The End...and a Beginning - Changes

It has been a crazy year or at least the last 6 months or so.  I'm one of those people who don't handle change well.  I like my routine, I like to know what is going to happen and when and be prepared.

Well, with so many new things this year - that was impossible.  

A new school for the boys -and all the changes that brings along with it.  There were so many changes that are associated with that.

Ryan's hospitalization since early August - constant prayers for a miracle and seeing the Lord work over and over again in his life.  We were shocked at the outcome, completely unexpected.

Changes seems inevitable.  In life things change, people change (and I guess I am thankful for that).  We don't have to live in sin.  We don't have to continue along the path that we began this life in.  We are able to seek the Lord and truly repent.   We can seek Him and He will change us and give us a New Life.  So not all change is bad.  My prayer for the coming year is to see that step made by some who have never experienced the Love of Jesus and the True Life Transformation that only He can give.

I'm thankful that One thing never changes.  Jesus Christ!  I'm thankful that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  I'm thankful that my dependence upon Him can grow and expand and He remains my strength and constant!  

Surprise Supper

At the beginning of December our Ney church hosted a Surprise Supper.  I had never attended anything like this before, but as it turned out, it was tons of fun!

First everyone was given a menu.  There were 12 "items" listed on the menu.  We had to fill the 12 items onto the 12 blanks (4 for appetizer, 4 for main dish, 4 for dessert).  The items include things like: elf, tinsel, and other "Christmasy" words.  What we didn't know was that elf meant fork and each word was code for either a utensil or food.

So then the menu's were collected and our meal began.

Mr. Lowell got creative and ate his spaghetti with a piece of his plate.

Mr. Scott had to eat meatballs with celery, because he got no utensils for that course.

Ronnie's appetizer round was his spaghetti, bread, meatballs and salad - but no utensils.  He made it work though! :)

Maddie had a salad, 2 desserts, and a knife...again, she made it work.  She was super excited to have her dessert before her meal. 

Nathaniel and I both had a fork for our spaghetti, a blessing!

Eli was pretty excited that ALL table manners were thrown out for this meal.

We had a great evening of fun and memories!  Fun times with our Ney church family.

Christmas Program

These 3 handsome men were the "wise men" for our Farmer Christmas program.  The Program was the "Best Christmas Card".  It was a family who was looking for the "best Christmas card".

The star was Lelah, one of the little girls I babysit for!

 It was a cute program and all the kids did a great job with learning parts and memorizing lines!  Lots of work and it paid off!

Mary and Joseph were adorable!

Maddie was the littlest sister in the family and had several lines that she memorized perfectly.  She was so excited to be a part of the program as "Lil Jil".

Even the Youth Group had a part.

I didn't get a good picture of everyone, but it was a great job by so many!  

There were 30 kids with parts and then the Youth Group too!  

The best  part was the message of the program.  

The best Christmas card is the One with Jesus at the center!

Christmas 2013

Christmas with 4 kids is crazy and fun and just non-stop!

Christmas morning started out slow...

but it didn't take long for everyone to wake up.

The best thing about our Christmas this year was the kids involvement.  This year we gave them all a few dollars and sent them to the dollar store to shop for one another.  It was exciting for me to watch as they gave each other gifts.  Eli especially enjoyed giving.  All 4 kids thought through their gifts and took time to make them meaningful.  Ronnie handed the money back saying he was able to cover his with his own money!  Love that my kids are growing up and wanting to give and are excited about giving and not just receiving!

This year was a year of games.  We need to get a new game cabinet because we got so many games this year.  Here the boys are enjoying an NFL board game.

Maddie practicing her artistic abilities.

 Trains from Pap and Grandma

While I didn't take as many pictures this year and document our family time, we have had a good time just being together.

As we draw to the end of 2013, we are so thankful for Jesus Birth, so thankful for the gift our Creator gave us of His son and we continue to look forward with anticipation for His coming again!

Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

7th Birthday

Eli = 7 years old!

Difficult to believe.  My babies are getting so big (this is the part of parenting I don't like)!

He's growing and maturing and not at all the little baby that watched that first Christmas from a bouncer seat, not sure he will ever be that still again!

I have to admit I was nervous about the cake this year.  I didn't really have the drive that I usually do and I contemplated just going to the bakery, but Eli's last input was... "Mom, surprise me!"

So with Ron's help we went with a Big E camo cake, he loved it!

Pap and Grandma came to help celebrate too.

This is a rare moment, so thought I better document!  

Eli tackled Ronnie in order to get a hug after opening a gift from him.

Eli was excited about his Duck Dynasty Truck, boat and ducks from Pap and Grandma.

And despite the look I captured on his face, he loved his new tent!

So much so that he convinced his Dad to try to set up a 10 x 10 tent in the living room.

 It didn't work ,but he got the idea!

As Eli told his grandparents tonight about the day, he was so excited!  It was a good birthday.  A "camo birthday", he called it!  

We enjoyed celebrating our Big E today!

Happy  Birthday Eli, We Love you!

Elijah Wesley

Today Eli turns 7!  WOW!  It doesn't seem possible.  I remember bringing him home from the hospital just  two days before Christmas.  I remember him sitting in a bouncer seat as we celebrated Jesus birthday.

This little man is a JOY!  You can tell by his face he is just all fun and boy and smiles and laughter.

We got the nicest compliment this week.  While we were celebrating Uncle Ryan's life, ,a cousin was greeting us and said, "Ryan could always light up a room with his smile.  I thought I would never see someone who could do that like him, but your Eli - he has it.  His smile lights up rooms."

It's true too!  He's the kind of boy you love to be around.  The kind that can make you laugh and just brings so much joy to our home.  Eli is a smart little man too and his desire to be a preacher someday like his Daddy makes us so proud!  He's passionate and sweet and kind and loving, but mostly he's joyful and fun loving!  He's Eli and we are so blessed to have the privilege of parenting him!

Today we celebrate Eli and the joy he brings!  We celebrate his seven years of life and look forward with anticipation to what the Lord will do in and through him!  I'll post more on our celebration, but for now - know that today there is JOY!

Transitioning

Getting back into the swing of things is not easy.  It's hard to be one day burying and the next just pick up and move on.  It's cruel actually.  Life shouldn't be that way.  We need time, we need to mourn, to remember, to grieve.

The boys are going back to school today.  They've missed 3 days now and will have work to make up over their Christmas break.  Eli wanted his birthday treats today.  He didn't like the idea of waiting and celebrating  after break.

Ministry is hard too.  It's hard to transition back and yet there are demands.  A 98 year old parishioner fell and broke her collar bone, another gentleman had a serious surgery yesterday and a sweet lady lost her sister.  All phone calls received hours after walking through the door.  Difficult to transition!  In fact it seems impossible and yet we lean on each other, draw strength from the Lord and minister to others while we grieve ourselves.

I've thought several times in the last few days about what Ryan is doing now.  The pain that he has had for years is gone, the physical limitations are no more.  He is free to worship Jesus and there is no other agenda. Just sit in the Presence of the Almighty and soak it in.

We soak in our memories and cherish the things we remember!  We focus on who Ryan was and his life!  I remember the last time I heard him talk and how he told Ron and I his dreams.  Things he wanted to do when he got out of that hospital bed.  It is hard to swallow.  There was so much more he wanted to do for the Kingdom, so much that was left undone.

So we are remembering and will continue to remember!  We hold tight to our memories!

Family

Brothers

 Deep in thought

 Fun Uncle

 Buddies!

 Hard doesn't seem like the right word.  Unimaginable how life just continues.

We love and miss you Ryan!

Jesus give us strength.  Give us understanding where there is none.  Give us peace in the midst of this storm.  Help us to lean more on You and draw from our relationship with you.  Ryan would want that.  He would want his life and death to bring about stronger relationships in YOU!  We know that in life there are no certainties and yet we feel thrown for such loops.  Life and death are such mysteries and so we seek You, Jesus, for the answers.  We pray for your peace that goes beyond our deepest understanding and beyond.  Help us Jesus and fill us with You!

Ryan Nathan

Ryan Nathan Adkins

39 years ago Ryan Nathan was born to Ron and Frances Adkins and his big brother Ronnie.

I only know stories of the things those Adkins boys got into.  It is fun to hear the stories from the boys of their "adventures and craziness".  

It wasn't until 13 1/2 years ago that I joined the family,

From even before that day, Ryan treated me like a sister.  It was as if he had always wanted a sister. He would tease unmercifully.  

Oh what I wouldn't give to be teased one more time!  To laugh and goof off with him.

On Saturday, December 14th Ryan was welcomed into the arms of Jesus.  He was a fighter until the very end!  Ryan was diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma, but while it slowed him some - he didn't let it stop him.  For years he was in a great deal of pain, but wouldn't show it.  Years of battling, fighting trying to beat this dreaded disease.  He did too, he was cancer free!  It's the treatment that wore his body down.

The pain is unbearable.  Unlike anything I have ever experienced.  My heart is hurting so bad and I would do anything to listen to him, to be teased, or hear his voice or just sit with him.

From the beginning of his diagnosis we were there.  Ron and I were the first ones who knew.  We watched the girls while Ryan and Holly went to the hospital for the first time and learned that there was a mass in his chest.  I remember standing in our trailer in Circleville when they told us and just holding onto Ron.  It was devastating news and yet, Ryan was a fighter!  

He fought a good fight!  He lived a good life!  We are comforted in knowing that he now sits at the feet of Jesus, worshiping in the presence of the Creator of the Universe!  

Ryan was a giving man, a great father, a wonderful Uncle, a good husband, a great brother and son and so much more!  He loved life.  He loved family!  He loved being surrounded by family and friends.

The boys went Christmas shopping together one year and bought us girls coats!

 These boys would do absolutely anything for their Grandma Vadah.

 Uncle Ryan meeting Ronnie Lee III for the first time!

Ryan loved his girls and Holly!  He loved being surrounded by girls :) 

A loving son and brother.

The pain is unreal, unbelievable and yet I am thankful for his life.  Thankful he loved Jesus.  Thankful he used every opportunity to show Jesus to others.

The pain is still very raw, still very difficult and yet we lean heavily on Jesus!  Trusting in His love and mercy toward us!  I'm so thankful tonight for Ryan, for his heart and his love for Jesus.