6-8-05

Dear Family and Friends,

As promised, here are some photos of  two milestones that our family recently
celebrated:


Major moment #1 -  Daniel gets dunked.

Dan was planning to be baptized where the rest of the family was baptized - Ypao
Beach on the island of Guam.  His Grandpa had even been baptized over there. Our
family had been planning a trip to Guam right before Tim's accident occurred.  


After Tim's accident, we moved to AZ and Dan had several opportunities to follow
the Lord in baptism, but held off hoping that Tim would recover and be able to
see that important moment in his life. 

Dan and I were talking and we decided that his dad probably did see him get
baptized after all.  (Dan also said that whoever paid  to see him held under
didn't get their money's worth!)


Major life moment #2 - Becky's graduation.

One down…two to go.
 

Friday, May 27th, Becky graduated from high school along with 117 other home
schooled seniors.  The ceremony was very nice, very Christ-centered, and I
started crying as soon as "Pomp and Circumstance" began playing!  I
was so proud of her and knew Tim would've been, too.  As I sat there remembering
back to when I taught that little one to read and write, I chuckled to myself as
I realized how much she had taught me along the way as well. 

It's fun to look back and remember what the kids used to say when you asked them
what they wanted to be when they grew up.  My younger brother, Lloyd, used to
want to be a school bus.  (I think what he meant was a school bus driver, but
it's funnier the other way)   When Becky was a little girl, she wanted to be
either a singer, a librarian, or a mom when she grew up.  Years later, her plans
really haven't changed all that much. 

Come August, she will be attending Arizona State University (West) majoring in
Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance.  Sounds like a good fit to me -  and she
still thinks that the best job in the world that a gal could have is to be a
wife and mom. 

Becky's life motto is:  "Soli Deo Gloria"  -  To God only be glory.

Videos of Daniel's Baptism and Becky's Tassel Changing


It's been almost five months since the funeral and we're still so busy that most
days my head spins.  That's not a complaint, though.  Busy is definitely good
right now. 

Time is a healer and I have noticed a little lighter mood amongst our family in
the past two weeks.  I hear Rachel singing in her room again from time to time,
and when we sit around in the evening  goofing off, it doesn't feel like we're
faking it.  It cheers me up seeing the kids happier. 

There are still rough moments - something will triggers the tears - Becky
choosing photos for her senior banquet video and having to come to  grips with
her dad's absence at her graduation.  Or, Rachel walking up to me holding her
dad's old Bible and tearfully asking me if she can have it.   All you can do is
hold them and let them cry and make the promise that it won't always hurt this
much.

Becky and I were talking this morning during our early morning jog and I said,
"I guess we're supposed to move on, but really, what does that mean??"
 

She said that she wasn't sure.

I said, "I think it means that you start making new plans and then start
living them out.  But, I haven't had a single plan in the past 20 plus years
that didn't include your dad and the only new plan I seemed to have  come up
with so far is to raise you guys, get you safely into adulthood  - and then
die!" 

She laughed as swatted me on the behind and said, "Well, then, we're going
to come up with a new plan for you, Mom, because that one stinks!" 

What to do, what to do…

Hey, guess what….I'm writing a book.  It takes me a while to catch on at times,
but after hearing a hundred different people comment, "Carole, you should
write a book," I finally said to the Lord, "Gee, I think maybe you
want me to write a book !"

I was feeling pretty low after Becky's graduation,. Probably as low as I have
ever been since Tim's home going.  I kept telling myself that I was just
overtired - and I was.  Kept reminding myself that this feeling would pass - it
always does. Said to myself that it's  normal to experience a valley after a
mountaintop.  O

One afternoon, I decided to sit down at the computer and write.  Figured I was
depressed anyway, so why not. 

Sixty pages later, I'm still sitting here having a hard time tearing myself
away.  Yesterday, I forgot to go jogging and I almost forgot to eat, I was so
into the writing process.  It's as if somebody pulled a plug and the words just
came pouring out.

Becky just got up to get ready for church and I said, "I'll see ya later. 
I'm going jogging."

She laughed and said, "No, you're not.  You're obsessed with that book
right now.  You're not going anywhere!" (that was a half hour ago.)

Really, I'm off to run… Here I go…well, maybe just a few more words….

We're looking forward to seeing many of you during our trip to the Midwest in
June.

Blessings,
Carole