tablets of human hearts

Day 119

Christmas 2005

Dear Family and Friends

 I was so consumed with post hurricane Katrina cleanup that I could not fathom sitting down and writing my Christmas newsletter. However, my sister-in-law Amy inspired me with her Christmas newsletter and after reading about their family’s activities during 2005, I decided that more has happened to us this year than one miserable hurricane. I jotted down all the things I could remember from the year and when Jon and I reviewed the list, it suddenly dawned on us why we are so tired (aside from the obvious).

The New Year began quite pleasantly. Jill stayed home in comfort with her friend, Nette, and brought in the New Year watching chick flicks while the men folk and kids went to fishing camp. Jon and the kids were introduced to a new way to fish – the industrial fishing of trotline. They all had a great time and came home with over 100 lbs of fish.

During spring break, we took a trip to Texas and spent a couple of delightful days at the land. During our time there, Jon built a tree deck, providing everyone some awesome views of the countryside. Little did we know the ways in which those construction skills would come in handy in the near future. We also spent some time looking at property in the hill country area.

In April, Heather attended Prom with her good friend Eric. She looked beautiful in her white and red taffeta dress. They went in company with another couple and had their “formal” dinner at Cane’s fast food chicken restaurant. Definitely not what I would have expected for Prom dinner, but they had a blast!

Before we knew it, Heather’s graduation was upon us in May. Jill’ parents, aunt and sister/husband and Jon’s parents were able to visit, attend the commencement and celebrate with her graduation party. I can’t believe my little girl is all grown up. She looked quite beautiful in her cap and gown. After all the festivities were over, Heather left the following week for a band trip to Orlando.

During the beginning of June we all volunteered in our church’s Vacation Bible School, A Ramblin’ Road Trip. Jon taught Bible lessons to the younger children, Heather directed crafts, Daniel helped guide the kids from one activity to another and Jill tried not to stress out with the overall coordination. Jonny enjoyed VBS as one of the kids.   We had a great time.

Heather jetted of to San Diego to visit her graduating friends during the middle of June. The rest of us flew to Pennsylvania for Jodie’s wedding at the end of June and Heather joined us in time for the wedding. We had a lot of fun visiting family and friends.

We took another trip over the 4^th of July, to attend the Johnston family Fantasy Football Draft in Goldwaithe Texas.   We also spent some more time looking at property in the hill country area. When we headed back home, Jonny remained behind for his summer visit with Nana.

Heather celebrated her 18^th birthday with a nice, quiet family dinner at Olive Garden. We bought her a 2001 Hyundai Elantra to use for college. She was accepted to Pearl River Community College, which is located about an hour north of our home in Diamondhead. The plan was for her to reside in the dorms during the week and drive home for the weekends.   Unfortunately, she never was able to use the car because it was flooded in Katrina’s storm surge.

August was an incredibly busy month. The boys started school and Jon took a trip to Washington DC during the early part of the month. We celebrated Jonny’s 7^th birthday with a Saturday afternoon kid party with lots of games, candy, cake and ice cream. Heather started college during the latter half of the month. At the end of the month, Jill took a trip to San Diego and returned on Friday to three interesting events, one of which has redefined the lives of many for second half of 2005: Daniel’s 14^th birthday party sleep over was planned for Friday night; Jon called Jill on the cell phone while she was still in baggage claim at the New Orleans airport to tell her that hurricane Katrina was now forecast to hit the Mississippi coast and she looked like she could be the “big one”; Jon called Jill again on her way home from the airport to tell her that Jonny broke his arm in day care and he was on his way to the emergency room!

Of course, August 28^th brought the decision to evacuate out of the path of category five hurricane Katrina and head to San Antonio, the 29^th then brought devastation to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and the 30^th brought breeched levees and flooding to New Orleans. Most of you have been able to keep up with our day-to-day recovery efforts (we had three feet of storm surge waters in our house, even though we’re 27 feet above sea level and 5 miles inland!) through my email encounters.

Other things have happened since Katrina. Heather resumed college classes September 19^th and the boys returned to school October 14^th.   Jonny joined Cub Scouts and has already earned his Bobcat badge. Daniel was in the school marching band, playing trumpet, however they did have some struggles due to the storm’s interruptions. He has also joined the school jazz band.   Unfortunately, Daniel had to discontinue his acoustic guitar lessons since the music store where he took his lessons had been destroyed by a tornado during Katrina. He continues to play on his own and is quite good. He received an electric guitar for Christmas, bought his own amp and is now teaching himself to play.

We were able to move back into our house the beginning of December after a lot of hard work over the week of Thanksgiving and we still continue recovery work on it. We put up our Christmas tree the Friday before Christmas, thankful to be in our own home. Jon, Jill and the boys took a much needed trip to San Antonio between Christmas and New Years. It was nice to get away from the insanity and stress of the coast. Jon shopped for a pick up truck (to replace his Hyundai Santa Fe flooded by Katrina) while Jill window shopped for furniture. Further hill country property searches will have to wait for now.  

Overall, it has been an interesting year for our family. Of course, with our military life, I don’t know that a year has gone by that hasn’t brought interesting moments. Through it all, we’ve trusted the Lord’s provision and relied on Him for strength and wisdom. We trust the promise He gives us in Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”

We hope, with the passing of another year, that you pause a moment to give thanks for your blessings and to remember those who are dear to your hearts and bring color to your world. May 2006 bring love, laughter and a life full of adventure… Well, maybe a little less adventure.

Grace & Peace

Day 115

I just noticed that it’s been a couple of weeks since my last email. How time flies. And four days until Christmas.

The season is a bit harder this year. I want to be joyous, but the many things that I enjoy about the season, I have not been able to do.

Our yard still looks like a war zone and we haven’t been able to make the time to put up any lights. Jon loves putting up lights and we wanted to add to our display this year. Maybe next year.

I’m thankful to have floors and carpet now, but the rooms are still filled with tools, construction clutter (Jon is using a 5 gallon paint can as a nightstand) and items we don’t yet have a place to put away. I haven’t wanted to drag out Christmas boxes (I am thankful to still have them) and add to the clutter. We’ll have to push some of the mess aside in order to make room for a tree. We hope to put it up Thursday evening.

We have baked some cookies, but not the traditional Christmas fare, mostly the cut, plop and bake kind. I did loose my recipe box in the floodwaters, so I don’t have any of my favorite cookie recipes. We have been making do with our kitchen (we have all of our appliances) but we have no countertops yet, which makes storage and cooking space interesting.

Normally, I have my Christmas shopping just about done by now, so as not to have to fight the last minute crazy shoppers in overcrowded and under stocked stores. This year we’re trying to keep things simple. And I’ve had to fight some of the crazy shoppers in overcrowded and sorely under stocked stores.

Many of you know that I am very faithful with Christmas cards and our annual newsletter. I almost decided to forgo it this year (I even managed to get one out the year we deployed for war), however a certain newsletter I received in the mail inspired me and helped me to realize that much more happened this year than a hurricane. It will be late, but I will be sending out our annual Christmas newsletter.

In the midst of it all, and in spite of all the buts, I am thankful.

And in the midst of it all, I was reminded of what Christmas is all about.

Our little church, by the inspiration of Jon and Nette, put together a simple Christmas program. They picked out scripture passages and selected a few favorite Christmas hymns. Heather and Elizabeth made some sheep costumes from T-shirts and cotton balls and we pulled out costumes from years gone by for Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. A pretty yellow sheet swathed Mary’s head and the shepherds wore genuine headdresses Jon had purchased on travel at a market in Bahrain. Daniel and Matthew took turns reading the familiar story told from the Gospel of Luke and Heather introduced each Christmas hymn by playing her flute. Her notes, clear and pure, sounded like a heavenly melody. We ushered the in the children, dressed in their roles, at their appointed times. Mary and Joseph, three shepherds with their flock and an angel (portrayed by a slightly grumpy seven year old whom I will claim as my own). They each took their place at the front of the church, around a manger, while the passages were read and the songs were sung.

As the Sunday morning sunlight streamed in the windows on our simple rendition of the well known and loved story of long ago, my heart swelled with the sweetness of joy that can only come from an awesome and gracious Father.

Then I saw it. Our church has a seven-foot vine cross, draped in crimson cloth, standing in the front of the sanctuary, off to the side. The children of our Christmas story were in their places, slightly off center at the front of the sanctuary, in the shadow of that cross. A foreshadowing of the future of the babe we were celebrating.

An amazing story. A virgin birth in a stable in an obscure town, long ago. Witnessed by lower class, common shepherds. Proclaimed by a host of heavenly angels.

The Promise, wrapped in the earthly flesh of a newborn son.

But born in the shadow of a cross.

Born to die.

That we might live.

And that is the meaning of Christmas.

Blessings

Grace & Peace

Day 102

Whew. Another exhausting day. I took the day off from work because we had several workers coming to the house. As I waited for arrivals, I took advantage of the time, cleaning the upstairs bedrooms and getting them ready for the carpet cleaner (we had ground in sheet rock dust in the carpets) whom I scheduled to clean the carpet in Mark’s house and in our upstairs. As I cleaned, I even hung some things on our newly painted walls (after wiping them down from all the sheet rock dust). After the plumber arrived and got to work (he had a long list of items and will need to schedule a second day to finish everything: replace our hot water heater, hook up the kitchen sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher, cap pipes in our half bath and reroute pipes for the sink, cap our wet bar sink since we’re not installing it, and hook up the downstairs bathroom sink, the master bathroom sink and tub) I took out my paint stuff and painted the dining room ceiling. Later, the marble man arrived to give us an estimate of reinstalling our marble bath tub and building shelves on our bathroom counters out of marble. We discovered, to our dismay, that our bathroom cabinets are two inches too wide for our marble counter tops. Thankfully, he said it would be easy to build a shelf and cap the ends to cover the two inches. He also said that he should be able the mold the marble (which has bowed a little since we took it apart) back to its shape. Once he left, I resumed painting and painted our hallway and entry. Like the living room, we were able to get a close enough match on the paint that we do not have to repaint everything. The plumber didn’t leave until late and I finished painting almost as late. But, aside from trim, doors and touch ups, we are now finished painting the house! Hurrah! I am very thankful. We have made very good progress. So many who have had significant damage to their homes are still unable to live them still. The majority of damaged homes I see in the neighborhood are still studs inside.

Speaking of thankful. I remember a some folks I forget to mention my thankfulness for in my email on the 26^th of November (I knew I would forget someone – that is why I asked for forgiveness ahead of time). I’m thankful for my father in law who drove from San Antonio and stayed a week to help Jon on the house. I am thankful that he let Jon borrow his suburban when our van was acting up on Jon’s trip to Texas to pick up our shepherd, Scout. I am also thankful for my daughter Heather, who has scrubbed and rescrubbed kitchen and bathroom floors, removing bayou muck and later sheetrock dust and globs of sheetrock mud. I am thankful also for Jon’s parents and his brother, Bubba and his wife Vonnie, who opened their homes to our kids and Bob’s kids immediately after the storm.

God is good and He works through the hearts of those who love us.

Thank you, again, all of you, for your love for us.

Grace & Peace