Moving to Coker Avenue

On the eve of our second move in just over 3 months, I'm finally getting around to blogging about our first move. It feels a bit like writing a late entry to a diary or putting an already-completed item on a checklist just so that I can check it off, but I can't let all my photos and memories go to waste by just skipping on to the present. So here is the belated story of our move from Johnson City. I packed about 100 boxes, trying to be ultra-organized with color coding and carefully labeling each box.

From First Move

Then I had to leave quickly for Arkansas to spend Mom's last days with her, and my family (minus Rebecca who was still at college) was left to do the rest of the packing and moving without me. So the labels of the remaining boxes became things like "Kitchen Randomness" and "Dad's Crap." I was also distressed to find titles like "Bathroom Cabnit," but spelling has not been a strong suit with my kids. We were so blessed to have some great helpers, especially two of my friends, Tina Riley and Laura O'Bryan. Terry was pretty stressed and still can't even talk about the help that Tina gave without tearing up. I had been so emotional about moving from this house that I loved, so I'm glad that I wasn't there to see this site. It still makes me sorta sad to look at it:

From First Move

Some of our stuff is still in Johnson City, piled up in a warehouse that belongs to one of Terry's clients:

From First Move

On the way to Knoxville, the boat trailer had a flat on the interstate, and the next day, Terry clipped the gutter when backing up the moving van. Like I said, I'm glad I was not there. They basically just dumped our junk in the house before driving to Arkansas. So though I didn't have the joy of packing, I definitely DID get to unpack.

From First Move

When we returned from Mom's funeral, the house was waiting for me, and Terry carried me over the threshold to our new, temporary home.

From Funeral Photos/Coker

From First Move

Tomorrow we rent another moving van and move to our new home on Buckingham Drive (well, except for the stuff that is still in Johnson City - we'll have to move that later).

4Kay 4Mom

From 4K

This past Saturday, I ran in a 4K. It was a 4K - for Kay - Kay Yow, that is. She was the NC State Women's Basketball coach that died of breast cancer a few years ago, and the race was held at the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, which is not far at all from our new home. The race raised money to fund research for all women's cancers, It felt good to participate in an event that might make a difference to someone like my sweet Mom.

They had a moment of silence before the race for all those women who had died of cancer. I got pretty choked up but tried to hold it back since I was getting ready to race (though I guess tears and sweat mix pretty well). After the moment of silence, they released pink and white balloons into the blue sky and we were off.

From 4K

The race was pretty easy with the exception of this killer hill right at the end. It was really quite brutal.

From 4K

This grin on my face is because I am actually beating this skinny girl behind me.

From 4K

Terry took me to the race and cheered me on (and took photos). He wasn't too crazy about getting up early to go, but he was sufficiently rewarded by free Starbucks coffee and a massage while I was running.

Bleeding Hearts

This is a post I have written over and over in my mind but just never could get around to posting. I had plenty of light-hearted things subjects that I could have posted on (and hopefully will, once I get this post out of the way), but they seemed trivial compared to what my heart has been going through this spring.

As most of you know (since only family and a few close friends probably read my blog), my mother is dying. She has been suffering with both Stage IV cancer AND dementia - a sort of double-whammy that took us all by surprise last fall. Instead of complaining, she chose to count her blessings and set the example of quiet trust. I've been blessed to be able to spend lots of time with her the past six months. Even as her mind was betraying her, I have memories of laughing with her, singing with her, reading to her and even calling the hogs with her. My heart is bleeding as she lies in the next room on probably the last day of her life, but my heart is also full because of her love.

Also, as most of you know, this spring we decided to sell our beloved family home in Johnson City and move to Knoxville. To say this was not an easy decision is the understatement of a lifetime. I am so sentimentally attached to this house and the memories we have shared in it. Our family has so many great friends that we have made in the 22 years we have lived in Johnson City. In fact, I have lived there longer than I've lived anywhere in my life. We didn't know when we signed the papers that the timing of our move would coincide with my mother's passing and that I wouldn't even be there to help pack. I never got to say goodbye, but I had a bigger goodbye going on.

Many years ago, we planted a bleeding heart bush right by our back deck. You can see it from the kitchen window. It has flourished to become the largest bleeding heart plant I have ever seen. I just love it! In fact, bleeding hearts are now my favorite flowers. The little delicate pink hearts hanging all in a row take my breath away with their beauty. My daughter has grown to love it as well. For her, it has inspired many photo sessions, watercolors, drawings and even jewelry-making attempts. It was just one of many things we would have to say goodbye to when we moved away.

This spring something happened to this plant that never has before. A late frost killed the blooms, and the plant that normally would have bloomed through July had only a brief window of beauty. It was almost as if it was grieving with us. But something else also happened - the plant put out a "baby" just a few feet away - a small shoot of a new plant that we could dig up and take with us to our new home. Rebecca has it sitting in a pot in her dorm room right now. Our hearts will go on.

And that's sort of a metaphor for what's going on in my life. I know that God will heal my broken heart.

One song that has meant a lot to me this spring is "Come Lift Up Your Sorrows" by Michael Card. I love these lyrics, and I am learning to worship God with my wounds. It is the sweetest worship I have known.

"Come lift up your sorrows and offer your pain
Come make a sacrifice of all your shame
There in your wilderness He's waiting for You
To worship Him with your wounds, for He's wounded too

In this most holy place, He's made a sacred space
For those who will enter in, and trust to cry out to Him
And you'll find no curtain there, no reason left for fear
There's perfect freedom here, to weep every unwept tear"

Skin Map

Our son, Nathan, is a fan of Stephen Lawhead's books, so we thought it would be fun to review this audio book as a family. Like other Lawhead books, Skin Map is part history, part fantasy, and part intrigue. Originally set in modern-day Great Britain, it takes off to different places and times. Our only complaint about the audio book was that it was at times a bit hard to follow all the paths that were being explored simultaneously. In a print book, it's a little easier to reference earlier events and review as necessary to follow the plot.

The book is entitled Skin Map because one of the time travelers developed a road map through time that he tattooed on his body to keep from becoming lost in the cosmos (and to make it harder to steal). Those who really want to follow this audio book in detail might want to take out pen and pencil and draw up their own map.

The narration of this audio book is superb. Very entertaining- highly recommended in either print or audio form!

Happy Epiphany!

What do you do when you're late sending out your annual Christmas letter? Answer: You turn it into a New Year's letter. What if you're late for New Year's? Answer: You make it an Epiphany newsletter (or for our friends and relatives who are Razorback fans, it's a "Happy Cotton Bowl" letter)!

Epiphany is not something I celebrated when I was growing up. Now, in addition to being a good reason to keep the tree up a bit longer, it's really quite meaningful to me since it celebrates the arrival of the wise men who followed the star to Jesus. It shows how Jesus was sent not just to Jews but to be a light to the Gentiles. It's also neat to note how the wise men didn't seek on their own - God provided the star to both prompt them and show them the way. In addition to the holiday of Epiphany, the word epiphany is a good word to describe 2011 for us - God showing up in big and little ways throughout the year.

One special event for us this year was the high school graduation of our daughter, Rebecca. It has been such a privilege to teach her at home all these years and see her grow up into a beautiful young lady.

From Graduation

We saw God show up in a big way when she got a full ride to Milligan College - her first choice - in a year in which we had very little income. She is liking it there and doing well - double majoring in Fine Arts/English while getting her prerequisites for physical therapy school. We are glad to have her close to home (just about 20 minutes away).

Nathan is 15 and is turning into quite a young man. He is a student driver now and still loves to play soccer:

From Nathan's 15th birthday

Caleb is now our tallest son. He is also the noisiest - having learned to play the electric bass and electric guitar this year. I'm so happy that in addition to playing rock music, he's also in Civil Air Patrol - so he has to keep his hair short and neat! I think Caleb has been somewhat influenced by the idea that girls are impressed by musicians - this thought also prompted him to try out for High School Musical this past spring (he's #12):

From High School Musical

In addition to playing a basketball player on stage, he's one in real-life, too. In fact, unfortunately he's playing in a game tonight while Arkansas is playing in the Cotton Bowl. So please nobody call me to say "How 'bout them Hogs?" until I have a chance to watch it Saturday morning.

Noah is growing up fast. His favorite school subject is recess and he loves to jump on his pogo, so we got him a Flybar for Christmas. Pray that he survives until next year:

From Christmas 2011

Terry and I have had an interesting year career-wise. I have three small part-time jobs: freelance writing, closing loans as a traveling notary, and working in corporate pricing at Eastman as a fill-in. Terry has had several doors open and close (so many stories that it would take more than a single blog post to tell), but is now working part-time doing engineering at Eastman and alternately working on flipping a house we purchased in Knoxville (read more about this venture here and here).

From Coker

The project has involved the whole family - doing demolition and renovation work, painting, cleaning, etc. It's not over yet, so stay tuned.

We also have our house on the market - just to be open to selling and moving if that's what God wants, and a very interested party is looking at it this weekend for the second time (which has sorta spoiled my plans to keep the tree up through Epiphany). It would be a bummer to move now, though, because one of our big praises for this year is that a family of teen boys just moved into the neighborhood, and they are homeschoolers just like us.

We took one big trip in 2011 - a two week camping trip to Michigan. It was one of the best trips ever - so beautiful and relaxing. We did lots of hiking, biking and canoeing.

From Michigan Favorites

From Michigan Favorites

From Michigan Favorites

2011 has also brought some sad news into our lives. My mother was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer - which has metasticized to her liver. She is also dealing with pretty severe dementia. I am trying to spend as much time in Fayetteville as I can. Dad is doing a great job taking care of her and has become quite a cook.

Terry and I feel very blessed right now and are eagerly anticipating what is next. It seems strange to not know where you're going to be living and working and just watch it all unfold in front of you. Right now, we are rejoicing in God's provision.

We hope 2012 will be a year of epiphany for you as you seek after God.

Love,

The Seamans
(Terry, Susan, Rebecca, Nathan, Caleb and Noah)

From Fourth of July - 2011

"Christmas" in Knoxville

We had our third Christmas celebration of the season on New Year's weekend in Knoxville. The whole Seaman clan was together for almost three days. Here we are dressed up for church on New Year's Day:

From Stuff for Mom

We also spent time opening gifts,

From Stuff for Mom

From Stuff for Mom

cooking, eating, watching football (and playing football outside), playing with new toys,

From Stuff for Mom

From Stuff for Mom

watching movies,

From Stuff for Mom

and making/decorating cookies (an annual tradition):

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

Home for Christmas

We had a wonderful relaxed Christmas at home this year. On Christmas Eve, we went to a service at Redeemer Community Church. Then we came home, had a snack supper, sang around the piano, hung stockings, and then watched "It's a Wonderful Life" together. Here are our annual stocking photos:

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

Another Christmas Even tradition at our house is sleeping in a tent (just the kids, not the adults). The tent is built utilizing almost every extra quilt and blanket in the house and several chairs, poles, and clothespins. Here is Noah getting ready to go to sleep and have those visions of sugar plums dancing in his head:

From Christmas 2011

The next morning, we looked in stockings, had some sharing time, and opened gifts.

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

We were so relaxed that we didn't eat our huge Christmas breakfast until after lunch:

From Christmas 2011

We spent the day putting together Lego, playing games, working puzzles, reading, napping in front of the fire, and feasting! I kept my pajamas on almost all day.

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ~Andy Rooney

Christmas in Fayetteville

As usual, our Christmas had three parts - taking place in three distinct locations - Fayetteville, Arkansas, Johnson City, Tennessee and Knoxville, Tennessee. Our celebrations started in mid December and finished up on New Year's Eve. I love having three Christmases, and I love even more that they don't take place all on one day. I love spreading out the fun.

Our visit to Fayetteville started off with the wedding of my niece, Lisa on December 17th.

From Lisa Wedding Favorites

It was a beautiful wedding. It was special seeing Lisa get married in the same chapel where I was married, my sisters were married, and so many friends were married through the years. I was glad Mom was feeling good and able to be at the wedding. It was also nice seeing all my handsome sons dressed up in dress shirts and ties. I have some photos to prove it:

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

Of course, Rebecca was dressed up, too, but that isn't such a rarity.

After the wedding, we were all kinda tired, so we did some simple gift exchanges over the next few days. Mostly, the kids played games. Aunt Ann gave all the boys a gift of a day of paintball - organized by Matthew.

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

The kids also played board games. Here, they look a little "bored" with board games ~ but I think they're actually just intensely competitive:

From Christmas 2011

Usually, we do some singing at the piano or with the guitar. This year, Caleb played guitar while James joined in on banjo.

From Christmas 2011

Finally, one of the fun things about Christmas in Fayetteville is the lights on the square. They have music, snacks, carriage rides, camel rides, etc. We just walked around for a few minutes and snapped some photos:

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011

From Christmas 2011