Just a short note to let you know that my grandmother passed away this weekend. She has been ill with Alzheimer's for quite a while so it was not a shock. Still, my dad who is an only child, is having a difficult time. For various reasons, we decided that I would go to New Orleans alone to be with my mom and dad. I would appreciate your prayers for the family I'm leaving here and for my safety once again as I travel.

I have safely returned from my trip to South Carolina, where I had the pleasure of speaking for a group of wonderful women. There were more than 70 women gathered on Mrytle Beach for some rest, relaxation and renewal. We, unfortunately, didn't get much beach time ... the schedule was tight and the weather was chilly. We did, however, spend some wonderful time in fellowship where we did a little crying ... and a lot of laughing.

The theme was 'Divinely Dressed'. In the true fashion of creative women, there were decorations and goodies to follow our girlie theme. Fancy shoes, purses, and hats donned the tables and decorated the room.

In between my times at the podium, lots of activities were going on. It was a joy to see my little girl (who will be 30 years old in a few weeks ... ikes) taking charge and keeping things running smoothly. I thoroughly enjoyed stepping back, watching and capturing a few of those moments on my camera. When I wasn't able to grab my camera, Court was snapping the shutter for me.

Here are a few visual highlights of our weekend ...

Table Decorations ...

Working together to help their sisters become 'Divinely Dressed' ...

Fashion Show for the newest and upcoming Divine-wear ...

Decorating Hats ...

This was the HAT version of Courtney's youth group favorite ~ Rikky Tikky Bear ~ along with a little silliness before it began ...

Awards went to ladies who wear their hats in amazing ways ...

"Thank You ... Thank You, SO MUCH!!"

Wish you had been there ~ smile.

Just one more day and I'm headed to South Carolina. I'll be speaking at a Ladies Retreat in Myrtle Beach for a group of about 75 ladies that have become very precious to my heart. This is the congregation that Courtney attends ... the congregation who embraced us so completely and lovingly when Dustin died. I will be speaking on being 'Divinely Dressed' ... Colossians 3:17ff. I'm excited to have this time with them .. and a few extra days to love on Court and my sweet grandbabies.

Tomorrow will be a whirlwind before I head out. I'll teach ladies class tomorrow morning, grab a bite to eat, get Kayli through her school work and then we head to Ft. Worth for her theatre class. Then a fast trip back just in time to get to church and then home for last minute preparations before leaving. phew!

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Kayli is loving her new acting class at the Casa Manana Theatre. She's in her element without a doubt. She's also got lots of things going on for LTC this year ... drama, chorus, sign language, photography, service, teaching ... and she's even working on a children's book. She is the favorite among most of the little ones (and their moms) at church so she has also become a very busy babysitter.

Brandi has started school again ... he's working on a new Master's Program in Spritiual Renewal. He has always loved being a student. He's also busy heading up our new LIFE group program at church and doing all the other things that an involvement minister does. He continues to teach ... and preach, occasionally. We all do miss his preaching.

Jared is back at school full-time as well. He's working on his degree in Deaf Interpretation ...and will be working at the rehab center on weekends. He's also a great help around the house. He's going to make a wonderful husband some day ... if I can just let him go. =0)

I'm also busy about many things ... speaking at this ladies retreat has been a big project on my plate but I'm really looking forward to it. I'm teaching ladies class on Wednesday mornings, coaching the photography project for LTC, coordinating a portion of the new pictorial directory ... and am the new 'historian' for our quilt guild. This basically means I get to take the pictures =0).

I am honored to have been invited to be an official photographer for the OPLove: Reunited program (a charitable foundation that offers photography to families of deployed soldiers). I have got several learning opportunities ahead, as well. I'll be attending some photography schools this month, as well as, in March and in May. And ... I'm very excited to be working on my accredidation to the 'Special Needs Kids' Photography Assocation. Can't wait to be a part of that.

So ... that's what we're up to at our house. Wow ... kind of makes me tired just writing about it all! We've been blessed with so many opportunities to make a difference ... and we're very grateful.

Have a great week ... will check in when I get back from South Carolina.

On Sunday, as the song began the words 'We Gather Here, in Jesus' Name ...' tears filled my eyes. I looked at Brandi and tears were in his eyes as well. What memories have been flooding my mind lately. I'm missing the sights and sounds of Estonia so much ... but more than this special place, I'm missing the special people we left behind. Got into my picture file from Estonia (I have thousands to choose from, you know) ... these are a few that made me smile as I remembered the moments we shared.

Can't wait to see all of you again!

I had a dream a few nights ago. I dreamed that I was looking up at Dustin as he was free-falling through the air (as if he had just skydived from an airplane). His arms were outstretched, the wind was blowing across his face and that smile that will be forever etched in my memory was wide across his face. His eyes were sparkling in delight the way they did when he was feeling happiest. In my dream, I was close enough to him to attempt to reach out and grab him ... to embrace him and keep him from leaving me again ... but I couldn't. I tried to hold on to him but the radiance that surrounded him could not be contained.

I can't believe it's been two years since he left us. Hard to believe that that much time could have passed already. I've been replaying the imagined scenes of his accident in my mind ... and the seconds that seemed to move in slow motion when we first heard of his death. I've also imagined what it must have been like the moment that the angels surrounded him and escorted him to the side of his Lord. What a magnificent moment that must have been!

I have to tell you that missing him has gotten harder instead of easier. The time that everyone promises will bring healing to my wounded heart has simply not come yet. I'm not sure it ever will. My heart hurts not for him as much as for me .. for us ... our family ... his friends. My heart hurts for those who loved him so dearly and feel somehow cheated out of the time we thought we would have with him. My heart hurts because I love him so much ... and I wanted more time to laugh with him ... and to share with him. I felt so proud when I watched him walk down the aisle to his Army graduation and I had so looked forward to the moment when he would walk down the aisle with the love of his life. I had looked so forward to the day he would hold his own child in his arms the way I had held him. There was so much I looked forward to ... so much I will not share with him on this earth. But, of all the things that I looked forward to the most ... I looked forward to sharing Paradise with him. For that looking forward, my hope is still fresh and my comfort is so great.

Dustin was indeed a free spirit ... one who seemed to seek out an 'adrenalin rush' at every turn. I used to jokingly ask him if he got up every morning trying to figure out how to make his mother crazy. He had already gone bungi-jumping, cliff diving, four wheeling, street racing, who knows what else ... and he dreamed of skydiving some day. I can easily picture Dustin in his heavenly home jumping off cliffs without a parachute .. and totally loving it. I can easily envision him free-falling with his arms outstretched and the wind on his face ... his smile wide and his eyes sparkling with delight.

A few times since that night that I dreamed about him, I have truthfully questioned if I was really dreaming or if I had been privileged to get a tiny peek into his presence in Paradise. I would like to think so! I would like to think so because believing that makes it a little easier to let go ... a little easier to accept the fact that I cannot hold on to him on this earth. For now, I will hold on to him in my heart ... and some day, I'll get one of those bearhugs of his that I've been longing for so badly.

We'll never forget and our love will never go away!

Cpl. Dustin L. Kendall to so many, simply Dustin to us.

Note: You are welcome to visit Penny's Photography blog for pics of Dustin's service at Arlington

It is after 1 a.m. on Christmas morning ... Santa has visited, the stockings are full and gifts are waiting to be discovered by the 'children' of our household. All those things, we know, will bring excitement in just a few short hours. Even so, as we settle back to rest before the activity of the morning, we are aware of our greatest gifts ... the gifts that are not things but the blessings that God has so mercifully graced us with ... and the people that make up those blessings.

We couldn't get involved in the craziness of the day without taking a moment to tell you all how incredibly special you are to us and to thank you for being a part of our lives. Even in our busiest moments, you are ever present on our minds. 

This day ... this week ... we all wish you a very

Merry Christmas & Blessed 2008!

With lots of love from

The Kendall Family

Have enjoyed some nice company this weekend. Our nephew (from Seattle) is now attending Oklahoma Christian University and is visiting us for a few days during his Fall Break. He and Jared spent the day at Six Flags ... and came home with some pretty silly hats. I'll have to get some photos of that and share those later. =0)

Brandi and I spent the day working around the house ... doing some more cleaning and organizing on the garage. Still have lots of storage boxes to sort through but we're getting closer and closer. yay!

Kayli enjoyed a fun day with her special friend, Jackie. It's always a pleasure to have her at our home. They played on the 'WII' (a virtual video game), watched movies, ate junk food, had a photo session and just hung out. They've been giggling into the night ... hopefully they'll be able to make it up in time for church in the morning.

Here are some of the moments we captured today ....

One of the nice things I've been able to enjoy since returning to the States has been the fellowship of some wonderful ladies ... fellow quilters. I joined the Granbury Quilt Guild a few months ago and have had the pleasure of spending some great time with other old ladies such as myself (and even some younger ones), sewing and creating. There is something bonding about being creative with friends ... and it's a lot of fun too.

Last weekend, I joined about 20 other women from the Quilt Guild for a quilter's retreat outside of Waco. That's about 2 hours from here. We got there on Thursday afternoon (after we had stopped to do some fabric shopping and eat lunch) ... and we sewed and laughed and ate (a lot) until we left on Sunday afternoon. We did venture into to town one afternoon with a few other women to hit the area quilt stores .. also fun, though a bit damaging to the pocketbook.

The more seasoned retreat go-ers had all kinds of projects ready to produce when they arrived, so we got to watch many beautiful creations come together over the few days we were together. Everybody was so encouraging and complimentary to each other, not to mention helpful. A little elf came one night and finished a spot that Tricia had been struggling with and we often found little goodies on our sewing tables when we returned from lunch or supper. I made a new friend who I lovingly came to refer to as my 'color consultant' by the end of the weekend. My ONE project was a sampler quilt (which I found out was not the easiest project to bring to retreat). Monica helped me with fabric selection and just general encouragement to keep me going when I was sure I wouldn't finish before the weekend was over.

Here is a picture that Jamie took of me with my finished quilt top ... 4 days of sewing and very little sleep ... you might notice the lack of make-up and the bags under my eyes. The square that looks like a sunflower was a gift from Monica ... a friendship block to remember her by. Now to add borders, backing, binding .. and quilting. The word 'finished' may be a little premature, I'm thinking ~ smile.

All in all, I fared okay ... had a few achy back muscles from sitting all weekend and a few achy facial muscles from laughing so much.

We're already making plans for next year ... I guess I better rest up.

Thank you all for your prayers and kind comments. We got in from Louisiana last night and have been trying to catch up on laundry, etc. today.

The night before Ethan's surgery, we made a special visit to the Lake Charles Fire Station #7 (see photos) so the kiddos could have some needed daddy time and get a ride on the fire truck. Joel wanted some photos of Ethan at the station so I got to take along my camera ... yay! I even got to lay right on the floor of the fire station ... not all that feminine, I know, but I did get some pretty awesome images.

We were at the hospital at dark-thirty the next morning. I'm pretty sure that all the sane people were still asleep. Ethan was doing fine though ... he kept telling us that everything was going to be okay. He was amazingly calm before surgery (until they took him away and wouldn't let mom go along). He went out and came back crying for his mommy. He did okay through surgery but has had a rough few days following.  He spent his first day of recovery feeling quite nauseated from the anesthetic and has had a good deal of pain since then. Prayerfully, the hard part is over and he's on his way to feeling better soon.

I can't believe it's been over 3 years since I was in Sulphur. That was before the two major hurricanes hit so you can imagine how much has changed. It was nice to be back on old stomping grounds, though, and see how things have recovered from all the damage.

While we were there, Amber and I got to have a little 'mom and daughter' time ... a little antique shopping, a nice lunch out and a trip to Starbucks, of course. I also enjoyed a nice lunch and time of fellowship with my special friend, Autumn (and the only other person in the world my Carroll grandbabies are allowed to call 'grandmother'). Wish I could have seen everyone I wanted to see but our time was short and our visit focused this time. Will have to make another trip down there before too long and make sure I see everyone I missed on this trip.

The trip was long but short. We're glad to be home and back in our own beds and to our own routines. It was nice to hug those babies though ... just don't get enough time to do that these days.

Hug your babies (even the big ones) and may God bless your week!

Kayli and I are headed out in just a bit for Louisiana. Our grandson, Ethan, has been battling repeated strep infections so the drs decided to go ahead and do a tonsilectomy, NOW! So....we are regrouping, rescheduling and headed that way.

Please pray for his safety through surgery, his quick recovery and for traveling safety for Kayli and I. Also, think often about Jared and Brandi who will be 'baching' it while we are gone. Be back on Sunday.

Have a great week!