A Girl's Best Friend

My Patterson.  She asked me last week if I knew what her house was going to look like when she grew up.  I replied with "Pink?" She responded with "NO!  A barn!!"  Apparently, she is spot on with her dreams.  Patterson belongs on a farm.  She really does.  Patterson needs lots and lots of open space to run free, AND SHE NEEDS A DOG TO RUN ALONG BESIDE HER.  

Richard's father has several dogs (as well as horses and cats ... yes, Patterson is in sheer bliss when we visit), but the dog in this photo belongs to the tennis player from Colombia who rents their guest house.  This dog is Andy, and this dog and Patterson were friends from the moment her boots hit the gravel drive ... last Thanksgiving:).  The renter of the guest house, Edgar, and his wife Bebe, were at the hospital having their second daughter when we arrived.  

Patterson gladly took care of Andy for them all weekend. 

We don't have a dog.  

We don't need one ...

but, there is one little girl who would be very happy if we did.  

Our Weekend

This weekend Momma and my Aunt Peggy came up for a visit and to watch Parker and Patterson's dance recitals.  The weekend started like any other visit.  Some hair trimming by Momma, and lots of giggles and hyper activity:).  

Parker then had her rehearsal on Friday night.  Since Richard was not yet back from his trip to D.C., I took her and brought my camera along.  What fun!  I captured a lot of great images and I can't wait to have a lesson in The Davenport School on Degas and have the girls paint some of what I captured!!  It is also amazing to me to see Parker "on her own."  Parker just becomes when her sisters aren't around to distract her.  She is growing up waaaaaaay too fast.  She is beautiful.  She is tall!  She is our late bloomer who every now and then gives us glimpses of who she will bloom into.  L.O.V.E. her to death.

Parker's recital was on Saturday.  Miss Olivia was completely captivated for the entire almost 2 hour long show.  She sat in her Gran's lap most of the time and what a sweet, precious sight to see her tiny little hands clap after every performance:).  

Hanson Ellis ... reading, of course, before the show.  Momma and I talked of how she used to be "our dancer" and both of us choked up and teared up.  How long ago that seems to be now!

After the show, only one parent was allowed up front to pick up their child.  We decided to let Hanson Ellis go and take Parker her flowers.  If I had time, I would have dug up the old photos of Hanson Ellis in costume with flowers and Parker standing by her side.  What a bittersweet switch this was!

I love the one above of Parker running up to her Daddy who had taken the little ones outside after the show!  And the one below of a Daddy lovin' his little big girl.

And here we are ... all seven of us.  We tried.  That's the only comment I have:).

Love the above of Parker ... "HOW MANY MORE PHOTOS???!!!"

And the two below ... just so glamorous to me:).

And a final shot of the evening ... Parker's tights.  I think if nothing else told us, they would have.  The year is most definitely over!!

I didn't take Patterson to her rehearsal, which was on Saturday before Parker's show.  So I don't have any images of her with her class.  But I got some today at her show.  This was Patterson's very first dance recital.  She was super excited, and cried when she realized that Gran and Peggy and her Daddy and sisters were not going to be in the audience.  For those of you who don't know, my Mom has cancer.  She found out about 8 months ago.  She has been doing extremely well, but she got sick this morning and just couldn't shake it.  Richard had to take her to the hospital.  She was so weak, he had to more than help her to the van.  As I stood there watching my Momma completely helpless and limp lean upon the shoulders of my husband .... ummm .... I can only tell you my mind was full of all sorts of thoughts.  Two people I love so much ... two people I admire so much ... two people that I would have never imagined seeing in that state.  But while I was filled with sadness for Momma, I was filled with peace that she was being "carried" by someone who didn't just love her by birth, but loved her out of respect and admiration.  I knew he'd take care of her and I knew God would keep them all safe.  

So Patterson's debut on stage was not as she had planned it would be, but Patterson has an amazing little spirit.  She is sensitive, but tough and very, very positive ... even in the midst of turmoil.  I saw her strength shine through today and despite her disappointment and worry about her Gran, she was amazing on stage and performed her little heart out.  It was the best I'd ever seen her dance!  Afterwards I went backstage and scooped that little toothpick up and squeezed her tight.   She is so much like Richard, and I was so happy God gave her to me and to this world today.  

So that was our weekend.  Momma is still at the hospital.  She is staying there tonight.  Hopefully she'll feel well enough to come home tomorrow and return to Alabama on Tuesday.  I have an amazing Momma and I have five amazing little girls.  

To God be the Glory.

Goodnight!

Parent Watch Day (Patterson)

Today is rained and rained and rained.  It also thundered ... VERY loudly often.  The weather suited my mood perfectly (even, unfortunately, the thunder).  Our day started off wrong ... well, let's back up ... yesterday ended wrong, which bled into starting this morning and starting it wrong and so it went.  I didn't get Kate and Olivia to MMO, and school was less than anything of what I would have intended it to be.

YUCK.  

Just one of those days.

As I sit here right now, the rain is quietly falling outside and children are sleeping quietly in their beds.  Even Richard is sleeping on our bed ... in a very distorted fashion, I might add, but quiet, peaceful.

Richard did come home early today (he worked very late last night and left very early this morning) so that I could take Parker and Patterson to dance.  It was Parent Watch Week for Patterson's class.  I missed the last one, as I was unable to figure out what to do with the other 3 girls during this time.  Anyway, I was thrilled to be there.  First, driving there without the whining of two little ones just up from nap was all too enjoyable.  And second, it was so nice to see another one of our girls flying solo.  Patterson craves attention, yet doesn't know what to do with it once she has it.  She is the middle child ... the "creme filling" as one of the Chapel Childcare workers at Fort Leavenworth used to call her.  Patterson is the child that you want to eat up and strangle simultaneously.  

Patterson ... oh, Patterson ... Patterson is going to have a lot of energy for Christ's Kingdom when the rest of us have nothing left to give:)!

It was a treat to see her and her fellow ballerinas for 30 minutes this afternoon.

Finally, we had just a little bit of school to finish up after dinner tonight.  As I sat with Patterson reviewing her flash cards, and I looked up to see Parker diligently finishing her grammar ... I had one of those moments where I knew my focus for the day and for many of the days this past year has been everything but right.  It was one of those moments where I am reminded of WHY am I teaching them.  Why?  Glen Beck recently mentioned on his show that education is not a right, but a privilege.  What a great reminder.  It is a privilege and it is not just about stamping information on a little ones brain, but impressing God's truths on their hearts.  I don't know if I will ever get back to the teacher I was to Hanson Ellis.  Well, let me correct that .. not to the teacher that I was, but I don't know if things will ever be like they were.  I'm sure the answer will be no.  There is no way they can be and they shouldn't, really.  These are the circumstances God has given me for His glory.  He has created our family and our children purposely for His purposes.  Letting go is so difficult, but moving forward is something I have got to come to grips with.  And that seems so simple, and it is, but it's funny how sin makes everything complicated.  I never dreamed I'd covet my own life:), but essentially, that is what I do often.  I miss so much the way things "used to be" or the way "things were," that I miss the joy of the now.  I don't know ... maybe my life is really as messed up as I think:) ... or maybe I'm just too tired to continue starting over.  I don't know, I don't think it is the starting over that I'm weary of ... but the repetition of the same struggles and the same mistakes in those struggles.  It is so easy to look at the Israelites in the Old Testament and mock the cycle they just couldn't seem to get out of.  Obey God, receive His blessings, forget the blessings He had given them, disobey Him, receive punishment, turn back to God ... etc.  So easy to see it with them and think how silly they were to forget the lessons learned and miss the blessings that they had.  But I am just like that.  

J.U.S.T. like that.

It is quiet and I'm thankful for the quiet.

Richard's home and I'm thankful for that.

Patterson isn't where I'd like her to be intellectually, and she's not as calm or quiet as I need her to be,

but she's learning, she curious and she's happy.  

I'm thankful for Patterson.

God made her to glorify Him and He uses her to humble me not only in difficult ways, but sweet ways as well.