What is Adele sewing?

A pillow for her new baby brother or sister, of course. He or she should be here in February!

*This is not a test.

The End/Once Upon a Time

I am borrowing this title from something that my sister wrote several months ago. She was at a place in her life where something was ending, but she was hopeful about the future...hence the Once Upon a Time phrase.

Today my nephew, Dylan left to start his new life in California with his dad.

*deep breath*

So, we are saying good-bye and "The End" to life as we once knew it. We have never known anything except Christmas, birthdays, Easter, Thanksgiving, Black Friday sales, and much more with Tonya and Dylan by our sides. I have said many times that Tonya was my partner and Dylan was Adele's. We have so many memories with them that I just can't imagine life moving forward without them, but it will. Really, there is no choice in that.

However, as I begin to sink deep into the pool of good-byes I am reminded that there is also a "Once Upon a Time" to all our stories. Dylan is starting a new life with his dad. A life that I hope and pray brings him joy, fulfillment, and peace. Oh, how I hope that for him. And we are starting our Once Upon a Time too. Even today the Lord is blessing us and showing us his enormous grace. We will be making new traditions, not because we want to mind you, but because we have to.

My sister has also started her "Once Upon a Time"... she is now in eternity and this time her story will have no end. So, thank you Tonya for reminding me that seasons and circumstances sometimes produce "ends" but that in all endings there are also beginnings.

So, today we really begin our, "Once Upon a Time....."

Chicken Lo Mein

Ingredients

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil (you can leave this out if you don't have it on hand)

2 teaspoons freshly grated garlic

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1 package linguine

2 chicken breasts

2 tablespoons oil

3 cups broccoli florets

4 oz. sugar snap peas

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

Sauce: Whisk together the cornstarch, chicken broth, teriyaki, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Set aside.

Cook noodles as directed on the package. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and chicken saute until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and saute broccoli, sugar snap peas, and red pepper. Add chicken back to pan with vegetables. Pour sauce over and cook for about 30 seconds or until sauce has thickened. Add to noodles.

This really is a delicious and easy meal. We all love it!

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Our dog, Sandy, really dislikes rainy days... not sure why?

Mother's Day

Today was a different sort of Mother's Day for my family. Every other Mother's Day in my life has been completely full of joy. Not that today wasn't full of joy. It was, but it had some other emotions mixed in that I haven't associated with Mother's Day before. It has been two weeks and one day since Tonya died. Wow... even to type that seems so wrong, unreal, unbelievable, and the list could go on describing how my mind just can't seem to wrap around this tragedy. Yet, no matter how unreal it seems to me, it is indeed real. And still Mother's Day happened...

My Mother's Day started out with a very excited Adele presenting my gifts to me. She gave me the wii game Just Dance. Sorry, no pictures of that... to protect the innocent.

I must admit that Jason beat us all with his dancing... I am not sure whether to be proud or worried? I also received a roll of paper towels (no laughing), a Sham Wow, and one of those wash clothes that is in a heart shape and when you add water it expands. Explanation - Adele has this tradition of going to the Dollar Tree and picking out gifts for us. It is quite interesting. Oh, I also got 24 cans of diet mountain dew...

This Mother's Day my mom went to church with us. Dan, my pastor included Tonya in his sermon today. His topic was Biblical Womanhood and what the Bible has to say about that. The Bible teaches us in 1 Timothy that women should be modestly dressed, pursue godliness, and do good works. Dan taught us about these qualities and then shared with our congregation the way that Tonya possessed them. Was Tonya a saint... well technically yes but, not in the slang sense that she was "perfect". Believe me I grew up with her, she wasn't perfect:) Tonya was a godly woman that pursued holiness, did good works and is now receiving her reward. Praise the Lord! It was truly a blessing to hear how her life reflected our creator today on Mother's Day.

Then Jason, Adele, my mom, and I all came to our house to eat lunch, cooked by none other than yours truly. Normally we eat at my mom's house for EVERY occasion but, we felt that this year we might need to do something a little different. I also made a carrot cake as one of her gifts, with extra icing. Then she opened her presents, which all centered around a garden area that she is creating to remember Tonya. They both shared a love for flowers and butterflies.

Our day ended with a trip to my sister's grave. I know that sounds sad and it was but, there were happy moments too. We released balloons and watched them float to heaven. We brought her flowers. Dylan and Adele took such care that the flowers were arranged just perfectly on her grave. The kids ran around, raced each other (and Jason), and played. Just what a 9 year old and 8 year old should do. I am thankful for God's grace and mercy on them.

That about sums it up. Honestly, I am not sure how to end this post... I have thought and thought but nothing seems quite right. So I'm ending with this.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for good and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Remembering Tonya

My sister's church has created a blog called Remembering Tonya. It is a place to leave stories, memories, photos, and positive comments to Dylan about his mother. Their hope is one day to create from this blog a book for Dylan so that he can see his mother through the eyes of others.

If you have a story, memory, or encouraging words would you please consider sharing them with Dylan?

conversation in my car today...

Here is a conversation I overheard in my car today on the way home from dance between Adele and Carly.

Me: Look guys (Adele and Carly) at that man digging a huge hole on the side of the street.

Carly: What are they doing?

Adele: They must be digging to find the well. It must be broken.

Carly: How do you know Adele?

Adele: Because I watch Curious George...Oh, and my dad is a plumber.

Saturday... April 23, 2011

Well.. it has been a while hasn't it. I have been wanting to post again for a while but just never seem to get around to it or seemed to have anything that really inspired me enough to share. However, recently we have had a tragedy in our family. Over Easter Weekend my beautiful and dear sister went to her eternal home.

I am not posting so that you can say, "Oh dear, poor Beth and her family." I am posting to encourage you. You see, I have always known how special my sister was. I would often say of her that she was the best mother I knew. I would often comment that she was one of the sweetest people I knew. And it was all true... you know it must be if a sister says it... for we know the deepest and darkest parts of our sibling! But over the course of the last few days I have heard countless stories of how my sister touched peoples lives. I would like to say that she was just naturally that way but I can't. She was changed.... given a new heart. A heart that loved the Lord more than anything therefore causing that love to spill out to all those around her.

I have heard stories of her giving people a home for a few nights, buying a college student clothes, giving her personal journal to a wife that was going through a struggle that Tonya knew much about, taking meals to a family, cleaning the house of a woman who wasn't able to at the time, taking food to the homeless shelter, letting someone borrow her car, and the list goes on and on. I have been in awe over the last few days of all the lives that my sister has touched. One might say... well Beth if you really knew your sister wouldn't you already know these things about her? I think it is because Tonya truly knew our Lord and Savior that I didn't.

So today I just want to encourage you to live your life for the Lord each day. I have been reminded over the last week that our lives are so fleeting. My sister has inspired me to really live my life for Christ each day, loving and serving others and boasting only of Christ.

Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Matthew 6:2-4