Texas Week

This past week was so great for our family. This year we did not go to Dallas to visit our friends because Regan is not stable enough to travel that far. BUT they came to us! On Monday Rondal and Darrin Smith from Dallas came over for morning coffee/tea. Darrin's son Ethan even got to come for a little while and enjoyed playing Wii with the kids. Rondal has been the president of PBT and Brian and I are always humbled to hear stories of the adventures God has taken him on. Darrin and his wife Vicki were friends of ours from VVCC days.

Then the Werch's came in for dinner. They have came to visit us four of the five years we have lived in Lincoln. That is dedication. We love to spend time with the Werch's because we laugh a lot when we are together and Hillary and I cry together too! On Tuesday we enjoyed doing laundry together, the boys went fishing, eating Jimmy John's, playing at the park, swimming and then grilled steaks! Noah their son even lost his first tooth! Full day but great renewal for both our our families. Their daughter Riley and our Rylee are great friends and they never stopped talking the whole time they were here. We ended the night with the Werch/Mills family tradition of eating raw cookie dough for dessert!

Then on Wednesday at lunch we picked up Jordan Hull who was up from Dallas attending LCC's basketball camp. We ate lunch and then went swimming for the afternoon. Jordan is 17 but We have known him since he was 6. He has a special place in our family...he is our family I guess you could say. The Maupin clan (who are from Texas too!) came over for dinner and then we "Wii-laxed" for a while. (Wii-laxing is what we call playing the Wii our new video game system.) On Thursday we took Jordan to lunch a Panera which is one of our favorite places to eat in our area.

Only the Holy Spirit can renew you through friendships that are separated by miles. It is good to know people that new you when...we feel like we grew up a lot in those years at VVCC and many of the people that we knew there were gracious enough to let us do it. That is a gift...to be among people who will let you figure out your gifts, passions and callings. To let you try and fail at somethings. Not everyone will tolerate that. We love our life in Lincoln and our friends here but those years and people hold a special place in my heart.

Regan's Birthday in Review.

Birthday Party crew out on the back deck of our house....getting ready to make Regan's gift.

Regan's Birthday was great! We delivered 26 bags to St John's. They were very appreciative and we all felt honored to get to make them. All the kids had a good time playing together and making the bags. This picture was taken by my friend Becca. Regan loved swimming, too! She swam for an hour and a half and just relaxed. Ryder and Rylee enjoyed getting to be in the water with her. Brian came for a few minutes over lunch the lunch hour and snapped some photos with my friend Shannon's camera. Thanks for all your prayers she was very awake most of Thursday and Friday. I know that was God's gift to us.

We have felt strong emotion over the last few days just thinking about our sweet Regan. She slept most of Saturday and Sunday. We hate to see her so tired but we are glad she can rest as much as she needs to.

Regan received many phone calls, cards, emails and gifts from many of you. She says thank you...mostly for being faithful to the journey with us. We pray that God will rest these memories deep within our hearts and minds. Memories of your faithful friendship, Regan's strength and what hope feels like.

Reg's is Six!

This morning we began our celebration of Regan..her birthday is today...the first day of summer. We are so proud of her. So glad she is hanging in there. We have a tradition of waking the birthday boy/girl up by bringing all their gifts to their room and opening them. But this doesn't always work with Regan because if she doesn't want to wake up you can't make her (she has been known to sleep through her bath and dressing!) So early this morning Brian and I were discussing what we should do today..and she began to sing and chooo. So we decided to try. First I got in bed with Regan and snuggled with her for a while. It was great because she was giving me great eye contact. Then Rylee did the same. Finally we brought in a few of her gifts but she started to get tired so we will save the rest for later. The big kids and I are taking her swimming this morning from 11-1p during the preschool swim time. Then this afternoon we we will rest and tonight a few families are coming over to celebrate her special day with her. Instead of brining gifts we have asked them to bring toys that can go in treat bags that we will take to St John's on Friday. There are around 25 kids staying their now so we will have a lil' bag of fun for them. This is a fun way to celebrate Regan.

It seems amazing that we have made it to this day. It is really a miracle. I am amazed by what God is doing. Sunday in church we sang a song that said, "You are the Lord the Famous One the Famous One Great is Your name in all the Earth. ...The morning star is shining through and every eye is watching You." Very true..I feel these six small years have caused people to declare that God is Great..they have been used to spread His fame throughout the earth. ..they have caused people to LOOK to the Lord.

Tears seem to flow easily over the last few days....especially now. I love that little one with all of me...More than I should probably. Rylee said a couple of days ago that this birthday kinda makes her sad because it is probably the last one we will get to celebrate with her. Her card to her said, "Life is Short. Pray Hard! Regan I give you this card because your life is short. Love, Your Sister Rylee." After she read it to her she looked up and said, "Well, all our lives are short really."

One of Regan's friend's Danielle (8yrs old) told her mom that she knew that God was alive because Regan is alive. It seems that Regan is giving us a gift on her birthday....just simply being with us. No gift we could give her could match that...so we will give her what we can..our time, love and devotion instead.

Legacy

When I think of father's day I think of legacy. It was great to have my dad was just here visiting this past week. He taught me to be kind to people who are struggling. My dad is a big guy but his heart is even bigger. I love big because he taught me to. He taught me to feed people. Friday night we had nacho night. We eat nachos from my Granny's (his mother's) pie pans. I can't make great pie in those pie pans but I make a mean nacho. When I entertain and feed people I always think of him. He is always generous. He gives and does without. I aspire to be that kind of person. He loves my mom. I suppose that is the great gift he ever gave me...a great love to aspire to.

My husband is a great dad. I could go on and on about how great he is but I try to save that for phone calls with my mother in law Vera. I figure the only person about side of our family of five that I can go on and on about him and it isn't bragging. A mom always wants to hear about all the great things her son is up to. Our Father's Day was great. Brian got a work bench for the garage and a small scrapbook. We took it easy...Church, lunch, nap (while the kids and I swam), and games. Brian always reaches out to the person on the fringe. He has passed this on to our kids. They are great about making sure everyone has a place. Brian is a great listener...he has taught me to be a better one. He is also a great communicator. Not just from the stage but in life. He is always explaining things to the kids and to me...simple things and complicated things. I aspire to be like that.

This is a bit of the legacy I received and a slice of the one I am creating. Happy Father's Day.

Time.....keeps on ticking..into the future.

Rylee loves to read to Regan. Regan loves Rylee. So it all works out. What a blessing summer is. I love it because I feel like we get to be a family more because there seems to be more time. This summer is a slower pace for us. Lots of setting out side, working in the yard, going for walks, riding bikes....time is a good thing when you have plenty of it. I think when you almost lose someone you appreciate the time you have with them more....you just appreciate more. We all have or moments through out the day that we spend special "time" with her. Regan has a slowing affect on time. Her pace is slow..she drags you into it with her. Sometimes you go easily then other times more kicking and screaming.

My parents are here visiting. It is always great when they are here. Rylee is happy because Papa buys her Bologna...I won't. Mom took Ryder and Rylee to see Shreck III. She also introduced them to the ADAM'S Family. My kids think it is so funny. Papa and Nana are also enjoying playing Wii. Again we have time together. We went to the pool yesterday and are cleaning out some over grown flowers on the west side of my house. It is hard work but rewarding. My legs hurt from the pulling and squatting. But it is time to get it cleaned out.

We also get time next week with some good friends from Dallas. We look forward to that time. It is always full of laughter. The "oh my I could wet my pants" kind.

"There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything on the earth: A right time for birth and another for death, A right time to plant and another to reap, A right time to kill and another to heal, A right time to destroy and another to construct, A right time to cry and another to laugh, A right time to lament and another to cheer, A right time to make love and another to abstain, A right time to embrace and another to part, A right time to search and another to count your losses, A right time to hold on and another to let go, A right time to rip out and another to mend, A right time to shut up and another to speak up, A right time to love and another to hate, A right time to wage war and another to make peace."
....I hope no matter how your spending your time you feel the favor of the almighty. .

Raccoons, books and bacon

Regan has had a great week. So Julie came and had a sleepover with Regan while the Big kids, Brian and I went camping overnight. It was great fun. We also camped with a family of raccoons. About 6 to be exact. At one point I pointed the flash light towards the forest and counted six pairs of red eyes staring at me....they are unmoved by people so you just have to get over it and get used to it.

At 9pm or so last night the four of us sat with our books in comfy chairs by a toasty campfire and each had a book in our lap. Rylee's reading Charlotte's Web, I'm Reading Harry Potter #6, Ryder the Han's Solo Trilogy, and Brian is reading Everyday Theology. Brian said, "We are Nerds!" It is true but it was good.

This morning we made breakfast burritos on the camp fire. Eggs, bacon, cheese all wrapped in a tortilla. I can't reveal all the details because Brian's mom would faint from knowing it all but it was the stuff movies are inspired from. Bacon grease on an open flame...we learned a lot and will do better next time. It tasted excellent!

Thanks for all the prayer...I would have never imagined that Regan would be so well that we could leave her for even one night. We feel like she is our little miracle girl. She was all smiles yesterday every time we told her Julie was coming to stay the night....who doesn't love a sleep over with their best friend. And as Brian said last night around our campfire, "If Julie isn't Regan's best friend then I don't know what a best friend is." Amen to that.

My folks are coming today! It will be great to have them here and for them to see Regan doing so well. The last time they were here she was in a very bad place. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Dinner Table

When I was a kid my mom and dad were consistent about making sure our family ate dinner together at the table every night. Brian and I did even when it was just the two of us. I knew it was something I wanted to carry over to my family so I figured I better start setting the standard before the little ducks arrived. Some of the best conversations of my life have happened around a table with food on it.
Thursday night we sat around the Maupin dinner table and listen to Rob's dad tell stories of when Rob was younger. These stories have been told over and over. There are rhythms to them. They have been told so many times that people who weren't even there can tell them like they were there. My extended family is the same way and I think conversations like this work best around a table. It is the great equalizer. Everyone is circled up and facing each other.
Rylee had a sleep over on Friday night with her friends from school so I took Ryder, Brian and Regan out to eat at our favorite Chinese Restaurant. It is always great to eat out because I don't have to clean up so I enjoy it more. Ryder loves to read the "Chinese Year" things on the place mat. He reads them every time like he has never read them before. It always make me laugh because they never change yet he seems surprised that mine says "I would make a great parent." Every time he looks at me and says "Soooo true!"...even better is that it thrills me every time he says "Sooooo true!" like it is the first time he said it. The little guy makes me weak!
Saturday Ryder and I made a homemade Peach Pie. Ryder loves peaches and so I knew he would enjoy it. Since he is hitting puberty I reach for anything that will bring us together and this time it was a peach pie. We ate half last night and the other half tonight. Rylee was enjoying the peach pie tonight with Cool Whip on it. She said, "Me and this peach pie are tight we are so BFF!" Too funny....but so Rylee. Rylee says her sweet tooth talks to her and tells her when it is hungry.
I think that is why I love communion so much. It feels like the most natural place for a family to meet. To eat together and remember is just what family does. At a dinner table you can retell the great story and love it like it is the first time we heard this great story of redemption that is Soooo true! To love the wine and the bread so much that we are BFF!!!!! I just wish we could actually sit together each week around a great table.

Oh, the joys of a dinner table. Regan continues to be off oxygen. Praise God for good days. Monday is the last day of school for Ryder and Rylee we are celebrating by having friends over for waffles after school because they only go for 15 minutes. Crazy! I am sure there will be great conversation around the breakfast table.