Monday, May 21, 2007

Guessing game: Which one is which????


Wow, our whole family really pulled off a surprise! This has been in the works for over three months.

Arthur and his twin brother Allen are having birthdays tomorrow. We decided to surprise Arthur by having Allen fly into OKC, and show up at the party we had last night at the Texas Roadhouse.

Kathy and Terry picked Allen up at the airport, and when he arrived, Allen borrowed the waitress' order pad and walked up to Arthur and asked him if he could take his order!! Arthur flushed bright red and his jaw almost hit the table. It was great.

This is a photo of them climbing up into the Roadhouse Birthday Saddle. Now, before I post the rest of the photos, anybody want to venture a guess as to which one is Allen and which one is Arthur? (hint: Arthur is the good looking one.)

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Fatherless children


Now that over five years have come and gone I can almost believe that my children won't remember the pain of loss. It's a nice thought while it lasts, but then somebody with more experience than I comes along and tells me what the truth is.

The video of "Wake Me Up When September Ends" shows a young couple separated by war. However, that is not the original meaning of the lyrics. From songfacts.com:

Green Day lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong wrote this about his father, who died of cancer on September 1st, 1982. At his father's funeral, Billie cried, ran home and locked himself in his room. When his mother got home and knocked on the door to Billie's room, Billie simply said, "Wake me up when September ends," hence the title.

The pain even 20 years later is apparent behind Billie Joe Armstrong's words. I am so sad that my own kids are going to have this same melancholy hole in their souls 20 years from now.

Every time I hear the song my eyes fill with tears, not only for my John who turns up the radio every time the song comes on, but also for the little boy inside Billie Joe, who is still crying for his father.

:(


Green Day: Wake Me Up When September Ends Lyrics

Summer has come and passed,
The innocent can never last,
Wake me up when September ends.

Like my fathers come to pass,
Seven years has gone so fast,
Wake me up when September ends.

Here comes the rain again,
Falling from the stars,
Drenched in my pain again,
Becoming who we are.

As my memory rests,
But never forgets what I lost,
Wake me up when September ends.

Summer has come and passed,
The innocent can never last,
Wake me up when September ends,

Ring out the bells again,
Like we did when Spring began,
Wake me up when September ends.

Here comes the rain again,
Falling from the stars,
Drenched in my pain again,
Becoming who we are.

As my memory rests,
But never forgets what I lost,
Wake me up when September ends.

Summer has come and passed,
The innocent can never last,
Wake me up when September ends.

Like my fathers come to pass,
Twenty years has gone so fast,
Wake me up when September ends.
Wake me up when September ends.
Wake me up when September ends.


My love to every child missing a parent, no matter how young or old they are.

Stephanie

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Shelby is MARRIED!!!



(Hee Hee, not really!)

Shelby and her boyfriend Eric went through a mock wedding at the high school cancer carnival. The kids had to pay a couple dollars to go through the "ceremony," complete with the photo you see here and golden wedding bands made of plastic.

Eric kept Shel in suspense, though. She kept dropping hints all week before the carnival, but he never "proposed," and she didn't want to do the asking!

Finally, right in the middle of the carnival, Eric grabbed Shelby's hand and pulled her over to where the weddings were taking place and said, "Come on, we're getting hitched!"

Wasn't that the most romantic proposal in the world???

It's nice that they are supporting cancer research. I just hope it doesn't give them any bright ideas!

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Remembering Kalynn


I have known Kalynn since she was a very little girl.

She was a cute little mop-top with an impish grin who would come over to our house, and bounce on the bed with Shelby and her sister Kendy. She has been blossoming into a beautiful young lady, with big plans to enter the Coast Guard this year.

Kids are kids, believe they are invincible... a momentary lack of judgement... no seat belt, traveling a bit too fast on a gravel road... and she leaves behind a grieving family, and a bunch of "if onlys." I am thinking of Kendy who was also in the car, and kept Kalynn awake and talking until emergency crews arrived. I am praying for peace to come to all the hearts that have been broken by this tragedy.

I am praying for Kalynn as she makes her way to the next life.

Only 17 years old.