Exactly one year ago today on June 20th, 2003, at 6:05 p.m. our last child was born - Bethany Joy White. She weighed 8 lbs., 6 ozs. and was 20 3/4 inches long. Do you know that Brooke, Paige and Bethany were exactly the same weight and height? She was known as the "tie breaker." Up until her birth we were known as the Brady Bunch. We had 3 girls and 3 boys. A perfect little family. But now I'm known as Mrs. Snow White with my 7 dwarfs. We weren't planning on having any more after #6 (Benjamin) so she is truly a gift from God. Not that the rest aren't gifts from God because they are, but she wasn't in "our" plans. That sounds so horrible but I don't know how else to put it. But God knew that we needed her and I can't imagine what life would be like without her. She is the sunshine in our home.
It all started when I wasn't feeling well. I just layed on the couch feeling sick. Brooke took one look at me and said, "Mom, you are pregnant!!" I told her there was no possible way that I could be pregnant and no I was not - I just didn't feel good. She just kept smiling and said, "Nope, you are pregnant.". Paige came in later and said the same thing to me!! Well, they were right!!! I was so in shock. Like I said, we weren't planning on having any more so how did this happen? Well, don't answer that!!! I just knew Randy would be more shocked than I was so I was not looking forward to telling him. In fact, I think he was the last one to find out!!!! But like me, even though he was shocked he was happy. How can you not be happy with the news of a new baby?? It just took a while to get to that point.
Randy goes to Ecuador every year (except for this year) on a missions trip. Her due date was around the time that he would be gone to Ecuador. He struggled with what to do. He loves going to Ecuador but he didn't want to miss her birth either. I encouraged him to go to Ecuador. He would be back 3 days before her due date which was really pushing it but I was leaving all this in God's hands. He would make everything o.k. And like the rest of my children, she arrived very late and everything did work out just fine. Actually, you would think being the 7th child, labor would be fast and easy. But no.....she was the longest labor of them all. I think it was 26 hours. Along with Randy, both Brooke and Paige were in the labor room with me. Brooke was pretty much in the Doctor's way - ha!! She was right down there just a squalling. She kept saying, "This is such a miracle!!" as tears were streaming down her face. She even got to cut Bethany's cord. How sweet is that? My oldest child cut my youngest child's cord!! Bethany was also my most difficult baby. She had colic soooooo bad. She cried in pain from sunrise to sunset. I tried everything but nothing helped. But fortunately after 2 months of this, it was gone. She went from a screaming baby to a smily, happy baby and has been that way to this day. She just smiles, bounces, skips, giggles, and is just the sweetest little thing.
I feel like we have a second family. There is a big gap after Hannah - 6 years - and then there is Benjamin and Bethany. I had 2 miscarriages after Hannah. So I knew Benjamin and this baby would be very close. I wanted to pick a name that just flowed with Benjamin. So when you said his name, the other would just follow. I wanted a Bible name so I chose Bethany. Doesn't that sound good? Benjamin and Bethany. Even their middle names start with the same letter "J". Benjamin James and Bethany Joy. I call them my 2 B's. They were a couple. They acted like a "married" couple. They were so loving and absolutely adored each other. They were so cute together. After about 5 years of this adoring, loving, relationship, the honeymoon ended. Now they act more like an "old" married couple. They still love each other but they have their squabbles now. He is still very protective of her and she is very jealous when he pays attention to other little girls. I am having so much fun with these 2 it's like we are starting all over again.
Bethany is such a cuddle bug. She'll say "We need some loving today" and she'll climb up in my lap and I'll cradle her like a little baby and kiss her all over the place. I know she is too old for that, but who cares? They stay little for such a short time. The other day when I was holding her like a baby and giving her her "loving" I said, "What is going to happen when you get too big to climb up in my lap like this and get some loving?" She said, "I'll never be too big for that. I'll always be your baby." But, I know one day she will be all grown up and doing her own thing - so I will enjoy it while I can.
Bethany means "daughter of the Lord" and I can truly say she IS from the Lord. Joy means just what it says, "joy". She is so happy and with that blondie hair of hers, she is like a ray of sunshine. I absolutely just love her to death.
My prayer for you Bethany is that you will keep your joyful spirit and that you will bring sunshine to others so that they can see God in you. I can't thank God enough for giving you to me. He knew you were just what I needed!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Daniel's Moment.....
When Daniel was a little boy he used to absolutely idolize Chad. He kept his picture on top of his dresser.....he would follow him around every where.....one time he invited "just" Chad to his birthday......he would talk about him all the time. Little did we know that one day he would be our son-in-law!!!!
Chad knew he wanted to fly a plane one day. When he started going to flight school, he would always tell Daniel, "I'm going to take you up with me one day." Then Daniel would start bugging him...."Chad, when you going to let me fly with you?" He would bug Chad to death - until he got older of course.
Last night, we were to meet Brooke in Vicksburg because Daniel is going to a wedding with them in Alabama. Brooke was supposed to meet us but instead Chad met us with his PLANE!!!!! He is a flight instructor so he had one of his students with him.
The plane was soooooo little. It was about the size of our Suburban. It looked like a little toy. In fact they were pushing it around and turning it with their hands to get it in the right spot. It looked like they were playing with their little toy plane.
Of course I was a little nervous thinking about my little boy going up in the air with Chad in that little plane. So I asked if I could look at the plane. Chad said, "Sure." It had so many buttons. It had 2 tiny seats for Chad and his student and a really small seat right behind them for Daniel. Chad also told me the plane was really old.....hmmmmm.....There were 2 sets of controls by each seat - so Chad can control the plane also. Chad said this was his student's second time to fly......hmmmmmm.....He said he would put the plane in the air and land it since it was only his student's 2nd time to fly but that the student would control it once in the air.
It was time for them to leave. I'm still kind of nervous but I know Chad has been doing this for a long time. Seeing your child drive off in a car for the first time is scarry enough but seeing them fly off in a toy plane is even scarier!!!!
They putterred off down the run way. They went so far down the runway, we couldn't see them - but there were lots of trees too. After what seemed like an eternity, we see them coming back our way going faster, and faster and then up, up and away in the clear blue yonder. We waved to them!!!
I turned to Randy and said, "This is Daniel's moment".
Chad knew he wanted to fly a plane one day. When he started going to flight school, he would always tell Daniel, "I'm going to take you up with me one day." Then Daniel would start bugging him...."Chad, when you going to let me fly with you?" He would bug Chad to death - until he got older of course.
Last night, we were to meet Brooke in Vicksburg because Daniel is going to a wedding with them in Alabama. Brooke was supposed to meet us but instead Chad met us with his PLANE!!!!! He is a flight instructor so he had one of his students with him.
The plane was soooooo little. It was about the size of our Suburban. It looked like a little toy. In fact they were pushing it around and turning it with their hands to get it in the right spot. It looked like they were playing with their little toy plane.
Of course I was a little nervous thinking about my little boy going up in the air with Chad in that little plane. So I asked if I could look at the plane. Chad said, "Sure." It had so many buttons. It had 2 tiny seats for Chad and his student and a really small seat right behind them for Daniel. Chad also told me the plane was really old.....hmmmmm.....There were 2 sets of controls by each seat - so Chad can control the plane also. Chad said this was his student's second time to fly......hmmmmmm.....He said he would put the plane in the air and land it since it was only his student's 2nd time to fly but that the student would control it once in the air.
It was time for them to leave. I'm still kind of nervous but I know Chad has been doing this for a long time. Seeing your child drive off in a car for the first time is scarry enough but seeing them fly off in a toy plane is even scarier!!!!
They putterred off down the run way. They went so far down the runway, we couldn't see them - but there were lots of trees too. After what seemed like an eternity, we see them coming back our way going faster, and faster and then up, up and away in the clear blue yonder. We waved to them!!!
I turned to Randy and said, "This is Daniel's moment".
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Our Garden.....
Since my last post, I have been busy putting up vegetables in our garden. We haven't had a garden in many years (since Paige got sick) so I'm remembering what hard work it is. I think I have put up over 30 quarts of snap beans and close to that much in squash. We are still waiting for our okra, cucumbers, and tomatoes to be ripe. We are fixing to pull up all the beans since they aren't producing anymore and plant something else. Even though it's hard work, they taste so good.....they don't have all those chemicals on them....and it's also saving us money!!!
I had an inury last night. We planted a plum tree shortly after we moved here which was about 12 years ago. Well it has finally produced us some delicious tasting plums. So I have been busy making plum jelly also. I had my canner full of boiling water to put the jelly jars into. First I had to take the empty jars out of the canner which were full of boiling water also. I have these tongs that I use. Anyways, as I lifted one jar out and was moving it to the sink, it slipped from my tongs and all that boiling hot water ran down my arm. Oh the pain, the pain. The jar also fell right into my pan of hot jelly and ruined it and spashed jelly every where. At that point I was too much in pain to care. I had to just hold my arm in the sink and let cold water run over it. Then I went to bed and cried. It made me think what hell must be like. My burning arm is nothing compared to what it's going to be like. I am thankful and grateful that I won't have to experience that burning for eternity. The hours of burning I experienced was enough for me. Today it feels better. It's red and feels more like a bad sunburn today. I have more plum jelly to make tonight but I'm going to be VERY careful this time!!!!
I had an inury last night. We planted a plum tree shortly after we moved here which was about 12 years ago. Well it has finally produced us some delicious tasting plums. So I have been busy making plum jelly also. I had my canner full of boiling water to put the jelly jars into. First I had to take the empty jars out of the canner which were full of boiling water also. I have these tongs that I use. Anyways, as I lifted one jar out and was moving it to the sink, it slipped from my tongs and all that boiling hot water ran down my arm. Oh the pain, the pain. The jar also fell right into my pan of hot jelly and ruined it and spashed jelly every where. At that point I was too much in pain to care. I had to just hold my arm in the sink and let cold water run over it. Then I went to bed and cried. It made me think what hell must be like. My burning arm is nothing compared to what it's going to be like. I am thankful and grateful that I won't have to experience that burning for eternity. The hours of burning I experienced was enough for me. Today it feels better. It's red and feels more like a bad sunburn today. I have more plum jelly to make tonight but I'm going to be VERY careful this time!!!!
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