The season of LOVE! <3

Ahhh. .. . .I just LOVE the season of love! (I think I love all the "seasons", as it seems like I always say "this is my favorite season"!) I am always amazed, though, at how much I just love ......well, LOVE! I love being IN love, I love loving my children, I love loving my mom and "papa", I love loving in-laws like my own, I even love loving the teachers that teach my children at school and at church. I love watching love through other's eyes as well - especially through the eyes of someone else I love. Watching Darrell love our children is one of those blessings that I never really expected in my life - but I LOVE watching that love grow daily. I love loving our lives (although CRAZY!!) I love watching love and trust grow between new believers and our God, I love . . . . . well, you get the point!

Valentine's day has been a little more poignant for me this year, as I am currently watching 2 men that I think the world of, mourn the loss of their "loves", as both wives have left their marriages. It makes me even that much more grateful for the amazing relationship that Darrell and I share, and has made me much stronger in my belief that we will always do what we can to "work things out". I feel blessed to have a husband who loves me, who still has that wonderful romantic side (wait until you hear what he did for V day this year!), who loves our children, who would never do anything to hurt us, who provides for us with unwavering work ethic, and who has become an amazing Christian man who models to others how love and LIFE should be. How did I get so lucky!?

So, as you can imagine, people at school were just cracking up at me, as I floated up and down the halls of Penny Road, just being in love with love. You know, teachers on edge with 800 some kids all on a "high" from sugar and pure excitement, then enter "Mrs. Annas", just floating around without a care that all these children were becoming like the animals in the zoo. . .I am sure I was a very funny sight to all around! :) It is my sincere hope, though, that our children will be 'giddy' with love in their lives someday. How wonderful it would be to know that they are sincerely happy and cared for, safe and loved. How difficult it is as a parent to sit and pray that that "perfect" someone is being groomed by God to love and protect our children! I tell people all the time, I am not raising "children", I am raising someone's spouse! It is so hard to imagine, yet so very important to me! Kevin already knows that "girls like flowers and things that smell pretty - especially chocolate!" (good job there, Kev! Thumbs up from mommy!) The girls can recite until they are blue in the face that they "deserve" to be treated like princesses, and that pretty flowers are an important gift from their significant other (and that they, in turn, will treat him with honor and respect!). Phew - there is SO much to teach them that sometimes I wonder HOW I can fit that all in in only 18 years! WOW!

So, all in all, I just wanted to post that, yes, I am still in LOVE, and yes, I still love the idea of love, and yes, I do believe in the idea of "someone for everyone". I have always loved Valentine's Day, and silly pink hearts, red and pink roses, romance, chocolate and candles. I still think it is fun to make food into heart shapes, and tint whipped cream pink (yes, I do that!), I love making Valentine boxes, and silly little cards. I wrote my traditional poems to the teachers and to our children - I just love love! I am so very humbly blessed to be married to my best friend, and am blown away that he really does have a romantic side, and he BLOWS my mind when he allows it to come out! It is a true testimony to love if I can be with someone for 19 years, and love him more today than I did way back when. I am so blessed that God made him just for me and that he graciously puts up with me!

Don't forget to let everyone know that you love them! It is just the most precious feeling in the world!


Keep being in love - it makes the world go round!!

Shannon

Snow day. . . .take two!

Okay, so since it only snows here about every 5 years or so, we had to indulge more than once! Most of you probably know that I AM a princess, so I go out in it only long enough to take some cute pictures and then I am done! (after all, the kids need SOMEONE to make the hot chocolate and dry their clothes! :) Thank goodness for my oldest kid. . . . . . . .Darrell! He is the one that is so fun to play with (with or withOUT snow!) Day 2 brought enough sun to make the snow wet enough to stick, so we finally got our snowman! Grammy will be happy to know that the "coal" Darrell got in his stocking for Christmas came in handy for some really cool "eyes" for Frosty! His carrot nose was complements of Kayden from her kitchen, and he got some gorgeous "pearly whites" from Kevin's 'collection'. (I always knew allowing him to collect rocks and sticks would come in handy! ;) I am always amazed how he is "all boy" and the girls are so . . . "girly"! They are truly all growing up so fast and becoming so much a 'boy' and 'girl' that it almost hurts! I am often in awe as I watch them grow, and just pray that while we always thought we were doing "right" by them, that we have done our job as parents as well as could possibly be done.



After yesterday's big snow, I knew Kody would be curious, but it was really funny to see him experience it for the first time! He bounced like a bunny yesterday, but then got such horrible frozen "balls" of snow in his hair, I thought getting him to even go out to do his "business" would be tough, but not MY dog! He decided to just bury his face in it and get the cold part out of the way, I suppose! He was pretty cute to watch!

After building Frosty, Daddy promised a snowball fight, so the kids got what they asked for! It always amazes me how there is only 1 of Darrell, and 3 kids, yet he gets the best of them every time! I am proud of the kids for not giving up, though, and have to say, Kylie got her Daddy GOOD with a snowball - right in the side of the head! All in all, it makes me so proud to be a wife and a mom! I could not have asked for a more wonderful husband - I have said more than once God make him just for me (ahhh. . . that is another blog for another time! :) And our children, (although frustrating at times!) are my 3 biggest blessings ever. Who would have ever thought through infertility and miscarriage, struggles and disappointments we would have THREE beautiful, amazing children!? Anyway, I digress. . . .

Now that we have had the snow, I am quite ready for spring! I am not sure that "old man winter" is quite done with us yet, though! I had heard it would be a tough winter, so I am not sure that only one little snow will satisfy him! One can only hope. . . .

Stay warm!

Love,
Shannon

Innaugural Snow. . . .

Wow! What an awesome day it was today! I cannot even believe that my whole family got to be home together today and not only play in the snow, but got to witness history, as well! What an amazing experience! I know that I could have never shared the innauguration with the children as intimately as watching it live with them. Can you imagine trying to explain to two 6 1/2 year olds, "well, President Obama placed his hand on a very old Bible and said some words, then he became our 44th president"? Just don't think it would have meant the same! I hope that our country - our nation - is now on a path of peace and a re-newed sense of hope. When we pray at night, we are certainly aware of how many families are in desperate need. So many out of jobs, fighting illnesses, and several we know are having marrital dischord. So many need to feel His touch, and sense His movement in their lives, that it almost makes me feel a tad guilty that we have felt Him so much this week!

Playing in the snow was a fun distraction from our "real lives" today. I just wish we could have gotten a better snowman out of the deal! ;) I guess we can't have it all! (*LOL*) At least we have one more day off before "returning to normal programming" - our crazy, busy lives! Maybe tomorrow we will get that snowman yet. . . .

Still doing the snow dance!

Love,
Shannon

Jars of Clay - His Will, Our Journey

Okay, well, for a very long time I have wanted to be able to "blog" more about things that are "real". Things that matter to not only those that love us, but things that matter to LOTS of people. (not that my family doesn't matter to lots of people - that is NOT what I mean!) I think that God has now set us on a journey, that gives me all the ammunition I need to write about something that can make a difference in people's lives. I am learning SO much about life - I have learned so many "life lessons" in the past few years, and God has been truly kind and mericiful in all of them! (not that they aren't hard, He has just been merciful!) I have recently learned that I truly am just a piece of clay, and that He is the ulitimate "potter". My ideas of "how things should go" and His, aren't always the same - sometimes my timing is just off a little, and sometimes I am supposed to be heading in the complete opposite direction!! He has promised to never forsake us, to never leave us, and I have to tell you , in the last week and a half, He has proven Himself time and time again. We serve a gracious and merciful God!! Here is my latest "life lesson" and thought I would share. . .


Many of you know that for the last 10 1/2 years, my dear husband has gotten up at the crack of dawn almost every day and delivered the News and Observer. It was not a glamorous job, but it did replace almost 1/2 of my salary when we decided I would not return to dental hygiene, but become a full time mommy. It has served us well allowing us to maintain a lifestyle that we were comfortable with. If you had asked us at any given point in the last year, could we give up the income from Darrell doing the paper route, unfortunately we would have both answered the same - "no way!" Truly in human terms, we could not do without the extra $700 a month that splitting the route with our dear friends, provided us. But, on Thursday, January 8, His Will, Our Journey, began.


It had been a rough week - a very rough start to what we had hoped would be a wonderful beginning to a new year. We had all been very sick over the Christmas break - with a stomach virus, then Strep throat and impetigo on top of that! Darrell was hit the hardest with the illness - running a fever at one point of 104 degrees and doctors telling him that he probably had a touch of the flu along with the strep. (hence his absence in ALL of our New Years Eve photos!)Unfortunately for us, his partner was on a long overdue family vacation, so Darrell, sick as a dog, continued to get up every morning at 3:30am and faithfully delivered his papers. After 10 days of the route (sick for 8 of those), he overslept for the first time in 10 1/2 years. To make a long story short - they told him not to come back. By the time he came back to bed with me, all he could say was, "honey, I have some really bad news." Now, I have to say, I don't think there are many other things that can scare me as bad as my husband coming to bed and saying he has some really bad news! I could tell he was really shaken, and that scared me even more. In over 15 years of marriage I have VERY rarely seen anything "shake" him. He told me the events that had transpired, and even as he was talking, it was as if a sense of peace completely enfolded us. Over about an hour of laying in bed talking through things, we came to the mutual realization that this was all God's hand moving. I know my husband, and I have come to realize that there is not one lazy bone in his body - if there is work that can be done, he will gladly do it - and not even think to complain. If we made $300,000 per year and had absolutely zero debt, I cannot imagine him ever saying, "I don't think we really need that $700 a month any more, I think I will just quit the route." It would always be, "if I just worked one more month, we could save for this, or that", etc. Even more pressing is the fact that if he ever quit, that would leave our dear friends in a bind, as they would then have to do the route full time with no breaks, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. God saw that this route would never end for us if He left it in our hands. So, now we have the sense of peace about us, but the realization of losing $700 a month is a REAL fact - and a scary one at that! But, again, I realize that He uses us, just "plain jane" people - "jars of clay" if you will - to spread His word - to show and prove to others that He is as real as it gets. He knew with my big mouth that wouldn't be a problem! ;) I am not even sure I can begin to recount all the ways that He has shown us His hands over the last 2 weeks. I guess the start of it all happened in the first few days following the ordeal. The most pressing and concerning matter was that they had taken the route not only from Darrell, but from our friend as well. We felt a sense of peace about it, but certainly did NOT want to be the cause of our friends to struggle financially. Our first and foremost prayer was that they would give our friend the route back. My prayer was that if God wanted to move in their lives the same way, then please do so, but PLEASE don't let my husband feel that it was HIS doing that the route was taken. I never wanted him to have to carry that burden himself. Being the gracious God that he is, the N&O did give the route back to our friends. GRACE!! After that, we realized that if we eliminated some of the extra money we are sending to bills (we had been sending quite a bit more than needed so we could pay things off faster) and got rid of a few things (like cable) that were really not "necessities", we can really make a go at this without the route. Then, we came to the realization that it will give Darrell the time to really focus on his stock trading (which is where we feel God has led us all along) which he could not do on 3 hours of sleep per night. I have gone to school every day with a new "story" that I relay to one of my "prayer warriors" - the most recent one was the day I was going to splurge on rolls for our sandwiches. I was going to stop at the store and get the rolls, but decided to go back out later. My dear friend, Aimee, asked me to bring her children home from church last Wednesday night. When we met, the children got out of my car and into hers when she handed me a bag that was tied, and just said there were some things for me in there. I got back into my car, and being the curious person I am, had to open the bag at the next stoplight. When I opened the bag, I called her immediately, and told her I was almost weeping. I had wanted to splurge on the rolls, and yet instead, God sent Aimee to me . . . . . . . . .with rolls. WOW. I got chills just re-writing that story! Friday, Darrell worked from home and even while working, was able to watch a bit of the market and jumped into 2 trades and made $160 in only 2 hours! Affirmation for us that it is okay - He is in control, and our focus is now headed in the right direction! As Darrell said, he could have stayed in the trade and made more money, but all he really needed was a "brick" to continue to build a foundation and his confidence. God has affirmed His presence at every turn, at every corner. I am still a bit scared - I cannot lie! I have prayed for forgiveness for my "human-ness" of that. But I have also prayed for his continued peace and know that He will carry us - He promised. And one thing I know about my God, is that He never breaks those!

We thank you all for loving us and keeping us close in prayer!



Keeping our chins up!

Love,
Shannon

How Blessed we are. . .

Okay, so I admit, I am HORRIBLE at updating our blog!! I get inspired every time I see one of my dear friends posting such meaningful and sweet posts, and get this "determination" to update it more often. I have to wonder how I am SO technologically unsavvy, while being married to the worlds biggest computer guru on the face of the earth! (I guess I am embarrassed to even ask him sometimes, just so he doesn't realize how much I DON'T know! ;) I am making yet another attempt, although, I must tell you, my laptop is now in rehab (well, to be honest, I think it has actually passed, due to its wine consumption - that occured the evening BEFORE my speeding ticket on the way to school the next day!) Therefore, my photos are in a bit of a dilemma, as they have not yet been removed from my laptop, and I am not as comfortable pulling them from Darrell's computer! (HA!!! Like I am comfortable doing it from ANYONE'S computer!!!!) Therefore, there will be no cute Christmas photos, (although with my husband, you can be sure there are hundreds of those!) and who knows the most recent that have been downloaded, so I will post what I can!





We have been so very blessed this year, and looking back, the year has flown by way to fast. We were especially blessed this year to have Kylie dance in Carolina Ballet's Nutcracker again. What an awesome experience to see your daughter, dance in front of hundreds of people on a stage that is about the size of our entire downstairs, with real, live, professional dancers! It is a "welling up" moment for mom, that's for sure! Yesterday was her last performance, and I was honored to be the "backstage mom" and got to escort the girls to the stage from their dressing room. WOW! It was truly amazing - to see these girls - they know exactly where to go, and when to go - it is pretty cool! I am going to make an attempt to post a photo. . .



Whew! I think I did it! So, yes, it was a very hectic, crazy holiday season, as all of our weekends from October on, consisted of Nutcracker rehearsals! It was this crazy busy, awful yet wonderful, time in our lives! I have had moms tell me that they could never keep my schedule and do the things I do, and yet my response to that is, "if you find your child's true gift - not just something they 'like' to do, but their true, God-given and God inspired GIFT - you will find a way to do it - even if it makes your life hectic! For Kylie, dance is not something she does, it is what she lives - she breathes dance. She dances in her dreams. She FEELS dance. And to those who have been blessed to watch her, they see the passion as well. She has worked very hard and become the youngest one to be invited in to the ballet troupe at her dance school, and is one of the inaugural members of the newly formed "Holly Springs Dance Company Apprentice" team. We are so very proud of her! Her diabetes is under control (although as a mom, you want all the numbers to be perfect!) and we are SO proud that she has never allowed it to limit her potential.



Kevin is trying his hand at basketball this season! We have tried soccer, T-ball and now Basketball. Truly, sports are not his gift, but we want to expose him to any and all that he desires to try! We are very proud of the progress he has made (from not being able to dribble the ball at all and not even coming close to the goal!) to being able to hold a decent dribble and making the shot sometimes! He just loves to make people laugh - that is his passion and gift at this point! (oh, and absolutely decimating ANYONE at Super Mario Carts on the Wii - can't forget that one!) We love watching him grow, and hear all the "boy" things come out of his mouth! Things like "I want a double "light-saver" for Christmas! (meaning Light-SABER!) Ugh - watching Star Wars was the end of my sweet, innocent little guy!! ;) He is still the loving, sweet light of my life!



Kayden, what can I say about my dear Kayden? Kayden is. . . . .well. . . .. Kayden! She continues to dance, and loves it, although I never want her to dance just because "sissy" does. I so want her to find HER passion! I really do think that it is her passion as well, I just think she lacks the "old soul" maturity that Kylie has always possesed. She will excel much more in Jazz and Modern dance, where as her sister truly excels in all of it, but especially ballet. Kylie could stay at the studio for hours and do barre work to strengthen her muscles (and would if it meant she could go "on pointe" sooner!) where as Kayden has that child-like mentality of dance, but then PLAY!! (which she SHOULD have! She is only 6 after all!) She is just as "intense" as the day she was born, and we are loving watching her grow and become the "go getter" that she is.



All 3 kids are excelling in school, and we are so proud of the way they are balancing it all! Some days (okay, be honest here mom, MOST days!) they do it better than me! I am still struggling with the "working mom" thing, and have yet to find a way to get it all done in only a 24 hour time period! I know I will get there, I just hope that by the time I finally "get it", I can just be home again! I tell you, with my family's schedule, it really would be ideal for me to be that "domestic engineer" again! Ahhh. . . . someday! :)



All 3 (or should I say 4!) kids are still very involved in their Indian Guide/Princess tribes with Darrell (hence the 4th kid!). He is chief of Kevin's tribe, which rounds out our amazingly crazy, loving schedule!!



I am hoping that now that I have given a small update and peek into our crazy lives, I can now post some more meaningful, and expressive posts soon! We hope you all have had a wonderfully special holiday season, and that God's love has filled each of you with the promise of our eternal Father's never-ending love and protection for us all. We pray for a peaceful, joyous 2009 for all of you!



Love,

Shannon

Okay, it's been a crazy few months.. . .

So. . . we went to Disney, we came home, we had birthdays and sleepovers and crazy "laundry parties"! It was a wonderful summer! We really had a great time being home and having daddy every other Friday made for some very fun long weekends! In the crazy mix, Darrell and I celebrated our 15 year anniversary at the end of July! (we celebrated by tagging items for the twin sale. . . .woooo hooo!!) Don't worry, we were able to make it up to each other with a wonderful surprise bed and breakfast and I got a gorgeous ring out of the deal! :) We have started school again, and now I remember how much I stink at trying to work and keep our household going!! As I type, I have 2 loads of laundy to fold, one in the dryer and one being washed - I am beginning to HATE Saturdays!! :) The kids have settled into their school routine very nicely, and things are going great. The girls have managed to fit their dancing schedule into their lives so that the school work gets done, and the dance can continue. This year, Kevin and Kayden moved up in the world at our church, as they are now "1st graders" so they have moved downstairs to the "big kid" Sunday School class (Kylie just LOVES that they are down there with her now . . . NOT!) and Kevin is now an RA (Royal Ambassador) and Kayden a GA (Girls in Action). Plus, this is Kylie's last year in Indian Princess as well as Kayden's first year, and Kevin is now in Indian Guides. That means my poor husband is busier than ever with 3 tribes - and he has even taken the "chief's" role in Kevin's! ARGH!! Someday I will get to see him again! :) If that schedule wasn't grueling enough, many of you may remember that Kylie was in Carolina Ballet's version of the Nutcracker last Christmas, and she decided to audition again this year. She went from having a small (but important!) role last year to being a "Party Girl" this year!! For those of you that may be unfamiliar, that is a role second only to the role of Clara, and so her part in it, and the responsibility that goes along with that is AMAZING!! (Not that we are proud or anything!! ) That means 2 1/2 hour rehearsals in Raleigh every weekend from now until Christmas and even more rehearsals as the performance dates approach! AGGHHHH!!! And I think I can try to hold down a full time job. . . . . without going all gray! I will do my best! I must run for now, but will try to blog again soon. I really do love doing it, it's just tough to find the time! Thank you all for putting up with us and loving us through this crazy time!

Love,

Shannon

Off we go. .. .

Well, today is our last day to pack and make final preparations! Off to Disney we go!! Our favorite place on earth!!!! :) This trip will be a little more "low key", as it was a last minute idea, but we are still looking forward to a fabulous time! We have several Character Dinings booked, and Kayden will just DIE when she finds out that she will get to do Bibbity Bobbity Boutique again! (a nice b-day surprise!) We had a BALL watching the girls get all made up last time! I can't wait to post pictures and share! Here are some teaser photos of our last experience:

Do they look like they have the life, or what? Oh, to be a princess. . . .

Of course, with "germ-fanatic" mom here, what do my youngest 2 go and do 4 days before Disney? GET SICK!! We would love any get well vibes or prayers that can come our way. Kevin actually wound up with double pneumonia - it snuck up fast! Literally, a slight fever and cold one day to high fever and a pneumonia diagnosis the next - crazy! I took Kayden in last night, and no sign of pneumonia for her, so hopefully hers will just stay a virus and run its course. Poor Kevin had a shot of antibiotic at the doctors on Tuesday- he was BRAVE! If you have never had a shot of antibiotic, let me tell you - it is not a process for the faint at heart! It is a very long needle, and lots of antibiotic liquid to go in - my poor boy! He was amazing though, and earned his "Wendy's frosy float" for sure! Today, I think both children have turned the corner and are feeling bright and shiny again. Now if we can just keep everyone else well! :)

Well, I suppose I should go and finish up the last minute packing details - before Darrell comes home and finds me on this computer again! ;) Thank you to all the brave men and women who have unselfishly sacrificed to keep our country free! We hope you all have a fabulous 4th and be safe! We love you all and hope to see you all soon!!