Nature Walk

Every now and then the girls and I will go on a nature adventure. This week we had a couple of days without extra kiddos and took the opportunity to go out to one of the parks here. It isn't the deep woods of Louisiana, but it works to sooth that need for a deep breath.

Most of the time instead of collecting nature in their basket they collect things like bottle caps, and screws :) Oh well, I really do try. This time we even added to the fun by bringing our dog tank with us. He was so funny. He freaked out about the Canadian geese and just dove off into the water. Needless to say it didn't take long for him to bounce right back out of that very cold water! I could just imagine him saying "It seemed like a good idea at the time".

Andrea "Andi"Grace Carroll

I took this series of pictures of Andi the other day and realized that they truly are HER! These pictures capture our little ANDI girl! But one of these pictures wouldn't work. You have to see all of them. Her mood really can change this quickly too.

Oh, I just love that girl! Such a princess! Don't you love her outfit?

This is pretty much what all of my girls wear all day long... dress up.

Just for FUN!!

Stole this..but thought it was fun. The highlighted ones are the ones I have done...got alot to go!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland (I think Disney World counts, too!)
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept in an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitchhiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping :)
27. Run/walk a marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse (solar)
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance

47. Had your portrait painted (does a caricature count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check :(
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (I've seen it in person from afar)
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book 81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chicken pox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
94a. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a lawsuit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee (35 of them at once!!)
100. Read an entire book in one day

I see this list and think... wow my life is pretty boring when you compare it all of this. BUT THEN I started thinking of my own list.

1. Watched a new born open their eyes and see for the first time!

2. Felt a child move and kick inside of me, because I talked to her.

3. Swung so fast it took my breath away

4. Rode away on a galloping horse (that was an awesome feeling!)

5. Helped build part of my home

6. Performed in front of hundreds of people.

7. Laughed 'til my sides hurt (many times)

8. Won a poker game (ok, it felt really big at the time)

9. Helped someone because I knew their language, when nobody else did.

10. Taught a child to read

11. Gone canoeing

12. Lost touch with a close friend

13. Taught someone about the bible

14. Held a sleeping baby

15. Married the man/woman you love

Okay, so maybe they still seem boring compared to some people's life, but I think its been a great life!! And I couldn't more content!

Dustin Lee Kendall

                          KIA January 15th, 2006

Funny things I remember!

Yep, that's Dustin (and Justin :) modeling boxers!! HAHA! This was a great moment! We laughed SO hard. My sister got all of the guys in our family a pair of boxers. This is what they did!! They put them on over their clothes and proceeded to prance around, posing like underwear models. He didn't even have to try, and he could make us laugh.

What is a funny story you remember? Or sad. What do you remember? Today I need to hear it. Today I want to close my eyes, smile and cry, and just make this a day of remembering his life. "Cause it was a great one!

I miss you Dustin, so badly.

 

I wish I knew what he could hear, or what he sees of us down here, left on earth. I wish I knew more about heaven.

Once I had a dream that I got to talk to him. I knew in my dream that he had already died, and I was so excited to see him. I remember trying to get in all of the things that I regretted that I hadn't said when he was living. I remember rushing in the dream to tell him how proud I was. Then I asked him about heaven. "What is it like?" What have you been doing?" And as I looked around me I saw that we were in a huge building with over stuffed beds! Fluffy, full , soft, and all white beds! It looked so cozy. He smiled and replied " I have been sleeping!"  LOL

He loved sleep. He slept any chance he could get! I like to think of him that way!

Confessions of a Police Officers wife!

I try really hard to pull off not being a worrier about the whole Police Officer's wife thing. But honestly, some days it is really tough. Some nights as he leaves the house, and I kiss him goodbye I realize that it could very well be the last time I see him. Or, as I lay in bed I can imagine him chasing some psycho down a long alley, and something horrible happening. For the most part though I can keep a level head and think through how well trained he is and what good backup he has behind him. Most of the time that works!

This week though he has done TWO things that just put me past my limit of not worrying! He "got" (as he puts it) to go undercover this week, on burglary patrol. Which is just a fancy way of saying he drove around in a dumpy van, in plain clothes looking for car burglaries, and suspicious people in alleys and such. This kinda freaked me out. I don't know why it worried me more, it just did!

And then..... (suspenseful pause), he volunteered to be a decoy for the Canine unit. Which means he gets to be the bad guy during their training, and get chased around by angry dogs! Sounds like fun huh!?

Believe it or not they look worse than this today. He had a bite suit on, but some of those jaws still got to his arm. OUCH! What is he trying to do?? Give me a stomach ulcer! I don't know, don't ask me.

Great visit!

I have been so blessed over the last two months to get  a visit from all of my older siblings. Court and Amber came in November and then Jared got to come for a few days last week. It was a really nice week. We just had a lot of fun hanging out and visiting.

On Wednesday we went around town, and then had lunch. The highlight of our visit, I must say, was hide and seek in the dark with the girls! They had so much fun, that they are still talking about it. :) Then on Friday he went with me to my home school group meeting. I have been teaching a class to the group on Sign Language. Because Jared was there I took advantage of all of the knowledge he has gained for his major, which is Deaf interpretation. He did a little skit in Sign. The kids were so mesmerized!! I had a blast just watching them, and seeing his expressive face. I was so proud of my little brother! (Who is not so little anymore)

I am so glad you came Jared, and I know now that we need to do it more often.

 

As you can see the girls had a lot of fun claiming all of his attention!

Don't forget

(Our last complete family picture)

It's creeping up. I find that as the day draws closer I feel this sense of fear and dread. It's creeping, creeping, creeping...

In three days it will be the third year since my brother Dustin L. Kendall was killed in Iraq. Oh, the pain I feel in my heart! It's been three years, and some days I feel fine, then others it hits like a brick wall. Today has been one of those days.

I had out my scrapbook (of Dustin) on the couch and was flipping through it. Jenna came up and was looking too. Asking questions. Matter of fact questions like children do. "What is that Mommy?' "a coffin honey". "What is a coffin mommy?" "It is the box Uncle Dustin is in now." "Oh. I bet he is scrunched in there, but he doesn't care."

And then as we looked through picture after picture she started crying!! It was so beautiful. She just leaned into me and said "it makes me sad Momma.' 'I know sweetie, me too!!" We both sat there just crying. She got distracted by lunch, and ran off. I just sat.

 

As I looked I came across a poem Justin wrote soon after Dustin died. It is so beautiful. I wanted to share it.

Dustin Lee Kendall

Prouder nay has been a man,

When life was laid for him, a friend,

To tell the tale and cry the tear,

And wish him back to hold him near.

To think that I could be so blessed,

To have a friend who thought life less,

Than freedom for his fellow kin,

And thought it worthy to defend.

We will remember Dustin Lee,

A day won't pass that we won't see,

His face before us in our minds,

Though tears from eyes may fall sometimes.

Tears are real and pain is strong,

But we know that it won't be long,

'til all together we'll meet up there,

And once again that SMILE he'll share.

I know another who such did,

For me and mine our sin to rid,

Did choose His life to give away,

So I could live another day.

And gratitude is what we give

We show it in the life we live,

Freed for freedom is what we've been,

Freed from oppression, and freed from sin.

So don't forget the sacrifice,

Of two who came and gave their lives,

Some difference between may be,

But both showed love for even me.

By Justin B. Carroll

 

That last sections ties everything together for me. My emotions, my thoughts, and what I want to scream to the world. DONT forget him. Please don't forget him. Not just how he died, but his beautiful life. His smile, his laugh, his amazing way of making you do the same! Don't forget that he lived, and now there is a huge hole where he used to be. I cant believe that it has been 3 years, but please still don't forget. For a hundred years... DONT FORGET him!

Being Real

I was reading my Mom-in-laws blog http://simplytoday-autumn.blogspot.com/a few days ago and was reading her entry about how much she appreiciated her kids and their writing, and how glad she is that they are "REAL" when they write. It really has had me thinking about what I write on my blog.

When I was about 13 or so I remember deciding I would not put anything negative or sour in any of my diarys, that way if my daughters ever read them they wouldn't see a grouchy teenager, or hear me talking bad about my siblings :). I guess that I have carried that same thought even into my writing and journaling now.

So... I am going to work on that. Because truthfully I do have bad days, and honestly sometimes I do want to talk bad about my siblings... HEEHEE just kiddin'!
More seriously though, as great and wonderful as my life is, I do have rough days, as do we all!
i think people feel encouraged to know that other people have struggles, but that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!


2Co 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Happy 2009

Passing time is such an interesting thing. It is so happy and then there are things that make you sad that time has passed! For example at the beginning of a new year I always think about how many years we have been married, because we got married in 2000, it is very easy to remember! What a happy realization... it will mark 9 years this year!
But then in 15 days it will be three years since my brother Dustin was killed in Iraq. That makes me sad. It has been 3 years since I have heard his voice, watched him laugh, or talked to him about how he was. It has been 3 years since he has blessed this earth with his fun personality and great smile. Time is a strange thing.

Another example... my KIDS! What a strange phenomenon. You push them to grow and learn new things, even beg them to walk and talk, then you look back and your sad that they aren't a baby anymore, that they have grown SO much! My beautiful girls have changed so much this year. I am so blessed by their different personalities and the differences between them. I am happy for time changing them into beautiful little girls, but then I panick at the fact that if these past 7 years with lexi have gone by so fast, what about the next 7 years. These are the times, where I want to yell out, "SLOW down time!".

Time, such a strange thing!

Ps 118:24 This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Mt 6:34 "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Then I read what God has to say about that and I am reminded, one day at a time, soaking in what God has for me RIGHT then, and I will not regret passing time!

Time... Let us rejoice and be glad in it!