Faith's Mom's Blog

Last year I had a tough time getting used to the idea that my daughter had somehow turned into a teenager. This year, I'm having a hard time believing that my daughter is 14 years old. 14! How in the world did that happen? Admittedly, her birthday started a little rough with Faith waking up saying she didn't want to celebrate. I chalked it up to her being really tired due to her long day on Tuesday which had begun at 7:30 a.m. If you know Faith, you know that is really early for her. Somehow in the midst of her crankiness, we managed to get her up and into her chair for her first feeding of the day without the occurrence of any major battles. When Faith heard her auntie Joh singing Happy Birthday to her while leaving a message, her mood shifted to being happy and joyful. We called Joh back, who had taken time during her lunch break to make the birthday call. We also talked to her grandparents in Canada, which helped as well. After the phone calls, she decided she di

I’m not usually one to want summer to linger. And yes, I get that as a North Dakotan, this does make me a little strange. Usually, I cannot wait for fall and the cooler weather, the changing of the leaves, the pumpkin spice lattes, and all that comes with autumn. This year is different and even though it has been one of the hottest summers we’ve had in a long time, I wouldn’t mind holding on to summer for just a couple more weeks. Or maybe even another month. I’m finding it truly odd that I feel this way. But I think I’m beginning to understand why. My little family doesn’t normally do a lot during the summer months. We might go the park or down to the river, or go for walks, but that’s about it. And that used to bother me. I would look on Facebook and see everyone’s vacation photos and all the summer activities they’ve been involved in, and I would feel like I was missing out or something. This year though, I became content with not doing much. That’s not really lik

Every year I try to get Faith to come up with a thankful list so that we can remember what Thanksgiving Day is all about. But really, though, Faith is pretty good at being mindful of the things she is thankful for throughout the whole year. Here are some of the things that made her list this year: Family - She really does love her family, including all four of her grandparents, her aunts, uncles, and cousins. This year, a new baby joined the family - my great niece, Marla. Faith loves seeing her and likes to say she is her "big cousin." Besides seeing all of her mom's side of the family on a regular basis, she also enjoys talking to her auntie Joh to hear all about her pets - Rosie and Ruby. She even gets to hear Ruby purr over the phone. She also likes talking to Rob's parents whom she calls grandfather and grandmother. Faith at her grandma and grandpa's house with most of her cousins  Prayers -  She still loves having people pray for her, and some

One of Faith's favorite things to do is call her Auntie Johanna (Joh for short) and listen to her cat, Ruby purr over the phone. (Faith also likes to hear stories about Joh's dog, Rosie). Sometimes getting Ruby to purr is more challenging than at other times but Joh usually succeeds in getting Ruby to purr at least once during our weekly phone call. Faith and Auntie Joh during our last visit to Ontario in October 2014 You might not be too impressed by a purring cat but this cat purrs like none other (and I've had a lot of cats growing up!) Even over the phone her purring sounds like a small engine. Sometimes Joh will get Ruby to purr several times and the next day Faith will tell everyone, "Ruby purred a million times over the phone last night!" We are convinced we need to get her a cat of her own, or at least one of those stuffed cats that looks and sounds real! Ruby the Purring Kitty Cat Something else Faith loves to do is make up stories. We do some

At the end of the year, I usually do a "Year in Review." This year, however I decided to do something a little bit different. After poring over photos for the annual Lawlar family calendar and also the one I do for Rob's parents and sister, I've realized there have been some great photos taken in the year 2015. I tried hard to narrow it down to ten of my favorites! Me with my parents cheering on the NDSU Bison as they beat Illinois state by 2 points for their 4th consecutive National Championship! Photo taken by Deone Lawlar       Faith, Rob and I celebrating my birthday at our downtown office. Photo taken by Andy Hill Faith was so excited to have a party for her dad on his birthday! Photo taken by me. Fun with family (me with my aunt Gail, mom Deone, niece Justine and sister-in-law Barbara) at the annual JOY Breakfast! Photo taken by Alicia Green Rob and Faith are always sure to bless me on Mothers Day! Photo taken by Robert Bousfield Faith s

To continue with our little Thanksgiving tradition, I asked Faith to list all of the things she is especially thankful for this year. Once again, as I looked over her list, I realized it's mostly the people in her life for which she is the most grateful. Since she is such a homebody, she especially loves it when people come to our place to visit. However, the three of us did venture to Grandma and Grandpa's for Thanksgiving Dinner where she had a blast! Here are some of the people she is most thankful for, along with a few other activities she enjoys doing.     "My Whole Family" - One time when I spoke at New Life's Redefinition Cafe service, her grandma, grandpa, uncle and aunt showed up. Afterwards she commented, "I can't believe the whole family came to church." So when she says her whole family, she is talking about her extended family. She especially loves having visits with Grandma and calling Grandmother, Grandfather, and Auntie Joh on th

To me, the cooler months of fall seem more like a season of newness than do the cold winter months of January. Maybe it's because that's when school, Bible studies, and small groups all start up again and we have to transition from our lax summer schedules to busier days that are filled with a flurry of activities. (I also realize that part of the busyness is that we have so much to get in before the snow flies). Another reason fall is a great time to get a fresh start is because according to God's calendar, the New Year actually takes place in either September or October during the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah . Whether it's on purpose or not, it seems as though our family always experiences major transitions in the fall with this year being no exception. Spending a perfect fall day at the park Burning documents - it's much faster than shredding plus this way we get S'mores! Hanging out in our crowded apartment/office We kicked off Septem

Since they moved to Bismarck three years ago, Faith has gotten to spend more time than ever with her grandparents and has especially enjoyed the times she gets to spend with her Grandma. She loves her Grandpa too but he can be a little unpredictable with his sudden sneezes or coughs. Plus, he tends to talk a little loudly due to his slight loss of hearing from being around so many trucks and machinery throughout the years! Grandma is much more predictable and quiet! Faith with one of her favorite people in the world - Grandma! Faith really likes having Grandma come over on Saturday afternoons to hang out with us. Usually Grandma will bring a pizza and we'll have lunch (although Faith has already said this weekend when we see Grandma she wants to go to Perkins instead). Then we'll hop in the van and take Grandma to the library with us then hit Target or the grocery store. Once, Grandma even stayed with Faith for about 20 minutes while I went to get Rob at the office.