Cuz Ken

Today, October 30th, I'm remembering someone special from my childhood...



Kenny was not a chubby, cuddly little boy. Some might say he was even kind of a strange looking kid. All arms and legs, tall and gangly.


The youngest of three boys, born each a year apart, he quickly passed his big brothers up in height. However, this didn't stop the eldest from keeping his place in line as big brother and making sure Kenny knew it!


I relished my time with my three boy cousins. Being an only child could be a bit lonely, so during our visits I could feel as though they were all my big brothers for a little while.

For a time, Kenny was my favorite. He was sweet, very funny and extremely smart...and at just four years older, he was the closest to my age, making him a bit easier to play with!


As he grew older, it was no longer Kenny he wanted to be called, but Ken.
But in my childhood bedtime prayers, "God bless Kenny" still would come out.

And a funny thing about this tall boy that didn't exactly look the same as others...didn't have typical features that would be considered handsome. He kept his self-confidence...and exuded such personality, charm, wit and intelligence, that he actually became very popular among his peers.

In fact, I was there as he gave the valedictorian speech at his high school graduation.

Sometimes, when I was in my late teens, he would send me little cards out of the blue. Here is one I received from him about the time I was 18...


He always signed his cards, "Cuz Ken", and this one was no exception.

A few years later, when I was staying with a friend who was going to college, and trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life, he also was attending the same college.
He'd come over to hang out with us, and when he soon started dating someone special, he was so excited to have me meet her. I was flattered, especially when he had told me that she reminded him a little of me!

But then, he sort of disappeared from my life. Well, not sort of... Completely.
He didn't marry that girl, but moved to California...married another woman and became a step-dad...and began a life as an entrepreneur in the world of internet business.

For nearly 20 years, I never heard from Ken, and I wondered if I had somehow offended him in some way that I didn't understand.

Sometimes I would hear updates on him, mostly from my aunt. And one year, some time after I was married, I learned he had been hospitalized and endured open-heart surgery. It had been determined that he suffered from Marfan Syndrome, which accounted for his long, lanky arms and legs, and in turn, affected his heart.

Thankfully, I heard that he recovered from the close call that year.

Finally, the day came when I would be seeing Ken again.

The ironic thing was that when I had last seen him I had been back in 1983. I had been 20, and it was at his brother's wedding.
Now, after 19 years, I was finally seeing my cousin again...
At the same brother's second wedding!

When he saw me at the outdoor reception, he came right over and we embraced.

He met my husband for the first time, my little three year old daughter and our new two month old baby girl.

There is a poignant photo of the two of us talking...I searched all over but I wasn't able to find it.

However, here he is with his family on that day...
My aunt (mom's sister) her husband (their dad passed away in the early 80's) and my three cousins.

And the only one of us together that I could find, was this one that somebody snapped, just as he was looking down, I think, to peer at my baby in her carrier.

I don't remember how long we talked...but I just remember that it did my heart good to connect with him again...to know he still liked his "little cousin", in spite of the two decades that had slipped past us.

Then, just three years later, my aunt called. He had been rushed by ambulance after he collapsed, while actually taking a break from his high-power business day to buy a cup of coffee for a homeless man.
I remember praying for him...I knew he had gotten a bit caught up in the things of this world, but as a child he had accepted Christ. So I prayed not only for his physical heart, but for God to speak to his spiritual heart with His gentle voice.

My aunt and other cousin rushed to California...he was able to speak and even weakly joke with them.

But then, I received another call.
Ken was gone.

As I was thinking about him the other day, I googled his name, only to find out that he was even more successful in the business world than I suspected. He was one of the founders on the ground floor of the internet business...and there were websites mourning his passing, telling of how much they learned from and how willing he was to freely share his knowledge.

There was even a video for sale where he spoke on keys to success on the internet...I clicked on it and there I was, hearing his voice again.




It was amazing and sad all at once to see him, knowing he was gone.
It also reminds me of no matter how successful we are in this world, it is only temporal. This life can be so fleeting!

Funny, how someone can stay in a special place in your heart....even though time and distance separated you for so many years.

For me, there will always be that special little corner reserved for the cousin that was sometimes like a big brother to me, took me with him on a double date, and sent me Snoopy cards.
And I miss him.

In memory of Ken
June,1957- October 30th, 2005

Pumpkin Day

Our family isn't really into celebrating Halloween as much as we are the season of fall.
Here's what the girls and I bought this year...we haven't named him yet, but he loves to greet our guests by our pathway.


Saturday, I baked my first pumpkin loaf of the season, and we made lots of leaf rubbings...



But of course, for us, this time wouldn't be complete without a trip to a pumpkin patch!

We've been to some really great ones over the years...including our visit to the Roloff farm last year from Little People, Big World fame.

But this Sunday, we went back to one of our favorite's, where the scenery is always breathtaking...especially on a bright Indian summer afternoon!


After weeks of rain earlier in the month, we have suddenly been blessed with sunny skies and warm afternoons- and this weekend couldn't have been more beautiful!

We first rode the cute miniature train further out to the pumpkin field.
As you can see, the farmland was vast and open... there was plenty of room for running free! (You can see the pumpkins way off in the distance!)


After we picked out the perfect pumpkins...



(Well, let me re-phrase that. This late in the season there is no such thing as "perfect" pumpkins left. But there are some interesting ones with character!) ...we carried our pumpkins onto the little ferry boat, which took us back where we came from, only this time through the ripples of the water.



The view was glorious.






And our girls absolutely loved every minute of it!


Even when a sea monster and later, this terrifying shark made their appearance!


Our visit was topped off with some face painting and then, each girl picked one more ride they wanted to do.

Our oldest picked this one that she had never tried before...

It's kind of hard to see but it's a centipede train...made of what look like little trestle cars and pulled by a tractor.
It goes back and forth, curling like a centipede, and here it is making almost a complete circle. It was a big hit with Sweetiegirl! (She's in the last car of the train.)

Our five year old, Lil Cherub, is in love with horses, so she had to pick the pony ride. A little pricey for those ponies that just go around and around in a circle, but since she hadn't ridden a beloved pony in a whole year, we just couldn't say no.


She was simply beaming the whole ride.
In fact, she still remembers the pony's name she rode at another farm at age three.
Jake, in case you're wondering.
This one whinnies to the sound of "Dusty".

We were there only a little over two hours, but we packed in a whole lot of sweet memories.


May you enjoy these autumn days and the abundance of God's beauty this week!

Show and Tell # 7

I hope all of you have been having a good week!

We have been constantly going, going, going lately, but overall, our days have been good.
And just when we thought our nice weather was over and done with, we have gotten some last minute gorgeous fall weather. We even were able to shed our coats this week! :)
Here's a little glimpse of our neighborhood this afternoon...


But now... It's time for Show and Tell Friday! Kelli from There is no place like Home is our gracious host. For more show and tell participants and rules how to join in, just hop on over to her place!

Some of you may remember that I've mentioned that the "keep" gene runs in my family. I come by it naturally, and I always say that it was nurtured along by the fact that I grew up as an only child.
Toys and stuffed animals were more than inanimate objects. They were my friends!

It should come as no surprise, then, that books also held a special place in my heart growing up. I could not let go of these lightly...so, for the most part, I didn't! They were such an intrigal part of my early childhood memories that I simply could not let most of them leave. I rationalized that someday I hoped to have children of my own and I'd pass them down to them.

Well, it took a while, but this has finally come to pass.
And though some of them are a little fragile, most of them stayed in very good shape over the years.

Here is a sampling of books that I read...some of them over and over...which now are enjoyed my by own girls:


Actually, this isn't even all of them!
I also have several of The Little series, a Nancy Drew, Little Women and some large Bible books, just to name a few. But these are what I swiftly gathered off my children's bookshelves to share with you.

And I'll show you a couple of my favorites...


Just like my mom before me, this was one of my favorite chapter books as a child. I love this particular edition and the sweet cover!


As well as my having my own mom read this book to me over and over, I can't tell you how many times I also read this little one to myself, pouring over the photos, feeling sorry for Rudolph, and rejoicing at the end!
The storyline is a little different than the televised version (which I also loved SO much and still do!) and it was interesting to see the differences.

Here's one more of my favorites...


Who didn't love Raggedy Ann as a child? But I simply fell in love with this particular story and the illustrations.
In it, little Marcella leaves the nursery for her first day of school. She returns to try to do her one little homework problem...1 plus 1, but falls asleep trying. Raggedy Ann and all of the dolls come to her aid to try to solve it while she sleeps.
Here's a peek inside the pages...


Now, both of my girls (ages 5 and 8) are loving these very special books. The actual books their mommy held, read and poured over when she was their ages!
Not only do they love most of these stories, but even at their young ages, they seem the grasp the significance that they were once one, and are excited about that- which does my heart good. ;)

And if I remember so vividly reading and loving these books, it's kind of a reminder to us adults just how important childhood books- and reading to our children- really is.
The books that our children now love are treasures that will stay with them always...maybe not always literally, as in my case ;)...but in those special places of their memories and hearts.

Nana

I thought I would re-post a piece about my maternal grandmother that I wrote clear back in August of 2006. She would have celebrated a birthday this Tuesday, October 23...only she was born an incredible 119 years ago...in 1888.
(Amazing, isn't it, that she is my maternal grandmother...and that her great-grandchildren are only 5 and 8!)
I'm adding a couple other photos of her when she was young from my aunt's website... I think, too often, when we're young and view very old people, we tend to think of their identity as "old" and forget that they were once young and vital people.


Some of you know that I have mentioned being a part of the The Sandwich Generation in which I told of how the women in my family have tended to have their children later in life. My mother's mother, whom I called "Nana", had other grandchildren before I came along, but by the time I entered the scene, she was very ancient, indeed. I know to children, all senior citizens can seem older than the hills but believe me...she truly was ancient!

I wish I could have known her...really known her. But as I entered grade school, not only had her body become feeble, but her mind, as well. Most of my memories of Nana consisted of my tagging along with my mom to visit her in the nursing home. The dreadful smell would assault me and the sights of some of the ailing residents were disturbing to my young, sensitive eyes. Sometimes, on a good day, Nana would would remember us...other times, she would talk in hazy riddles or ask us where her husband was.

(One of my favorite pictures of her age 22, in 1910.)

Even I knew she didn't mean my grandfather, but her first husband, who had died in an epidemic in the 19-teens. That was the man whom she really loved. She had a small son when her beloved passed away, but my spunky grandmother went to work and raised him the best she could..until she met someone else she was willing to marry. The story goes that she looked considerably young for her age and deceived her new beau into thinking she was much younger than her 37 years. (He was only 25). They had two daughters, the first whom was my mother.

And sadly, their marriage was marked with dissension and turmoil.

My grandmother was a Christian and a true lady- and she certainly did not believe in divorce...but divorce happened, nonetheless.

So now, she was a single mother again. And her son became a sort of surrogate father to her two girls. He was twelve years older then my mom and both she and her sister adored him. And my spunky grandmother survived.










My mother tells me that for such a tiny little woman, she could surprise people with just how feisty she could be- especially when it came to sticking up for right- or for the honor of her own loved ones. But in spite of this, she would sometimes cry when she became extremely angry...a trait, I might add, which has been passed down to her daughter- and to me!

There are so many stories about Nana...and I try to picture them all, even though the person I knew personally was only a shell of who she really had been.

(How I wish I had the story behind this photo! It was one I had never seen before until recently...what a riot! (And ideas, Mom?) But I'm gathering she was in a play...and it gives me even more of an idea of the kind of personality she was before I was able to meet her!)


Now, my own mother is approaching 80. And though there are times I know she wishes she was younger in order to enjoy her granddaughters in a more active way...I am still thankful she is alive and as healthy as she is- both physically and mentally. I'm happy that she can still read them stories and sprinkle them with gems of wisdom like only grandmas can. And that my daughters can witness, first-hand, the real person that she is, and enjoy her.

Nana passed away when I was 19. She had hung on until she finally was released from this earth and went home to be with the Lord at the age of 93.
And these days, I like to think of my grandmother not as the ancient, nursing home-ridden lady who only remembered her past but not her present... but as that young, feisty, warm-hearted woman that I know from family stories, who loved her children fiercely and saw so many changes throughout her life and century.

Because I think she'll be the person that I meet in heaven one day.

*Picture 1...as a young woman
*Picture 2...with her little boy, my dear Uncle Les
*Picture 3...Nana holds me as a baby

**Edited to add...be sure to check out some of the photo details...like the high-button shoes in the photo with her son (1920)...and the beautiful classic pink car behind my grandmother and me. (I'd think I'd love to have that car now!)

Photohunt - Practical

I'm a little late this morning joining in on Saturday's Photo Hunt, but here is my youngest, taken last year, trying to look quite practical.


God bless~

Thank you! (Birthday pictures)

Thank you to all of you who sent your birthday wishes to my husband!
He didn't get a chance to even read my post until our family celebration time that night, where he also scrolled through the replies. He was really touched to read all of your warm wishes!

Poor guy didn't even get home on his birthday until late...but we met him at his restaurant of choice- M*ongolian Grill.
I wasn't so sure our sweet but picky five year old would be enjoying her dining experience there very much...sure enough, I was right. There were a few tears when she saw the raw food staring at her in the buffet line. But she seemed to perk up a bit when her daddy held her to watch those pros in action, cooking all the food over the round grill with the exciting smoke and flames shooting out!
Still, her dinner that night consisted of two pineapples sllices, four bites of beef and some milk.

Oh, and later, cake...


The girls helped me bake this, and we like to call this number..."Your forty- WHAT?" ;)

And because of the fun treasure hunts he started for the girls this year on their birthday's, they insisted on having one for him, too! So, we hid the clues and little wrapped candy bars and our main gifts around the house...


The girls were almost as excited giving the treasure hunt as they were on their own birthdays! Then, he sat down to open his gifts.

And although he loved the civil war movie I bought him, I think his very favorites were their homemade cards and the little 3-D candle book our youngest made him all on her own. (It's kind of hard to see, but trust me, there's a lot of work in this! We were impressed!)



All of these...and just being made to feel very, very special for an evening.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I'm going to try to catch up with some of your posts though out today and tomorrow as much as I can...I'm woefully behind, once again!
But today proves to be another busy one, with school work, cleaning, a home school group playtime, and Bible study tonight all on the schedule! Whew! So, you'll understand if I catch up a little at a time. ;)


Blessings!

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart

Once upon a time, a little boy was born on October 16th, into a large and growing family. He was the sixth to be born, (having come into this world after a tragic passing of the fifth child.)

(Here he is, the baby boy second from left.)

Soon, however, he would be one of a dozen children who filled the family house to overflowing! Right from the start, he was a spunky little guy...

Independent and adventurous.
(I can see these traits in him even yet!)

God knew that he was the one whom I was praying for...
fast-forward a few years...well, quite a few years....


Now he is also a sweet and loving husband...

(It's not every guy who will come home from a hard day at work and dance all evening with their wife on Valentine's Day to the strains of Tony Bennett...)

A caring and devoted father...

And an incredibly hard worker...


But more than all of these things, he is a man who loves God and tries to serve Him in his everyday life.

And you know what else? Somehow, in spite of all his hard work each day, he's actually getting younger every year!


(And I love him more each day...)

Happy Birthday, Sweetheart!