So much time has passed that I know I won't be able to remember LOTS of things that have been going on in the DeWitt household -but I'll try and remember some important stuff.   AND my Picasa picture storage, where I had many of my pictures saved, went kapootee on me and so now I will have to find my CD's and download my pictures from there.  

Yes, I know this was a month ago now, but, as you all know, Shannon and Allan were in the Mesa High play 'Oklahoma' and being a parent you are asked to help however you can.  Doug volunteered to help build some of the set and what he ended up with was this windmill.  Now this thing was to be 16 feet tall!  And able to be taken off and on stage quickly.  Doug made the fan blades and assembled them down at his work shop where they have tools that work with metal and the rest, well, it was built here in our driveway.  For many days, Doug and Jonathan worked at making some huge pillars (used in other parts of the play) and then this monstrous windmill. I screwed in one screw.  I'm sure the neighbors thought we might be digging for oil in our yard or trying to use the wind as our electrical sourse.  Doug also whipped up this ladder that attached to the windmill for one of the actors to climb on.  And to top it off, Doug hooked a motor to it so it would spin!!!  During most of the play it stands still, but in the dream scene it slowly spins and looks amazing.  For those of you who did NOT get a chance to see the play, it sounds as though it will be performed at the Mesa Arts Center in January!!  It isn't confirmed yet, because of licensing issues but be watching for more info!  

Oklahoma Shout Out!!!

Wow!  What a busy time these past two weeks have been!  I am happy to announce that the Mesa High School play - "Oklahoma", has won State and will be performing at the Phoenix Civic Center on November 17th (Jill's birthday).  It will run two times in a row, the first at 1 pm and the second right behind it at 3:30, which seems impossible, only for the fact that when they put it on at Mesa High it went nearly 3 hours!  So, I'm guessing that there will not be the usual 10 minute intermission and that there will definitely be some 'cutting' of songs!  I hope it won't be Allan's, but it could be.  He still has a good part even with his song cut out.  I am attaching pictures that I found on Facebook ...I hope you can view them!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151307649771383&set=t.1684553267&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151307389016383&set=t.1684553267&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=514769791867446&set=t.1684553267&type=1&theater  -Allan in one of his 3 totally hilarious outfits!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=482790678408888&set=a.465461403475149.103493.147390068615619&type=3&theater  (Allan doing some funny face at the piano!

back to spirit week......

Its been so long since I've posted - we have many things to touch on, but I will have to go a little bit at a time.  During the hard times with Sampson, Shannon and Allan still had life going on and I think we were in the middle of a Spirit Week. 

 I can't remember what day this was, but here they are.  I believe the theme was some kind of future thing.

And they also tried out for the Mesa High play 'Oklahoma', which both made!  Shannon is an ensemble person & a dancer in group 2.  Allan was lucky enough to get Ali Hakim - quite a great roll for Allan, and boy, is he fantastic!  His Persian accent is a riot and his timing is great - He makes us all laugh and not only that, but he kisses 'Ado Annie' each night that the play runs!  His first KISS!!!!!  Or kisses, I should say!

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.