Favorite Pictures of 2010

The year started almost immediately with surgery on my achilles tendon. The kids in our church's after school program drew and "bedazzled" boots for me.

Jason is a really good photographer--we need to get him some good equipment at some point. He took this picture in January at Audubon Park.

Love this picture because Jason is totally breaking his own "no dogs on the bed" rule. Sam is obsessed with stuffed monkeys.

Jonas and Jeff engaged in a hands-on Nerf war in February. Look how SHORT Jonas' hair is!


My 32nd birthday cake lovingly made by Jonas...he spelled my whole name and turned a 5 upside down because he broke the "2."

Elle and I on a pier in North Carolina during our high school mission trip. I chose this picture because I've known Elle nearly all of her life. She was the flower girl in our wedding! I love my youth group!

Jason on the top of Mt. Katahdin in Maine. This picture represents a dream of his--and one long, hard hike!


Jason, Jonas, Chris Galbraith and I at Ruby Falls in Chattanooga. We took off for a short vacation and had a great time.

This picture is bittersweet. It was taken one week before Whitney left to be a missionary in Chile. I miss that girl.

Fine. I did it. I went camping. It was not horrible. I'm not planning to go again any time soon. Nolan, Jonas, Tyler and Jason around the campfire.

Jason and Jenny sharing their BOB-o'clock moment at her wedding. They both look so happy!

Jonas and Jason biking at Angel Mounds in late October.

Chippy/Chachi looking all prim and proper. She was our dog for five days. I'm really glad we found a home for her, but it was fun to have her visit us.

Jason meeting his hero, Mark Twain. The library resurrected him for a fun night in our church fellowship hall.

This picture is Jonas working up the courage to zip line. He did it and he's still talking about it.

My high school youth group girls celebrating Ellen's birthday and planning their 1K Challenge project. These girls are amazing in so many ways.

This picture is from our friend Stepheny's wedding. My husband had just been pressed into service for the past two hours--hauling and setting up a cake, taking pictures, setting up a sound system, serving punch--and yet there is a look of joy on his face as he helps the bride's small son eat a piece of cake. I love that I married that guy!

It's been a roller coaster year for Jonas. One year ago, we would have never gotten a picture like this (smile full of teeth and excitement in his eyes). I'm glad he's made it through one hard year and I'm proud of him.

Happy New Year to all of our wonderful friends and family! May you be surrounded by love, peace and happiness in 2011!

2010: One For the History Books

PLEASE, let's get it in the history books!

2010 has not been the best year ever for our family. Oh, sure, there were good days and highlights, but overall?

Let's move on.

It's been a year with a little too much drama, too many health issues, too many goodbyes, too much turmoil. It's just been difficult overall.

What's interesting is that I've heard several people say the same thing. I had lunch with a young lady the other day who declared that this has been "the worst year of my life!" Another person who is close to me told me a few weeks ago that this has been a "very difficult year."

But New Year's Day represents a brand new start!

2011 will start at the church. When I was dating Jason, we spent two New Year's Eve's at his church (once we got married, "my" church became "his" church which was then "our" church). At Jason's church, they would gather around 8:00, worship, eat, each member would speak about the past year and the year ahead and then they would worship some more. Since then, New Year's Eve has been a time with friends and family. We've never had standing, definite plans, but we always find something to do.

This year, our youth group and the youth group from First Presbyterian Owensboro are having a lock-in. I think it will be nice to start the year at church with people I love (and thankfully Jason's coming).

Whatever you're doing when the ball drops, I hope you're with people who love you.

Mazel Tov!

Congratulations to the happy couple, engaged on Christmas morning!

10 Favorite Posts of 2010

Ten things I wrote this year that I kind of like:

1. "Stretch" (Nov. 15)

2. "Represent" (Dec. 1)

3. "Middle School" (Aug. 4)

4. "Creating Still" (March 22)

5. "Normal Flowers are too Normal" (Feb. 22)

6. "We're In This Together" (June 2)

7. "38 Things" (March 3)

8. "Why Becky Blogs" (Feb. 18)

9. "Can You Hear Me Now?" (July 14)

10. "Inspired" (April 19)

Christmas '10 In Pictures

Merry Christmas, People in Jail!

My husband is a nut.

And now half of Elm Street knows it.

We were driving home from Christmas Eve service in the snow and he pulled the truck over and declared he was going to do the George Bailey running down the street yelling "Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls!" bit. On video. So we both got out of the truck and he ran up Elm Street about half a block.

Here's the video:




Here's what happened (the sound is horrible):

Jason: (starts running) Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls!

About a million cars and trucks appear from out of nowhere.

Lady in one of the vehicles: What?

Jason: Merry Christmas!

Lady: What?

Truck stops near me, the driver likely figuring something's really wrong.

Jason: Merry Christmas! Merry Christmas, people in jail!

Lady: What?

Jason: Merry Christmas, Becky! (jumps in truck.)

I'm sorry I'm laughing, but it was all I could do to keep quiet. As soon as he started running, all these confused people were suddenly there and they kind of ruined it...but I'll be laughing for days.

WARM

Molly. Christy. Jennifer.

These were the names of the three ladies who shared their stories at the Women's Addiction Recovery Manor this afternoon during a Christmas reception they had to thank our church members for bringing the items for their Christmas dinner (for the 115 residents who live there).

"My name's Molly and I'm a drug addict..."

"My name's Christy and I'm an alcoholic..."

"My name's Jennifer and I'm a drug addict alcoholic..." each one began and was greeted by a chorus of "hello..."

Only three ladies shared, but each of the 115 ladies has a story that is uniquely her own. The stories we heard all had normal beginnings. Each took a devastating turn somewhere in the middle of life. All three are mothers. All three have loved, were loved, are loved. Each of the three spoke clearly and well. All now have a chance to start again with life.

Whenever someone stands up and tells his or her story, I'm immediately tuned in. I love to hear stories of lives lived. I love to know what brought a person to the place where they currently stand. I like to know where people come from, what makes them "tick," lessons they have learned along the path. Lives are complicated and there are choices made along the way that change paths and affect others. These women told mesmerizing stories.

I was overwhelmed by their gratitude to us. It was almost too much that they were having a reception to thank us. Several of the ladies hugged me and thanked me for coming, for bringing food, for listening and learning. "Oh, thank you..." I feebly replied. Yet, I was aware that this reception wasn't just for us. It was also for them--a chance to gather, to share stories, to hear each other, to do something as normal as having a Christmas reception.

I'm pretty aware that there are decisions I could have made, places I could have gone that would have caused my life to veer in directions that could have resulted in addiction, conviction, rehab. I'm aware that I'm not better than these women, that I don't have my life any more together than each of them did at one point during better days. I'm aware that although their struggles are diagnosed, admitted or discovered, I have struggles too.

"You're never too young...you're never too old..." Molly said. "Your life can change at any moment."

It's true.

"I feel like I have my life back," Jennifer stated.

My hope is that I was sitting in a room full of women who feel this way. My hope is that each one can finish her story triumphantly. My hope is that in this community, they will continue to encourage and listen to each other.

I also hope their Christmas dinner is incredible!

10 Toys from my childhood

Ten toys I played with when I was a kid:

1. Rainbow Brite doll

2. Speak and Spell

3. The entire Strawberry shortcake village, friends and accessories

4. She-Ra's castle (to match Jeff's He-Man castle GreySkull)

5. Glo-Worm

6. Cornsilk Cabbage Patch doll

7. Pound Puppies

8. Smurf and Garfield Colorforms

9. My pink and blue pogo ball

10. My Little Ponies

10.5. Popples

Award

"2010 Most Improved award; Jonas Durham; Henderson North Middle School; in recognition of a student who has made the most improvements this school year."

Moments of Grace

On Saturday, Jason and I attended/ran one of our friend's weddings. She's not a close friend, although we love her dearly. She's a rather new friend--having moved to town in just the last couple of years. She has two children, he has one and they both have one on the way.

When she set her wedding date for December, I congratulated her on choosing the best time of the year to have a wedding. The church is always decorated beautifully, so there's no need to buy flowers or decorate. She excitedly told me about her dress and the planning along the way. She told me sadly that her dad wasn't going to be able to get a ride to Kentucky to attend. She informed me that she planned to be at work on the morning after the wedding (she works in our church nursery on Sunday mornings).

She innocently, sincerely told me she was picking up her cake on the way to the wedding. I immediately vetoed. "Let us pick up your cake," I told her. I couldn't stand the thought of a bride picking up her cake on the way to the church.

And that's when we went from being invited guests to amateur wedding coordinators.

When her photographer fell through, Jason and I volunteered to take pictures as well as picking up the cake. Rev. John, Jason and I became a trio of wedding coordinators--transporting cakes, setting up sound systems. shuttling the bride and groom around the building, welcoming guests, taking pictures, participating in the ceremony, advising on what happens next, cutting the cake (Rev. John ended up with that job), serving the punch, doing dishes, packing up supplies, cleaning up the sanctuary...

It's one of my favorite kind of weddings. Oh, sure, it's beautiful to attend weddings that cost thousands of dollars and are planned and coordinated and planned for months or years in advance--Every hair in place, every social grace observed, every step choreographed and practiced...Yet, it's even more beautiful to participate in a wedding like Saturday's event. Every moment is grace-filled and we are only there because of the love between the bride and the groom and the family becoming. It was beautiful to see the joy on the bride's face, the smile on the groom's, the joy in the room as the three children made their way down the aisle with baskets of flowers and a pillow, the sweetness of the vows and rings and candles, the excitment at the pronouncement of marriage.

I was honored to be part of their day. It was a fun, exhausting experience that was filled with life, love, kindness and joy.

Dear Santa, I came to see you and everything...

When Jonas was eight, he started his letter to Santa this way:

"Dear Santa,

I've been good this year so let's get on with it..."

It's a good thing that Santa has a sense of humor...

Also, I've been trying to see Santa this year and get a picture, but every time I see him somewhere, there are all of these KIDS who want to see him and talk to him and sit on his lap and I can't really get close enough without shoving them...and that's probably behavior unbecoming a youth and children's minister.

The only thing that those stories have to do with this blog entry is that...

Tonight, Jason and I went to Santa Claus, IN! We have never been there in the winter before. We usually go once a summer to visit Holiday World and get our fill of lines and roller coasters and free (soft) drinks.



We went shopping at the famous Christmas Store. This store has a LOT of...Christmas. LOTS of it. Everywhere. But it's charming. We admired the lovely things, took a peek at Santa (covered in children and parents snapping pictures), and then left empty handed.

We walked around a little longer and then we drove through the Land of Lights.



The Land of Lights, is a drive through light display in the Lake Rudolph Campground that tells the story of Rudolph's tortured-turned-triumphant life.

The drive was accompanied by signs that told Rudolph's story, piece by piece. Of course, I read these out loud.

It was really cute and the money we paid to drive through went to a good cause.

We drove around a little bit longer and then headed for home. It was a fun way to spend the evening!

Gifts

"Jonas, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? How about the new ______?"

"Nah."

"Maybe you'd like a ______?"

"No thank you."

Jonas has engaged in countless conversations like this since Thanksgiving.

Mamaw, Grandma Jane, Grandpa Mike, Aunt Megan, Jason and I...we have no idea what to get the boy for Christmas because his standard answer is "nothing."

I was sure he was just being difficult. He's been known to be difficult from time to time.

"You realize that if you keep telling people 'nothing' when they ask you what you'd like for Christmas, then you'll probably get 'nothing' or you'll get things you didn't ask for..." I reasoned with him.

"I don't want anything! I promise!"

See, I'm cool with him not wanting gifts, and I understand him not wanting to ask for things, but I know that his 'people' love to buy him gifts. And I also know that him not getting gifts when the other kids around him are getting gifts might be the recipe for a grumpy sixth-grader in the end.

So Sunday morning, he and I were talking about Christmas and commercialism and he said, "I don't want gifts or toys because I know that there are a lot of kids who won't get anything and that makes me feel sad. I don't know how me not getting gifts really helps them, but I don't want presents if they don't get presents."

Ah. Silly me. I just figured he was being difficult and so I never even explored this option with him. I never even considered it's because he was aware of bigger issues and that he wasn't being selfish or only thinking about himself. That's a parenting fail on my part.

So we talked about ways that he could ask his gift givers to partner with him in being a solution to the problem--at least for one or two people who are going without. He talked to his Mamaw about giving gifts to other kids instead of him. I told Aunt Megan that if she knows a kid at her school that will go without Christmas, Jonas would like his gift to go to that child. I'm thinking that my gift to him will be a Christmas dinner for a family connected to a local outreach in town.

I grateful for his generous heart and the example he's giving our family and others around him.

10 Blog Guidelines

Ten guidelines I use for blogging:

1. I don't try to make my blog like anyone else's blog.

2. I try to keep my entries on the short side.

3. I don't want to repeat myself or say the same thing over and over just to prove my point.

4. I watch out for TMI and over-sharing (you're welcome).

5. I am careful about what I say and how I say it.

6. I am careful about what I share about other people. How would Jonas feel if he read this story about himself on my blog? Is Jason okay with me sharing that story? Would I be worried about this person or that person reading what I've written about him/her? When in doubt, I don't use names, keep the details vague or ask the person I want to write about if it's okay.

7. If I don't feel like writing, I don't force it.

8. If I can take a picture to go with the entry, rather than using one from google images or another online database, I do.

9. I try to give credit where credit is due. If I'm using another blog entry to jumpstart my blog entry or my thought processes, I work it into the post.

10. I write for me, not for you (I am grateful that you read what I write--thanks!).

Snow!

The riverfront


Me--freezing.


"I like the 'Wizard of Oz...'"


Home!

Today, Monday, is a snow day in Henderson County. We got about 2 inches of snow, a lot of wind, and well below freezing temperatures.

Stay warm wherever you are!