We're celebrating another birthday in our family this week: Andy's 15th. Fifteen years of looking into his expressive face; his big, baby-blue eyes twinkling back at me. A decade and a half of memories that will remain in my mind's eye for many years to come. As is tradition, I've been sharing my recollections of 15 years ago....
Dan and I were surprised once again to learn that we were expecting a child. We had only been parents for a little over a year when we opened our eyes and saw the telltale pink lines on the little plastic test stick. A ripple of apprehension fluttered through our bodies, then joy. We were having a baby, and our little Nick would be a big brother!
My due date came, and my due date passed. As did the next day, and the next, and....13 days in all. Thirteen days to wait, not at all patiently, to meet our new little pumpkin. I had a doctor's appointment scheduled, as well as a stress-test, to verify that our baby was still thriving within the confines of my belly. I sat in the large reclining chair, my feet propped up and belts strapped around my bulging midsection. There were sensors on the belts, recording the baby's heartbeat and movements. How he was even able to move an inch in that crowded space, I still don't understand. I felt like I had been pregnant for 5 years, and that he'd be born just in time to run off to kindergarten! While I relaxed in the comfort of the air-conditioned office, I was feeling what I thought were just Braxton-Hicks contractions, which I had been experiencing for several days. The nurse came in, read the information on the monitor, and informed me that I was having contractions. I told her I had been for awhile, and didn't think it was anything.
After the stress-test was completed, my OB saw me in his office. After a quick check, he exclaimed that I was already dilated several centimeters, and should immediately head to the hospital. I wasn't in any pain, and certainly didn't feel that I was in labor, but Dan and I left for home to prepare for the journey ahead. I packed my bags, and off we went.
Once we reached the hospital, I knew without a doubt that I was truly in the mid-stages of labor. The pains began to come hard and fast, and within a few hours, it was time to push. At 9:00 PM, we welcomed our second son into our lives. We named the little 9 pound, 3 ounce cherub Andrew Wayne, and couldn't wait to introduce him to his big brother. We weren't sure if we would call him Andy or Drew, but the decision was made for us when little Nick toddled in and exclaimed, "Aaaandy!!"
Our new little guy was such a joy; he was a bit fussy as a small baby, but grew into such a fun toddler. He had a shock of light blonde hair framing his chubby pink cheeks. He had a crooked little smile, and would wrinkle his tiny button-nose and grin when he was being mischievous. He had a deep voice for such a small tot, and his personality was quite different from his big brother's. He was imaginative, silly, and outgoing, and these traits have stayed with him as he's grown. He's developed many others along the way: he's smart, has a wonderful sense of humor, thinks outside the box, is creative, loves football, and is a servant of God. He has many fantastic ideas, and often enthusiastically asks me, "Mom, do you know what I'm going to invent when I grow up....?" He still has his crooked little smile, which has now been freed from the silver brackets that clung to his teeth for almost 2 years. And when he's being mischievous, his now-freckled little nose still wrinkles in a telltale manner as his blue eyes twinkle from behind the lenses of his eyeglasses.
Andy marked his 15th birthday by obtaining his driver's permit, and has been relentlessly asking Dan and I to take him out to practice behind the wheel. He is moving toward independence, one step closer to becoming an adult. I pray for guidance for him, and for the Lord to hold him close as I have to loosen my grip and allow him to stretch his wings. And I have no doubt that one day, I'll hear him proudly exclaim, "Mom, look what I've invented!"
Happy Birthday, Aaaandy.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
easter 2008
I realize I'm a little late in posting our Easter pics, but I just downloaded, or uploaded, or whatever it is you do to get your digital photos from your camera to the computer. I thought this one was amusing, and worthy of sharing:
Note: The Easter Bunny didn't really leave Dan a pretty pink basket. I think it's pretty obvious who was the intended recipient.
Note: The Easter Bunny didn't really leave Dan a pretty pink basket. I think it's pretty obvious who was the intended recipient.
move over, carmello
Kid Update:
Cris's basketball skills have recently earned him places on the PAL All-Star Team, an AAU tournament team, and in the Hot Shot contest. He's looking forward to trying out for the middle school basketball team next year, and works out daily--shooting hoops and executing at least 120 pushups. The squeak of Nikes on the hardwood and the scream of the buzzers have become music to my ears.
Monday, March 31, 2008
i do it for the s'mores
There are few reasons I find worthy enough to drag myself out of bed long before the sun starts to peek up from beyond the horizon. But for the second time since the first of the year, I have set my alarm to be roused from my slumber in order to go camping. I have spent more nights inside a tent over the past 3 months than I have in years, and I am just as surprised as anyone at how much I've enjoyed myself.
Our Girl Scout Unit's Camporee was held this past weekend. Mom, me, and 15 of our closest little friends hiked over the river and into the woods to find the perfect spot to pitch our tent village. Since this was our first overnight trip, many of their moms felt more comfortable with joining us for our outdoor adventure. I was very proud of the girl-power that we exhibited as we set up our tents all by ourselves. We did it all: the building of the fire--done by girls. Cooking over the open flame? Yep, the girls did it. Hiking and exploring and looking for crabs under rocks? You got it--all done by girls.
By all accounts, they had a fabulous time. Even the little Brownie who, when I told the troop we would be going camping, told me in no uncertain terms that the only camping she likes is done in an RV. By the time the final campfire embers were extinguished, they all had smiles on their dirt-smeared faces. Along with little chunks of melted chocolate and marshmallow bits.
Friday, March 28, 2008
fork in the road
Dan has always been more of a risk-taker than I am. Even when we're watching a game show, such as Deal or No Deal, I'll advise the contestants to "take the money, it's a sure bet!", while Dan says, "No, there's still a million bucks on the board--open another case!"
In December, I wrote about the shakeup our family experienced as a result of the loss of Dan's employment. Over the course of the many weeks that followed, he stayed extremely busy searching and applying for new opportunities, sending out resumes and making multiple phone calls. He was even interviewed a handful of times, but all of this effort seemed to be taking us nowhere. Never before has he had this type of difficulty finding a job, but he remained optimistic, for the most part.
Towards the end of February, a new vision began to take shape: Dan's heart has always been set on owning his own business, and the timing seemed to be right to begin this adventure. A new spark lit his eyes, his energy was renewed, and he worked around the clock to get it up and running. Licenses were obtained, ads and business cards were printed up for the new water pump and purification venture. Our family began to feel the excitement, and we all gathered around him in support. The pieces were all coming together, with hardly a hitch-- Dan was able to obtain a personalized phone number and website, submit his ads to the phone book advertisers just before the deadline, and we set up a booth at a local health and wellness show, where we obtained over 130 leads. We felt on top of the world, and couldn't wait to see what other blessings God had in store for us.
Then came the curve ball. Dan received a phone call from one of the men who had interviewed him for a sales position back in December. He didn't obtain that job, but had been flown to Philadelphia to interview for a project management position for the same corporation. We waited and prayed, prayed and waited to hear something, anything, but they just told him to "hold tight". We did, but then started to loosen our grasp as the weeks passed by with no word. But now this gentleman was calling to offer Dan the position after all, and to negotiate the salary specifics. He would receive wonderful benefits, a matching 410K plan, as well as other perks.
Our feelings were mixed, but the elation we would've felt, had this call come weeks ago, was noticeably absent. Confusion was prevalent, as we all felt that God had been opening all the doors for us regarding the fledgling business. Once we'd talked at length about the situation, I was sure Dan was going to say that he would turn down the job and continue on the path he'd forged.
I was wrong.
He spent much time praying, searching his heart, and speaking with other Godly men, who know the pressures of being the head of the household and breadwinner of the family. "It's a good problem to have," he heard over and over. No, we decided, it definitely was not. A good problem would have been to have two or three lucrative offers on the table several months ago. The decision between taking a risk to fulfill your life's ambition or to take the sure bet so that you know your children will have food in their bellies and clothes on their backs is not a 'good problem' to have. Please understand, I do have complete comprehension that there are far worse situations we could be dealing with....after all, God has faithfully provided all we have needed throughout this critical time, and has ensured that we have remained healthy and happy as well.
When standing at this fork in the road, unable to see what lies beyond the bend, it all comes down to this: the uncertainty of depending fully on the ability of a start-up business to bring in enough cash to not only experience growth, but to support the needs of our family... or moving into the position that would offer stability and surety. Dan is choosing to accept the Banker's offer, rather than take the risk of opening one more case in hopes that it holds the big money, and I can't say I blame him. His decision shows me that he is truly concerned about the economy, and about using our retirement funds to bankroll our endeavor.
There is a peace that comes with this decision, the peace of knowing that a paycheck will be issued regularly, that we'll no longer have to depend on our savings accounts to keep the refrigerator filled and the lights on. However, a lingering doubt remains....is this new job offer a test to determine our commitment to GW Pumps & Purification, as well as our faith in the Lord's provision? Or is it a Divine detour, because He knows that the funds GW would bring in wouldn't be sufficient, and this is, in fact, His method of providing for us?
We have come to the conclusion that the decision doesn't have to necessarily be as black and white as we were making it out to be. Dan's a color-outside-the-lines kind of a guy, and is planning on blazing his own trail. As time-consuming and energy-draining as it will be, we have decided to continue to move toward the goal of growing the business, as Dan also serves as Project Manager for his new employer. He'll be traveling quite a bit, as he'll be responsible for an even larger territory than he was with his previous employer--the entire East Coast. We are thankful for this answer to prayer, and are looking forward to seeing many more of God's promises come to pass.
And we'll do it with insurance cards in our pockets.
In December, I wrote about the shakeup our family experienced as a result of the loss of Dan's employment. Over the course of the many weeks that followed, he stayed extremely busy searching and applying for new opportunities, sending out resumes and making multiple phone calls. He was even interviewed a handful of times, but all of this effort seemed to be taking us nowhere. Never before has he had this type of difficulty finding a job, but he remained optimistic, for the most part.
Towards the end of February, a new vision began to take shape: Dan's heart has always been set on owning his own business, and the timing seemed to be right to begin this adventure. A new spark lit his eyes, his energy was renewed, and he worked around the clock to get it up and running. Licenses were obtained, ads and business cards were printed up for the new water pump and purification venture. Our family began to feel the excitement, and we all gathered around him in support. The pieces were all coming together, with hardly a hitch-- Dan was able to obtain a personalized phone number and website, submit his ads to the phone book advertisers just before the deadline, and we set up a booth at a local health and wellness show, where we obtained over 130 leads. We felt on top of the world, and couldn't wait to see what other blessings God had in store for us.
Then came the curve ball. Dan received a phone call from one of the men who had interviewed him for a sales position back in December. He didn't obtain that job, but had been flown to Philadelphia to interview for a project management position for the same corporation. We waited and prayed, prayed and waited to hear something, anything, but they just told him to "hold tight". We did, but then started to loosen our grasp as the weeks passed by with no word. But now this gentleman was calling to offer Dan the position after all, and to negotiate the salary specifics. He would receive wonderful benefits, a matching 410K plan, as well as other perks.
Our feelings were mixed, but the elation we would've felt, had this call come weeks ago, was noticeably absent. Confusion was prevalent, as we all felt that God had been opening all the doors for us regarding the fledgling business. Once we'd talked at length about the situation, I was sure Dan was going to say that he would turn down the job and continue on the path he'd forged.
I was wrong.
He spent much time praying, searching his heart, and speaking with other Godly men, who know the pressures of being the head of the household and breadwinner of the family. "It's a good problem to have," he heard over and over. No, we decided, it definitely was not. A good problem would have been to have two or three lucrative offers on the table several months ago. The decision between taking a risk to fulfill your life's ambition or to take the sure bet so that you know your children will have food in their bellies and clothes on their backs is not a 'good problem' to have. Please understand, I do have complete comprehension that there are far worse situations we could be dealing with....after all, God has faithfully provided all we have needed throughout this critical time, and has ensured that we have remained healthy and happy as well.
When standing at this fork in the road, unable to see what lies beyond the bend, it all comes down to this: the uncertainty of depending fully on the ability of a start-up business to bring in enough cash to not only experience growth, but to support the needs of our family... or moving into the position that would offer stability and surety. Dan is choosing to accept the Banker's offer, rather than take the risk of opening one more case in hopes that it holds the big money, and I can't say I blame him. His decision shows me that he is truly concerned about the economy, and about using our retirement funds to bankroll our endeavor.
There is a peace that comes with this decision, the peace of knowing that a paycheck will be issued regularly, that we'll no longer have to depend on our savings accounts to keep the refrigerator filled and the lights on. However, a lingering doubt remains....is this new job offer a test to determine our commitment to GW Pumps & Purification, as well as our faith in the Lord's provision? Or is it a Divine detour, because He knows that the funds GW would bring in wouldn't be sufficient, and this is, in fact, His method of providing for us?
We have come to the conclusion that the decision doesn't have to necessarily be as black and white as we were making it out to be. Dan's a color-outside-the-lines kind of a guy, and is planning on blazing his own trail. As time-consuming and energy-draining as it will be, we have decided to continue to move toward the goal of growing the business, as Dan also serves as Project Manager for his new employer. He'll be traveling quite a bit, as he'll be responsible for an even larger territory than he was with his previous employer--the entire East Coast. We are thankful for this answer to prayer, and are looking forward to seeing many more of God's promises come to pass.
And we'll do it with insurance cards in our pockets.
And we know that in all things God works
for the good of those who love Him...
Romans 8:28
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
a new normal
There are many stages in the life of a parent, and it never ceases to amaze me how quickly the unfamiliar becomes the standard. Each new phase seems so life-shattering, so daunting; but before you know it, it either comes to an end or has become a new normal. A once-obedient toddler learns how to use the word "no"; a small child straps on his backpack for the first day of school; a compliant, loving young man turns 13. And an ambitious 16 year-old passes his driving test to take another step towards independence.
Nick obtained his license in November, and I'll admit that a small part of me didn't want him to pass the test. As a mother, it is very rare to desire failure for your child, but my heart wasn't ready to set him free on the roads, to travel alongside drivers with many more years of experience. He'll tell you that I wasn't the model passenger while he was still operating under the limits of his permit: I was tense, panicked unnecessarily, and nearly wore a hole through the floor while using my imaginary brake pedal. Under Florida law, a new driver must have his or her permit for 1 year, and driven at least 50 hours, in order to become eligible for licensure. I thought a full year would provide adequate time for me to come to terms with the fact that my firstborn could be facing incidents of road rage, drunk drivers, and distracted motorists talking on their cell phones, unaware of the fact that they could be endangering my baby boy. But it wasn't.
When he walked into the lobby area of the DMV, his smile spoke volumes to me. He proudly held out his shiny little rectangle of freedom, and I gave him a hug. He probably thought I was showing him how proud I was of him, but in reality, I was holding on for dear life. I wasn't ready to let him go yet. It felt like it was just yesterday that Dan and I strapped our tiny newborn into his carseat for his first ride. He was so small, dwarfed by the safety gear surrounding him; his head lolled to the side, and we tucked blankets around it to prop it up. Dan drove so very carefully on our way home that day, both of us feeling the tremendous responsibility that came with this tiny person. And now here he was, looking me in the eye and holding out his hand in hopes that I would allow him to strap himself in and take me for my first ride.
Later that day, he took the wheel without an adult in the passenger seat, and I bit my lip as tears sprung to my eyes. His excitement was palpable, and I ran inside to retrieve my camera. The grin on his face filled my viewfinder, and then he was off. That day was more than two months ago already, and the transition has been much easier than I had anticipated. The convenience of having a third driver in the house has been monumental: he is more than happy to make the spur-of-the-moment run to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient, is able to transport himself to-and-from work and activities, and is even willing to chauffeur his younger siblings around town.
My time sitting in the driver's seat has decreased a bit, and we have adjusted to our new normal. However, Andy will be able to apply for his learner's permit in June, and Cris's 13th birthday is just around the bend....
Nick obtained his license in November, and I'll admit that a small part of me didn't want him to pass the test. As a mother, it is very rare to desire failure for your child, but my heart wasn't ready to set him free on the roads, to travel alongside drivers with many more years of experience. He'll tell you that I wasn't the model passenger while he was still operating under the limits of his permit: I was tense, panicked unnecessarily, and nearly wore a hole through the floor while using my imaginary brake pedal. Under Florida law, a new driver must have his or her permit for 1 year, and driven at least 50 hours, in order to become eligible for licensure. I thought a full year would provide adequate time for me to come to terms with the fact that my firstborn could be facing incidents of road rage, drunk drivers, and distracted motorists talking on their cell phones, unaware of the fact that they could be endangering my baby boy. But it wasn't.
When he walked into the lobby area of the DMV, his smile spoke volumes to me. He proudly held out his shiny little rectangle of freedom, and I gave him a hug. He probably thought I was showing him how proud I was of him, but in reality, I was holding on for dear life. I wasn't ready to let him go yet. It felt like it was just yesterday that Dan and I strapped our tiny newborn into his carseat for his first ride. He was so small, dwarfed by the safety gear surrounding him; his head lolled to the side, and we tucked blankets around it to prop it up. Dan drove so very carefully on our way home that day, both of us feeling the tremendous responsibility that came with this tiny person. And now here he was, looking me in the eye and holding out his hand in hopes that I would allow him to strap himself in and take me for my first ride.
Later that day, he took the wheel without an adult in the passenger seat, and I bit my lip as tears sprung to my eyes. His excitement was palpable, and I ran inside to retrieve my camera. The grin on his face filled my viewfinder, and then he was off. That day was more than two months ago already, and the transition has been much easier than I had anticipated. The convenience of having a third driver in the house has been monumental: he is more than happy to make the spur-of-the-moment run to the grocery store for a forgotten ingredient, is able to transport himself to-and-from work and activities, and is even willing to chauffeur his younger siblings around town.
My time sitting in the driver's seat has decreased a bit, and we have adjusted to our new normal. However, Andy will be able to apply for his learner's permit in June, and Cris's 13th birthday is just around the bend....
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