Sum Sum Summer Time

It's finally here, well not officially.  Summer time!  School is out.  Swim team has begun.  Fun in the Son (VBS) is all week long and vacations are coming.  What an awesome time of year.  The boys are excited because of later bed times, lots of time outside, lots of swimming, lots of camping, and lots of fun.  We leave shortly for Pentwater, MI for a campground called Hill and Hollow.  It is an awesome campground including a nice pool, great campsites, and good bathrooms.  That is the trifecta of camping right there.  My favorite things about camping are relaxing, family time, no schedules, and lots of fun.  Can't wait to see what this summer holds.

Spring. It is finally here!

I love Spring! I love seeing all of the beautiful flowering trees.  I love the longer days. I love the flowers that pop through the newly thawed ground.  I love the warmer weather.  I love seeing leaves on the bare limbs of the trees. I love the hope that spring ushers in.  It lets us know that winter does not stay forever. Isn't God good! Even though the winter may seem long and never ending, it is always followed by spring.  Even though the day of crucifixion looked dark, it was followed by the resurrection! That is what spring is to me.  It is the resurrection of hope anew.

It's been awhile

It's been a while since I have posted anything to this blog.  I don't know if anyone even reads it or cares.  The winter blahs have definitely hit the Million household.  There are those who love winter, love the snow, and can't imagine living anywhere else.  Cleve and I are not one of those.  We dream of warmer locals; beaches, mountains, sunshine...  But, our families are here and we enjoy being close to family.  Thankfully February is almost over and spring is coming.  Hope rings eternal.  So, until I open my coffee shop in the tropics and Cleve opens his dive shop we remain in cold, snowy, Indiana.  We are making the best of where we are and dreaming of spring, summer and fall.

God is good

I am reminded once again today that God is indeed good.  As we live this life that He has given us, bad things are going to happen.  It is in the midst of the trials that we get glimpses of hope and know that God is good.  As I look at my 2 boys and wonderful husband, I am reminded that God is good.  The road to parenthood was not without bumps for Cleve and me, and I often questioned during the journey what God's plans were.  Now looking back, I am grateful for all that we went through because I can't imagine my life without the 2 little boys that we have been given.  It was the same in finding Cleve.  I dated a few frogs along the way, but I am grateful for the prince that God brought into my life.

It is easy to get discouraged when we see all of the pain and suffering around us.  Everyday we hear of children being abused or of someone losing a baby or a child.  What we don't hear are enough stories of the miracles around us.  Recently, I have been allowed to see a miracle of great proportions up close.  One of my roommates from college's son nearly drowned a week ago Sunday.  From what I hear, things last Sunday looked pretty grim and there was doubt whether he was going to live.  The word of his near drowning got out and there have been thousands of people praying for this little boy.  Today, a week later, he is breathing on his own and is going to be evaluated tomorrow to see what therapies he may need.  God is good!  We are now praying for his complete recovery.  The doctor and nurses are amazed at his progress.  That is the power of prayer and that is the power of my God.  

I am reminded once again of the verse which Cleve and I clung to during our years of waiting for a family.  Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord.  Plans to prosper you and not to harm you.  Plans to give you a hope and a future."

Please continue to pray for Owen and his complete healing from his near drowning.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for Him.  Be reminded once again as I have been, God is good.  There will always be trouble and hardship this side of heaven, but God is good.

Waiting

I am sitting here waiting for the delivery man to come with our new fridge.  I am starting to get a little impatient because I know that he is coming, but I don't know exactly when.  I am prepared for his arrival and desire for it to be soon so that I can move on to the good stuff of putting everything back in our new fridge and arranging stuff in the old fridge and freezer.  

Isn't this kind of like waiting on Christ to come back again?  I know that he is coming at some point because that is made clear in the scriptures, but I do not know when that will be.  I don't know if it will be during my lifetime or after my death.  Sometimes I get impatient and want Christ to come back now because there is so much pain and suffering which I know will not be present when we are with Him in heaven.  At the same time, I hope that all are prepared for his arrival.  It gets me thinking about what I need to be doing while I am waiting to prepare for his arrival.

Where did my babies go?

My boys are getting bigger.  Everyday they are changing and getting bigger and bigger.  People who haven't seen them for a while often say, "they have turned into boys."  It makes me proud and sad at the same time.  I can't believe how quickly the last years have gone.  I can vividly remember Sean's first night home and Jackson's time in the NICU.  It seems like just yesterday, but at the same time I see the boys in my home and realize they aren't babies anymore.  I hate packing up the boys' clothes because it reminds me that they will never be that size again.  Those moments are gone.  They are just precious memories.  Maybe that's why I procrastinate on putting their stuff away.  (Probably not, I am just really good at procrastinating.)  

At the same time that I hate seeing the boys grow up and not be little anymore, I love seeing the people that they are becoming.  Sean is very compassionate and can make friends with anyone.  He is often not good at remembering his "friends" names, but we are working on that.  Sean does things on his own time schedule.  There is no forcing Sean to do something he doesn't want to do.  Hopefully this trait will serve him well when he is exposed to negative peer pressure.  Sean is also fiercely loyal to his friends.  You don't mess with one of his buddies or he will come to their rescue.  Jackson is the life of our party.    My sister has nicknamed him "frat boy" because that is what he is like.  He likes to dance, be silly and wrestle.  Now, others of you may not know this about him because he gets shy in front of groups of people.  Jackson is also very independent.  He knows what he likes and he will not settle for less.  His persistence at times can be fierce.  As part of his independence, he has to do things his own way.  The minute you tell him where to put a sticker on his Sunday School worksheet is the minute you can guarantee it won't end up there.

Since time travels at warp speed, I will enjoy the snuggles, the hugs, the kisses, the yelling of "MOM" when they are trying to get my attention, and the everyday events.  I pray that I can always stay in the moment and not waste a minute of their childhood.  Yesterday is gone and we are not promised tomorrow, so all we have is today.

School's back in

Well, today is Sean's first day of first grade.  I don't think he was too nervous about starting back.  One of his friends from Kindergarten is in his class which I am happy about.  My morning started a little hectic when it was time to take Sean to school and I could not find my keys.  I called Cleve at work and he ended up heading home.  Just before he arrived, I found them.  I felt bad making a stressful day for Cleve even more hectic, but it gave him a chance to give Sean a hug and kiss before we left for school.

We parked across the street from the school and traffic was crazy as it always is on the first day of school.  I held Sean's hand as we were walking up to the school and then when we got close to the school building he let it go.  I think he wanted to assert his independence as he was walking into school.  I was able to meet his teacher briefly and she seems nice.  Rumor has it she is strict but nice.  That is the perfect combo for Sean.  He needs someone who will keep him motivated.

My prayer for Sean is that he will have a good year and continue to learn the things he is being taught.  That he will make good friends and that he will be a positive influence in their lives.  That he will be more of an influencer than he is influenced by those around him.  I am so thankful for Sean.  He is such a blessing.