Missing him

     This has been a good, but quietly emotional day.  I say quietly because I felt emotional and on the brink of crying most of the day, but just kept it to myself.  Until Daughter #3 got here (yay!!!) and we sat down together to watch the interview of Steven Curtis Chapman and his family on Larry King.  If you haven't seen it you should google it and watch it.  It was great.  They got tattoos .... on their wrists (he and his wife .... the sons got them on the arm and chest).

We both cried.  It was good, but emotional.

And they showed a clip of him singing his song, "Yours", but with a verse that he added after Maria's death.

Here it is:

 Yours 

I walk the streets of London
And notice in the faces passing by
Somthing that makes me stop and listen
My heart grows heavy with the cry

Where is the hope for London?
You whisper and my heart begins to soar
As I'm reminded
That every street in London in Yours
Oh, yes it is

I walk the dirt roads of Uganda
I see the scars that war has left behind
Hope like the sun is fading
They're waiting for a cure no one can find

And I hear children's voices singing
Of a God who heals and rescues and restores
And I'm reminded
That every child in Africa is Yours

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything
It's all Yours

And I walk the sidewalks of Nashville
Like Singapore, Manila and Shanghai
I rush by the beggar's hand and the wealthy man
And everywhere I look I realize

That just like the streets of London
For every man and woman, boy and girl
All of creation
This is our Father's world

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
You're the Maker and Keeper, Father and Ruler of everything

It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God
It's all Yours, God

The glory is Yours, God
All the honor is Yours, God
The power is Yours, God
The glory is Yours, God

You're the King of Kings
And Lord of Lords

And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
From the stars in the sky
To the depths of the ocean floor
And its all Yours, God, Yours, God
Everything is Yours
All the greatness and power, the glory and splendor and majesty
Everything is Yours
Yeah, it's all Yours
We are Yours
The glory and honor is Yours, everything is Yours

It's all Yours, God
My life is Yours, my heart is Yours
My hands and my feet are Yours
Every song that I sing
It's all Yours, all is Yours
All belongs to You
Our gifts are Yours, God
All our dreams are Yours, God
All our plans are Yours, God
The whole earth is Yours, God
Everything is Yours

I've walked the valley of death's shadow
So deep and dark that I could barely breathe
I've had to let go of more than I could bear
And questioned everything that I believe
But still even here
in this great darkness
A comfort and hope come breaking through
As I can say in life or death
God we belong to you.

So .... I miss him.  And I'm starting to think about taking Son #1 to college on Wednesday.  I've been great about that ... up until now.  And only quietly, but I am on the edge.  It's bubbling at the surface.  It will be very difficult.  Very.

     Speaking of Son #1, he was amazing today.  Have I written before that I have amazing kids?  Yes?  Well, I do.

     Late this afternoon we had a mechanical emergency.  A rope had become sucked into the motor and prop of one of the jet skis.  Around and around and around.  I was up at the house so did not witness this.  Probably a good thing.

Anyway, they called up to the house for Son #1 to come down.  He did.  The jet ski was already up on the lift, so he put the row boat into the water and stood in it to inspect the bottom and inside of the motor.  The water was pretty choppy.  K got in and held onto the boat.  He worked on it for a while and then we all agreed that it might be better to lower the lift so that he could stand in the lake and work on it from there.  He decided to grab the tool box, knowing what he needed.  We did and he did and the work began.  He and I really thought we were going to have to tow it in and take it to the boat place here.  $$$$$

The other boys came down to help.

 He worked on this quite a while. It was a tow rope so it was very long. He finally started cutting it so that he could work with less rope. He figured out that he could slowly unwind it, until he got to the last part that was tightly wrapped around the motor. He told me that we'd have to take it in. And then he gave it another try and worked on for about 20 more minutes.  And got the rope out.  Totally.

He was amazing. He stayed very calm and focused and relaxed the whole time. I would've been so tense that I would've yelled at about 8 different people! And Jim would've, too. But Son #1 didn't.  I was so thankful that he was able to fix it and proud of how well he handled it.

Have I written that I have great kids?

It was great to hang with Daughter #3 today, and her dog. Her cat has been freaked out and in hiding since they got here. I have yet to catch a glimpse of her.

The kids had a fun day (so did the dogs.... and the cats):

                     Rigby and a lizard friend.  Ha!

                              Time to get wet!!!

           Son #2, Gabby and T.
           

     What's more fun that a boy, his floatie and a puppy?  Ummm, maybe Son #3 out in the lake on the rope swing?
     They had THE best time playing tug o war with this rope toy!!  MOST of the day.

And have now been passed out most of the evening.  They totally missed the Michael Phelps event!!

So all in all, fun was had by all.  So much fun that everyone is exhausted and needs to be heading to bed.  

Tomorrow Mimi and Papa are coming over to make us a REAL lake breakfast!!!  REAL pancakes (homemade w/ buttermilk, etc -- not Bisquick).  So we need to get these munchkins into bed so that we can just veg together, before WE all pass out!!

Oh and while searching for some news on the internet, I cam across this stunning new item:

Are you kidding me???  

Feel free to click on that and then read the story.  And then say, "Sheesh", because that's pretty much all you'll be able to say!

And have a wonderful Sunday.  I know I will ..... Daughter #2 will return home for the week, too, and I'll be thrilled to see her!!!

Sleep tight!!