Last Day of School 2013-2014

Today was the last day of school for the boys...done with 5th, 8th and 10th grades.  Growing up so fast!  Of course I made them take pictures this morning, some were more cooperative than others.  Oh well...it's what I do and I am the Mom so there.

 First Day-Last Day 5th Grade

Yep, same outfit...grown up look

First Day-Last Day 10th Grade

 First Day-Last Day 8th Grade

I think Drew has changed the most

And now onto the chalkboard printables they were SO thrilled I printed for them to hold...

 Yes, Max insisted on getting one and holding as he so chose.

 The whole gang

 And even MORE thrills that Mom requested THIS outside of the school

My dozen donuts purchased for a son who will remain nameless, for his classmates, didn't even make him pleased to do this...AND I would like to point out we did it 20 minutes BEFORE school started in the hopes we wouldn't see ANYONE we knew.  

 First Day

Last Day

Happy Summer!

Rambling

Ready for randomness and rambling?  Here are some pics from the last week or so....

The DMC varsity golf team missed state by 1 stroke.  They had a great season. Tommy really loved it.

Had my toes painted as close to teal as I could come...in honor of Mom. 

Picking up Jack from a golf clinic...any excuse to ride in a golf cart.

Tommy's big Memorial Design for school. He chose to make one of Woody...

Tommy sent me this of one morning he was watching Max.  #proudnotproud

Anything to ride a golf cart...

My bracelet for my Mom.

Half bday dinner at Bang Bang, his favorite. Dad took him.

My friend Jennifer sent this to me. It's Jennifer and my friend Julie with our favorite teacher Mrs Kedrovsky.  She is the one who inspired me to want to teach.  Julie too.

My friend Sarah sent me this. Loved it. 

Bonus of all of these MN trips...seeing the little things in the lives of Alice and Charlie. Alice lost a front tooth last week. 

Winding our Thursday play datesdown with Hinckley.  Chick Fil A together.  These boys are very good friends.

Most days in car line this is my view.

Inner squad scrimmage for HS baseball. Drew pitching to Tommy. I think this baseball season will be one of my favorites with them on the same team.

Spent last Thursday with these girls. Senior pics for Mady with her just removed braces...Maria her baby sister. Both of these girls are special to me. Dinner out after too. Blessed.

Friday morning I watched these 2 at their house...oh I love them. Max had fun there too.

Friday afternoon we ran up to Ames for the Special Olympics.  Scott's friend Jeff was competing. It was so much fun to cheer him on. Makes me miss the days when we were first married and I was on the Special Olympics board.  

Finally got the plants all done and the back deck ready for summer.

My friend Jennifer took this at one of our many grad parties this weekend. Max and the girls. 

One of my dearest high school friends baby sister was married Sunday. Obviously we didn't get to the wedding but I loved this photo. Beautiful bride. Married in Charlotte. 

My Grandma Lu has been in the hospital for several days. My cousins daughter posted this pic yesterday. Gma looks great. She's having terrible pain from her spine compressing. Pray for her. 

I delivered lunch to the boys today...last time for this school year. They love it.

Tomorrow I'm headed to Edina to be there as Mom starts her chemo.  Please be praying for her and for my Dad. The boys last day of school is Friday this week. They are thrilled.  Scott is headed to ohio this weekend. His Mom has really been struggling with leg pain and being able to walk. His dad has had health issues too.  He will spend the weekend with them and then head to a week long meeting he has in Indy.  Sadly he will miss being home for Drew's 15th birthday Monday.  ;(. But sometimes you can't do much about it.  

Well there was a lot of rambling...now you're caught up. 

Memorial Day

All gave some...some gave all.

Today we remember those who have served and are serving to protect us and to give us freedom.

We don't take it for granted.

Precious memories from Summer 2011 honoring Uncle Harold Lee Terwilliger in Washington DC.  These are moments I will NEVER forget.  The emotion and honor these Marines gave my Uncle, a man they NEVER knew, who died years before they ever ever would have known him.  It was truly one of their own.  My Uncle's plane went missing...and it was like these men were there.  It gave me even more respect for the Marines, and armed services than I thought possible.  The photos of Max Harold with his marker are precious memories and were not posed.  It was like Max knew his great Uncle...it was like he knew he was named after him.  It was so beautiful.  If you want to read more...you can go back here to this post or here.  (and in searching back in the blog I realized I never fully posted on this trip, or this day...)

 (my Dad and his brother Don receiving the flag that now resides with our Max Harold)

Honor in action

I knew when I fell in love with Scott that he was my dream, my knight in shining armor.  I knew his desire was to protect me and love me. I knew he loved my family and my parents. But it's times like these when I see his love and honor in action that I fall more deeply in love with him. 

This past weekend he and Drew drove to the cabin to help my parents open the cabin for summer. They left early Friday morning and were being put to work within moments of their early afternoon arrival. 

Scott sent this photo with these words... "I call her #yardboss".  Mom happily directing her workers. 

The cabin looks so different before the flowers are planted. So much work to be done. Power wash and stain the deck. Boats in. Furniture out...the list is long. The boys worked sun up to sun down and got so much done and off mom's list. 

Drew got a little fishing in at sunrise too. 

My heart is full of gratitude to Scott and to Drew for their hearts to serve. When they love my parents, they love me. 

Village

I have been blessed with a lot of friends.   I am grateful for all of them but I am especially grateful for my villages.  I have villages of girlfriends I count on...  I have a Minnesota Village, I have a Luther college village, AND I have villages here in Des Moines...

These are friends I can count on...friends I may not see often but count on their prayers.  Know I can call them in tears over something BIG, or small.  Know I can text them about BIG things, and really silly things.  I have been relying on their support as this journey with my Mom has begun...it makes me laugh because in "real life" I don't often see the people in my village (s),  it's just the way life is right now.  But they are there...

Yesterday I was blessed with a last minute lunch with some of my dear friends.  I am not sure when the last time is we actually were all in the same place at the same time...but I couldn't resist capturing it in a photo.  There are MANY texts exchanged in this bunch...prayer requests quickly texted and we count on each others prayers.  (all Mama's of 4 littles...)  I am especially grateful for this bunch today...

First Person

I've been waiting and waiting and tonight it happened...Max drew his very first person. It's a drawing of Drew in case you can't tell.  Oh and he's holding a gun...nice huh?!

Love it!  

Sigh

Sigh is my best way to start this...it's been a week. I need to post a Mother's Day post but that would require me to upload those photos off my camera onto the computer....and well, that's not done. Mother's Day was as close to perfect as it could be for me. My mom and my boys...together. Period. That was enough. More another day...

It's a bit of an emotional roller coaster around here, and it's May. May is a crazy month every year for every Mom I know. So the combination has been a balance, I won't lie.

Monday was wig shopping day with my Mom and my Mom's sister Sandy. We made it as fun as we could. We went to 2 wig shops with appointments and one was leaps and bounds better than the other. Mom felt as good as one could about a wig. We found great hats and scarves. Sigh...But if I'm honest, it was really hard.  I'm so grateful to have been able to have been there.  

Tuesday was the day to meet with the Oncologist...specifically a gyn oncologist...same guy who did Mom's surgery.  He is a very smart man. It was nice to see different options. It was nice to hear his positivity. It was great to see Mom decide on the most aggressive chemo and to see her willing to give it all she has...and then some.  But I can't lie to know she has 6 months ahead of chemo makes me sad. Sigh... I really dislike that she has to face this and face side effects.  

The Doctor was very late which made the day in Edina go long...which made the trip back to Iowa late....which made it so that I missed Jack and Drew's end of the year concerts.  Sigh...my Mama heart. I ran into the school hoping I'd catch at least Drew singing...nope. 

The art fair was getting cleaned up as well. Missed seeing that last night as well. 

The balance is hard. I won't lie. But I felt encouraged when I went to get Drew after the long concert and he wasn't mad I missed his concert, his first words to me were "How is Grandma doing?"   Jack said "not a big deal Mom I understand. You did your best."

See while all of this is happening with Mom and the balance of home our boys are watching and they are learning. They are learning flexibility. They are learning that we honor our parents no matter what. They are learning that we love hard. That we pray boldly for healing. God is using this...

From Jesus Calling Devotional this morning....

I am a mighty God. Nothing is too difficult for Me. I have chosen to use weak ones like you to accomplish My purposes. Your weakness is designed to open you up to My Power. Therefore, do not fear your limitations or measure the day’s demands against your strength. What I require of you is to stay connected to Me, living in trusting dependence on My limitless resources.When you face unexpected demands, there is no need to panic. Remember that I am with you. Talk with Me, and listen while I talk you through each challenging situation.
I am not a careless God. When I allow difficulties to come into your life, I equip you fully to handle them. Relax in My Presence, trusting in My Strength.
“For nothing is impossible with God.”
—Luke 1:37
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
—2 Corinthians 12:9