Just a few photos of the past month...
Unfortunately, this is an all too common site...
The Buffington cousins with Grandma B!
The snow has been good for some great fun for the kids.
Roadtrips have made some memories and left a few 'scars'. :)
And of course, who can forget it's basketball season...
Love to watch!
So much has happened and so many things continue to happen. If only the world would stop for a moment so I could catch up!
Life has taken on a great change for me. I am trying to find out where I belong in the midst of the changes, in the midst of missing my sister. There were five of us and now there are four. There is definitely a missing link, and I don't know what to do.
I keep telling myself it's time to get back into the thick of things, but it's not working very well.
2010 will be an amazing year simply because God has not forsaken us. I look forward to all He has for each of us as we tentatively walk forward into the changes of life.
We had a very interesting trip this week when we took my mom and stepdad to see the monastery and convent. I knew my mom would just love to see it but I wasn't prepared for the beautiful architecture that we were able to see. 
The stain glass windows were like nothing I've ever seen!
The beauty of the sanctuary, if even for a brief moment, transcended denomination.
Rest break for Bob and Dirk!
At the convent. In the front was a huge statue of Jesus. The red dot in the photo is Dirk standing in the shadow of Jesus--the perfect place for my wonderful pastor hubby to be.
My beautiful mom and me enjoying the beautiful day outside as we waited for our tour.
I am still in awe of the peace I felt in the prayer chapel at the convent. 
Al waiting for her interview to see if they will accept her in the convent. (OK, so no, we're not Catholic, and no, she wasn't interested. But the thought of putting her in for a few years did cross through her father's mind!)
It's great being able to open our home up to friends and to the kids' friends.
A couple of weeks ago, they needed a place to have an "Office" party. 
I just don't get what's so great about that show...
You would think at my age, I would have learned not to hold on to 'things' too tightly. Once again I have found myself having a hard time prying my fingers from the tight grip of something, in this case Autumn. The beautiful colors of the trees and the warm sunshine that has more often than not been a part of these dwindling days have filled me with such peace and enjoyment. 
How can one resist the beauty that God has provided us in this changing season?!!
Almost a week ago, we had the H1N1 visit our house. I am pretty sure, we are just one of almost a zillion people who have had it pass through their houses. What amazed me was the speed with which it attacked my oldest. My younger kids and I were working at the food pantry and by the time I got home, Cole was not doing well at all. Several things occurred in the next couple of days to assure me that God is still in control, for which I am so very thankful for. I felt so strongly that Cole needed to be checked out at the clinic. Once we got there, no small feat in that, the doctor felt we needed to proceed to the hospital. His fever had dehydrated him and his lungs weren't sounding clear so off we went. The doctor there, diagnosed him with H1N1 and began loads of fluids through an IV and honestly, I'm not sure what else they were doing. In the mean time, the kids' grandma had arrived for a visit and so was helping keep their minds off Cole's situation. (What timing! Another God thing!) It was then decided that Dirk would stay with Cole while I came back to the house so I caught a ride back with one of our church members. It was really hard to leave Cole but I knew he did NOT want me to be the one helping him to the restroom, etc. In the night, however, Cole woke up with blood gushing all over from his IV that had come out. They had definitely found a very good vein and by the time Dirk got the nurses, there was blood all over. I thank God that Dirk was there and realize God had appointed that too. Thankfully, we were able to bring him home and let him rest and recover. I learned something very important through this unfortunate situation. No matter how old your child is, when they are in the hospital, they are still your baby. I learned that he is a very strong young man and I hope maybe God has blessed me with some of His strength too. 
My husband and I celebrated our 19th anniversary this weekend! It's been an amazing and wonderful time but what strikes me the most about this photo pre-wedding is the drastic change in hairstyles! ewww...
Our daughter went with us for a celebration lunch since the boys were gone. For the low, low cost of a Colt's jersey, she consented to have this impromptu photo session. Dirk picked the location and off we went. Hopefully, the poison ivy that was all around us will not become an issue... :)
I thank God that through a whole lot of mountains and valley's we are still together, holding hands, and being more in love than the day we married.
Not too long ago Will's adopted cat, Jag, became a mommy. It was pretty devestating to walk through the initial arrival of her offspring since we started out with seven and finally ended up with two of her little ones for the kids to cuddle and spoil. We've never really been big cat people and Amos has always taken his share and more of the love need for pets but that was all before Ace and Emily came to stay. For the most part, the cat family lives comfortably under the deck with what I thought were very rare visits inside for the kittens. Watching them these last couple of days has proven me wrong. These youngsters know their way around my house very well. 
And now I know why my plants are looking so sad!
And I also know why our milk supply is going at a much faster rate too!
Something is missing at our house and until it shows up, there may not be a lot of peace around here.
Earlier this week, I began to look for some photos that one of my sisters requested. No problem, I thought...little did I know! If you know me very well, you will know that I like photos. Lots of photos. If you know me at all, you also know that we've had a few moves in past years. I asked my husband to bring the somewhat large canisters from storage so I could go through them in search of the requested photos. Still sounds ok, right?
Then a couple of my children had their interest tweaked and started going through the canisters as well. At the bottom of one of the containers held our firstborn's babybook. Not only his babybook, but also the nice little scrapbook I put together with the cards we received along with the calendar of his first year of life--complete with all the stickers! Ok, so maybe you're sensing a little issue forming in the imagination of our youngest child? Our resident drama queen was a little put out that oldest child had what she considered TWO babybooks and made sure we all knew about it. At that point, she began the innocent search for her babybook. She searched through the first one...then the second one...then the last one...and by this time there were issues to say the least! "Where is MY babybook?! Am I even your child?", she said with all the enthusiasm of a soap opera diva. Because she didn't let off the hystrionics, I stopped whatever I was doing and went through the containers myself. Oops, *sheepish smile*, "I know you are ours, I just don't remember what I did with your book." I tried to calm her with. It didn't work. After that, I went through both of the cedar chests. Not there either. Uh-oh, now I'm getting into some deeper water with her. I offer to tell her almost every detail of her birth that I can remember (and haven't begged God to help me forget) but that didn't work either. Keep in mind that our son, whose book is also missing really could care less about the whole babybook thing, he found some pretty funky photos of his parents in the process and is by now bored with the whole thing.
Somewhere in a few moves and lots of photos, there is not just one babybook but two. Both of my younger children's books are missing. And honestly, I'm not sure where they are. But I do know that until I find them I'm going to be having to ask God to help me remember all those moments I had begged him previously to help me forget, just so I can 'prove' to her that she's really ours. And since I'm being honest, I will tell you that only their babybooks are missing. There's no point in looking for scrapbooks with their cards nicely arranged and cutsie calendars with stickers on. They just don't exist. *sheepish smile*.
There hasn't been much quiet in the house since the case of the missing babybooks has come up. And just when it seems to be settling down, she will make some crack about her being left out and unloved. I have no idea where she could possibly come up with her drama but it remains entertaining and because she doesn't allow us to forget, we'll keep looking for those books just to prove to her she is ours.
Not that she acts like either one of her parents, and that's not proof enough, mind you. :) 
To say I'm happy it's the weekend just doesn't begin to cover it. It seems like this week has been a long one and yet I find so many reason's to thank God for His love and constant presence!
Being able to stay with my niece and her husband following the birth of her firstborn was a true give and blessing. My prayer is that it somehow helped her and also my sister who so wanted to be the one helping her daughter grow accustomed to her newborn but couldn't. It was a week away from my own family with a bit less sleep on the schedule but oh so worth it.
Having recently returned from the funeral of my sister-in-law seems to have brought many of us into a deeper state of thinking. Her sudden death was a tragedy to my family and yet I was completely overwhelmed that every member of my family, with the exception of the one who was in the hospital herself, came to stand next to and give whatever love, support and encouragement we could to my brother and his family.
As my sister's health deteriorates it takes much faith and focus to know that God indeed has a plan for her life as well as every one of ours who are blessed to be praying for and encouraging her in her walk of faith.
To receive the news that a different sister had been taken to the hospital with a stroke seemed like more than this family could digest. But we are by the grace and unfathomable love of God. Thankfully, my oldest sister will be ok, IF she will take the advice of the doctors and walk the path of less worry.
All of these situations at times seem to weigh heavily upon my heart but it's in these moments when I can do nothing but open my Bible to the ever present comfort of our Heavenly Father.
Praising HIM for all He is through all the storms there are...
