An Evening At The Symphony

Over the weekend we attended an amazing symphony made up of top high school musicians from all over the region. My nephew Michael was on the trumpet and Caleb the trombone. Maybe I don’t get out much, but honestly it was one of the best performances I’ve ever been to.

All of my extended family was there and we had all four of our kids as well. When the Master of Ceremonies asked that we try to refrain from coughing because it was being recorded live, David and I immediately regretted our decision to not get a sitter for Nicholas!

When the music began Cole did exactly what you would expect Pavlov’s dog to do if he had been conditioned to go to sleep every night of his life listening to classical music. Cole was out like a light before the second song! A true blessing given our need to be very, very quiet.


Fortunately for us, Nicholas wasn’t fussy. Unfortunately for us, he picked that particular afternoon to start practicing his syllables! David had to take him out.

The symphony was a great time for all. I’m so proud of my nephews—they are blessed with boatloads of talent. (And have practiced their instruments incalculable hours). The first picture is when they were the ring bearers in our wedding 13 years ago. The other is them just after the symphony. They were so, so cute . . . and now they are so, so handsome!

Talkin’ Smack!

Have you seen these “Hair Balls” in stores? They are great for toddlers—both easy to throw and easy to catch.

After Cole had been playing with his for awhile he threw it at Jonathan and yelled, “Think fast, Jay!”

The ball landed nearly two feet short of Jay—impossible to catch. But that didn’t stop Cole from placing the blame elsewhere. He yelled out, “Bad catch Jay!”

Those Colts!

It is always best to accept an invitation where the TV is a big screen plasma and the food is exceptional . . . which was certainly the case at Jon and Kelly’s yesterday. Hot wings, pizza, chips and dip, spicy meatballs and chocolate pie—a perfect superbowl party!

And for those of us who don’t even like football . . . the Doritos commercials made the watching worthwhile. It is new day in advertising!

Home Inspection Anxiety

I always want to have my house PERFECT when they come which is why I schedule both our fire inspection and health inspection on the same day. The fact they are obligated to look in ALL of our cabinets, closets, bathtubs, toilets and sinks only adds to my angst. Though I doubt they would give someone a failing grade for disorganization or clutter, it’s rather nice to give the impression one day out of the year our home is perfect from top to bottom.

By the time the doorbell rang I was breathing a sigh of relief—I was actually ready for their white gloves and magnifying glass. Nicholas started crying so I picked him up on my way to the door. While greeting our county fire marshall I had the thought, “That’s a strange cough coming from my little son.” The thought was followed by a moment of horror. Just as our guest was walking into our living room, Nicholas lost the ENTIRE CONTENTS of his lunch all over me!

The fire marshall was very gracious and even held Nicholas while I ran upstairs to change clothes. We passed with flying colors and are now ready for a phone call (usually comes in the middle of the night) from the state of Texas asking if they can place a child in our home immediately.

There is song by John Michael Montgomery called, The Little Girl which reduces David and I to tears every time we hear it. It is based on a true story and is a continuous motivator for us in being foster parents. These are the words . . .

Her parents never took the young girl to church
Never spoke of His name
Never read her His Word
Two non-believers walking lost in this world
Took their baby with them
What a sad little girl

Her daddy drank all day and mommy did drugs
Never wanted to play
Or give kisses and hugs
She’d watch the TV and sit there on the couch
While her mom fell asleep
And her daddy went out

And the drinking and the fighting
Just got worse every night
Behind their couch she’d be hiding
Oh what a sad little life
And like it always does, the bad just got worse
With every slap and every curse
Until her daddy in a drunk rage one night
Used a gun on her mom and then took his life

And some people from the city took the girl far away
To a new mom and new dad
Kisses and hugs everyday
Her first day of sunday school the teacher walked in
And a small little girl
Stared at a picture of Him

She said I know that man up there on that cross
I don’t know his name
But I know he got off
He was there in my old house
And held me close to His side
As I hid there behind our couch
The night that my parents died

We have no idea which child will come through our doors next—but we do know they will be walking through a nightmare no one should have to endure. We hope our home can be a place where they feel safe, secure and loved.