Gnomes on the roam once again!

 All good Hamil"gnomes" ready for what's next (or are at least heading in that direction!):

Newlywed "Gnomes" on honeymoon, far, far away!

South Carolina gnomes gone home with cutest flower girl ever!

Soon to be wed gnomes heading back to Kentucky today.

Very tired, but happy Papa and Mama Gnome heading to Fairhope, to find out more about the next part of our Journey.

Couldn't be happier, couldn't be more blessed at the outpouring of love from friends and family and really couldn't be more tired. But so far, God has been with us and given us strength, and we trust that He will go the rest of the way with us!

So, here we go! Gnomes on the roam again!

What a beautiful day!

I know why there is so much busy time surrounding a wedding.  If there weren't the parents would have too much time to think...

You stay so busy, and then the rehearsal makes it real.   The music starts and the bride is standing in the back of the church.  She is beautiful, but only a hint of the beauty she will display tomorrow.  The groom comes out, standing tall and straight, looking handsome, but again only a hint of what tomorrow will hold.

"Tomorrow" is here

The preparations are done, everyone is dressed and ready and then we go.

Grandmothers, mothers, bridesmaids, flower girl---so precious!

Groomsmen,  Bestman, pastors, groom...

There she is in the back of the church..so beautiful with her father, he hands her to my son.

A few minutes later, her grandfather and his father have pronounced them Husband and Wife.

They begin their journey, traveling on as one.

As parents we step back, God has blessed their union...

Thanks be to God. 

Love You,
Mr. and Mrs. Caleb and Krista Hamilton

Hey Mom...

It's middle school for you... you and your brother are making new friends in a new place.  We meet a lot of them....one young lady is a constant in your group of friends.  She is such a sweet young lady. 

"Hey Mom...Krista is going to be my date for the dance, can you take us and pick us up?" 

"Hey Mom...Can Krista come over? "

"Can we play tennis?",  "Can you take us to the movies?"

Another dance...Christmas presents, too.

"Dad, will you help me make her a treasure box for Valentine's Day?"

"Can I have the car for our first "car date"?"

Its time for our Junior Prom, Senior Play, Graduation...

Fast forward..".Mom, Dad, I want to ask her Dad for her hand, can I have your blessing first?"  "She said 'YES'"!

"Mom, Dad..the tuxes are in...I need my hair cut, I need to pack, to move stuff, to set up  our new life."

My heart is swirling with pride, with elation, with a mother's love and that bittersweet feeling that as this phase of their lives begin, a part of mine ends.

But, there it is on the front porch of their first home....A porch swing; and so it begins....

Godspeed and much love..

Mama

Gnomes on the roam again...

Whew, since the world didn't end, all systems are go for the wedding and the Gnomes are on the roam for the blessed event. 

Flight status..2 Gnomes in at 3:45 this morning from Kentucky! That is, the best man and his fiancee (a future  Mrs.Hamil"gnome")

The Bride and Groom "gnomes" are busy with last minute preparations, moving into new home, picking up tuxes, etc.,. errands, errands, errands!

The South Carolina Hamil"gnomes" arrive Friday morning.

So far, so good....

But..

The recurring dream from the first of the month is playing in my mind again.  Will we all show up at the right place, the right time and with the right clothes on....all of the right clothes? May we not crash into anything, arrive late, fall, or draw unwanted attention to ourselves. Like the bad little Travelocity gnome.

Oh, I pray we are all good little Hamil"gnomes"..meaning we are in the right place, at the right time and hopefully doing the right thing!

If you are confused as to the gnome reference, please refer to my post on May 5, "The summer of the roaming Hamil"gnomes."

Dresses, nail polish, headbands, tulle....help?!! or maybe not!

As you can tell from most of my posts, I am not a "girly-girl!"  On the few occaisions that I have stumbled into that realm, I have enjoyed it and been very intriqued by all that  it entails.

Here are some of the "Girly" things that I find amusing and worth further exploration:

1. Manicures and Pedicures are definitely fun! They would be even more fun if my feet weren't so ticklish!

2. Dressing up can be tolerable and make you feel pretty..... for short periods of time.

3. I can enjoy crafty things as long as they do not require paint or staying in the lines.  I like arranging a table and making bows. I will pick flowers, grow a few, but you wouldn't want me arranging them.

4. I can admire other people's  beautiful hairstyles, but mine usually consists of finding the right headband.  But I do enjoy a sparkly or frilly headband.

5.  Shoes and purses are a lot of fun!

6. I need to learn how to wear a wrap, shawl or whatever you call the thing over your arms before Saturday..

7. God knew He needed to give me boys.

I'm nearly 50 , and just now, I begin to find being a girl fascinating.  My poor husband...!

"Buck up"

Another one of Daddy's sayings.  Didn't like this one too much. It meant, "Get over it, face it, and get through it".  It always came when I was facing something that scared me.  He knew he wouldn't be around for most of my life; he knew that from the time I was seven, so, as gentle and as kind of a father he was, he began to teach me strength at a young age.

 I was born a "fraidy cat".  I was scared that I would fall through the cracks on a dock..laughable to think of now, I was scared of jets flying overhead (there were lots of them where we lived), of just about everything... even his favorite pet Chihuahua named Fawn.  In my defense, she should have been named "TANK"!  But, having the patience of job, he tackled those fears with me, one by one, until I became independent, and unafraid.  He would tell me to "buck-up whenever I was afraid, and not wanting to dissapoint, I did.  

One of the last times he used that phrase on me was when I was 16, had just gotten my license earlier that day, and wrecked the family car by hitting a few parked cars.  I fell apart when I called to tell him.  I knew what I would hear on the other end of the pay phone and he did not fail me, "Buck-up, baby, I'll be right there."  He never got me out of the lesson, but he was never out of sight, watching, and waiting, and there when I needed him at the end of it all with open arms.

I have been blessed with wonderful men in my life. A Godly husband and sons.  But sometimes life gets the best of us, gets overwhelming, gets crazy, and you need someone to say,"Buck up baby, I'll be right there."  A reminder that you'll get through it, it'll be exhausting, but that there are open arms waiting at the other end.

 Daddy, you are gone, I miss you terribly, but you and I both know that Marty has had a tough job...but he has me figured out, and knows how to watch, wait and open his arms at the end of the day!

Thanks for making me "Buck up"

Wedding, wedding, wedding

I wonder how many times a day we say that word.  I just don't know.  We are consumed with the wedding and upcoming marriage of our son and his wonderful fiance.

We talk about decorations, we talk about food, we talk about outfits, we talk about the ceremony and plants, and honeymoon packing and food at our house and gifts and family coming in and the list goes on and on and on!!!!!!

But one night this week, Caleb and Krista were going through childhood pictures for the rehearsal dinner and let me look at the pictures they selected, and without fail, like any good mother, I saw them, and immediately was transported back in time.  Back to the time when he was an infant, when he was dependent on me and his daddy for everything. I look at those pictures and know this is another time to let go.  To joyfully let go, to smile, to cry and for us to joyfully celebrate the new family they will form.

We have known her for many years, too.  She has grown from a sweet young lady to a beautiful young woman.  We are blessed...

We have done this once before...letting a son go to a wonderful young woman, I thought it would be easier this time...it is familiar, it is joyful, and it is still not without tears!

Blessings abound with the tears!  Let the fun begin!!!!

Sadie and Atilla

I love my pets.  We have a geriatric beagle named "Sadie" and a stealth black cat named "Atilla". Both are females and the very best of friends.

Sadie does absolutely nothing all day.  She moves from the back porch to the flower beds, to the shade of the gardenia bush and back again.  She has a dog bed that she will sometimes use, and sometimes not.  She is not a watchdog..well, maybe she is, she will "watch" anything go by. Will she bark, or warn you?  Probably not!  She does get excited for 3 things, though.  They are, in this exact order:  1) for Atilla to come in from her wanderings and play with her. She can be so mopey, and just hearing Atilla, gets her acting like a puppy again!  2) Food, of any sort, any kind! Yep, she is my dog! 3) For our oldest Son, Josh to come home! He can be gone months at a time, but the minute she sees him, she howls, and wags her tail and gets so sassy!  When it is cold or bad weather, she won't sleep in the garage without Atilla.  She would rather brave the elements than leave her friend outside.

Atilla is crazy!  She has a vertical leap like I have never seen before! She loves to be petted, and although she is an outside cat she likes to be let in the front door to walk through the house to the back door!  She likes to sleep on the roof, and will pounce on you if you let her.  If she's hungry she will bite your ankles, and loves Sadie to death, but won't stay and rest with her outside and doesn't really care if Sadie is in the garage or not. However, she does check on Sadie several times a day!

Pretty much like a lot of friendships....  Introverts and extroverts, homebodies and gallavanters, One a nurturer, one not as much, but somehow it works.

May we all do as well as Sadie and Atilla..a little dysfunctional, but somehow making it work! 

Friends and pets, so much alike...Who Knew?

Hurry up and wait!

I was thinking about the kind of person I can be.  I guess I am usually a person of  action.  Kind of the "Do something, even if it's wrong" mentality sometimes.

I get in the elevator and keep pusing the button of the floor I want (like that will make it move any faster). 

I click the internet button over and over until the internet pops up and then I have 15 internet windows open. 

I can't wait for water to boil...I once heard that adding salt makes it boil faster, so I always add salt.

I always try to scoot through a yellow light.

I "line hop" in check out lines, trying to find the shortest line (that never works, you know)

Checking  my email 50 times a day makes the response come faster...no it doesn't!

Changing my ring tone wont make my phone ring .

I guess the bottom line is... I am a bit impatient.  I hate to wait for anything.  It was terrible to wait for 12 months for my wedding to come and 9 months waiting for children.  I find myself in such a hurry to go nowhere.  What difference does it make if I make it to the top floor, in 1 minute or 1 minute and 10 seconds?

How uncomfortable we are with "down time" .  We have our busy lives and our things to do.  We don't like to wait for others, to wait for responses, to wait on God. To do nothing, even if it feels wrong is often what we need to do.

No wonder we are so tired and "run down" .  I love the verse "they that wait on the Lord will renew their strength, they will mount up on wings like eagles.  They will run and not be weary, they will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

What an awesome promise.  Wait...what a novel concept, and even better, a promise in the waiting.  Thank you, Lord.







I

A Morning Walk

One of the things I love to do is go for morning walks with my friend.  We have the best time and my day always gets off to a great start after our walks. We talk, we "vent", and we laugh.

This morning was no exception. The weather was perfect. How often do you get a cool morning in May?  We  finished our walk and as I was returning home, I saw a little black bird sitting in the middle of one of the busiest streets in our neighborhood.  I thought surely it would fly away but the closer I got to it,  It didn't.  It just looked at me and sat there.  I went over to it and stroked it.  Then it let me pick it up.  It was able to flap its wings but unable to get out of the road.  I set the little bird down in a cool patch of grass to rest. He looked back as if to thank me.

But it really got me to thinking....God gives us people to come and walk beside us. To give us strength and to lead us to a place of rest. 

Not too unlike our kind Shepherd, "The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
  He makes me lie down in green pastures,"--Psalm 23

News Flash! Niceness!

I love the old tv show M*A*S*H.   It was deemed inappropriate for its' time and I remember my dad not wanting me to watch it.

Now, it is in syndication on the Hallmark channel, so it is pretty tame by today's standards!  The characters are timeless, and I especially like the unlovable Frank Burns.  He is kind of the worst parts of all of us, isn't he?  He has a saying that I find intriguing and it goes like this..."It's nice to be nice to the nice."

Don't you wish it were that simple? Don't you wish we could just be nice to those who are nice?  I sure wish I could, sometimes.  Unfortunately, we don't get off that easily.  It is so easy to be nice to those who treat us well... to those who love us and appreciate what we do for them. But, we are not called to do that as people of God.  We are called to be nice to those that hurt us.  I can usually even do that.  But when we are called to be nice to those that hurt others (especially my "others"), that's where it gets hard. As it is for all of us.

In saying all of this, I just want to say that "niceness" is a quality that does not come easily or without great price.  As Southern women we are taught to be nice.  Nice isn't always really nice.  Its often just in how we say things with a lilt in our melodic voices!  We can cut someone to shreds with a smile on our faces! I am so guilty of that at times. But, for today I am working on Frank Burns' message with my own twist, "It's more nice to be nice to the not-so-nice!"

Happy Monday!

Roses

Went to a wedding yesterday...not an unusual ocurrance given the time of year, right?  Looking at all of the beautiful flowers really got me thinking.  If there is one flower that marks all of the important stages in life, it has to be the rose.

When a couple falls in love, roses are the gift to express that love.  Nothing says it better than the single rose!

When the wedding comes, there are roses everywhere. Beautiful roses! The bride carries them, they are all over the church, and the aroma just helps set the tone.

A little time, and a few anniversary bouquets later, come the precious white roses for that darling baby! The roses are a nice addition to that "new baby" smell,

All through life there can be, "I'm sorry" roses, "I will miss you" roses, "we appreciate you" roses.

Then, it happens, Your child is buying a rose for a lovely girl. a little while later, she is holding roses in front of her groom. 

Then, baby bouquets,  and so it goes....until the rose is the final flower...

the one that hangs in the air, giving a faint aroma that says farewell to this place, and ushers in a beautiful forever life. Marking the final and most important occasion...life everlasting!

Why I am lucky to be alive!

I was not the brightest kid!  I had some strange ideas of what fun was.
But, back in the 60's and early 70's we had a whole lot less parental supervision and a whole lot more time to use our imagination...probably not necessarily a good thing in my case!!

Here are just a few of the reasons why I believe in guardian angels and God's protection:

1. Several of us used to run behind the mosquito truck, or ride our bikes behind it to play in the fog!

2. I made and drank "acorn soup" in my playhouse.  I loved the way the water turned purple when you put the acorns in.

3. We ran around barefoot on oyster shell driveways catching "lightening bugs"  at night.

4. I used little green lizards for earrings.

5. Getting stuck in a magnolia tree by climbing too high was not pleasant.  Especially when my dad had to climb up and get me.

6. After extensive trials we found that it was possible to set a pile of leaves on fire with a magnifying glass.

7.  The Swim out to a sandbar does not seem nearly as long as the swim back.

8.  My parents were not thrilled when we caught over 50 toad frogs and put them in the garage...I think they multiplied overnight.

9. After many walks through the woods at night (hiding from Pa Ross), I never found the elusive "Snipe"

10. Sunburns, cut feet, upset stomachs and minor bruises of all sorts were the norm.
It could have been worse, now that we know about melanoma, DDT poisoning, staph infections, predators, heat exhaustion and the like.

I definitely became a "do as I say, not as I did" mom, but it was for their safety.  I know my guardian angel was tired and they might not get good ones given my track record!

Have a great weekend!

Bittersweet

This is the one day of the year that is so bittersweet to me!  As a preschool director, there are certain times of the year that are just special! Fall, of course, the beginning of a school year, full of anticipation for the year ahead.  The, of course there are the holidays, Thanksgiving and christmas, watching the children soak in the Spirit and wonder of Christmas.  This brings us now, to my very favorite day in the life of our preschool:  Graduation Day!

Many of tonight's graduates have been with us since they were 6 weeks old.  Some, for a very long time and others are fairly new to us.  But the story is the same.  No matter how long they have been with us, we have loved them, cared for them, played with them, reasoned with them, kissed boo-boos, wiped tears, prayed with them, prayed for them, prayed for ourselves for wisdom to deal with them!  We also take ownership right alongside Mamas and Daddies and Grandparents in these children tonight! We are so proud of them, We remember how they were when they came to Preschool and how much they have matured into fine young boys and girls ready for "Big School!"

This year is also my last year to do this in this place.  I am a "crier" at times like these, naturally, so it will be tough tonight.  I love my staff, children and their parents.  I love the church that has supported this ministry so faithfully.  So as I say farewell to the class of 2011, my love and a piece of my heart will leave this place with them tonight. 

Tonight, I have to remember the quote,"Don't cry because it's over, Smile, because it happened."

Its here....Summer in the South

It's really a love-hate relationship. We whine about the cold days of the Winter, but then when the first 95 degree day hits, it's time for even those of us with the deepest Southern roots to remember what we're made of:

The heat ripples meet you at the front door at 7:30 in the morning....you know it's "on"...the time of year that defines us:

We become people of fewer words and more gestures..Fanning is the universal sign for
"I am mildly amused at this somewhat warm day" Yeah, right!

Wiping sweat is for sissies!

We start sniffing out farmers markets, sliced tomatoes, and watermelon!

"Extra ice" becomes a food group

Sweet Tea is available in 5 gallon buckets...for a price

There have been church splits over who controls the thermostat!!

Trendy fabrics and and clingy clothes are out....Cotton t-shirts and shorts are suddenly in style.  Cotton wedding dresses are a thought......................

Flip- flops  are acceptable everywhere but at the white house!

Watch where you step, even the snakes are hot!

Taking the last popsicle out of the freezer could involve crime tape!

Three showers a day is a minimum -unless you are at the beach, have a pool, or can find a sprinkler to run through!

Although we are "huggers" and affectionate by nature, we begin to be very aware of our "personal space" just to protect the air flow around us.

We plan our days around the afternoon thundershowers...

We leave towels in the car for our hot steering wheels. You can get second degree burns from a hot steering wheel.


We may talk slower, move slower , but we make it...Some say it's because we have to, others say its because we thrive on it, others say is our badge of honor..

Love it..hate it...the heat ripples arent going away, its not gonna get cool until October anyway..If we're lucky

Bring it on!!!!

Kids.....

In the great world of working with children there are certain things you can count on:

1. Honesty- don't try to hide a pimple, or a sneer or a smirk!  They will see it, and not very quietly point it out to you. 
Example: "Ms Heather, what is that big red thing on your nose?"

2. Inability to separate the appropriate from the "not so appropriate". 
Example: Ms. Ethel, My mama and daddy said you were as sour as a prune." OR "Hi Pastor Jones, Mama said we can give you coffe, or tea or coke, but she didn't tell you about the beer in the bottom drawer of the fridge."

3. Entertainment via tattling.
Example: "Ms Sara, Tony said I was a shellfish."  Ms. Sara says; "Are you sure he didn't say selfish?"

4. Natural inability to be good liars.
Example: "No mama, I didn't eat the blue cupcake, too!"  "Then why is there blue all over your mouth?" . "Ummm the dog ate it and licked my face."

5. Mamas can fix anything.
Example:  " Liz,how are you gonna get your homework done if you are running away tonight.?"  "Ms Smith, Mama will do it for me."

6. Daddies can fix things too.
Example: "Sue, how did you get those cool clips on your shoelaces?"
"My shoes wouldn't stay tied, and daddy used hair clips to keep them tied!"

7. Unwavering faith...
Example: "Please come to the chapel with me and pray so I won't be scared at school."

8. Trust
Example: "Okay, Coach, if you say you'll catch me if I jump off the diving board, I will....Just move really close to me."

9. Love
Example:  "Teacher, I love you up to the moon, the stars, the sky and back down again.  You are so pretty!"

10. Imagination
Example: "I have a dog named 'concrete', he keeps me safe".  "I am a princess and I live in a castle."  "My sister is the wicked witch."  "I will turn into a pumpkin."

11.  A pure heart!
Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God!

The gnomes are home!

Yeah! We made it home from another leg of our summer of adventure!  Everyone was dressed appropriately belts, shoes, ties and jackets all matched, all underwear was packed and nobody tripped fell or crashed till it was all over.  Just one skirt stepped on and ripped!! Not too bad, but if we had worn gnome clothes that wouldn't have happened!!

We also have a grand-turtle named "squirtle" that has left the halls of the university as well, I think he is a little hopped up on coffee right now or a little car sick! He is sure moving kind of funny now that we are home...SO, now I am thinking, I left a son in Kentucky, and brought back a turtle in his place. What is wrong with this picture.

I pray all you moms out there had a great Mother's Day!  I hope you were spoiled by all of your offspring and given lots of extra special love and care....and never let them forget...you know all of the embarassing stories and aren't afraid to tell them!

Blessings on your Mother's day..

Mama Hamil"gnome"!

A Full Cup

A very old Southern saying when someone is on the verge of tears is, "oh, they're full."
I never really understood the full meaning of that expression until I had a family.  It means that someone is so "full" of emotion that they can't express it in words.  They are full...their eyes are also full, full of tears.

I love to blog about my family.  I adore them...all of them.  My oldest son has the most awesome family.  He is a wonderful husband and father with a beautiful wife who is also a great friend to me. They have a beautiful daughter whose smile can melt the universe, and the mere thought of them, of their great little family, of all they have accomplished and are accomplishing makes me "full".... It wasn't that long ago, that we sat in a crowded gym at LSU feeling very "full" watching both of you graduate! WoW!!!

Today, we sit in a motel room  in Kentucky with our youngest two having just graduated from Asbury College.  Their fiancees having just graduated from college this weekend as well.  WE are feeling very "full"....very blessed.

God took two people from humble beginnings, and blessed us beyond measure.  He gave us 4 children, three who are with us now,  one in Heaven, and gave them intelligence, A strong commitment to Christ, love for one another, and a selfless love that did not come from us.  The icing on the cake is that God also blessed each of them with beautiful, caring intelligent strong women who will walk beside them now and in all the days of their lives.

Just before the graduates recessed from the auditorium today, and the class song was sung, I felt it...  and as I looked around,  I wasn't the only one.  Dads  silently wiped tears, Mamas wiped their eyes, tried to take pictures and wave, but they all felt the same,  "FULL"...

Thanks be to God for the immeasurable FULLNESS of His love for us!

The summer of the roaming Hamil"gnomes"

I love the commercials with the "roaming gnome".  You know, the little garden gnome that gets stuffed in a suitcase and really makes quite an entrance and not always in a good way!    He is either on "travel overload"----or just a bad little gnome!

That's how I feel this summer!  We have lots of great things happening in our lives! New places, new people, new beginnings, weddings, graduations, a conference, "good-byes', "Hellos", and trying to do the everyday normal stuff of life "in-between".

I am so afraid that I am gonna crash through a ceiling like the gnome, or arrive at a graduation in a mother of the groom dress, or go to a church conference in my work t-shirt, or say "goodbye" to the new people or  "Nice to meet ya" to the people we've known most of a decade. 

And don't ask me to answer any really important questions like, Where are you?  What date is the wedding (either one), What time is graduation? I WON'T KNOW! I prefer to be driven to and deposited at all major events, Just like the little gnome! He just shows up when it's time.  He always wears the same thing, and always has a smile on his face!!!

Nothing we are doing is about me, I realize this, and would really prefer to stay in the background...kind of like a garden gnome..you always notice them, but never comment on them..they are just there- until you trip over them, or send them crashing in somewhere they shouldn't be! So, In light of all of this, I pray that this summer, that I and my entire family end up in the right state, with the right state of mind, at the right time, with the proper attire and a big smile, ....................just like good little hamil"gnomes"!

Good night from somewhere in the Southeastern United States! Not sure where!

I'll always see you

A high school Graduate!!....So proud and so happy.  You walk so tall and stand so straight.  These are the moments that will be frozen in our hearts..snapshot images of the black gown, the stole, the smile, the same smile you have always had...pure glee!!!
I see you!

...off to college, you are unloaded, ready to start living your life..wait dad, don't drive so fast, I can't see you......

....Spreading your wings, getting married, working, a beautiful baby, finishing College...Another walk down another aisle, tall and straight in your black gown..so proud of you.. I love it when I see you....

Two more high school graduates...This seems so familiar, the straight and tall walk, the black gown, the stole...How proud we are...life is just beginning..two different paths...oh no, I can't see two different places at the same time....

....We leave you at school....unpacked, and ready to start...oh no dad,..you're driving too fast...slow down, I can't see you....

....A week later we leave you...unpacked, ready to start...dad, you're doing it again, drive slower, I can't see you, you are too far away...

Three years later, here we are..your paths brought you to the same school. It is real, now...you finish this week...graduating again...tall and straight in your black gowns, another walk down the aisle...I am so proud...I can see you..... a little blurry through misty eyes, but I'll always see you.....

There will be other walks down other aisles in the weeks and months to come...How proud we will be...but this week I cherish the walks in the mortar boards and graduation gowns.   In an Andy Griffith episode, when Opie's baby birds left the cage, he cried because the cage was empty.  His daddy reminded him that even though the cage was empty, the trees were "mighty full"

....I will always love seeing you!!!!

I still see you...

..the school bus comes and takes you to school, you all look back at the house, you really wouldn't want me to see you but I do.

...friends come and go...they play at our house and you play at theirs....I can't always see you anymore

...another graduation, elementary school is over.  You are amazing...I can see you

...Middle school comes...quiet phone calls, not much conversation, more friends, more outings, sports, music, I am so proud...sometimes I see you, sometimes I don't

...Another graduation, middle school is over, now comes high school, you are mobile, and confident, there are dates, and youth trips, and sporting events...I don't always see you anymore. 

...Tonight, I peeked in your room, just to check like I've done a thousand times before,
you were reading your bible...I still see you.

...Another room checked, a bible on the floor, you are asleep...I still see you.

...The same in another room...I am so glad that I still see you...

Can't wait for tomorrow, or can I?

I see you...

I see you rolling over...

I see you crawling....

You are going towards at outlet again.."I see you"

Look, two steps, three steps..."I see you!"

I'm looking through the window in your classroom, you are a little scared and looking out the door for me..you don't see me, but I see you!

Your first cap and gown, it's red, you stand so tall and walk so straight..I see you!

You get a book bag and school supplies, and lay your new clothes out the night before.  you can hardly sleep, you are so ready!! I see you.

You jump out of the car, ready to meet your day... Do you want me to go with you.  (please say "yes"), whew, you did! You are walking tall...I see you!

It's been a long day, you are sleeping...your book bag and clothes are ready for tomorrow, you are saying your goodnight prayers..you don't see me, but I see you.

What will tomorrow bring...We'll see!