This is Susanna, speaking at her husband's funeral. Please watch it, let the Lord speak to you through it, and please, please pray for this beloved family.
http://www. winknews. com/news/top/25800324. html
Blessings in a Simple LifeThere are tiny glimpses of miracles everyday in life; I am writing this blog as a way to keep track of the simple joys that God has given me in an ordinary day.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Growing up, I rarely had good friends. I was the girl everyone made fun of. I remember in elementary school, being insulin dependent, and having kids say, "Don't sit next to her, she has a disease." I was so introverted by the time I hit my teens that I truly did not know who I was anymore. I had a friend in high school though, one that I opened up to, to the best of my ability. Her name was Susanna. She was a beautiful person, inside and out. She dreamed of marrying her prince one day, and having a beautiful marriage. And she did. It was around the time she met Andy that she and I parted ways, but I was happy that she was happy. Andy filled her with joy, and I was glad for that, from afar. Over the past couple years, we got back in touch. No three hour phone calls like in high school, but an occasional e-mail, or comment on MySpace, but I am thankful for it. I am thankful for her. She and Andy were missionaries to the people of Myanmar and Thailand. They have a 4 year-old son, Samuel, a one-year-old daughter, Sasha, and a 5-month-old daughter, Sylvia. After working in the mission field, they returned to our hometown to raise their growing family. They recently bought a house and Andy decided to go into law enforcement. I know Susanna was proud of him. Last Friday, Andy was shot and killed when answering a domestic call. He never drew his weapon. The man who shot Andy was also killed. Truly, honestly, my heart has broken for her. She had what she had always dreamed of having in a husband. She had that stolen away from her, unjustly, unfairly, and far too soon in their marriage. If I could have one single wish in this world, I wish I could take this pain for her. I know she is crushed, and I truly hate it. We might not be close like we once were, but I truly have been torn up by this since Friday. I hate that this has happened to her and to her three beautiful children. I am posting links at the bottom of this blog so you guys can read about her and what an amazing man Andy was. If you feel so led, they do have a memorial fund started for her and for her kids, and I know that they would be blessed by any gifts given. I myself have sent some funds, and am trying to get a fundraiser put together locally. Most of all though, please, please pray for Susanna and her three babies, as well as Andy's family. Only God can bring peace in times like this, and I know that He will. The blessing in all of this is that Andy was a devoted Christian, and that he is truly more alive now than he ever has been. 
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEWS01/307220001/1075&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jul/20/family-slain-fort-myers-officer-makes-statement/
Donations can also be made to "Herocare, Inc., c/o the Widman Family" and mailed to 8695 College Parkway, Suite 2060 in Fort Myers, FL 33919. You can also make donations online via Herocare's website - and click on the "donate now" button.
Here is a link with many donation opportunities:
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=20525&z=3
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080721/NEWS01/307220001/1075&referrer=FRONTPAGECAROUSEL
http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jul/20/family-slain-fort-myers-officer-makes-statement/
Donations can also be made to "Herocare, Inc., c/o the Widman Family" and mailed to 8695 College Parkway, Suite 2060 in Fort Myers, FL 33919. You can also make donations online via Herocare's website - and click on the "donate now" button.
Here is a link with many donation opportunities:
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=20525&z=3
Thursday, July 17, 2008
WeEkEnD
So tomorrow starts off the weekend. I know for many of you, that is a time of well-needed rest, some time home by yourself to catch up on the mundane. Not here. It seems that every weekend Wes has off, we are slammed with plans. This weekend will start off with the Masons Ldge annual bar-b-q. Wes usually spends four or so hours taking to-go boxes of the food around the county to people that either can't leave their homes (mostly elderly people) or cannot get away from work to go to the lodge for their plate. So, he will be doing that, I will be busy cleaning and getting us ready for Saturday and Sunday.
One thing that will make this easier is that I got my new cell phone! (If you want me to ever call, you'll need to call me or text me at my old number, or e-mail your number to me.) I am pretty excited about it. Wes got me the purple MOTO and got a black one for himself. Both wound up being free, which was great, too. Now I just need to figure out how to make my playlist on it...
Saturday will possibly a trip to Abingdon, VA, to Wes' dad's family reunion. He absolutely hates family reunions. Newsflash: Wes' job has turned him into an anti-social old goat. Seriously, though, the man hates going over there anyway, so the reunion makes it that much harder for hm. I told him it is his decision whether or not we go, or if he wants to go alone, or if he wants us all to stay here and get some big household projects done. He is back and forth with it. I am sure it is not easy spending time with a father that told you on a regular basis while you were growing up that he never wanted you. If he will go, which I think we will, it will be for his grandfather. His papaw is getting older and he was always good to Wesley when he was growing up. We'll see what mood he is in when he wakes up that morning!
Sunday will start with church, of course, then we will race home to change and go back out to celebrate my little brother's 28th birthday. At this point, we don't know where or an exact time, but with two small kids, this will take up our afternoon and early evening.
Then home for baths, pj's, books, massage, prayers, and tucking in the babies.
After that, I will be tutoring Wes for his computer class final and Art appreciation exam. Yippee!
So tomorrow starts off the weekend. I know for many of you, that is a time of well-needed rest, some time home by yourself to catch up on the mundane. Not here. It seems that every weekend Wes has off, we are slammed with plans. This weekend will start off with the Masons Ldge annual bar-b-q. Wes usually spends four or so hours taking to-go boxes of the food around the county to people that either can't leave their homes (mostly elderly people) or cannot get away from work to go to the lodge for their plate. So, he will be doing that, I will be busy cleaning and getting us ready for Saturday and Sunday.
One thing that will make this easier is that I got my new cell phone! (If you want me to ever call, you'll need to call me or text me at my old number, or e-mail your number to me.) I am pretty excited about it. Wes got me the purple MOTO and got a black one for himself. Both wound up being free, which was great, too. Now I just need to figure out how to make my playlist on it...
Saturday will possibly a trip to Abingdon, VA, to Wes' dad's family reunion. He absolutely hates family reunions. Newsflash: Wes' job has turned him into an anti-social old goat. Seriously, though, the man hates going over there anyway, so the reunion makes it that much harder for hm. I told him it is his decision whether or not we go, or if he wants to go alone, or if he wants us all to stay here and get some big household projects done. He is back and forth with it. I am sure it is not easy spending time with a father that told you on a regular basis while you were growing up that he never wanted you. If he will go, which I think we will, it will be for his grandfather. His papaw is getting older and he was always good to Wesley when he was growing up. We'll see what mood he is in when he wakes up that morning!
Sunday will start with church, of course, then we will race home to change and go back out to celebrate my little brother's 28th birthday. At this point, we don't know where or an exact time, but with two small kids, this will take up our afternoon and early evening.
Then home for baths, pj's, books, massage, prayers, and tucking in the babies.
After that, I will be tutoring Wes for his computer class final and Art appreciation exam. Yippee!
I know, I know. It has been forever and a day since I have posted a real blog about what is going on with us here in Deep Gap. No, Aiden has not graduated college. Yes, we are alive.
Mostly this summer, we have been enjoying our membership at the YMCA in Wilkesboro. Why anyone goes to the Wellness Center in Boone is beyond me, but, to each their own. We have had tons of fun! I have been running/toning/weight lifting almost daily for six months. At our final check-in for the "Biggest Loser" program, I had lost 7% body fat and gained 20 pounds of muscle, with a total weight loss of 7 pounds. So, overall, that was a 27 pound fat loss. My non-fat weight is now 123 pounds. I am hoping that I will be at my right muscle to fat ration by next summer...no need to rush these things! Abby and Aiden have loved spending time at the nursery, going to daily swim lessons, and our many trips to the outdoor waterpark. Wes has even joined us at the waterpark a few times. My only bad experience was that my cell phone was stolen out there, but those things happen everywhere. I will post some pics soon so you can see how much fun we've had!
Another time-sucker has been my physical therapy treatment. I have become a bit of a runner at the Y over the past 6 months and actually ran my first 8k in May. Unfortunately, my old body did not respond well to the impact of running on a solid, stationary surface and I now have a torn lateral meniscus. I underwent weeks of PT, but it did not help, so I am going to Winston-Salem Monday morning to meet with an orthopedic surgeon to get an MRI and discuss athroscopic surgery. I am not worried about it at all...I used to help Dr Helgemo with these all the time back in the day! Until surgery, though, you'll find me on the eliptical at the Y.
One great thing we've finally taken advantage of is Wes' free pass to Tweetsie Railroad. Since he can get up to 5 family members in for free, too, we brought Oma with us on June 22nd. We had a blast watching Abby and Aiden have so much fun, from fasce painting and feeding deer, to the rides and meeting Dora and Diego. The kids got to dance on stage with the tweetsie cloggers and watch a can-can show. Aiden kissed the hands of the can-can dances and was thrilled when they came to his seat in the audience to sing to him. He is such a little ladie's man! The A-Team had their picture taken with Dora and Diego, as well as the dancers. I posted those tonight, too! After a day full of walking through the park we went out to Outback for some much-needed sitdown time!
Church has been keeping us hopping, too, this Summer. The A-Team attended Perkinsville's Vacation Bible School the first part of June and enjoyed the Hawaiian themed Outrigger Island. We have listened to the CD in Rocket every day ever since! Soon after that, Wes decided that he wanted to start attending Mount Vernon full time. He had been dealing with many issues at Perkinsville for years and it had kept him from growing spiritually. He finally realized it and decided that he needed to go elsewhere, so we are, too. Afterall, if daddy grows spiritually, everyone in the house will. MV is a bit too big for me, but I know that Wes needs to find his right place to worship and grow, so here's to change! Abigail even attended their VBS Amazon Expedition last week and enjoyed the "Jungle" they made for it. They even had a swinging bridge they built that could hold Daddy!
I will post some pictures and videos soon. I hope you all are enjying you Summer! You remain in my prayers. XOXO
Mostly this summer, we have been enjoying our membership at the YMCA in Wilkesboro. Why anyone goes to the Wellness Center in Boone is beyond me, but, to each their own. We have had tons of fun! I have been running/toning/weight lifting almost daily for six months. At our final check-in for the "Biggest Loser" program, I had lost 7% body fat and gained 20 pounds of muscle, with a total weight loss of 7 pounds. So, overall, that was a 27 pound fat loss. My non-fat weight is now 123 pounds. I am hoping that I will be at my right muscle to fat ration by next summer...no need to rush these things! Abby and Aiden have loved spending time at the nursery, going to daily swim lessons, and our many trips to the outdoor waterpark. Wes has even joined us at the waterpark a few times. My only bad experience was that my cell phone was stolen out there, but those things happen everywhere. I will post some pics soon so you can see how much fun we've had!
Another time-sucker has been my physical therapy treatment. I have become a bit of a runner at the Y over the past 6 months and actually ran my first 8k in May. Unfortunately, my old body did not respond well to the impact of running on a solid, stationary surface and I now have a torn lateral meniscus. I underwent weeks of PT, but it did not help, so I am going to Winston-Salem Monday morning to meet with an orthopedic surgeon to get an MRI and discuss athroscopic surgery. I am not worried about it at all...I used to help Dr Helgemo with these all the time back in the day! Until surgery, though, you'll find me on the eliptical at the Y.
One great thing we've finally taken advantage of is Wes' free pass to Tweetsie Railroad. Since he can get up to 5 family members in for free, too, we brought Oma with us on June 22nd. We had a blast watching Abby and Aiden have so much fun, from fasce painting and feeding deer, to the rides and meeting Dora and Diego. The kids got to dance on stage with the tweetsie cloggers and watch a can-can show. Aiden kissed the hands of the can-can dances and was thrilled when they came to his seat in the audience to sing to him. He is such a little ladie's man! The A-Team had their picture taken with Dora and Diego, as well as the dancers. I posted those tonight, too! After a day full of walking through the park we went out to Outback for some much-needed sitdown time!
Church has been keeping us hopping, too, this Summer. The A-Team attended Perkinsville's Vacation Bible School the first part of June and enjoyed the Hawaiian themed Outrigger Island. We have listened to the CD in Rocket every day ever since! Soon after that, Wes decided that he wanted to start attending Mount Vernon full time. He had been dealing with many issues at Perkinsville for years and it had kept him from growing spiritually. He finally realized it and decided that he needed to go elsewhere, so we are, too. Afterall, if daddy grows spiritually, everyone in the house will. MV is a bit too big for me, but I know that Wes needs to find his right place to worship and grow, so here's to change! Abigail even attended their VBS Amazon Expedition last week and enjoyed the "Jungle" they made for it. They even had a swinging bridge they built that could hold Daddy!
I will post some pictures and videos soon. I hope you all are enjying you Summer! You remain in my prayers. XOXO