Wisdom from little N

When people's faces turn red it's because they're embarrassed or because they love somebody.

Why I Relay

It started out just like many of the other Fridays before it. My closest girlfriends and I had season tickets to the Broadway series touring through Portland…5th row seats for Saturday night performances. Normally we would send emails back and forth all day beginning the Friday before the show, discussing everything from what we should wear, where we should eat and if we would be heading anywhere after the show. Lori had been uncharacteristically silent that day. She hadn’t chimed in on any of our emails, but I had just assumed it was a really busy day for her at work. At around 5pm my phone rang, it was Lori. “Jenn, I’m not going to be able to make the show tomorrow night.” I was trying to come up with some snarky comment when her voice broke, “Lillian has a tumor in her brain, it’s cancer.” What do you say to someone who has just told you that their precious two-year-old has cancer? I don’t really remember much of the rest of our conversation.

For the next 7 months, I watched my dear friend do everything she could to help her daughter fight this ugly disease. Sweet Lillian lost her beautiful brown hair and her adorable chubby cheeks. About a month before Easter, we celebrated the fact that Lillian had completed chemo…things were looking up. Then, something took a hold of her precious little body and after a month in the ICU, Lillian lost her battle with cancer. It was just a few days before Easter and I remember thinking how surreal it all was. I was working for my church at the time and had been spending my time preparing to celebrate the resurrection of Christ, while watching my friend say goodbye to her little girl. I felt so helpless and hopeless. I wanted to do something…something to show Lori and her husband, Jeff, how much I love them…something that would help ease their pain…something that would ensure that NOBODY would ever have to watch their loved one battle such a hateful disease.

Then we met Becci who soon became so dear to us. Becci had just lost her mother (who was also her best friend) to breast cancer. Becci asked if Lori if we participated in Relay for Life…we didn’t…yet. Three years ago our Relay for Life team, Walking with Angels, was formed (http://www.walkingwithangels.net/). We are a team lead by two of the most amazing, courageous women I’ve ever known. Lori, a mother who lost her daughter to cancer and Becci, a daughter who lost her mother to cancer. I relay for them as well as in memory of my great-grandfather and in memory of my husband’s grandfather. We are also a team that likes to have FUN! We have won the spirit award every year that we have participated.

If you would like to participate in our team, please let me know. We are a part of the Lake Oswego Relay for Life, which will begin at 10am on Saturday, July 11th and goes until Sunday, July 12th at 10am…you can join us for all or a portion-whatever works best. We are also hosting a fundraiser at Papa’s Pizza on Tuesday, June 16th from open to close. 50% of all proceeds (when you bring in our flyer) will go to the American Cancer Society. There will also be some drawings for some really cool prizes. You can go here to see the items (let me know if you want to purchase raffle tix for them): http://lori-thenextchapter.blogspot.com/2009/05/relay-for-life-fundraisers.html.My family and I are planning on being at Papa's at around 6pm. Finally, you can make a donation directly to the Walking with Angels team. My individual goal is to raise $500. You can go to http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09GW?px=3728953&pg=personal&fr_id=14746 to get more information or make a donation. How cool would it be if we could find a cure to cancer in our lifetime? Please join us in the fight!

Another Year Older...

Today, my "baby" is celebrating his 5th birthday. Little N has brought so much joy and laughter to our home and family. He is so much like his daddy, even down to the way he walks. His favorite things are having lightsaber and kung-fu battles with his dad and older brother, riding his bike, doing yardwork (although you wouldn't be able to tell from the current state of our yard) and creating artwork out of things he finds in the recycling bin.

Our little N absolutely adores animals and many of the neighborhood dogs love seeing him at the park. He's all boy and can be really physical (his preschool teacher has had to help him remember that pushing a buddy is probably not the best way to tell someone that you don't like it when they stand too close to you) but he also can be so sweet. He often will drop his legos or Star Wars action figures to come and give me or dad a quick kiss and hug and then jumps right back into his playtime. He also has a very vivid imagination...just today my sister was telling me a story about a 10 foot Lego tower he built. When she asked a few questions to get more details, he was happy to oblige...although he did admit later that it was actually a dream.

I am so excited to see how his personality will continue to grow and what his interests will be. I pray each day that he will grow up to be a man who is passionate about life and sharing his love of God with others. The photo above was taken at our church a couple of weeks ago. In it, the children are signing a piece of drywall that will be hung in our new worship center. Little N came home that night and told us how he and his friends prayed for our community. Such a grown up statement for such a little man! Happy birthday, Nater. I love you!!!!

Conversations from the backseat

I overheard this conversation today as the boys and I were driving to drop my younger son off at preschool (my oldest didn't have school-teacher work day):

Little N: There's this girl in my class who wants to marry me.

Big N: How do you know?

Little N: Well, she tells me she wants to marry me and then she pushes me down on the ground.

Big N: Ohhhhh, I don't think you should marry her. She doesn't sound like she would be a very good wife.

Snowed in...

So we've actually been able to go out and run some errands a couple of times this week, but I've been staying home for most of it. I usually don't mind driving in the snow, but it's all the other crazies out there!

Being cooped up for a few days can force you to get creative. The boys have been going stir crazy, but have also found some interesting ways to keep themselves entertained over the past few days.

Here's a brief sample of creativity outside of the box according to the Yamashiro boys:

• Sing every Christmas carol you know at the top of your lungs, but instead of using the nouns the songs were written with, substitute them with the word poop, toot, booger or fart (or any combination). This will cause you to laugh hysterically and squirt water out your nose while choking on your pretzels (we learned that doing this during snack isn't the best choice).
• Create an obstacle course (because your gym teacher did encourage you to stay active over break). Make it seem easy to your mom but actually, after she attempts just one run-through, she'll be incapacitated on the couch so you can get into things that you're not supposed to.
• Hide the presents that were under the Christmas tree because your brother kept trying to figure out what they were...then forget where you hid them.

What did you do to help prevent boredom during Arctic Storm 2009?

Happy time of the year of which we cannot speak...

In light of all of the recent brouhaha over not being able to say "Merry Christmas" lest we may offend someone who doesn't celebrate it, I would like to suggest that we look at all "holidays" (I use that term lightly so as not to offend) throughout the calendar year and seriously think about renaming them too. I mean how does it seem fair that we would wish people a Happy Father's Day? What if they don't believe in Father's Day? What if they have chosen to believe that there is not such thing as a father. Who are we to push our own fanatical ideals on them?! I mean, didn't our founding...uh oh...um...people of the male persuasion form the United States so we could have freedom from anything that might offend even one person?

So, I have come up with a few ideas of my own...possible name changes of other notable days during the year so we can all live in peace and harmony without forcing others to be exposed to the horrendous experience of people wishing them a "Merry Christmas". Please feel free to chime in with your ideas too. Together we can make this nation what it was meant to be...a place where people speak their minds only if it doesn't make ANYONE uncomfortable and where we must keep our opinions to ourselves because my belief may not be yours.

• Happy Get Dressed Up and Get Some Candy Day
• Happy Female Person Who Parents Someone Day
• Happy Sperm Donor Day
• Happy this Day is to Advance Sales of Chocolate and Hallmark Cards Day
• Happy Date from Which You First Entered the World Day

Happy time of the year when everyone fights over whether there really is a Jesus, but are happy to take their "Winter" Break and buy "Holiday" Gifts for everyone they care about in honor of a Day that is still called Christmas on every calendar you see.

Tough Stuff

A few days ago, our senior pastor's wife had an aneurism. She's still in critical condition in the hospital and her condition is being monitored closely. I have been praying nearly non-stop for John and his wife, Heather, since I first found out.

John is the shepherd of our church. He is a man who deeply loves Jesus, a man who has a passion for theology and also a great passion for people. I worked with him for nearly 7 years and it was tough at times. It's really easy to focus on the things that can make working with someone difficult instead of the things that you love and appreciate about them. I think we all tend to take the relationships we have for granted. I know I do. I get irritated with my husband for some of the most ridiculous things. But, I don't know what I would do without him. The same is true for many of my friends and my family. We just assume they'll always be there. But what if we lived each moment with those closest to us as if it was a gift? Because it IS. Each moment. A gift from God.

We're still unsure of what will happen with Heather. But one thing I am sure of is that I have a Heavenly Father who deeply loves her...who deeply loves me...who deeply loves all of us. He is who we can turn to during these times. He is the one we can trust. He understands the tough stuff...He's been there. He's waiting, arms open wide, for us to run to him with our worries, hurts and fears.