Forking Summer

Last week we had to kiss our summertime goodbye.  I am so grateful to have a job that I enjoy that allows me a couple months every year to reclaim my sanity and spends lots of quality time with my little bear.  However, it is far from easy to hang up my full-time mommy hat and put on my working mommy hat.  In fact, my mom had to come back in town just to make the transition a little more manageable for everyone.

                                       

John Thomas got his back to school haircut, so he at least looked the part on Tuesday when I dropped him off.

I had my official book signing at Cedar Springs last Saturday.  I was incredibly nervous!  I think my biggest fear was that no one would show up.

 Boy was I surprised! By three o'clock, all the cookies I brought as well as all the books the store had were all gone!  The book was actually purchased by complete strangers--which is awesome, because I'm pretty sure all of my friends and family have their own copies by now :).  Thanks again everyone for all your support! If you still don't have yours, you can use the Paypal link on the blog, go to Cedar Springs or Amazon.com.  If you go to Amazon, you should know that this book is in no way affiliated with the rapper, Lyfe--so please be careful not to accidentally purchase his CDs. :)

Speaking of books, I lucked out and stumbled onto some great summer reads (besides LYFE of course :)).  My first book was Tina Fey's autobiography, Bossypants.  The first half of the book was so funny, I laughed out loud every other page.  The second half of the book was slow--but I would still recommend it.  

The next two books were based on the true life of the Walls family over the course of the 20th century.  They were awesome and I would recommend them to anyone.  

 Per the recommendation of several friends, I finally picked up The Shack.  I was a little unnerved at first, but I found it to be a provocative story that had several moments of sage, earnest wisdom that you can hang your hat and your faith on.

I thought that I'd lighten up the content and read Girls in Trucks next.  Well, little did I know, I would be challenged, just in a different way.  Set in Charleston, mostly, it is a tale of the trials and tribulations of a southern girl/family.  A coming of age kind of story that resonated with me a little too closely at times.

 After finishing Girls in Trucks in a couple days, I was still thirsty to quench my summer reading thirst. Because I liked the cover, the feel of the book and what the back of the book said, I bought The Alchemist.  It was the most beautifully written book I read all summer.  It is one of the few books I've ever read that I know I will reread one day.

The last book I've picked up is Redeeming Love.  I was hooked after the prologue.  No joke.  I'll let you know how it goes whenever I get the chance to finish it.

Just in case you didn't understand the title, it was supposed to be a pun about summer being done, so we were sticking a fork in it.  A for effort, right?

Water Blogged (lqtm)

Our neighbors posted this picture the other day and I just couldn't resist putting it on the blog!  John Thomas loves to play with his buddies, Brody and Dare, and you can see it written all over his face!

Last week I made my first road trip to Cincinnati in over a year!  One of my college besties, Jen (the one to the right of me) is getting married in September and they were throwing her a bridal shower.  In case you've forgotten, from left to right: Katie (mother of 3 under 3!), Cara (Nurse and only female in her home of two boys, a hubby, and a dog), me, Jen (busy nurse and fiancee to Trey--the lucky guy), and Mary (a.k.a. Marie and one of the most fashionable and funniest people I know)!  We shared some great meals, good laughs and even some birthday cake!  Love these girls and I can't wait to see them again in just over a month!

In the past few weeks, we've been able to spend lots of time up on Norris Lake.  It is, hands down, one of my favorite places in the world and, it is quickly become one of John Thomas' favorite summer destinations too!  Our first boating experience was on this canoe.  Um...let's just say, it looked like a much better idea on paper.  We didn't flip the boat, but having a toddler on a boat that requires you to sit still and be balanced, was quite a challenge.

Maybe the pontoon boat is more our style, at least for now!  He even got to drive the boat!

Chester even got to partake in this year's lake vacation with Gramma and Poppy.  Even though he just turned 10 in June, he still wants to play in the lake like a puppy!  He ended up being the best swimming coach money couldn't buy, because the second John Thomas saw Chester swimming, it clicked.  He wanted to jump in and "swim like Chester."  Yes, I've been swimming since I was a toddler, have a Master's Degree and my old dog Chester taught J.T. how to swim.  Go figure!

Maybe the best part of the whole vacation was watching my parents delight in John Thomas.  They taught him things like how to fish and drive a boat, laughed at his silliness and tried not laugh when John Thomas learned to climb out of the pack n' play and would peep his head out of his bedroom door at nap time.  Pure joy!

Poppy bought John Thomas his first fishing rod.  True to form,  John Thomas loves to see the fish and pet them.  But he has the patience and attention span of an average two year old, so the fishing lasted about 3-5 minutes and then on to the next thing.

Even though there is only one picture on here of John Thomas and Gramma, these two were joined at the hip most of the week.  He helped her take the dogs out and feed them, set the table, and pretty much anything else she was doing.  What a lucky little boy to have such awesome grandparents!

I have to admit that I wasn't sure how Chester would handle his demotion after John Thomas came along.  But this dog is worth his weight in gold.  He lets John Thomas snuggle all over him, and never even bats an eye.

While we were at the lake, I celebrated my 33 birthday.  Homemade ice cream, surrounded by the most important people in my life, camping gear, a career that guarantees I'll never have to work on my birthday...I am so richly blessed! 

Another REALLY COOL thing happened while we were at the lake.  This gigantic spread in the News Sentinel came out about my book.  I knew they were writing an article,  but I never expected it to take up the whole page!  

In case you didn't get to see it in the article, I will be doing a book signing at Cedar Springs on Clinton Highway this Saturday from 12-3.  I really hope I'm not sitting there for three hours all by my lonesome :).  Thanks to all for the birthday wishes, my cup runneth over!  Oh, and happy 2nd birthday to Lola too!  I love sharing my big day with such a special little girl!

Guest Blogger: Shannon Kelley

If you haven't heard about the Kelley family, get ready for this story!  In a nutshell, they walked out on the limb of faith (where all the fruit is), sold their home, put their jobs on hold, and moved their family to Haiti several months ago.  Recently, they have felt a conviction to be a greater advocate for Haitian families.  This is their story and their plea:

A couple months ago, at an orphanage we were visiting in another village, an older Haitian man saw my camera and asked me to take his picture. He proudly stood with his family, his wife and 4 kids, for the picture. After that I watched as the family hugged the oldest daughter and said goodbye as she walked back into the orphanage. They were there to visit their daughter at the orphanage. Here was an intact family with their child in an orphanage purely because it was the only option they had as they struggled to provide. They gave her a better life because someone offered to give her what they couldn't- at the cost of dividing their family.


That moment was the culmination of God throwing us in the deep end and showing us His heart for us here in Haiti. That was the moment that I knew, deeply knew, that we were here to fight for families.


As we move out to Les Anglais with Harvest Field we are so excited about how what they are doing out there molds into our heart for families. They are actively working on reunification of the kids in the orphanage that have families by lifting those families up to where they can provide for their children. They are focusing on lifting up families through vocational projects so that parents can provide for their kids. They are focusing on education and meeting medical needs so that families have brighter futures. This union of our family coming alongside Harvest Field is something that God has perfectly aligned.

We sit and dream about a day in this community where families know that that when they are struggling that they have options and that there is a community around them who will fight with them to better their situation in a healthy, sustainable way. We want to be love to people and families in Les Anglais and meet them where they are.

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Shannon and her family live in Haiti as missionaries. A former published wedding photographer, Shannon continues to photograph very limited weddings per year and focuses on humanitarian photography as she documents their life in Haiti. They are there as volunteers and, to stay in Haiti and serve, rely on support of people like you who believe in their cause of fighting for families. If you are interested in supporting their family through prayer or monetarily, please go tohttp://www.shannon-kelley.com/blog/haiti/. To give directly through their ministry, go to http://tiny.cc/harvestfield, please mention the Kelley’s in the comment box:)

Beating the Heat

There are only three ways to beat the sweltering heat of Knoxville in July.  Air conditioning, ice cream and swimming pools!  Took my boy on a date downtown to share some Coolato Gelato!  Two scoops: Key Lime Pie and the Azteca (chocolate and Cheyenne pepper).  I was afraid it would be too spicy for John Thomas, but I had to get my own spoon or he was going to eat the whole thing!

It just can't get much cooler than this!

Gramma and Poppy were in town for a few days after Mamaw's funeral.  We soaked up every sweet second of it!  Thanks to Poppy's guidance, John Thomas has been working on his golf swing.  I'm still thinking he's probably going to lean towards soccer or baseball.  This kid has an arm, but he hasn't mastered the catching part yet.

We even convinced Gramma to go to Splash Country!  I'm not sure who loved it more, Gramma or John Thomas!

My two big goals for the summer were to teach John Thomas to swim and to get him potty trained.  I would say that we've made a little progress on both fronts, but haven't mastered either.  

I know this isn't a great picture of me, but you can see how much my boy loves the water!  He's gonna be a little fish, just like his Momma.

As you can tell, when we are at Splash Country we spend a fair amount of time going down the slide.  Thanks again Gramma and Poppy for the season pass!  

Two things about this photo you should know:  Yes, the thermometer is accurate and yes all three of those lights came on and my car went kaput.  Basically, in the last 10 months, Jasmine (my Explorer) had over $3000 dollars worth of work done.  So, in the interest of having a reliable automobile--I had to let her go.

Meet Lexi.  Nope, she's not a Lexus.  She's a Toyota.  I hope to spend the next decade tooling around town and taking a few road trips in this little gem.

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.