Happy Birthday to You, Happy Birthday to You,

Happy Birthday, Dear Ana Katharine,

Happy Birthday to You!...and many more...

Two years old! You're such a blessing to Coach and Nana, and we can't wait to see you tomorrow! We love you!

Oh, yeah! It's raining here, buckets at time. "Mercy drops 'round us are falling; but for the showers we plead." What a precious reminder that there Is a God, and we are not Him. Thank you, Lord.

Last night, we had no rain but some lightning. Jim and I wanted to call a local "designer burger" place around the corner, for a couple of their awesome Cobb salads. They said they couldn't do any food, because their power was out. I said okay and hung the phone up (antiquated reference, again...). Then I thought, "well, we don't want cooked food, we just want a salad", so I called back and asked if they could just put together a couple of salads. They said that, well, they could, but they couldn't ring us up (another antiquated reference), so, uh, no. NO?????? You guys are just going to take a break until the lights come back on? Your owner wouldn't like for you guys to make those salads, figure out what we owe with the calculators on your little cell phones, and let us pay you? We're regular customers, we were just going to leave you a $20 bill and let you owe us the change. Wow. Just wow.

Yesterday, my mom, sister, Megan, and I took Aunt Jerry (Daddy's sister) out to a really nice lunch for her 82nd birthday. Great fun to treat her like that, even if almost all of the food (with the exception of "smoked Applewood bacon") and its description still confused us - one of those places. You know, when we asked if they had a package or two of crackers for baby Hannah, they offered to bring us a bowl of bruschetta (which was tasty, but super-crunchy. Hannah wasn't particularly impressed). But, at the end of the meal, when we asked for coffee with our dessert, they brought four little pots of French pressed coffee - again, new to everyone but Cindi and me ("What, they couldn't brew the coffee before they brought it?" HA!). Double yum for the strong coffee and big latte cups. And, the best creme brulee' and little dark chocolate torte, topped with olive oil and sea salt ("WOW!!! That's $9.00????" HA!), it was even worth the asking price. Then all of us, except Aunt Jerry, went to Angel Nails for pedicures with nail art; Mom got a manicure. We're going back tomorrow for manicures, and taking Jennifer for a mani/pedi. I'm telling you, a trip to Angel Nails, with their precious sweet Vietnamese family, lavendar scrub with hot towel wrap, giant massage/whirlpool foot tub chair, and my Sonic double-vanilla-Diet Coke, is better than massage therapy AND a psychiatric session (I think.).

Good times.

EDIT: A verbal "nightcap" - I think I've had a breakthrough. My daddy used to LOVE to tell people, when I was just a little girl, that I was vaccinated by a phonograph needle (sorry for the antiquated reference, message me if you need an explanation. Think very big CD.). I blog, I believe, to keep from talktalktalking to Jim (who is not only my husband, but my boss, giving us a lot of 24/7 facetime), and making him want to jab pencils through his ears. Thanks to any or all of you who read this, it keeps our marriage intact!

When it comes to whether or not a dog that dies is replaced, and when, there are several schools of thought. My mother-in-law, Billy Ruth, only had one dog her entire life, when Jim was just a boy. When she died, she grieved so badly, and just resolved to never let herself get attached to an animal again. She enjoyed our dogs, bought oatmeal cookies to spoil them, but never let herself really love another dog. Other folks need an ample amount of time to heal from the hurt of losing their beloved doggies before they can consider adding another pet to their family. I am not in either of those groups. Neither is Jim, if he could tell you. Before he took the girls to the vet on Saturday, he hugged me and said, "I'm going to get you another puppy, I promise". Of course he did - in over 34 years of marriage, I don't think he's ever refused me anything, he's really such a mush, just under his very-thin gruff exterior.

So, since Saturday at noon, we've talked about getting an English Bulldog, such wonderful pets - no more dachshunds - that was our knee-jerk reaction. It took about 36 hours to shake that attitude. We are not only dog people, we're dachshund people, we love that they're tiny and under foot all the time, we love that we're just dog furniture in this house, we love the cuddles and kisses, and even the indifference. We love their opinions and their humor and their very German gruff exterior to the world - right before they show you where the good stuff is hidden.

Yesterday, in as much time as it took me to get home from Kerrville and drive to Jourdanton, we added a new little girl to the family. A longhair English Cream dachshund, our first longhair, 7 weeks old; I'm glad we brought home a puppy that's nothing like Boogie, though I still miss her so much, just doesn't seem the same around here. No name for this new lady yet, we're going to try some on her for a week or so and see what suits her best. Feel free to add your suggestions, she's so elegant looking, unlike the rest of our crew. She's good ointment, applied directly to our hearts - I've found Jim giving her big kisses when he thinks that nobody's looking. I'm putting a couple of proud-parent pictures here, but remember, if you comment, be nice - nobody wants you to look at their newborn and say, "Wow, she's...different":

My heart hurts. Bad. And I can barely breathe. Today was supposed to be (and still will be) a happy day - Wes, Jennifer, and the girls will be here by the end of the evening, to help celebrate with Kevin and Elise tomorrow evening. The girls will stay with us next week - I'm so excited about that.

All of that happy mood kind of shattered at about 10:30 this morning.

A call came in from Bobby, who works for FCA-San Antonio, for Jim; he's at our Leadership Camp in Abilene with about 150 or so SA area student-athletes. He'd just learned that Cheri Sarver died this morning, in McAllen, in an auto accident, no details about it, Barney (her husband, who's been the Rio Grande Valley Area Director for FCA for about 30 years) along with Jonathan and Justin are in Washington, D.C. with their other grown kids, Jenifer and Jason, for a Father's Day visit, all the kids together with their dad. They're trying now to all get back to the valley.

Cheri's gone, from this earth. Gone, without notice. How can this be?

Our last 25 years are just packed with memories that include Cheri's face. So smart, so kind, such a dynamo. For years we worked FCA Coaches Family Camps together in Colorado - Jim was Assistant Director, Cheri and Barney did kids' program, I helped them. Like a Vacation Bible School, only done in a basement with no windows, always too hot, about 200 kids (literally), and Barn, Cher, and me. Not good odds, but Cheri handled it, and beautifully. Bible stories, crafts, activities, songs, lots and lots of happiness and even a Thursday night program for the parents. I marvelled. And complained. She never did, just trusted God and loved little ones. That carried on to Kerrville camp for years, where she cared for the children of coaches and their spouses who came up to work with those really difficult young people. There were staff wives retreats, staff retreats, shopping trips, times that the Sarver Six, or later just Cheri and Barney, would just show up in San Antonio, and wind up all over our living room floor for a night or two. They always said we were welcome there as well, they would reciprocate. We never went. There were trips for FCA to Florida and Kansas City and Dallas and South Padre Island, and I don't know where else...just the best. Her passing leaves a hole in my heart, the size of which I cannot possibly describe to you. Cheri is the PERFECT complement to Barney - a true God-gift to him, and an incredible, incredible mom to her kids; she home-schooled them for years, then saw them into private or public schools as the Lord led their family, then she began to work with a valley Christian school, as their principal. She's in the process of building a new building, an incredible work there, and raising $2 million. Her kids are incredible, she taught them to dream big dreams, and they have! Jenifer's a speechwriter for a member of the Cabinet, she has a big life inside the Beltway, all their children live big lives. Cheri discipled her kids. She took responsibility for the spiritual upbringing of her children and never left it to anyone else. I can't remember her EVER saying a bad or negative thing about ANYONE, not ever, even when it seemed called for. Cheri just loved, and if you knew her, you love her too.

Cheri, I miss you. We all miss you. You finally are able to hold and hug Justin's twin brother. That may be one of the only things about which I can smile right now. I KNOW, beyond any shadow of a doubt, where you are right now - you spent your whole life in a love relationship with Jesus, studying Him, worshipping Him, serving Him. You are in heaven, and that does make me glad.

I have a new insight into the death of Lazarus today, particularly, with Martha, who couldn't understand how this good man, this good friend of Jesus, could die. "Lord, if you'd been here...", she was confident that if He'd come in time, he could have healed Lazarus, her brother wouldn't have had to die. She was confident that her brother would live again in eternity. But, how could this have been allowed to happen? The Lord taught her, and everyone else, that He intended to use all of this, all of the sorrow and crying, even death itself, to His glory. He is the Resurrection and the Life. He conquers death and the grave. Martha believed.

I cannot, from here, see the other side of this; I don't think any of us do. But I want to, all of us who love Cheri, Barney, Jenifer, Jason, Justin, and Jonathan do. Help our unbelief. Show us. Please. We trust You, we love You.  We know that Cheri is with you, beholding Your glory, face to face.