March 31, 1980...an exceedingly happy day!

It was a feeling I'd never experienced before. Looking intently into the bassinet at that newborn baby boy filled me with such an overwhelming sense of love that I actually thought I could pass out. I was 31 years old at the time, and didn't expect to be so overcome with emotions for which there are no words to describe. I knew instinctively that I would defend this little one to the death if necessary. I loved him more than life itself. I never knew something so tiny could affect my life so much. My heart was bursting with a love I never knew before.

Thus began my journey into motherhood - 30 years ago today! Happy Birthday Andy!

My friend Rose recently posted about how fleeting life is. It's a subject I've had a lot of thoughts about myself lately. I have no idea how the last 30 years have gone by so quickly. I might be the mother of a 30 year old, but there are many memories that seem like they happened just yesterday.

For example:

*One day shortly before Mother's Day in 1982 I was running late and driving speedily to my Mom's house in the morning on my way to work. Andy was just two, and my Mom babysat him. I can remember the exact intersection we were pulling up to, the busiest one in our county. I got the red light and was frustrated because I knew I would be sitting there for the next six minutes. Andy was in the front passenger's seat (which was a legal thing to do back then) and suddenly he turned around and asked me softly, "Mommy, what is Jesus doing in the back seat?" I looked all around thinking maybe he had spotted someone walking along the road who had a beard, but I could see no one. It was pretty humbling to think that Jesus needed to visibly show up to get me to slow down.

One of my most favorite ages of children has always been "4" for some reason. I guess I just love the way they really start thinking through things, and so often, out loud.

Here are a few favorite "age 4" memories:

*One Friday night while we were driving home from Grandma's house, we heard church bells ringing. Andy confidently announced, "It must be Ash Friday!"

*It was Sunday July 29, 1984 and I thought Andy was upstairs taking a really good nap. We later discovered he had been giving himself a hair cut. I tried to explain that he shouldn't do that because he couldn't see what he was doing, and he could hurt himself. His reply? "Oh yes I can, I used the rear-view mirror." Up by the bathroom sink I found barber shears, comb, and a hand held mirror.

*In September of the same year, I took Andy to a specialist to have his tonsils checked. The doctor said he needed to get them taken out, so he showed Andy a little film to explain why he had so many sore throats, referring to "swollen tissues". The next morning Andy asked his dad if he still had that "kleenex" in his throat. We had no clue what he was talking about until he explained, "You know, the tissue." After thinking about the film a little more, Andy proclaimed, "that doctor must know an awful lot about how God made me!"

and my most favorite 4 year old memory of Andy:

*Later the same month, Andy told me he had had a conversation with God while he was in the bathtub. He said he asked God what kind of servant he wanted him to be, and God told him he wanted him to tell people about Jesus!

Andrew of the Bible, for whom our Andy was named, was the first called among the apostles to follow Jesus, and he is credited with introducing his brother, Simon Peter, to Christ. History records that Andrew himself spread the Gospel far and wide and eventually was martyred for his Lord.

Andy has lived up to his namesake and also to his very early calling by the Lord to serve Him by preaching the Gospel. He is now an ordained minister of the Gospel serving in a church in South Carolina as an Associate Pastor. You can take a peak at his bio here. His passion that he hopes to eventually pursue involves church planting.

Happy Birthday son! Even though you are making us feel "old" today, we love you and we sure are proud of you!

Andy and Ellie last March when he was best man in his friend's wedding

Here we are the day of Andy's ordination, Jan. 10, 2009

Our two precious grandsons from Andy & Ellie, Deacon & Owen