Hucks life

Summer is upon us!

2011-05-31T18:47:00.000-07:00

I love the summer and yet, it scares me!! There are so many plans and only ten weeks to do everything. I love the freedom of summer but by the time I'm done with it, it is imprisoned in schedules of things I must do. I am hoping this summer will be a little different.

Community

2011-03-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

I just returned from an overnight women's retreat. I haven't had this opportunity in years and was grateful to finally be available to attend.

I enjoyed getting to talk with some very special ladies and sharing insights. I also enjoyed the teaching and focus a lot. It was about community and what that means. Community is defined a lot of ways these days and it means something different to a lot of people depending on who you ask. We considered the Biblical definition and intent of the writers. It made me think about the community I live in and the great privilege it is to share in community with others. Not everyone is in a position to experience it this way and it seems it can be very hard depending on where you live, the kind of person you are, and what you are willing to sacrifice. Our life had to change a great deal and we had to make our own financial and comfort sacrifices in order to have it. Not to say we made all these changes for community, but great community has been a byproduct of a greater experience. As a byproduct, it has made my life richer! It is worth it to me as it can make for a very healthy marriage, well adjusted children and sincere fellowship that isn't always easy to find in other areas. One huge thing I learned is that my focus has to be to be intentional about having a positive time and leaving others feeling the same. I have not always focused on that. Typically my focus has been on how to get the maximum fun out of something... that's just not always positive. Depending on my mood, my focus has sometimes been to air my opinions but driving my point down someone's throat can hurt and something I try to avoid.

This weekend opened my eyes to the fact that I already live and experience a great community. My daily life includes interacting with the local schools and administration who I have grown to appreciate and respect a great deal. I have been blessed to have my children taught year after year by some loving and godly women who I am so grateful for as they are answers to my prayers. I also spend time at the local grocery stores where I am recognized (like most shoppers) and enjoy a back and forth conversation that stays pretty light but is still encouraging in it's familiarity. I attend meetings for work and am blessed to enjoy the people I work with who supervise me and work alongside me. I call on friends regularly to have coffee or lunch or cookout on a pretty day. These friends are typically the same people and really it is no different than any group of friends who have things in common and enjoy similar schedules, kids near the same ages and a desire to get along with others with similar beliefs. It is a huge blessing. I also attend different sports activities and have had the chance to get to know other parents at the Y and schools who my kids interact with. My weekends are filled with kids and friends or visiting family out of town. My Sundays are spent sharing in worship, eating out with friends and resting whenever possible.

All this to say I am grateful for the community God has blessed me with. I'm also grateful for the opportunities I'll have in the future to work on friendships and share in fellowship and community!! The biggest thing I learned was it is important to be intentional in the way I spend my time with others because time is valuable and so are people.

Petty

2011-02-16T05:13:00.000-08:00

What is petty? I remember hearing my mom use that word as a kid. "Don't be petty" was a phrase I heard usually referring to another adult. It seemed like a funny word but really, those are words to live by. I read one time that if we take offense too easily or we are too sensitive, then that is not Christ-like and has no place in a mature Christian. That doesn't mean us baby Christians couldn't wallow in our pitiful selves but as we grew to focus on God and quit focusing on others, believers or not, we would need to not be upset so easily. I like that a lot. I still let pettiness creep in sometimes and feel like I just have to have my say if something offends me but when I hold back, pray through it, and move on, I feel so much better.

As a believer I want to do right in the little stuff but I can't let the little stuff get me down. Especially, when it is other people's little stuff that is driving me crazy. I can't be easily offended and sensitive to think everything is about me. It is easy to do when you grow up being one half narcissist and one half insecure mess... but it makes for a foothold for Satan to steal my joy and make me paranoid.

I don't want to be petty. That means friendships, marriage, work, kids, school teachers... I have to keep focused on what really matters and for me that is studying God's word, spending time talking with Him, caring for those I can care for, serving where I can, being a good steward (of body, mind, finances and any other resource I have) and seeking the joy from life that God has blessed me with. Most days if I am focused, it seeks me!!

2011-02-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

Isabella and Elissa, November 2010
Mama Kitty, May 2010
Berkele Cottage July 2010

Valentine's schmalentine's

2011-02-14T05:10:00.000-08:00

I've never been that big of a fan of Valentine's Day... except back in 5th grade when Tim Vinson won the raffle for the big satin heart of chocolates and he came and sat them on my desk. That was cool.

The best Valentine's ever though was in 1996 when it was clear I needed to have a little DTR with my best friend, Adam. He and I went to see a ballet on that Friday night, 2/9, at the Koger Center in Columbia. It was the Rite of Spring and we both thought it seemed a little like R-rated ballet. From where we were sitting up in the balcony, all we could see was flesh (colored leotards) and lots of "animals" participating in the "rite of spring". It was quite artistic but a little awkward when you are hanging out with a friend and trying to help him earn "culture" points for some class. We went to IHOP after - who knew that would be recorded as our official first date??

The next day he helped me move over with some girls from church into a new apartment. They were really neat girls and even though we didn't have tons in common, I was excited to be firmly changing some of my old habits and choosing roommates who I knew wouldn't stumble because of me or let me pull them in to my junk. They were solid. Still, the reason Adam and I had grown so close over the last few months was because of my need to be around some decent people and get out of the party scene. I struggled knowing I wasn't perfect and most of my new friends were. Well, of course they weren't but compared to me, I thought they wore halos. Adam, on the other hand, had shared some of his struggles and helped me to see that even a good kid has issues and battles the same things as many kids in their first years of college. It made me feel good to know that he had puked a time or two on random people and not because of the flu. So after many times hanging out in groups and then ending the evening just hanging out together and laughing a lot... he helped me move furniture. The afternoon was spent in the park with all of the girls and all the movers. It was dreamy - a beautiful day (much like today might be) with some frisbee throwing and tackling :)

Sunday morning. We all headed to church and there was Adam in Sunday school. We sat beside each other and that was just normal but starting to be expected. Then we went into worship and this other girl that had sort of liked Adam (and he had definitely liked her) came up and sat on the other side of him. Church was over and I bolted. He stopped me at the door and I just said I would probably nap for the day and I would see him back for the "love one another" banquet that night, 2/11. I napped. Then I made it back for the banquet and he came up to me and said he was sitting with his parents. I told him me and the girls were having all of our friends over to celebrate our new apartment and he should come. He asked if I would ride to his parents house first to get some art work he needed to work on for a class. I said sure. We rode out and I met his family for the first time. I was still very prideful, insecure and rebellious so making a great first impression wasn't exactly something I was worried about. I was excited to meet the coolest dog ever, Davis. He was a beagle/choc lab mix and he was beautiful. His parents were very nice but parents made me uncomfortable. I could go into explaining all kinds of stupid things from my past that might explain this but I'll just say I had just accepted the Lord as my Savior and until then, my life had not been too smart or pretty and my level of insecurity was through the roof.
So we headed to my new apartment. We rode up to see the girl's car that Adam had liked sitting in the parking lot along with all of our other friends. She was a good friend to both us but at this point and time, I didn't want to deal with her. Adam mentioned something about her as we walked up and I told him I didn't want to be the person he talked to anymore about her. He kind of smiled and said okay. That night she showered him with attention like I had never seen. There was nothing inappropriate but I had watched boys like her for so long and had never seen this kind of reciprocation. Adam tried to get my attention a time or two but I was steaming and was better left alone. When everyone else finally left, he was still there and the DTR ensued... sort of. And a first kiss :)
Monday and Tuesday went by sort of busy and quiet between us. We weren't official and so my girl friends and I had planned a Valentine's dinner on Wednesday night 2/14/96, just for girls. We always went to FCA at USC on Wednesdays but this time we were just going to be a little late and cook a special dinner. We walked into FCA right as the last worship song ended and everyone sat down. You have to understand that this is a very large room that FCA was held in and all of these college kids are crammed in sitting on the floor. As we saw all of our friends right up front, Adam motioned for us. I shook my head and motioned for him (who happened to be sitting pretty close with the group which contained the other girl). He stood up and walked through the crowd of college students... "excuse me", "excuse me", "excuse me"... I don't think I could stop smiling. HE CHOSE ME. In front of everyone and with all of our friends witnessing it, he chose me. No one had ever really made me feel so special. Our wedding wouldn't happen until April 10,1999 but this day among witnesses has never left my heart!!

"belief" blogs

2011-02-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Wow! I just finished reading CNN's belief blog. While I was reading it, I was getting so fired up to respond. It seemed so ridiculous and contradictory of itself that I was getting very annoyed with each word I read. Then, I got to the end and started reading through comments posted about it. Those were far more ridiculous than the original article. At least it was straightforward backwards (if that's possible). All of the following comments were circular arguments and ramblings... maybe not all but a lot of them. I opted not to post anything.

I like posting things online. I like responding to other people's writings as well. I can get angry and feel like I can make a logical argument. In the end, it doesn't feel worth it. It seems that people will talk to each other like "dogs" in their anonymity and opinions are KING!

I did this a few months ago with an article after the Chilean miners were rescued. I start off thinking it is a good article and the comments following turns it all into an argument of religion with some giving God the credit and others not.

I guess what I get from all of this is people LOVE to argue, especially anonymously :)

integer - literally "untouched", hence "whole"

2011-02-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

Integrity is a great concept. It is something I desire and admire a lot. Still, it isn't something that we get to see a lot of. I guess that might be because of a definition I once heard "Integrity is who you are when no one is looking". It isn't something we can see easily at all, but we can see it's absence. The media fills our minds with every possibility of cheating, lying, deceiving and hurting others. There really aren't many reports on someone caught being honest or someone sacrificing themselves for the good of others. I guess the best positive examples we get are the people in our communities who serve in various ways. They are real and I can say those people get my respect all day long.

So what does integrity look like as a person? Someone who is kind unconditionally? Someone who steps up to tell the truth when it needs to be told? Someone who gives a hand when there is no reward or acclaim attached? Someone you can trust to be consistent and good in their responses and actions? Someone who doesn't force their stance upon you but who you know where they stand? I'm sure there is more but these are the parts that stand out to me right now.

I'm grateful for the people I know with integrity. I hope to be one of those people in the years to come and I trust the Lord is working that out in me. Not so I can get that public pat on the back, but in my heart, I just want to be that person... consistent, good, humbly righteous, loving, unbiased, unprejudiced, whole.

I'm glad I only have 10 kids

2011-02-03T09:55:00.000-08:00

:) Well... I CARE for 10 kids and that care IS shared. Still... I pray for and worry over 10 kids and that is enough for anyone.

My kids are incredible and they all have some amazing qualities that make me smile and appreciate their individuality. One of them has a funny accent. One has academic success that impresses me greatly. One has a quietness that I admire and appreciate. One has energy and drive. One has creativity and hope. One has a humble heart. One cleans up quickly after herself and others. One has a smile that makes you want to give her anything she wants. One has a dreamy hope that I want to see fulfilled. One has a neatness and desire for structure. These are just a few qualities they have but these are things that make me think of them. They also overlap into each other and each child. On a selfish level, each can make me feel special with their love and attention but I think even that comes from my love for them and recognition of how amazing they are.

gray day

2011-01-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

so today was a bummer... not totally I guess. Here is how it went. We are on duty and we woke up with everyone being very cool. I hate rough mornings where I am a grump and I meet my match among one of my teenagers or from my six or eight year old. A very sweet moment was Elissa coming and looking up to me and asking with so much hope in her eyes "Mommy, can I wear a dress today?" I don't know why she asked as we put few limitations on their clothing choices (considering we provide the clothes/wardrobe and all). I smiled and said "sure, as long as you wear tights or leggings". She skipped off. It wasn't that big of a deal but I just appreciated the obedience of asking for something she wasn't sure about.

So once everyone headed out, Adam and I headed to the chiropractor and breakfast with my parents. The chiro is great and has helped me feel a lot better. Today, he had the report from my MRI. I went in with a smile and he said he wanted to really explain my MRI to me. After explaining problems in various vertebrae... he stopped and said this all basically says you have a bad lower back and you are sort of in a gray area with how things will play out. He really helped a lot to explain it all but it just wasn't easy to hear. I was ready to think that I was on my way to being all better. So there were a few things he pointed out and basically left me feeling like there is a great possibility that I will eventually have to have surgery... I appreciated his honesty and straightforward approach. I was grateful for clarity too but really I was just sad... more doctor visits, maybe surgery, no more picking up my little girls.

We left there and went on to see my parents. They are awesome. I mean don't get me wrong.... they are not superheros or anything, but in my eyes, I see them changing. I am just so overwhelmed with love for them for all they have done for me. We could all write volumes about our imperfections and failings but I would rather they forget mine and I forget theirs. So... I updated them on my health issues and saw their concern. That made me sad too because I don't want them to worry about me anymore, it's my turn to worry over them. Adam and I headed home and listened to good music and sat quietly. I felt very weepy and Adam just patted me a lot.

The rest of the day was a blurr of running around, running errands, doing paperwork, sending tons of emails and all that good stuff. Every once in a while some poor soul would ask me how I was doing (or just say "hi")and I probably overdid it with my answers. Once the kids got home, I was very distracted. My day was gray, as is my back condition. I can thank God that it isn't something horrible but man! it is disappointing to feel very healthy and in control of your body's condition and have to realize I am not in control of it at all... It is up to God to heal or not and to keep this in perspective here: all that is going on is not life threatening. There is just maybe the threat of pain and future problems that will not end in this life... I hate sounding so dramatic.

Spring is in the air...

2011-01-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

...okay, not really :) But it was an amazing day!! I think it was in the low sixties and the sun was blazing. It was too beautiful not to get out a little and I was so glad I did. A friend and I walked all over our sweet little town and I saw parts of it I had never seen before. There was one house that looked like it was plucked right out of historic Savannah, Georgia! Gorgeous!! I just love all that our little town has to offer. Sadly, in the middle of this horrible economic time, the market is ripe and I couldn't help but wonder if we should buy a little house or two. I say that like we have all the money in the world and of course we don't... but who knows what the Lord has for our future!!

The BIG snow of 2011!!

2011-01-25T20:47:00.000-08:00

2011

2011-01-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

So... it is 2011... almost February... and I feel like doing a little blogging :) This is from the writer in me who thinks I have so much to say and people are dying to read it!! Not really, but maybe it is from some much less arrogant version of the same kind of mind that feels like I'll feel better and less burdened if I can share some of my own boring story with the world via internet.

I have a great life. If you know me (and I suspect you do... otherwise you might be a stalker or just really bored right now), then you know my life is humdrum. I like it that way. I used to crave the excitement. For what, I don't know but I craved it and found it easily enough... sort of. Now, I prefer to keep with a routine and care for my family without too much excitement at all if possible, thank you very much!! Give me a good squabble among siblings and I'll be content with that for a while.

This year has started off with a little excitement I guess - a different sort that I'd prefer not to have at all. I sort of ignored some pain (Adam would disagree that I ignored it since he heard about it all the time) I was having and put off caring for myself for a while (the way mothers tend to do) and finally after waiting months to get an MRI, had one done the first week of January (it's all about meeting the deductible really). Well, it confirmed what I dreaded most - I'm getting older and starting to fall apart :) in technical terms: a herniated disc. So I've been seeing a chiropractor about it for a bit and have an appointment with a neurologist in a few weeks. We'll see how it goes but I'm in a lot less pain than I was a month or two ago so I am grateful. I have lots of amazing people praying for me and God is still in control so it doesn't worry me... it's just something to lighten the wallet as well as the exercise regimen :) Prayers are always welcomed.

ABOUT THE GIRLS: The little girls are terrific. The big girls are too (yes, I still work at an amazing children's home) but I think I am at a place in my life where having 8 teenagers (well 7 teens and a 12 year old) is sort of sad for me. I know they have their own lives and interests. I want to be important to them but there are so many other parts to the dynamic that is my "big family" that I finally realized I can't cry every time they don't share things with me or treat me as if we just met. I rejoice in the moments when they share with me or show concern for my feelings. I love them with my prayers, my cooking, my time, my laughter, my planning and my gas money. I know there will come a day when the two little ones do the same thing... they'll be teens and it will hurt to realize "here we are again - we just lost A BAZILLION IQ points because all of a sudden they know everything". But for now, I'll value their 6 and 8 year old desire to snuggle, to read books to me, to share their day with me, to have talks about friends and teachers, to play board games (because at 6 and 8 it isn't too dorky yet) and to do just about anything as long as we do it together. Don't get me wrong, I value that from my big girls every chance I can... those chances just get less and less and the little ones have yet to label me as old-fashioned, unrealistic, or unimportant.
ADAM: Adam is as great as ever. He is getting handsomer all the time and takes such good care of me. I don't think he knew what to do with me for a few months there when I was in pain and slowed from my normal 90mph day. He didn't freak out but just babied me a lot and I sort of got used to it :) He knows I am doing much better now but he still babies me a lot... I guess he always has. I just didn't appreciate it like I should until I realized how much I needed it. I shouldn't be surprised - He comes from the most awesome family and I have no doubt I should thank his parents and sisters daily for their contributions to what I think must be the best man under heaven!

PARENTS: My parents are getting older and I pray more for them than I used to. I don't know why since I know getting older is a part of life but 67 and 72 are big numbers and when I get there, I'll appreciate more prayers as well. My mom is a piece of work. I love that phrase. It covers everything from the cutest 18 year old fireball (which I'm sure my mom was at one time) to the most ornery 67 year old lady (which my mom definitely is now)! My dad has taught me more than I knew I needed to know about grace and unconditional love. Of course there is a long sweet and strange love story there but it really isn't mine to tell so I won't. I just admire and respect him with my whole heart and am so grateful for his love for me. My mom too... I just try not to make her mad :)
SIBLINGS: They are here and there. I used to think we grew up to be so different and as I get a little older, I realize we are a lot alike in the basic stuff. I'm just glad to know they are on the planet and they make me glad my girls have one another too.
GREAT FRIENDS: I forgot about some of them for a while but thank God for grace and the fact that everyone is busy so staying in touch is hard for us all. We have some precious friends from the past who just had a new baby boy - Praise God! and some that are due any day - Praise God! We have some that are pregnant in the months ahead... now that I think of it, we really know a lot of pregnant people :)) and we have other great old friends who are awesome without adding to their family in this moment... it is so fun to think about all the cool people we've been blessed to know!!
All that to say, God has blessed us with some great new friends too. I asked for them at some point and He delivered with a bang :) Thanks to God for people who have similar concerns, intentions and needs and who see something of value in me.

Okay so maybe I am not telling a story or having a regular blogging moment but maybe it just feels good to organize how I feel about my life. Maybe this should just be a journal... well, it would be if I was unhappy but my life is too good not to share!!

It's always bittersweet

2010-08-16T15:27:00.001-07:00

It's always bittersweet to start a new school year. I'd like to pretend that it is all mourning but that wouldn't be accurate. I am very excited to have more "me" time. Maybe that is selfish but "me" time really translates into a more balanced person who is actually better at giving more of myself. Most people probably already know this... still, I am sad knowing other people spend more time with my children than I do. And yet, I feel no compulsion to homeschool right now.

So my little girls started 1st and 3rd grade today!! It is amazing and on one hand I feel like life is flying by... on the other, I'm fine with where we are and just happy that Isabella and Elissa still like us and like to be around us :) I hear that may not last forever.

We are trying to do all we can to make life slow down some. No plans too far in advance, no commitments that are too hard to keep, nothing that will take us away from what seems to be really important: spending quality time as a family, some special time with just the two of us and loving on the grandparents whenever possible. So far so good.

So what did we do this summer? This summer we were knee deep in home renovations. Everyone says property is a good investment but sometimes it feels like an absolute sinkhole. Really things are better now but most of the summer we received one call after another about more that we needed to do or something that was falling apart. I don't think I'll think back on this summer as restful or sane. Still, the Lord taught me a lot about having greater faith. Ultimately I had to give up worrying and about that time, everything leveled out and settled down.

my dear friend's eulogy

2010-06-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

Our summer started two weeks ago and we have just put away school books and report cards. This summer will be remembered in lots of ways but one is with regret and sadness. Isabella and Elissa (and Adam and I) lost a very special person in our lives... Mama Kitty :) Kitty had been my neighbor as far back as I could remember. I grew up playing boardgames in her floor, putting up her fussy fussy Christmas tree and trying on her satin gowns, lacy robes and furry houseshoes (she was all of 5' tall and wore a size 5 shoe). One of my childhood memories and the first funeral I can remember was for her dog, Brandy. He was very special to her and all the neighborhood children laid flowers at her grave after the pastor spoke (yes there was a coffin and a pastor). Kitty didn't have children of her own and lost her husband too early. Through the years ties were broken and I went on to do my own thing, going off to college and all that stuff.
As an adult, I rekindled our friendship about 15 years ago. I went back to helping her put up her Christmas tree and visiting with her when I could. I introduced her to Adam when he was still my boyfriend :) When we were married, she crocheted us a wedding blanket. A few years later she crocheted baby blankets when our girls came along. She really was a special person to us. She wanted to be called Mama Kitty by the girls and so she was. We tried to make short visits to see her when we were in Columbia. We'd stop in... she'd put out her cigarette for us and slowly make her way to the door. We'd hug her and fear we'd break her and she'd turn down Little House on the Prairie playing on the TV in the background. We'd sit and talk a little, all the while knowing someone was expecting us somewhere else and no matter what we were doing we just didn't have time enough. I wish I wouldn't have worried about it because now she is gone. We exchanged lots of cards and always tried to squeeze in a visit on major holidays. The girls drew and colored pictures for her and she received one of the homemade family calendars I made every year at Christmas (except this one - I was too busy to make them). This year I dropped the ball more than once with her... if I had known how much she needed me or how much we meant to her, I would like to think I would have done more.
We called her on Elissa's 6th birthday, May 22nd. I told her I knew she'd want to speak to her and she apologized for not calling. I told her I knew how days can run together and she'd given the girls birthday presents already but I just knew she'd want to say "Hey". She spoke to Elissa and the last words I said to her were "I love you" and "bye". Several days later on Isabella's 8th birthday we got a phone call from Pappy (my dad and Kitty's longtime neighbor) and found out Mama Kitty had passed away. Sadly, the death certificate was dated May 22nd, 10 days earlier, Elissa's birthday. (Mama Kitty journaled daily and her last entry was also May 22nd). She had a massive heart attack and hopefully the last words she heard were I love you. She didn't have an official family left and we were the closest thing. She had planned every detail of her funeral and even written her own obituary. We confirmed her planning and tried to celebrate her life, the sweetest things we could think of. The pastor we asked to conduct the service was terrific and shared the love of Christ in a very straightforward and grace-filled way.
A few days later we had to pick up things from the coroner's office and I found a 5 page letter of plans she had left for me. One very special thing she requested was missed. She asked that I say her eulogy. Considering the funeral had passed, there wasn't much that I could do but now I am making every effort to honor her wishes and honor her in the things she thought meant so much. One of the most special things I can do now is to continue and try to fulfill the things she asked. One of her request was to sale her house and use the money to help pay for college and weddings for the girls. As I go through mounds and mounds of shells, candles, old cards, jewelry, tiny little shoes and confusing paperwork, I find that she was more unique than I could have imagined and she loved me more than I knew. I am so thankful for the things God taught me through our friendship... one of the biggest things is sometimes when He tells us to care for widows and orphans it is because they need us but they can also bless us. Kitty was a 68 year old widow and orphan. Thank You Kitty for blessing us.

The things I remember and love: fussy nightgowns, dog funerals, orange candles, purple bedrooms, little shoes, long painted nails, super southern drawl, mail order gifts, quirky girly handwriting, Daniel Odonnell, and Virginia Slim 120 menthols...

It's probably about time...

2010-02-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

It has been so long since I've been on here but I get intimidated thinking about trying to update information and the further I get behind, the more I don't want to :)

So... here it is February 2010. See I told you (a long time)! We are well. Everyone is healthy, thankfully. Adam is going to be having ACL surgery next week due to our basketball playing at the Y. Thank God he is young and healthy and will likely be back to normal (whatever that means) six months from now.

Isabella is very into gymnastics these days. She is only seven but has a great cart wheel which she has started doing on a beam. It sounds cool to me. She has another terrific teacher this year for 2nd grade and will be testing for the gifted program this week... who knows how that will go but what an honor :) Getting that letter brought tears to my eyes. No one thinks your kid is as awesome and smart and beautiful and wonderful as you do, right? But, obviously she is proving herself to be a pretty smart kid! She is in GEMS at church and has been working on memorizing verses, sewing and last week she made brownies.

Elissa is an incredibly loving child. She is in 5K and is reading very well. She loves to read everything she looks at but doesn't always have the confidence to trust that she can read the book in front of her. She is also a smart kid and is doing well! We are grateful for the teachers that work with her and think the world of the godly women who have much more patience than I. She participates in gymnastics also. Adam laughed when he went to their observation day today. He came home to say Elissa is the reason parents aren't allowed in all the time. She puts on an extra "special" performance whenever we are there.

Our life in the cottage with our girls is still an incredible blessing. I try to be careful talking about them too much but they definitely bless our lives by being a part of ours and we are extremely proud of them and everything they do!! Thank God we still have the greatest teammates ever - three years together and God continues to keep us in a like minded ministry for our girls sake!

We have so much to look forward to for the future. Right now, we just want to see Adam's ACL fixed, the spring's arrival and everything in bloom, and vacations being planned.

Christmas, Christmas and more Christmas!

2008-12-28T07:58:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Christmas - thank God! We had Christmas with my sisters on the 13th, then Christmas in the cottage 16th, Christmas with the Sawyers 23rd, Christmas at home 24th, and Christmas with the Hucks 25th! Going back and forth to Columbia was worth it especially when we woke up at home to find the fireplace doors opened and toys all around on Christmas morning. Despite some evil bug that luckily for me was a jump start for my New Years diet, all was as close to perfect as can be. The four Hucks were in our first Christmas play (with about 25 other folks) at church and three of our cottage girls got to take part as well. Elissa shared her memorization passage from Matthew several times and even brought a few of us to tears. And as for presents... well we all got more than we deserved. Now if I can manage to give away more than half of what was already here I'll be happy. Thank you family! Thank you God for every good thing!

December with the Hucks

2008-12-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

[OK well the Picture messed up loading it and I have to wait until I'm back at the cottage to load it... sorry!]

Wow... this month has held a lot of special events and Christmas is a week away... there are pictures of Adam and Elissa taking pictures of each other around our little tree. There are pics of Isabella at gymnastics observation. There are pictures from the 5K Reindeer Run where I ran with my pals Cynthia and Laura and had my greatest fans bundled up on the sidelines. There is also a quick pic from Elissa's Christmas Program at her 4K where she recited a large passage from Luke along with her class. It was great! The girls also tried a tough picture ala James Bond???

Lake Days

2008-09-14T13:54:00.000-07:00

Here we are on beautiful Lake Murray! We had a really nice day with Mona, April and all of our girls. It was nice to hold on to summer for one more weekend. The girls swam and played and we snacked and hung out. It was a terrific day and we all slept very well that night!

2008-08-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

(Click on the pic to see it bigger and better)
This is our day trip to Folly Beach! The weather was beautiful - It was a good outing and we all enjoyed it quite a bit. Isabella and Elissa both love the ocean - Elissa the sand and Bella the water... all of our big girls still enjoy it too and we were thrilled to get in one more beach trip before the summer starts to fade.

check out the Collins blog...

2008-08-23T10:46:00.001-07:00

Under Team Hucks (on the left), check out the Collins Family 3 blog for a ton more pics of our vacation! Thanks to our cool teammates for a lot of hard work!!!

Happy First Day of School

2008-08-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

What a great day! Isabella was thrilled with her first day of 1st grade! She prepared the night before by reading one of her very favorite books, Chrysanthemum. Wouldn't you know that the book of the day for the first day of school was none other than Chrysanthemum. She even got to color a picture of her. She made new friends but her favorite was Jeremy, a boy she met at VBS this summer. Some might laugh at me seeing God in every little thing but my prayer has been that Bella would meet a friend that was honest and kind. A kid from VBS is a good start :)

Elissa struggled with it a little today. She asked where the girls were, Bella especially. She said she wanted to go to school too. She starts K4 next Monday so she will be very happy soon!

Vacation blog...

2008-08-11T20:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the Berkele Blog at berkelecottage.blogspot.com because I am too tired to write anything right now :)

Vacation?

2008-08-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

Vacation... as a parent what does that mean? as a mom it means cooking in a weird place where there is never something you need... it means having a lot more people around your kids to watch and be wary of... it means wearing your kids out and trying to remember that you were responsible for their crankiness... it means paying too much for the silliest things...

- OR -

it means seeing your little girl's face light up when she gets the beautiful water filled (super cheesy)dolphin she wanted that you raced across the park to find since you promised it to her and almost forgot it... it means being thrilled that you lived through a ride (Incredible Hulk) that you waited 2 1/2 hours to ride to make 3 of your big girls happy (and that you were too old to be on in the first place)... it means thinking Spiderman is the coolest ride ever and being thrilled to have all of your girls to remember it with... it means getting chill bumps when you see Shamu in person for the first time... it means finding your baby fallen asleep kissing the stuffed dolphin (that her daddy told her is able to kill sharks)... it means watching your little girl sit like a statue with a smile all for having her face painted like a princess... it means remembering why you think your husband is the best husband in the world because he takes the girls to all the rides they want to go on and has the patience of Job... it means walking around a tourist packed amusement park in prayer, thanking God that this is your life!!!

Last stop... Orlando!

2008-07-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

So... we made it through the beach trip and enjoyed time with family! The girls thoroughly enjoyed their far away cousins and seeing everyone. Adam got in some good guy time with his dad and brothers-in-law. I finished a terrific book and got to eat crab legs 2008!
It was a good time and as always it was nice to be back home for a couple of nights before heading to our other home at Berkele. We miss our girls there and will enjoy planning as we head for Orlando on Saturday.
We have 10 days and will be talking with our teammates and working out what everyone wants to do! It is so good to have such awesome, thoughtful and considerate teammates - thanks God! To Orlando we go!!!

so.... the summer so far

2008-07-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

We kicked it all off with about fifteen birthday parties - all for Isabella and Elissa's 6th and 4th, respectively. They were mostly small gatherings and there were some squirming fish involved but nothing too weird.

We had a week at Bethany Summer Youth Camp. The little girls went to the morning camp and my big girls went along with me to the overnight, sleeping in tents all week camp. It was a blast and we really felt like God blessed our time there.

Then... we hit the fourth of July and watched fireworks at the Whitten Center right outside of our little town. For a small town show, it was 30 minutes of very decent fireworks so we were pleased.

Then... we headed to Camp Hope (Dahlonega, GA) for a week. It was a great time too. Adam stayed very busy with his role as Co-Activities Director and I was sort of busy and sort of not at times...

now we are back in Clinton and trying to catch our breath. We are on duty and have three cottage girls at the moment plus our little ones. Five kids really isn't a big deal during the summer. We go off Tuesday night and will head to Columbia and then the beach to hang out with the Adam's family :) I mean Adam's family!

2008-07-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

The girls family and some friends birthday party!

2008-07-17T20:18:00.000-07:00

Bella got a haircut!

2008-07-17T20:14:00.000-07:00

Bethany Summer Youth Camp Little Ambassadors

Wow - we are surviving!

2008-07-17T14:21:00.000-07:00

That is about all I can say for right now... we are surviving. We have made it through two camps of our own, numerous camps for our cottage girls and a few VBS's for the little ones. It has been a great summer and I'm sure great memories will be stored away! We hope to post some photos soon...

To be a bug...

2008-04-18T14:17:00.000-07:00

Being a bug isn't as bad as one might think. I felt like a bug for a few days.... we tent camped for three nights and four days on a primitive site (no water, electricity or showers) at Lake Greenwood last week. It was a lot of fun. I spent my time in the same clothes (as a pact with another courageous and stinky friend) all four days and couldn't have cared less. Smoky clothes are smoky and a shower doesn't help much so I was happy. Isabella and Elissa changed and so did Adam a time or two. Not everyone can love adventure (or stink) as much as some of us.

We ate some of the finest camp food around. Steaks on our last night had to be the highlight. Or... maybe countless (although some kept count) marshmallows were another terrific memory. The Po Boys were fun and that first cup of coffee was a life saver. All in all it was a terrific outing and one we look forward to again sometime.

Happy 9th Anniversary!

2008-04-14T14:05:00.000-07:00

This April 10th saw our 9th anniversary come and go. It was a lot of fun and was spent in the woods, camping with friends (post to come soon). It was as special as any anniversary and we both stopped to acknowledge how good God is and how blessed we are. A book I am reading explains (whether correctly or not) that love is the skin of truth and truth comes with knowledge. I think that is fun to consider when you think about your significant other. I still love him tremendously and definitely know him better and with all of his victories (thank God there are many) and failings (comparably small numbers it would seem) our love is still incredible. Knowledge has only made love better. Praise God!

Spring Break!

2008-04-05T06:35:00.001-07:00

I love the Spring and our flowers are finally all in bloom. It is a yucky day but we probably need the rain. My dad recently reminded me that even if it isn't very pretty, God knows what He is doing so don't complain about the rain. He is an awfully wise man :) He should be considering he just had his 70th birthday, April 3rd. I was so excited about it for some reason. It means I'm getting older too so I don't know why I think it is so cool, but I do. He seems like a young 50 to me - still strong, smart and more loving, patient and full of grace and forgiveness than ever. He isn't perfect but he is pretty wonderful in my eyes.

We have been on duty for a few weeks now but it has been a nice time. Our girls in the cottage are all doing well for the most part. They enjoy time off from school (well not the older ones because they'd rather be around their friends - sad, I know). Today we are going to GattiTown and eating as much pizza as our faces will hold. It is a lot of fun and great for a rainy day! Tomorrow we go to Columbia to light up D's with 70 candles or so... glad everything is wet outside just in case of fire.

He is Risen!

2008-03-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

He is risen indeed! I love Easter and I love celebrating our Savior! Unfortunately, (as goofy as it sounds) it came too fast this year and I am still surprised that it has passed. Maybe it is just me but I am shocked that it has come and gone. Anyway, we enjoyed some Easter egg hunts and talked about what it meant in an effort to acknowledge the tremendous gift we received. Thank you, Lord! Here was a picture of the girls at First Baptist.

Murrells Inlet Community Vacation

2008-03-21T20:15:00.000-07:00

What a fun thing it is to have such easy going friends... to be able to live among each other for several days and have great memories all the way home. We had a great week last week with good friends as we picnicked on the beach, hid from the wind, played some incredibly insightful games, waited on the whims of fiddler crabs and small children, ate mounds of yummy eats, snacked into the dawn, devoured some Papa John's, tossed the football from the pier until we were booted, ate some overpriced seafood and grill food, watched one lady single handedly eliminate the crab population at Philip's, visited Klig's, watched master kite flyer's and rock climbing children. It was a great trip and we hope/think fun was had by all! Thanks again Nana and Papa

sun and fun

2008-03-07T04:40:00.000-08:00

Well... not quite yet, but we are getting excited about a beach trip planned with friends next week. We are heading to Murrells Inlet for 4 days or so and will pile into Nana and Papa's house for some games, music and movies. Then eat out, go play in the sand and maybe fly some kites too. It should be another terrific memory to add to the many special memories we already have of that peaceful place.

This week has been interesting. Elissa had a fever of 102.6 on Monday night and we prayed (and worried a little) over her until that passed. The rest of the week she has been pretty cough-y but is doing much better. My sister Mona had her gall bladder removed yesterday - praise God she is doing well and healing already!

Last thing, a special friend of ours from Clemson is now working in Ethiopia and sends occasional mission updates. Her latest email had this quote inserted and it is part of their theme for the work they are doing there. Pray for her, Sarah Brown. As any of us serve the Lord, this quote applies and the verse with it makes it real! It was such a terrific quote and it just seemed really special to me:

"Royalty is my identity.
Servant hood is my assignment.
Intimacy with God is my life source.
So, before God, I'm an intimate.
Before people, I'm a servant.
Before the powers of hell, I'm a ruler,
with no tolerance for their influence."
~ Bill Johnson
"And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." ~Ephesians 1:22

Reedy Rive Race

2008-03-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

We are so proud of Leah for training for and running in the 2008 Reedy River 10k in Greenville. She has worked hard to get in race shape and it paid off. She finished in the top 50% overall for women as well as in her age group. She ran with a friend from Thornwell, Cynthia, and they spurred each other on through their training and during the race. Our Berkele Cottage family came out to support them too! It was a beautiful day weather wise and after Leah accomplished her 10k goal we headed to falls park for a day in the sun - and grass! It was one of those days that you treasure and give thanks for.

Life in the fast lane

2008-02-22T12:44:00.000-08:00

Is anyone's life not in the fast lane these days? Ours flies by and we have no idea how many days have passed by the time we come up for air. We had a nice Valentine. Nothing crazy, but nice time off together. Then, Adam went camping with some pals at Calhoun Falls. His agenda: throwing some football and eating as many little Debbie's as he could consume outside of his wife's presence. I went to see my family in Columbia and tried the famous Hudson's Smokehouse with my parents and Mona. It was good eating. Then I went to my sister, Suzy's for her birthday. That was a nice relaxing visit also and the girls had great times with their cousins.

Now we are back in the cottage and having a good time. Our girls are looking forward to seeing a movie out this weekend and eating some of Mrs. Leah's famous frozen (and then heated) pizza. Seriously, it's just a good cheap pizza, but we'll love it! One week from tomorrow is my big 10k so I'll try not to eat too much :)

Our little performer....

2008-02-13T18:45:00.000-08:00

Amazing kids!

2008-02-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

I have some awesome little girls and sometimes they blow me away so much I don't know how to express it. Yesterday Isabella made my heart melt like never before. She was doing her homeschool work and I was working on dinner for later that afternoon. She sat at the counter and offered occasional comments and asked about 894 questions. At some point she got quiet for a minute and then just said "Mommy, thank you". I stopped, seriously wondering what she was talking about and asked "for what?". She was slow to answer again and said something like "thank you for all that you do for me"... what a moment! (Considering that I was 28 years old with a newborn baby, and had put my mom through a whole lot more before I realized I needed to thank my mom for all that she had done.) To have my five year old offer such a grace filled moment for her mommy was incredible. I hope she always sees when nice things are done for her and remembers more hugs than pops on her bottom. I hope she also knows how incredibly special she is, but don't worry... we tell her all the time.

2008-02-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Super Sunday!

2008-02-07T17:50:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday was the XLII NFL Super Bowl. We had a gathering of friends, little and big, lots of food and glee from me and Adam! For some reason without making any pre-game decisions, we started pulling for the Giants and were thrilled to see the outcome. Much better than that, we had a good time with friends and Isabella and Elissa had a great time running around with their pals too! Clean up was fast and easy and we hit the bed rather worn out.

We have seen Eli Manning on Disney several times since then. Elissa will say "that's Eli Manning, he won the Super Bowl"! It's pretty funny because his comment about going to Disney World is something they can connect with :)

Tiny Dancer or Kung Fu Fighting?

2008-01-28T11:26:00.000-08:00

On one of our days off...Isabella and Elissa wanted to do some ballet and so we put some classical music on and they put some tutus on....The rest is history.

Bumps & Bruises

2008-01-28T11:09:00.000-08:00

So our two princesses were spreading their joy through the house very quickly and after two prompts to stop running, the corner of the couch decided to put a stop to it. Here is a progression of her bruise. You can see the color changes and for some reason a side effect of the bruise is food around the mouth...go figure.

February is upon us!

2008-01-28T04:26:00.000-08:00

Wow - we are 1/12 into the New Year! That is pretty scary considering our Christmas spending still haunts us :)

Elissa is suffering from a scary bump on her head. Actually, it is all but forgotten now, unless she looks in the mirror and sees the purple bruise on her lobe. She ran into the couch in the cottage after running laps through the house. She and Isabella had been told to stop, but at 3 and 5 walking seems so boring. The bump was pretty traumatic for us all. Elissa cried and cried. Isabella cried like she was the one who had the bump. She took responsibility for the incident but we tried to convince her it was just an accident. She sat with her while we put ice on the goose egg. She prayed over her and gave her lots of kisses. The other girls in the cottage seemed worried about her too and checked on her.

Anyway, praise God we are all okay and survived a weekend that seemed like it would never end!

2008-01-18T16:48:00.000-08:00

What a laid back time. Yesterday we laid around and played video games all day with our friends. Actually, we invited some folks over for lunch and then we started a game of fusion frenzy. Isabella and Elissa had friends over so they were very happy. I didn't play much of the video game so I could make cookies and run around checking on kids, but I loved it.

Today we had a long home school time and Isabella really did great. She is doing so well with addition and so we started on some simple subtraction. She aced it so we have to bump it up a notch. We also reviewed all the Bible verses from this year and she did great there too. We are so pleased with all that she is doing and feel much better about where we are. Now, our prayer is do we do first grade at home or not??? Pray for us :)

off again on again

2008-01-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

So we are off duty again and have a couple of days free to ourselves. We'll probably piddle around a little and take a little time to rest. The weather is supposed to be rough tomorrow so we'll be glad to snuggle down and keep warm. Movies and hot chocolate are the theme I think. We are having friends over tonight and look forward to laughing a little with them and letting our kids play together. We may try to pop down to Columbia before we go back on duty. We miss the family and so do the girls.

I have started some new things this new year. I am trying out Bible Study Fellowship. It seems to be a very good investment. I am also studying the Bible with some ladies on our campus and am excited to get to know them better and have one more day of focus on the Bible. Another slightly nutty thing is I had a friend approach me about doing the Reedy River 10K Run with her so we started running together today. I love those kinds of goals so I am very excited about that one too.

Adam is in the men's Bible study on campus and that has been a blessing for him. I'm so proud of his commitment to try and be there, study God's Word and enjoy the Christian fellowship. They are a great group of guys. He has also kept up playing basketball at the YMCA and I'm proud that he is taking care of himself.

Isabella and Elissa are incredible as ever. They are such big girls. As much as I am told how fast it all flies by, I think this is the age I just want to stop and watch them for a while... soak it in even. Unfortunately I let lots of other things get in the way, but we love to read, snuggle, tickle and laugh together as often as we can.

Adam is 33!

2008-01-03T07:30:00.000-08:00

Today is Adam's 33rd birthday and we have started it off with a bang. Isabella is sick to her stomach and cuddling a trashcan... Elissa had to work on writing her name to sign her daddy's card... I worked on getting his birthday cake finished... and he slept in and woke up to a hot cup of coffee. Now, we are just hanging around and slowly getting ready for the day. Isabella seems to be doing better and she and Elissa both did homeschool this morning. Isabella's sight vocabulary recognition is coming along well and I am glad to be back on track with that. Elissa gets bored easily with anything school related, but she is 3 so we try to be reasonable. Alphabet puzzles and her new learning computer are a lot of fun.

This afternoon we are heading to the mall, one of Adam's favorite outings. Then we are going to drop off the girls at Adam's little sisters for some Aunt Ali and Uncle Chad time :) Adam and I are heading out to eat in downtown Greenville for a feast :) I can't wait!

almost a new year

2007-12-29T16:27:00.000-08:00

So 2008 is upon us and we couldn't be happier. We joyfully survived another Christmas season and are grateful for it. Family times are always precious and my thought is that the abundance of carbs and sugar that we all OD on makes it wonderful and a little crazy. Still, we are just glad to see everyone and grateful for good health and provision.

For now, our house is a wreck. Isabella and Elissa are loving life. The 5yr old and 3yr old are swimming in wonderful toys provided by us and so many family, especially Mimi and Bebe, and friends! They were starting to think that Christmas meant "open presents every day for a month". We repeatedly try to explain to them the real meaning but it is exceedingly difficult to get past so many fun new things to explain the greatest gift is our Lord and Savior... still, we will keep talking about Him and trust one day the gift will make sense.

2008 promises great things for us all. Of course there is the big football season finale which consists of bowl games and then the big Super Bowl! Adam will be a little lost when the last seconds tick off, but I have no doubt he will find some way to fill his time. I am looking forward to getting back to the Biggest Loser at Thornwell. The holidays set me back a good four pounds :) but I mean good when I say good (Bebe's Texas Caviar and Mimi's cookies) so... back to business. Isabella starts back with homeschool as a 5K. I hope to tackle it with a new enthusiasm for us both and try to integrate some more fun into it. Elissa heads back to preschool and being a 3K clown! She really is a pickle and we hope to rein it in a little but continue to keep 3yr old expectations in consideration, good and bad.

Our girls in the cottage are all looking ahead but for the sake of keeping their lives private, we will try not to discuss much about them. Believe me, it isn't for a lack of love or excitement. They are precious and wonderful and we are so blessed to have them in our life.

Happy New Year! With love, Leah

2007-12-28T20:13:00.001-08:00

First light

2007-12-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

Well, here is our first crack at blogging. We have lots to share and hope you find this interesting/comical/touching...