Our Princess and Booger Bear

There was a time when I thought I would never have children.  Gary and I had married "later in life" (what a term!!) and I was convinced that I had waited too long to have children.  Gary kept telling me that God had children for us and that we just needed to be patient.  How correct he was!!  

On September 21, 1979, our most wonderful, most precious daughter was born.  I think I floated on air the entire time of labor and delivery.  When she was born I can remember thinking how perfect it would be if only my Grandma Droddy could see her, my beautiful gift from the Lord.  I immediately called my parents and told them how perfect she was.

Elizabeth Anne (or Princess or Peetie or Punkin) has been the joy of our life.  No one could ask for a better daughter.  Oh, don't get me wrong, we have had our "times" when we had differences of opinion, but we have always worked it out and loved each other even more.  She is very creative, a great thinker, quite an academically adept young lady.  She has always excelled in whatever she attempts.  Elizabeth loves to travel--from Los Angeles to Boston to Lima and Trujillo, to the "Big Apple", to Taiwan,  to the travels of Paul in Greece--she loves to globe-trot.  If someone says, "let's go", she is ready before the plane is!!!

Elizabeth has a great love for the people of Peru.  She has made this love contagious.  She will be once again traveling to Lima and Trujillo in March to assist with some work in an orphanage, a place that has really touched her heart.  Elizabeth has a love for children, birth to high schoolers.  Hannah, Hallie, Jillian and Emma are truly blessed to have her in their young lives.  She thoroughly enjoys going on adventures with Hannah (now that she is a young lady).  To listen to Elizabeth and Hallie talk is like listening to two old friends who have shared so much together.  Jillian and Emma are now her babies.  She can get on Jillian's level and communicate with her so well.  Emma just sparkles when she sees "Bibbis" come into the room.  Elizabeth loves her friends and is very loyal to them.  I thank God for D and J and P and for what they do for Elizabeth.

Elizabeth has become one of my best friends, not just my daughter.  Crawling on the floor to "cut in" the walls of her apartment when we were painting it was quite an adventure.  I often wondered if the neighbors wondered what we were doing in there.  Our "day after Thanksgiving shopping trip" is a wonderful, blessed day.  We run, and I mean run, at 4:00 a.m. to be one of the first shoppers and we go laughing all the way.  I am thankful that Elizabeth still wants to do this with me.  I am thankful for the fun we have and for the fact that we are now friends and enjoy each other so much.  I am thankful that my Lord has given me such a beautiful, loving daughter.  I am thankful that her Daddy and I were the ones who lead her to the Lord and that she now serves that Lord we shared with her.  I am thankful that she is concerned about her brother.  I am thankful that she loves her brother and wants to see him happy.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for being the best daughter and friend a Mother could ever ask for.  You are my baby and always will be.  Thank you for giving and loving and being patient with your "old" Mom.  I love you more than you could ever imagine.  I love you, Elizabeth!!

Twenty-one months after Elizabeth was born, our home was once more blessed with the birth of our "Booger Bear" (his MawMaw named him that), Lee.  That little package we brought home that day has grown into a wonderful man.  

Wherever Lee goes, he leaves an impression.  I can remember him in Miss Sikes' kindergarten class at Bowie Elementary.  The letter he dressed as was the letter "S" and we made quite a costume for that day.  He was so proud of it and showed it to everyone he came near.  There was also the time that Lee dressed as one of the characters in the children's book Stone Soup.  For some reason this was Lee's all-time favorite book.  We made an ancient soldier's costume in green felt.  We even made the shoes with the pointed toes.  He read that book to younger children on that day and did a wonderful job!

When he was in elementary school Lee and one of his friends had an obsession with the military.  We spent many, many hours in the military surplus store purchasing old uniforms, from caps/hats to actual uniforms and boots.  I remember the time Nancy Brantley, the music teacher at Bowie, had her older students do a performance on Veterans' Day.  Lee and Jason dressed in their uniforms and were the stars of the show.  I remember thinking how much Lee looked like his PawPaw in that uniform and how much I loved him because he wanted to be a part of something so special.  People talked about that little show for quite a while.

When my Mom had a stroke and had to move into our home, Lee was the one who made her days for her.  She really spoiled him, and, in return, he took care of her.  She would have special snacks prepared for him when he would get home from school.  She would slip out of bed during the night and would call to us saying that she had fallen.  Lee would run to her bedside,  pick her up with a swoop and set her down in the bed saying, "Now, old woman, stay where you are supposed to!!"  She thought that was something very special.  They had a very special relationship and I am so thankful for that.  She helped Lee purchase his brand new Chevy pickup when he turned 16.  

Just before Lee graduated from high school he decided he wanted to learn to play the bass guitar.  I have said over and over again that I never really listened for the bass until Lee started playing it.  He is basically self-taught and is really very good at it.  He has been in many bands and really enjoyed them.  When he decided he was going to seminary he started selling his guitars and it broke my heart.  I love to hear him play and I knew he loves playing.  He, however, was planning ahead for his future.  He has always been that way....a thinker, a planner, and pretty much self-sufficient.  

Now, my baby boy is going to move far away from me.  Lee will begin Covenant Seminary in St. Louis in January, 2009.  He will be working to get his Masters of Divinity.  When he shared his plans with us months ago I was proud, yet sad at the same time.  Lee has a heart for the down-trodden, the ones most people will not go to to be a witness.  Lee was baptized by his Daddy a number of years ago.  We taught Lee to love people and to share God's with them.  He is doing just what God wants him to do, but I will miss him so much.  I will miss his teasing and his hugs.  I will miss him coming to the door of our bedroom to tell me goodnight.  I will miss him calling to ask if he can bring me something for lunch.  I will miss our trips to Lowe's to buy roses.  I will even miss his telling me something just to see how I would react.  I am so thankful for my wonderful son and the man he has become.  I am so thankful that he did not quit listening to God as He talked to him.  I am thankful that he loves me and puts up with my many quirks.  I am thankful that God blessed my life with this young man who has become a tremendous man.  I love you, Lee!!

In Psalms King David says that, ".....children are a gift from the Lord....".  God has gifted me with two wonderful, precious gifts.  Thank you, Lord, for my babies.