WHERE IS THE BALANCE?

I am not sure if this post comes out of the fact that this is the anniversary week of 9-11, or a conversation I had with Amanda yesterday, or if it’s just a question I ask myself quite often.  I guess I really want your thoughts.

Let me preface it by saying I watch a LOT of news, read far too much, and love people’s stories.
9-11 left deep marks on me.  I knew no one personally, but today feel like I know so many. 
I bought every book I could get my hands on, read every story, sat in a trance for a week as they dug for the dead…

I can still remember sitting on the couch, what I had on,  holding Parker as a baby, as the second plane hit. 
I don’t think I dressed for a week.  America as I had known it, would not be the same America for Parker and my little’s to come.
 
So that’s part of my somber feelings this week, but another is that I know so many hurting people. 
Deep hurts, fears, scares, grief, overwhelming stress that seems insurmountable.  I have been there.

Yesterday I was telling Amanda about a little girl that had an asthma attack on Sunday, coded and was eventually flown here to LSU hospital and is now on a vent. 
Just a normal day, an asthma attack and now a critically ill child.  She is the granddaughter of an old friend of mine.
 
Amanda hates for me to tell her stories about sick kids.  Not because she does not care, she just does not want to hear stories about sick kids..EVER.
 
Me, on the other hand wants to know every detail, ask everyone I know to pray, send 100 cards, and try to connect with that person.
I have no idea why some stories grip me more than others.

I do know that I have had two critically sick grandchildren, I have had a pregnant teenage daughter, I have had a son that years ago went through a horrible divorce, I have  had a husband that was not expected to live through the night, and I lost both my parents within 3 months. 
I remember every person that said they were praying, or called or in some way said “ I care”!

Here is the place I can get lost.
 
How do you balance saying “I care” and “I will pray” and then not think about them night and day and pile burdens on top of burdens?
 
I get that prayer is the best gift you can give someone, but I want to physically do something.
 
This was just last week…I was thinking how I could get the addresses of all the families of the Navy Seals killed and send them a note.  I don’t know how I can but  I thought about it for several days.

A long time ago I was in this seemingly cycle of always thinking about who I had forgotten to encourage.

That’s where the card thing comes in for me…Every night and I mean every night…I sit down with cards, addresses and stamps and ask God to bring to mind everyone that needs an encouraging word…at least the ones I am suppose to encourage…
In 15 minutes I sign all those cards and put them in a place that Jack picks them up and puts them in the mailbox as he goes out to get the paper in the morning. It's as natural as brushing my teeth.
If Jack is not home, you will find me at 2 AM at the mailbox to make sure the cards are there.
 
Please don’t take this as a star in my crown…It is the only way I can go to sleep.
 
I will not tell you how many times I have said to someone that I would be praying and promptly forgot that need as quickly as the words slipped out of my mouth.
 
I was watching the news this morning and they were interviewing 9-11 families ten years later.   I thought “I know them”…
I know their stories..I have followed their families..

I don’t want their loved one to ever just be a number. It was a normal go to work day for their loved ones..
Probably half of them had dinner plans and in an instant, life was over. 
Orphans were everywhere.
I won’t even go near how I feel about the firefighters and rescue workers. 
Hero is not a strong enough word.

By the time you have gotten this far you are probably convinced I am a nut.
 
So here’s what I need from you …
How do you become someone with skin to the hurting, the dying, the suffering people in your circle? (Please don’t suggest taking a meal…I cook NONE)Ha

Also, tell me where you were when the planes hit that horrible September day.

One a lighter note…since that was a tad heavy but just been on my mind all day…
Pinterest…(Remember I have an addictive personality)
  
     I HAVE 423 BOARDS  
(full boards) I know a bit over the top..but it’s going to help us in tree decorating this year, plus I have had a blast doing it. You are welcome to repin anything.  You can find me at Teresa Powell.
Neiman Marcus has nothing on me in the catalog department.


I have a challenge for you which really stems from Mike’s post.
Find one 9-11 family or one military family, or one rescue worker and say thank you…through a card, a meal, a phone call..however you do it.
In our area that’s really easy now as our fireman are fighting fires day and night…and they are tired.
 
This is my 300th post on Grammy Girlfriend in 2 and a half years…and I think 125 on the holiday blog…
I will never be an everyday blogger..But I must celebrate the 300 posts since I thought I would only write one. 

Leave a comment, leave as many comments as you want…and Sunday night I will draw for a great care package…I am not even going to tell you what will be in it..I have stuff coming from market everyday, so it will just be a menagerie of good stuff.  Thank you for being my blog buddy. 

WE CELEBRATED

This was a celebration weekend..a long 4 day weekend with just our little family.  And it was FUN.  But my pictures are messed up…
I have them on a camera, IPAD, and cell phone…but for some reason the best ones will not load…I will try to get some help tomorrow and come back and add them

To the day, eleven months ago, we were being (what seemed like hounded) to sign a DNR at Baylor. 

The doctors were not sure Jack would live through the day.  Part of me does not want to write about our miracle when so many are waiting on theirs or even feel like they did not get one.

Trust me ..we are not the perfect family with the perfect life…but this weekend was an exceptionally good one.
While on this earth we will never understand why we saw Jack healed and totally well and others have not had the same ending. 
Nor do we know what the future holds, but for today and for this weekend, we celebrated.

We all arrived in Dallas Friday, had great hotel rooms next door to each other, unloaded all the toys and older boys toys…
I never know whether they are playing XBox or what…They have it all.
We arrived first with Jack and then Micah and Amanda. 
We made a stop at the Galleria and Amanda got her a “fine purse”!  Then we had Mexican food at a new place for us.
 
Back to the room to meet up with Greg and his family and Parker was with them.… The little's all camped out together (not in my room)..this is when I got great pictures…





Gray and Jack and Mr. IPAD



Saturday morning was the big game day..



Amanda and Micah were up early and ready to head to the tailgate parties.  (you can kind of see that fine purse)! They had a long fun day ahead of them.

Two things that make me SUPER happy is seeing my adult kids “parent well” and “have fun with each other”!  Ours happen to do both well.

The rest of us headed to Legoland and Sea Life with the four boys.  It was kid overload…not ours, everyone else’s. 
Another words it was PACKED.  Parker and Austin could pretty much do their own thing, but it took me, Jack, Greg and Dana to keep up with Gray and Jack…

I think on that day they forgot their names because they pretty much ignored us when  we called them..

All little's had money from Grammy and Pop to spend and those were major decisions, but everyone brought home loot that I will stumble over..

We took a break and ate at Rainforest Café…while waiting for an  hour we ended up next door in Books a Million…
For months we have been looking for Jack a Slinky Dog from Toy Story.  Gray has one. 
I never  make a trip to Target or Walmart that Jack does not remind me to look for Slinky Dog…


Right there in the half-price toys was ONE Slinky Dog…We grabbed it up, paid for it and he was one happy camper.
Then we went to Sea Life. It was so nice and the kids loved it….We saw lots of great fish…still kid overload…About 5 we headed back to the room…to get ready to watch the game and maybe serve as a taxi once the game was over. 
The boys got all settled playing with their loot, Dana and I got our comfy clothes on, got in  the beds with our computers and pinned
(http://pinterest.com/tpowell2/
and watched the LSU Tigers play a good game…

Greg and Jack (pop) went down to the bar for some drinks and to watch the first half there.  Everyone was HAPPY..

Micah and Amanda found a ride home to the hotel about 3 AM (a non drinking driver..they are firm on that)!
They had a really fun day at the games and parties…and great seats to watch the Tigers.
 
We were all exhausted Sunday morning..I could not wake up.
Greg and his bunch had to leave to drive to Texarkana to see Dana’s very sick grandfather so they took three boys…

We were left with Jack.
We had an awesome lunch at The Grand Lux!!!! 
The best meal of the weekend.  We were dragging and getting all these texts saying the interstate was closed down on a section we had to go through due to wildfires and it was late …so we debated on driving or staying…

instead we spend several hours in IKEA….all tired to the bone..well except Pop, he is never tired.
 We are finally back home tonight…Jack came with us and kept me in stitches the entire trip, showing me his prizes. 
He will not know where the parts are tomorrow.   He did not sleep 5 minutes.  The fires were still burning and tonight it seems they are spreading and getting worse.

 
This was Jack’s attire this weekend
Never without his Woody Hat.

The entire weekend we all looked at Jack, thinking back to where we had been 11 months ago, in the same town, in a scary hospital, hearing not good reports, not much encouraging news, and NOW!  Now life is normal, he drives the kids everywhere and can hang with them the longest.  We are blessed.
  
Austin and Parker will be so happy I did not post any pictures of them…


Thank you Micah and Amanda for putting this trip together. You did good.  Now time for me to get serious about working on Christmas stuff.