Running and Running....

July is a tough month.  July has always been a favorite.  My girls and I LOVE the fireworks, the hot dogs, the Ray Charles song, singing America.... it's just been a great fun time.

I remember the first July 4th we had with Laynie.

She was almost 6 months old. She weighed almost 6 pounds.  We had gotten to keep her for 6 whole months.  We were so in love with her, and still held our breath around her all the time.  They hadn't moved to Norman yet, and I was still driving back and forth to Edmond to get my Lolly-fix.  She was smiling, and cooing, and we had no diagnosis, still, at this point.  Just loving and living.  Every Second of Every Day.  Full out.

Fast foward to July 4, 2009...  Laynie's 2nd 4th of July.....

Took 4 hands to keep that little busy body in the pool.  So full of energy, so full of fun, so full of light...she defied every odd, and kept us on our toes.  She now had been my next door neighbor for 9 months, weighed almost 9 pounds, and was 18 months old.  You think we loved her last year?  We were more in love with her than ever.  Personality and preciousness were her 2 biggest traits.  We were relaxing, thinking time was on our side.  

July 2010, Laynie's 3rd Independence Day

This year's celebration came to a slamming halt.  After 7 months of successful blood transfusions, Laynie's body was tired and rejecting the transfusions.. the platelets we gave her didn't stem the breakdown of cells in her precious little tired body, and we were seeing the end of her story, coming rapidly toward us.  I stayed in denial, God's arms wrapped firmly around me during that time.  Lacey knew.  Aunt Nancy knew.  Grammie knew.  I didn't know.  I didn't want to accept that my precious little love of my life was going home to run and run with Jesus.  I did not want to face it.  Her precious little body had fought the fight and almost finished her race.

I can't eloquently put into words the loss I still feel on a daily basis.  I never really know what is going to set me off.  I can be driving along, and just find tears streaming down my face.  When I say that God surrounded our family with supernatural peace those last few days before she died, I'm not exaggerating.  God's hand gave us sufficient calm and peace to face this heartbreaking loss.  The only thing that kept me moving forward during those days was knowing she would suffer no more... and that I would see my precious firstborn granddaughter again, whole and beautiful... in heaven.  

My whole family views death so differently now.  Death is nothing we fear.  It's not a scary, unknowing-ness that drives us....it's a homecoming, a spectacular reunion, waiting for us at the end.  

This life is just a warm-up of our eternal life in heaven.  If you aren't doing your warm-up laps, here on earth, with heaven in sight, and knowing that all things you do here, are only in anticipation of the greater life that lies ahead....you are sorely missing out.  Figure out God's plan for your life and get to warming up.  There is nothing more joyful than that.

It took a little precious piece of goodness sent straight from the hand of God to teach me.  She's still teaching me.  And I hope she teaches you.

In honor of Laynie's life, we are asking all our friends to wear purple on July 10. 

Laynie Hope Payne, we will never forget you.

God is good, all the time. 

I have fought the good fight.

I have finished the race, 

and I have remained faithful.

2 Timothy 4:7

The last day of June....really?

This month literally FLEW by.  The anticipation of Haiti, the actual Haiti trip, then the re-capping of Haiti, took 3 weeks of it...well....just .... away.

Then this week, it was Kip's bday on the 29th, and knowing that Lacey had made her the cutest, funnest, video EVER, made me rock with anticipation for Friday.

Also, knowing I had planned for RUMBLE (Thunder basketball team's mascot, for those of you that aren't familiar with THE THUNDER) to come in for an hour and visit with our client's at Dale Rogers Training Center.... I was on a month long high.

Here is Kip's birthday video in case you haven't seen it.....

https://vimeo.com/44632771

And I had Ashley (one of her awesome teammates) record her reaction when she watched it, in Honduras.... and here it is...

https://vimeo.com/44943976

Good stuff, huh?

Our clients at DRTC range from wheelchairs to high functioning autism and everything in between.  RUMBLE was awesome.  Some people don't know how to act with people with disabilities.  And I have a hint for you.  You treat them just like you do everyone else.  With kindness and humor.  I LOVE the clients at DRTC and I'm pretty sure it goes both ways.  I had everyone pretty pumped for Rumble, so when he came dashing in, it was pandemonium, of the best kind.  Little did we know that Rumble was a FANTASTIC drummer, and he ran right up to the band, where the drummer stood up and handed him his sticks, and we were off.   Rumble totally tore it up!

Sorry it's so blurry, but I had clients walking all over me to watch and I couldn't hold my phone still to save my life.  But, the bison was spectacular on the drums!!

Then we let him run through the crowd, where they enthusiastically greeted him, or became so shy they couldn't get near him, and he made his way back to the photo op area we had set up.... and he put us on a show.

He would follow my lead, hamming it up with the clients that were brave, and being super sweet and extra awesome with the clients that were a little more shy.  

Did he win my ever loving, eternal support???  Oh yes, he did.  He was SPECTACULAR.

I'm not 100% sure, but I may have a new fake boyfriend.   I told him that one of the staff there was one of his biggest fans, and he totally dipped her and mugged all over her, then tried to drag her in the bathroom.  It was awesome.

And then on the way home, I got to talk to my beautiful birthday girl.  She is leaving for a 3, yes THREE, day bus trek to her next destination, in Panama, and will be finishing her 11th and final month there, with a de-brief in Costa Rica, then home on July 28.   Is it possible it has already almost been a year?

Lacey figured out the topic of her thesis for her masters and has been so inspired to get it done, and that makes me happy beyond measure.  

Hallie is growing about an inch a minute this summer, and I'm sad to say, has surpassed me in height, but I totally am in denial.  And her heart is still as big as her legs are long.  

We finished our foster paperwork, got my fingerprint results back, and turns out I'm not a criminal.  So I'm pretty sure we are 2 steps from being a foster family.  Happy rolls all over us.  

Time flies, good times, good memories, good things.  God is so good to our family, all the time.

Kip turns 24 in Honduras

Today is Kip's bday.  She is 24 years young.  I remember when I had her like it was yesterday.  She arrived right on her due date, just like a good little gal.   I told everyone I had made a noon hair appointment and I had to get the show on the road, and bless her heart, she arrived at 11:10, and if I had felt up to it, I sure could have made it.   She's always been very considerate of my time.  :)

After traveling to Haiti for 7 scrawny days, I have such high respect and admiration (even more than before) for my Kipster.  I have no idea how she has lived out of a backpack with 6 outfits for one year.  It baffles me.  I needed to change clothes 12 times a day in Haiti, and she has made it through 12+ countries in an OU tshirt.   (oh the stories that tshirt could tell)

Here are some of my most favorite pics from this past year, and a few travel shots of her past travels, of this lovely 24 year old that I am proud to call mine.  Happy birthday my love..... you are one of my most cherished possessions....(I know you didn't like me to tell that to your dates, but it's true).  Here's the deal about Kipster... she is so beautiful on the outside, and that doesn't even begin to TOUCH how beautiful she is on the inside.

I love me some Kipster Queen.  I cannot WAIT to say hello to her in one short month.  Next time she goes on an adventure, I'm in her suitcase.  End of story.