40 Years - A Legacy of Love

This blog is dedicated to my parents, Mike & Sue McReynolds…in honor of their 40th wedding anniversary.

Nowadays, it is rare to hear of a couple who has been married for that long. And it isn’t just that they have put up with each other for all those years. As their youngest daughter, I can truthfully say that they have LOVED. They gave each of us kids the best example of what a Christ-centered marriage should be. When we were younger, we used to get grossed out when we would catch them kissing in the kitchen. But, now I look back on that and think, how cool! My parents weren’t just married all those years, they were in love…and they still are that way today.

They have held each other through difficult times – through losing their parents, becoming empty-nester’s, watching us all get married, job losses and promotions, through my dad’s near-heart attack and bypass surgery, and many times of family crisis. Not only have they been a rock for each one of us as parents, but they haven’t allowed any of life’s struggles to pull them apart. Instead, they turned to the Lord together in prayer and He blessed them by using those times to make their bond even stronger.

I am continually amazed by their commitment and service to each other. I love the way they know each other so well, the way they keep their romance alive, the way they make each other laugh and the way they overlook the little things that drive them crazy (most of the time). We look forward to being married for as long as they have been and pray that we can learn from their amazing example of what God designed marriage to be – one of the greatest blessings on this earth.

So, Mom and Dad, here’s to you two…to the love you share, the legacy you are leaving, and the golden years ahead. I wish I could be there to celebrate with you and to show you in person just how proud and grateful I am for the priceless gift you have given me, by loving God first and loving each other the way He calls you to.

Happy Anniversary!!

Camping Adventures

Well, this weekend we attempted to go camping – key word is “attempted”. Lauren had the sniffles all week, but no other symptoms. And, even though I am 4 months pregnant, I thought I could handle sleeping on the hard ground…I’m tough, right? So, we decided to still go ahead with our plans. Ryan had reserved a campsite at a Thousand Trails campground about 1 hour north of here. So, he left work a little early on Friday and we packed up the car and began our journey. We got there around 6:30 and were able to get the tent set up before it got dark. The campground was really nice with a lake, activities lodge, mini-golf course, outdoor pool, etc. We couldn’t wait to do some exploring the next day.

We put Lauren to bed around 8:00 and we stayed up to play cards for a while. But, by the time we headed to bed, we found her in the tent, suffering from a fever and miserable. We gave her some medicine and hoped for the best. Meanwhile, I could not get comfortable on the ground and ended up going to sleep in the car around 12:00am. Lauren woke up in the wee hours of the morning with a croup-like cough and it took about an hour and a half before she was able to get back to sleep. At around 4:00am, when she woke up with her second round of croup, we decided we needed to leave in the morning and head home. I doubt any of us got more than 4-5 hours of sleep that night. Lauren woke up at 7:00am wide awake and was devastated when we told her we needed to go home. We did get to go for a walk, see the lake, watch another camper catch a fish and then release it, and play in the lodge for a while before we had to take down the tent and pack up. We were home by 12:30 and we all took much-needed naps that afternoon!











I guess we should get an A for effort, but maybe should have known better. We promised Lauren that we would go back in October to that same place…when she is feeling better with no symptoms and after Daddy buys Mommy a nice new air mattress to sleep on in the tent. :)

89 days, 3 hours, 27 minutes

The amount of time elapsed since we moved to the South before one of us - well, Kimberly - uttered the term "y'all" in casual conversation. We had a bet on it. I won $20.

Life Getting Busy

What a busy week! Yes, I survived Lauren’s first day of school…thank you all for your prayers and encouragement. Thankfully, Ryan went with me and held my hand as I sobbed, watching her jump out of the car and walk into school for the first time. She had a wonderful first week and her teachers have nicknamed her their “little bundle of joy” because she is so cheerful. Here's a picture of her on her first day:

We also had a doctor’s appointment for my 3-month checkup and we got to listen to the baby’s heartbeat, which is always fun. Even better, the doctor was able to give me a non-narcotic prescription to use for the bad headaches I’ve been getting...praise the Lord!

Wednesday night we went to our church to check out the pastor-led bible study they hold there. It just began for the school year and it is such a great idea. Every Wednesday evening starting at 5:30pm, they have a catered dinner, which you pay $11 per family for. Then, when the meal is over, the kids are taken downstairs for their class and the adults remain in the sanctuary for a prayer time and bible study, led by our senior pastor. We really enjoyed it and have decided to try to go every week, if we can. It’s also a great way to meet other people and fellowship while enjoying a home-cooked meal (that I didn’t have to make!).

On Friday evening, we were invited out to dinner with another couple from our Sunday school class. They are our age, but recently married 4 months ago. We had a nice time visiting with them, despite the distractions from Lauren, and then we had them back to our house for dessert.

Saturday morning, we decided to venture out in the heat (high-90’s) and attend a free carnival put on by one of the churches in our area. They had pony rides, different carnival games, bouncy castles, a puppet show and a BBQ lunch. Lauren had so much fun trying all the games and getting treats for each one. :) Later that night, we went back to the church for dinner. This meeting was for all the new couples who have joined the church within the last year. It was a chance for our Sunday school leaders to introduce us to one another and assign us to the smaller Care Groups that meet monthly for prayer and fellowship. We are finally starting to feel connected!!

Learning to let go

Once Ryan’s mom left last night, I realized that the countdown had begun. Only two more days until Lauren’s first day of school. We attended the Open House there last week and it was great. We got to meet her teachers and she had a chance to play with her new classmates. But, when we walked into her classroom and I saw her name on the wall, I just lost it. How can it be that my little baby girl is old enough to be going to school already? I know I’m emotional because I’m pregnant, but I am really struggling with letting her go.

I feel like it’s the beginning of the end – because once she starts going to school, it never ends until she leaves the house. Okay, yes, it’s just preschool, but it will be 3 days a week that I won’t get to spend with her. And I’m sure I will be grateful for that time once the baby comes, but for now, there is a deep sadness as I realize that she is growing up and becoming more independent.

I know that school will be a great experience for her to grow and learn and be in a more structured environment…and she is definitely ready for it. But, I also know that I will be that mom in the carpool line on the first day, crying my eyes out as she gets out of the car and marches to her classroom.

On one hand, I am dreading this time of change, but I am also so grateful that I have been able to stay at home with her from the beginning and experience every “first”. I am so proud of the amazing girl she is becoming and I know this is the first of many moments in her life where I must release her into the Lord’s hands and trust that He will be watching over her when I cannot. So, I ask for your prayers as I try to embrace this new stage of life and look forward to starting it all over again with baby #2.

A Special Visit

Sorry it has been so long since I’ve posted anything. I guess I’ve been waiting until I had “real news” to share. Life has been kind of ho-hum lately…just getting Lauren ready for school and doing some baking and decorating for fall.

We did have a really fun Labor Day weekend because Ryan’s mom flew out to visit! She got here late Friday night and stayed through Monday around dinner time. It was so nice to have her here, to show her our house and neighborhood and church and take her to some of our favorite places. Lauren was the most excited to have Grandma come. She ran into the guest room and woke her up early Saturday morning. I felt badly, but I actually don’t think she minded all that much. We tried to do a little sight-seeing, but we didn’t want to cram too much into the weekend, especially since she was here without her husband and we didn’t want him to miss out on some of the really cool stuff. But, we did venture downtown (they actually call it uptown here) on Monday and happened to catch a fun Labor Day parade right as it started. Lauren got to see a children’s marching band, horses and ponies and several decorated floats. The best part was the clown that handed out candy and popsicles. :)

His mom was also kind enough to watch Lauren for us so we could go out and enjoy a date-night (our first since we learned I was pregnant). Thanks to our fantastic realtor back in Oregon, who sent us a gift certificate for a very nice restaurant in town, we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and dessert and then walked to the nearby theater to catch a movie. It was so nice to get away just the two of us and have some time alone. We are definitely going to have to find a babysitter soon so we can have dates on a more regular basis!