Sampson M Crockett

Today we will have a small service for our sweet Sampson M Crockett.  He was allowed to spend 2 days here on earth so we could fall in love with him completely.

Talking is Releasing

Go ahead and mention my child,
The one who died you know.
Don't worry about hurting me further,
The depth of my pain doesn't show.

Don't worry about making me cry.
I'm already crying inside.
Help me to heal by releasing
The tears that I try to hide.

I'm hurt when you just keep silent,
Pretending he didn't exist.
I'd rather you mention my child,
Knowing that he will be missed.

You asked me how I was doing.
I say "pretty good" or "fine."
But healing is something ongoing.
I feel it will take a lifetime.

Elizabeth Dent

My Mom is a Survivor

My mom is a survivor, or so I've heard it said.
But I can hear her crying when all others are in bed.

I watch her lay awake at night and go to hold her hand.
She doesn't know I'm with her to help her understand.

But like the sands upon a beach that never wash away...
I watch over my surviving mom who thinks of me each day.

She wears a smile for others, a smile of disguise.
But through Heaven's open door, I see tears flowing from her eyes.

My mom tries to cope with my death, to keep my memory alive.
But anyone who knows her, knows it's her way to survive.

As I watch over my surviving mom through Heaven's open door...
I try to tell her that Angels protect me forevermore.

I know that doesn't help her, or ease the burdens she bears.
So if you get a chance, call to her, and show her that you care.

For no matter what you think she feels,
my surviving mom has a broken heart that time won't ever heal.

~K. D'Ormeaux

When No Words Seem Appropriate

~I won't say, "I know how you feel"- because I don't. I've lost parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, and pets, but I've never lost a child. So how can I say I know how you feel?

~I won't say, "You'll get over it"- because you won't. Life will have to go on. The washing, cooking, cleaning, the common routine. The chores will take your mind off your child, but the hurt will still be there.

~I won't say, "Your other children will comfort you"-because they may not. 

~I won't say, "Never mind, you're young enough to have another baby"- because that won't help. A new baby can not replace the child you lost. A new baby fills your hours, keeps you busy, gives you sleepless nights. But it will not replace the one you lost.

So what will I say?

~I will say, "I am here. I care. Anytime. Anywhere." I will talk about your child. We'll laugh about the good memories. I won't mind how long you grieve. I won't tell you to pull yourself together.

~No, I don't know how you feel- but with sharing, perhaps I will learn a little of what you are going through.

~And perhaps you'll feel comfortable with me and find your burden has eased. Try me.

Written by a pediatric nurse, as submitted to Ann Landers

Baby Crockett...

Jill and Jonathan had an 'earlier than planned' birth of their baby boy.  Baby Crockett - yet to be named - came to earth on October 1, around 3 in the afternoon.  He is 3 1/2 month early and weighed 1 lb. 10 oz.  

 His hand is about as big as someones as your thumb to its first knuckle.  He will have a hard road to follow but we love him so much already.  Please pray for him and his mom and dad.  Sorry about the graphic picture, but that shows his size compared to the doctors hands.

 Homecoming is this Friday at Mesa High and as tradition will have it - School Spirit Week is here again.  I know you all look forward to this time of year when I post my kids' school spirit costumes.  Today, Monday, 5:30 am.  Why am I awake when the moon is out?

Disney Day.  We have for you Jack Sparrow, aka, Allan.  And little Alice in Wonderland is no other than Shannon.  Only 3 more years of this.  

Really?  How can Alice look good at 5am?

Okay, I think this will work.  Just a few minutes is all it took....

Stunt double or what?

Laundry room, and more

Wow....nearly a whole month has passed by and I've been a lazy bum on my blogging.  But there are a lot of pictures today - I'll try to keep the 'diary' part short and sweet, however, some pic's will need an explanation.

Allan helping?......

Allan helping again?.....

Here's Allan!

First - my last blog (I think) told of the renovation taking place here at our home. We have since put up a new wall and installed my laundry room ironing board that flips out from the wall. While nailing the top of the new wall, we found a water line!  Oops!  We needed to repair that  before we could move on with the real work.

we had to add more work to fix a pipe!  bummer!

Tile next!  Along with the laundry room, we decided to tile the hallway.  I LOVE IT!  What I didn't like is that we didn't have enough of our left-over kitchen tile to do both things, so we had to find a similar tile (they no longer manufacture my kitchen tile) and we found a 'brother' tile in a slightly different shade.  SO, we have done my laundry room with the kitchen tile and we had to do a transition of some kind between the two and here is what we did.

Here is what Shannon's room is now looking like.  You can see the pink wall - that is where her closet ended and you can see we added around 22 inches.  There have been a few other mishaps that we have had to work around, but I think this weekend is a build the new closet walls weekend.  I'm crossing my fingers!  Jonathan, Jill's hubby, has been a great help in all the tile work, knocking down walls, redirecting duct work, etc.  And of course Vin had been right there with us.

the baby-to-be you see in the background is Baby Navy...Jason and Stacey's little girl coming in December!

During all this, Allan has earned his Life Scout.

I took a trip to Henderson to watch  three super fun grand kids!
We've had family get togethers.  I thought this was funny that all of our phones were sitting all in one pile as we were playing blind-mans-bluff.

Lastly, some hearts that I have found.  One is on the Camero car that we bought from Jason for Shannon to drive to school.  Peeling paint!  And the second is a quick shot of some trees that formed a heart.  I had to take it fast because the traffic light was about to change.  AND I was so far away from it, I wasn't even sure it would turn out, but wha-la...it did!

Some where down near Williams Field Road and Greenfield.  

Dr's Lukas & Brooklyn

Brookie - " She is warm".  (Her doll)
Lukas - "She has a brain fever".  "Her temperature is hot".
Brookie - "Oh, she's colder now.  She has a brain freeze".

I guess they didn't need to worry about that condition because life went on.

Two funny things I remember them saying while I've been here.  Believe me, they have said MANY funny things - especially while I drive - but I can't write them down then and when we get home I forget the wording and it's not funny when I try to make it up in my own words.

Brooke: "I want a sand hamwich.".....Luke asked for a ham sandwich with cheese and that white stuff.  Which, after thinking for a second,  turned out to be mayonnaise.  The funny thing was she tried 3 or 4 times to say it right.  Each time getting more frustrated and funnier.

Lukas:  "This tickles my balls".   The second step in the pool I hits him in an interesting spot.

I've had a fun time with the kids these past few days.  Their mom and dad come home late this evening and the kids are looking forward to having them here.  I have dealt with 'sore bottom' baby Roxy - which, luckily, I met someone in CVS on Thursday and she gave me a couple of ideas.  The redness is gone, but Roxy still has a couple of blisters that almost looks like Chicken Pox, but they haven't spread at all, so I'm guessing that they aren't CP.  Dropping Lukas off at school each day and then picking him up has been an interesting thing.  I try to keep baby Roxy awake until I drop him off - 11:40 - a challenge - and then picking him up at 2:10 means that I need to wake her if things don't work out like they do in my mind.  All in all, it hasn't been as stressful as I worried about.  I'm sure they have watched more TV then they needed; that they usually get to swim more than 30 minutes; that riding bikes is more fun with Mommy and Daddy and that keeping things picked up is harder with Grandma here.  (She doesn't like to step on Lego's or find a gum wrapper in Roxy's mouth).

Don't ever fly Spirit/Allegiant Airlines.  Story to come.

Choir Pres.....

Friday is here already?  Where did the time go?  I think most of you know that I'm working now.  I actually like it and its a nice bonus to get the check every other Friday!  And now I have a new assignment.....I have been elected......(can you call it that when you were thrown in the spot because you were the only surviving parent that was on the board for the last 2 years?).......Choir Booster President.  It will be very intimidating to say the least.  Yes, I can be loud enough.  And yes, I can make an awesome agenda.  But will things go as planned on paper?  I'm not too sure about that.  It seems that we will have a nice booster club - I mean there were probably 15 parents there for our first meeting (I'm sure that will dwindle) but for the last 2 years there were literally 6 women who carried the whole committee.  We have a brand new choir teacher too.....so we will just go with the flow and see how it go...... (yeah, I know it's supposed to be goes, but I was rhyming there, just so you knows)    hehe!!
Some new additions for our family tree....Jason and Stacey are having a girl in December!  And Jill and Jonathan will be having a boy in January!

We are so excited for them!

Well, it's Monday again and we 'girls' will be getting together to fix some meals for the week.  I think this is our fourth time and we all seem to be enjoying it.  It sure helps me to keep food coming for my family on busy days.  

Today I went to WalMart to buy a few things that I know are cheaper there....and came across this box of Rotini.  Now, the one on the left was the shape of Rotini I was going for, but the right one, um.....didn't match?  There were several boxes that way?.......Luckily I found 3 of the 'real' Rotini.  Shells in a Rotini box?  Get help Barilla.......

 Also, some exciting news.  We are in the process of remodeling me an official laundry room.  Yep, now that most of my kids are in their own homes and we are down to just 2 left, we feel it's the right time to make that laundry room.  My washer and dryer have always had a spot in the downstairs bathroom, but now it will have it's own space and I will actually be able to do laundry without having to share the spot with someone trying to dry their hair, brush their teeth, put on mascara, etc.  For the past few years Katie and Shannon had shared a bedroom for sleeping and then used the other basically for a walk'in closet.  It was nice but now that Katie has been gone for several months, it's time to get Shannon into one room and one room only.  Friday and Saturday we started with the demo. 

 We boxed, shoved and moved clothes into two closets - (thanks for sharing Allan)- and then the baseboards, carpet, pad and nasty dirt that seems to work its way all the way through the layers was taken up and out.  Doug installed a new window which needed to be done desperately.

  The plan is to build a wall about where Doug is kneeling in this picture.  

My laundry room will be to his 'aft' and the new wall will be the back of Shannon's new closet wall.  She will gain about 20 inches or so in her room, and although that doesn't sound like a lot, it will at least have the feeling of being much bigger.  

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