Cactus Flower

  Better late than never!  And much nicer when it's in time for a birthday.   Happy 25th Birthday to Dalton! Coconuts in Abreus, 2017

Two years ago. I remember what I wore. I woke up early. I walked a million times between the church, the mission house and the fellowship hall. It had snowed two days before, but this day was just right... perfect!   Everything didn't go quite as planned.  I remember the Brazilian cheese breads were sort of cold.  The kids got restless in the wagon.  My attempts at live streaming on Facebook were rather feeble.  But none of those things really mattered.   What was important was seeing two young people follow God in obedience to marry well.  And that they did.  God had brought them together under interesting and unusual circumstances.  He had planned it and guided it.  This day was a celebration of just that. I told my daughter-in-love last night that it was one of the top ten best days of my life.  And indeed it was.  When my day isn't going quite right or the grief bug bites, I can look back over the photos from Marc...

On August 19, one of our MK boys came "home" to Brazil after a long time away.  He came with two beautiful babes and a wonderful young lady in hand, none of which we had met up close and personal.  But you know, blood is thick and it was love at first sight! Our time was short with only the two weeks of Dalton's vacation days from his job, but we made use of every single day to its fullest.  We got to know the mommy of our grandbabies and the love of Dalton's life - Destinie.  We learned all about Paw Patrol and baby food with Chase and Mariyah's help.   Every day was long as we tried to squeeze in lots of bonding and gobs of quality moments... Our house was full of guests every day, lots of laughter and lots of love.  Fifteen glorious days.   Was it worth the long flights and the costs of airfare?  I think we each would say, Oh, Yes!  And hopefully these little grandbabies of missionaries will have a littl...

The photo above has been on my refrigerator for the past three years.  It's Dalton and I ringing the old farm bell that had been at my Grandma Beckner's house for years and now stands at my mom and dad's.  It was my reminder to never give up hope.  It's slightly fading in the middle but there was always a ray of sunshine coming down from the top to the bottom. This past Sunday, September 25 at around 10:30 a.m.,  I received one of the most important calls of my life, and I almost missed it.  It was a FaceTime call and I didn't recognize the little bling bling sound.  I was in the process of putting my laptop to sleep to get to the kitchen.  Just as I was closing the lid, there was this little message line over the window that was opened to Facebook - message from Dalton... I opened the window and saw another message - missed call... We exchanged a couple of quick messages and he called back. Are you at home? Are you sitting down? I...

Walnut Cove NC, 1998, Caleb's party, My weren't you cute Dear Dalton... This will be your first birthday away from your Mama.  You're there in the USA and I'm here in NE Brazil.  I can't make you some brownies or get Papa to grill some hamburgers.  We can't host a crazy party and invite gobs of friends.  We can't go to a skate park or down to the lake to ride the jet ski. It's all a part of being an TCK/MK.  We can grieve a little and bemoan the facts OR we can choose to have a great day.  We can enjoy some video phone calls and a few laughs.  You can visit your Granny and get a phone call from Grandaddy.  You can receive some cards in the mail (hope you got mine).  And get lots of happy birthday messages on social media.  Maybe even you'll get a gift or two and enjoy some brother time with good old William. Some silly ideas... Don't let the day go past unspent - do something festive, let people know at work and the gym, tell...

Our boy finished up his high school work and graduated.  We were able to travel to the States to be there for his graduation.   I'm one thankful, happy Mama. 

Dalton standing in the middle Tomb of the Unknown Soldier Dalton marked by the red star Arlington National Cemetery This past week our boy, Dalton, attended a week long youth congress in Washington DC after winning a national essay contest. He was chosen as one of four of the 100 present to place a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on the last day of the conference. In two weeks he will finish his high school work at the boarding school where he has been for the past 8 months and graduate. It's been a long haul.  With great joy my whole family will be there to celebrate this important moment. With my gratitude we thank all of our prayer partners and friends who have faithfully supported us and  our three boys over  the big haul of the past year.   Please don't stop! Prayers for Byron, Greyson and myself as we leave for the States this next week for a one month-stay. Prayers for Dalton as he finishes up his w...

Dalton and a friend earlier this year Tomorrow marks another Thanksgiving... another birthday for me, and a mama with a burdened, but grateful heart. Two weeks ago, our middle boy left for boarding school where he will be staying as the rest of the family heads off to Brazil in a few short days.  Tomorrow as we sit eating turkey and pie without him at the table, and without our oldest who is now in Brazil alone for the holiday, we might not feel overwhelming in the spirit of the holiday. But we can be grateful, nonetheless, for each one of our boys.  We can be glad that Dalton is in a great place with great people.  He is safe and sound. He is in a wonderful school with individual attention.  He is well cared for everyday. As my mama heart is heavy tomorrow, it can still be glad and grateful... and I humbly pray for other fellows out on the streets of Reidsville over the holiday weekend who have no family that cares for them, no warm place to lay their h...

  Each of my guys means the world to me. Their smiles make my heart glad. Each one is a little piece of me. Their burdens and sorrows are mine. Their joys and blessings are shared.  I am super proud of each one. I love you, boys!   

Just love this photo that friend, Carol D., took this weekend out on the island.  Haven't forgotten about the red jug story!  I'll get to it soon enough!

Dalton celebrated his fifteenth birthday this week.  We rented the fifth season of Stargate, ate lunch at McDonald's in Petro one day, went to the skate park, had a fancy chocolate dessert one night and ate chocolate ice cream on another.  And, we did not start school!  He always complains about having to start school near his birthday.  He's a funny fellow.  He loves certain shirts and will wear them to the end of their life expectancy!  Take this old soccer shirt.  You might notice that there are actually two shirts.  The darker purple is the oldest and a size smaller.  He wore it for years and still owns it.  The lighter colored one replaced it and can still be seen on his back from time to time. It used to bother me to no end thinking he had some phobia about throwing things out.  Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't.  Maybe it's a way of hanging on to things in this crazy life we live of moving here and there and all things ...

.... So did I say that I'd left the house with no supper?  A few hours after Dalton's surgery to insert a pin to hold the bone together in his little finger, the nurse brought him some soup and a piece of bread.  By then it was about 10:00 at night.  He gulped it down.  I sat and watched and regretted not letting my neighbor's husband go out before he left to get me a snack as he had suggested.  Honestly I didn't feel much like eating.  I was nervous to be in a ward with other patients in a strange place to spend the night. After his soup and a bit of t.v., Dalton went to sleep on his bed.  An orderly told me and another lady who was with a boy who had broken his arm that we could feel free to lay down on the extra beds in the room.  I laid down, but my eyes stayed wide open most of the night.  Around 3 am I remembered that I had some dramamine in my purse and decided that it might help me relax and sleep a little.  It did and I must h...

The Broken Finger ....When all of a sudden my middle son started screaming, hollering, and doing some sort of war dance.  He had been jumping with his skateboard and bar on the front sidewalk.  Ah, ah, ugh, ugh, arrrr!  Seems he had fallen, but I could make no since out of his squalling to know what he had hit.  He ran into the house and collapsed on the couch.  This kind of thing happens a lot in my house.  So I passed on by to get a drink of water before coming back to ask what was the matter.  Then I saw blood and a bent finger!  Broken finger!  The bone poking out was causing it to bleed.  Oh joy! We live in a small interior city of Brazil.  No hospital.  There is a small emergency clinic.  They have no  x-ray machine.  Often they have no doctor for the day.  Frequently they don’t even have simple supplies.  What to do?  My dh was in the big city an hour away with the car!   That w...