When Blessings Abound

Wow, what an astounding week our family has had. It's been so full of God's love I just cannot even put it into words adequately enough.

Last Wednesday, a friend of ours surprised us by bringing all the fixings for a Thanksgiving feast. What a generous and thoughtful gift! She said she'd been thinking about us and wanted to make sure we were able to have a nice dinner for Thanksgiving. The extra food came in handy, because...

On Thanksgiving, we were blessed enough to have some of Ande's family over (the total number of people at our house that day ended up numbering 21!!!). Some of his relatives came from Wisconsin, and much to Bubber's delight, two of the boys stayed the weekend with us.

On Friday, my sister & her family came, and we had a delicious brunch of waffles & bacon, then munched on leftover Thanksgiving goodies for the rest of the day. My dad even stopped by for a while, and gave my sister and I a laugh about his request to my sister earlier in the week to be the "executioner" of his estate. (I guess that would be funnier to you if you know my dad). He also informed us that we would be his beneficiaries, but that it was subject to change. We cracked up, and asked him if he was getting married or something. Anyway, we had a nice visit, and my dad seemed to be really happy to see all the kids.

Saturday I took the kids to visit my mom, whom I haven't visited in a looooong time. It's a story that would take me too long to tell, for those of you who don't know the details, so let's just say that it's been a tough few years. Anyway, we had a pretty nice visit, and the kids wore my mom's new puppy out. By that evening, I was so tired I could barely keep my eyes open.

Sunday was fairly restful, and Monday was spent trying to catch up on some laundry that had been piling up. Tuesday was spent on a bit of housecleaning, and preparations for Ande's cousins to come visit again.

Which brings us to today, Wednesday. Money's been tight lately, especially with Ande trying to get an amp built to be ready to ship by this weekend - last minute purchases have really added up. So we have been praying about our finances, and trying to spend what we do have wisely. We received a card today with a significant amount of money in it, probably enough for Ande to finish his amp and maybe a little left over!!! I cried when I opened it.

My dear Lord - I know that you will always care for our needs, because you care for the birds in the sky and the flowers in the fields - and we are so much more important to you. What amazes me is the depth and breadth of love and generosity you so freely pour out to us to fill our needs! You know exactly what we need, and you ALWAYS are there to provide it when we ask. Help me to have a generous attitude, as you have given those who have given in your name to supply for our needs!

Mom to a teenager?!?!

Am I really old enough to have a TEENAGE SON? I can't even believe how time has flown by. I can still remember the morning Bubber was born - 3 days PAST my due date, my water broke at 5:15am, we were at the hospital by 6:00am, and he stubbornly refused to make his first appearance until 9:23PM. (Little did I know at the time that he would be one of the easier of my 4 experiences giving birth.) I remember my parents and (ex)in-laws coming to the hospital and waiting anxiously in the hall. My sister and brother-in-law came with my BIL's little brother (from Big Brothers/Big Sisters) and shared in the wait. One of my step-sisters called from Tennessee because she "had a feeling" and called all of our area hospitals until she found me! I pushed for 2 hours before Bubber finally arrived - all 8lbs 6oz of him. It was a scary, exciting, and exhausting day for me, but well worth it!

Sure, we've had our "moments" over the years, and there have certainly been times that I look back on and wish I could change things. I'm not always a good parent (not that I don't like to think I am, but I know better), and Bubber isn't always a good son. The good thing is, we've both learned to accept each other's faults and know how to interact on a more positive level. Bubber's turning into a wonderful young man, and I can see that he is more and more often making effort to be the kind of person God wants him to be! I wish I could take credit for the change, but I would venture to say it has a LOT to do with the folks at UPBC this summer. He came back from camp with much more interest in God than he's ever had before. Now, if we can just keep that fire stoked...

Some little known facts about Bubber (I "borrowed" this concept from the Wissman Family. They are a phenomenal group of people I will write about in a separate post):

He shares his birthday with his Great-Grandma, Marge Martin.

He has a freckle on either side of his nose (they are symmetrical).

He knew the alphabet, his colors, and shapes by age 2 1/2.

His first best friend was our Rottweiler, Nisa.

He has a Harry Potter-like scar on his forehead (although his was from a fall, not from an evil wizard).

He has had stitches on 3 different occasions. (Boys will be boys)

His real name means "smelly hair".

He loves his little sisters, even when they get into his stuff.

He became officially taller then me when he was 12. (Not a big feat, I'm only 5'1")

In first grade his teacher was amazed at his ability to answer questions correctly even when he didn't even seem to be paying attention.

He's got the world's coolest mom...LOL! Just wanted to make sure you were still paying attention!!

Anyway...I've just been thinking about how the Lord has blessed me with a fine young son, and wanted to share some of those thoughts.