases and lunch boxes. AND they rode a school bus for the very first time. (A very big deal.)

Luke is in Third Grade with the energetic and charismatic Mrs. Drummond.

And Ty is in Mrs. Coates's First Grade.

Two of many indicators that Ty is going to have a great year: Mrs. Coates's first name is "Bunny"......AND the principal's son is also on the roster.

I love the smell of freshly-waxed dorm floors!

2011-08-23T19:59:00.006-04:00

After a long summer of eager anticipation and numerous trips to Bed, Bath & Beyond, Brant moved in for his freshman year at Wake Forest. After unloading his gear, making his bed and oh, about another ten minutes getting settled, he was obviously very much at home on campus. He hugged me and waved goodbye with nary a flinch nor a tear.
Just like I knew he would.
Confidence has never been an issue for Brant.

Me?? I'll save all that for another post, another time. Oh, I'm fine to be sure. I know that I don't have any right to whine given Brant is only twenty minutes up the road. It's all good. He's close by. I get that. But it's still hard to have your first-born move off to college.
I just keep repeating the parenting goal Drew and I set back in August of 1993 when Brant was born. Our goal and our constant prayer, really, was that God would have Brant grow to be brave and strong and independent enough to go to college....to move away from home to study and learn and live on his own.

Well, goal met. And I am thankful to my faithful God.

I love the smell of new shoes....

2011-08-16T11:21:00.003-04:00

Will and Jay both went back to school today. Jay was decked out in new stuff head-to-toe; Will's entire outfit came from Goodwill and cost $5.

(Teenagers, right?)

This year Will is a junior in high school studying cello at the School of the Arts. Incredibly hard for me to believe that we'll be touring colleges with him this fall. I think because of Brant's recent college search, Will is even more motivated to find just the right place.

I'm just trying not to think about it.

Jay is in 8th grade back at Calvary. He's fairly-well convinced that he's God's gift to the Calvary ladies. I continually remind him that he has other more worthwhile gifts to pursue.

Please pray with me that Will and Babe will study hard, choose good friends and be good friends....that they will steer clear of trouble and make the right choices....that they will glorify God in every thing that they do, whether it's in the classroom, on the concert stage

or from behind home plate.

Happy 18th, B-Boy......

2011-08-04T10:56:00.002-04:00

God Bless America!

2011-07-04T08:42:00.000-04:00

Kit is 4!

2011-06-21T17:53:00.003-04:00

Kit celebrated her 4th birthday with a little deli ham and some sliced bananas. She waited really patiently like a good girl while I took the first picture, but lost her composure when I left the room to get a balloon! She looks just little guilty in the second.....

Happy Father's Day, Daddy-o!

2011-06-19T17:26:00.001-04:00

Ahhhh.........Topsail

2011-06-05T16:36:00.003-04:00

School's Out!

2011-05-27T17:21:00.000-04:00

Ty: The "other" graduate with his Kindergarten diploma

Ty's best friends, twins, Noah and Mya

Grads

Right after closing chapel, it was straight to the pool with cousin Sophie!

The Bigs

Celebrating an early 9th for Luke!

Luke's best buds, Jared and Seth

The Graduate!

2011-05-26T22:44:00.001-04:00

Conference Champs!

2011-05-16T23:08:00.000-04:00

They might not look all that formidable, but Jay's Middle School Baseball team finished first in the PACIS Conference and won the league tournament,

beating Forsyth Country Day School 7-3.

The Thrill of Victory

2011-05-15T00:23:00.002-04:00

Babe's Calvary MS team went an amazing 16-2 in the regular season. He strained his rotator cuff in the first game, so did not get to catch as much as he would have liked, but he ate up playing short stop. Babe got back to pitching late in the season and batted .480-ish.

The Agony of Defeat

2011-05-14T00:38:00.001-04:00

Brant toughed out a rough season with Calvary's Varsity Team as they went 3 and 17. A new coach operating with a new system meant Brant did not see the playing time he'd hoped for after years of paying his dues, but B tried to make the most of his last high school season.

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-09T23:54:00.003-04:00

It was nice to have my mom and sister, Kari, along with Drew's folks here for both Jay's Confirmation and to celebrate Mother's Day. We moms were treated to a delicious lunch at Oso and an afternoon concert on the porch by Will.

It's official.....Jay's Confirmation

2011-05-08T23:44:00.000-04:00

Senior Night

2011-05-06T22:55:00.000-04:00

Brant was honored as one of five graduating senior baseball players tonight at the Cougars' last home game of the season. Brant escorted me out on to the field as the PA announcer cited Brant's high school achievements and future plans. Can you tell I'm BEAMING???

Will & Rebecca from Bermuda, NCSA's Prom

2011-04-09T23:35:00.003-04:00

Brant & Emily Kait, Calvary's Senior Prom

2011-04-02T23:16:00.004-04:00

This WILL Make You Smile #8

2011-02-28T08:27:00.008-05:00

I try to keep the line between mother and friend drawn pretty clearly between me and my boys. I figure my kids will have enough friends in life, so, hard as it is, I try to be a consistent and firm parent. I let the boys know what the rules are and enforce consequences when consequences are needed. I don't want to get taken for a ride. And then another ride. And I definitely don't want to end up with some kind of hot mess on my hands.

Honestly, though, now that the big boys are all teenagers and getting more and more mature, it seems natural to share a little more of the real me with them. I think it's important for them to see me and Drew experience all the normal emotions, even if those emotions are doubt and worry.

Generally, I try to keep a lid on it. I try not to share my deepest concerns with them. I try not to share any frustrations I might have with Drew. We are very much a team. I try not to talk about their brothers' issues with them. I try to act like I've got things reasonably in check.

Anyway, last night, I was watching tv down in the basement with Will and Brant and just sort of ruminating about some disappointments and disappointing people.

Brant--ever positive, upbeat Brant, child of sunshine and moonbeams--suggested I was just thinking too much. That maybe I was just interpreting things wrongly.

Will suggested I look into Prozac.

"Alright, well, I don't need either of you to fix this stuff, but.....could you maybe say something to make me feel better?"

Will's eyes flickered. And then there came that grin.

"There's a dozen cake doughnuts upstairs."

This Will Make You Smile #7

2011-02-13T22:31:00.006-05:00

I bathed Kit today. When I got done and was toweling her off, Will said, "Kit always looks so sad and pitiful when she gets out of the shower."

"Yeah, you're right," I agreed. "I think it's because she's still wet and her fur is so flat."

"No," Will said, "I'm pretty sure it's because you've washed all her dignity and self-worth down the drain."

Ty is 7!

2011-01-08T17:58:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2010-12-26T15:37:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T17:52:00.002-05:00

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us...

--John 1:14

The stockings are hung.....

2010-12-24T18:34:00.002-05:00

The cards are mailed.....

2010-12-17T16:36:00.000-05:00

This WILL Make You Cry

2010-12-16T12:59:00.009-05:00

From Will's string quartet recital on November 16.

Tchaikovsky Quartet, Opus 11.

Click on the link below, then on the play button. Will is on cello.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/11882212/Chamber%20Concert%2011%3A16/07%20String%20Quartet%20No.%201%20in%20D%20major%2C%20Op.%2011.mp3

This WILL Make You Smile #6

2010-12-14T12:51:00.005-05:00

Will and I had a great time in Dallas last weekend. We had asked for and received a joint birthday trip and Drew hooked us up. We visited with a bunch of old friends and extended family members, shopped way too much and generally ate our way through Dallas and Collin counties.

At La Hacienda Ranch, on our last day, at our last lunch, I was debating about what to eat.

Me: Should I order the Burrito de Gonzalez or the Enchiladas Munoz?

Will: How 'bout you order up a Spanish accent instead??

First Snow + First Christmas Tree= A Big Day for Luke & Ty

2010-12-04T16:14:00.004-05:00

Will is 15!!

2010-11-28T16:06:00.000-05:00

All treats

2010-10-31T18:11:00.000-04:00

Yahoo!!! He's in!

2010-10-23T17:00:00.002-04:00

Brant visited 5 colleges with me and Drew; 6 others with his junior class.

He received 500 lbs of college mail easy and probably another thousand emails.

He prepped for the SAT and for admission interviews.

He wrote and re-wrote essays.

He weighed his options.

Then Brant decided to apply to Wake Forest for early decision.

Today we found out he's been accepted. ACCEPTED!

The thick envelope in the mailbox heralded the news. (And asked for our $500 deposit.)

Sure, sure, my Tar Heel heart is a little hurt and disappointed, but I love Brant for being able to get himself in Wake. I love him for wanting to stay close to home to build a relationship with the new guys. I love him for choosing a college where he can continue to study classical guitar.

I love him for making Drew so happy. (Even if the sorry Demon Deacons will ultimately break both their hearts.)

Way to go, B.

Way to go.

Whew.

2010-10-16T17:43:00.001-04:00

A friend's son was married today. Brant played the prelude. The bride was beautiful. It was a perfect ceremony followed by a wonderful reception.

Normally during weddings, I concentrate on the music, the scripture.....the sacred vows and what it is to be married and to share your life with another person. I picture myself on my own wedding day....young and in love and hopeful and full of shining optimism. Drew and I squeeze hands and secretly renew our vows with each other.

Today? I earnestly thanked God that I will always be the mother-of- the-groom and will never have to plan a wedding.

WFU Homecoming

2010-10-10T16:13:00.001-04:00

Drew chaired his Wake Forest Reunion this weekend. That's him, circa 1990, second from the right.

It was a fun weekend. We caught up with old friends Friday night at the class party, played at the Festival on the Quad Saturday morning.....tailgated with the old Theta Chis before the football game.....then watched the Deacons get beaten. Again.

Grandparents' Day

2010-10-08T19:30:00.006-04:00

My mom came up from Charlotte for our school's Grandparents' Day celebration. I think she had a blast.

She didn't get the award for coming the farthest, or being the oldest or even having the most grandchildren at CBDS. But I would guess she got the most attention of any grandparent there. And that was just fine with her.

When I pulled up afterwards to pick her up, she was standing by the flagpole with one arm around Ty and holding Luke's hand with the other.....full of news about who she'd seen and met and how proud she was of the letters and artwork the boys had made for her. Made my heart shine.

Later, I heard her tell the boys about growing up on a farm:

"When I was a little girl, my mother, your great-grandmother, used to make biscuits every morning for breakfast. We'd all do our chores early and then....."

She didn't hesitate. She didn't skip a beat. She wasn't awkward about who was who. She didn't try to qualify anything. Her family was their family. Her stories, her memories and heritage....she wanted to share it all with Luke and Ty.

Good for Mom for getting beyond race and biology and genetics to think of Luke and Ty as her grandsons.

Shame on me for ever thinking for a second that things would be any other way.

The Birthday Baby

2010-09-04T15:16:00.001-04:00

Amazing, but true.

Jay is 13 whole years old.

Love you, Babe.

Tar Heel Born

2010-09-03T21:31:00.004-04:00

As part of Brant's search for the perfect college, we took a trip over to Chapel Hill for the official UNC admissions presentation. After the tour was over, we met with the guitar professor, did some people-watching on Franklin Street, shopped at Johnny T-Shirt, ate at Four Corners.......and even caught a Rush event at the Phi Mu House. (Drew and Brant decided that sorority rush is kinda stupid and girls are just plain weird.)

As much as my true-blue heart would love to see B go to Carolina, my mom radar told me that he wasn't feeling the Tar Heel love as much as I was. Coming from a small Christian school, it's probably just too big and too overwhelming.

Disappointing, but old well........

(Hahahahahahaha. Carolina humor. I crack myself up.)

For Will

2010-09-01T08:44:00.009-04:00

Dear Will,

As you head back to high school I just want you to know that I love you and hope you'll have a great sophomore year.

How awesome is it that you have a chance to study music...that we live in a city with a phenomenal arts school.....and that you have the ability through your art to add goodness and beauty to our world that is sometimes so very ugly.

I thank God often that you are you. I thank Him for the way your brain works, for our shared love of books and words, for your blue eyes....for all those songs He puts in your head that you play for me on piano late at night. Over and over.

As you go into 10th grade, I am praying essentially the same prayer that I've always prayed for you. God, be with Will and keep him safe....protect his body and protect his heart. Help him know the difference between right and wrong. Please give Will friends and teachers that know you.....and understand him. Make your presence known to Will. Help him know that you are real. Be with him....walk with him....whisper in his ear and call him closer to you. Help Will become the man you would have him be.

Have a great year, Will. Try hard. Use your gifts. Learn all you can. Make some new friends. And always, glorify God in every thing you do.

I Love you!

-Mom

July & August Recap

2010-08-31T18:33:00.005-04:00

Wow. I don't know where summer went........

(OK. Check that. After trolling through all the pictures I took, I know exactly where it went!)

Brant had a lot of fun playing Big League baseball with a bunch of old friends.

We had a laid back, but fun, Fourth of July. Luke and Ty were completely amazed by the Tanglewood fireworks display. Can't wait to see their eyes when we go back for the Christmas lights.

Sadly, Jay's All-Star team lost the Little League division championship to their rivals, the Winston-Salem Nationals. It was a tough loss, but the Nationals were a great team and went on to win the NC state championship, then made it all the way to the semis of the

LL World Series regional tournament. You might have seen them on ESPN.

Brant taught Ty to tie his shoes, thus, staving off my aneurism a little while longer!

Babe got braces! Drew and I got the enormous bill.

Our neighborhood swim team went undefeated and won the League Championship.

Brant feels sure it was because of his mad coaching skills.

Way to go, Stingrays!

We had a great visit with my friend, Kris, who was back in town from Iowa for a few days. She was so excited to finally meet the new guys.....read them stories, baked red velvet cake, fed them sweet cereal before I woke up. Yeah, I'm pretty sure Luke & Ty would have packed their bags and gone home with her.

Will made it back from Vermont safe and sound.....full of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, exotic thai food and fancy chai tea.....conservative values in tact.......just in time to head to the beach with the rest of us.

Big B turned 17 while we were there!!!

He was happy to receive Jack Johnson concert tix.

Will and Jay returned to Sparta, NC and beautiful Camp Cheerio again ---Will for his 8th summer and Babe for his 4th. Unfortunately, Will has aged out now, but oh, how he would love to go back as a CIT next summer. Err......except for the part about supervising hundreds of little kids for six weeks!

I thoroughly enjoyed my mother's family reunion in Pilot Mountain. It happens every August and is one of my favorite times of the entire year. Luke and Ty were definitely surprised to see the mountain pop up on the horizon as we drove north.

Ty now calls it "the hill."

I visited non-stop with my precious aunts, uncles and cousins and yep,

we all ate pretty much non-stop, too.

My flower girls are all grown up.....and all more beautiful than ever.

Ty's Turn

2010-08-17T19:19:00.004-04:00

Ty was excited before his first day of Kindergarten....and exhausted afterwards!

I love the smell of library books.....

2010-08-16T23:15:00.003-04:00

Brant, Jay and Luke all went back to school today!

Kindergartners start Tuesday and Will will return on September 1.

Jeff Foxworthy would be proud.

2010-08-13T18:34:00.008-04:00

You might be a redneck....if you ask your mama to send barbecue pork rinds in your camp care package.

Not missing many meals.....

2010-07-22T23:33:00.001-04:00

Ty and Luke have been home almost 4 full months now and still, nearly every afternoon about four o'clock, Ty will come to me and ask a question that hurts my heart.

"'Eh, Mom, we having din-ah?"

He's not asking what we're having and he never wants to know when we're eating. He's not trying to prompt me into gettin' it in gear to fix dinner. Ty looks me in the eye and I can tell that he earnestly wants to know if we're eating.

Most days I off-handedly reply, "Of course, don't we always eat dinner, Ty?"

He thinks for a second and then usually his eyes blink a good long blink and a smile slowly spreads across his beautiful face.

Today when he asked, I answered, "Yes, Ty. Think for a minute....haven't you eaten dinner every night since you've been with me and Dad? And haven't I fed you breakfast and lunch, too---- every, single day?"

He paused.....and then, there came that smile.

"Yes-oh, Mom. You right."

And then Ty danced and danced with happy sock feet, a Matchbox car in each hand.

This Will make you smile, #5

2010-07-20T17:50:00.004-04:00

So.......

Will has been in Vermont all month studying cello by taking part in a chamber music festival. The event draws high school and college kids and teachers from all over the country but, for whatever reason, there aren't many southern kids in attendance.

One day last week, Will was hanging out with some friends, all from Connecticut and New York, as they waited for dinner. Will was starving and made the comment that he'd been hanging out with yankees up north so long, he could hardly remember what good southern food tasted like.

Then he added,

"What I wouldn't give for a buttery, flaky biscuit right now...."

His friend said, "Huh? What's a biscuit?"

Will, astounded, asked, "Oh, my gosh.....you're kidding, right? It's a delicious piece of hot bread made out of flour and butter and milk!! You didn't know that???"

The girl shot back, "Well.......I DO know what a grit is!"

Will told her that apparently she really, really didn't.

And that she'd better stick to playing violin.

June Dashboard

2010-07-01T19:22:00.006-04:00

ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz.............

Should any one still check my blog, here's what our June looked like:

Jay's Little League team (that Drew coached!) won the League championship.

Babe did his part by hitting a three-run homer to put the Cubs out in front for the 5-2 win.

Right after the tournament, everybody but Brant headed for Topsail Island.

Brant, facing real-life commitments and responsibilities (gasp!) had to stay in town to work coaching our neighborhood swim team. That's him throwing down his cool lifeguard look with the Wayfarers. Sooooo JFK, don't you think?

Unfortunately, Brant became super-sick with a pilonidal cyst in his back while we were gone. When the pediatrician couldn't get things under control and it was clear that B was getting worse not better, I came back from the beach early and got B over to the ER. A surgeon did a procedure to clear the infection and a new antibiotic and some Vicodin eventually

put B out of his misery.

On a less icky note, we got to celebrate Father's Day with Drew's Dad this year.

He and Drew's mom, along with my mom and sister Kari's family were all in town for Luke's and Ty's baptism on June 20.

The new guys wore their traditional Liberian clothes for the occasion.

Brant and Will played the prelude and offertory for the service making it even more special.

Of course, we took loads of pictures after the service.

Jay is savoring his last summer playing for our Little League's All-Star Team.

We're just a little bit excited around here. All the parents paint their cars like this....really.

I'm not the only freakishly-competitive one. I promise.

And...on June 27, Will left for Vermont for the same chamber music camp he attended last year.

He'll be gone until the end of July. Four. Whole. Weeks.

Sniff. Sniff.

Luke is 8!

2010-06-02T17:49:00.002-04:00

CBDS Commencement

2010-05-31T14:12:00.009-04:00

Brant played the prelude at Calvary's high school graduation last Thursday night. He also served as one of ten Junior Marshalls. One more year and he'll be graduating himself.

Oh, where does time go?

I will praise the Lord all my life......Psalm 146: 2

Say what?

2010-05-29T23:24:00.004-04:00

Just after Babe got a nice hit (ok, ok it was a grand slam) at the ballfield today, I overheard Ty talking to a random kid from another team that was watching.

Ty: Yay, wahoo, etc.

Kid: Hey, is that your brother?

Ty: Uh, huh.

Kid: Really? He's YOUR brother?

Ty: Yep.

Kid: Seriously, you're Jay Dixon's brother?

Ty: (Big nod)

(You think you know where this is going, don't you?)

Kid: Oh, wow. He's a lot taller than you are.

School's Out for Summer!!

2010-05-28T20:27:00.002-04:00

The wait is over....

2010-05-22T21:42:00.001-04:00

The new guys have been anxiously awaiting the opening of our neighborhood pool. And I do mean anxiously.

Since the boys and I drive past it going in and out of the neighborhood, oh, about a dozen times a day, they've had ample opportunity to closely watch the new fence construction and marvel at the cement trucks pouring concrete to expand the pool deck. There was new furniture to be assembled and wow, a bunch of resultant empty boxes that had to be hauled away.

The water went in on Wednesday and today.......Luke and Ty are in heaven on earth.

Brant & Meghan, West Forsyth's Prom

2010-05-15T19:06:00.002-04:00

So many reasons to celebrate!

2010-05-09T14:16:00.004-04:00

When you ask a dumb question.....

2010-05-04T16:30:00.005-04:00

Me to Ty as he got in the car after pre-K: "Wow. Looks like you did some painting at school today."

Ty: "Yep."

Me: "What'd you paint?"

Ty: "My shirt."

Brant's Prom, 2010

2010-04-24T21:31:00.003-04:00

I love the smell of playdough.

2010-04-19T20:29:00.005-04:00

Believe it or not, Luke and Ty started school today. They are going to finish out the year at Calvary----Luke in 1st grade and Ty in half-day Pre-K.

Their teachers reported that Luke and Ty had great days.

Brant and Jay reported that Luke and Ty are their own personal chick magnets.

New names!

2010-04-18T21:25:00.010-04:00

Biggest thing I forgot to tell you yesterday and the one thing that you really need to know is that Drew and I have decided to re-name the boys. I know, I know, their names are all they brought with them from Liberia and they are a link to their Liberian past---their family, their parents, their tribe.

It was a hard call to make, but when it came down to it, Kalee's name was just proving too hard for most every one here in the States to manage. For whatever reason, most folks couldn't get the pronunciation right, so it always ended up sounding like Collie.....or Callie....or Kayley.

As much as we would have loved for Kalee to hang on to that piece of his history and heritage, we just couldn't see setting him up for a lifetime of awkward introductions and roll calls that would result in the complete butchering of his first name.

So.......in a return to our tradition of giving our sons names of one syllable that are easy to spell and pronounce, Kalee is now Ty.

During our Christmas trip, when we discussed changing Kalee's name, Amos expressed interest in changing his as well, but he didn't like any of the options we threw out to him. The frontrunner, Brice, was apparently too close to rice to suit him. John fell flat. Jack was a possibility, but.....no fireworks.

Drew and the big boys never got on board with any of my personal faves, either. Kemp was too different. Cash was too edgy. Gray was nixed because it rhymed with Jay. And they all seemed to think Brooks and Lane were both too white. (Yeah, yeah, whatever.)

Then, when I went to Liberia in March, Amos told me that HE had already decided on a new American name. He wanted to be called Luke, in honor of his teacher's Ghanian nephew, whom he'd met recently. After lots of conversations over the last weeks, and despite my secret prayers that Amos would agree to be called Matthew, Drew's middle name, Amos stuck by his guns and repeatedly told us that he preferred Luke.

So.........Luke it is.

Hmmmmmm.....

2010-04-17T23:50:00.004-04:00

....I don't know where to start to update you on the new guys. Honestly, they both have done great since we stepped off the plane in Greensboro, so there's not a lot of big news or drama to report.

Am I tired? Yes. Is my house noisy? Yes. Was it foolish of me to have our hardwood floors refinished before they arrived? Completely. Has my already rediculously-large laundry chore grown exponentially? You bet. Do I love the new guys to pieces? Absolutely.

To further get you up to speed:

Both boys have slept at least 12 hours every night since we brought them home.
They've eaten every thing we've put in front of them----except broccoli, which deeply offended their senses of smell apparently. Both boys eat often and they both eat a lot.
They've picked up an incredible amount of standard English in three weeks and are talking mostly in complete sentences and are asking for things by forming questions.
They love to scoot and shoot hoops and play with Kit.
They aren't afraid of Bill and Gracie (the cats) and no longer think they are voodoo spirits.
They've both learned to swing a baseball bat and can already catch and throw a baseball.
They love to do jigsaw puzzles and play with Matchbox cars.
They've behaved well in church four Sundays in a row and been to loads of Little League and Calvary baseball games.

So........really......all I can say is, Thank you, God. So far, so good.

Could it all fall apart tomorrow? According to the adoption books, yes. Could the boys have trouble bonding and end up being angry or violent or threatening? According to cable news, it's a possibility. Could I wake up to them begging to catch the first plane back to Liberia? Yep, definitely.

Do I expect any of that to happen? Nope. Not in a million years.

My mom radar is free of blips and pings.

Check 'em out!

2010-04-13T13:51:00.007-04:00

I'm starting to get some stern emails requesting---nay, demanding----that I post news and pictures, but I'm sure you completely understand my computer time has been cut dramatically since the new guys got here.

Here are a couple of photos to tide you over until I can sit down and give you the 3-week update!

And for now, know that.......so far.....things are going great---even better than expected.

Beat Duke

2010-04-05T15:38:00.001-04:00

Up until a few weeks ago, I'd never heard of Butler University.

Tonight, I am their biggest fan.

Go, Bulldogs!

Curious...

2010-03-30T15:05:00.004-04:00

......has anybody read a parenting book called "Wild Things: The Art of Nurturing Boys" ?

I have a feeling that I'll soon be able to write the sequel.....

My graphic artist buddy, Sara, over at A Life Less Ordinary-- lukecommasara.blogspot.com

highly recommends it and is even giving a copy away today. Check out her blog to enter for the giveaway AND check out her website www.less-ordinary-designs.com to see Sara's work. She creates beautiful printed cards, stationary, invitations and other great stuff.

Sara did Calvary's prom invitation and will be doing our adoption announcements for sure.....just as soon as I can get the new guys to be still long enough for pictures.

Home, sweet home

2010-03-26T19:11:00.006-04:00

I'm happy to report, that after 26 deliriously-long hours of travel, the new guys and I arrived at the Greensboro airport a little ahead of schedule last night where we were met by a happy bunch of friends and family. We made such a racket and hung around so long, the airport security guards asked us to keep it down (twice) and then actually called in one of Greensboro's Finest who----can you believe the nerve?---asked us to take it elsewhere.

Maybe we were being a tad noisy.....twenty kids and two red balloons can be that way......but we were hardly a TSA security incident waiting to happen.

My mom was waiting for us here at the house when we got in and had a huge supper ready---ham, fried chicken, rice, green beans, deviled eggs, banana pudding and coconut cake. Clearly doing her southern best to feed and love Amos and Kalee. My sister, Kari, her husband, Jim, and their daughter, Sophie, were all here for the celebration, too.

I slept like a rock for about 8 hours then got up to be with Brant, Will and Babe before they left for school. So much happened while I was gone the last two weeks. Exams were taken....report cards issued....B took the SAT......Drew and the boys traveled to Hilton Head for spring break......Little League and Calvary baseball have begun their seasons now.......Babe is almost back from his rotator cuff injury.

Amos and Kalee slept until about 8:30 (yay, box fan!) and after a big breakfast of muffins and peanuts (what else?) Drew took over and I went back to bed for a few hours.

The boys spent today exploring every thing they could get their hands on. Imagine the curiosity and mentality of two, 2-year olds, but in bigger, stronger, more dexterous kids' bodies. They are fascinated by the washing machine, running water, telephones, the tv remotes, Kit's retractable leash......and their new remote-control cars. These guys love to push buttons and turn things on and off. They've removed batteries from things I didn't even know had batteries.

When they started chasing the cats, Drew took them on a big walk to burn off a little energy. That helped. For a while.

Still, all in all, I'd describe this as a very successful first day. I know it's early to make any calls, and there are bound to be huge challenges ahead---all sure to be exacerbated by my being old and impatient---but Amos and Kalee seem happy to finally be here. They have especially loved being reunited with their big brothers.

And they have started calling me, Mom, and Drew, Dad. That makes my heart soar.

Headed home....

2010-03-24T08:20:00.002-04:00

The boys and I will be on a 9p flight out of Monrovia later this evening. I'll have multiple copies of the clearance letter ready to pass out and if any airport officials give me a hard time, I have the cell number of the official who signed it. The airport/Immigration folks are welcome to call this Ministry of Justice official to discuss, if they like......

After flying all night, we'll arrive in Brussels first thing in the morning. We lay over there about 4 hours and then will be headed to Atlanta.

The ATL connection is a little close; I only have about an hour and forty minutes to navigate Customs and make the flight to Greensboro, but hopefully I'll have enough time.

If all goes well, I should be in GSO around 5:30p Thursday night.

GOT IT!

2010-03-23T09:03:00.003-04:00

Yesterday was a long, difficult day spent being bounced around between various Liberian government offices and officials....first told one thing and then another. Waiting here. Waiting there.

I'll spare you all the drama, but just know that first thing this morning, I was given the clearance letter for which I've waited a week. According to the official that signed it, it is every thing I will need to pass through all the inspection points at the airport with the boys.

I've got this woman's phone number just in case!

First flight out of here is Wednesday night at 7p (Liberia is 4 hours ahead of EST). Drew is working with the travel agent on my itinerary, but the boys and I should get to Greensboro sometime Thursday evening.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, emails, comments and posts. They've been a huge encouragement to me. Drew and I may never know what God had in mind with all the delays, waiting, shutdowns and holds......but I'm excited to see how His plan for Amos and Kalee and the rest of our family plays out over the next years.

As my friend Cheryl is probably saying about now, "Go, God!"

Taking it easy....

2010-03-21T09:02:00.004-04:00

With very limited options, the boys and I are just hanging out this weekend.

We are staying in a one-room apartment that I rented from one of the ELWA dentists. It's "ocean-view" and is working out just fine. We all have a bed and there's a small kitchen area with a hot plate, toaster oven and dorm-sized refrigerator.

Saturday morning, the guys and I spent some time on the beach together and I was able to get some good pictures of them both. Amos met up with a fisherman and was given some little fish that this guy was using for bait. When we got back home later and I was getting changed in the bathroom, Amos decided he was going to try to cook up those guppies for lunch---directly on the hot plate burner. The smell was awful....... and that burner still has scales stuck to it.

After lunch yesterday, about 15 of the older Addy's kids came down to enjoy the beach. They stayed about two hours with their teacher then went on to spend the night with a local pastor who had invited them to sing and dance at worship this morning.

Amos started running a fever right after dinner last night---it came on so quickly that at first I actually thought he might be faking the shaking and moaning and that he got in bed for attention. I took his temperature and when I realized it was 103, I knew the chills, shakes and confusion were for real. Fortunately, his temperature came down with Motrin and as long as he has it in him, he seems to feel okay.

Because of Amos being sick, we didn't go to church services this morning and so, didn't get to see the Addy's kids' program. I hate that, but decided I better keep an eye on whatever it is Amos's got.

The boys have been teaching me lots of the praise songs they know, so we are worshipping in our own way. I can sing along and keep up with the words, but not the clapping, drumming, foot stomping....and...uh....tongue clicking.

Yep. WAY too white for that.

I think God heard me anyway.

Close, but no cigar.

2010-03-19T18:25:00.000-04:00

The clearance letter I needed wasn't issued today.

Too many twists and turns to even describe....multiple trips to the Ministry....unsatisfactory conversations with the the US Embassy, dozens of calls to and from those advocating for me.

When it was all said and done, I got NOTHING.
(Except consolation from my driver, Kla, whom I thought might just cry with me.)

It's gonna be close....

2010-03-18T20:31:00.000-04:00

Embassy staff did not, in fact, have the boys' visa packets ready at 8a when I arrived at their office this morning. Essentially told me I was just plain out of luck and that they'd see me at 3p. I resisted the urge to give 'em some Dixon, but barely....

Went immediately over to the Ministry of Justice and left copies of all necessary documents, exluding the visas, in hopes that someone could review every thing and get started on the clearance letter.

Picked up the visa packets at 3p....then went again to the MOJ where I learned that the decision maker had been called out of the office all day by the President and had only just arrived at her desk.

I ratcheted down my expectations....and then got the official word that the letter would not be forthcoming today.

No promises for tomorrow either, if you want to know the truth.

But I'll be back over there first thing.

No news....

2010-03-17T18:21:00.002-04:00

Didn't get a reply from the Embassy today on whether or not the visa packet will be ready in the morning or not.

So. Incredibly. Frustrating.

I think my best strategy is to be there with Amos and Kalee when the Embassy doors open at 8a........and just camp out in the Consular Affairs office until it IS ready.

I'll let you know how that works out for me.

It's gonna be a nail biter....

2010-03-16T19:12:00.004-04:00

Things are going fine here in Liberia, but just as I have worried, it's going to come down to the wire on whether I can get the clearance letter I need to travel by the end of the day Friday when I am booked on a flight out with the boys.

Turns out the Embassy wanted a full 5 days to print the visas and prepare a packet to take to the Ministry of Justice for clearance. Drew and I understood our email from the vice-consul to read that I should plan to be on the ground here 5 days......total. For every thing.

After hearing all this at the Embassy today, I had to rebound quickly. I mustered all the southern charm I could to talk the man down to 2 days. He told me every thing would be ready Thursday at 3p.

I was feeling pretty proud of myself until I went over to the Ministry of Justice where I was told that unless I have the visa packet to them by 10a Thursday, I won't be able to get the letter that day. And if I don't get it Thursday.....dealing with it on Friday will be incredibly stressful since we are to fly out at 7p.

I got Drew on the horn and in turn, Drew got the Consular at the Embassy on the horn, to strongly "suggest" that they expedite our packet so I can leave on Friday. He got a "we'll-see -what-we-can-do" response. No promises.

I know this will all work out. God has it all under control.....and really, the worst-case scenario would be that the boys and I would just stay into next week until we can pick up the clearance letter.

Still......I know I've got some absolute prayer warriors out there. Anybody willing to kick it into high gear??

It might be just about that time....

I'm here!

2010-03-15T08:31:00.002-04:00

I survived my flights to Monrovia and arrived here last night (Sunday) at about 8p Liberian time. Friends, Rusty and Jamie, met me and a couple other folks at the airport and we went straight over to the orphanage to retrieve Amos and Kalee.

I met up with Scott Bolitho in Brussels and it was great to finally meet him face to face . He and his wife Carolee, my cyber-bestfriend for the past two years, are also adopting from Addy's Hope and Scott is here to pick up their daughter Mary.

It is a holiday here today. In celebration of Liberia's first presidents's birthday, every thing is closed and no one is working. The boys and I are taking it easy this morning and hope to get out to the orphanage to visit with the other kids later today.

Kalee and I spent some time looking at alphabet flash cards and I'm glad to see that he knows all his letters and nearly all his colors. (Green tricks him up for some reason.) It's kind of funny to hear Kalee call out the pictures on the cards--his teacher has obviously taught with some similar cards or maybe a poster or picture book. Kalee recognizes lots of things he has no first-hand knowledge of like quilts, queens, igloos and oranges.

I'm not sure yet, but I think Amos might be able to read some. He can definitely pick out some names and other words as I type and he can read some commands on the computer screen. I'll do a little more research and get back to you.

I'm having trouble downloading pictures so far but I'll keep working on that. My laptop does things differently from the Mac at home and I can't figure out how to get everything to sync up. Makes me miss the guys in my IT department, for sure.

Tomorrow I plan to be at the Embassy first thing when it opens at 8a to meet with the vice-consular for the boys' exit visas. This is the last step on the US side then my next challenge will be to get that clearance letter from the Liberian Minister of Justice. The letter will give me permission to leave the country with the boys. Ideally, I will have that by Friday and can leave as scheduled, but I am preparing myself that I might need to stay on a few more days to get it. But I hope not.....

Thank you so much for all your blog comments, emails and Facebook comments. I'll keep updating as long as my internet connection stays up.

This is it!

2010-03-13T10:20:00.001-05:00

Bags packed and heading out--next stop ATL, then Brussels....and on to Monrovia!

Flight Plan

2010-03-09T22:59:00.002-05:00

Whew! It took most of the last two days, but I finally got flight arrangements for my trip to Liberia worked out today.

I leave Greensboro this Saturday around noon. And return with the new guys next Saturday the 20th at 5:30pm.

Better get my act together, huh?

All systems are GO!

2010-03-05T11:42:00.003-05:00

Drew spoke with Embassy officials in Monrovia this morning and got the long-awaited and positively great news that our adoption has been approved and our case is a "go!"

I can't even believe that I am writing those words after more than two, full years of being in process!

Since I last posted....

the boys' physical reports came back just fine.

the biological mother's death certificate was turned in.

the boys' birth certificates were re-printed for the fourth time---this time to correct our nationality.

I am to make my travel plans and then let the vice-consular know so he can reserve time for our exit visa appointment.

Once I'm there, and have the visas, the Liberian Minister of Justice will write a clearance letter for me to leave the country with the boys. We don't anticipate any problems in getting approval to do that, but since the letter can't be written until the visas are actually issued by the US Embassy, I'll just need to allow several days on the ground for the processing.

Can you feel me beaming through cyberspace???

I've got a call into the travel agent.....I'll keep you posted!

The latest...

2010-02-28T12:53:00.003-05:00

Amos and Kalee were taken to the embassy clinic as scheduled on Friday. Bloodwork was done but their physical exams were not completed.

We haven't gotten a good explanation why.

Hopefully they can be seen for an exam early this week, the results will be forwarded to the embassy and our agency will produce a copy of their biological mother's death certificate.

The embassy tells us that as soon as they have those two things, they can schedule our appointment for the visa exit interview.

(That means Drew or I will need to get on the next do-able and available flight to Monrovia!)

Good news/Bad news

2010-02-23T23:13:00.006-05:00

It's only Tuesday, but it's been an up and (mostly) down week so far when it comes to our adoption.

Good news: Amos's and Kalee's biological father interviewed well and "passed" the questioning at the US Embassy on Monday.

Bad news: For reasons as of yet unexplained, our agency rep did not take Amos and Kalee to the meeting, so the bio father and the boys have to return to the Embassy tomorrow for another round of questioning.

Bad news: The boys' physicals have been postponed until Friday.

Bad news: Neither our agency, nor the Embassy, can produce the boys' biological mother's death certificate. It exists, or at least once did, because it was presented to the Liberian judge before our court decree was issued in 2008......but......no one can find it. It will have to be reissued.

Bad news: The Liberian government is requiring an additional step before they will sign off on clearance letters for Amos and Kalee to leave the country. They are requiring that we submit the results of our criminal background checks directly to them. This is in response to the beating death last week of a Liberian girl adopted in 2007 by a family living near Sacramento.

Good news: No skeletons in our closets! Other than a few (err.....several) speeding tickets on my part, Drew and I check out squeaky clean. We've already emailed our files to all the necessary parties.

You know that expression, "So close and yet, so far away...."?

I'd say that pretty well sums things up from here.

Big sigh.

Adoption news

2010-02-19T06:09:00.002-05:00

We got really encouraging news on the adoption front yesterday.

After several weeks worth of waiting for corrections, our new and improved case history was delivered to the US Embassy on Tuesday.

The boys' birth certificates and passports (issued three different times to get them right!) were delivered to the Embassy Thursday.

The boys' biological father is scheduled to appear at the Embassy for an interview on Monday the 22nd.

Then, Amos and Kalee will have a physical with an Embassy doctor.

Assuming every thing goes according to plan, and DNA testing is not required by the Embassy....

...it might not be long now.

Stay tuned!

Snow Ball, 2010

2010-02-12T14:49:00.002-05:00

Brant and his friend, Emily Kait, had a big time at Calvary's winter dance Saturday night. It was rescheduled from January 30th because of all the snow and ice here, but sounds like it was worth the wait.

Brant said he definitely chose the right date. Emily Kait is really outgoing and has had years of dance training which meant he had someone fun to dance the night away with.

I think his actual words were, "I got my groove on.......oohhh yeah." Then he showed me some of his moves.

The next morning, Brant woke up sore and complaining from dancing all night long.

Took me all the way back to 1980 when gangly David Moore and I went to Carmel Junior High's Christmas dance. I couldn't even hold a pencil, I was so sore from snapping my fingers.

Good times. Good times.

Snowbound!

2010-01-30T18:43:00.003-05:00

Happy 254th, Mozart.

2010-01-27T18:59:00.005-05:00

Check this out! Will got to portray Mozart tonight at his school's celebration of Mozart's 254th birthday. There was a big faculty concert followed by a cupcake & punch reception where Will and his friend, Hannah, dressed as Mozart's wife, Costanza, worked the crowd.

Thanks to the students in the wig and makeup studio at UNCSA, I actually think Will really resembled a young Mozart.

That high forehead helped.......don't you think?

Prayer answered; Wish Granted

2010-01-26T08:09:00.005-05:00

Drew got exactly what he wanted for his birthday.

We got the word late last night that our agency social worker in Liberia was holding our case history. He had it in his hands---the report for which we've been waiting 18 months.

The information in it is all correct and the document is signed, sealed and ready to be delivered to the US Embassy.

Things are finally moving.

A birthday wish.....

2010-01-25T06:48:00.001-05:00

Drew says all he wants for his 42nd birthday is a signed case history from the Ministry of Health in Liberia.

I'm hoping and praying he gets his wish.

Pix from Liberia

2010-01-03T13:17:00.003-05:00

I have uploaded photos from our Liberia trip to Snapfish. Check them out and let me know what you think!

Click here to view photos

This Will make you smile, #4

2009-12-31T23:46:00.001-05:00

I have found that one of the annoying things about international travel is having to deal with the metric system. I thought the whole world had given up on using it at about the same time the US did.....sometime after 1976 when I finished 4th grade math.

But no......not so! We had to do lots of conversions, especially when it came to figuring out the temperature and ultimately, at what point our brains were going to cook in the Liberian heat.....but alas, that's another post....

Anyway, as we were leaving Liberia and waiting to check our bags at the Monrovia airport, I noticed that the scales the agents were using displayed kilograms not pounds.

Worried that our bags might weigh too much, I turned to Will and said, "How do we convert pounds to kilograms again?"

"Okay, Mom....you first divide by the temperature in Hong Kong. Then subtract the number of characters in the Greco-Roman alphabet. And finally, invert that number, reverse the first digit with the second-to-last and multiply by π. Got it, Mom?"

"Errrr........yeah. Got it, Will."

Home again....

2009-12-30T20:16:00.003-05:00

Well....Drew, the boys and I are back from Liberia after something like 30 (gosh-awful) hours of traveling. We got in late last night......slept like rocks.....and I'm hoping that after another good night of sleep tonight, we'll all get back to feeling like ourselves.

It was an incredibly bittersweet trip. Bitter because it was so very hard to leave Amos and Kalee behind after spending the week together as a family.....playing on the beach....singing and laughing together....eating together around a big table every night. Both boys cried as we packed up their things and loaded up the car at the house we were renting. And both cried again when we said our goodbyes at the orphanage.

The trip was sweet, though, because we made incredible progress toward finalizing the boys' adoption:

-Just prior to our trip, the State Department announced that the US Embassy in Monrovia was moving ahead in tandem with the Liberian government to process adoption cases like ours that already have valid court decrees.

-On December 22nd we had a very positive meeting with Consul Steven Harper at the US Embassy where he confirmed the few remaining steps to complete our case.

-On December 23rd we met with two key members of the Liberian Ministry of Health who agreed to complete our case history. In fact, while we were there last week, MOH staff tracked down and interviewed the boys' biological father and visited the boys' mother's village to confirm her death and other necessary details.

All this to say.......Drew and I are oh-so-cautiously optimistic that the case history will be written up and complete in another few days. Having the case history will allow our adoption to quickly proceed to the US Consular's office where DNA testing should confirm that our boys' biological father is in fact who he says he is......and then....visas will be issued for Amos and Kalee to come to the United States. If every thing goes smoothly (and I hesitate to even write this) the process could be complete by the end of January.

After my first visit in August, I said goodbye to Amos and Kalee not knowing when I'd see them again. I didn't know what was going to happen with adoptions in Liberia or when things would move forward.

This time....I said goodbye without such a heavy heart. I left being able to say that Drew or I would be back for them very soon. I could tell Amos and Kalee that this long, painful wait is almost over....that it won't be long now until they can come home.

This time when I waved to them and said, "I'll see you soon," I really meant it.

Please continue to pray with me that God will make it all so and that He will see Amos and Kalee safely home to us.

Merry Christmas from Liberia!

2009-12-25T14:57:00.005-05:00

Leaving on a jet plane....

2009-12-20T05:14:00.001-05:00

Despite the snow all along the east coast, we are heading up the road (with 500 lbs of luggage) to Washington, DC where we hope to catch our flight to Brussels this evening and then go on to Monrovia, to arrive late Monday.

There are a lot of variables at play and we are not sure whether we'll actually be able to fly out or not. Don't know if Dulles will be open.....whether Lufthansa will cancel our flight.....or whether we'll even be able to make it out of our driveway, much less up the interstate to get to DC.

But......after talking to our travel agent (twice) we don't have many other options other than to try to make it and then see what happens.

I'll keep you posted!

That's my girl.

2009-12-16T19:40:00.006-05:00

Have I told you about my niece, Sophie?

Blogworthy if ever there was such a girl.

She came home from China to my sister and brother-in-law in 2003.

She is all kinds of cute.

And smart.

She takes ballet. And tap. And Chinese. And all sorts of other stuff that make my head spin.

I love that girl. I could dish her up with a spoon. Except when she cries. And then I don't know what to do with her.

Having her around satisfies my occasional need to buy something pink. Or to do foam crafts. Or to talk paper dolls. Or to try on various headbands just for fun.

The boys love her just a little bit, too.

Make a wish!

2009-11-28T18:57:00.011-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

sweet, sweet WILL.

Will (aka "Dubya," "Willby," "Someone Thrilling" or our "Spare Heir") turned 14 fabulous years old today.

We are celebrating down at Topsail with steaks and the traditional M & M cake.....what else??

If you look closely at the frosting, you'll see where Will either licked it or swiped his finger through it.

He's not saying which.

("I won't yell at my son on his birthday. I won't yell at my son on his birthday. I won't.....")

This Will make you smile, #3

2009-11-11T12:39:00.006-05:00

Will was sitting next to me at the Orphan Sunday concert the other night. We listened as things got going and the broadcaster in Nashville announced the program for the evening. She rattled off the laundry list of performers and speakers:

"With us tonight, Jim Daly from Focus on the Family.....Dennis Rainey of Family Life....and from the Christian Alliance for Orphans, Jedd Medefind!"

Will leaned over and whispered in my ear, "Jedmedefin?? Isn't that the new cholesterol drug?"

Orphan Sunday, 2009

2009-11-09T11:16:00.014-05:00

Yesterday was Orphan Sunday in the United States. Did your church acknowledge it? Did you know there even was such a day?

I got to be part of logistics planning for a local "live-stream" event here in Winston-Salem. Steven Curtis Chapman, Geoff Moore, some guys from Focus on the Family and the Christian Alliance for Orphans all spoke and performed "Live from Nashville" and the event was carried via satellite all across the country.

Attendance here at the local event was dismal. Maybe 25 people showed. All the radio spots and FaceBooking and Twittering and emailing didn't bring people out.

I won't lie to you; I was so, so disappointed.

Drew and I alone invited 139 families. One of them came.

You know....

I've been thinking about it and I'm not sure why people didn't come out. Maybe it was the beautiful, warm weather or because it was a school night. Maybe turnout was low because the Carolina Panthers were on tv.

Or maybe....it was because people find thinking about the world's orphan problem too difficult......too overwhelming.....too uncomfortable. Maybe people think that they aren't gifted or called to serve that way. Maybe folks think that "someone else" is handling the 140 million orphans that live in our world.

The thing is........it seems to me that the Bible couldn't be more clear about how to walk in God's will. Praising God and serving Him by caring for the orphaned and widowed and poor seem to be exactly what we are ALL called to do.

He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow,

and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. (Deut. 10:18)

A father of the fatherless, a defender of widows,

Is God in His holy habituation.

God sets the solitary in families;

He brings out those who are bound into prosperity. (Ps. 68: 5-6)

Pure and faultless religion is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress. (James 1:27)

"But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?" (I John 3:16-17)

If I'm reading even just those Bible verses right, I get the idea that we can't call ourselves Christians and say we love God if we aren't caring for widows and orphans and showing needy people around the globe the love of Christ.

I don't think we can serve God and be selective about it. His call is so clear. Being the hands and feet of our Saviour must mean doing the tough stuff....the overwhelming stuff.....doing the stuff that challenges us and makes us feel uncomfortable.

And doing it in His name, to His glory.

Baby, we were born to run....

2009-11-04T00:31:00.000-05:00

I got to see Bruce tonight.

Our 14th date.

And I have to say, it was just as special as our first time together.

That sweet man sang every song on the Born to Run album from start to finish.....plus "Bobbie Jean," because that's our song.

He laid off the whack political ramblings. He was only mildly jealous that Drew was there (singing every word to every song, loudly in my left ear).

Bruce made it a night to remember and at the end of our time together, we caught eyes and said our secret goodbyes.

Until next time, Boss. Until next time.