The "Small" Ones...

My youngest grandson, Silas, just turned 5 this week. It is so hard to believe that he is 5 and ready to start school in the fall. A couple of weeks ago, I was helping him clean up his bedroom. Toys were strewn all over his bedroom floor and his Mama has a container for almost every "category" of toy in his room. I came to some stuffed animals, however, and wasn't sure where to put them. As I handed one to him I said, "Silas, where does this go?" He told me it went on his bed and he began to place them all in a straight line, down the bed and up against the wall, as I handed them to him one by one. Now, I knew that awhile back, his Mama had started limiting the amount of stuffed animals the boys could have because Owen, the oldest, has terrible Allergies, and Silas suffers with Asthma. So, I was quite surprised to find the amount of stuffed "critters" he now had. I picked up one of the last ones; a LARGE bumblebee. I asked him if he sat that one on the bed, too. "No, Nonnie", he said, grabbing it from my hands and throwing it against the wall, "remember? Asthma; dust." (I wanted to laugh so bad, but I was choking from all the dust billowing around because of the "THUMP" against the wall~!)

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This picture was captured at a Graduation Open-House last week. It is my two granddaughters; Regan Rene' (7 months) on the left and Zoe Violet (13 months) on the right. I think Regan was saying, "We are cousins and "best friends"~! The picture is TOO precious, isn't it!

Mark 10:14b NLT: ..."Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children."

Siblings

I have been thinking a lot about my siblings, lately, and would like to introduce them to you. This picture of all of us was taken the day of our Mother's funeral. In the very back row, left to right is, first of all:

My oldest brother Art. He is my "Irish Twin". In case you do not know what Irish Twins are, they are siblings born w/i a 12-month period. We, however, were not only born w/i a 12-month period, we were born in the SAME CALENDAR YEAR~! (Busy parents~!) Art was born in February and I came along at the end of December. I would often tell people we were 10-months apart; Mama would always say, "Please don't forget the 12 days!" So, we are 10 months, 12 days apart. That makes us the same age for about 6 weeks. Art has the IQ of a genius. He plays one of the best guitars you will ever hear. I have always credited him for much of my ability to play the piano. (More about that in future post.) He lives in Grand Rapids Michigan. He has been married to Sarah Louise for 32 years. They have 3 children and an adorable foster baby from Sudan, whom, at the current time, they have temporary guardianship of. His children are: Tabitha, David and Jonathon and little Goy. His wife, Sarah, has been almost a lifetime friend of the family. Art performs "audits" for companies applying for a 'line of credit'.

The other brother in the back row is my youngest brother, Earl. Earl just married Debra Jo this past December. Earl also has 3 children: Lindsey, Kristina and Earl James (EJ), and 4 grandsons. Lindsey has little Lincoln and Kristina has Karter, Karson and Kevin. Earl is definitely a "cleanie". He is always shampooing a carpet, his car upholstery, cleaning a garage, mowing a lawn - you get my point. He is the "quiet" one of the family. Many, many times in our growing up years people were "SHOCKED" to find that he was part of the family. They got to pretty much know all of us children, but Earl was so quiet and in the background, they didn't even know he existed. Earl can play a good electric bass guitar. He works for a company that manufactures Seed and Grain Cleaning Equipment. He is the supervisor of the elevator/conveyor department. His house is full of Red Wing memorabilia, the Red Wings being Michigan's state Hockey Team. You see, he also married a girl who's house had a lot of the same thing, so when they combined houses, they both doubled their collection. He and Deb live in Vestaburg Michigan.

The row of girls include my 3 sisters, and myself.

On the left, is Barbara June. She is next to the baby and came along 5 years after Earl was born, so she was kinda' a 2nd family for Mom and Dad, since the first 4 of us were born in 5 years. Barbara has been married to Tony for 21 years and lives in Atlanta, Missouri. They have 4 children: Nikita, Caleb, and twins, Devon and Danika. Barbara is extremely artistic. One year, while Mom and us older girls got Thanksgiving dinner ready, Barbara sat and molded a beautiful turkey out of a pound of butter. She then colored parts of it w/food coloring. It was a beautiful sight to behold until someone took the first bit to butter their roll. It was all downhill from there! Barb is a great cook and bakes almost everything from "scratch". I would eat at her table any meal of the day. Barbara has home-schooled her 4 children for most of their lives. She now has all teens, except, Nikita - who is 20.

The next sister in that row is Sara. She is the baby of the family. Sara was born when I was 17 and Jodi (next sister) was 15...she was kind of "our baby". Sara married Tony (Anthony) 14 years ago. Tony is of Mexican descent, therefore, they have BEAUTIFUL little girls. (We like to call them our 'taco babies', but they aren't really babies anymore.) Their girls are Britnee, Janae and Kerrigan. Tony and Sara have been Ministers of Music at different times in their married life. The three girls sing often with them; they also sing harmony...it runs in the family for young children to sing "parts". Sara is a stay-at-home Mama, however, she is always involved in every program her Church does and that her girl's Christan Day School does. That is because she is a b.e.a.u.t.i.f.u.l pianist. She has played since she was very young; 5 years of age. Sara can also put on the best programs ever. She is capable of pulling things out of children like no one I've ever known. She gets them to sing w/enthusiasm and say parts with such expression that you would think they were all "child actors". Sara loves to bake but doesn't like to cook. Good thing Tony is "into" cooking! She always says she has a kitchen because it "came with her house"! She and her family live in Kirklin, Indiana.

The 3rd girl to from the left is Wendy Jo, better known as "Jodi". She is my 'other twin'. We are only 27 months apart; I being the oldest, and we have been very close our entire lives. We were almost the same size once we were both in school, so everyone always insisted we were twins. Mom made most of our dresses in those days, and she always made us matching clothes. However, Jodi HATED to always dress like me. I, on the other hand, always wanted us to wear the same dresses together. I have always said Jodi was my "Aaron" (my mouthpiece). I depended on her so much when we were growing up. She was the strong one and I was the 'fraidy cat, and the one always upset and/or nervous. Jodi is been married to Dan for 31 years. They have 4 children; Eric John, Julee, Matt, and Luke, and one granddaughter, Esther, who belongs to Eric John. Jodi was very opposite me when it came to the span of years between each of her children. Hers are ALL 4 years apart; not by choice, that is just how it happened. Mine, however, were all born in 4 years. Jodi and I married brothers*. Talk of "keeping it in the family"... She has always been a 2nd mother to my 3 children, because I worked most of the time when my children were young and Jodi was the babysitter. She is also an awesome cook. My children LOVE to go to Aunt Jodi's to eat! Jodi has the Spiritual Gift of Nurturing. She has worked since her children grew up, doing "home care". She said she is just about feeling ready to go back to that position...it has taken her awhile after helping care for 2 sick parents prior to their deaths, last year, for her to even want to consider it again. She and Dan live in Shepherd, Michigan.

Obviously, the last girl on the right is me. Then, down front is dear 'ole Dad, who is now in Heaven; 101 days after Mama died, he went "Home" too.

So, there you have it - my Siblings. Since I went by the order in the picture, I will give you our birth-order.

Arthur Allen
Gail Lynn (me)
Wendy Jo "Jodi"
Earl Ernest
Barbara June
Sara Emeline

It was great to introduce all of them to you.

*I am no longer married to Dan's brother. We have been divorced for 20 years.

Broken and Spilled Out...

Recently, I was reading some one's blog and she mentioned that she had been reading a book on "Grief" and it suggested breaking a piece of pottery or china, etc. She thought it sounded stupid until she did it. After she broke it, God began to speak to her and told her to pick up the pieces and go put the "pitcher" back together again. She went through a tremendous night of talking to God, gathering a lot of insight on her past/present wounds, and learning some things. She suggested that others do the same - and be sure to share their experience with her. I thought about it for awhile and then decided that I was, maybe a bit further on in my "grieving" and didn't need to do it.

HOWEVER, a couple of days later, God kept bringing that post back to my mind, but in an entirely different way. The song: "Broken and Spilled Out" just kept running through my head at the same time I would think about breaking a pitcher. I didn't have a copy of the song B&SO, so I looked up the lyrics on Google. I even printed them out. I would go to the piano and play the song, all the while thinking of the scripture that went with it and how I felt it all related to me. But, alas, I didn't even own a pitcher, so I was off the hook. Then I spotted a vinegar bottle with a cork for a stopper. "Broken and Spilled Out".... God said. Okay, okay...I'll do it. So, I took a picture of the vinegar bottle and then took it out on my sidewalk. It was a Sunday afternoon, and I looked around, hoping no one would see me and ask what I was doing. I took the broom and dustpan out with me, also, so I could sweep away any little shards of glass and any residual vinegar.

I stood and kind of dropped/threw it down on the sidewalk and I heard vinegar bubbling all over as it ran down the slope. I quickly picked up all the pieces big enough to pick up, swept up the rest of the mess and left the "wet spot" to dry in the hot sun. I had all the pieces in a grocery sack and I put them onto my craft table and got out the hot glue gun.

Now, before I go any farther, let me say I also Googled "vinegar" and found that it has been used throughout the years for many, many things. It is used for medicinal purposes, cleaning things of every variety, and last by not least, for culinary purposes.

I glued one whole evening until the inevitable happened. I was just about at the end of the gluing when I had a piece that had to be glued on 3 sides out of 4. You guessed it... I burned 4 fingers so badly that I had to quit for the night. I ran to the sink and ran them under cool water. Pulling the glue from very burned fingers didn't feel very good; especially the finger that immediately had a huge blister on it. I went in and slathered all four fingers with Silvidane Cream, took some Tylenol and sat in the chair to wait for the throbbing to stop. I fell asleep. When I woke up a couple hours later, the cream had all absorbed into my skin and the pain was pretty much gone. But, my fingers were still to sore to finish the job, so I had to wait a day or so for them to heal a little. This is what I learned from that entire project.

1)Until I realized I was "broken" I had no need for God in my life.
2)Until I came to the end of myself (sweet abandon) I didn't want God to rescue/fix me.
3)What I tried to do for myself only caused me great pain and sorrow.
4)Sometimes the pain of healing/making me "whole again" is so great that I have to take a little breather from the work.
5)Now that I am put back together, there are many, many scars that I will always bear, because of choices I made.
6)What I see as ugly scars, will, with time, become "Beauty Marks" changed by the Master.
7)My life is now ready to be "used" by God; whether it is to help clean, to heal or to feed others.

"Broken and spilled out, just for love of you, Jesus; My most precious treasure lavished on thee. Broken and spilled out, and poured at your feet; In sweet abandon, let me be spilled out and used up for thee."

Matthew 26:6-13 and John 12:1-8 both give an account of the woman who broke the jar of an expensive essence and poured it out on Jesus in preparation for His burial. She was not a woman who was known for making good choices in her life. I'm sure the day she became "Broken and Spilled Out" had a part in changing her life forever.

I thank God for teaching me such a valuable lesson. My broken and scared vinegar jar sits at the top of my cupboard with some of my "pretties" - where now, it has more value than all the other things around it.

Roses for Aunt Gail

My youngest sister, Sara, (17 years younger than me) designed my Blog Page for me. I am just not savvy about that kind of thing and Sara is extremely proficient.

I told her I wanted Gerber Daisies on the top - they are ONE of my favorite flowers. She did a couple different set-ups for me. Her youngest daughter, Kerrigan, age 7, looked at the screen and said, "Where are the Roses?" Sara asked what Roses; what did she mean? Kerrigan replied, "It's for Aunt Gail, isn't it? Where are the Roses?" Sara told her that Aunt Gail had asked for Gerber Daisies. To which Kerrigan then replied, "Well, why don't you surprise Aunt Gail and put some Roses in it, too." Sara told her she thought it WOULD be a surprise if she added Roses, since I had specifically asked for Gerber's.

Why Kerrigan would associate me with roses is what we cannot figure out. The only thing we can think of, is that the week before was her oldest sister, Britnee's 13th birthday. I always send a single rose to each of my nieces when they turn 13, telling them that every girl should start receiving flowers when she turns 13. Then, as I told the Britnee's father,(my brother-in-law, Tony,) "after 13, I leave it up to the father and/or the boyfriends." So, because I sent Britnee a rose the week prior maybe Kerrigan thinks I should have had roses on my Blog page. Who knows what is going though a little 7-year-old's mind....??? It really was kind of cute, though.

What Kerrigan does not know, however, is that when I first worked at Between Friends (one of Shepherd's local flower shops), I had the hardest time even peeling off the "bad" petals from the roses and letting all those petals fall on the floor. They were so beautiful to me. I couldn't bear to see a broken flower put in the trash can, either. Several times, I had the girls help me pick up the petals off the floor and out of the trash and put them in a bag. Then I would take them home and stew them on my floor (not red petals-because they stain~) and I would walk on them and feel the pure delight of them under my bare feet.

I wonder if that is a little bit how our Heavenly Father feels when he sees us all broken and strewn on the floor or put in a trashcan? I'm so GLAD that He picks them up and makes them/us/me "re-usable". Titus 3:5a says: "...he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy..."

So Kerrigan, Roses for Aunt Gail are quite alright! I LOVE them, too!!!!

Always Singing...

While reading Psalm 84 today in the context of a prayer for a particular family & reason (long story), I read a verse that just popped right out at me. I immediately thought of my Father. Psalm 84:4 says: "What joy for those who can live in your house, always singing your praises." NLT

Any of you that remember my Dad and Mother, probably remember that they sang together (most often with whatever of their girls were available at the time) for many, many Church Services, Camp Meetings, Revivals, etc. I can still see my Dad, his head stretched upward, singing praises to the Lord. In the early days, he always played the accordion while we sang. As soon as I was able to play the piano well enough, we USUALLY used a piano. However, the accordion was never put very far away.

My sister, Jodi, was telling me one day, that in the last few months before he passed away, he would put his accordion on and sing a solo at his Church. The song he sang was almost always "Beside the Crystal Sea" - which is the song us four girls sang at his funeral. She said, "Gail, he'd stand up there singing that song with his accordion, while tears coursed down his cheeks.

I guess there are two reasons this verse made me think of him today.

1) For years, as us girls sang with Mom and Dad, he struggled if he ever sang for 3-4 nights in a row, because he voice would get so hoarse. He would mix concoctions of honey and lemon juice and drink and drink and drink it, but still, the more he sang, the worse the hoarseness got. By the time he got to the end of a 10-day Camp Meeting or Revival, he could hardly sing at all.

2) The last two years of his life, he was on oxygen 24/7. Jodi would often tell me how he would get up at his Church with his accordion and sing a solo. Then, because he was so "oxygen deprived", he would be "done in" for the rest of the day.

I can see him in my mind's eye, in those last few months of his life, singing about going to & living in Heaven. He longed to be there so badly. So, today, after reading Psalm 84:4 I am ASSURED that he will be able to sing continually throughout eternity...without ever getting hoarse, and with LOTS of air to breathe~~!

Sing on, dear Daddy. Someday we will all sing as a family again with you and Mama and we will BE "beside" the Crystal Sea.

P.S. I have found out the name of the song I mentioned is actually another name:
Land of Living.

There's a place of dazzling beauty
No human eye has ever seen;
With gates of pearl and streets paved with gold.
It's a land of milk and honey,
Oh, it's more than just a dream;
It's a land of life beyond the crystal sea.

Cho. And it's a land of life - where living is forever;
Where the sting of death will claim no victory.
And we are nothing more than just a passing shadow,
'Til we reach the land of living beyond the crystal sea.

The sun is nothing but a legend
In this paradise of dreams.
The Lamb will be the only light we'll need.
It's soothing walls of jasper, built by God's own hand;
It's a land of life beyond the crystal sea.

Snagged From Sara's Blog

Age: 39 forever (but born in 1954)

Burger of choice: Grilled and w/o the bun: the bread is too hard for me to get down/lap band....

Car you drive: 2002 Lincoln Continental

Dog's name: No dog, cat or any pet.

Essential item you use everyday: Hair product(S)!!

Favorite show at the moment: Grey's Anatomy and/or Survival - but they are both done for the season... :(

Game: Scattergories

Home State: Michigan

Instruments you play: Piano

Juice: Orange or Pineapple

K - whose behind you'd like to Kick: Many, many politicians~~!!!

Last restaurant you ate at? La Senorita.

Muppetts: - Never was into them/don't know their names!

Number of Piercings: 2; 1 in each ear.

Overnight hospital stays: WAY too many to count!

People you were with today: Me, myself and I.

Quiet time: Read, pray, play piano, crafts/scrapbooking.

R - biggest Regret: That I didn't have better "parenting skills" as a young mother.

Status: Divorced (and not liking it)but trying to learn to live/deal with it!

Time you woke up today: 9:04 a.m., I think...I slept well last night!

U - what you consider Unique: Every baby/child/person.

Vegetable you love: Corn and glazed carrots and fresh cucumbers.

Worst habit: Interrupting/but I'm working on it.

X-rays you've had: Top to bottom and everywhere and kind (MIR, CT, US, etc.) in-between. (Guess those would be called "Diagnostic Images".)

Yummy food you ate today: Nothing yummy, yet! I need groceries....

Zodiac sign: Capricorn - for what it is worth.

Regan Rene'

To date, this is my fifth grand baby/second granddaughter, Regan Rene'; age 6 1/2 months. Regan was born at a time in my life that I was spiraling down into a big black hole. Grieving the loss of both parents and going through a "surprise" divorce w/i a 101 day period was just too much for me. Then along came little red-headed Regan. She came a couple of weeks early and very quickly once her parents decided to head for the hospital; especially for a first baby. I got the call just after she made her appearance and so it was almost 2 hours before I got up to see her. I was in love instantly. Her mommy, (my third born/baby) didn't want to have to go back to work, but she did go back part-time. I got to be the lucky "Nanny". We rocked and took little naps, I sang to her from minute one, and told her stories. I love the look on her face when she hears my voice. A couple of weeks ago, Heather and Keith (her parents) moved about 3 hours south of me because daddy got a job promotion. They, however, live down by all of Keith's family - for which I am grateful. I am glad she is near other family members and that Keith and Heather are not alone in a new town. Regan is learning baby signing, just as Nichole's three boys learned it. If you sign "milk" she gets all wiggly and vocal if she is hungry for a bottle. Sign "food" and if she is hungry, her little mouth opens up just like a baby bird~! For a short time, every time she was fed in her highchair, she would fall FAST asleep. Her mama said, "Mom, I think she has food-induced narcolepsy". Nothing in the world would wake her if she fell asleep eating. She is a happy baby and very loved by all. The red hair was a little bit of a surprise, although it does run on both sides of the family.... but not much. She has at least a 3rd generation Cupie Doll curl on top of her head. Prior to my mother, I'm not sure if the babies in the family had them, but all of my mother's babies had them: boy or girl. All of my three had them: girls and boy. Now, Heather combs Regan's that way. And the other family thing: she ALWAYS smells like Mennen's Baby Magic. (We used to say we should have bought it by the case~.) Slowly, but surely, God is weaning me from seeing her 4-6 times a week. They only moved about 10 days ago and I saw her the following week-end and will for the next 2 week-ends. YEAH~~~~!!!!! I cannot kiss her enough. (Neither can her mother - the apple doesn't fall far from the tree!) One day I was eating Sunday lunch with all 3 grandsons and I said, "Do you boys realize that once Piper is born, there will be a baby girl for each of you every time we get together?" Their eyes got big and grins came across their faces. Then, they all started picking the baby girl that would be "theirs". Amazingly enough, there were no duplicates or fights!