Saturday, August 18, 2007

Last trip before 1st grade!



A few pictures of the girls at the Alamo.
First we have decided that it is really hard to take 2 kids to the Alamo and river walk. Second the reason we went was because Madalyn has been asking for quite a while to see the Alamo. I think we may stick to the beach for the next few family vacations especially with the baby coming!
We had a great time---despite the rain on Thursday from Hurricane Erin!
Friday we did Fiesta Texas, the river walk, and the Alamo. We had plans to watch High School Musical 2 in the hotel that night but our hotel had every channel but the Disney channel.
Saturday (today) we headed home, stopped in San Marcos at the outlet mall, and Cabela's.
AND WE ARE HOME NOW!!!
Now it is time to start getting to bed early, finish up a little school shopping, and making sure everything is ready for 1st grade!

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

A special gift...giving and receiving

Paul gave Madalyn this rainbow/sunshine craft he made at church probably around the age of 3 1/2. It has a bible verse on it that says: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth. Gen. 9:13

For Christmas this last year, Madalyn decided she wanted to make a Build A Bear wearing Jeff Gordon clothes for Paul. Mark and I took her there up to Dallas to Build A Bear, we made a very special wish on the heart that you put in the bear, and then she gave it to Paul for Christmas.

Well today Madalyn received a very special gift. Leigh and Terrell, Paul's parents, decided that they wanted to give this bear back to Madalyn so she could have something to remember him by, something to love on when she is missing Paul, and something to always remember the friendship they shared. For being so young, they had one of the best friendships I have ever witnessed.

I am glad that when I was 18 my parents moved across the street from Leigh and Terrell, I am glad that we got to know them when sweet tiny baby Jack was born, I am glad that when Terrell told my mom and I that they were going to be having Paul that I got to tell them that I was going to be having Madalyn, and I am glad that my mom and Leigh started mini play dates with Madalyn and Paul, and I am glad that Madalyn and Paul had such a wonderful bond between them that grew and grew. They would always tell Mark and I that they were going to get married one day; and let me tell you as the father of a little girl that was not easy for Mark to hear! I would have loved for that day to have come!

What a wonderful 4 1/2 years they got to spend together on this earth...

Monday, August 13, 2007

Missing Normal Life...

Well as of Saturday evening, Madalyn spent the night with my parents, Sunday night Loraly decided she wanted to spend the night with them. And tonight they are both spending the night with my sister. I miss them and am ready to get back to a regular scheduled life where my girls are here with me all the time. I know they are having a great time, especially with my sister's new kittens (6 of them) but I miss their sweet laughter, their hugs, kisses, and wanting to sleep in my bed and telling Daddy he has to sleep on the couch or their bed.
This morning when Madalyn and I woke up together she started the missing theme----she loves to makes friends and family pictures. So she decided to draw a picture for my niece. She drew a huge beautiful, shiny star in the middle of the page. She says "this is God's star". She then drew a smaller star on the side and said that one was Paul's star. ----See in her sweet little mind, when someone passes away and goes to heaven, they become a star in the sky so that we can wish upon them at nighttime and so they can watch over us day and night.----So more of the picture, she drew a picture of her next to the star with a space helmet on. And then planets around everything. This is her interpretation of what Paul is seeing as he looks down upon her from heaven.


She gave this drawing to my niece because she said she didn't want Kaitlyn to forget Paul...

Thursday, August 9, 2007

10 Things Madalyn Misses about Paul



10. Eating Hershey's chocolate bars with each other

9. Seeing him in the hallways at school

8. Watching movies with him

7. Playing together at his house

6. Sending him letters and drawings

5. Getting his letters and drawings in the mail

4. Going trick or treating with him every Halloween

3. Going bowling and playing Putt Putt with him

2. Having him come to my dance class and watch my practice ballet

1. Having the bestest friend in the world!


Tuesday, August 7, 2007

We have a name---first and middle!


Ok so long story to her name: One night before we even knew what we were having Loraly (our 3 year old) started calling the baby (or my stomach) baby Sophie. She would not have it any other way! So thank goodness Mark and I liked the name also because she insisted. We told Madalyn when she came back home and she agreed.

So then it was on to middle names (after we found out it was a girl).

Mark and I are way too picky when it comes to our children's names. With the girls, we choose names that began with M and L because of Mark and Lindsay. Madalyn received the middle name Anna partly because I have always liked the name but partly because my maternal grandmother, and my mom both have Ann as a middle name.

So then came Loraly, whose nickname is LuluBelle. I wanted a name for her that started with a L and also had to end with a Y just like Lindsay, and I wanted her to have my middle name--Mica, because it was after my dad--Michael.

So Sophie is getting her name because her sister choose it for her. We couldn't come up with a middle name that fit the pattern of the other 2 girls----4 letters that both ended in A (Madalyn Anna and Loraly Mica).

So we put the 2 names Anna and Belle together. Belle comes from the nickname Loraly picked up along the way--LuluBelle. So all in all Sophie is named after both of her sisters.

I TOLD YOU WE WERE COMPLICATED!

Saturday, August 4, 2007

A story---"The Heart"

I received this story in an email and thought I would share:


"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart..."
"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.
the surgeon looked up,annoyed "I'll cut your heart open," he continued,to see how much damage has been done..."
"but when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there," said the boy.
The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up, and I'll plan what to do next."
"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart."
The surgeon had ha d enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."
"You'll find Jesus there too He lives there."
The surgeon left. The surgeon sat in his office, recording his notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis:here he paused, "death within one year." He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said.
"Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"
The Lord answered and said, "The boy, my lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow."
The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"
The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for He has done his duty: I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb."
The surgeon wept...
The surgeon sat beside the boy's bed; the boy's parents sat across from him.
The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"
"Yes," said the surgeon.
"What did you find?" asked the boy.
"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.

Author Unknown -

Wednesday, August 1, 2007

Jesus, he is always there...

Madalyn is USUALLY quite the aspiring artist. She has made some amazing pictures. We have been told by her teachers and others how great she is for her age and compared to the others her age. Sometimes she will just quickly scribble something down just to get more done faster. This was one of those drawings. Although she didn't take her time drawing it, she did take her time with the meaning of the picture.
According to Madalyn, the heart person on the left is her daddy and he is sad because he has to leave us and go to work. The person on the right is me, her mommy, and I am happy because I get to stay home and play with her and Loraly all day. The person in the middle of us is Jesus because he is with us all the time to keep us safe and happy no matter what we are doing or where we have to go.