Slain by Poetry

Landon hit me with some poetry yesterday.

I knew that he was supposed to write a poem for his literature class.

I wasn't expecting it to slay me.

As we were driving to class, I asked him to share it to me. He spouted off with this little ditty.

LANDON
Roses are red
Violets are blue
Landon is AWESOME
DEW...DEH...DEW...DEH...DEW

As you can imagine, I wasn't impressed. I delicately offered that he might be able to do better than that if he thought of his poetry assignment a little differently. See, Landon has been known to pen an original song or two. I have had the privilege of listening to a few of them. I suggested that a poem is something like a song without any music.....and then we moved on to discussing the weather.

Fast Forward to picking Landon up from class.

Of course, I was curious about how the poetry reading went. He told me he decided to write a "real" one in class....He said he read it and his teacher cried. Intrigued, I asked him to share it with me. This is what he read.

I Am New

By Landon Winningham

How could you, God, love me?
How have my works impressed?
For if I had been at your cross,
I am sure I'd have voted your death.
And this heart that beats in my chest,
I wonder,
Is it evil,dark like the rest?
And who is this person inside me?
What does he want with my life?
I wonder,
Would I be any different, if I never knew that you died!?
But no matter the beautiful paintings I have broken
Or pictures I have opt to go without,
Still the frames that I have not been inside,
Are broken because of my doubt
Then, kneeling down at this crucifix
With my heart in desperate need of care,
This God whom I don't even know
Lifts me
And I am new, standing there.


When it was over, I burst out crying.....ugly face, unexpected tears. It hit me out of nowhere and all I could whimper was "Yep...well..."

I had been slain by poetry.

I know I have messed up the beautiful picture that God has painted for my life many times. I have chosen emptiness and despair over the fullness and joy of Christ. I have doubted and feared but I know He doesn't give up on me. Never. He is ever faithful to pick me up and continue the good work that he started.



Lovin the life,

Poppy

Keeping In Touch With Landon

I asked Landon, my middle big kid, my mohawk sporting smooth talker, my "lemme git somma dat" sweetie pie, a simple question a little while ago.

He didn't know I was scribbling his response down word for word as he spoke.

I didn't plan on recording it at all but when I realized my 15 year old was actually taking the time to answer thoughtfully, I seized the moment!

......and also because he mentioned me in his top 3.....and I was touched.....and I wanted it writing.

I will record it here for posterity and amusement.



Me: Landon, what are 5 passions you have and why?

Landon: Football, Guitar, my Mom.......um.......oh.......sheese......I guess music would fall under guitar. Ok. Fitness, not really weight lifting but anything fitness related...Friendship, being a good friend, and Girls.

Me: That's 6, I'm gonna cut that last one.

;)


Lovin' the Life,

Poppy

Interview With Donavan



 

Donavan, we are here today to talk about the process of Infant Sleep Training.  What are your thoughts on that?

 

You know, the process of allowing your infant to "self-comfort" as he drifts off to sleep, safe and snug in his crib at bedtime.

 

It's said to take only a few nights of training where each night the amount of adjustment crying is less and less until finally the child goes to sleep on his own. Even upon waking up in the middle of the night he is able to put himself back to sleep, thereby allowing his parents much needed rest as well. Your thoughts?............

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it folks!

 

 

 

 

 

Slightly Sleep Deprived,

 

 

 

Poppy

 

 

 



Had a Ball

I recently got a chance to dress up like a princess

 and go to a ball with my prince charming.

 

 

 

 

He really is charming.

And don'tcha LOVE the tie color? 

I totally do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I got home, Superman was waiting up for me with a

 "Well, it's about time!"- attitude.

 

 

 

Although, I think he had a little fun of his own while I was gone. 

 

 

 

 

(Don't worry, we really did have some awesome babysitters.)

 

 

 

And we really did have a BALL!

 

 

Lovin' the Life,

 

 

Poppy



This Little Light of Mine

We have been doing some work on our barn for a while and it's really coming along pretty nicely.  The last project was a small one compared to some of the other rather overwhelming tasks we have taken on and still have yet to complete.  Sometimes the small things are the ones that bring me the most happiness, like this little light fixture.  Its so CUTE.  I really like it a lot.  I should have taken a picture of the pitiful, lonely light bulb sticking out above the door before.  The Man was too quick in removing it for me to snap it.

 

 

 

But OH! how I love to look at it!.  It's such a picturesque barn door now, more welcoming and HAPPY.  Never mind the hole above the door knob and the aweful door color.  I'll, hopefully be fixing that soon.  I'm thinking a nice french or robin's egg blue ;).  Just look at that sweet little light!

 

 

 

 

And THIS guy right here makes it all possible.  I love it that he does silly little things like this for me when he really just wants to finish plumbing the bathroom.  Don't get me wrong, I like a flushing toilet in the barn as much as the next gal. But this little light of mine..........

 

 

 

I'm gonna let it SHINE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lovin' the Life,

 

 

Poppy



Daddy Daughter Dance

Maren, all ready to go to her first formal dance.

Did she LOVE these shoes? 

I don't even know what to say here.  I have no words.

Big Daddy and his Lil' Gurl

All Smiles

I followed her out with the camera.

Precious memories waiting to be made, they let me have one more.

In case you're wondering, they ate, they danced, and danced and danced.  They stopped for fried pickles on the way home.  What a perfect night. 

I got to hear all about it as soon as they got home and as soon as Brian left the room, Maren paid him the best compliment a Dad could ever hope to get from his "nearly" teenage daughter, and I quote.

 

"Mom, Dad is so not awkward!"

Yep, that's why I married him, for his complete non-awkwardness ;)

Beyond Blessed,

Poppy



A Lesson in Flexibility

I've never been much of a planner. I'm very comfortable with last minute spontaneity, which comes in handy in lots of areas of my life. I get bored easily with routine. I have gotten better at scheduling as I have gotten older and developed more appreciation for the security of a routine but flexibility has alway been a friend of mine. Or so I thought.....


To say that my Love and I were completely shocked at finding out about baby number 4 on the way after 12 years since our last "baby",would be completely untrue. Though my enthusiasm was certainly masked by my nearly constant nausea, my Love was generally ecstatic. His constant strength and faith was my saving grace early on.  To be completely honest, I found myself wandering around the house in a fog, repeating things like, "This is stupid","I'm turning 39","Really??!".  Not to mention, I found myself a little embarrassed when relaying the news to family, friends and acquaintances after hearing initial responses like,"Was it a surprise?" and "Wow!...How old is your youngest?", "Better you than me.", not very many congratulations. However, I have to say that my parents' and sisters' responses are my absolute favorites to recall.


I had my parents on speaker phone, and to my releif, they screamed, laughed and cried at the same time. I could feel their genuine happiness for me and it was such a blessing. Both of my sisters did the same thing. Oh! It blessed my heart!



Fairly and providentially speaking, I do have a couple of good friends who were around my age when they birthed children, and they expressed heartfelt congratulations.  Food for my soul.  The only kind that didn't make me sick!


So, were we surprised?  Not really, after all, this was no immaculate conception. Was it all planned out by my Love and I?  Not exactly.  The only one who knew the plan all along and is never surprised is God Almighty.  I placed my future in his hands many years ago and I rest in knowing that he loves me. He has a plan and a purpose for me and for this precious one I carry and he has had it in his mind's eye since before I can even imagine.


One nauseatingly early morning a few months ago,while I was having some quiet time, trying to make sense of all that I was feeling, God lead me to a book on my shelf and a quote inside. It gave me such comfort and it renewed my strength enough for me to say,"It doesn't have to make sense to me. It makes sense to God and I trust in Him."

The Greatest Force

When God wants a great work done in the world or a great

wrong righted, he goes about it in a very unusual way.

He doesn't stir up his earthquakes or send forth

his thunderbolts. Instead, he has a helpless baby born,

perhaps in a simple home and of some obscure mother.

And then God puts the idea into the mother's heart,

and she puts it into the baby's mind. And then God waits.

The greatest forces in the world are not the

earthquakes and the thunderbolts. The greatest forces

in the world are babies.

E.T. Sullivan

I read that and I wept. I wept at my lack of faith, I wept at God's personal love and tenderness for me, and for the many joyous things to come that are yet unknown to me.

9 Months and Counting,

Poppy

Super Bowl Menu... If anybody's interested

Grandpa Huie's Coleslaw

Sloppy Joe's with homemade buns

Guacamole

Salsa

Plenty of chips


Make your own Banana Split with homemade hot fudge sauce, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream, and of course, bananas. Yes, I should've had pineapple but my boys have been on a pineapple and cottage cheese kick and I can't seem to keep it in the house. Truthfully, I didn't miss it.

I have made the unfortunate and wonderful discovery that ice cream cures my pregnancy induced heartburn. If I eat it with fruit and nuts I don't feel as guilty. :)

July to Today

July-spent a week in DC with my family. It was VERY HOT. I didn't feel so good towards the end of the week. Strange, can this be right?,nauseous,exhaustion,somehow familiar feelings...and food aversion...yeah..um...
"Honey!!! I think I'm..."
Honey's response, "Cool!"
We found the nearest drugstore and it was quickly clear.
Two lines instead of one...two lines instead of one....two lines instead of one means, "I'm pregnant!".

August-Made big announcement to children. They were thrilled! The rest of the month is very sketchy. Spent lots of time in bed. Googled "debilitating nausea" just for the heck of it. Cursed my heightened sense of smell. Celebrated my 39th birthday. :) Yeah...39...WOW. Landon started high school as a freshman. What? Kellen returned as a sophomore. Whaaaaa! Maren and I started her 7th grade homeschool year. Yay!

September-I went to lots of high school football games. My niece,Allison,was born! Maren got braces. I went on a marriage retreat with my Honey...aaah. My nausea didn't go away but my family learned to cook more for themselves and how to use the stove vent when they did.

October-Kellen turned 16!!! Kellen got his driver's license!! Emotional instability reigned. Nausea continued. I decide I'm allergic to pregnancy. I came across some research which says that men who have negative memories of their mother's being pregnant are more likely to respond negatively to their wife being pregnant. I decide to shower more, not complain, and put some make-up on everyday so I don't ruin my sons' marriages. Found out it's a BOY!

November-Heartburn. Thanksgiving. Fried Turkey. Heartburn. Nausea. My legs start to resemble road atlas'.

December-Hibernated. Celebrated the birth of Christ. Thought of how young Mary was when she birthed our Savior. Read a book called The Handmaid and the Carpenter by Elizabeth Berg. Pondered the love of my husband. Thought of what it would be like to give birth in a stable. Slept with a thankful heart.

January- Fell asleep before midnight on New Years. Celebrated my Love's 40th birthday. He took it like a man. How can he not? He has another son on the way! Our boys came home from high school to homeschool for this semester. We are thrilled about that! Had an ultra sound at my last Dr's appointment where my Dr. asked "Were your other babies this big?".

The rest of the month is still developing. Our biggest challenge is to figure out what our littlest one's name is....and heartburn. :)

XXX-OOO,

Poppy

P.S.  Stay tuned for the addition of pictures to this post.  I can't do everything at once!

Art Inspired Field Trip

I have been doing a lot of reading this summer. This hefty read inspired me to take my kiddos on a summer fieldtrip. 

In the book, the author walks the reader through the centuries, interpreting the art of each era.  One of the topics discussed in the book is how each generation's worldview comes out in the art of the time in some form or another.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look at some of the art of our time at the Museum of Art in Raleigh. 

 So I dragged the kids along to look at it with me, bribing one by allowing him to bring a "friend".

One I pushed.

The first work of art we observed.

Maybe I'm wrong, but this looks like a beautiful attempt to recreate something already made perfectly by God.  And it is barren and fruitless but striking none the less.  And with that I will refrain from anymore modern art interpretations.

The boys were more interested and maybe even inspired by the art of the ancient world.  Not surprisingly, this was Landon's favorite.

I call this photo, Final Reflection. :)

We had a fun afternoon! 

Beautifully Blessed,

Poppy

I Love My Daddy!!!



Poppy-circa 1973



Hi Daddy! Just "called" to say Happy Father's Day! I hope you have a good one. Mama helped me pick out your present. I hope you enjoy it and think of me when you're fixin' stuff with it!

And Daddy, I want to say thank you for teaching me two very important things.

1. How to work hard (taking care of your family, building fences, remodeling a home, helping friends, helping family, fixing tractors, never giving up)

2. How to play (roping, riding, water skiing, trampoline, grandkids,sport shooting, dancing)

There's nothing like your Daddy hugs.  I miss 'em.

When it's been too long since I've called because I'm too busy doing life, I thank you for calling.  It reminds me that I shouldn't get too busy with life to talk to the people I love.

You're the most handsome cowboy I know! 

I love you, Daddy!!!



Paternally Blessed,

Poppy

Barrel Racing Recap

Maren had a blast running in her very first NBHA barrel race this weekend!!!  Just Maren and I, all by our selves, driving the big rig.  Here's how the day went...

First, she gave her horse a bath, then we loaded him in the trailer.  Maren and I double checked to make sure we had everything before we jumped in the truck. Then I pulled halfway out of the driveway, stopped and started crying, "I don't know if I can do this!!!! WAAAAHHHHH!  WAAAAAH!!!!!  It's too hot today.  I think we should stay home!" 
Maren said, "Stop being a baby Mom!  We don't have time.  I have a barrel race to get to."
When we got to the show, I parked the trailer with no problemo.  Maren saddled up and put her barrel racing equipment on... 

...giraffe print leg protection.  (Thank you Gramma and Grandpa!)

She walked Reno around to get him used to the new surroundings before warming up. 

There was lots of waiting around, which was nice.  It helped me relax.  Maren made friends with girls her age while we rode around.  She ran 2 practice runs before running in 2 classes, Open and Youth.  She and Reno are quite a team.

 

Due to my heighted sense of consciousness, this is the only picture that I have to show for the 4 runs she made.  The most important thing is that Maren had a blast.  She learned a lot, made some friends, made 4 consistant barrel runs and.... 

.....she picked  up her prize money like a pro.   

That's right!  Lil' girl placed in the money in both of her classes.  Now she's saving up for a giraffe print breast collar.

I forgot how much fun barrel races are.  It's differnt now that I'm the one in the driver's seat but I think I have conquered that fear. 

Cant wait 'til the next one!!!!!!

Beyond Blessed,

Poppy

Memorial Day Remembrance

While living in Europe, we had the oppurtunity to visit the beaches of Normandy, France.  The experience was humbling and amazing.  The American cemetary there is much bigger than I ever imagined.  I thought it appropriate to share some pictures from our trip in remembrance of the many soldiers who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for freedom.



The Normandy American Cemetery, situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach and the
English Channel just east of St-Laurent-sur-Mer and northwest of Bayeux in Colleville-sur-Mer, France





Statue, "The Spirit of American Youth Rising from the Waves"
Carved on the inner face of the colonnade's lintel is the inscription:

THIS EMBATTLED SHORE, PORTAL OF FREEDOM,
IS FOREVER HALLOWED BY THE IDEALS,
THE VALOR AND THE SACRIFICES

OF OUR FELLOW COUNTRYMEN

 



Overlooking Omaha Beach......speechless......

  



Different day, same trip.  Different memorial, same message.


"Let me not mourn for the men who have died fighting , but rather, let me be glad that such heroes have lived."
General George S. Patton, Soldier's prayer

Abundantly Blessed,

Poppy

Landon's Birthday Wish

Landon has a hobby.

He has a passion.

He studies it.

He makes meal plans around it.

He keeps a journal about it.

He has had a serious interest in it for more than a year.

Landon's hobby is fitness.

So, when his 14th birthday rolled around, we knew exactly what he wanted,

because he had been talking about something called a "power rack" for quite a while. 

And that's what he got.

  

Happy Birthday Landon! 

He can do lots of pull ups on his power rack.

He can do seated rows,

and tricep extentions(Landon told me you don't spell tricep with a T on the end),

and squats on his power rack.

And Landon's power rack makes him very happy.

I think I even heard him say, "...best birthday present ever!"

Blessed by my offspring,

Poppy


FYI- I wanted to buy Landon a milk cow for his birthday.