From 4 to 14 ... Wow that was fast ... too fast ... way too fast!!

Today, J.D., our oldest son, started in his first ever “real” baseball game. I wasn’t able to be there for the first pitch but I did arrive just as J.D. was coming up to the plate for the first time. He kept is eye on the ball and only missed the ball once. He kept fouling it off and on one of those swings the ball found the top of his left hand. Not wanting to be the overbearing, overprotective parent I strolled over to the fence where I clear could see his hand immediately swelling and changing colors. I then strolled (a little faster now) over to the concession stand to get a bag of ice to put on his hand.

When the inning ended, the coach kept J.D. off the field. As the next inning came to a close the coach motioned me over. J.D.’s hand wasn’t looking any better and was continuing to swell. We decided the game was over for him and it would be best to get an xray of his hand to make certain no bones were broken.

When we reached the van, he wasn’t able to untie his cleats so he asked for my help (yes! he still needs me!!). When he sat down I bent to untie his shoes and I had to choke back the swell of emotion that came upon me. Here before me was a young man, where my little boy once sat. Blinking hard to keep the tears at bay I began untying and smiled at the size of his shoes; sIze 14 the same as his age. Immediately I could see in my minds eye me picking him up and placing him on the counter in our kitchen to tie his shoes before he went outside. Shoes not bigger than the palm of my hand....then just as quickly I’m snapped out of memory lane by a “Thanks Dad” as I slid off his cleats.

Arriving at the hospital brought back many memories. While looking for a space to park I was now back to July of 1995. It was late afternoon as a 23 year old boy arrived in the same parking lot looking for a space near the door because his wife refused to be dropped at the door insisting instead to walk whatever distance was necessary by his side, because we were in “this” together. The “this” was the birth of J.D. at 10:56 pm, weighing just 6 pounds, 9.8 ounces, 19 and 3 quarter inches long.

After I got him checked in, he stepped into the bathroom and I sat down quickly entering memory lane again. So many memories, such a range of emotion I find it impossible to put them to words.

Before J.D. had come out of the bathroom Melissa arrived to “tag out” with me so I could head to work. As I looked at her it was clear she had been crying. I realized again how blessed I am, abundantly blessed. I’m delighted to have her by my side to share my life and overwhelmed that God would give me two women who love me with all them have and J.D. a second mother to worry over him and what is more important pray over him.

God is good all the time.

“Road Trip!”

Wonder what it is like to travel with 8 kids in tow?

This past December, we were invited to visit Arkansas by Momma Karen’s wonderful Uncle Jim and Aunt Genise. As an added bonus, we would get to spend time with Aunt Marcy and Uncle Jimbo. We love these four wise and caring family members….they have invested in our Georgia family for many years with their love, prayers and time. I had the privilege of meeting Aunt Genise in June of 2009 and Uncle Jim about a month later in July. They were so genuine, kind and accepting. So, when the invitation came to go to Arkansas I didn’t hesitate to say “Yes!” As the date of departure came closer I became nervous but I was instantly put at ease with their friendly loving mannerisms.

We had a whirlwind of a week! First, I got to meet Aunt Marcy and Uncle Jimbo! What a great time for me and a happy reunion for our Georgia natives! Jim, Genise, Marcy and Jimbo treated us to fun galore: ice skating, swimming, great food and fellowship! Highlights for the kids were backrubs from Aunt Genise, magic tricks with Uncle Jim, hugs and surprises from Aunt Marcy and Uncle Jimbo, food and horses at the famous Dixie Stampede and a day long adventure at Silver Dollar City! That only covers a portion of what we fit in that week! Let’s just say we felt like we were on a dream vacation with people we love very much! It wasn’t perfect, though, because Dad had to stay home and work. Thank you, Darren, for working so hard for us so we can make these kind of wonderful memories!

Now for the logistics of travel: Our 8 children are pros at travel. They are savvy packers! They understand that if they pack “it” they have to carry “it”; so they are thoughtful and wise in their decisions. Thanks to Momma Karen’s organizational skills along with Hannah’s tweaking they each have a list of what they pack so they (hopefully) will bring all essentials to vacation and home from vacation.

The travel to Arkansas? Smooth as butter. The travel home? Not so much! Read on….

Darren thoughtfully booked us a hotel near the airport for the night before our 5:50 a.m. flight. The kids were super at getting ready…..but after 3 spills in the breakfast area of our hotel I was starting to get nervous. Was this how our day was going to go? Unfortunately, my concerns were well founded! We were still trudging through security when they boarded and closed our flight. We arrived at the gate seconds too late! Now for the punch line….that was the only available flight for “Isherwood Party of 9” to even remotely make it home in time for Grandma and Grandpa Hussey to arrive from Maine within the following 2 days. I was aggravated and stressed. It was clear: we were not going to leave Arkansas by plane that day! So, I called “Road Trip!” 8 dejected travelers sat on a bench waiting for Mom to do something miraculous. After visiting several rental car booths, I finally found a deal. We packed ourselves into this new SUV type of vehicle like the clown car at the circus! Even with our light packing we had bags piled under our feet and up to the ceiling! We hit the road for Memphis, Tennessee hoping to catch a flight from there to Atlanta. The kids were hesitantly agreeable….after all, they wanted to get home too and spending another day at the airport didn’t sound like much fun.

We started out singing, joking and enjoying sites we hadn’t seen before. We stopped for lunch at a McDonald’s and hit the road again. We were all feeling a bit smug, I think, about our progress when “IT” happened. About an hour outside of Memphis, Zachary lost his lunch all over Matthew’s new stuffed animal …..well, actually all over Matthew! His aim included Annie’s favorite bear and Matthew’s lap and coat…in fact, any where except for the “barf bag” we brought along! As, I made my way across four lanes of traffic to the edge of the highway, the alarm was spreading. By the time I was able to get stopped and get to the back of the vehicle this was the scene: Zachary actively vomiting, Matthew crying for his clothes, his brother and his new Webkinz, Annie crying for her brother and her bear, Eli crying for Annie because she is sad about her bear, Hannah screaming at Zachary to stop getting sick and for heaven’s sake hit the barf bag, Noah sitting in stunned silence, JD planning for the future (“Mom, I think we are like miles from nowhere!” and Rachel. Oh, sweet Rachel, she is gazing on this scene with big eyes and when I get to her brother she looks at me and just starts to cry. At this point, I totally lose it and scream, “Rachel, what are you crying for?!?!?!?!” To which she replies, “I’m sad for you, Mom!” On a scale of 1 to 10 of Mothering, I scored about negative 5. But praise God for perspective so this is where I say, “Thank you, Rachel”.

With nothing….and I mean NOTHING….to clean up this vomit; we spent another 30 or so very quiet and very smelly minutes travelling to the nearest freeway exit. Right off the exit was a Kroger…we gratefully disembarked while I went in to forage for water, wet wipes, paper towels, cleaner, etc. As I was headed into the store I heard a strange noise. I turned just in time to see Rachel vomiting down the outside of the vehicle! Oh man….this was really not the way it was supposed to go! About and hour later after all occupants and the vehicle were cleaned and settled I shifted the car into drive and started to leave the parking lot. I drove about ten feet when—you guessed it—the vomiting came again! Thankfully, it was contained this time.

We arrived in Memphis disheveled, exhausted and praying to catch a flight home. Rachel slept through dinner, Zach revived and was ravenous. Our dinnertime conversation revolved around various ways to clean a stuffed animal without ruining the integrity of the “fluffy feeling”. We waited anxiously at the airport gate and cheered when they called our names to board! We were headed home!

Our day started at 4 a.m. and we made it home a little past midnight. We had 20 hours of drink spills, vomit, laughter, tears, exploding snack bags, frustration, grace and forgiveness but mostly, lots and lots of LOVE! We made some crazy memories…some good and some not so good. However, this is my disclaimer: I am so thankful to be Mom to JD, Hannah, Matthew, Noah, Rachel, Eli, Zachary and Annie Grace. Thankfully, not every child got sick. Instead, what every child did do throughout our long crazy day was, at some point, encourage someone, help someone, have compassion on someone. From cracking a joke to lighten the moment to carrying a bag for someone else to shedding tears of sadness for someone else’s misfortune to praising someone for something done well….these children are a team and I am so grateful to be part of it! I am hoping, however, that our next trip will be exciting in a “vomit-free-make-the-flight” kind of way! J

“He Took My Chip!”

“He Took My Chip!” …..A little about our children:

As many of you know, Darren and I met in person in March of 2009 when the Hill Family invited the Isherwood Family to Maine to enjoy the benefits of a northern winter. Prior to that time Darren and I had simply been phone and email friends…Christian widow and widower who “got” each others lives. Thankfully, the Isherwood family accepted and on March 7, 2009 the Isherwood clan arrived in snowy Maine. When these eight children met each other you would have thought they were long lost buddies! After introductions were given all around they jumped into doing what kids do best: playing. Board games were set up, princesses and cowboys were seen in various stages of costume, trampoline jumping contests were ongoing. From sledding to joke telling the kids just hit it off! The most interesting part was there did not seem to be any “super polite” or wary behavior of these new friends. Instead almost instantaneously the children became the best of friends and fierce competitors!

Our families spent 3 full days fellowshipping together. On our last evening together we ventured to a favorite local Mexican restaurant. Diners gawked at the parade of children as we were led to a table in the far recesses of the restaurant. Shortly after being seated we were served salsa and chips. Darren and I sat at one end of the table debating our meal choice while the children, in their Mexican Sombreros, were munching away. I remember being very distracted by Darren’s profile and persona while he was intently trying to get me to choose an entrée when suddenly I was jerked out of my reverie by a very shrill 7 year old voice screaming, “He took my chip!” My sweet Rachel was glaring down the boys across from her (JD and Eli) as she accusingly pointed her finger. Darren quickly jumped up from his seat to go speak to her about “restaurant manners” while I hid behind the menu stifling my giggles. At that moment Rachel cemented herself in my heart! It was on the ride home that night that I realized God was calling our families together.

I remember that on the ride home JD was chatting away about computers, iPods and the like when a still small voice inside of me called me to be the mother of eight children! Now, this presented a little problem as I was not fully convinced yet that Darren was feeling what I was feeling but that is another part of the story. As the evening played out, Darren and I both witnessed how the children had been impacted by one another. Not one child was ready to be separated….forget going back to “normal life”! The Hill boys shed tears for fear that they would not get to see the Isherwood children again. The Isherwood children were solemn and dejected that the time had come to an end. After all the others were in bed and I arrived to help Darren gather their things for the ride home, JD came to speak to me and subsequently melted my heart. He said, “Miss Hill, Thank you for opening your home to us and cooking for us. I just want to tell you that these past few days I felt like a real family.” The tears rolled down my cheeks as I said, “Me too, JD. Me too.”

Fast forward one year: How do these children feel about each other now? They are brothers and sisters. They love each other intently and knock the rough edges off each other. They play hard and work hard together. Of their own volition there is no isolation…no separation. Thanks to God’s provision, all eight bear the Isherwood name through adoption. They dream big dreams and ask thousands of questions. Darren and I have realized that we have no “shrinking violets” or “doormats” in our family. They are all opinionated and strong willed. They are all healthy and bright. These 8 children who have survived the deep sorrow of the death of a mother and a father are laughing, living, hoping, planning. Their world is whole again.

I leave you with one final thought: Today our 14 year old son was sharing about a disappointing memory he had from several years ago when Momma Karen was still with him. They had been planning to go the Georgia Aquarium for some time and when the event was to happen, the plans fell through. It was extremely disappointing. Interestingly enough, our clan got to visit the Aquarium this fall. It was a really fun and special time as a family. JD went on to say that he felt that the reason that he didn’t get to go the first time it was planned was that God had meant for that experience to be had altogether with our new family. He was moved to emotion and I realized he was right: God had done what He does so often (if we are paying attention). He answers our prayers; in this case a boy’s desire to visit the aquarium, in His time and in a bigger way than we can ever imagine.

5 boys, 3 girls. A year ago they were strangers. Today, their hearts are knit together by God’s mighty hand. We are so blessed.

The house is quiet. All my children are tucked into their beds. Darren is at work. I can faintly hear the sounds of Odyssey playing in my children’s bedrooms as they drift off to sleep to (hopefully) dream peaceful dreams. I am alone. It is a strange sensation. While laundry is ever waiting, homework needs correcting, notes should be written; I have decided instead to put a few thoughts into words during this brief interlude from the routine demands of my days.

The sensation of being alone….of actually being aware of the lack of sounds of daily living…the absence of energy of 8 children is strangely surreal. Tonight, as I went around to their beds to give kisses, hugs and pray over the children I was so aware that 371 days ago we did not know each other beyond telephone, snail mail, or emails. When I think of what God has done in 371 short days I am overwhelmed. You may think that is foolish considering what He created in just 7 days at the dawn of time. The thing is that this is my life….my tangible reality. And I stand AMAZED! As I reflect on the way that God has knit our ten hearts together in this past year I feel that there aren’t words fine enough to describe what has taken place. Truly, the Hill and Isherwood families merging into one is reason to praise the Lord!

Our days are so full! It seems that from the moment we put our feet on the floor we go and do and the next thing we know we are crawling back into bed to rest quickly before starting all over again. It is the most rewarding, exhausting, scary, thrilling, dramatic day-to-day life I could have imagined. As newlyweds, Darren and I are still learning each other…still studying one another….not always sure how the other will respond to certain situations. While it is our goal to never stop studying one another, we sure feel the “amnesia” that occurs when we miscue or encounter a new scenario. Karen would have known this….Scott would have known that. Then we realize: oh, yes, this person who is now my other half doesn’t know what happened to me when I was six that made me deathly afraid of dogs nor do I fully understand how he came to dislike surprises and sandwiches. The thousands of little details that make up who we have become are shared in stolen snippets of time in between pouring our hearts into raising eight straight flying arrows, working and maintaining our home and relationships. It is an unusual beginning to be sure…..sometimes frustrating, sometimes hurtful, sometimes funny, sometimes touching….but always interesting! I feel so blessed to call Darren my husband, father of my children, my other half, my best friend. We laugh, we cry, we rage, we plan, we worry, we wonder…and we do it together! The fullness of our life together abundantly overflows in stark contrast to the deep and agonizing emptiness of widow/widower hood. Psalm 9:1 reads: “I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth all thy marvelous works.” As we head into another year-long set of seasons together we hope to share with you all the He has done and is doing. Together, we will Praise Him!