They all grow up...

I'm FINALLY finished with school for the summer (we missed so much school with snow and then tornadoes this year it was a VERY long school year) and I am going to try AGAIN to blog, as well as catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs! So usually my bi-annual posts are about my children.. around their birthdays. And tomorrow just happens to be Jeremy's 23rd (with Jordan's 20th coming quickly) but today I'm going to talk about Nzuri.

My husband likes telling everyone that Nzuri is my "empty nest" dog - but I jumped the gun because the kids are still at home : ).

Nzuri is now a little over a year old and I can't imagine life without her. She's sweet, playful and has very soulful eyes - that seem to understand, or at least have compassion when I'm tired or down. She's been staying with me at Mom's lately while they are at Sager Brown and loves playing in the sprinklers. And she's terribly offended when you ask her to sleep on the floor (at 75 pounds she's just getting hard to share a bed with)! The first dog-love of my life was named Tessa (officially, Dutchess Katessa after her Dam). Tessa was a long-haired, solid black German Shepard bred by a gentleman in Pine Bluff who's name I've forgotten but had beautiful, fabulously smart dogs. She died at 12-years-old and has been gone almost 15 years now, and I miss her still. She was with me through some wonderful and some AWFUL times in my life.

As I think about how fast the year has gone since we brought Nzuri home from Missouri (thanks so much to Doran, aka Connell Lion Hounds), it's not surprising compared to how fast my sweet children have become adults.. it's sad and wonderful at the same time - this growing up!

Jordan Elizabeth

August 9, 1991. The high was 86 degrees. Hot. Especially when you're carrying around an extra 20 pounds. Of baby. But she desided to grace us with her pressence a couple of weeks early (thank you Father!) and arrived today. Well this evening actually.

Jordan Elizabeth. I'm very proud of that name... I think it's strong, yet feminine. She can be an attorney, or a poet, or an enginneer, or a sculptor, or the president.. and have a great name for the television commercials and t-shirts. In 1991, Jordan doesn't appear on the top 10 list of popular baby names at all (I'm glad it isn't one of those fad names of the year). Elizabeth in at #9 on the female list. It's a classic, beautiful and everyone loves the way it sounds. (I know now that it also fits her, she's fabulous.)

My daugher Jordan is turning 17 today. I can't believe it. How in the world did the time pass so quickly? She was just a child... yesterday? I guess not, but wow did the time fly. Haha, I guess because it's been so fun :-)

-- Some celelbs who share a birthday with my darling daughter... Sam Elliot (1944)-he's one of my all-time fav actors... Melanie Griffith (1957)-another fav actor... Whitney Houston (1963)-one of the most amazing voices of my generation... "The Rugrats" cartoon series began in August of 1991 -- 3 hostages who had been captured in Beirut and held for more than 5 years by rebels were released in Lebanon -- Terminator 2 was in the top 10 list of movie releases -- I Do It For You by Bryan Adams was #1 on the Billboard Charts --It Ain't Over 'Til It's Over by Lenny Kravitz was #5 (I love Lenny Kravitz so had to mention this one) --check out more fun 8/9/91 facts @ http://www.rugratonline.com/1991news.htm --

She and her Dad shopped hard for her birthday present. A Nikon Coolpix somethin somethin. It's tiny, pretty and has all the feautures and megapixels they could find. He loves taking pictures, she wants to learn and is excited. I love watching them both - especially together. It's like they soak information from each other. Sometimes getting so deep into conversations about a particular battle of some long ago war... or the environmental impact of human society on the Earth and what we need to be doing about it... that I have to yell at them to go to bed! Their relationship has helped strengthen my Faith. Only a loving, powerful God could have sent me a best friend that would also be the perfect parent for both our children. What a blessing!

Sorry, back to Jordan. She will be a senior this year (I think I whined about that on my last blog).. and has a rigorous academic schedule ahead of her. She seems to be excited - and I think she's going to have a great year. But WoW - she's SEVENTEEN!!

Back to 1991. It was a great day - Jeremy was 3-years-old and had spent the summer running around barefoot and shirtless. He and I napped together, swam a lot and got ready for our new baby. I had a doctor's appointment around 11 o'clock. Jeremy went to spend a couple of hours with our neighbors Ed and Brenda. They were like grandparents - Jeremy loved being there. At the doc's office, we found out that I was dilated to about 5 (OMG - Get to the hospital - he said!!) As ready as I was.. I had to run home and see Jeremy, grab a bag, get something to eat (I wasn't going to go without lunch for Heaven's sakes!). Finally - at this great little hospital in Danville, Arkansas I settled in. Mom and Dad got there, we visited...watched some baseball... the contractions got stronger... I yelled at someone to turn OFF the baseball... and soon, VERY soon after - Jordan was born.

The first thing I remember is being scared because I didn't hear her cry. I frantically asked the doctor if she was ok (I have a loud voice anyway, no telling what I sounded like) - she cried strong and beautifully, and he said, "Don't you want to know if it's a boy or a girl"? Holy Cow! I had forgotten that I didn't even know (the boy name that was picked out is long forgotten)! Some of the memories are faded... but I do remember that he handed her to me, and she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen (Jeremy was beautiful also... but sorry dear, she was the prettier newborn :-). Seventeen years later - she's even more beautiful. And I couldn't be more proud.

Happy Birthday, Jordan Elizabeth! I love you very much!!!

Summer Band

My daughter is at summer band practice today. So? Most of you would think... what in the world does that have to do with anything? Well, it's the beginning of her last year in high school band. Her last year in high school. Her last year as my little girl (ok, maybe she's not so little anymore - but still). Usually, I love the beginning of the school year - I'm sure I'll talk more about that later... but this year, it's bittersweet for me. The beginning of a great new school year - yet the beginning of my baby's SENIOR year!

The senior year part is good. I loved watching my son enjoy the fun of his senior year, and I'm sure I'll love watching her do it too. We've already had one fun day taking senior pictures and the shopping before hand, doing hair, a little makeup (she hates makeup). It was fabulous being with her... just enjoying the occasion. But unfortunately, now I know.. that senior year part is going to go by FAST - that part. Not so good.

When my son was about to begin his senior year my mother told me I was really going to enjoy this new time coming in my life and she's a very wise woman so I'm sure she's going to be right... someday! But right now, I'm NOT enjoying this, I DON'T want her to grow up, I DO want them to live here forever!!! Ok, maybe not live HERE... but how 'bout next door?

I have survived one child's freshman year away at college (he's back home now going to school at the local community college, probably for at least a year to save money to go back to the university) but I didn't really like it when he was gone. There were times when he was homesick (not that he said that openly), there were times he struggled with his classes, there were car troubles and worrying about the money... I just didn't like it much. I know that it was very good for him. He had a good time, learned a lot, made good friends.. and is ready to get back to it. But damn, when he goes... she'll be going too. Yuk.

Mom says it's going to be ok. I'm trying to trust her. This beautiful young lady, who just yesterday was my beautiful little girl - is growing up quickly. I'm having a hard time keeping up.

What? My son is 20? No WAY!!

This week, my firstborn child turned 20 years old. I woke that morning thinking about the day he was born (as I do every birthday of both kids) - reflecting at the fabulous time it was (yes.. I am one of those who actually got to enjoy the labor and delivery of my children) and then it dawned on me.. Holy Cow! He's TWENTY YEARS OLD!! WHAT? I'm only 28ish... aren't I? How in the world did this happen?

Am I happy about it? Oh what an incredible young man he is.. kind, compassionate, hard-working, gentle, funny - and I could go on and on. He is truly a blessing. Sometimes my husband or I one will just stop after he's left the room.. or we've gotten off the phone with him, and say, Dang - he's a good kid.. how in the heck did we do that? (Mostly by the Grace of God, I assure you :-)

Does it make me sad? What happened to that sweet baby who looked up at me with his eyes full of love as I held him (ALL the time - I had a hard time putting my babies down). Where did that little fireball of a toddler who was constantly busy.. building, taking things apart, running everywhere - ohhh was he all over the place! Looking back - even the terrible two's (and BOY was he terrible!) don't seem so bad now. The times he threw himself to the ground screaming and kicking, the times I had to leave my FULL buggy at Wal-Mart and carry him out of the store (under my arm like a sack of potatoes) screaming because he had been awful throughout the trip and wasn't allowed the promised "treat" if he was good. The school years of band, tennis, XBox, then computers because XBox "sucked" - good grades, bad grades, friends at the house (eating everything but the cabinets), homecoming dances, prom, graduation, moving away to college...

I guess I'm both - very nostalgic, very excited about the place he is now - and the wonderful future he has ahead, and slowly but surely figuring out that I'm FORTY something... not TWENTY something.. and it's not a bad place to be - in fact, it's a great place to be. The oldest is 20 (I can say it out loud now) the baby will be 17 soon (beware the posts that are coming on that one - bday, senior pictures, etc. *sigh*) and this birthday of his has helped me reflect and realize what a fabulous, blessed life I have.. the children, my husband, my family, even my job is wonderful (most of the time ;-). So, Happy Birthday to my first baby - and Happy Reflction Day to Mom!