The Andy and Jenelle Morris Family

I love to garden.  My parents always had us out in the garden growing up.  I think about how great it was to learn a useful skill like that.  It’s strange to think that this summer with the big garden that I won’t be sharing any with my dad.  I was hoping to supply him with homegrown tomatoes &more.  I find weeding to be very therapeutic (along with sewing quilts–haven’t done that in a few years).  Thanks to my neighbor who weeded my garden while I was traveling around with mom,I now have plenty of things ready and some on their way for picking.

Life sure has its ups and downs depending on how one looks at them.  It has literally been 1 and 1/2 years since this blog has been used.  Many many things have happened.  I suppose those who know us &love us dearly haven’t missed a beat really.  The next post (if I had continued on blogging) would’ve been about our pregnancy.  The last post was Andy gloating to himself on his birthday  Well what he didn’t write in that was that I handed him a positive prego test that day.  I had been sick for a few months and couldn’t seem to kick it.  Well something in my head finally said to take a prego test and so from then on our lives kept changing.  In May (2010) we received permanent legal custody of Gabe.  In October (2010) Phil was born.  And the following May (2011) we adopted Joey.  So you could say that legally we have added 3 children to our family in 1 year.

Not much longer after that,my father passed away into eternity on my birthday (2011).  It also happened to be Father’s Day.  I’m still not used to that yet and not sure I ever will be.  Looking back,I have wonderful memories of my dad and my family.  That last year or so together before he passed was filled was some very precious times for me.  In May 2010,my entire side of the family traveled down to Virginia to celebrate my younger brother’s graduation from University.  We all converged again in August at my parents’house for the occasion of my baby shower.  Little did we all know that this would be our last time all together as a family in this way.  Several times during that year though my siblings have visited,but at different times.  I cherish all the times for sure.  I feel blessed that I have had the opportunity to be close to my parent’s over the past several years.  And that last year was full of special times with my dad.  I watched him continue to grow as a man of God in many aspects.  I watched him take a great deal of interest in my children.  He truly enjoyed getting to know little Phil and loved him.  I saw a new side of my dad that I’m very thankful for.  It’s hard to explain but it was almost as if he had relished every moment he had with Phil because his time was ticking until when it’d be his last moment.  Deep down,it was like he knew.  And dad did know somewhat.  He knew that it is appointed to all men to die once.  And we do not know that day or time.  Only God knows.  Dad is with God in eternity right now.  It’s a time of grieving for my family.  But it is a grieving with hope.  Yes,we’re sad and there is a hole.  I’d love to be able to call up dad and schedule to go to our make-up Cleveland Indians game that was rained out.  To spend time with him near is something we all crave but won’t happen for now.  Our hole is filled because we have hope in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  He died for our sins and was raised again and is sitting at the right hand of God.  One day all the believers will be reunited on high with the King in the sky.  May we continue to glorify God in everything we do,through the ebb and flow of life on earth.

There is nothing like looking into a child’s eyes filled with tears…but closed desparately hard.  Seeing his body wracked with the deepest pain possible as he sobs and sobs and sobs…I try to comfort him but am mostly unable to reach into his heart. I moan with him to let him know I care.  I hold him but he pushes me away.  I see his face contorted.  His lips twisted in knots.  I will not forget this moment! I promise you I will not forget this moment!  I will let these feelings…this experience now be a like a painful brand on my soul…  an everlasting reminder so that I will not forget.  I vow as I live and God empowers me…to be your advocate…and to speak up in the face of great personal loss.

I wish I could say everything is going to be all right when I really have no idea how things are going to be.  Even so I trust in God. He will be my strength.  He will have to be my strength because I am all ready all tired out and we haven’t even started.

Esther 4

¹²And they told Mordecai what Esther had said. ¹³Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther,“Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. ¹⁴For if you keep silent at this time,relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place,but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”¹⁵Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai,¹⁶“Go,gather all the Jews to be found in Susa,and hold a fast on my behalf,and do not eat or drink for^(I) three days,night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king,though it is against the law,^(J) and if I perish,I perish.”¹⁷Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.

There are bigger forces at work in our case.  We feel like it’s the 1 against 100 or 2 against 1000.  We are overwhelmed yet know that this is our “for such a time is this.”  For us our backs up against the wall and it is all or nothing.  As God calls we will step forward.  As the Jews prayed and fasted…we beg that those of you who love us…would cry out earnestly to our Lord and Saviour and God…  That he would sustain us and see us through all that he has for us.  We have allready been very blessed from everyone’s care.

I haven’t really posted to this blog in the last week and a half. It seems like there are fewer lights out…not sure if I am right about that,but I wouldn’t be surprised if we are all a little less jolly. I wrote the following on a Christmas Card:

“It’s that time of year again. Tinsel and holly. But with all of the busyness we have to try extra hard to act as if we are jolly.

Certainly as we parent the little ones we learn lessons for our selves in how to “be thankful in all things”as we seek to teach them important life habits.”

We wish you a wonderful Holiday season! - click to enlarge

Things may be difficult or seem like they aren’t perfect. Or they might be great but you are so busy you don’t know it. Either way it’s important to take some time to reflect one what is good and what you are thankful for. The following video was our attempt at this. Enjoy!

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If your connection is slow see this on youtube.com.

Many awesome things happened this month. Highlights of the month are: