Twelve Years Ago

Sad post...brace yourself. Twelve years ago today, my dad passed away. It is a day that changed me. I have described my grief before as a series of snapshots. I remember everything about that day. Everything. I don't think about it every day anymore but something can take me back to that place in my mind and heart in an instant. Days like today take me back.
I have thought for years that I would write a book about grief and my story. Last year I took out all my journals through the years in an attempt to start an outline...it was too tough. So, I put them back on the shelf and hope to one day be able to do it. I really feel God leading me to put my story on paper because I do beleive that He has given me a story to share. I hope that one day I'll be able to share it in its entirety. In the meantime, I hope that you enjoy this tribute to my dad. He was a great man and he taught me many things that make me who I am. Here are a few.

• He taught me to be a hard worker. I'm sure that he didn't always like his job...and it wasn't the most glamorous. He always went to work, and I remember him going in at 5 a.m. most every morning. I know now that he did that for us to have the life that we did.
• He taught me to never quit. My brother and I played sports growing up...we didn't have to, but we did. He taught us that no matter how we felt, we couldn't quit mid-season. It wasn't okay to quit. I appreciate that.
• He (and my mom) taught me to value family meals. We always ate dinner together as a family. It is a tradition that I have continued with my family.
• He taught me to love my family. He loved his family. He would've done anything for his family. He was always at ALL of our games, practices, etc. It was a given. It is not a given for everyone. He taught me to respect my mother. He lead by example...he respected his mother.
• He taught me the value in a simple life. He was content to be with us...to spend time with his family, to tend to his garden, read the paper, drink a cup of coffee, sit on the front porch.

So, here's a tribute to Mac Hodge, my daddy. You left a legacy. I love you.

A few of Micah's Favorites

Eating. This is probably his absolute favorite : ) The kid eats like a man!!

His daddy...Yep, daddy is the favorite now. I can't blame him, though. Matt is not selfish- and I think that is rare. He is a wonderful dad!
Playing outside. In this pic he is in the sandbox...a gift from GaGa and Poppa Rock. It is quickly becoming one of his favorites as well!

New Hudsonisms

Here are the latest convos:

H: "It was accent (accident)." I hear this one more often than I'd like!

H: "I want some to deeup (dip). Like cheeups (chips)." He wants syrup to "deeup" his pancakes in. My little country man.

H: "Hey, mommy. When I wake up and some ting is unfixed, I will fix it with my tool bench."

M: "Ok."

H: "And it will be all, all crumbled."

M: "Oh, okay."

H: "You know what crumbled means?"

M: "No, what?"

H: "It means not broken."

H: "When I grow up, I'm gonna be a race-car driver."

M: "Oh, really?"

H: "Yeah, I will go wooly wooly fast! And we can all ride...and when you drive, I will bump you."

Happy FIRST Birthday, Micah!

Oh how thankful we are for this little man!! It is so true that children are a blessing from God!! Matt and I can't remember what it was like before kids...life is very full! We had an awesome party for Micah's first birthday, and time has flown by too fast! Boys are a lot of fun- there will be loads of mischief in my house and everything will probably be destroyed, but drama will be low. I'm good with that.

We are praying that Micah would grow to be a man who loves God with all his heart...praying that he grows into a man true to his name. That he does justice, loves mercy, and walks humbly with his God. Lord, make it true! (Micah 6:8)

My Redeemer Lives!!

My heart has been overflowing this week thinking about the upcoming Easter celebration. I think it has been fresh this year because I have been thinking about how I can communicate the magnitude of this celebration to Hudson. I'm sad about all the fluff of the holiday- Easter bunny, eggs, chocolate, etc. Man, there's a lot of "fluff" to sift through at Christmas and Easter, and I want to make sure that my children understand why we celebrate these special days. There is a REASON to celebrate!! I remember Easter Sunday last year. I was very close to giving birth to Micah...we celebrated with our church family at Grace. One thing that sticks out in my mind is one of the songs that we sang (well, my friend Jennifer sang). Some of you know it, and some of you probably don't. The words of the song grip my heart every time and almost always bring me to tears...so, I hope that the words of this song will pierce your heart as well. If you know Him, I pray that this celebration will be extra special this year! And if you don't, I pray that these words will soften your heart and that THIS will be the year for you to know Him!!

Redeemer

Who taught the sun where to stand in the morning?

And Who told the ocean, 'You can only come this far.' ?

And Who showed the moon where to hide 'til evening?

Whose Words alone can catch a falling star?

I know my Redeemer lives!

I know my Redeemer lives.

All of creation testifies, this life within me cries.

I know my Redeemer lives!!

The very same God that spins things in orbit

runs to the weary, the worn, and the weak.

And the same gentle Hands

that hold me when I'm broken,

they conquered death and bring me victory!!

I know my Redeemer lives!

I know my Redeemer lives!

Let all creation testify! Let this life within me cry!

I know my Redeemer lives!!

He lives to take away my shame.

And He lives! Forever I'll proclaim,

that the payment for my sin was the precious live He gave.

Now He's ALIVE and there's an empty grave!!!

I know my Redeemer lives!!

I know my Redeemer lives!

All of creation testifies, this life within me cries!

I know my Redeemer Lives!!

Date Night

While in New Orleans, Matt and I got to go to one of his friends' wedding. It was beautiful and a lot of fun. The timing was great that we were going to be in New Orleans for the weekend anyways. I thought I would take this opportunity to thank Matt for supporting me and for giving me the freedom to train for the marathon. I could not have done it without that freedom. He kept the kids every Saturday morning for me to do my long runs...and helped lots on Saturday afternoons when I was tired. So, thank you, Matt! You are wonderful!!

We Finished!!!

I know it has been forever...no excuses, though :) We finished the marathon!!!! It was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. The Lord answered our prayer and gave us an absolutely beautiful day to run. It was one of our first "springlike" days and we could not stop saying how beautiful it was. I'll give you the rundown...and who knows, maybe some of you will be convinced to run one yourself : )

First of all, it was in New Orleans and it was part of the "Rock and Roll" Marathon series. That meant that EVERY mile there was a band playing! Whaaaat?? It was so cool! There were like 13,000 runners, so to say the atmosphere was awesome would be an understatement. Also, Annie and I decided to pray through the alphabet during the race (26 letters and 26 miles), so at each mile we were talking about what the Lord had put on our hearts to pray for. It was sooooooo encouraging!!! We prayed for friends, family, circumstances, contentment, our children, and the list could go on and on. It was a gorgeous day that just screamed the faithfulness of our God...and He gave us legs and endurance to run for His glory. It was one of the sweetest times in my life...His presence was very near. It was like a breath of fresh air to my heart. So at each mile we were rocking out to a band, discussing our prayer requests, and praying....and then before we knew it there was another band!! It was wonderful : ) At the end of the race they called us out by name and we were both so overcome with joy that we were able to finish that the tears flowed. I know you're not shocked : )

So there it is! I hope you are encouraged...and if you are reading this you are probably a close friend or family member...and we probably prayed for you!