Family

I haven't blogged abut the adventures around here the last few days for many reasons. One being I have been to tired. Two being I have been more focused on Maw Maw. And three, I haven't really had much to say.
Things changed today. Maw Maw has been on a ventilator in ICU at Baptist for 8 days. We have been worried, yet optimistic. Never letting go of the faith in an AMAZING GOD. I was reminded tonight after Holy Week Service that when we ask something in Jesus' name, it will be answered. So we continue to ask for Maw Maw to heal.
Maxwell and I prayed again tonight. He prayed that God would make Maw Maw feel better, as well as Aunt Peggy and Ms. Nancy. He also prayed that Aunt Leigh wouldn't feel sad. I cried tears of joy for the loving heart in him. He remembers all the things he hears and is told about the people he loves and at night when we pray, he gives them to God without prompting. He knows and reminds me when I forget, that is what we are supposed to do. You see God never fails us. No matter what happens, God does answer our prayers. Over the past few days we have prayed hard for Maw Maw to come off the ventilator, so tonight when Maxwell asked if the tube was out of Maw Maw's mouth. I could tell him yes. ( he followed this with " I don't want them to put that tube back in her"). Many of us have said this over the past week. And many of us have prayed. And though it didn't happen the first day we prayed, we continued and prayers were answered.

It is amazing to me how God's plan can become so clear to us at times. I feel like I understand God's plan more tonight. I have been thinking...probably too much. But I continue to find good in this experience. Over the past 8 days I feel like I have become even closer to my extended family. I am grateful for this opportunity. I would have liked it to have been under different circumstances, however, maybe this was God's plan. I love my family. However there are times when I feel like I don't know them as well as I should. So as I give thanks tonight for Maw Maw's healing and Jesus' death for me and for many, I also give thanks for bringing me closer to my family and for the things that I have learned this week from all of them.

Family tidbits.....

• It amazes me how different all of my mother's siblings and my mother are in many things, yet how much they are alike too
• as they age...(although all still young), I see how much they begin to look alike
• they are all beautiful and caring people, each in their own way (I think Grandmother did well in this area)
• My Aunt Roverda was Miss Dairy Princess
• the photos of Aunt Brenda and Mom as little Miss Sunbeam were great entertainment
• my cousins, Ron and Jeffery have a lot to share if you take time to listen. And I enjoyed listening.
• The Ellis gene of worrying is in all of them...and that's okay, I will keep telling them all to find the rainbows behind the dark clouds.
• I learned that Maw Maw is right...Maxwell does remind me of Jeffery. And that gives me comfort, as he has grown to be a good Christian man with a very loving wife. What more could a mother ask for?
• Uncle Tom has lots of perseverance with technology.
• Debbie has the sweetest bedside manner and a smile that melts away any worry.
• Ron and Michelle have a great sense of humor
• Paw Paw and I have a lot in common..he is a great fill in Dad. Not a replacement, but definitely a good fill in.
• Mom and Maw Maw mean the world to me and I felt so thankful when they were both in the room. How lucky I am to have them both.
• Aunt Brenda always makes me laugh...even when she doesn't mean it. She is a funny lady!
• Uncle Robbie would do anything in the world for his family...all you have to do is ask.
• Julia and Diana have a great mother/daughter relationship. They are both full of so much love.
• Sara Beth has a great game I need to learn to play:)
• Paw Paw's navy experiences are interesting to me.
• All of us really stink at the game of Charade

There are many more things I have learned...this is just a few. I say all of this here because I don't want to forget them. I began this blog so that Maxwell would have something to look back on, but maybe it is for me too.

As you take communion tomorrow, remember the reason. Remember the road that Jesus took during this time. Remember the pain and suffering and remember the love poured out for you. I may forget a lot of things that have happened this week over the course of time. But I will not forget the gifts that I have been given. The gift of a wonderful family. The gift of having Maw Maw with us for another day. The gift of a God loving child. And most of all the gift that Jesus gave me so long ago of salvation. May you all have a blessed Easter and may God continue to bless you all in the days to come.

Gone Fishing....

Sometimes we all get a bit too busy in life. We rush from one place to another doing this and that and forget to stop and enjoy what we are doing. Saturday was a great day. We rushed to get to the Easter Egg Hunt, we rushed to get everything set up, and then rushed to make sure everyone got eggs. Then afterward, we rushed to clean up so that we could all rush off to the next thing we had to do. I had to visit a friend and drop off orders from my Thirty-One sale. So during all this, I rushed past Mom's house to drop off her stuff and noticed she wasn't home.( Not unusual, she rushes around a lot, too) I then had to rush to drop off Sharon's stuff at her house, so I could rush off to Mocksville. On the way from Mom's house to Sharon's, Maxwell yells out " There is Nanny's car!". I was rushing so much, I didn't see it. But HE DID. So we pulled over to find out why Nanny was parked in the grass and found her fishing ( Again, nothing unusual.) Nanny loves to fish. All the Grandchildren love to fish with her. It is all they talk about during the Spring and Summer. She has purchased them all poles and they LOVE IT. So we stopped and began fishing with Nanny. You see, I was so rushed to get things done, I didn't even notice Nanny's car. It wasn't in my plan to look for it. But Maxwell, being the small child he is, isn't so rushed and he did notice. What does that say about me? I think it says, God wants me to slow down. You see, children don't see the "stress" that we see. They only see the physical and the now. Maxwell wanted to see Nanny. He knew she wasn't home after we stopped by her house. So he looked for her and found her. I am grateful that he did. We both stopped and enjoyed a bit of fishing. We slowed down and enjoyed the moment and made many memories. And when I left, I didn't leave as fast as I arrived. Yes, I was "later" than I planned for my next appointment. But it was worth it. I am so grateful for Maxwell's reminder of slowing down. Once again, my angel on earth is a messenger from God, sent to remind me of what I need to be doing. SO when I continue to complain about how tired I am ( for many more reasons than most), this will be a reminder to slow down. Because after all, we all need to take time to go fishing. Isn't that why God gave us worms?

The Train Driving Dentist

Maxwell went to the dentist today. His first "real" visit. We have talked about all the things they were going to do today and he was actually very excited. When we arrived, he played in the play house and with the toys while I completed paperwork. Then it was his turn! He we go....Ms. Tiffany took him back, with me following, and gave him a brand new toothbrush to start! You would have thought he won the lottery! He was soooo excited. ( I don't think most children get that excited over a toothbrush, I know I didn't as a kid). Then he got to play with more toys, while they "interviewed" me about Maxwell's eating and brushing habits. He passed, with the exception of one thing: Daddy has got to stop making him drink from a "sippy cup", even if Maxwell likes it. He is almost 5 and he probably wont spill it. So then it was time to climb up on the table. He jumped up without a problem and they gave him the "coolest" Lightning McQueen sunglasses to wear. HOG HEAVEN! They could have chopped off his arm and he would still be smiling! They did the routine check, then on to x-rays, cleaning with Orange polish paste, painting with Tutti-Fruiti flavored fluoride all while they were wearing cherry flavored gloves. Kind of like a fruit salad, if you ask me. But he loved it and SAT STILL. That is a feat within itself. He left with 2 stickers, a ball from the Treasure tower, a new toothbrush, berry flavored floss and a Buzz Lightyear Flosser. (I wont tell you what the bargain price for all of this was though.) He asked to go again tomorrow. And in case you wondered where the title came from....Maxwell really wants to be a Dentist that drives a train when he grows up....so start planning your train trips around your next teeth cleanings, because should all Train "drivers" know how to clean teeth and do a root canal while heading across the country?

God talks...I listen

Maxwell is a great kid. However, he struggles with one thing, a lot. Now I know many reasons why he struggles: 1) He does have a hearing issue 2)He is his mother's child 3) He is his father's child ( yes, I know that 2 and 3 are very unnecessary to state, however, part of his struggles are genetic and unfortunately he got a DOUBLE DOSE). So at this point, I know that many people have made guesses about what his major problem is, but for those of you who can't pick just one thing that it could be, let me just tell you....HE IS HARD HEADED and doesn't want to listen. On Sunday morning his Hard Head was a blessing and a curse.

I have battled with him for a while about climbing cabinets and thought he had finally learned that if he needed something, all he had to do was ask. However, while I was getting ready for church on Sunday, Maxwell decided that he could climb the cabinet and get his own gummy snack, while I wasn't looking. His plan did not go so well. The end result was that his HARD HEAD prevented major "damage", however, his HARD HEAD caused the damage, too. Once all was said and done, he has 2 bumps on his head and a large scrape down his arm.

We arrived to church late, (nothing new, but we are working on it) and his Sunday School class was participating in the Prayer Labyrinth. For those of you who don't know what this is, here is a quick definition:http://www.mathewsumc.org/html/growth/labyrinth.htm . So prior to going in to walk the Labyrinth, Pastor Patty talked with each child. She told Maxwell that while he was walking he could talk to God and say prayers and when he got to the center, " God's Heart" to listen and this would be a way to be closer to God. Maxwell thought a while and boldly stated, " I don't want to go Mommy, I don't want to go to heaven today. " Great connection to what we have talked about lately, however we had to re-vamp our wording and thus convince him that he was not going to Heaven. He agreed and took his first journey. He was very good, silent and respectful and once in the center he sat down and prayed ( out loud, but that is okay). He then walked the path out and once out of the room we talked. He told me he asked God to make his "boo-boos" feel better and "the one on his arm did feel better, but not the bump on his head." I told him that may take longer to feel better and he informed me that God told him it needed to hurt a little longer so he would remember not to climb the cabinets. Sounds like his Prayer walk was successful, he prayed, walked and listened to God. So I guess in the end, even if he doesn't always listen to me and other adults, I am glad that he does listen to God. After all, isn't that who we all should be listening too?

Unexpected Changes

This week started out beautiful! A warm and sunny day Monday and an even better Tuesday. Glorious enough to allow me to teach outside ALL DAY! Yes, you heard correctly, I taught math, reading, writing, social studies and science from the courtyard located just behind my " Learning cottage". I woke up Wednesday to find something different. It was cold, windy and by today it was down right yucky with the rain and fog. The weather changed so quickly! I wasn't expecting it. I even wore a skirt on Wednesday with the hopes that the weather would go back to what I had already gotten accustomed to in the 2 short days prior. At this point of my blog , you may be asking yourself, "why are you telling me this stuff, it has nothing to do with Maxwell". But as I think about my reaction to the unexpected change in weather, I also realize that this is my reaction to Maxwell growing and changing daily. Sometimes I get so accustomed to his behavior, his eating habits, his being my little man that I get caught off guard when something changes unexpectedly. So there is the connection...but there is more.
For 3 years now, I have picked Maxwell up from school, gotten in the car, talked about what he did all day on the ride home, then we eat dinner. ( sometimes I cook, sometimes I am too tired and we run through K&W Cafe or Cracker Barrel and grab something to bring home and eat.) So all of this had taken place , just as normal, (tonight was a tired night that we went to K&W Cafe) and we were preparing to eat dinner. When we arrived home, I really have to change and go to the restroom, so I told Maxwell to put his coat up and then play in his playroom for a few minutes while I changed clothes. I changed, etc in about five minutes and come out of the bedroom. As I come around the corner and head toward the kitchen, this unexpected change is right in front of my face. My 4 year old little man had set the table, completely. He had gotten the food off the counter and put it at each of our respective spots, placed the silverware on the table with napkins, our drinks were at our seats with straws already in the cup and he was sitting there waiting on me. He even had put the bag the food came in, up in our baggie bin. I was speechless. When did he learn to do this? At what point did he become old enough to do this without me? When did I miss this new intrinsic motivation to do such work? He was so proud of himself! I was proud of him, too. But in all of this, I was a bit sad. I know some of you may say, WHAT!?!?! I would love my kid to set the table without being asked, or without being beaten to do so! But you see, I have been in a routine for 3 years and know what is expected of me. I know that it is my "job" to prepare dinner and his "job" is to eat it and put his dirty dishes in the sink. I take care of the rest. But my "job" is changing unexpectedly. He is becoming more and more independent each and everyday. I did expect that, eventually. Just not today. I am again faced with the realization that things change and my little man is not so little anymore. I am so proud of him, but just like the weather, I want my little man back! Back to what I am accustomed to on a daily basis. Back to needing me the way he needed me, even just a few short weeks ago. But this is not to be. I am thankful that he is growing up. I am grateful that he is capable of doing more things on his own, and I would never let him know that I do want to spoil him a little bit longer, and it is okay to leave your clothes or toys in the floor, because I really don't mind picking them up. He needs to do these things on his own. I guess what I am saying is that I just expected him to grow on my terms and when I was ready for him to do it. But God has a plan for him, and that plan is much better than anything I could have come up with on my own. I am just glad that God's plan still includes cuddle story time at night, complete with hugs, kisses and the phrases " Mommy tuck me in" , "Will you sing Amazing Grace" and "I love you". As long as those don't change anytime soon, I think I can handle the rest of those "unexpected changes".

Chickens

Aunt Cindy has had Chickens for awhile now. Maxwell has always got a big kick out of going to see them. But this past week, she got a new "batch" of baby chicks. Maxwell has been so excited about going to see them. So after many conversations and using it as a "dangling carrot" for a few days, we finally made it to see the new chicks. He was ecstatic! He smiled and smiled and grinned and grinned. He got to hold a few of the "not so wiggly" ones and I think he even "hugged" a few of them. The Highlight of the day was when Mr. Ben let him go and collect the eggs from the nest! Now that was PURE enjoyment for him! He came out with one of the biggest grins I have ever seen to show us the eggs in his basket and proudly took them to Mr. Kenny. He was very busy today. On top of all of this, he played with Graham (formerly "Ben 3" and currently "the one that has no glasses") and Jacob (formerly "Ben 2" and currently " the one with glasses"), got muddy, let a chicken out of the pin and chased it, watched Scooby Doo and ate a little bit of everything (we are hitting a growth spurt) in Aunt Cindy's kitchen! ( I think I owe her about $50 in food). It was a very enjoyable Sunday afternoon with great company. On the way home, he told me everything he did ( as if I wasn't there to see it) and then laughed about it all. He feel asleep about 10 minutes into the ride and in the middle of the story. But he feel asleep with a smile on his face. I am sure that the chickens are just as tired as us, and with Maxwell not hovering over them, they may just fall asleep with a grin too!

Promises

Today was a difficult day. This past week has been a difficult week. And this past year has been a difficult year. I am not speaking of myself , particularly, but for many. For me today was surreal. You prepare yourself for changes and think that you are ready to handle the outcomes, but for death of a loved one you can never really prepare yourself. My dear sweet brother in law was given Eternal life last night. Taken so young, yet that was God's plan. Who am I to argue with the Lord? I am blessed to have known him. I am blessed to have had him in my life. I am blessed to continue to have a wonderfully strong and encouraging Sister in Law and a beautiful niece and handsome nephew, that brighten my day when I see their smile. God gave this to me. I am thankful. God also gave me a gift tonight and sent it through Maxwell. Maxwell is a gift everyday, but tonight he reminded me that God uses even the small children to remind us of his promises.
Tonight I was explaining to Maxwell that his Uncle Chris had passed away. That is why his Daddy was a little sad today. He asked a few questions about how, and when, and why Chris had passed away and after I had answered sufficiently enough for him, he looked at me without hesitation and said " Why is Daddy sad then, Uncle Chris is with Jesus. And Daddy can talk to him like we talk to Jesus, right?" He is right we shouldn't be sad. We should all rejoice that he is no longer in pain and is free from Cancer. He is now looking over us all with great care. I know this, but in the tears as a human, feeling pain and sorrow, I momentarily lost track of the rejoicing that should be taking place. So God sent the reminder through Maxwell to rejoice. So tonight, after reading books and saying prayers , we rejoiced. We thanked God for freeing Chris of his pain and of the gift of Eternal Life.
Although this doesn't take away the sorrow of our loss, it does ease the pain. I continue to pray for Leigh, Emily, Eric, Riddick, Herbie, David, Peggy, Monroe, E. Artis and Big Christian and the entire Weber and Farmer Family. May each and everyone find peace during this journey. And when we are having those difficult times, may God send us reminders through his Messengers that we should rejoice. Because one day, we will all meet again...and that is a promise from God.