School Days 2008

Here we go~

Another school year begins already: sigh.

Christopher, Kent, Mary-Chandler


Off they go...

Mary-Chandler starts 3rd grade, and Christopher starts 2nd.

11 Months

This has always been my favorite photograph of my mother.

It's been eleven months since I posted here; there are a multitude of reasons, but the one I will mention is the one that initially threw my cable car off track, and I've never been back to catch up.

My mother died July 4th, 2007 - unexpectedly and suddenly - after a side effect of a medicine she had been taking reacted to her body being dehydrated from a stomach bug.

She was in ICU for a week in Florida, the same ICU where she was working as a nurse. So her friends and co-workers cared for both her & myself during her last week, as they struggled with their own emotions.

Her hospital wrote off most of her $300+K bill, and created a nursing scholarship for her alma mater in her name. The entire experience was horrifying and beautiful at the same time. God was very present in his comfort, every single day in big and small details, and I am so thankful.

I missed her more on my recent birthday than on Mother's Day, as she used to call and sing "Happy Birthday" to me on the phone.

I wish I could say she was my best friend, the best mother ever, etc. But that would not be true. I loved her, though. There was a lot of potential for us, but she chose differently, and eventually so did I.

Our relationship was complicated to say the least, and many years were fraught with misunderstanding, negativity, and anger on both sides. Especially the last year, so that's a burden my heart will carry on its own.

But, the blessing in all the horror is that some healing was able to take place during my week at her bedside, even after she was unresponsive several days in. A blessing. Still.

God works in the mess of it all. In the absolute life-altering crises. I fail to see it most times, but then - BAM - oh, there You are. Thank goodness.

Our family's still functioning during this blog hiatus and kids are beautiful, brilliant and healthy. Thank goodness.

Mommy's Birthday

A few nice things this year:


My first totally kids-decorated cake


Photo for posterity (complete with bonus child, Emme, Mary-Chandler's favorite person EVER, not related to her)


Artwork in the driveway from Mary-Chandler


Deer in the yard, which I always love to see. My little divine encouragement. Deer are the new Cow, for anyone who remembers the cow that used to visit our yard when MC was a toddler. "Moo!" she would point.

We are FINE; we all walked away

See the slideshow here


SO.

It was myself and the kids on the way to school. These photos were taken many hours after the snow was gone. We rolled down the side of a mountain.

The Pathfinder loyally destroyed itself to protect those of us inside. Christopher still had his little eyeglasses perfectly on his face. We were blessed that we hit a tree at the end of the tree line, or we may have kept rolling down to Winston.

We climbed out of the top of the car, hiked up the mountain back to the road and walked until we flagged down a car to get a ride home.

We spent the better part of the day in the ER, and everyone is fine.

Thank God for what is good, even when a lot seems bad. Count your blessings (and wear your seatbelts)

Heels Household

Christopher is officially obssessed with the Tarheels: my work on earth is complete. Great photography by the lovely and talented Mary-Chandler.

Catching Up - Tar Heel Basketball

We went to Chapel Hill November 1st for an exhibition bball game (el-cheapo tickets for the best team in the nation!).

My 1st time back at UNC in years. (My - how you have grown, as Van Morrison sings).

Lots of fun; hope to be back each year. The kids had a BLAST, learned all the cheers. Go, heels!

Catching Up - October's Little Pumpkin

A fun Halloween party day:

Catching Up - October part 2

Mary-Chandler's 1st grade took a field trip to Baa Moo Farm. MC wants to be a farmer so she had the best time EVER:



A Day in Blowing Rock:



The Caped Crusader Paramedic: