That Was Then This is Now!

I really like to take a look back and see how far we have come, I still look at the girls in amazement and can't believe they are really here sometimes. I never want to forget the road we traveled to bring them home or the life they left behind. In June of 09 we went to Haiti and found Avrie pretty sick and didn't think she would make it. When I tell people that now they look at me like I am exaggerating the circumstances, but I am not that June was full of worry and dread waiting for the email telling us that she didn't make it. Today Avrie is so full of life, she thinks she owns the place and that we are all here to answer to her beck and call. She is smart funny and pretty darn cute. Today she wanted me to play school with her and we played school for at least 3 hours. We did everything and she kept calling me "teacher". "Teacher what we doing next?" She is ready for pre-school, I just hope pre-school will be ready for her.



Destina is really growing up she is mature beyond her years and she really is a fun person. She gets the Gordon family humor, and she loves life. She has no problem going head to head with her brothers but at school she wants to be everyone's friend and is sad when someone is mean to her. She likes to help me out in the kitchen cooking but I can't remember the last time she helped with the dishes. She still loves her baby doll and plays with her everyday, she has told me stories of her life in Haiti and I try to honor who she is and what brought her to our family. She is doing good in school and loves soccer and dance.

As I Was Looking For Something...

As I was looking for a different picture for a different post that I was thinking about doing I came across this dandy! Since I just posted about Katie's prom I thought this blast from the past was pretty fitting. The year was 1985, and this was the Jr. Prom, I loved my dress especially with the white lace gloves, my dress was pushing the modesty button with off the shoulder ruffles but that was me, always a rebel. My date was actually my boyfriend, the guy I thought I would marry and ride off into the sunset to live happily ever after with, once I graduated from high school. He was a great guy, but so glad I married Scott instead.
Why did I think back then that I knew everything? I had my life mapped out, or at least the next 5 years which back then seemed like a lifetime. Maybe it is a good thing we go through this life without the knowledge of our future, would we make the same choices that lead us to where we are, would we make the same mistakes that takes us on those life's journeys that can be painful but make us stronger? I remember this day and in some respects it seems like so long ago, but I know that this girl had dreams and some of those dream came true and some did not. This girl did not know the many twists and turns her life would take but she had that adventurous spirit to take the leap, and follow the road less traveled.

Prom

Tonight was Katelyn's Prom she was so excited to go, she is usually not the get all dressed up kind of girl but she had so much fun planning for this dance. She borrowed the perfect dress, thanks Madie, she even wanted me to do her hair and make-up, no pressure, Katie and Andre had a fun night! It started off with a dinner for 22 kids at a friends house, the food was yummy, and all the kids had a great time. Then off to the dance, then a bon fire at another friends house. It was a great way to end her senior year, next up graduation!

Some People's Children

The other day while I was busy making dinner, or maybe it was the day I was watching dinner get made for me...my lovely sweet children took Jayden into the bathroom to trim a piece of hair that was too long. My first indication that something was wrong should have been the fact that all the teenagers in the house decided to go help out. The picture above is proof of the guilty parties, McKenzie with her Cheshire Cat grin was the instigator it was her idea, after all she is too old to get into too much trouble, Kelsie looks like the innocent bystander thinking...um how is this going to turn out. Katie is documenting the moment and Andre is doing the deed, because he is not my child and, therefore, how much trouble can he get into? Jayden is just going along for the ride but secretly he is thinking "I am the new Bosco" from the A-Team!

Katie really should have been video taping my reaction as Jayden came out to the kitchen in a beanie and I told him to take it off, I am sure I looked like a deer in headlights, I was not happy! The only reason my lovely children did not get into trouble was because they had so much fun, they were all getting along and it is always fun to pull a fast one on mom, even if Jayden is the one with the dorky haircut! I even let him keep it for about 4 days until I could not stand it any longer, now he is almost bald!

Destina

Before our friends left for their new adventures we had them over for dinner and she wanted to straighten Destina's hair, the right way. When I invited her over I told her she would have to cook the meal, she gave me the grocery list and then I set her free in my kitchen. I figured it has been at least a month since she has cooked anything and she has been eating whatever people have been making so I thought she might enjoy cooking, because lets face it I don't! She made us some pretty yummy food, we had fried chicken, rice, potatoes, salad, garlic bread, and dessert. Now all my kids want me to make that too. I have to admit I never make fried chicken, the only time we eat it is if we buy it.
After dinner we set out to do Destina's hair which really didn't take too long. She used "Dr. Miracles" hair relaxer and recommends his products. Yesterday, as Destina was getting ready for school, looking in the mirror and brushing through her hair, she turned to me and said "I look like my mom, she had straight hair just like this". I love that she can remember her mom in Haiti and that she has good memories of her, I wish I could have met her, I am sure she was an amazing person.

The Manning Effect

I did a post earlier about the family that was just passing through and have been coming to our church for the last month or so while they wait on paperwork to cross the border. Well a weird thing happened, our church has been affected by the Mannings. This family was brought to us to see if we really do walk the talk and practice what we preach. We talk a lot about charity and serving others and our whole congregation was put the the test this last month. This family came here, and I don't know their financial particulars, but I think it is safe to assume that they really didn't have the funds to camp out in Bellingham for a month. It has been real interesting to watch how our church has reacted to their situation. Our church members have opened their homes to this family, we have fed them dinner if not every night then most of the nights they have been here. Our church members have invited them into their homes and hopefully made them feel welcome. All this for complete strangers, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). The Mannings came to our church and we came together as a unit to lighten their load, and in return we have been blessed, they are great people.
It was interesting to me that our congregation has been so willing to step up and help. This family has been the last to leave the building because they have made so many friends that people want to stay and talk to them, or maybe it is their cute little girl that they want to play with as well. What if our congregation started treating each other with the same willingness to serve? What would happen if we started inviting those families to dinner or other activities, that come to our service every week, that are maybe having a hard time or struggling with loneliness. What if we started including more people into our own personal friend groups instead of being exclusive to just a few? What if we went out of our comfort zone and really exemplified Christ's example by loving our neighbor as ourselves, and doing unto others as we would have them do unto us. What if we started judging others less and giving each other the benefit of the doubt. A great friend of mine said to me the other day that "we should treat others like they are in some kind of crisis, because they probably are." What if we extended kindness to others even if it really isn't merited, do we turn the other cheek?
I am not trying to preach nor proclaim that I am doing all of the above but wouldn't it be nice if we could all try a little harder and make that effort to make those around us feel loved, accepted and wanted.
For me the Manning Effect has been something that we needed. The girls have really connected to this family I think they really needed to be around someone that looks like them, that understands the prejudices that they face and getting advice on how to deal with the "mean people" on a level that I have not had to. And they have loved having their own personal hair dresser for the last 2 weeks, that actually knows how to braid hair! They leave this week but I really hope that the lessons they taught our congregation will linger and that I can take those lessons to the next level.

Losing Your Best Friend

Scott has had a best friend since high school. They along with their other buddy Jason joined the military right after high school. When they were deciding on which career path to take they both made the decision that it didn't matter what they did as long as they were together, and that they would be stationed by a ski resort. I know really smart thinking!

They both decided to become part of a bomb squadron because the training was in Denver CO during the winter and that meant Skiing at Vail CO every weekend. After that training was finished they were both assigned to Hill AFB in Utah again more skiing, because really what does it matter what you do during the day when you can go skiing every weekend.

They were both great skiers but Scott was always trying to keep up with Eric. It didn't matter if it was on the slopes or in the water Eric had the edge over Scott. Eric took up sail boarding and Scott, well, he started dating me. They were stationed together for their first 4 years of service, Eric was the best man at our wedding.

After 4 years they both were stationed in different places but they kept in touch and we would meet up when we could. We have a lot of Eric stories at our house and whenever they would call each other, even if it had been years since they last talked, they would answer the phone with a simple "ugh" it was their call sign.

18 months ago Eric was diagnosed with cancer, he fought the battle even had a bone marrow transplant last fall, he went into remission and it seemed like he was going to get his life back and be there to watch his little 4 year old boy grow up. He was back at work and then on a Monday he wasn't feeling so good, came down with a cold and by the end of the week it was pneumonia. He was in the hospital fighting for his life. He asked to see those close to him and Scott got the call a couple of days after we came back from Hawaii and he drove down to Seattle to visit him. By the time he got there he was unconscious, Scott held his hand, told him how much he loved him, and said his goodbyes.
Yesterday, Scott was clearing out his voice mail, he only does this semi annually, and there on one of the messages was the familiar "ugh" that is all that was said. About 30 minutes later we got the call that Eric lost the battle and passed away. Eric will always be in our hearts, we will always get a laugh out of the funny Scott and Eric stories and he will be missed.