You can go to my friend Lauren Larsen's blog to check out two great photos of us! http://laurenlarsenblog.com/
We had a family photo shoot with her a few weeks ago and I am anxiously awaiting all the pictures. She does such great work!
Soon we will have new photos for our fireplace and great family pics for family Christmas gifts!
Thank you Lauren for your beautiful work!!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Grace of God
We had a whopper of a storm here on June 11th, last Thursday. It’s probably one of the worst I have been in and brought with it lots of problems and complications. Just a simple reminder that we are not in control (of even the simple things like dinner time) and we tend to value “things” too much. Yet when we see how easy it is to lose much, we are grateful when we only lose a little.
If you’ve ever talked weather with me, you will soon learn that I have little respect for the TV weathermen or expect too much from their forecasts. They are just too wrong too often. Don’t even get me started on their false ice storm predictions just to get more air-time! So when I heard 30% chance of rain to severe storms for Thursday night, I thought we’d be lucky to get a drop. James was surprisingly home early (before 6:30 pm is early to us) that night and Nathan was convinced he had seen the neighbor boy out front. I was doubtful because of the rain and it being dinner time, but since our dinner was almost ready I thought a little walk might be nice. At least easier than arguing with an almost 4-year-old.
So we left Evan inside with Dad and went down the street. The sky ahead looked grim, black with mounting clouds and I quickly convinced Nathan that everyone was inside eating dinner. We were going to step up to our neighbor’s yard to say hello to their puppies on our way back when the city emergency sirens went off. Nathan and I ran back to the house and I grabbed a bag of toys, box of books and a few flashlights as we scooted into the powder bath with Dad and Evan. (Sorry Daphne - you’re on your own. She’d never let me catch her anyway.)
The storm came up fast and the electricity went off immediately. I entertained the boys with stories and Nathan determined that this was very exciting and he liked storms even better than rain! James checked outside a few times to see if it was safe to come out and finally the storm passed over. Being inside, we didn’t have a real sense of how bad it was but James looked concerned and said the wind was really bad.
The one thing I hate about our city’s emergency sirens is that after they sound for a few minutes, they go off. Then you are left to wonder if it is safe to come out or not. In some storms they have sounded and turned off several times within 10 minutes. So then I wonder did the first sound mean take cover, the silence mean wait and the next sound mean all clear? Or did the first sound mean take cover, the silence mean all clear, then the second sound mean take cover again? So many things in life should come with a manual!
When the winds had died down and we finally came out, we decided to have a candle lit dinner. Luckily I had gotten home early enough to have dinner ready and it was still hot when the storm past. We ate dinner in the flickering light, listening to the rain and thunder without any TV to distract. Funny how dependent we become on electricity! We waited about an hour and when the power didn’t come back on I called my mom. She lives 20 minutes away and she said the storm there was not as bad and she had power. So we decided it was time for a sleep over! Even more fun for Nathan.
James and I took turns gathering clothes and items we would need to sleep over at Grandma’s house and still go to work the next day. On a plus side, the kids would already be at Grandma’s so James could get right off to work. When we were ready to go, James had to figure out how to open the electric garage door manually! We took both cars so we could get to work and I chatted with one of the neighbor’s sons while I waited for James to close the garage and lock everything down.
We were grateful to see that our fence was still standing since it is the original fence that came with the house - paper thin and leaning in places. In fact, as we drove out of the housing development, we only noticed one large tree was down on the street below ours (more on that later).
As the evening developed and I thought through things, I realized what a good idea it was to go to Grandma’s for the evening. Without electricity and no idea when it would come on, we would have a hard time not having monitors to hear the boys at night. They would not have night lights to make their rooms less scary if they woke. Our bedroom is down stairs so we can’t hear them without a monitor. To add to that, my Dad had taken a vacation alone to the Grand Hotel and was due back that night. Mom had planned to just drive by the airport to pick him up. When we got to her house, she had called and found out that the flight from Detroit was diverted to Kansas and would be coming in later but not sure when. James quickly decided that he was going to the airport to wait for my Dad.
Evan fell asleep on the way over, so I slipped him into bed. Anticipating that the drive would put a sleepy guy out, I already had him in his pj’s. But he woke for a bottle while I was getting Nathan in bed. Mom was so great to get Evan back to sleep. I had forgotten how bright my Mom’s house is and how loud the old ceiling fans are, so I had a hard time falling asleep. Plus the storm was still raging outside with constant rain and thunder. Nathan slept like a log and I was up and down calling James to check on him and listening to Evan's baby monitor giving feedback.
James said the airport was one of the worst he had seen. Lots of people looking lost, canceled flights because all the planes were grounded and the boards were not updated so no one knew when or were things were coming in. There was also no one to ask at any of the desks - I figured they were hiding in the back somewhere. When Dad finally landed and they arrived home after 2 am, I found out that he left Kansas around 9 pm, circled the airport until they ran out of fuel, went to Oklahoma for more gas and came back to circle again until they landed. Dad looked a little worse for the trip, but he was holding up well. He had a great time at the Hotel so that helped a lot. We all crawled back into beds to try to get some sleep.
If I fell asleep at all, it was quickly ended by Evan waking - not crying but more of a quisical “ohhh? Ooooh, Uhhhh?” I grabbed a bottle and was up with him until he finally fell back to sleep after 6 am. He wouldn’t let me sit at all, so I walked the whole time expect for when I gave him the 3 bottles I hoped would make him sleep.
I maybe got 2 or 3 hours of sleep so I decided to take the day off, go back home to see if we had electricity and get some sleep. Good thing I did! After hearing a lot about the trip from Dad and looking a the photos in the digital camera, I returned home about 9:30 am.
Street lights were working, which was a good sign, and as I drove into the development I thought how nice that the city had picked up that big tree already (yeah, more on that).
I noticed a street sign leaning, a speed sign flattened and the community mailbox on the ground instead of it’s pedistol. It was when I rounded the corner that I realized things were not as we had left them the night before. People’s fences were down!
Not just a few panels or in one direction, but all over. I got to our house to find 3 sections of fence on each side down, wooden fence posts snapped off at the ground or bent until uprooted and our backyard stuff everywhere.
I found the grill cover, lid and sandbox lid at the side of our house. Nathan’s slide was halfway across the neighbor’s yard! I was glad to see the back fence was still up although leaning a bit more than before. Over all, we fared better than most!
I talked to the neighbors on both sides and found out that electricity came back around midnight and the second and worst storm came through at 6 am. Both families hid in interior rooms and said their walls were shaking. They heard 75-90 mile an hour winds! I was so grateful the boys where not there to experience that! Oh, and that tree we saw down on the right side of the street when we left at 9 pm was the tree from across the street (normally on the left side) it had been uprooted and dropped across the street with the first storm, then blown down the road and across a major intersection with the morning storm! When I left that afternoon, I saw it laying across the intersection in a different person’s yard!
You can see the round bricks where the tree used to be...
Now it is outside our housing development, across a major street!
What a wild storm! I spent the morning taking photos for the insurance, moving and putting things away in case a new storm came that night and talking with the neighbors. By the time I called insurance and ate lunch, I got about a 2 hour nap before I had to go pick up the kids! Oh well, sleep is overrated.
James got to spend 7am-4pm Sunday mending the fence on one side by himself. Our really nice neighbors on the other said they would take care of it since they have older boys and they kind of owed us for the fence extension we had done several years before. So, at least we only had to do work on half the fence. I was frustrated that I couldn’t help James, but someone had to watch Evan (Nathan could run around on his own and be fine) and it was just too hot to be out.
We did find out today from the insurance adjustor that our roof is in great shape and because our deductible is $1,000 they wouldn’t give us anything for the fence. But we did learn that trees are covered without any deductible and one of our pear trees lost a limb. He said they give $250 a tree for damage, so that will cover our fence costs! Had we lost a whole tree, that wouldn’t be much, but since we just lost a small limb, we are feeling more than blessed!
If you’ve ever talked weather with me, you will soon learn that I have little respect for the TV weathermen or expect too much from their forecasts. They are just too wrong too often. Don’t even get me started on their false ice storm predictions just to get more air-time! So when I heard 30% chance of rain to severe storms for Thursday night, I thought we’d be lucky to get a drop. James was surprisingly home early (before 6:30 pm is early to us) that night and Nathan was convinced he had seen the neighbor boy out front. I was doubtful because of the rain and it being dinner time, but since our dinner was almost ready I thought a little walk might be nice. At least easier than arguing with an almost 4-year-old.
So we left Evan inside with Dad and went down the street. The sky ahead looked grim, black with mounting clouds and I quickly convinced Nathan that everyone was inside eating dinner. We were going to step up to our neighbor’s yard to say hello to their puppies on our way back when the city emergency sirens went off. Nathan and I ran back to the house and I grabbed a bag of toys, box of books and a few flashlights as we scooted into the powder bath with Dad and Evan. (Sorry Daphne - you’re on your own. She’d never let me catch her anyway.)
The storm came up fast and the electricity went off immediately. I entertained the boys with stories and Nathan determined that this was very exciting and he liked storms even better than rain! James checked outside a few times to see if it was safe to come out and finally the storm passed over. Being inside, we didn’t have a real sense of how bad it was but James looked concerned and said the wind was really bad.
The one thing I hate about our city’s emergency sirens is that after they sound for a few minutes, they go off. Then you are left to wonder if it is safe to come out or not. In some storms they have sounded and turned off several times within 10 minutes. So then I wonder did the first sound mean take cover, the silence mean wait and the next sound mean all clear? Or did the first sound mean take cover, the silence mean all clear, then the second sound mean take cover again? So many things in life should come with a manual!
When the winds had died down and we finally came out, we decided to have a candle lit dinner. Luckily I had gotten home early enough to have dinner ready and it was still hot when the storm past. We ate dinner in the flickering light, listening to the rain and thunder without any TV to distract. Funny how dependent we become on electricity! We waited about an hour and when the power didn’t come back on I called my mom. She lives 20 minutes away and she said the storm there was not as bad and she had power. So we decided it was time for a sleep over! Even more fun for Nathan.
James and I took turns gathering clothes and items we would need to sleep over at Grandma’s house and still go to work the next day. On a plus side, the kids would already be at Grandma’s so James could get right off to work. When we were ready to go, James had to figure out how to open the electric garage door manually! We took both cars so we could get to work and I chatted with one of the neighbor’s sons while I waited for James to close the garage and lock everything down.
We were grateful to see that our fence was still standing since it is the original fence that came with the house - paper thin and leaning in places. In fact, as we drove out of the housing development, we only noticed one large tree was down on the street below ours (more on that later).
As the evening developed and I thought through things, I realized what a good idea it was to go to Grandma’s for the evening. Without electricity and no idea when it would come on, we would have a hard time not having monitors to hear the boys at night. They would not have night lights to make their rooms less scary if they woke. Our bedroom is down stairs so we can’t hear them without a monitor. To add to that, my Dad had taken a vacation alone to the Grand Hotel and was due back that night. Mom had planned to just drive by the airport to pick him up. When we got to her house, she had called and found out that the flight from Detroit was diverted to Kansas and would be coming in later but not sure when. James quickly decided that he was going to the airport to wait for my Dad.
Evan fell asleep on the way over, so I slipped him into bed. Anticipating that the drive would put a sleepy guy out, I already had him in his pj’s. But he woke for a bottle while I was getting Nathan in bed. Mom was so great to get Evan back to sleep. I had forgotten how bright my Mom’s house is and how loud the old ceiling fans are, so I had a hard time falling asleep. Plus the storm was still raging outside with constant rain and thunder. Nathan slept like a log and I was up and down calling James to check on him and listening to Evan's baby monitor giving feedback.
James said the airport was one of the worst he had seen. Lots of people looking lost, canceled flights because all the planes were grounded and the boards were not updated so no one knew when or were things were coming in. There was also no one to ask at any of the desks - I figured they were hiding in the back somewhere. When Dad finally landed and they arrived home after 2 am, I found out that he left Kansas around 9 pm, circled the airport until they ran out of fuel, went to Oklahoma for more gas and came back to circle again until they landed. Dad looked a little worse for the trip, but he was holding up well. He had a great time at the Hotel so that helped a lot. We all crawled back into beds to try to get some sleep.
If I fell asleep at all, it was quickly ended by Evan waking - not crying but more of a quisical “ohhh? Ooooh, Uhhhh?” I grabbed a bottle and was up with him until he finally fell back to sleep after 6 am. He wouldn’t let me sit at all, so I walked the whole time expect for when I gave him the 3 bottles I hoped would make him sleep.
I maybe got 2 or 3 hours of sleep so I decided to take the day off, go back home to see if we had electricity and get some sleep. Good thing I did! After hearing a lot about the trip from Dad and looking a the photos in the digital camera, I returned home about 9:30 am.
Street lights were working, which was a good sign, and as I drove into the development I thought how nice that the city had picked up that big tree already (yeah, more on that).
I noticed a street sign leaning, a speed sign flattened and the community mailbox on the ground instead of it’s pedistol. It was when I rounded the corner that I realized things were not as we had left them the night before. People’s fences were down!
Not just a few panels or in one direction, but all over. I got to our house to find 3 sections of fence on each side down, wooden fence posts snapped off at the ground or bent until uprooted and our backyard stuff everywhere.
I found the grill cover, lid and sandbox lid at the side of our house. Nathan’s slide was halfway across the neighbor’s yard! I was glad to see the back fence was still up although leaning a bit more than before. Over all, we fared better than most!
I talked to the neighbors on both sides and found out that electricity came back around midnight and the second and worst storm came through at 6 am. Both families hid in interior rooms and said their walls were shaking. They heard 75-90 mile an hour winds! I was so grateful the boys where not there to experience that! Oh, and that tree we saw down on the right side of the street when we left at 9 pm was the tree from across the street (normally on the left side) it had been uprooted and dropped across the street with the first storm, then blown down the road and across a major intersection with the morning storm! When I left that afternoon, I saw it laying across the intersection in a different person’s yard!
You can see the round bricks where the tree used to be...
Now it is outside our housing development, across a major street!
What a wild storm! I spent the morning taking photos for the insurance, moving and putting things away in case a new storm came that night and talking with the neighbors. By the time I called insurance and ate lunch, I got about a 2 hour nap before I had to go pick up the kids! Oh well, sleep is overrated.
James got to spend 7am-4pm Sunday mending the fence on one side by himself. Our really nice neighbors on the other said they would take care of it since they have older boys and they kind of owed us for the fence extension we had done several years before. So, at least we only had to do work on half the fence. I was frustrated that I couldn’t help James, but someone had to watch Evan (Nathan could run around on his own and be fine) and it was just too hot to be out.
We did find out today from the insurance adjustor that our roof is in great shape and because our deductible is $1,000 they wouldn’t give us anything for the fence. But we did learn that trees are covered without any deductible and one of our pear trees lost a limb. He said they give $250 a tree for damage, so that will cover our fence costs! Had we lost a whole tree, that wouldn’t be much, but since we just lost a small limb, we are feeling more than blessed!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
My, how they change your prespective!
So, for the second time since Evan was born, James and I went to the movie theater! We took off Friday before Memorial Day for family photos with my favorite photographer Lauren Larsen. Then dropped the boys off at Grandma's house so we could see a movie.
And we played our cards right and saw 2 movies! Wolverine and Star Trek - both excellent. Every entertaining, fun to watch, suspenseful and good scripts. We had a great time!
But I now find that I watch movies through mommy eyes even when the boys are not there. (I had a few moments in both films when I thought the action/camera movements were a little too fast.) When the credits rolled on Wolverine I thought - what a good movie but how old would I want the boys to be before they go to something like that. Then the rating came up on the screen (which I still ignore when choosing a film) and it was PG-13. PG-13! Really? So I thought of my niece Maddie who is almost 13 years old and I don't think I really want her watching Wolverine stabbing people multiple times with his claws. It wasn't bloody or gory and it could have been but still...
After a quick burger we settled into the theater for Star Trek munching popcorn and feeling a little guilty about being off work and without the boys! The previews started and I was less than impressed. In fact, as the previews continued I began to wonder if there was anything I would want to take the boys to when they are older. Then the preview for Transformers 2 started and I had a reality check. Is this the kind of film the boys will be seeing as teens? Everything is so C.G. it just doesn't look real anymore. The action is fast and furious, violence is in your face and explosive. Just over the top and bigger than life. Don't get me wrong. I still love movies and will take the boys to see them. But as the previews continued I began to wonder if this was how my parents felt when we went to films and I realized just how far movies have come over the years. How much further will they go?
My parents watched John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Hepburn & Tracy, Debbie Reynolds when my sister and I were young. I loved all those old films and now to think we went from that in our living room on a Sunday afternoon to dragging my parents to Die Hard and Beverly Hills Cop films when I was in high school! What was I thinking?!?
Now I'm looking at things like Transformers 2 and wondering where we will be in 10 years!
But in the mean time, we are anticipating the Cars 2 release. That will be Nathan's first movie in the theater - and by the time it comes out, we may bring Evan along too. Maybe we can ease them into modern movies and still enjoy the old war films and westerns I grew up on. Where films were driven more by the actors and the plot than the explosions and the monsters.
It's a challenge for a movie loving mom!
And we played our cards right and saw 2 movies! Wolverine and Star Trek - both excellent. Every entertaining, fun to watch, suspenseful and good scripts. We had a great time!
But I now find that I watch movies through mommy eyes even when the boys are not there. (I had a few moments in both films when I thought the action/camera movements were a little too fast.) When the credits rolled on Wolverine I thought - what a good movie but how old would I want the boys to be before they go to something like that. Then the rating came up on the screen (which I still ignore when choosing a film) and it was PG-13. PG-13! Really? So I thought of my niece Maddie who is almost 13 years old and I don't think I really want her watching Wolverine stabbing people multiple times with his claws. It wasn't bloody or gory and it could have been but still...
After a quick burger we settled into the theater for Star Trek munching popcorn and feeling a little guilty about being off work and without the boys! The previews started and I was less than impressed. In fact, as the previews continued I began to wonder if there was anything I would want to take the boys to when they are older. Then the preview for Transformers 2 started and I had a reality check. Is this the kind of film the boys will be seeing as teens? Everything is so C.G. it just doesn't look real anymore. The action is fast and furious, violence is in your face and explosive. Just over the top and bigger than life. Don't get me wrong. I still love movies and will take the boys to see them. But as the previews continued I began to wonder if this was how my parents felt when we went to films and I realized just how far movies have come over the years. How much further will they go?
My parents watched John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Hepburn & Tracy, Debbie Reynolds when my sister and I were young. I loved all those old films and now to think we went from that in our living room on a Sunday afternoon to dragging my parents to Die Hard and Beverly Hills Cop films when I was in high school! What was I thinking?!?
Now I'm looking at things like Transformers 2 and wondering where we will be in 10 years!
But in the mean time, we are anticipating the Cars 2 release. That will be Nathan's first movie in the theater - and by the time it comes out, we may bring Evan along too. Maybe we can ease them into modern movies and still enjoy the old war films and westerns I grew up on. Where films were driven more by the actors and the plot than the explosions and the monsters.
It's a challenge for a movie loving mom!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Family Vacations are the Best!
Well, as I continue to be behind, I will try to get my blog caught up a little. It’s been about a month since Evan’s first vacation! We went on a really great vacation to visit my sister in Colorado Springs. It was so fun to see her and spend time with her family! We also brought my parents with us which was a lot of fun - and we so appreciate their help with the boys!
Nathan did great on the flight - he enjoyed a Maze book I got for him and sipped Ginger Ale while eating snacks.
Evan fell asleep early on in the flight and slept most of the trip which was a real blessing! And if I’ve never mentioned it, I LOVE my sling! I slipped Evan into it when we got ready to leave the plane and it was so great to just run through the airport hands free - well, pushing Nathan in the stroller anyway. We also got a neat surprise that my brother-in-law Scott was flying home on our same plane. Although he was several rows ahead of us, it was nice to see him at the airport and all get off the plane together.
Nothing is better than spending some time with my sister! She’s a great mom - juggling 3 kids with all their activities, a cat and dog, traveling husband, beautiful home and part-time kindergarten teaching. We enjoyed just relaxing at their house and watching the boys play with their cousins!
Maddie (the oldest) is into the movie Twilight - finally, being a huge movie fan I can relate to her and had fun talking with her. She was great with the boys and so sweet and helpful!
We got to see Molly baptized while we were there, which was so exciting! We also got to see a couple of her Soccer games and she is really great!
Andy was a little less quiet this time didn't seem quite as shy. But he's a master at DS and enjoyed a few sword fights while we were there.
I must admit, being around a dog was a new experience for me. I haven't lived with a dog since I was little, and although Tootsie was very well behaved, I don't think I'll want a dog of my own anytime soon! Evan seemed fascinated with the dog, but really hated to be licked, so he alternated between chasing after the dog and running from her! Evan was also drawn to the wood floors and we had to keep him in shoes to keep him from slipping and plopping on his bottom!
Nathan of course delighted in all things toys and enjoyed raiding Andy's room - we really appreciated Andy's kindness to share all of his toys!
While we were there we got a short visit with James's half sister Christina and cousins Tyler and Haley. It was great to see them but such a surprise how much they had grown and changed since we saw them last!
It was a great visit and so hard to return home to our daily routine!! Thanks for the hospitality Melissa!
Nathan did great on the flight - he enjoyed a Maze book I got for him and sipped Ginger Ale while eating snacks.
Evan fell asleep early on in the flight and slept most of the trip which was a real blessing! And if I’ve never mentioned it, I LOVE my sling! I slipped Evan into it when we got ready to leave the plane and it was so great to just run through the airport hands free - well, pushing Nathan in the stroller anyway. We also got a neat surprise that my brother-in-law Scott was flying home on our same plane. Although he was several rows ahead of us, it was nice to see him at the airport and all get off the plane together.
Nothing is better than spending some time with my sister! She’s a great mom - juggling 3 kids with all their activities, a cat and dog, traveling husband, beautiful home and part-time kindergarten teaching. We enjoyed just relaxing at their house and watching the boys play with their cousins!
Maddie (the oldest) is into the movie Twilight - finally, being a huge movie fan I can relate to her and had fun talking with her. She was great with the boys and so sweet and helpful!
We got to see Molly baptized while we were there, which was so exciting! We also got to see a couple of her Soccer games and she is really great!
Andy was a little less quiet this time didn't seem quite as shy. But he's a master at DS and enjoyed a few sword fights while we were there.
I must admit, being around a dog was a new experience for me. I haven't lived with a dog since I was little, and although Tootsie was very well behaved, I don't think I'll want a dog of my own anytime soon! Evan seemed fascinated with the dog, but really hated to be licked, so he alternated between chasing after the dog and running from her! Evan was also drawn to the wood floors and we had to keep him in shoes to keep him from slipping and plopping on his bottom!
Nathan of course delighted in all things toys and enjoyed raiding Andy's room - we really appreciated Andy's kindness to share all of his toys!
While we were there we got a short visit with James's half sister Christina and cousins Tyler and Haley. It was great to see them but such a surprise how much they had grown and changed since we saw them last!
It was a great visit and so hard to return home to our daily routine!! Thanks for the hospitality Melissa!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Easter was when?
Okay, so busy is an understatement! Sleep has taken over as a priority at night and the distance I am behind on my photos continues to grow.
So, feeling overwhelmed and in need of a small break on a busy day, here are just a few photos from Easter of the boys.
We had to move the Easter Egg hunt inside since it was cold and rainy, but that didn't slow down the Easter bunny. Nathan was too excited and Evan jumped right in like a pro. We had fun finding candy alternates like toy snakes, bugs and cars.
In general, though I have found that Easter is just one big choking hazard! Anything that will fit in those small eggs would chock a child and don't even think about the jelly beans! But thanks to Big Lots for selling very large eggs that would accommodate most of my toys!
So, feeling overwhelmed and in need of a small break on a busy day, here are just a few photos from Easter of the boys.
We had to move the Easter Egg hunt inside since it was cold and rainy, but that didn't slow down the Easter bunny. Nathan was too excited and Evan jumped right in like a pro. We had fun finding candy alternates like toy snakes, bugs and cars.
In general, though I have found that Easter is just one big choking hazard! Anything that will fit in those small eggs would chock a child and don't even think about the jelly beans! But thanks to Big Lots for selling very large eggs that would accommodate most of my toys!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Big Thank You to Jenny!
I just got this photo from the Andrew Peterson concert. Thanks to Jenny for taking the photo, I hope to get some more from her if they turned out.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Still on an Andrew Peterson High!
At the concert yesterday, Andrew Peterson told the story of many of his songs, but one in particular was really incredible. I was familiar with the gist of the background on his song Queen of Iowa but to hear him tell it, to get the details first hand and hear his voice break with emotion was just impactful.
He got a call one day from a church asking if he would come and sing at the bedside of a woman who was dying. He was her favorite musician and they wanted to bring him there. He had never done anything like that before and agreed to do it but had no idea of the full story until he arrived. As he was going from the airport to her house someone filled him in on her situation.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember all the details, but when he arrived she had been in a coma for 3 days. In college she had been brutally attacked and contracted HIV. She had suffered from that and tumors throughout her body, especially her brain. She also always runs a temperature of 104 degrees. She had become paralyzed and was on pain medications and medicine to help her sleep. Those medicines caused her to have nightmares where she relived the attack over and over. The only thing she could do all day was to lay in bed and listen to her ipod. Her husband had loaded it with Christian music and mostly Andrew Peterson’s because he was her favorite. Her husband had fallen in love with her in elementary school and married her knowing about the attack and her health. He was her caregiver.
When they moved to the town a small local church heard about their situation and started to minister to them. They both accepted Christ as their savior and were believers because of that church, who was bringing Andrew to her that day. He had come with another musician friend and he said that they sat next to her bed as she laid in a coma and sang to her. Suddenly while they were playing she opened her eyes and was mouthing the words of his songs! They continued to play and sing with her and visited with her.
He said that experience had such an impact on him that he wrote this song for her. (Don't just read through the words. Let them soak in. Catch the double meanings and the depth of what he is saying. It's amazing)
I met the queen of Iowa
She was dying on a couch in the suburbs
And with all of the things she was dying of
She was more alive than the others
She was pretty as a flower in a crystal vase
It lights up the room as it withers away
And she opened her eyes
When she heard the music play
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
Like the Queen of Iowa
She was the Queen of Iowa
Her majesty was all ablaze
She was burning hot but not consumed
Our shoes removed in that holy place
In the hallowed ground of the living room
I bowed down low and I kissed her hand
And we raised a toast to the Promised Land
And I saw the tears of joy
Run down her face
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
Like the Queen of Iowa
Peace like a river in a valley of bones
It fills the valley up and it carries them home
She was the Queen of Iowa
(Bridge)
I could see my illusions scatter
Every time she drew a breath
I could see the heart of the matter:
The heart is a matter of life and death
I’ll never be the same
We sang about oceans of love again
As she stared past the ceiling and the sky above
Two court musicians, it was me and Ben
We were singing for the Queen of Iowa
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
There was peace like a river in a valley of bones
It fills the valley up and it carries them home
To come alive again
In the river of Grace
Like the Queen of Iowa
She was the Queen of Iowa
Long live the Queen of Iowa
Then Andrew told us that every time he is in Iowa for a concert he is able to go and visit her. Many of the songs on his newest album are in someway inspired by her too.
He said that as soon as he finished the newest album he sent a copy to her so her husband could load the new songs on her ipod but she was in a coma that lasted for 3 months. Her husband said that her brain was so full of tumors that the doctors said she was brain dead even though he feels her tap her pinky in his hand. The doctors said she is brain dead and it is only a muscle twitch that he feels. Still everyday she listens to the music. Andrew arrived some time after the album, to play for her again and as he was playing the new songs, she opened her eyes! The first time in 3 months and she was mouthing the songs on the new album! Did you catch that? The new album that she had only heard while she was in a coma and she knew the words! Also she moved her hand that she wanted to write and although her hands are twisted and paralyzed, they put a pen in her hand and held paper for her. She wrote “I believe in the invisible God” (a song title from his new album).
Andrew said he has that paper on his bedroom wall so he will see it everyday. He said that she is still alive today and inspiring him. It is an amazing story!
He got a call one day from a church asking if he would come and sing at the bedside of a woman who was dying. He was her favorite musician and they wanted to bring him there. He had never done anything like that before and agreed to do it but had no idea of the full story until he arrived. As he was going from the airport to her house someone filled him in on her situation.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember all the details, but when he arrived she had been in a coma for 3 days. In college she had been brutally attacked and contracted HIV. She had suffered from that and tumors throughout her body, especially her brain. She also always runs a temperature of 104 degrees. She had become paralyzed and was on pain medications and medicine to help her sleep. Those medicines caused her to have nightmares where she relived the attack over and over. The only thing she could do all day was to lay in bed and listen to her ipod. Her husband had loaded it with Christian music and mostly Andrew Peterson’s because he was her favorite. Her husband had fallen in love with her in elementary school and married her knowing about the attack and her health. He was her caregiver.
When they moved to the town a small local church heard about their situation and started to minister to them. They both accepted Christ as their savior and were believers because of that church, who was bringing Andrew to her that day. He had come with another musician friend and he said that they sat next to her bed as she laid in a coma and sang to her. Suddenly while they were playing she opened her eyes and was mouthing the words of his songs! They continued to play and sing with her and visited with her.
He said that experience had such an impact on him that he wrote this song for her. (Don't just read through the words. Let them soak in. Catch the double meanings and the depth of what he is saying. It's amazing)
I met the queen of Iowa
She was dying on a couch in the suburbs
And with all of the things she was dying of
She was more alive than the others
She was pretty as a flower in a crystal vase
It lights up the room as it withers away
And she opened her eyes
When she heard the music play
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
Like the Queen of Iowa
She was the Queen of Iowa
Her majesty was all ablaze
She was burning hot but not consumed
Our shoes removed in that holy place
In the hallowed ground of the living room
I bowed down low and I kissed her hand
And we raised a toast to the Promised Land
And I saw the tears of joy
Run down her face
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
Like the Queen of Iowa
Peace like a river in a valley of bones
It fills the valley up and it carries them home
She was the Queen of Iowa
(Bridge)
I could see my illusions scatter
Every time she drew a breath
I could see the heart of the matter:
The heart is a matter of life and death
I’ll never be the same
We sang about oceans of love again
As she stared past the ceiling and the sky above
Two court musicians, it was me and Ben
We were singing for the Queen of Iowa
We sang a hymn to the rhythm of the river that flows
Down from the mountain of the Holy Ghost
And into the souls
Of those who know His name
There was peace like a river in a valley of bones
It fills the valley up and it carries them home
To come alive again
In the river of Grace
Like the Queen of Iowa
She was the Queen of Iowa
Long live the Queen of Iowa
Then Andrew told us that every time he is in Iowa for a concert he is able to go and visit her. Many of the songs on his newest album are in someway inspired by her too.
He said that as soon as he finished the newest album he sent a copy to her so her husband could load the new songs on her ipod but she was in a coma that lasted for 3 months. Her husband said that her brain was so full of tumors that the doctors said she was brain dead even though he feels her tap her pinky in his hand. The doctors said she is brain dead and it is only a muscle twitch that he feels. Still everyday she listens to the music. Andrew arrived some time after the album, to play for her again and as he was playing the new songs, she opened her eyes! The first time in 3 months and she was mouthing the songs on the new album! Did you catch that? The new album that she had only heard while she was in a coma and she knew the words! Also she moved her hand that she wanted to write and although her hands are twisted and paralyzed, they put a pen in her hand and held paper for her. She wrote “I believe in the invisible God” (a song title from his new album).
Andrew said he has that paper on his bedroom wall so he will see it everyday. He said that she is still alive today and inspiring him. It is an amazing story!
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