Spring

Yesterday was a busy day spent going thru what seemed like a million boxes searching for my Easter decorations. (Thanks Mr. Movers).

I finally found them and realized that most of them won't be able to be displayed this year thanks in part to little Miss Karsen.

Most of my Easter decorations are very old and very fragile. Still, it is always fun going thru the boxes and rediscovering my spring treasures.

This is going to be our first official Easter in West Virginia (living here) but we have spent the majority of Easter's here since John & I married many years ago.

PawPaw Hanson, my father in law,  reminds me of spring. He loved nothing more than getting the entire family together for Easter brunch following church at the Marriott hotel in downtown Charleston. He always paid and he always loved seeing his little granddaughter's dressed in their frilliest finest. The last time I would see him would be the Easter trip home in  2010.

 

He was so sick. He had lost so much weight. His beautiful silver hair was gone thanks to the harsh chemo. He had every excuse NOT to want to go to church or to Easter dinner but he gathered all the strength he could and he went. Even though he had no appetite, he sat at the head of our table and he watched us all laughing, talking and enjoying ourselves. He probably knew this would be the last Easter he would preside over the large table. Maybe we knew too and just couldn't come to terms with it yet. It was a bittersweet day for us all.

This Easter has me missing him very much. He would have been delighted to see John move back home. He would have LOVED baby Karsen. He would have enjoyed watching Tate play spring baseball. He would be very proud to watch Justin playing basketball and he would have really been impressed with Jonathan's decision to enlist in the Air Force or Air Guard. He would have clapped the loudest at Ashton's upcoming dance recital.

It just isn't the same. In less than 1 year, our families lost both patriarchs. We are shattered and still trying to find our way in the new lives without them. Holidays are rough and I imagine they always will be. Easter and spring bring back so many memories of that last holiday spent with him. I am going to see if we call all go back to the Marriott this year in his honor.

Red Riding Hood

Home Invasions

I was watching on ABC's Good Morning America this morning about some very scary home invasions around the country where the intruders were shot and killed.

It brought back some very unpleasant memories of the 2008 home invasion at my moms house that my son was a victim of.

Jonathan was 14 at the time and in 8th grade.

A week earlier he had broken his arm at school. It was a serious break and needed 2 surgeries just to get it reset. At the same time, I had come down with a mystery illness that had sent me to the ER  and was recovering at home so Jonathan was at my mom's house being cared for by her while I also healed.

My mom had to go to work for a few hours that day. She worked at the same church I did. It is only about a 10 minute drive. My mom lives on 13 very secluded acres and you don't even see her house from the road. Jonathan was in a bedroom on the computer when he saw a car pull into the driveway and two men step out. 

This alarmed him and he called my mom to see if she was expecting any workers. She said "NO" and told Jonathan to call 911. My mom had a terrible feeling in her heart and immediately left church to rush home to see who was in her driveway. 

Jonathan fumbled trying to call 911 and accidentally called Papa Bud. Papa Bud loved talking on the phone so he was asking Jonathan how was his arm, Jonathan was trying to politely hang up on Papa to call 911 without wanting to scare Papa. 

While this was going on, one of the men had come to the back porch and broke the glass door. He was now inside my moms house. Jonathan heard the glass and got into a closet. He immediately began praying to God for protection. The man had a machete knife and apparently was on a walkie talkie with the other man who was waiting outside in the get away car. 

My mom called my brother in law who lived about 2 miles away for help and Tom drove as fast as he could to get to my moms. Inside the house the man was going thru the rooms when Jonathan heard him say to the man outside via the walkie talkies that he was going to kill my moms dog who was a small dog but was barking in the living room. Jonathan made the brave decision to come out of the closet and as he did he met the man in the hallway

Jonathan was in his pajama bottoms and his arm was in a sling. He had just turned 14 two months before this. But in our minds, God had a guardian angel behind Jonathan. And this burglar saw something other than a small frightened child. Whatever he saw scared the burglar.  I have chills coming over me as I type this because this burglar dropped the knife and RAN as fast as he could out of the house when he saw Jonathan. The men sped away just as my brother in law and mom were pulling into the driveway. They were never caught but a few months later a crime ring was busted in a nearby county and Jonathan was positive it was the same men.

These men could have killed my son. He was alone, he was a defenseless child, he was in a sling and my moms house is so far from any other homes no one would have heard him scream. He was unarmed and the burglar had a machete knife.

But God, we are positive, protected him that day. Jonathan said he was not scared when he left the closet. He had prayed and felt a peace that only comes to you when you are a believer and you trust beyond what words can ever describe.

It was a scary incident but Jonathan is ok. Whenever I hear about home invasions, especially the sad ones where people are killed or hurt by the intruders my heart always will skip a beat and then I immediately thank God for protecting my baby that terrible day in May 2008. 


Jonathan will be graduating high school in 2 months, He has been accepted into Marshall University Pre-Med and he just passed with flying colors the US Military entrance ASVAB test with a score of 85 and may also join the Air Force. I am one proud mommy.

The only thing this burglar accomplished was he made our family even stronger believers in God and we are certain that God has a greater purpose for Jonathan's life.

Valspar Free Paint Sample

I LOVE it when Valspar sponsors this giveaway !

However, it isn't as easy as it used to be to get the free sample.

Now you have to click on the valspar link at 10am EST and be one of the first 750 per day. No easy feat. Twice this week I was able to get onto the giveaway link before they closed it down only to have it time out once I had selected my paint color.

This giveaway is good for the month of March and includes a $5 coupon for Lowes.

It's totally worth the frustration! I am trying the pink COUTURE color for Ashton's new room.

Snow Day

This is the view from my back porch today.

A beautiful, peaceful snow. The air smells so clean and fresh.

But there are daffodils peeking thru the winter white and spring (which seems to have arrived in February) is close.

I love winter so this warmer weather was disappointing for me. But for the many people who are struggling now to pay for gas, I am sure the warmer weather was a blessing.

I heart snow!