Happy Birthday to my Love..throwback edition

Found some sweet pictures of my Love while sorting through old photos.

A Birthday Celebration

We celebrated Scott on Friday...HIS birthday!  We started with breakfast at home before school, eggs, bacon and coffee cake. Then he worked all morning and we met him at Chick Fil A for a birthday lunch, he let Max pick that.  Then after school, weightlifting for Drew, basketball for Tommy we celebrated with his favorite meal.  Who can guess?  Pot roast, mashed potatoes, creamed spinach, corn casserole, popovers and his favorite Boston Cream Pie. He does NOT change much or waiver from his favorite things.  He opened his presents, most of them were from Max, not sure how that worked but every time I went to wrap something he claimed it was from him.  Cute...I finally decided to just BUY him a driver for golf.  He has been given a "gift certificate" for a driver at least 4 holidays now but has yet to purchase one.

We are all so blessed by him.  He is an amazing husband and Dad, among a long list of other titles.  We are always his priority and his "why" in all that he does.  We hope he felt extra loved on Friday.  He and Jack headed off before dawn on Saturday to head to Ohio to check in on his parents and to be in Ohio for some testing his Dad has this week.  We are missing them but know that he has been wanting to get there this winter and with the crazy sports stuff we have had it's been hard to do so.

The boys' each wrote him a card or a letter.  Those always means the most.  I love what Max said in his...

"He loves me.
He works.
He likes Speed Racer.
Thanks for not letting my brothers fight me.
He loves Mommy and no you can't kiss her 500 times.
You love the Buckeyes and the Browns.
You are MY BEST DAD!"

Love you so much....

Drew's Last Game

Drew had a good year on the Freshman basketball team.  He started most games and enjoyed the getting to know the guys on the team a little bit better.  He had LOTS of 6:30 am practices...9th grade is low on the totem pole for gym space.  He didn't mind at all.  I forgot to ever bring my BIG camera so all I have are shots off of my phone camera.

Congrats Drew on having a great season. Now it's onto golf, baseball and yes they have football throwing right now as well.  CRAZY

The Shisler Fan Club

One Saturday in January, my brother and my Dad decided to get up bright and early and drive down to watch some basketball of the boys.  Tommy and Drew had back to back games on a Saturday morning about 45 minutes from Waukee.  It was so sweet of them to make the effort to come and cheer.  Our boys typically don't have any more fans than our little family in Waukee, so for them to have a Fan Club was really a treat.  The downside to not living by family.

After watching the games we headed to Bass Pro, one of our boys' favorites...to have a quick lunch before they headed back to Minnesota.  (Bass Pro was on their way home too) We all appreciated their driving down and cheering.  So blessed....

Varsity

Tommy was invited to start practicing and dressing for Varsity games in early January.  He was pretty excited.   He was given the uniform and the warm up.  His very first game he got in he even shot and made a 3.  It was so much fun to see how excited he was....

So proud of his determination...

 wearing the warm up to school on game day

 First Varsity game and first 3

And he is on the board...first time ever.  #14----3 points

another game, another 3...so fun for him

Trying out the Gun

If you remember back to Jack's 12 birthday he was given a shotgun.  A Remington 870 pump shot gun...12 gauge.  We had a nice warm Saturday early in January, warm as in 45 degrees...so I took him out to our favorite gun range, Olefson...and he tried it out on the skeet range.  I loved watching him shoot.  He is a great shot.  It is fun that he and I share an interest in shooting guns.  Never say never.

Max and Sammie

Max and Sammie are good friends. I met Sammie's Mom in the nursery at church when we were both nursing those 2 as babies.  So they have been friends since infancy.  :)   Max tells us he is in love with Sammie.  He asked me last week what "engaged" meant.  I told him it means you are planning to get married.  He told me "I am engaged to Sammie then".  MUCH to his dismay I informed him he was NOT engaged and could NOT be engaged until he was at least 23 years old and had a job.  I also shared with him he would need to purchase a ring for her and ask her Dad's permission to be engaged to her...bummer Max.  

Max invited Sammie over a month or so ago to play before preschool, they go to the same preschool.  They had a ball.  They played in the kitchen most of the time and brought me lots and lots of delicious food.   I didn't realize he had grabbed the go pro camera and they had taken some photos...

Here are their photos and the one I took of them too.    

Work Party Date

Tommy had a "Holiday" party in January for his job at Glen Oaks country club from the summer/fall.  They could bring dates.  He chose to bring his good friend Maria.  There are several of the guys from school that work at Glen Oaks and they all brought girls who were also friends.  They had a fun night together.  It was downtown at a hotel so they had to be all dressed up.

Grateful for such sweet friends...

Special Visitors

One chilly Wednesday in January I got a phone call from my Aunt Sandy...she and my uncle Dean were driving south and wanted to know if we were free for a drop in and dinner.  OF COURSE we were...I cannot believe we have lived here 16 years and they have not been here.

I have spent more hours with my beloved Aunt Sandy in this past year than perhaps the past 30 years of my life combined.  We spent so much time talking on the phone and caring for Mom.  One of the many blessings this cancer brought me.  As icky as cancer is, if you look, there are blessings in it.  Aunt Sandy is certainly one of them.  I have always loved my Aunt Sandy, loved how REAL she is, loved her sense of humor..loved how she loves me for me.

We went out to Chick Fil A, one of our boys' favorite spots...and they insisted on paying and when the boys asked if they could get milk shakes Sandy said....OF COURSE....obviously that is not a normal thing for them as they were all excited about that.  Spoiling those boys of ours...  They had never been to Chick Fil A so it was fun to introduce them to it.

Of course, a couple of photos were taken....

thanks for taking the time to stop.  We love you both so much!

 Drew had already snuck off to serve at church

Remembering Grandma in Ethiopia

This fall there was a team headed to Trees of Glory, a school sponsored through Children's Hope Chest.  At Trees of Glory our Tilahun lived.  We sponsor his schooling, food and clothing.  I sent him some photos of our family withGrandma  Lu. She had just passed away.  I wanted to tell Tilahun about her and her faith.  I know how important her legacy is to our family.   I wanted to tell him the joy we have in her going to heaven.

These photos arrived today. Taken by one of the team leaders there as Tilahun opened our letter, gifts and photos.  The woman on his left is a translator.  The other women is from Minnesota.  So much blessing in this.  Grandma would be so pleased to know there is a boy in Africa who "knows" her.  I love that we are able to have this communication with him.  I pray someday to be able to meet him in person. Somehow. 

Respite Night

So a few Saturdays back our older boys helped at Respite night at church.  It's a night where parents who have children with special needs can go out, or have a few hours to do whatever they would like to do.  Their kids are cared for at church.  This night some of the high school boys from Des Moines Christian were the ones who were there to volunteer.  I was there to take photos for both our church and for the ministry our school had there.  This is a new ministry through school, it is called Tubal Cain, which I haven't a clue what that stands for... but it's a group of Dad's striving to show young men how to be men in our society.  And how to serve others as men.  Love the concept.

There were different rooms set up with various activities for the kids to do.  Each of the high school boys was assigned a "buddy".  Drew was put with Amara, since he was most familiar with her through serving in Sunday school.  And Tommy had Eli, who we have known for several years and I took his photos this fall.

Here are some of my favorites from the night...

First Love

In my opinion, one of the highest callings in life is to be a Mom. When I was a little girl it was my dream.  I always wanted to be a Mom.  Forever.  I don't remember not wanting that.  And here I am the mama to 4.  4 precious gifts from God.  4 beautiful boys were entrusted to me.

Today I haven't been feeling well.  And for awhile this morning one of these 4 was snuggled up with me.  It was a reminder to me that I am so privileged. So privileged to be a Mom.  To be a mom to boys.  I am privileged to be their first love.    I pray everyday for their wives-to-be. I know there will be a day when they fall in love and get married and lead their own families.  But today I want to remember these moments.  The moments where I am their first love. 

"Let Me Know if You Need Anything"

This was posted on Facebook today and it was really powerful.  I don't want to forget it.  I say this ALL of the time.  And I mean it every TIME I say it.  But sometimes we need to just DO...not ask.  The times this past year that some of my dearest friends just SHOWED up.  Just SHOWED up with a meal from their freezer.  SHOWED up with toilet paper when they knew it was on my list.  SHOWED up with tacos.  SHOWED up by getting my groceries.  SHOWED up by insisting on taking Max to the park.  It is so true, when you are needing help you don't always ask... Don't get me wrong I LOVE it when people actually give me a task that will help them.  I LOVE that, but that doesn't always happen.

The thought of friends showing up in my yard for church...like is said in the article choked me up.  This is the stuff that life is made of....

So my friend who I said to yesterday, "Let me know if you need anything" and the other friend I texted that to today....I am learning.  I hope this article touches you like it did me.

Ignite Blog by Paul Dazet

When I was diagnosed with Cancer in 2008, I had so many people say to me, “let me know if you need anything”.  These people were caring, compassionate Christ-followers who genuinely meant it when they said it.

While there was a lot of things that we needed, from help with the kids, to runs to the grocery, we only let those closest to us, mostly family, lend a hand.  To everyone else, we just replied, “thank you, we will.” But we didn’t.

I should have gave people the opportunity to be a blessing to us.  But I didn’t want to put them out. I didn’t want to spend their valuable time doing menial tasks for us.  There were better things that they could do with their time.

I was wrong denying people the opportunity to bless us.  But i’m not alone.  Am I?

In fact, to almost every person I say, “let me know if you need anything”, I never hear back from them.  And as I observe this going on in the church, we all play the same game.  No one actually replies with, “Yes, I need help with this….”.

And to be honest, sometimes I say that phrase, hoping they don’t ask me to do anything.  But I say it, because that is what I am supposed to say.  It is the courteous Christlike thing to say.  Right?

Wrong.  When we look at Jesus, we don’t see courtesy, we see action.  In Mark Chapter 1, in what many people say was Jesus’ longest day of ministry, it is recorded that Jesus met the needs of all those in the town.

Mark 1:29-34  As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.The fever left her and she began to wait on them. tweet

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was. tweet

Jesus put his teaching into action, and demonstrated to us that our faith requires action.  As James says, we need to be doers of the Word.

Saying “let me know if you need anything”, when we know someone needs something is just wrong.  It makes us feel better about ourselves.  We want people to know that we care, but caring isn’t enough.

If we follow in the footsteps of Jesus, we should do something.  Send a card, make a meal, drop off some groceries, make a visit or a phone call.

Do something!

Back in 2008, we were blessed by many people who acted.  Larry and Cindy got us a Nettflix subscription.  Mike called and talked to me about World of Warcraft, and other geeky things, just to get my mind off of the treatments.  Vicki, Sherry, Jeanne, and Adona did so much to help our family with the day-in, day-out things.  Friends taking Stacy out for coffee so she could get some breathing room.  People from the Church dropped off meals.  Jon, Angie, Dave, and Betsy took us out to dinner and didn’t act embarrassed by my bald-head, and my bloated face (see pic below). Jon writing a song for me “rescue me”.    John and Sean came over on Sundays and turned me into a Pittsburgh Steelers fan.  John watching every episode of Ultimate Fighter at my house every Wednesday during chemo.  And there were so many more acts of kindness. Not solicited, just people acting out of love. I am grateful for all the people who did something.

And the one that sticks out the most to me, as I look back on those days was the picnic in the front yard.

Picnic in the front yard.

On a Sunday that I couldn’t be at church, the church showed up on my front yard and had a picnic. They just invaded.  Not one person bothered us.  No one knocked on the door. They just put out their blankets, and pulled out their food and ate.  I’m not sure what the neighbors thought.  But I remember what I thought – wow, these guys really love me.

Now here is the thing.

I still say, “let me know if you need anything”.  I haven’t learned and I feel awful about it.  I should have had a picnic in someone else’s front yard while they were having a hard time.  But I haven’t.  I should have gone the extra mile for those in my flock.  But I haven’t.

In this new year I propose a change.

That phrase isn’t good enough anymore.  I can do better.  We can do better.

I am not going to say, “let me know if you need anything”, at all during this year.  Anytime I feel the urge to say it, I’m going to pray about how I can do something to bless them.  Who is with me?

If you are willing to join with me to put an end to saying “let me know if you need anything”, let me know by adding a comment on Facebook, or send me a message.

Just My Baby and Me

These photos will never win any awards for quality but they will forever remind me of these days.  These are days I don't ever want to forget.  I didn't have an iPhone with my other littles so I couldn't capture these kinds of moments.  But these make me teary as I look through them.  This is my JOB...this is what I LOVE...I LOVE being a Mom.  I will forever be grateful that I have been home to hold my boys when they have needed it, to snuggle when requested, to make cookies when their friends come over, to be able to go to their Dr appointments with them, to be their room moms, to make play doh for preschool, to run lunches to school, to wash their clothes, to make their beds, to be here when the school nurse calls...these boys of ours are the things in my life I am the most proud of....I LOVE that I haven't missed these moments.  

  I am SO grateful to be married to a man that has seen the importance in this for our family.  Who continually tells me I have the hardest and most important job in our family.  That I am where I need to be....he appreciates it all.  He never complains when the house isn't picked up, there are loads of laundry to help fold, the meal may not be made, the fridge is nearing empty.  Nope never once in 20 years has he complained to me about ANY of that.  He never comes home and asks why I am sitting on the sofa snuggling a child when there is no dinner in the oven....nope he gets it.  He really gets it.  I tell you it matters who you marry.  

 I was blessed to grow up in a home where my Dad felt the very same way.  He always gave my Mom the credit for everything.  He never once complained about the house, meals, laundry...nope.  It is what I know.  It is something I knew I wanted in a husband from the time I was very young.  I am so blessed to have a marriage like this... 

The Day Jack Danced

Most of you know that I teach in our church's Hand in Hand classroom, or Special Needs Sunday School.  It is one of my favorite things to do and I look forward to it each and every time.  My love for Jesus and children with Special needs all coming together.  It's near perfection.

Often times Drew and Jack will come and help, and hang out with the kids in there.  Tommy once in awhile, and Max whenever I let him stay.

One sunday a couple of weeks ago we were serving.  The night before had been respite night, a night where parents get a break and our church cares for their children.  We had helped at that on Saturday and it had been requested that we bring the Annie soundtrack.  My friend Amara LOVES Annie almost as much as I do.  So I had promised to bring it...

What I didn't expect to happen that morning did....

We had been listening to Annie after our bible lesson while we were doing crafts and just chatting.  Amara looked at Jack and told him "I want to dance"....Jack didn't miss a beat.  He stood up and pulled her back from the table and proceeded to push her round and around the room.  Spinning, going fast...then when the next song came on it was slow...she told him it was a ballet song...he then pushed her slowly.  I watched as she raised her arms as if she was doing a pirouette around and around they went.

These are the things in life that matter as a Mom.  We had conferences yesterday and yes I am so grateful our boys are good students, that they are smart, that they are respectful of their teachers but THIS stuff...this is the stuff that will make them into Godly men.  Men with compassion and love.  Men who adore their wives and care for their children.  These are the moments that really matter.