Jack

Jack and I are going to church camp together this coming weekend. This is my first time to go to one of my own kid's camps and serve as a leader. I am excited to do this with him. Jack and I have had a good summer together. Lots of good conversation  Lots of laughter. Lots of getting to know him and who he is becoming. And I must say I like him. He is a pleasure to get to know. 

Jack is my shy guy. He smiles a lot and when surrounded by people you may not even notice him at all. But if you stop in that crowd and take a look at the young man with reddish, brownish hair, freckles, and pretty blue eyes you would see a young man with a willingness to help a stranger, listen well to whoever is in charge, and you may see a little mischievous grin if he is plotting to prank someone.

He is a thinker. There have been many times when Jack and I were talking and I would ask him a question and he would say, "I'm not sure I'll have to think about it." And I would wonder if that was just a blanket answer but then a day or sometimes it's even been a week later he has come back to me and said, "Mom remember when you asked... well I have thought about it and here is what I think..." 

Jack is a ham. This is something that only people who really know Jack will find out about him. He LOVES to laugh, and play jokes on people. He loves to hear, watch, and experience comedy on many levels. He gets the giggles and if he finds something he thinks is hilarious he will replay it or say it, over and over and over again, until his older brother says, "Ok Jack it was funny the first time, now it's just over." 

Jack is an awesome helper with younger kids, and they ADORE him. I have noticed several people calling Jack their "Best Friend" Jack never corrects them or ignores them. He will smile and shyly look down. He can be very humble. I love that about him. All the little cousin's in the family love Jack and include him in their nightly prayers. He will play with them for hours at family get together's and is usually exhausted by the end but you never hear him complain.

I love knowing my kids. It is an intentional act and I'm not always good at it, but when those connections happen it is sweet. Sweet indeed!

Tears and Laughter

It has been awhile since I have written. Maybe you are thinking I haven’t written because I haven’t had anything to laugh or cry about. This would not be true. I have laughed and cried a lot in the last month.

I laughed when my son Jack had this look of horror on his face when he realized there was a vegetable on his plate. I mean seriously the kid looked like the plate had suddenly grown three heads and was calling him names like “Veggie hater”.

I laughed when I ran in the rain with no umbrella squealing like a little sissy girl.

I laughed when my friend Marilyn told me about walking the halls of the hospital after having surgery only to find out she had forgotten to double gown, so she was mooning people! I laughed pretty hard at that one!!

I cried. I cried when my friend lost her 18 year old son suddenly to death. I cried a lot. I am still crying.

I laughed at the funeral when someone told a funny story about her son eating Hershey Bar’s when he was little and getting caught.

Tears, and laughter, sometimes go hand in hand.