317–Another Goodbye

I am a little sad today.  This evening some movers came and took Kale’s baby grand piano.  He’s decided he’s been without it too long and sent for it. Soon, it will be in their study.

Now… to fill that big empty space in my living room…

266–Some of the Best Preaching in the World Comes From Our Church

We’ve had a great day.  Church services were awesome!  Our song service was better than ever and, once again, Steve’s message was directed right at me and my heart.  Three elementary-age children were baptized this morning and another gave his heart to the Lord tonight.  Today was also the Preacher and Judy’s 40th wedding anniversary.

I am just so thankful for my church family and how much they mean to me.

After lunch today, we put Maddie down for a nap.  (Bless her heart, she’s come down with a virus or something and she’s been sick today.)  While she napped, Daisy and Tyler put together the rest of the puzzle they started on Saturday… they got a 1000 piece puzzle done in less than two days.  (Tyler is a puzzle master. Really.)

(Daisy is cold-natured like me.  We laughed at her in the house with her coat on.)

Daisy finally got tired of doing the puzzle and we decided to break out a VCR and watch some home videos.  The first one I got out was from Kale’s 4th birthday, which also happened to be Easter Sunday.  We had such a good time reminiscing.  Lots of laughs watching old videos.

I sent Kale and Kayla this picture of the TV.  I can’t tell you how badly I’d love to go back and have a do-over on the years we were raising our kids.  I know that I know that I know that I did the best I could, but now that I realize how fast that time goes and how little time you really have with them at home, I would savor the moments more… even the tough ones.  I would worry less and laugh much more.

(Is that why everyone says grandchildren are SO much better??? You get “it” by the time they come along?)

This video is from Kale’s 4th birthday in 1991.  It was also Easter Sunday… and Steve let Kale “preach” that Sunday at church.

(From the sound of his prayer, I must’ve really been harping about talking nice and not lying to that poor little 4 year old boy.)

I recording this video on my phone by recording my TV screen with the VCR tape playing. Haha!

I’ve said it before… and I’ll say it again… some of the best preaching in the world comes from our church! (That goes for you, too, Preacher.)

If you want to be reminded of how blessed you are… go back and watch your home videos sometime.  I am overwhelmed with how much I love being Kale and Tyler’s mother.  They have filled me with more joy than I ever dreamed possible.  Kale said about God, “He has a great big heart, like the trees.”  We used to say to each other that we loved each other “taller than the tallest tree” and we’d talk about how God loved us “bigger than the sky is blue”. 

I am so thankful to the God who knows our every need and meets us where we are.

243–The End of 2010 (The Year in Review)

While Tyler and Daisy had a date tonight, David and I took Maddie on a little date.  We went to Chili’s for supper…

…and then to Walmart for groceries… we are outrageous fun!

2010 has been a good year.  It has been full of changes and new life experiences.  I wanted to go back and recap what life has brought us, so here’s my year in review:

January – Kale and Kayla had just moved to Texas and we were adjusting to missing them.  We had two snows in January and Tyler left to stay in Hot Springs for a month for work. I was feeling pretty lonely.

February – Tyler came home from Hot Springs, we were supposed to go to Houston for our first visit, but David’s cousin died and we delayed our trip.  Only two blog posts in the month.  I got to spend a little time cuddling my niece, Sophia…

March – Tyler moved out of the house to live with a friend.  This was a big adjustment for me and the source of a lot of worry and fret.  We made our first trip to Houston, but I didn’t blog about it until the next month.  I had an abscessed tooth and had to have a root canal. Fun times.

April – I finally blogged about our Houston trip – a month later.  We got Izzy on April 2.  Lots more changes in the Wallace house.

May – I started “Project 365” (a picture a day – a year in the life) on May 2.  I haven’t missed a day since I started. (Pat on the back)  May included posts about dog training classes, Blackberry breakdowns, Mother’s Day, the loss of my Uncle Bob, the end of “24” and “Jack Bauer”, buying Ms. Charlsie a recliner, and Memorial Day weekend.

June – Brought the loss of our 12 year old cat, Holly.  I started and finished a room makeover which we now call “the love room”.   Vacation Bible School took us to “Saddle Ridge Ranch”.  And Kale and Kayla (and Bosley) came home for the 4th of July.

July – We celebrated our 27th wedding anniversary while the Ks were here, Daisy and Maddie came into our lives (and Tyler got his dog, Daisy, too).  Other July happenings included finally getting my crown finished, trading my Blackberry for my first iPhone, my cousin lost her husband in a motorcycle accident, and I made arrangements to go to Houston for the Labor Day weekend.

 

August – I spent most of August counting down the days til we would get to go to Houston.  August also marked the Preacher’s 25th anniversary as our pastor.  We spent a lot of the month falling in love with Maddie-Moo!!

September – Tyler moved back in (this was a huge answer to prayer…oddly enough), Dave, Tyler and I went to Houston, Maddie celebrated her 3rd birthday, and another Awana year started.

October – Kale came home for a visit and so did several relatives, my parents celebrated 54 years of marriage, we saw MercyMe in concert.  I secured round-trip airfare to Texas (for February 2011) for $79.50 per ticket!  Maddie was the cutest Minnie Mouse ever!

November – Tyler gave me the sweetest gift ever and God answered years of prayer in a nano-second.  Other November highlights include Election Day, our first fire, Daisy (the dog) had surgery, Operation Christmas Child, my brother got married and I lost my Uncle Don in the same day, Kale and Kayla’s first anniversary, getting ready for Christmas, and, of course, Thanksgiving.

December – We celebrated Charlsie’s 92nd birthday, most of the month was about Christmas (preparations, functions and just plain fun), we spent the best Christmas ever in Texas and we had lots of family time.

We’re so blessed and God has been so good to us.  He is our source of strength, our provider, our comforter, our ever-present help in times of trouble. He has shown us in the past year how His hand is at work and how He cares about our needs and hears our prayers.  I am praying that we will work harder in 2011 to serve Him and to love others and take the time to reach out to those in need.

May you be blessed in 2011 with an overwhelming sense of God’s presence in your lives!

134 - Randomness

I took this picture of the sky today at lunch when I was walking at the park.  The weather here for the last few days has been beautiful!! I’m thinking - fall is in the air.

Lots has been going on here lately… Tyler has moved back in with us for the time being.  I know it’s not something he really wants to do, but for now it’s for the best.  It’s another adjustment for us – and he has a dog, too, so we’ve got two dogs while he’s here.  Isabella had a little issue with it at first, but they are doing better here lately.

Thanks for the advice on the gift for Maddie.  I’ll let you know what we decide.

109 – Dear Kale and Tyler

Dear Kale and Tyler,

Today is once again the first day of school.  I know it’s been four years since I got to take a picture on the front porch, but I miss those days -- on days like this.

I miss the excitement that came with the first day of school. New school supplies, backpacks, and matching outfits!!

And then you started getting too old for matching and you didn’t care so much about school supplies and backpacks. And then you left your momma and moved out into the great big world and are finding your own way.  I am so proud of you both… and pray for you daily that (despite all the parenting we did) you would be exactly who God has planned for you to be!

But, I still have moments that I just want to go back and have a first day of school with you again!

I love you,

Mom

108 – The Countdown

I have this on my mind a lot lately. We’re down to 16 days left!!!  It’s gonna be a fun trip since Kale and Kayla are just about to move in to their new house…we’ll probably be helping them move while we are there.  We’re SO happy for them.

Tyler is flying off with friends tomorrow to go to New Jersey and New York for the weekend.  Must be nice!

(It’s looking like it’s going to be a too quiet weekend for me.  A movie may be in order.)

Oh, and TJ Maxx officially opens this Sunday morning at 8 AM.  I don’t know WHY they chose that time since they know I go to church and all.  I imagine it will be a mad-house anyway.  They’ll have to wait (at least a few hours) to get into my pocketbook.

073 – Music in the House

There’s been a little talk on Kayla’s blog lately about house-hunting… and that has precipitated a little more conversation about where they would put this:

Ever since 2005, I’ve had it in my living room…it is huge!!!  (I wrote about Kale and his senior year project here.)  This is the second of the two pianos he bought that day (January 1, 2005).  It is his “baby”… next to Kayla, of course.  Someday, probably sooner than later, he is going to have it sent for and I will have a huge hole in my living room.  I’m going to have to fill that spot with another (maybe an old upright) so that when he does come home… music can fill the house again.

When they were home a couple of weeks ago, I got emotional just listening to him play.  He plays pieces like “Canon in D”, “As the Deer”, and several classical compositions (I think Chopin is his favorite).  He even pounds out enough of “The Phantom of the Opera” to get me all excited. Ha!  He says it’s been too long and he can hardly play anymore (he didn’t have much access to a piano in college), but I LOVE the sound of the piano in my house… and I can’t wait until he’s able to be playing his very own piano again in his very own home!

Now to get Tyler to come and perform for me on occasion…

062 – Last Day

We started our last day together by going to see Ms. Charlsie.  We found her at work in the garden.

She was gathering corn.  Here it is after we shucked it.

Before we left, I snuck a photo of her and Kale together.  (She really didn’t want her picture taken when she was dirty from the garden, but I didn’t want to miss a chance at the two of them together.)

For lunch, the four of us went to A&W.  The last time Kale and Kayla went there was the day before their wedding.  They scheduled a little last date together there.  So it has special meaning to Kale…although, it may just be the “frosty mug” he loves!

I’ve been so sad all day. I’m just dreading saying goodbye in the morning.  They’re getting an early start and going to make the trip in one day.  This momma is going to have a quiet, empty house again.

058 – In My Happy Place

It was a great start to my day waking up with these two in the house.  Dave fixed us all eggs, bacon and biscuits (breakfast is his specialty) and then Kayla and I went to Branson for the day while the guys had a “man day” (Tyler met them for supper).

I wish Houston wasn’t 10 hours away because I could sure get used to having my chicks in the nest more often.

034 – Tales from the Empty Nest

I spent a quiet day at home.  Just me and the dog.

Sounds kinda sad, doesn’t it?

Dave was in the hay again.  But, after he got home we went out to eat…

…and then to get groceries. That about sums up my Saturday. Wonder what excitement my Sunday will bring?? 

019 – Fun Friday Night Date

A week or so ago, I asked this sweet little girl if her and her brother would want to go eat supper with us sometime.  She said “Yes!”  So tonight was our date.

This is Adrianne and Bryce.  They go to church with us AND they’re also our sweet neighbors.

First we went to the Pizza Hut…

Then we went to Pet Co…

I don’t think they could ever get tired of looking at the hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards, birds, fish, ferrets, etc.  By the time we left, Bryce was pretty sure he needed a guinea pig.  I told him that was a question for his Mom and Dad, but I was pretty sure they had some mice around their barn somewhere.

We also had to stop and get a couple of things for Charlsie at Walmart… so of course, we hit the toy aisle.

They were SO much fun and were really good practice for those “someday grandkids”.

PS.  Thank you all for your sweet words about my Uncle Bob.  He was my Dad’s sister’s husband and they lived with most of my Goulet relatives in California.  He grew up in New Hampshire and Rhode Island and loved visiting Arkansas because he said it reminded him a lot of home.  I’m quite sure he’s enjoying his forever home now in Glory.