As the world turns...

It's so easy to get caught up in my day to day life, worrying about this, thinking about that.  And then I'm always quickly reminded of how lucky I am and how blessed I am and how some people deserve to be more blessed than I am but have to deal with things extremely tough, and they manage to show grace under pressure and somehow smile through it all.  I don't know how to be that tough.  I'd like to learn, though.  I'd like to take some lessons from these people.  I have a feeling it starts with God and goes from there.

So who most recently struck a cord with me?  A sweet family named the Hanner's.  Jennifer and Hunter both graduated from high school a year after I did, I'm pretty sure.  Jennifer played basketball with me, and Hunter played tennis I think.  I never even knew what he was dealing with in high school until I saw a post about them on facebook asking for A+ blood.  I read a couple of Jennifer's posts, and my eyes haven't been dry since. Jennifer and Hunter dated through high school and got married during college.  They have a 5-year old son (his birthday was this week), and 2-year old twins.  WOW.  Hunter has been suffering with a disease called CGD since he was 2-years old, and they recently decided that they would get a bone marrow transplant to cure him.  You can read more about his amazing story and attitude here:  Why is Hunter Getting a Bone Marrow Transplant.  That was about 48 days ago today, and Jennifer has been with him every day since.  She finally went home after 8 weeks of being away from her boys to see them and spend her oldest son's birthday with him.  I just can't even imagine.  Why do such tough things happen to such good people?  It has to be because they can handle it.  But it sucks.  Bad.  So, if you think about it, please say a little prayer for them...or a long one....or several.  I know they'd appreciate it.

So what have we been up to lately?  It seems so shallow to write a post about it knowing what they're going through, so I'll just show you a couple pictures and describe them.

David and I got to go on a date night a couple nights in a row!  What?!  Yes, we were in Abilene and my mom kept RA for us so we could go have fun.  So nice of her!  

(Oh, by the way, today (6/14) is our 5 year anniversary!  What??!)

I worked with my business partner in Abilene to launch the Rodan + Fields products to the folks at the Abilene Country Club over Memorial Day weekend.  It went great!  

RA saw his first turtle up close.  He wasn't into it.  He couldn't figure out why the turtle was so far from the ocean and wanted to take it back there.  He was afraid to get too close.

I saw a couple cute ducklings following their mom on the golf course while I watched David play golf over Memorial Day weekend.  Just a cute pic.  Nothing more.

RA slept the ENTIRE way from Abilene to Waco when we left to head home after Memorial Day weekend.  He's such a sweet kid...ahem, most of the time...and I'm so thankful for him.

(P.S.  I discovered this great app called "A Beautiful Mess" and now I'm obsessed with using it for ALL my pictures.  Please let me know if it becomes annoying or redundant.)

RA got a sleeping back from his Uncle Robert--one just like his!  He had insisted on sleeping in Robert's sleeping bag when we visited he and Allie at their house, so Uncie RaRa got him one, and he loves it!

Well, that's it, folks!  My life is not nearly as important as those people who suffer daily with disease, heartbreak, or anything else that's no fun, but I'm thankful to God that it isn't.  I'm so grateful that I'm blessed with a crazy kid who's healthy, and a husband who's healthy.  

Y'all take care of yourselves and each other.  I'll talk to you later!

Oklahoma

I just can't imagine what those people are going through right now.  I can't watch the news because I keep crying.  I saw a little girl talking about how she held onto the walls so that she wouldn't blow away, and all I could think about was what if Robert Alan was at a school and something like that happened?  Would he be able to hold onto the walls???

It's always hard for me to take him to school after something like this happens--Sandy Hook elementary, Boston bombing, West explosion, and now Moore, OK tornado.  Is it just me, or have there been WAY too many catastrophes lately?  I hate it.

All I can do is pray.  And donate money.  But that seems like so little to do when people are looking for their sweet babies, likely knowing they didn't survive if they haven't found them already.  Am I crazy for wanting to go pick up Robert Alan right now?  I didn't want to drop him off.  When I look at his big, sweet eyes, I can't imagine them not smiling at me tomorrow.  Or tonight, for that matter.

Last night, when we were watching the news, David said to me, "I don't even know what to say.  Tomorrow isn't guaranteed."  He is so right.

I just listened to a training for becoming a better networker, and she said the same thing.  "Live today like tomorrow isn't coming."  If that was the case, what would I do?  Well, I would definitely tell people I love them more, or that I appreciate them or admire them.  I would jump off this couch where I'm typing to you and GO OUT and get something done.  I would talk to everyone I love.  I would talk to everyone I saw.

I need to start living that way.  I need to have a change of heart and realize what is most important are those PEOPLE that I love and that love me.  Not a job.  Not things.  People.  And, ironically, people are what money can't replace.  I saw a picture of a plaque that was found in the Oklahoma rubble that said,  "The most important things in life aren't things."  Exactly.  Unfortunately, I think far too many people are missing their loved ones right now, not things.

So, I'm signing off for the day.  I'm going to go make the most of my time today.  I hope you do the same.  And don't forget to text the word "STORM" to 80888 to give $10 to the Salvation Army to help or text "REDCROSS" to 90999 to give $10 to the Red Cross.

If someone hasn't told you today, you are loved.  And thank you for reading my rambling words.

Talk to you later!

Traci

And here is my prayer:  Father God, please be with each and every person who was affected by or knows someone affected by the tornado in Oklahoma yesterday.  Please be with each little child, touch their heart and please ease their fears.  I know you love children, God.  Please heal them.  Please help them understand.  Please be with each parent who lost a child yesterday.  Please touch them, Lord.  Please lay your hands on them and heal their hearts.  God please be with those who lost their homes, their pets, their everything.  Please be with the first responders.  Please give them strength as they search for survivors and victims, and please give them wisdom, God.  Lord please give them the words to say to those who come to them broken.  Please be with the pastors and clergymen who will be working with everyone.  Please give them strength to stay strong for their people but to also give them time to be broken themselves.  Give them all time and strength to weep for everything that has been lost.  Father God I ask you to put your healing hand all over Moore, Oklahoma.  Your will be done.  Amen!