The Truly's Blog

Stay Tuned...

2011-07-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

I just spent the evening revisiting my old blog. I loved reminiscing!!! God has blessed me abundantly more than I could have ever hoped or imagined! Thinking about keeping the blog up and running....I mean actually putting in a post or two. Stay tuned....school starts soon, and I think I better get it archived for posterity! By the way, think I'm going to have to teach myself HTML, because really could this font be any bigger??

Like Falling in Love

2010-02-28T20:02:00.000-08:00

Give me rules
I will break them
Give me lines
I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a truth that lives, moves, and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It ought to be

More like falling in love
Than something to believe in
More like losing my heart
Than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out
Come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling, oh
It's like I'm falling in love

Give me words
I'll misuse them
Obligations
I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free
It's gotta be

CHORUS

...It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was love that made
Me a believer
In more than a name, a faith, a creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me

https://missinginkshop.com/jasongray/store/music/everything-sad-coming-untrue

Helloooo, anybody out there???

2009-09-02T12:00:00.000-07:00

Probably not, because I never update this thing. Partly because we still have not gotten a new computer. The one that is on loan to us right now does not have a CF outlet, so no pictures, why post?

Let's see it's almost Fall...the season I LOVE. The boys are good, and i'm ready for some scheduled time. It makes life much easier! Summer was fun, but I won't miss the heat OR the orange ozone days!

The boys start KDO (kid's day out) tomorrow once a week. I'll be able to go to a doc. appt./grocery shopping/ or super duper house cleaning without 2 little munchkins to keep me distracted. ;)

Munchkin update:
Jack is getting so big. He's a kid, no longer toddler. He likes to give concerts (about dinosaurs or millions of peaches) with his guitar, and microphone. He's a real rock and roll star. I'm noticing how nimble and agile he is getting as he grows and becomes more confident. He climbs on playground equipment like a monkey. He's still ever the cautious one, but I think that's just my little Jack. :)
He got a new clock and is semi learning to tell time. :) If the little hand is on the 5 and the big hand is on the 7 it's 5:7 !! You better believe he knows when it's 7 am though. He marches into our room and says, "Momma, Daddy it's 7 o'clock time to get up!" He can say "BLUE" now not "Bwoo" he says, "my favorite cower is BaLooo". Yes, that's right co-wer. He LOVES dinosaurs. I mean LOVES them. He knows their names and what they eat, and he can't wait until Dinosaur Train comes on PBS kids after Labor day. (it's a new show) He's decided he wants to be a daddy when he grows up. I tell him he'll need to get married first, so he has chosen Elle as his wife.
He's a picky eater, and were praying that gets better. He will not try anything new, so many nights he doesn't eat dinner. LOVE that! (sarcasm) 3's have been a challenge for mommy, but God has used it to teach me lots. Like patience, and a reminder that my job is 24/7 no breaks. Which means there is always an opportunity to teach them, all times and hours of the day. Which reminds me that I cannot do it without God...it's...impossible. That means time spent with Him every morning, every day. I've found I have no idea what to do otherwise. I find that i'm running like a chicken with my head cutoff otherwise...in other words depressed/exhausted/ and not accomplishing anything.

Todd is walking. For 3 weeks now. He walks everywhere, and will announce, "I walking!" random times through out the day. He's at a precious age and stage. I remember this age with Jack. Still they are so different. Jack always listened and obeyed at this age. Todd pushes the limits. He's got a big brother to watch do that as a 3 year old so he does it too. His vocabulary is crazy! Children are so amazing. He LOVES books, which is interesting. I thought he would'nt be interested since i don't have the sit down time I had with Jack as the only child. But he LOVES them. He also LOVES dinosaurs. And whatever Jack likes. He has skipped the train stage altogether. He must keep up with big brother. He loves Jack and asks for him when he gets up in the morning. They both love to antagonize each other at this point. And repay wrong for wrong. Did I mention the challenges? Still I've grown, and know it's for my own good as well as theirs. Let's see, I should write down some of Todd's words. He says all the animals names and what they say, he knows his body parts, he likes to point out "eyebrows" and my facial features when we are rocking, he says "please and tank yewwww", he can't wait to finish dinner so he and jack can take a "BUBBLES BAT!" He will make fists at the table and yell "BUBBLES!", He loves RHINOS and Bippos! Can't wait til the weather cools down and we go to the zoo this fall! Our last trip he conked out and didn't get to see the animals.

I can't think of anything else, and I need to get back to work. It's "quiet time/nap time" I've got 30 more quiet minutes! Happy Fall Ya'll!

May Update

2009-05-04T12:29:00.000-07:00

Looks like I get to update no, not monthly, maybe not even every other month (except in this case). But oh well, life is busy!

Unfortunately I will not be able to update with pictures at this moment. Our computer crashed, and the one i'm using is on loan. It does not have a drive to download the pictures onto the computer with, but i'll update with pictures as soon as I can.

Until then, I'll just type the update and you can use your imaginations!

Life is busy. Since we last talked we refinanced our house! Yay!!!

Todd is pulling up and cruising a little bit. He has all his teeth, until the 2 year molars decide to come in! Poor baby, all the rest of them came in, in the same month! He is a little Mockingbird, as he is repeating every word we say. For instance today I said, "Oh man!" and then he repeated it. It was hilarious! But in his own repotoire he says, "Jack, Elmo, Nemo (momo), juice, 1,2,3, blanket (mamank), mama, dada, ball, fish (bishhhhh), chips (bips), choo choo, puppy, please (peas), thank you (da-du), I love you, Grandma," hmmmm what else oh, "Underdog!" I can't believe he LOVES Nemo as much as Jack did. I find that fascinating! He knows what all the animals that i can think of say...Elephant, snake, puppy, cat, cow, horse, rooster, bird, duck, etc. Jack likes to quiz him. He cracks me up when he plays with hot wheels or toy cars, because he makes the noises for them. He likes to sing, and dance, and when Jack sings Todd dances and does the hand motions...like when Jack sings the Jammie song Todd does the motions for "brushing your teeth".

Jack is quite the rock star these days. He got a guitar for Christmas and he serenades us with "Gofish" concerts, "1,2,3,4...Put your Jammies on, put your ja,mies,on!" I had to tie one of Jeff's ties to the guitar so he would have a guitar strap, as he was finding it difficult to hold the micrphone and the guitar at the same time. I WILL post the video to Youtube straight away. When we have a drive to download it! It's hilarious! He's 3...did I mention 3. Yeah, 2 has nothing on 3. It's ....well, it's challenging for mommy to say the least! He has become jealous of his brother. Since grandparents...well adults in general tend to gravitate toward "the baby" who is not such a baby anymore, but still the little one. Since Todd isn't walking it takes more of me holding him when we go somewhere and Jack has had enough! Not to mention..oh i already did...he's 3. Many nights, i need Calgon to take me away! But this week not once, but twice...2 different people I did not know over the phone told me to cherish this time, it goes by so quickly...so I try to have that perspective. Jack is my sweetheart, and I love him so much! He likes me to tell him the story of when he was a baby he used to say to mommy, "Mommy hold me all day" and I did. :) I just added the story of when he was a tiny baby and he slept right next to mommy and daddy's bed. I told him when he got too big it was time for him to be in his own crib. I told him how I couldn't stand to be away from him even if it was just down the hall, and how i missed him at night. He likes that one right now too. :) He's getting dressed on his own now. But unfortunately thinks that anytime he wakes up that means it's morning time, time to put on new clothes! Even after nap! As if I didn't have enough laundry to do! :) But there is no arguing with him, I just let that battle go. And I have to let what he wears go too. I'm sure people at Albertson's know I didn't put "THAT" on him. Don't they? He found his boots from 2 yrs ago Halloween costume (cowboy). He insists on wearing them, even though i'm sure they hurt! I always bring a change of shoes just in case he decides they hurt a little too bad.

We are having fun! Life is a blast, but have i mentioned busy??? :) 2 toddlers, and CARES Ministry...that about sums it up!

Looking forward to summer, I'll post pictures soon! Jammie Song in Concert by Jack, and Jack in boots! + some Toddy pictures too!

A February Post

2009-02-15T22:01:00.000-08:00

Some how I'm now aloud to post on this blog, when for the past several weeks I have not been able to log into it. So I'll do a February download, try and post a few pictures...and hope it will not take this long next time to post a new post.

Update on the Truly's:
We are virtually settled in to our apartment in Uptown Dallas now. It's all come and gone so quickly! We moved in the last week of November, and it's already mid-February. In a week's time i'll be celebrating my 34th birthday...yikes!

The boys have transitioned to a new environment wonderfully. In the beginning weeks Jack actually cried when we said, "it's time to go home" thinking it meant back to the old house. He really likes our "new uhpotment". He gets that we are here to stay a while. We still own our house in Lake Highlands, and are planning to come back to it at some point. We miss it sometimes. Mostly the comfortable security that was our neighborhood. And the Guenther's! I miss my next door neighbor!

Jack turned 3 in January. In the past few weeks he has changed so much. It was as though I woke up one morning and he just looked and acted "big". He gets dressed on his own in the mornings, and puts his shoes on when he gets up. These hardwoods are cold on the old feet. He loves Todd, and will even sit with him on occasion and "read" him a book. They are great friends. Jack is starting to sound out some words. It's as though he is teaching himself these things...oh I might mention how to read something once, and then he just off and runs with it. He's that kind of kid though really.

Todd turned a year in November. I'm not sure where the last 2-3 months went though, as he is now almost 15 months. And really I feel bad about that. It's just that November happens...Thanksgiving, Christmas, Jack's birthday and before you know it 3 months has passed. Todd got RSV right after Christmas and we spend the 26-31st in the hospital. He's doing fine now. He's still scooting along. He says "night night", and points to the sky when he hears or sees an airplane flying over head...we are right in the flight path of Love Field....we hear them often. He will say, "All done" or "all clean", as well as do the sign for those words. He'll say Jack too on occasion. It sounds like, "ACK". He knows what a monkey, elephant, birdie, duck, and dog say. And our favorite is TOUCHDOWN! When we say touchdown both hands go up in the air. We totally stole that one from the Scott's, but boy is it cute. He brushes his hair, and likes to play cars with Jack. We recently changed pediatricians (3 days ago), and could not be happier with that decision. He loves to give kisses and hugs to mommy, daddy, and Jack. He is such a lover! He's got what might be called a Temper! Or maybe it's just his daddy's metabolism. Either way...he makes quite the scene, and makes me thankful I learned about discipline with his brother, who although hardheaded, is not the scenemaker baby brother is. Todd got his first haircut at Cool Cuts for Kids...great place. I would upload the pictures on here, but I took them with my Blackberry, and it hasn't worked to download them to the computer.

Jeff is still working away at LAFP. From our new place he can literally walk to work in 12 minutes. He's really liking that. Unless it rains!

That's all for now:
Here are some pictures

Using a spoon...or is he?

I want to engineer daddy!

Monkey boys!

Matching pj's

Turning 3!

Train fun!

Fun with Facepaint!

Mommy using the new digital SLR!

Jack being still for a picture! Hurry!

New Year's Eve celebration!

2009-01-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

We stayed in for New Year's eve. Brett, Jenn, & Elle came over with their Wii as we awaited 2009. Gotta say bowling, tennis, boxing, and golf all in the comfort of your own home is the way to go! Unbeknownst to the kids we had a mock countdown on the roof because they just weren't going to make it to midnight. Happy New Year to you! We hope your eyes will be opened to all the blessings God has for you this new year!

2008-12-22T08:59:00.000-08:00

Here are a few of Todd's first birthday. I'll have to add more later from Gran's house!

Elf Trulys

2008-12-07T08:32:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Word of the Day - actually yesterDAY

2008-10-13T17:52:00.000-07:00

Smoshmellow- pron. (SMOSH-MELLO)
Used in a sentence while eating a S'Mores: "Gimme a smoshmellow hug momma!"
Then he said, "Gimme a shockwit hug momma" (The chocolate is dairy free and made by Enjoy Life Foods...it's very good. Tastes just like the real thing...wish we could find some non-dairy cheese that tasted like the real thing!)
Then he moved onto the Graham crackery crust, "Gimme a gwayum quacka hug momma!"

A Smoshmellow is a Marshmellow in Jackish.

Jack and Daddy went on a camping trip this weekend with Jason and his daughter Ali, and Caleb and his son Joshua. I hear it was all kinds of fun! Jeff says a good age to take your kid fishing is...NOT 2 3/4 years old.

Some September Pics!

2008-10-06T18:41:00.000-07:00

Our morning walk...I love this wagon so much you'd think I wanted to ride in it!

"Why do you think she keeps telling us to smile and look at the camara...i hope these don't someday ruin my chances of being President."

Wishin he was out in the pool!

(Jack is potty trained...we're still working on putting our underwear on by ourselves.)

We've had these shirts forever. They are finally getting to wear them. Yes, Jack is saying, "I don't want to smile for the cramra...Toddy quit being cute and maybe she'll stop taking pictures." Todd's reply, "Whatchoo talkin about Willis?"

Stay tuned for a picture caption contest on the next post!

Heroes

2008-09-22T19:08:00.000-07:00

My oldest brother Jimmie is stationed in Kuwait right now and just sent us an e-mail and some pictures of some pretty exciting visitors that came to give the soldiers a morale boost.

Easy Company in person! If you have not seen Band of Brothers, I highly recommend renting the 10 part mini-series and watching. It is excellent, and I'm not really a war movie kindof girl!

Here is his e-mail.

Hello Everybody,

I want to write this down because I want to remember what these men told us when they meet with us. The USO brought the "Band of Brothers", the real 101st Airborne Division Easy Company 506Th Parachute Infantry Regiment to see us. Not all of them but those who could make it.

Major Dick Winters was to ill to attend he is 91, Lieutenant Buck Compton was recovering from surgery. Here are the guys who came up to see us and talk with us. Staff Sergeant William "Wild Bill" Guarnere, Sergeant Edward "Babe" Heffron, Sergeant First Class Don Malarkey, Sergeant Forrest Guth, Corporal Clancy Lyall, Sergeant Amos "Buck" Taylor. They actually came to see us here at Kuwait Naval Base September 17, 2008.

They introduced the group. They were all seated in a packed out tent, in front of Navy, Army, Coast Guardmen. The HBO people had a trailer or movie takes from Band of Brothers. We watched the trailer.
Then they started by introducing each of the Band of Brothers. They started with Clancy Lyall he had stayed in the Army served in combat in Korea, and in 1954 Vietnam. Clancy had on a white wind breaker with a large Screaming Eagle 101st Airborne patch. Clancy said, "Thank you", to all of us and said he believed in what we were doing. He was proud of us.

"Wild Bill" was next and he had on a white wind breaker with the same logo as Clancy and Babe had on. Bill had on a hat you see golfers wear sometimes. The hat had Army jump wings on top of it. Bill is from South Philadelphia and has such an outspoken and colorful character. His portrayal in the movie is very accurate. Bill lost one of his legs in Ardene's forest Belgium. Bill started out by saying, "Thanks to all of us" He said, "I love you guys for what you are doing". Then he began to cry saying we were his hero's. He was reminded of his youth by us and we were just like them then. He could not finish what he wanted to say. He said come back to me.

"Babe" Heffron was wearing the same type windbreaker as Clancy and Bill. Babe had on his WWII issued garrison cap with the Airborne symbol over the left eye. He had it cocked sideways over his right eye. That hat and the way he wore it is something a combat veteran earned the right to wear anyway he wants to. Bill had set the tone of the first part of meeting when he began to cry. Babe said that he had nothing to say right then. His eyes were watering up and he was deep in the emotion of what Bill had spoken.

Amos Buck Taylor had on a khaki blouse that soldiers wore in WWII. Buck thanked us for everything we were doing. He was proud to be here with us.

Don Malarkey one of the top NCO's in the 506Th was dressed in the white windbreaker. Platoon Sergeant stripes on the jacket. Don said do not listen to those cry baby democrats keep up the good work. Everybody got excited and broke out into applause.

Forest Guth has served with 506Th PIR and then stayed on to serve with the CIA. Forest said that he was glad to be with us and thanked us for serving.

After these guys spoke with us we got to ask questions. One question was what did you do for morale while you were deployed.

Wild Bill said we hung out with the Broads. He started talking about England. He said there was a place you could go in London that had women of the night in the square. He said you would walk alone and they would light a cigarette lighter to show you their face. One of them ask Wild Bill do you want to have a good time. Wild Bill said how much, the women said six pounds. Bill said we came over here to save your ass not to buy it. He was very funny.

Another question was about one of their most memorable moments. Babe said I got a Dear John letter from a dame named Doris. I let on like it was not that serious. He said I did not tell her it was all that. You know you cannot let them know this kind of stuff, talking about Doris. He said that later on they got on board this military aircraft and he noticed the name Doris on the fuselage with a painting of a woman. He said they took off he went to sleep and Bill woke him up and said you know the name Doris is on the plane. Babe said yes. Bill said we are probably going to get blown out of the sky. Bill said he asked the crew chief who Doris was. The crew chief said the Captain's girl was Doris. The Captain came back and said who is asking about Doris. Babe said me. He told the Captain a dame named Doris wrote him a Dear John letter. The Captain said Doris was his wife from southern New Jersey and they had two kids. Babe said that is not the same Doris I know. Later this year 2008 Babe and Bill wrote a book. In May they were doing a book signing he heard a voice in the back of the room say Babe. Bill spoke up and said it was Doris. Babe had written about her in the book and she brought a copy up and asked him to sign it after she kissed him. Babe says she keeps on calling him and he can not get her to stop.

Babe said the most memorable moment was when he returned home. "I kissed me mother"!

Forrest Guth said that he had a sweet girl that he made an arrangement with. He asked her to wait on him until he got back from the war. When he got back they meet in New York. She was working in the opera as a singer. He married her and they are still together after 61 years.

He then told how he was visiting the hotel near the opera. There was a man there dressed in a European style hat fur collar on his jacket, always wore leather gloves. He always appeared to be well dressed. The hotel had a ladies group that meets there. From time to time they would talk to him because he was in uniform. One day the man tipped his hat saluting Forrest. Forrest said at first he did not understand why. Later he learned that the man was from Belgium.

In Operation Market Garden paratroopers dropped in to Eindhoven from the sky ending a four year occupation of the German Army. The people called them angels because they dropped in and freed them. The people of that country even to this day are thankful. Forrest said that they go there from time to time are treated with such great respect. Forrest said that he knew that the man did no know him but he did know the Screaming Eagle 101st Airborne Patch, and the award that the Belgium government gave those men was a maroon colored landyard for their acts in freeing Belgium.

Another question was about supplies and food were they ever hard to get. Babe answered this question. He said one time the men were told in Belgium that they would have a break and get to rest under shelter. The shelter Babe's squad got was a barn without a roof. There was a dike nearby and Germans were on the other side.

One night while they were asleep in the barn a sentry ran in and said the Germans are coming over the dike. Babe said he jumped up and could not find his other sock. So he put on one sock and his boots and they repelled the Germans. He came back and could not find his sock anywhere. So after about a week he asked for supplies through a division supply officer. The supply officer told Babe sure we will be down with supplies soon. Babe said to this day I ain't seen that SOB.

Babe said, I went on with one sock and I did not complain. He went on for weeks switching one sock from the left foot to the right foot to keep from getting trench foot. He told his men if you are having some problem then do not complain or I will sock it to you.

Well I have more but I wanted to send this out as an email. I think this was the greatest booster to our morale while we were here. With the exception of being able to talk with people you love over web cam. I have been able to talk to my sweet bride of 30 years over the web cam. So I have it great compared to these guys this Band of Brothers. They are very humerous and seem to know each other so well. I thanked each one of them. I got my Kevlar helmet signed by each one of them.

That generation of Americans made such a great sacrifice. My grand parents were part of that generation. On my fathers side of the family Great Uncle "Red" Belton Carver 30Th Infantry Division, two of his brothers served and Red did not come home. My mothers side was her Dad my Grandfather Whitfield with 3rd Army Patton's men. Well I could go on.

I am glad that I have been able to serve with these men here in the Middle East. I have 43 men. So far so good. They are not any different than the Band of Brothers. They have it a little better than our brothers and sisters to the north of us in Iraq and Afgahnistan. But all in all I am proud of them Navy, Army, Coast Guard Port Security Unit 309, Australian Army and Navy here at Kuwait Naval Base.

Not too many days ago terrorist attacked the U.S.Embassy in Yemen. Just hours from where we are. An American citizen an 18 year old girl was killed. She had just gotten married. The attack was from small arms fire AK-47, then Rocket Propelled Grenades, then they detonated a vehicle born explosive device and attempted to detonate another, before being repelled by security forces. Our enemy are extremist they are driven by hatred and that will never overcome us. They have no sense of love for life. Just this mindless demonic desire to please a god that really is no god.

I know my God to well. He is with us. Not that he chooses sides. But he knows what we are up against. No weapon formed against us shall prosper. We are prevailing here and we will continue to do that as long as God is willing.

Jimmie

Jimmie is the tallest, handsome one in the middle of the back row.

They call it T&A surgery...Really!

2008-09-11T14:30:00.000-07:00

So here we are in recovery 7 hours after Jack's tonsillectomy & adnoidectomy. The surgery went well. We were in shock when the doctor came back in 20 minutes after we left them. Jack on "goofy juice" was just as silly as he is without it, but he didn't mind the goodbye as they wheeled him into surgery. It was all done in 20 minutes. They called us back to post op so we could be there when he woke up from surgery. Coming out of anethesia can be rough, but he slept through it. Thankfully! Otherwise it's general mahem: fits, crying, vomiting..yeah for none of that! We thought the hard part was over and we somehow got out easy.

Fast forward 7 hours: (Mindy is having a flashback from last week: "I cannot express to you more to be on top of the pain meds, and the nausea medication. Otherwise if it hurts going down the first time you'll never get it down him." -nurse from ENT's office)
That's all fine and good, but we're having to rely on the nurses at the hospital to bring it to us. We missed the window the first time and it hurt going down, so now not even a spoon full of sugar will help this medicine go down! Poor little thing. So now starts the mahem...fits, screaming, crying, spitting medicine out, and yes even wanting to vomit. Poor little thing.

However, I know that this is routine and it's not open heart surgery. There can be minor complications, but we have so much to be grateful for. A little perspective -flashback to this morning- while we were waiting for Jack to come out of the anethesia, a couple came in to wait on their son to come out of anethesia. He was a baby, not more than 5 months old, although he was covered up so I can't be sure of his age, he was still little enough to fit in a carrier car seat. He had major reconstructive surgery from a cleft lip and palate. Neither of his parent spoke any English and there was noone there to translate for them.

When we walked in and saw Jack just after surgery he was snoring very heavily, even gasping for breath, but the nurse could tell me, "That's normal, the snoring will go away once the swelling goes down." And then while I watched him fight to catch his breath I could say, "So you're sure this is normal?" to the nurse who could then reassure me, "Yes it is. He's ok."

But this sweet couple didn't have that luxury. They could look at their swollen little baby, with his new swollen stitches, and hear his cries knowing he was in pain and scared, but not hear from the nurses, "This is normal, he's going to be ok." That broke my heart, not to mention that sweet little momma who was seeing her sweet baby's new face for the first time, hearing his cries, and not knowing if he was ok. I went to her and put my arms around her, her husband holding their baby with tear in his eyes telling her in Spanish, "He's ok mama, he's ok." I can't imagine what she was going through, but my heart went out to her, and brought my heart lots of perspective.

It's just a little T&A surgery. That's what they call it here. No. I'm not kidding. We've got a few days of irritability, crying, general unhappiness. Worst case scenario we'll be back at the hospital if Jack gets dehydrated. This couple has atleast 2 more major surgeries, and from what I know about those surgeries the mother will have to inflict pain on her baby as she rubs his lips between her fingers to keep him from too much scar tissue. It has to hurt if it's to heal.

Perspective.

Word of the Day

2008-09-08T12:59:00.000-07:00

Jack's word of the day today is Wobspuds (pron. Wob-spuhds)

According to Jack who has a little trouble with his L's and R's at this stage...a wobspuds is....

Lobster...that's right Lobster. I make him say it over and over again. And I laugh really hard. He laughs too and thinks it's funny that I think he's so funny!

Where I'm From

2008-08-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

I am from homeade cornbread in old cast iron skillets, from peanut farmers and mill workers in the deep South to Middle America Idaho, Nebraska, and Kansas all at the same time. I am from Crystal Burgers, and "Cokessss...CASHHHH".

I am from streets named after flowers. I am from pride in watching the new house go from concrete slab, to studs, to brick in 1980. I am from parents who still live there today and worked hard to make this simple house a home. I am from a hallway nook between bedrooms where we waited out storms with Barbie, Ted (as in the bear), blankets and pillows, and inseperable sisters. I am from never knowing what it's like to live without a dog in the house.

I am from the cool, crisp, St. Augustine in grandma's front yard that welcomed many feet.

I am from pretending that Gretchen the schnauzer was either JAWS or Toto after the annual CBS Special. I am from every holiday New Year's to Christmas being at Grandma's house. I am my dad's favorite...he says that to all the kids. I am everything my mom did right. I am from a smile that never stops, from VanSlykes, and Carvers, and Turners.

I am from those who are eternal optimists, encouragers, and others who were quick to anger. I am from 2nds and even 3rds. I am from what I suspect is a long line of egg shell walkers.

I am from "if you don't believe he's not comin'", and "you can do anything you set your mind to". I am from a "ROUST!" every 5:30 a.m. on Christmas day.

I am from being taught about my loving heavenly Father, who gave His only Son as a ransom for my sin. I am from emotional Easter Sundays remembering my Savior on the cross. I am from going to church camp every summer, and VBS too. I am from sometimes hot and sometimes not. I am from God working out his plans no matter what. I am from sinners and saints. I am a sinner, yet I am being sanctified as we speak. I am from realizing there are just some things you cannot possibly do without God - no matter how hard you set your mind to do it.

From the toddler girl in the hand sewn red coat who went to the farm with her grandfather. Who when her grandpa lost sight of her, was found in a the field with the cows that as momma's themselves must have known she was no threat and did not bring her any harm. And the teenage boy who went to see Jerry Lee Lewis and on the walk back home was stopped by non other than the The Killer himself who drove up beside him asking for directions. I am from that teenage boy who gave him the wrong directions...on purpose.

I am from a large box of pictures that have never made it to the photo album, adored none-the-less. I am from "momma what did you bring me on your trip?". I am from a Van Gogh or is it banjo?, and memories in the mind that not even a picture could give worth. A girl can hardly ask to be from more.

I totally stole this from The Mitchell's blog. Go here if you'd like to do one yourself!

Long time, no......

2008-08-14T11:38:00.000-07:00

I know, I know...i'm lousy at this blogging stuff. Time is not on my side. No, it's not.
What are we doing? Breathing treatments most of this week. Ahhhhh! Calgon take me away. Again, no pictures. My excuse...new technology...cannot download from that darn dvc. So maybe you can just "imagine".

Here's one: Today we must take the Integra Title to the insurance adjustor to pick up our check....it was on the table last night??? What happened...."Jaaack...do you know where daddy's keys are? And the paper that was next to them?" Yes, here they are. And the paper??? Where is the paper (title & Power of Attorney). I signed them and put them in the mail box daddy. See here it is. Scribble scribble scribble. Well, atleast he "signed" the back and not the front.

Or here's one: Mommy trying to get saline solution up a 9 month old's nose.

Or how about this one: (We're still trying to learn to share) Here's the scene: Jack wearing smashed up cowboy hat...Elle wants cowboy hat...takes it from Jack...Jack wants cowboy hat...starts whining. Mommy goes to get Elle a green cow"girl" hat. Elle wears hat for 5 seconds and is done. Jack says, "Elle here's your hat. Elle says: "I don't want it." Jack says," But Elle here's your hat, you want to wear it." Elle says, "No i don't." Jack says, "Yes, you want to wear it!" Elle says, "No i don't." This goes on for oh a few more seconds when Jack decides to throw two plastic boxes at Elle's head because she no longer wanted to wear the hat with him.

Say cheese!

Our 4th of July

2008-07-07T19:32:00.000-07:00

We had a fun 4th travelling to Gran & Grandpa's house and watching the neighborhood parade. Jack played in the pool and sprayed Grandpa and daddy with the water hose!Todd got to meet Aunt Jo & Art. We got to see 2nd cousin Jolie and who is 3 days younger than Todd. We haven't seen her since Christmas...not counting checking the Blankenship blog daily for new pics of her! Thanks for the memories ya'll! We know how blessed we are, and yes...someday we're gonna miss this. We're just taking each day, and minute for the gift that it is!

Brothers!

2008-05-20T13:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a picnic outside in the yard. The boys are growing! Todd LOVES Jack, he lights up everytime Jack walks by. Jack "loves his baby brudah" too!
Favorite Jack word right now, "boosk" translation caboose. Used in a sentence, "Mama, I'll be the boosk...you be the engine."
Toddy weighs 19# 1 oz. as of a week ago yesterday, and has 4 teeth, 5th is on it's way. A lady I met at the doctors office said both her kids had their teeth early. All of them by 1, including the 2 year molars! We haven't started Toddy on solids yet since our family is prone to food allergies, but are planning to start them within the next few days. Jeff has the rest of this week off so we are looking forward to getting some stuff done in the house, and spending some quality family time together!

The Word

2008-05-06T21:57:00.000-07:00

....is sooooo good!

I want you to close your eyes after you read this. And see it in your mind's eye.

But for you who revere my name, the sun of rightousness will rise with healing on it's wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.
~Malachi 4:2

I can see it, as clearly as a picture. How sweet it is!

My 5 month old!?!?

2008-04-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

My little big baby boy slept through the night last night for the first time. 6 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. Which means I'll probably be up with him all night tonight. What a big boy. I put him in his Johnny Jump up today and he had a blast. He's sitting up (on the couch) while I sit beside him. He still falls over when reaching for a toy or just gets tired of holding himself up. No real rolling over. Jack felt no need to roll, and I kinda think that's what Todd is doing. Jack could do it at this age, but just didn't. Todd rolled from tummy to back the other day, but doesn't do it on a regular basis.

Todd is getting to have quite the personality. He's a feisty little thing. He's starting to grunt and growl when he isn't getting his way...which is usually only when I put him down for a nap. He grunts, goes stiff, cries some crocodile tears, I leave and he's usually out in about 5 minutes or less.

Jack is starting to push the limits with Todd. I'm pretty sure it has nothing to do with, "not knowing his own strength", and everything to do with the fleshly desire to beat up the little thing that came in between your momma and daddy time. Mostly he's just trying to see how i'll handle it. Sometimes I fail, get impatient, and yell. Other times I do the right thing, breathe deeply, and pray, then hug him a little more that day. Motherhood is THE most transforming journey I've ever taken.

Best Friends Forever

2008-04-23T17:25:00.000-07:00

At 2 yrs 3+ months Jack will absolutely not cooperate when a camera (or cramra -- his pronunciation) is near. I guess he's all pictured out!
These pictures show Jack's BFFs.
The year Jack was born there were 4 January babies in our Sunday School class. 1 is not pictured as he is no longer a member at FBD, so we don't get to see him.
Here are the 3 amigos:
Jackson (1/14/06), Ben (1/30/06), and Jack (1/4/06)

Making up for lost blogging time!

2008-04-18T20:48:00.000-07:00

So here are a couple of pictures I took last night while watching our best friend's little girl Elle. Jack is obsessed with older women. ;) wink wink. They look as though they are playing together in the pictures. But Elle has gotten to the age where Jack's a little nuisance. :) She was actually doing puzzles and Jack says, "I want to sit beside you Elle." Then proceeds to not crawl up beside her, but in his clumsy 2 year old way, climb up over her, messing up her puzzles etc... needless to say her thoughts on the nuisance were confirmed I think. I got out the camera & Elle said, "Are you gonna take a picture of us?" I said, "yes." She said, "why?" I said, "because you guys are cute and little now and you're not always going to be this way, so I'm take pictures to remember."

Note conductor hat...when Jack wears it he's "Ductor Jacky" as in CONductor. When Jack wears his cowboy hat he is "Cowboy Jack".

Note also the lovely PBK quilt layed/laid?? over the ultra hip C&B couch. Why? you ask, Do we have a blanket over the couch...well I'll tell ya. When we were sans kids, and livin it up with two incomes we decided to buy this couch. WE LOVED this couch, and when we went to order it from Crate and Barrel (from a guy who OPENLY hit on my husband in front of me I might add) the only color on display was white. Well as much as we would have loved a white couch to go in our white room, we quickly decided it was probably not the best decision since we had two dirty furkids at the time and I was pregnant with Jack. So we chose another color from a 2"x2" fabric swatch. We took the swatches home to see them in the light it would sit under, and decided on the blue. But that 2" swatch made that blue fabric look oh sooo much darker. When it was delivered we gasped! Yes, gasped! Because we knew that the furbabies would be sure to rub their dirtybird bodies up against it and get it un-blue (in other words...brownish blue). And they did. But then we had Jack...and Jack being the spitter upper that he was we quickly covered the couch with the quilt. It will probably be there until the boys are 18 and out of the house...then we'll be ultra hip sans kids again. How sad.

AHHH Technology

2008-04-18T07:22:00.000-07:00

So, it's well past Easter and you have not seen Easter pictures. Ahhh technology. We have a new camera. A digital video camera that takes stills. Unfortunately our computer for some reason is not reading the minidisk that the pictures are saved on. Our old digital camera is pretty much obsolete and the battery is very hard to find. When we finally found a battery, it doesn't get nearly the charge the original batteries did so we are constantly running out of batteries. This is the very reason for lack of posts...but i've taken a few cute pictures on the old camera this week. Toddy now weighs a whopping 18# 12oz. as of a drs. appt. yesterday. We (Jack, Todd, and I) caught a nasty cold this week. I was giving Todd ibuprofen and read the back to see the dosage...Ask Doctor for under 6 months. BUT since Todd weighs what he does he can get the dose that goes for 18-24lbs. At 4.5 months he weighs what an average 7 month old weighs. CRAZY! That still only makes him 95%, he's 95% on height too, so not just big, but tall. This weekend we will dedicate baby Todd at church, and have the family over for a dairy free baked potato bar. Mmmm mmm! And now for pictures...

One of my heroes

2008-04-03T11:52:00.001-07:00

I'm not a huge country fan, but this man is officially one of my heroes. His latest release proceeds FAAN (The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network). This organization I hold near and dear to my heart. Most of you know Jack has anaphylaxis to dairy, egg, & beef. FAAN is full of those who have blazed this path before me, and those families that have just been diagnosed with deadly food allergies. They are definately a helping hand for me, and are a huge part in getting the word out about these food allergies. Not to mention the research for a cure! Support FAAN! www.foodallergies.org

The 2 year old milestones

2008-03-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Potty Training and Big Boy Beds are some of the milestones for a two year old. We started potty training a couple weeks ago, and ordered Jack's big boy bed yesterday. It will be here in 4 to 7 days. We ordered one for Todd as well, so that when they share a room the beds will match. Our plan is to put the bed up and in the room in addition to the crib, so he can get used to it being there. Then when he starts asking to sleep in the big boy bed, we'll start the transition. That will include saying, "Jack, there are rules you must follow in order to sleep in a big boy bed...." I can't believe it. They are both growing too fast. I am trying to savor every minute with them because I know before the blink of an eye they'll be turning 18. The past 2 yrs and 4 months have been amazing to say the least. Here's a picture of the new bed.

Murphy's Law Day

2008-03-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Hee hee....well that was yesterday. Early yesterday morning as I was stretching and waking up, it was as though the entire right side of my back cramped up and I couldn't move. Thank goodness for Ibuprofen...or else Jack may have been in his highchair until daddy got home that evening....but oh...that's not all. Jack's allergy doc. decided they wanted to see him, so we tried to sneak a nap in for Toddy before we left. At lunch, woke up Todd, loaded up the kiddos and left. By the time you park and walk into the bldg we were almost late...so I was hurrying..practically running. The wind was gusty yesteray and it was taking Todd's breath away, so i stopped quickly to pull the visor over his face, and when I did I stubbed my left pinky toe HARD on the stroller. "Ouch!", and trying to play it off I turned around to the man who was directly behind me and said, "Yeah, that hurt." As if he asked. He laughed, and I thought to myself..."well i'm pretty sure it's broken." Still trying to play it off like I'm ok, I tried very hard to walk normally into the hospital, but I couldn't. I limped uncontrollably. I laughed to myself and thought, "I'd be laughing if i just watched someone do that." I wiggled it once i was in the doctors office. Shooting pain shot down my foot. Yep it's broken. It's nice and purple today. Maybe I'll take a picture for the blog. If I can ever figure out how to download our pictures from the video camera, you can see them. Stay tuned for Easter pictures, and a broken toe. TTFN

The Intensity of Christ’s Love and the Intentionality of His Death

2008-03-22T06:45:00.000-07:00

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By John Piper March 19, 2008

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The love of Christ for us in his dying was as conscious as his suffering was intentional. “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16). If he was intentional in laying down his life, it was for us. It was love. “When Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end” (John 13:1). Every step on the Calvary road meant, “I love you.”

Therefore, to feel the love of Christ in the laying down of his life, it helps to see how utterly intentional it was. Consider these five ways of seeing Christ’s intentionality in dying for us.

First, look at what Jesus said just after that violent moment when Peter tried to cleave the skull of the servant, but only cut off his ear.

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” (Matthew 26:52-54)

It is one thing to say that the details of Jesus’ death were predicted in the Old Testament. But it is much more to say that Jesus himself was making his choices precisely to see to it that the Scriptures would be fulfilled.

That is what Jesus said he was doing in Matthew 26:54. “I could escape this misery, but how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” I am not choosing to take the way out that I could take because I know the Scriptures. I know what must take place. It is my choice to fulfill all that is predicted of me in the Word of God.

A second way this intentionality is seen is in the repeated expressions to go to Jerusalem—into the very jaws of the lion.

Taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” (Mark 10:32-34)

Jesus had one all-controlling goal: to die according the Scriptures. He knew when the time was near and set his face like flint: “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

A third way that we see the intentionality of Jesus to suffer for us is in the words he spoke in the mouth of Isaiah the prophet:

I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard;
I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. (Isaiah 50:6)

I have to work hard in my imagination to keep before me what iron will this required. Humans recoil from suffering. We recoil a hundred times more from suffering that is caused by unjust, ugly, sniveling, low-down, arrogant people. At every moment of pain and indignity, Jesus chose not to do what would have been immediately just. He gave his back to the smiter. He gave his cheek to slapping. He gave his beard to plucking. He offered his face to spitting. And he was doing it for the very ones causing the pain.

A fourth way we see the intentionality of Jesus’ suffering is in the way Peter explains how this was possible. He said, “When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly” (1 Peter 2:23).

The way Jesus handled the injustice of it all was not by saying, “Injustice doesn’t matter,” but by entrusting his cause to “him who judges justly.” God would see that justice is done. That was not Jesus’ calling at Calvary. (Nor is it our highest calling now. “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord, Romans 12:19.)

The fifth and perhaps the clearest statement that Jesus makes about his own intentionality to die is in John 10:17-18:

For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.

Jesus’ point in these words is that he is acting completely voluntarily. He is under no constraint from any mere human. Circumstances have not overtaken him. He is not being swept along in the injustice of the moment. He is in control.

Therefore, when John says, “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us” (1 John 3:16), we should feel the intensity of his love for us to the degree that we see his intentionality to suffer and die. I pray that you will feel it profoundly. And may that profound experience of being loved by Christ have this effect on you:

The love of Christ controls us . . . . He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

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© Desiring God

Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by Desiring God.

Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: By John Piper. © Desiring God. Website: desiringGod.org

(RED) campaign models? Gap call us....

2008-03-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

SNOW DAY???

2008-03-07T13:58:00.001-08:00

February Pictures

2008-02-22T20:35:00.000-08:00

Jack & Todd at 3 months

2008-02-21T15:47:00.001-08:00

Brothers? Any resemblance? Today Todd turns 3 months. 3 months with 2 teeth.
Aren't they sweet!

Toothy Todd

2008-02-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

MY BABY BOY HAS A TOOTH ALREADY! Today Todd is 2 mo. 2wks. and 6 days old, and has his first tooth. Yes, it has popped through and the other one is just about there. Guess i'm going to have to have another one...this one is growing too fast! JUST KIDDING!

The love(s) of my life!

2008-02-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

My Three Boys!

Look at my cool sweat bands!

Giggle, giggle!

Jack LOVES Toddy

Update on Flash

2008-02-04T12:05:00.001-08:00

We are happy and sad at the same time to report that we have found a wonderful home for Flash. The very day the e-mail went out a friend of a friend told us that her grandmother had lost her husband this very January and might be interested. Mrs. Petty came to visit us and meet Flash on Thursday (the 31st). They ended up taking her with them that very day. Jack cried for about 20 minutes, but not since. I think it was just about the hardest thing i've ever had to do. Jack said, "No don't leave me Dashy, wait for me!" And after the car pulled away, "Come back Dashy come back!" We all had a good cry, and I told him that Dashy needed to go to a new home with Mrs. Petty to keep her company now. He said her name the next day, but hasn't mentioned her since. I find myself unlocking the back door to let her out in the mornings, and she's not there. I know she is really being loved on in her new home, and it's for Jack's good. But we will miss her like crazy. I've never not had a dog, so this may take some time getting used to. Anyway, here's to 5 great years with Flash/Dashy.

Over the years with Flash

2008-01-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Finding Flashy a new home

2008-01-20T12:41:00.000-08:00

Friends & Family,

We would like your help finding a good home for our dog Flash. Among other allergies, we have just found that Jack is allergic to dogs. This exposure is causing him to have asthma symptoms (also recently diagnosed) that require days of many different medications and breathing treatments. This is hard on Jack, not to mention his parents. So, unfortunately our only option is to find a new home for Flash (or Dashy as Jack calls her).

The best case scenario we think is either a widow/widower who is retired and needs a friend OR a family with children ages 5 and up who will be able to give her lots of attention.

Flash is a chihuahua/cocker/pekinese mix...we'll attach pictures to show you what that looks like. She is 4 yrs old and all of her life has been spent as an inside dog. She sleeps in a crate or your bed whichever is preferred. She is house trained, and very obedient. She doesn't like other dogs, upon first meeting, but can get used to another dog. She gets nervous around younger children (children 4 and under). She is up to date on all of her shots and takes heartworm prevention pills. She has not been fixed, but we are willing to do that before she goes to another home.

If you know anyone who would be a good fit for her please give them our number. We would like to meet with them to make sure we have a good fit. We are praying for this to happen quickly and that Flash would find a good and loving home.

Jeff & Mindy Truly 469.364.5887

Our sweet boys!

2008-01-11T19:45:00.000-08:00

The sleeping pictures are a miracle! Jack is sleeping and stayed that way when i laid Todd next to him! Precious baby boys!

Jack's baby brother is finally here!

2007-11-28T18:03:00.000-08:00

Todd Hamilton Truly
Born: 11/24/07 at 1:48 (Just 20 minutes after we arrived at the hospital!)
Wgt: 8#12oz
Length: Just under 21"

We are thrilled. Jack is happy and adjusting well! Our family is complete and God is so good to us!

NOPE, STILL NO BABY TODD

2007-11-14T16:04:00.000-08:00

That's right...he's not here yet. As of 6:06 PM on November 14. And yes, we'll let you know as soon as he's here!

BAILEY TURNER TRULY 1994-2007

2007-11-03T17:46:00.000-07:00

Yeeee Haw Geee Up & Halloween!

2007-11-02T11:39:00.001-07:00

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On Halloween we had a ton of fun. Jack looked so sweet in his cowboy costume. We walked around the block which was plenty for Jack, as it was well past his 6:30 bedtime. Here are a few pictures from the day. We also when to show off Jack's costume at daddy's work!

Carving Pumpkins & other Fall Activities

2007-10-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

No pictures here of Jack participating in the carving of pumpkins. He was NOT interested...until mommy made them into something. He saw daddy getting his hands dirty and decided sidewalk chalk was more interesting. Here are some other pictures with pumpkins and some without on seperate occassions. Jack is going to be a cowboy for Halloween, so there is one showing off his hat for the camera. "Yeehaww geeee-up, Howwwdee folks." That's what Jack says that cowboys say, thanks to "Elmo's world Wild, Wild, West".

L to R Jack's new cowboy hat! Me & Jeff at a celebration for Todd given by The Winburnes,Thornhills, Smiths, & Wiers!

L to R: Jack sitting on a pumpkin on a really hot October day at the Arboretum. Mommy & Jack the same day.

38 weeks and counting!

2007-10-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Check out the swollen hands! I can hardly move them by morning. They are like a handful of sausages instead of fingers. We almost have our bags packed. Jack's activity bag for the hospital is packed for when he comes to visit. I'm cleaning, and getting anxious. I've been ready for Todd to come for a while. We have weekly visits to our midwife now, we are just waiting. Today we are planning on carving pumpkins together, and writing out our birth plan. I'll get pictures of that up shortly (the pumpkins...not the birth plan). Jack knows where Todd is, but we are not sure what kind of comprehension he has about it. We've been reading a book about when he was in utero. You just never know what a 21 month old really gets. We say, "where is Todd?" and he will walk over to mommy and pull up my shirt to look at my belly, and he says, "Hi Todd!"

A Letter from friends who need our help in their adoption...

2007-10-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Family and Friends,
For starters, thank you for taking the time to read this long email completely. I am not a big favor-asker, but I am pleading for your help to assist us in this situation.
As many of you know, Rebecca and I are in the process of adopting a baby girl named Ava from Guatemala. Ava was born on August 6 and is living in foster care. If you had asked us last week, we would have told you that we fully expected to bring her home six to eight months from now. We have now, though, hit the first real test of faith during our adoption of Ava. The Guatemalan government announced last week that it will not process U.S. adoption cases after December 31, 2007. This means that those families (roughly 5,000, including ours) whose cases are currently in process with Guatemala risk either a significant delay in bringing their children home or outright cancellations of the adoptions.
Unless the Lord moves miraculously in our individual timetable, and/or unless the Guatemalan government (Guatemalan president Oscar Berger, specifically) alters the law that was just enacted, our ability to bring Ava home any time soon (or maybe at all) is in jeopardy.
With that in mind, we are calling on you for specific needs. We would ask that you pray for this situation, and that you contact specific lawmakers and organizations to voice your concerns.

Prayer Needs:
Please pray that, throughout this whole situation, Jesus Christ would be glorified and that this would be a vehicle through which His name is made known.
Please pray that, if the Lord wills it, those families currently in process with a Guatemalan adoption would receive special dispensation from the current law, or that the law would be changed altogether.
Please pray for Ava and her foster parents as they go through this uncertain time. Please pray that Ava would be aware, even at 2 months old, of her Heavenly Father’s love for her and his protection over her. Pray that she would receive favor in the eyes of her foster parents and all those who care for her. Pray that she would be surrounded by people who love her, and that all of her needs would be met.
Please pray for Wil and Ben as they wait for their sister, that they don’t feel insecure or unstable in any way during this confusing time. Pray for wisdom for me and Rebecca, that we would understand their thoughts and needs as we go through this together.
Please pray for me and Rebecca, that we would face this time with joy, trusting that the testing of our faith produces endurance. Pray that God would use us during this time to amplify Christ, and that we would be constant supports to one another.

Practical Needs:
As I mentioned above, POLITICAL PRESSURE IS IMPORTANT. Below is a list of 3 people and 3 organizations you can call, 1 organization you can email, and 1 petition you can sign to plead the case for Guatemalan orphans. To achieve maximum effect, we have been asked by Gladney to focus our efforts into a 72-hour time period: October 9 (Tuesday) – October 11 (Thursday).

Senator John Cornyn (202) 224-2934 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (202) 224-5922 - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff. Senator Hutchison is a member of the Senate Adoption Caucus.
Your U.S. Representative (you can find out who this is at http://www.house.gov/) - ask to speak to the Legislative Director or Chief of Staff
Office of Children’s Issues at the Department of State (202) 736-9130

To these people, feel free to speak from the heart. Additionally, you can say something like:
“I am calling about the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As you are aware, the Guatemalan government has announced that it will not process U.S. adoptions after December 31, 2007. Their announcement also indicates that there will be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If these adoptions are not fulfilled, roughly 5,000 children will be forced to live indefinitely in institutional or foster care.
As your constituent, I am asking that you be a strong advocate for the children of Guatemala by signing the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI) sponsored letter to the President Oscar Berger of Guatemala and signing the Joint Council on International Children’s Services (JCICS) sponsored letter to UNICEF. These letters ask that all adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”

5. UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Headquarters (212) 326-7000 - please ask to speak to Ann Veneman, Executive Director
6. UNICEF Guatemala 011-502-2327-6373 - please ask to speak to Manuel Manrique (we will reimburse you for the international call)

Feel free to speak from the heart. You can also say something like:
“I am calling on behalf of the Guatemala 5000 Initiative. As financial supporters of UNICEF (through my tax dollars), I am asking that UNICEF lend its support and considerable influence to the Guatemala 5000 initiative.
As you may know, the Guatemalan government has announced that all intercountry adoptions with the U.S. will be suspended on January 1 2008. Their announcement also indicated that there would be no “grandfathering” of adoptions already in process. If the 5,000 children referred to families are not allowed to be adopted, they will languish in institutions or foster care. UNICEF must get involved and help ensure that all intercountry adoptions in process as of January 1, 2008 be processed to completion under the existing notorial laws.”

7. Send an email to Joint Council on International Children’s Services supporting
Intercountry Adoption to mailto:guatemala5000@jcics.org. JCICS will use the cumulative email petition in our advocacy for intercountry adoption.
8. Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/foafoa1/petition-sign.html.

If you have any questions about our adoption or anything discussed above, please call me at (214) 213-7476 or email us at toddandrebecca@tx.rr.com.

We appreciate your help and praise God for His steadfast love and unwavering devotion to us, His adopted children.
Todd and Rebecca

Baby True 2 officially has a name

2007-08-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Todd Hamilton Truly

Todd because we liked it. It hasn't gotten popular again. It sounds good with Truly. It sounds good with Jack...as in Jack & Todd. And last but not least it is one of Mindy's brother's names. Todd is English in origin and means Fox.

Hamilton because it sounds good with Todd. It's original. And it is very special to us because it's part of Jeff's heritage. His mother's maiden name is Hamilton, and we thought it would be sweet to incorporate his grandfather (Frank Forrest Hamilton) into baby's name in someway. Jeff was very close to his grandfather, and I had the priviledge of knowing and loving him as well. He passed away in 1998. He was one-of-a-kind and we miss him very much.

Check out my Slide Show!

2007-08-22T18:53:00.001-07:00

2007-08-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

This site is under construction. :)