Heaven's New Angel

You may not remember my blog post from several months ago about the Ugly Beautiful, but this week has been a perfect example.  This week I celebrated my Pre-Release party for LYFE and I had to say goodbye to one of the most important people in my life, my Mamaw.

I sat by her side for hours, reminiscing, praying, singing, humming, holding her hands.  When I finally had to say goodbye, I looked her in the eyes and told her she was an amazing grandmother.  I told her that I loved her and I could see in her eyes that she wanted to say she loved me too and she was proud of me.  Even though she had hardly moved while I was there, she was reaching her hands towards me. I realized she was trying to give me a hug.  I leaned down, wrapped her hands around my neck and lost it.  Sobbing almost uncontrollably. Because I don't know how to say goodbye, I just told her I'd see her soon and that she had to go on ahead and get everything ready for us.  I prayed for Jesus to take her hand and lead her home.

She continued fighting for life until my mom showed up several hours later.  After my mom sat on her bed, Mamaw's breathing relaxed almost immediately.  Mom hugged her and told her she loved her and then she said,  "Momma, I guess I'll get to rock you to sleep one last time" and moments later, my Mamaw let go.   She was smart, tenacious, hard-working, loving, no-nonsense (when she had to be), faithful, honest and the only grandmother I ever had.  Mamaw I thought of you at church this morning and asked Jesus to give you a hug.

In our last hours, I sang many songs to comfort her.  Amazing Grace, Silent Night, How Great Thou Art...But maybe the song that was the hardest to get through was Like a Bridge Over Troubled Water.

When you're weary 
Feeling small 
When tears are in your eyes 
I will dry them all 

I'm on your side 
When times get rough 
And friends just can't be found 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will lay me down 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will lay me down 

When you're down and out 
When you're on the street 
When evening falls so hard 
I will comfort you 
[ Lyrics from: http://www.dge+over+troubled+water_20124580.html ] 
I'll take your part 
When darkness comes 
And pain is all around 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will lay me down 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will lay me down 

Sail on Silver Girl, 
Sail on by 
Your time has come to shine 
All your dreams are on their way 

See how they shine 
If you need a friend 
I'm sailing right behind 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will ease your mind 
Like a bridge over troubled water 
I will ease your mind

Mamaw I love and miss you so much. I will always be your doodlebug.  

Your favorite (and only) granddaughter,

-Rachel

xoxoxo

Keeping on the Sunny Side of Life

Kirkpatrick's Corner is bursting at the seams with pictures this week!  We headed to Edisto for a week-long adventure with our great family friends, Aunt Sarah, Lola and Mimi.  It was an awesome week of sunning, funning, and getting some much needed R & R.

 As evidenced by the picture, John Thomas loved the beach! I hope to make this trip an annual fixture in our summer vacation.

 Besides driving through a few hours of rain, the trip down was pretty uneventful.  Thank goodness for portable DVD players and neighbors who let you borrow Thomas the Train videos!  Is it me, or does my little boy look like he fills up that whole seat?

When we got there, it was time to unload and head to the beach.  This picture cracks me up because it pretty much defines the friendship between these two buddies.  Lola is independent and has no problem occupying herself, while John Thomas pretty much wants to play with anything she has.  All things considered, they got along really well and found ways to share and play together without too much fuss.

 I know I mentioned he loves the ocean, but I didn't tell you he refuses to get in unless I'm (at the minimum) holding his hand.  But as long as we're together, he's a very brave boy.  We even waded out into the ocean far enough to ride some waves and float around.  He loved every second of it!  I think we are going to work on learning to swim this summer, because this boy loves the water.

 Sarah and I took the kids to Charleston for the day.  We went to the open market, the Battery and to a yummy seafood lunch.  I can't decide if this is his first fake smile.  Either way, he's still a cutie :).  We had intended on taking them for a carriage ride, but decided every one's sanity was far more important than putting two sleepy kids in a carriage for an hour.  It gives us something to look forward to next year.

 At the Battery, the kids ran around chasing squirrels and birds.  Not sure what happened to this poor little fellow, but John Thomas definitely wanted to go in for a closer inspection.

 My favorite morning of the trip was when we headed with the kiddos to the beach before most of the island had gotten up.  I had my coffee in one hand and my favorite little boy in the other.  The ocean always gives me a sense of peace and perspective that is hard for me to get anywhere else.

 A beach vacation wouldn't be complete without sand castles and big giant sand holes to play in.  The castles lasted about 1.5 seconds before one really cute toddler would flatten them out.

 After a long day of play, sometimes you just have to kick back and relax.  I can picture him in this same lounging position years from now after I've asked him to mow or clean his room or something.

 I know that Lola and JT enjoyed hanging out all week.  But maybe her favorite part of having John Thomas as a roommate was having his diaper supply to play in.  Everyday she would come in the room, go directly to his pile of diapers and bury herself in them.  I think she'll be ready to be a diaper assistant whenever baby Brooks gets here in the Fall.

Mimi (Sarah's Mom) also came on the trip.  A brave move considering she'd be around two toddlers for an entire week.  We're glad that she was able to come and enjoyed sharing the week with her.  An added bonus was this pool she brought as well.  All I can do is smile when I look at the silliness in this picture. 

 You may notice a distinct difference in the quality of the last five photos.  That's because Aunt Sarah took them and she's an awesome photographer!  Thanks again Aunt Sarah!  My little explorer always finds something to pick up and investigate, no matter where he goes.

This pic begs for a caption.  I'll just say he is my very sweet, very special little boy! 

 One word: Precious!

 I can imagine that when these two get older, that they may continue to love each other and treat each other like brother and sister.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this is how John Thomas would describe his week at Edisto!  On a different note, I just wanted to wish all the daddy's out there Happy Father's Day.  And especially to my Dad (a.k.a. Poppy) we love you very much and I am we are the luckiest family in the world to have you to lean on and look up to.

Playing Hooky

 

My conscience has been killing me, so I'm just going to confess that John Thomas and I skipped school and went to Dollywood with Aunt Sarah and Lola.  Okay, so I don't even feel a little guilty because we had SO MUCH FUN!  We got to ride the Ferris Wheel, the bumble bees, the pigs, the ducks and John Thomas is actually big enough to ride the River Rampage!  He held my hand the whole time, but we had a blast!  Even after fluffing Lola's hair and putting a bow on the top of her head, she came up about a millimeter short (it didn't help her cause that she ducked every time they went to measure her).  Next time we go, I'm anticipating that we'll all be laughing and squealing our way down the river.    

 These two little buddies are so cute together!  I envision them being buddies for a long time to come, just like their Mommas.  And yes, Lola rocked those oh-so-trendy shades all day long!

Beside school finally wrapping up, the other big news is that my book is (un)officially out!  The official release date is August 7, but because I know the author--I'm able to get my hands on a few copies early.  In fact, the first batch that the publisher sent me is already gone!  I hope there is still some interest though, because I have another batch coming this week!  I have ONE BIG FAVOR to ask, if you haven't already done it, will you go to http://www.facebook.com/LiveYourFaithEveryday?ref=tn_tnmn and like the link. It just helps get the word out there and I really appreciate it!  Also, if you are interested in having your very own copy, and you live out of town, all you have to do is click the Paypal link on the top right hand corner of this page.  For all of you who have already showed your support, I cannot tell you how much it means to me.  I pray that someone else's LYFE will change through this experience :).  

 Our garden has also been keeping us pretty busy, not to mention it's a great excuse to play in the sprinkler :).  Every year I try a new veggie.  In the past I have had zero success in growing watermelons, cantaloupes, or eggplant.  But this year I planted some bibb lettuce, and so far it's looking perfect!

If all of our excitement weren't enough to write home (or a blog) about, my parents are also in town.  It has been nothing short of wonderful to have them around!  I hope that everyone has a safe and spectacular Memorial Day tomorrow!

Having a Ball!

Apparently bigger really is better!  John Thomas has opted to replace his average-sized bath time fare for his super gigantic bouncy ball.  I wouldn't be surprised if Chester doesn't end up joining him for bath time before too long :).

Have you ever been scared that you were going to run out of gas?  Well, I think the picture speaks for itself.  I was about 8 miles from finding out how many friends it would take to push a Ford Explorer to the gas station.  In all my busyness and running around, I forgot to take care of the most obvious need--fuel.  I guess that's kinda like faith sometimes.  I just get so busy doing life that I forget to make sure that I take time to refuel my faith tank.  Thank goodness God's fuel is free and endless and, yes, I have needed a friend or two to help push me His way.  

I just want to take a moment to wish every single mother in my life a very special day.  To my Mom, thank you so much for always knowing what I need.  To Gay, thank you for being like a mom to me in every way.  To my friends who are mothers or getting ready to be mothers to more babes, I love each and every one of you.  You are all beautiful women and amazing mothers and this little slice of the world is a better place because of the love you share.

Better Late Than Never

So Spring is officially in full bloom around the Kirkpatrick homestead!  For all four of my blog followers, I deeply apologize for being tardy on this week's blog.  We have incredibly busy! The hedges are trimmed, the flowers have been planted, the garden is installed, the yard has been mowed (twice) and I can barely move my fingers enough to type this blog.  Just kidding!

I have the cutest little yard hand ever!  Thanks to Nana Gay, he has all the tools necessary to help me work around the flower beds and garden.  However, he spends more time hiding in the bushes and looking for worms than about anything else.  

Look at this lil slugger enjoying the freshly groomed lawn!  Seriously, I see the Big Leagues in his future...or maybe just little league :).

We also threw a surprise baby shower for Kim!  Baby Kason will be here any minute and we are all so excited to meet him!

Confession time.  John Thomas ended up crawling into his splash pool.  I ended up taking off all his clothes and he spent the rest of the afternoon playing naked around the yard.  I'm sure the neighbors were wondering about my little cherub who was marking his territory on every bush and flower in the yard.

Here is Exhibit A from John Thomas' streaking extravaganza.  Please don't judge me.  

 Not sure what the boys are up to here.  It's probably a mixture of bug hunting and just plain silliness.

After a long, hard day working in the yard, it's time to rest.  And, if you're a two year old, silly boy, that means you find the most cozy bush and plop right down in the middle of it.  Oh the mind of a toddler!

TWO MUCH FUN! (Misspelling intended :))

Let me apologize in advance because whenever I skip a week blogging, I feel like I need to make up for it, so this blog is twice as long as usual.  The past three weeks have been jam-packed with lots of fun and adventures and the celebration of new beginnings!

Not only has the weather been A-mazing, but we had the chance to soak it up in all sorts of ways!  One of John Thomas' little buddies, Kinsley, turned two just a few weeks ago and she had the best birthday party I've ever been to.  They even rented a huge inflatable slide for all the kiddos to enjoy.  John Thomas didn't waste a second trying it out!

It was also time for another mommy haircut.  He really does better and better every time.  This time, he only cried for about a minute before he gave in and just let me do my thing.  Doesn't he make a handsome little fella?

And of course, last weekend was Easter.  We celebrated with several of our family friends.  I'm pretty sure I ate my weight in deviled eggs.  It really was a reminder of how blessed and surrounded by love we truly are.

At the Cole/McAffry family Easter, Mama Cole even put together an Easter basket for John Thomas.  Seriously, what a lucky boy.  As you can tell, all the egg-hunt practice Gramma did with him in Green Bay over Spring Break really paid off!

I couldn't resist the Momma/John Thomas photo op, since it's rare that we both are dressed up so cute!  I will say, I had the cutest date at church :).

But the biggest news of all over the past two weeks is that John Thomas turned two yesterday!  He had such a great day!  He literally got to see everyone he loves and had the best time.  Hung out with his dad and Grandma Molly and Grandpa Danny in the morning, talked to Gramma and Poppy over Skype (best invention ever), and had an afternoon full of all of his favorite things!

We had a little get together with all his friends at a local playground.  Thank you to Maggie, Jeremy, Caroline, Hannah, Denise, Adeline, Kim, Jason, Kinsley, Sarah, Andrew, Lola, Katie, Charlie, Brody, Dare, Angelina, Callie, and McKenna for all coming to help us celebrate John Thomas' big day!

He's been singing happy birthday to himself all week, but yesterday he relished in the spotlight when everyone was singing to him.  He even blew out the candle all by himself.  I'm not sure where he gets it, but he doesn't mind being the center of attention at all!

Of course, these two found a moment to steal away and be silly together.  They are always so happy to see each other, it melts my heart.  This morning at church, they grabbed each other's hand and walked from the sanctuary to the daycare room.  So sweet!

What birthday would be complete without a visit to Nana Gay's?  Thanks to them, John Thomas is all set for helping me put in the garden next weekend!

This is the point were I get a little emotional and throw my attempts at being a modest mother out the window.  Simply put, I think that my little boy is the most wonderful, precious, sweet, handsome, silly, clever, perfect little bear.  He makes me smile all the time (okay most of the time) and I know a joy I never knew existed when I think of the way he's changed and added purpose to my life.  He's learning new phrases all the time but my favorite might always be, "I lub you." It goes without being said, I love him too, more than he'll ever know.

Technical Difficulties

According to the Geek Squad, "the motherboard on my computer is fried.". So, I won't be blogging until I can get a replacement. Check back in next week to see highlights from John Thomas' second birthday! Happy Easter and thank the Lord for hope and new beginnings!