19 Years

This evening, we attended a funeral visitation for a friend we had gone to church with when we first moved here.  We hadn't even known she was ill, and are so sad for her family.  It was also a harsh reminder of how quickly time passes and how much we take life for granted.

 Since today is our anniversary, we decided to go out for dinner while we were in town, and let the kids fend for themselves for supper!  We had dinner at Chili's, then went next-door to Oberweiss for ice cream.  It was the first time we've been in since it opened over a year ago.

We foolishly ordered 2 scoops each, and were so full we could barely walk out!

But maaaaaaaaannnnnn, was it goooood!!!!!!

When we got home, all 3 kids were singing together, practicing for Sylvia's and Caeden's auditions for the vocal jazz ensemble tomorrow!  Music to our ears--and hearts!

It is amazing how quickly 19 years have passed.  I'm sure I probably said the same thing last year about 18 years, but it is true.  I don't know how we got here already, but I wouldn't want to walk through all the craziness of life with anyone else but Jeremy Lopshire!  How blessed we are.

Jeremy's Uncle Paul passed away in his sleep this week.  We attended his funeral today, and it was a beautiful remembrance of his life. I will always remember how funny Paul was, and how he would eat gravy on his peach pie at Thanksgiving dinner.  During the service today, I really enjoyed the story of how Paul proposed to Nancy with a 3-carrot ring--literally, he stuck 3 carrots to the bottom of a box in the shape of a ring and asked her to marry him, promising a real ring later.  So cute!

Jeremy arrived this morning at my parents' house.  He brought Caeden's new glasses.  Caed is pretty excited about having transition lenses!

Cousins Simon and Caeden at the funeral dinner

Grandpa reminded us that Paul always said, "Life is short; eat dessert first!"
and he got the dessert line going while the meal was served.

The boys are always super excited to see their Uncle Jeremy.  He even got a hug from Tony.

Charlie and Andrew thumb wrestling

3 generations of Lopshire men

Later in the afternoon, I thought it was so sweet when Grayson wanted to read on his own, and Tessa wanted to read to Bryce.  They are all good readers!

Jeremy took the girls to Fort Wayne to find Annah a swimsuit. As we were getting ready to go to the 'Busco park to watch Grayson's and Bryce's baseball game, Annah asked if I would bring her sunglasses.  I sent her this as  a reply...
I bet she was a little bit sorry she asked.

Travis is coaching the boys' baseball team.  

He is so wonderful with the kids.  

Bryce on base

When Uncle Jeremy got there, Tessa ran to give him a big hug!

Spectators

Good game!  Good game!

Snack time, yeah!

Tessa and Caeden making bridges

Everybody said goodbye to Uncle Jeremy before bedtime, since he would be going back home early in the morning.  

Big hugs from Bryce

Treasures of this life

The Lord blessed me with a few minutes with two of my lifetime best friends today.  Marci's stepdad, Wil, passed away this past week, and Mom and I were able to attend his burial service. Although I had not known Wil personally, it was so touching and inspiring to hear Marci speak about the ways he had been such a wonderful part of her life. We were all glad to share the time celebrating Wil's life, share hugs and prayers with Carol and her family, and see many of our 'Busco Naz' family there to support this family we love so much. Amy, Marci and I discussed the fact that we feel too young to only be having reunions at funerals, as the last time I saw Amy was at her dad's visitation this past Thanksgiving.  Life is definitely bittersweet.  I'm so thankful to be blessed with these two darling friends. They are some of the greatest treasures of my life! 

This afternoon, Mom and Sylvia went to JoAnn Fabric and picked a pattern and materials to make an Easter dress for Sylvia.  They set up a table in the basement this evening and started cutting it out.

 Sylvia loves to sew--especially with her Gram!

Celebrating Nola

Today we mourned and celebrated the life and homogenize of our dear friend Nola. She has been a friend since I first sat next to her--she at the organ and I at the piano--at Bloomington 1st Church of the Nazarene almost 14 years ago.  She was a tremendous musician with a beautiful alto voice and the sweetest heart.  It was an honor to play piano for her service today.  It is hard to fathom the joy she has in heaven today, but I'm thankful to have known her and especially thankful that she is not in pain or suffering anymore.  

Pastor Todd had these magnets made up for everyone who attended Nola's funeral service today.  Her license plate always read "IL B FYN," which was both her way of sometimes keeping people at a little bit of a distance, but moreso her way of acknowledging that everything is going to be alright in Christ.  She will be fine.  She is more than fine now.

I am so grateful to have known Nola, to have had a bit of her friendship, to have shared the honor of making music with her, and to have been the very blessed and frequent recipient of her prayers.

Aunt Wanda

We took a road trip to Indiana yesterday to mourn the loss and celebrate the life of my precious Aunt Wanda.  It's been a while since Jeremy and I got to travel together just the two of us. 

The kids are staying with Dawn and Shannon, and are quite happy about that.  We would have taken them out of school for the 2 days, but they have all missed a lot of school this year for sickness and appointments. Sylvia was supposed to have track practice last night and a meet tonight, but both were canceled for impending weather that didn't really happen at the time of either practice or meet.  

The kids had a good time, and apparently a great morning getting ready for school today.  Dawn sent me this picture of them all getting on the bus together.  I'm so very thankful for these friendships.

Jeremy and I arrived in Churubusco around 6pm last night and went straight to the funeral home.  It still hasn't sunk in that Wanda has passed away; it felt like we were going to visit her.  We are thankful for a little bit of time with family and friends, thinking of Wanda, and crying and smiling together.

This morning we attended her service.  I was blessed with the privilege of playing piano and singing Because He Lives, and Amazing Grace during the service, and accompanied Travis as he sang 10,000 Angels so beautifully.  While I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Wanda and our Lord with music in this ceremony, it is a tough thing to do.  The music was not really difficult music, but the task of suppressing emotions in order to get through it is always difficult.  I asked a few friends to pray specifically that my emotions would not overcome me and that my hands and voice would not shake.  The Lord is so good to me; I was able to maintain control pretty well, and am thankful.

I could not possibly find words beautiful enough to memorialize or eulogize my Aunt Wanda.  She was the kindest, gentlest lady I've ever known.  She had such a loving, servant's heart, and she was always doing beautiful, meaningful things for others and giving, giving, giving.  I never once saw her  get angry.  The beauty of Jesus' love just poured out of her in a quiet, humble way in everything she did.  All through the week, I was thinking how here just was no way to adequately describe Aunt Wanda.  In fact, the pastor did a nice job, but it seemed he was struggling to find words good enough...until he read from Proverbs 31.  It fit perfectly.

The Wife of Noble Character

10 A wife of noble character who can find?

She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her

and lacks nothing of value.

12 She brings him good, not harm,

all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax

and works with eager hands.

14 She is like the merchant ships,

bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;

she provides food for her family

and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;

her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff

and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor

and extends her hands to the needy.

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;

she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,

and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27 She watches over the affairs of her household

and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,

but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,

and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

Hats, help, hugs for a momma's heart

Since we told the kids about the Disney trip, they have been using everything Disney they have, creating art about Disney, and just generally finding every way possible they can think of to celebrate the thought of Disney.  Caeden has been wearing his Mickey ears hat around the house at all times.

Yesterday, I was having "one of those days" where I was just feeling really [the bad kind of] overwhelmed about all I needed to get done, how messy and dirty the house was, how I am not keeping up with life as well as I want to, and so on...  

I'd been at the school all afternoon, helping with the junior high choir and going to the assembly to see Sylvia awarded.  I took the kids right from school into town for their music lessons.  (I did have the presence of mind [Thank you, Jesus!] to take them to Wendy's for a quick Frosty for an after-school-snack, which was really fun.)  Then, I dropped them off at lessons and did some speed-shopping at Kroger, picked them up from lessons, drove home, unloaded all the groceries in the cold.  I was getting weepy by that point, and the kids were all wonderful and helped me unload and put groceries away.  

We ate fried chicken and potato chips I'd picked up at the store for supper. (Eek, how bad for us, I know!!)  The girls started in on homework and showers, and I had to, had to, had to sit down and practice music for a funeral that was today.  (That's another story, which includes my bad attitude and how God really wanted me to do something I didn't want to do.  Maybe I'll get to it later in the post...)  Anyway, as I was practicing, I decided to get up and make some hot tea.  When I walked into our filthy, messy kitchen, this is what I saw, and it brought me to tears...

Now, I was not in tears over the filthy, messy kitchen (You would think!), but over the fact that Caeden was standing there by himself, singing, rinsing dishes, and loading the dishwasher!  He is such a stubborn boy, and complains all day long every day about every chore he is asked to do.  So, when I saw him happily doing something I didn't even ask him to do, doing it joyfully, doing it by himself, and doing it because he knew it would help his mommy...I was completely overcome with emotion.  I cried, thanked him and told him how much it was helping me, how much it meant to me, and that he is a good boy.  (I think he probably half-thought I was a bit nuts, but he is getting used to my bursting into tears at any random time.)  He just said, "You're welcome, Mommy.  Sylvia helped too.  I'm just in a good mood, so I am happy to help."  Ahhhh, such a blessing from the Lord that was!!

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So, today I had the honor of being the pianist for the funeral of a pastor on our district.  I had never met this pastor, but was asked by our District Superintendent, through my pastor, if I would accompany the ministers choir.  (All of the pastors on our district are required to be part of the funeral service of a fellow pastor by singing in the ministers choir--how awesome!) 

Honestly, my first reaction was two-fold: 1) I don't want to do this.  2) How do I get out of this?

My reaction was two-fold for at least two reasons: 1) The kids had today off school, and I was looking forward to spending the day home with them.  I didn't want to shove them off on someone else, namely the only friend I could think of who would be able to watch them--who was supposed to be enjoying her own kids' day off school.  2) I had never driven to the town where the funeral was, and it was over an hour away, and that petrifies me--often to the point of a physical anxiety attack.

Lame excuses, I know. But, I figured there ought to be at least a few others who actually knew this pastor, who would love the opportunity to play piano for his funeral service...Right?  Well, it turned out others were asked, and either no one wanted to play, or honestly no one else was available.  That part doesn't really matter...What matters is that it became very clear that even though I didn't want to play, God seemed to really want me there.  So, I resolved to change my attitude and I was honored to be part of the beautiful service celebrating and remembering this pastor's life.  

The drive there was actually quite easy, and I thank God for reassuring me with my iphone GPS.  (Seriously, it is amazing how much that helps my driving anxiety, and how many prayers of thanks I have offered for that tool!)  

The service was wonderful.  It was very powerful to worship with the pastors of our district and see them mourn their friend and celebrate this man's passing into heaven!  How glorious!  It really was a blessing to be part of it.  I am always blessed when I choose to obey the Lord.

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This afternoon, I picked the kids up from Dawn.  They were having so much fun, it took us about 2 hours to leave.  We headed home and did some quick picking up.  Then we loaded in the car to head to town.  I dropped the girls off at Ashley's house for her birthday slumber party.  Then Caeden and I headed over to pick up Samuel to come sleep over at our house.  

Caeden has been wearing this hat for a couple weeks (minus the recent days when he's substituted the Mickey ears).  He even sleeps with it on at night sometimes.  I love that he likes it so much.  I figured he was wearing it mostly because it is super soft, but when I asked him what made it his favorite hat, he said, "My Great Grandma made it for me!"  I love that.