Abby is cruising right through this first year, and I can’t do anything to slow her down! She is one determined little girl! She wants to be able to follow Benjamin… and take back whatever toy he has recently ripped from her grasp.
Abby loves to push Mater from “Cars” around the house. She is cutting three teeth to add to her two bottom and one top tooth, so she chews on EVERYTHING. She also enjoys chewing on trains, much to Benjamin’s dismay.He often hands me drool covered engines, asking for me to, “clean it mommy!”
She spends a lot of time cruising around furniture and walking with her walker. It won’t be long…
And for as much as Benjamin picks on Abby, he is VERY protective of her and says, “Abby is my best friend.”
If Abby cries, Benjamin goes bounding into her room, and is never happy with me if I tell him she has to cry to sleep. I often hear him call as he climbs the stairs, “I’m coming Abby girl!”
Abby is a very picky eater, and with all this teething, she won’t eat much food at all. But, I would say her favorite food is squash.
Abby babbles on occasion, but usually she is just noisy. She loves to test all sorts of octaves when she screeches. She does babble ma, da, ya and ra.
Abby is still a terrible sleeper. If I am lucky, she wakes up once in the middle of the night and once around 5 a.m. But, often it is more. The double ear infection last week and the new teeth haven’t helped. She does nap well, and she has weaned herself from a pacifier. So, I think eventually she will be a good sleeper.
Abby is so much fun, and we love watching her playful, demanding and relentlessly curious personality emerge.
A week after my mom’s memorial service, we flew to Texas for my cousin’s wedding. It was tough to get home, unpack and then repack again. On top of that, I was really sick. Still, we managed to make it work.
Benjamin’s grandparents picked him up in Dayton, and then Abby got on the plane with us. She was a teething mess, so we PRAYED she wouldn’t cry the whole trip.
After take off, she was out like a light. Whew. What a relief. She was a super traveler.
The hotel had a crib set up for her, which was great for containment and sleep. It is difficult to entertain a baby in a hotel!
Abby and my cousin Drew got along great.
Papa is on her top five favorite people list.
She also danced with Bob Bob!
She loved hanging out with Zach Kayle, the groom.
And Leslie Kayle, the bride.
Abby gave kisses to the baby in the mirror back at the hotel.
And, this photo doesn’t fit with this post, but found it and have to include it. Jeremy took it while he was giving Abby a bath one night. So silly!
It was not easy to say goodbye to Nana/Mom. But, we will always hold her close in our hearts. The memorial service was filled with recent and old friends. Most of the family was able to attend too, which was wonderful. Mike (my twin brother) made us so proud when he spoke of my mom and her story, which he reminded us, is still being written.
I am posting her “story” below. I also am including the slide show we played at the closing of the ceremony.
Kathy’s Story December 2012
“Be very careful never to forget what you have seen God doing for you. May His miracles have a deep and permanent effect upon your life! Tell your children and your grandchildren about the glorious miracles He did.” Deuteronomy 4:9 TLB
To my precious family,
God has blessed me with 57 years of joy as a wife, mother and nana. He is so good. :) I wanted to record my story of miracles for you, because I want you to know how much Jesus loves you. My greatest desire is for you to love him right back. Forever!
Looking back at my life, I thought I was somewhat “religious.” I went to church fairly often, but I didn't have a relationship with Jesus Christ, and I only prayed when I really wanted something. When I was 20, I was diagnosed with cancer. I had to drop out of college for surgery, followed by several rounds of intensive cobalt radiation treatments that nearly killed me. I felt sure that I could beat it, and I didn't think God would let me down. Eight months after being diagnosed with cancer, I married Don, my high school sweetheart, who stayed by my side through it all, despite doctors' predictions that I wouldn't live a long life.
God granted me a miracle, healing me from Hodgkin's disease. We thought that all the sickness was behind us. But, three years later, the day of my college graduation, I was told the cancer had returned. I was shocked, because I didn't think a bad thing could happen to me twice. I was full of anger. I struggled through my first year of teaching, receiving chemo every other weekend. The worst news came when those treatments ended, and doctors told us we would probably be unable to have children.
At that point, I was raging mad at God!
Then, two years later, God blessed us with our miracle baby, Kimberly. I was so happy, I “forgave God” for putting me through so much. We couldn't believe it when 11 months later, we were told that Kim was totally deaf. She would never hear us speak. She would have to attend special classes and use sign language her whole life. At that moment, I hardened my heart and shut God out of my life. For five years, I let that anger toward God grow in me and missed out on the comfort and joy He wanted to give me. Still, He was faithful. He brought people into our lives that helped Kim to use hearing aids and to speak. Then, he blessed us with two more miracles – our twins, Lindsey and Michael!
Because I was so angry at God, I left the church when I thought I would be unable to have children. My children were the ones that drew me back to God. When they were in nursery school, they asked to go to Sunday School like their friends. So, I reluctantly went back to church. I even took a job as the Christian education director at our church in Amherst, and Don and I taught Sunday School classes. We were back to accepting the role of “religion” in our lives.
I still was wary of God, but He was slowly softening my heart and drawing me closer to him. God brought me to my knees time after time, but He never gave up on me.
It wasn't until we moved to Findlay in 1998 that I discovered what it truly means to have a relationship with Jesus. The funny thing was, I thought I knew who God was. I thought I understood the role of Jesus. So, it baffled me when I saw people walking into our new church with Bibles and talking about Jesus saving them. I couldn't understand what I assumed was a fanatical approach to church and religion. I even questioned the pastor about it. He explained to me that I needed Jesus, and the cross on which he died was like a bridge over the great divide between Him and me. My sin was separating me from God. I finally asked God for forgiveness and accepted Jesus Christ into my heart as my savior and Lord of my life.
When I turned my life over to Jesus, I had the peace that no matter what I faced in the future, He would be in control of my life. He would encourage me. He would sustain me. I was His daughter, and I would one day go home to be with Him eternally in Heaven, where He had already prepared a place for me.
My Bible is precious to me, because through God's word, I can see how he has always had a plan for my life. I have spent much time in His Word the past few years, especially after I learned, yet again, that my battle with cancer was not finished. It was just days before Easter of 2008 when I found myself in the emergency room with intense pain in my chest. Doctors admitted me into the intensive care unit to treat blood clots in my lungs. They also discovered breast cancer and congestive heart failure – a result of the aggressive cancer treatments earlier in my life. This time, I was able to give the situation to God and trust that He would walk me through whatever was to come. I was in His hands, and this was His plan.
Next, I underwent surgery to install a pacemaker, which doctors felt would help me survive the next surgery – a lumpectomy. Although the tumor was removed, doctors felt it was a matter of time before the cancer returned. Still, God answered prayers and blessed me with more time. None of us knows the number of days we have. Knowing that mine always had the potential of being shortened, taught me to enjoy each moment.
I ended up back in the hospital again in January of 2010 with pneumonia and a 35 percent chance of survival. Doctors predicted I wouldn't make it. But, as all the family gathered to say goodbye, I pulled through and went home again five days later. God blessed me with nearly three more wonderful years with the people I love, especially my four precious grandbabies – each one a miracle.
In each circumstance, I know God gave me yet another miracle. Doctors really didn't know what to make of me. According to statistics, I should have died long ago. According to my medical chart, I should not have been functioning like I was with so much energy. I never missed an opportunity to tell them that Jesus is the reason for my peace, joy and strength. There was no other reason than Jesus' miracles that I kept walking out of those hospital rooms with joy in my heart and back to my life with family and friends.
Facing cancer again with the joy and peace of Jesus in my heart has been a totally different experience. It has drawn people to me, because they have seen the change in my heart and they want to know its source. What a blessing it has been to be able to tell them about Jesus. I believe that is why God has given me the miracles I have had in the last four years. I pray my story of peace and joy in the midst of trials will be an encouragement to others.
I am grieving that I have to say goodbye. I don't want to miss out on any moment with the ones I love most. But, my prayer is that each of you will find the peace and joy I have found in Jesus. I look forward to our reunion again one day in Heaven. And, while I can't be here to encourage you in your journey, know that I have loved you with my whole heart. I have confidence that you will be blessed beyond measure in this life, and you will persevere during times of pain and heartache. I intend to be up in the bleachers in Heaven with “the great crowd of witnesses” cheering you on. And when you miss me, think of me hosting story time with all the children in Heaven, wearing pantyhose on my head while we sing, “Do Your Ears Hang Low.”
It has been a while since I have been able to blog. Christmas was not an easy time this year. Nearly a week prior, I went up to Findlay to help take care of my mom. She progressively got worse, until she died peacefully on Christmas day. We did our best to make sure the kids got to celebrate. Jeremy took Benjamin to church for the "Silent Night" song at the end of the Christmas Eve service, because Benjamin wanted so badly to see the candles that I had been talking about. My dad and I stayed back with my mom. On Christmas morning, we had birthday cake and sang, “Happy Birthday” to Jesus. Benjamin wondered if Jesus was going to share a piece with him. It was fitting to later tell Benjamin that Nana was celebrating up in Heaven with Jesus.
I didn’t take many photos, but here are a few of the kids Christmas morning.
Abby got a chair like Benjamin’s red chair. We have loved his Pottery Barn chair, and we figured this one would get a lot of mileage.
We also got Abby a new stocking.
Benjamin got an XBox game and some odds and ends.
Nana made both kids blankets.
I rolled my eyes when Jeremy picked out this Angry Birds blanket for Benjamin, but it makes me smile now to watch Jeremy run around the house with it on his head while he chases Benjamin. It is a new favorite game.
Here is Benjamin eating the blue birthday cake. He insisted that Jesus would want a Thomas birthday cake.
This was three days before Nana died, and the last photo we took with her. She wasn’t really with it mentally, but she loved seeing Abby in her Christmas outfit.
