A little gift from Heaven

We were recently blessed with a new member to our family.  This precious baby boy belongs to my brother Joe. My brother was very dear to me growing up.  He always took care of me and loved me like nobody else.  I remember when he was in 6th grade and I in Kindergarten, we were in the same building.  We were on the opposite ends of the hall.  He would walk me to the hallway, kiss me on the cheek and tell me to have a good day.  He was my hero.  In fact, I wrote something stating that he was my hero.  He was just always there for me and never treated me like the annoying little sister I was.  I adored him and wanted to be just like him.  In fact, I used to think he would love me more if I was a boy.  My reason for that- we had another person just as close to us. That was my cousin Eli.  Since Eli was a boy and a few years older than me, he and Joe got along a bit better.  They didn't leave me out, but there were sometimes where I would think if I was a boy he would love me more.  I used to tell him that and he would get so mad!  I still do it sometimes just to see his reaction!
If you have been a follower of my blog for a while or if you know me in "real life," you may know who Eli was. Eli was my best friend, along with Joe growing up.  He was beyond a best friend.  He was the best. He ALWAYS knew how to make people smile.  He always played pranks on people and he never made anyone feel bad about anything.  He was just a free spirit who everyone loved.  Eli passed away on July 11th, 2008.  That was a very tough year.  In fact, it's still tough.  I struggle with the fact of him being gone.  I wonder why I have to visit him at a cemetery instead of his house.  There are days when I think I might be getting some closure, but then there are days I take five steps backwards and realize I am not even close.
One thing that is making it easier is this little gift from Heaven, my nephew.  My brother named him Eli.  What a precious baby boy.  He has stolen EVERYONE'S hearts.  There is something that helps bring a bit of closure when you say the name Eli and you have a smile on your face and a bit of joy in your heart.  It used to be so hard to say the name and remember that he's not here.  But now he is.  He's in this precious nephew I adore.  I hope he plays a million pranks on Joe & Alisha and scares the crud out of his big sisters.  I know big Eli is looking down on little Eli and smiling.  They both have brought so much back into our lives.  With that being said, let me introduce you to my precious nephew!

This one brings such a smile to my face.  Eli meant so much to my mom and dad too.  My dad RARELY smiles for a pic, so you can tell he too is smitten with this little guy!

An here I am, holding a little piece of Heaven we call Eli.  

Stop, Go, Stop, Go

That's my life, but I love it! Of course, I am feeling it this morning, but oh well. I am having a hard time keeping my eyes open!

Let's see....where do I begin?

We had so much fun this weekend! We had my nephew S stay the night Friday and attend our middle school dance. The kids had a BALL! Ruthie and Randy both ADORE S! Turns out, S has some MOVES! Saturday, we picked up my niece A b/c my brother J has been coming down to help out our parents on some weekends. This time he brought A! Ruthie was soooooo excited. A and Ruthie get along really well. Poor A was in the car all weekend long, but she was a good sport. We had my other niece A's, b-day party, just to leave that one and attend our friend J's b-day party. It was crazy, but so much fun! Sunday we attended church of course. We honored a man who is about to head back to the war. It was a very, very emotional service.

We had to drop of A after church b/c they were headed back to their house. A cried so hard and she made me cry. I miss having them close, but we will have to make an effort to visit them more often. A is such a sweet little lady and so much fun! We grabbed flashlights and as soon as Randy was asleep Saturday night, we snuck outside and we jumped on the trampoline. I sometimes think she only likes us for our trampoline!

All and all, we had a fun-filled cousin weekend. This weekend got me thinking about how much time I have off during the summer, and how little time I spend with my nieces and nephews. I really think that I want to try to do some sort of cousin camp......

See, cousins were a HUGE part of my childhood. I have 2 older sisters and 2 older brothers. My brother J was closer to me in age, so we were closer growing up. This might get hard, but I feel as though I need to explain what cousins mean to me.

We had a cousin named Eli. (You can read some about him here) See, Eli was everything to me. He was my favorite person in the world. I think J and I shared that. I used to think that if I was a boy like Eli, J would have loved me more. Cousins were a very important part of my life. I can only dream that Ruthie and Randy can have cousins like I did growing up. I truly think that I need to step up and be the aunt that always has my nieces and nephews over. I want to have a close relationship with them and I want Ruthie and Randy to have a close relationship with them as well. I had an awesome aunt teach me how to be an awesome aunt. I hope that I can be fun like she is. I could write on and on about how much Eli and M meant to me. I so want that for my kids.

Updates and photos

First off, I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for all the prayers and warm wishes. I feel so loved and so blessed to have friends and loved ones to pray for our family. I truly appreciate it.

I want to update everyone on the family-

We are all doing better. Some days are better than others though. I am sure that's with any loss. It's just been hard b/c it was so sudden and tragic. His mom, sister, and brother are all doing okay. They are staying close, which is what they need.

The memorial gave me some closure, but there are days where it doesn't seem real. I can't exactly explain it, but the Lord is giving me strength to keep going.

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Everything else is pretty good. I am still working part-time at the grocery store. I really enjoy it, but it's temporary. I need a better paying job. I am still holding out for an aide position. I still don't know much, but I do know that they haven't hired anyone yet, so at least that is good news.

Ruthie is adjusting well to daycare. She doesn't cry when I drop her off anymore. She looks really sad, but she doesn't cry. I just remind her that Mommy will be back later. She's actually teaching the other kids in her class that. She's so goofy! I've also been talking her up on the way there, reminding her to be a big girl like Haley, and so far so good! She learning tons of new stuff. She only goes part-time b/c Randall works 3 on, 3 off, so when he's off, he has her. They are enjoying their time together, which I think they need. She got her first hair cut the other day. Her Sunday School teacher cuts hair, so I thought it would be a good idea to have her cut it. She was thrilled to go see Mrs. Debbie and get her hair cut, but once we got there, she wouldn't sit in the chair. I sat with her, but she did good. I am including pics from after the haircut.

I never shared pics from our trip to Branson, so I am including those as well. A

Again, I truly appreciate your thoughts and prayers. It means a lot to me and my family. Thanks again.

Another loss-

I haven't updated in a while, but it's because our family has suffered another traumatic loss. It's been a rough year, and I just pray that things will get better.

My cousin Eli, was hit by a train early last Friday (7.11.08) morning. It just doesn't seem real. He and a couple of girls were driving down the dirt road and they stopped to let the train by. Eli got out of the car, and decided to scare the girls and do a train dodge. He jumped, but it was too late. Eli was so fun and such a daredevil. I am just heartbroken that it took his life. He was only 25 years old. He was my favorite cousin. I spent all my childhood with him. He was my best friend. We played ninja turtles, rode our bikes to town, went swimming, visited neighbors, spent our snow days together, and enjoyed our lives together. He was so much fun. He loved playing pranks, and scaring the crap out of everyone. There are many stories about him, but the ones that stand out to everyone are the pranks he pulled on them.

He lost his dad less than a month before. He has a girlfriend, a son who is almost 2, a mother, an older brother and a younger sister. Everyone is devastated, including the whole town. It's been a rough week.

Last night was his memorial. It was held at his workplace (a restaurant). They were his family too. He worked there for over 10 years. It was very hard walking in there b/c there were so many people. I had a rough time, but by the end, we were hearing stories of his pranks and we were all laughing. It's what he would have wanted.

Please keep our family in your thoughts and prayers. This was such a tragic accident that we are all pretty torn up. There are moments where it seems real, and moments where it doesn't. He was so loved. I just pray that Ruthie and his son can grow up and share their lives together just as Eli and I once did.

This is a photo of Eli and I on my wedding day.

Finally, I am updating this thing!

Sorry it's been a while. I am not the best at updating this thing.

It's been a pretty busy week. Last Monday night, we had Pat's memorial. It was very, very nice. A lot of people came out to show their respect. His family from CA that I visited when I was 12, drove down. It was really nice to see them all again. They are the sweetest people I know! They have such sweet hearts. I wish we could have met again under different circumstances though. Quite a few people said a few things about Pat. He was such a kind man. He never said anything bad about anyone. There are few people like him. He loved the outdoors whether it be canoing, hiking, camping, or fishing. He was a really great guy and he is truly missed. Please continue to keep his family in your prayers.

My aunt and cousin came down for the memorial. They are leaving tomorrow, but they will be back! Words can't explain how excited I am for this!

Everything is going good here. I had to get a part-time job at the grocery store to make ends meet. We are struggling, but putting our faith in Him. I know He will provide, and He has. I am still waiting on word from the school. I really hope that this position is available and I have a chance for it. While I am working at the grocery store, Ruthie will be going to daycare on the days that Randall and I both work. He works 3 on, 3 off, so she won't be in there full-time. The lady who will be taking care of her, is the same lady that took care of me! I feel truly blessed to have someone I know and trust to take care of her. I am not looking forward to taking her b/c I know I will be heart broken, but it's what I have to do.

We are still enjoying summer by swimming almost everyday. I am loving it for the exercise and relaxation.

We are leaving out for Branson and Silver Dollar City on the 4th! We will celebrate my niece's b-day at my mom and dad's pool on the 4th, and then we will meet up with Steph and Ski and head to Branson. This is the first 4th of July in 23 years that I have not attended the town's annual firework show. Our show isn't much, but it's something I will truly miss it. Randall and I have never celebrated with his side of the family, so this year we will with Steph and Ski in Branson! I am sure we will have an amazing time!

I also wanted to add a special thanks to Granny Darlene for posting a comment! I am glad you are reading and getting to see pics of Ruthie! We miss you guys! Hopefully we will make it up there soon!

Whew...what a weekend!

It's been a super busy & crazy week. Where to begin.....

First off, I want to ask all of you to please keep my cousins in your thoughts and prayers. My cousin Eli found out he lost his dad on Father's Day. He could have been dead for about two weeks. He is devastated. My other cousin Jess, found him. Jess isn't his biological son, but they were pretty close. My aunt isn't married to him anymore, but he was still like family to all of us. He was always there at Thanksgiving. It was very unexpected. It's been really hard on Eli, so please keep them both in your prayers. There will be a memorial Monday night. It's just going to be a family BBQ in remembrance of him. It'll be a hard day.

Vacation Bible School was a success! We had so much fun! I was very proud of how well Ruthie and Simon behaved! They didn't want to go in their class, so they stayed with me. I also brought Haley and Alex to help me out. They all had so much fun! It was so cute to watch Ruthie say, "I went to Vacation Bible School!" Simon was even singing and doing the moves to the songs! ADORABLE!

Sue, Sharie, and I all went to Mom and Dad's and swam again today with the kids. I hope I don't get an ear infection like I did last year. My ears are starting to hurt, so I need to invest in some good quality ear plugs. Ruthie is FINALLY getting off the steps without her floatee. She has this floatee. She likes it a lot, but I want her to start learning how to swim, so we are searching for this one. Simon has that one, and it helps keep her head above water and helps her get used to the water too. She loved it today and felt like such a big girl. She kept saying, "Grandmama, look at me!" "Pappy, Aunt Sue, look at me!" It was so cute to see her so proud of herself. I was so proud of her too! I wish Randall could have seen her face. It was priceless. I caught some on camera, so I will share those later!

This week I will be searching for a job. We desperately need a second income. I might have to just find something quick until I know more about the school position. I talked to the principal about when they were hiring. He said he is waiting for the go-ahead, and when he gets it, he'll give me a call. I am hoping I will get it. It would be really, really nice.

I am also trying to sell my handmade cards locally. I really enjoy making cards, and I figured it wouldn't hurt to try to make some money off them! I need to find a couple more stores to see if they will sell them.

I hope everyone has an amazing week. I am looking forward to church tomorrow. We have some family members joining us so that always puts a smile on my face!