A Legacy

Every year since Tim and I have been together I remember going to Karnes City and having our bird hunt and shopping trip. It is interesting how as the years have passed some things still stay the same and some things change. The things that stay the same are what make it unique to the Pyle hunt. There will always be barbeque involved; there will almost always be games of uno (although with kids running around it is getting harder) and there will always be the legacy of Bill and Joyce Pyle. They had three boys; each of them had boys and now each of those boys have boys. What is truly amazing is that for us younger girls in the family we only know that legacy on what we see right now and the stories we have heard. I truly picture William, Jed, and Nathan to be one huge mix of both Papa and Nana. What I wish I could see would be Papa and Nana with William, Jed, and Nathan. It is really neat to see how a family can come together (sometimes just once a year) and just pick up where you last were. How exciting to see all the 'little' boys running around, feeding cows, riding tractors and 6wheelers, and wondering does anything else truly matter? A legacy emcompasses so much love, faith, and prayers and I truly have never been more proud to be a part of something so great!

Dondra

Another year

This week I celebrated my birthday and it seems impossible that another year has come and gone. I think about all that I want to do or that I have done and it reminds me that yes I am getting a little older (and hopefully a little wiser). I am proud of where I have come and grown this year. There have been several milestones in my own life of finding out that God loves me just the way I am and created me to be beautiful. I also learned to take a stand for myself and my family and forgive those that hurt me and my family. I will always remember a time of prayer that we had at our church called 21 days of prayer. God intervened at a time that I needed Him desparately and He radically changed my life through prayer. I often forget to record or focus on the milestones in my own life as I want to record every little and big thing that is going on in William's life. I need to remember that these milestones, big or small, are changing and growing me into the woman (wife, mother, daughter, friend) that I need to be. I look forward to another year and what it has to offer.

Dondra
p.s. I have to mention this about William- we woke up yesterday and he didn't realize it was my birthday just yet. Tim was gone out of town and we went into the kitchen to have breakfast. I got him his usual (scooby doo yogurt and cherrios) and then went to restroom. I came out and he said 'mommy, come here; I need to show you something.' I went into the kitchen and he had got the bread and the peanut butter out so I could make me some toast. 'Everything is ready for you mommy'. What a sweet birthday present (and he didn't even know it at the time!) :)

A Child's Perspective

This week we have been talking about the excitement of today and that William is (was suppose to be) line leader at school. This involves taking a snack for his class, sharing one of his favorite books, and pictures of his family. As the evening progressed last night, what we thought was a little cough got worse and worse. Then came the fever and the throwing up. During all of this mess and him feeling so bad, he looks at me with such sad eyes and says "Mommy, I don't think I can go to school tomorrow. I can't be line leader." It broke my heart knowing that he had looked forward to this day where he was "extra special" in his class and really got to shine. Sometimes we take those small little moments for granted and I so want to remember those. I have reassured him all day that he will have another chance at being the line leader and that today he got to have some extra special time and attention from mommy.

Dondra

the "What If s"...

Due to some unusual circumstances this week, I have had a lot on my mind about William and the 'what ifs' of life. What if...he doesn't really understand talking to strangers can get him into trouble. What if...he were to get kidnapped. What if...we as parents fail to teach him about things like safety, being a good person, and on and on. As my mind has been racing, I remembered the book I just read by Linda Dillow. The name of it is "Calm My Anxious Heart" and there is a chapter dedicated especially to the 'What If s" that life throws at you. She encourages readers to truly give those over to God and to not let your mind race and worry about the things we have no control over. She says that God is the Blessed Controller of all things and we can put these circumstances and things at His feet and know that we don't need to worry about them anymore. Throughout the week, God has given me a peace that He knows my heart. A mother's heart that longs to know that nothing bad will happen to my child. He has also started giving me insight and wisdom on how to approach some of these hard topics that you really don't want to discuss with your child but you have to. What happened to the innocence of life and not having to worry about all these things? There are still moments of innocence that I will cherish everyday but I know that at other times we need to teach, be prepared, and to continue to pray for God's protection around William and each other. The 'What If's ' can get you down; we must believe that they are taken care of by God and treasure the here and now.

Dondra

My favorite time of year

I always enjoy october and the rest of the year with the holidays, family, and friends. This week we have been getting ready for our halloween party and William is so excited. We picked out a 'pumkin' (he says it so cute!) today and he can not wait to dress up like a pirate. He did tell me the other day "You know what month it is mommy? " and I said "what?" He said "it is october and your birthday is coming up. I promise I will buy you the remote control car you like at toys-r-us." I smiled and knew that he meant what he had said. You see, he knows all kinds of cars and especially remembers which one mommy likes such as my new jeep or the fj landcruisers and on and on. He makes me so proud when I see who he is. He is caring, giving, loving, and a little adventurous. These are the times I will remember always.

Dondra

Verse of the Week

I have always been one who really struggles with memorizing scripture verses. I would remember the verse but not the reference or vice versa. I have wanted to start teaching William scripture verses and relating them to the stories of the Bible. A friend of mine gave me the idea to start a memory verse box and have a card for each day of the week. I am amazed at how much he remembers and knows about the stories we have been reading. He is so cute when he wants to read me the story. He read them to me this afternoon and he mixes them all up...adam and eve in the boat with noah and all the animals; he loves the story of Abraham and Sarah and little Isaac. I am so excited to see how he is learning God's Word and it is also helping me (in small ways) remember those stories again. The next time you see him, you will definitely have to ask him about them. What a blessing it is!

Genesis 21:6 "God has brought me (or us) laughter!"

enjoy-dondra

A Daily Journal

I have recently seen some friends of mine create blogs and I decided it would be a great way to keep in touch with family and friends that are away. I also want to use it as a daily journal for myself and William. Ever since he was born, I have kept a journal or calendar of what we did each day. Well...as you would guess, the days get busy and sometimes I don't get a chance to record what fun thing we did that day or what amazing thing he said to me. I hope you enjoy this...here is a glimpse into our lives.

Dondra