Kristin McLendon

Kristin McLendon: June 2011

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Happy Birthday PawPaw

My Paw Paw and I
Thanks to Facebook, many of you know that my Paw Paw went home to be with the Lord on June 15th.  It was eleven years ago on that same day that my dear friend Katie passed away.  It made a hard day even harder, but in the midst of all of it I felt the closeness of the Lord.

It's been a week and a half now and I still don't really have the words to put in a blog post---but I do have the words that the Lord gave me to share at my Paw Paw's funeral.  Of course I've come up with a hundred other things I should have said and memories I had, but none the less this is what I felt led to share and I'll now share it with you.  Today.  The day in which my Paw Paw would have turned 75.  He had said he wanted to at least make it to 75 and he was just a week and a half short.  We don't always understand the Lords ways, but I do know His timing is perfect.  June 15th and all.

31 years later, Paw Paw and Jude
--


Good Morning.  My name is Kristin McLendon and I am the daughter of Sandi Smith, Leroy’s youngest daughter.  I would like to just take a few moments to talk about my Paw Paw—the man that he was and the man that I pray my son will be like some day.

Paw Paw was a Man of character.  Webster defines character as having honesty, courage, and integrity….and my Paw Paw was a man of all of those things and more.  He was a good man.  A humble man.  A loving father, a devoted husband and a bend over backwards for you kind of  grandfather.  He was selfless and never put himself first.  He loved deeply.  He was giving of himself, his time and his skills.  He was strong yet sweet.  He had a way about him that you knew you were safe when you were with your PawPaw.

Secondly, he was a man of community.  He loved those that the Lord placed into his life.  Following my father’s retirement from the Air Force back in the early 90’s, we moved back home to the Savannah area.  Our family became friends with the Goodrich family early on and we discovered that we had a Paw Paw in our life and so did they.  It became evident pretty quickly that it was the same Paw Paw and those almost became fighting words. Who knew we had to share our Paw Paw, but he loved Amy and Jessica and cultivated a loving relationship with the Goodrichs in their Midway Napa Store.  I know that this is just one family that loved my Paw Paw as much as we do. But it’s a precious example of his capability to love and love well. 

And last and the most obvious, he was a man of family.  Every significant event in my life he was there.  From basketball games, to high school graduation.  To college graduation to sitting on the front row as I became a wife---he was there.  Even just three weeks ago we brought our new son here for the extended family to meet.  Paw Paw came with his travelling oxygen tank and on his way out the door I said thank you for coming Paw Paw…He looked me in the eye and said,  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything”…and that is how he lived his life.  You see he’d already met baby Jude as we came for a special trip when he was 6 weeks old just for Paw Paw to meet him…yet the family was gathering to meet Jude and he wouldn’t miss it for anything….just three weeks before he went home to the Lord. 

And now we rejoice because that is where he is.  When we first learned of this sickness, we prayed for healing.  I believe in Jesus—the man that heals and performs miracles still today and I was not afraid to ask my Jesus to heal my PawPaw.  And even though it does not look the way I would like it—my Paw Paw has received his complete healing now.  He’s received eternal life as God’s Word says in John 5:24, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life.  He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”  PawPaw was a man that believed and now has eternal life.  Jesus has made him whole.  No more suffering. No more pain.  No more fighting for a breath.  No more disease.  He has been completely healed and in this we rejoice.   As much as we miss him here, he is in a much better place.

So PawPaw I just want to tell you that we love you.  Thank you for being you.  Thank you for being a man that we could depend on and being a man that loved us deeply.  Thank you for being selfless and giving of yourself at all times.  Thank you for being a model in my life that I can look up to and strive to raise my son to walk as you walked.  We love you Paw Paw.  We miss you more than words can say, but today we rejoice with you as you dance and you sing and you drive heaven’s tractor like you never have before.

--

Happy Birthday Paw Paw!  I love you and I miss you!

Paw Paw,  Jocelyn and I.

posted by Kristin @ June 26, 2011 1 Comments

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Jude Robert, You Are Three Months Old

My precious one...
You are Three Months Old!


What a joy you are to us and your
third month did not disappoint!


We switched you from disposable 
to cloth diapers during this month...
and we love them!
You look so cute in them!
No more being in between sizes and
your explosions have decreased 
significantly!


You moved into 0-3 and 3 month size clothing
and can even fit your way into a few 3-6
month clothes!
(And I love how you are cuddling your owl above)


You work like clock work.
You wake up each morning around 5,
eat, then go back to sleep till around 9.
You take a morning nap, an afternoon nap
while eating every 3 hours.


Then about 7:30pm you start rubbing your
sleepy little eyes...
so we go up, give you a bath,
read a bedtime story, say our prayers
and you are out by 8pm...
You dropped your middle of the night feeding
all by yourself this month and you
don't wake up again till around 5am.


The Lord has answered our prayers
by giving us such a good sleeper,
so calm and good natured.


You've had a few rough afternoons here
lately that I even think you're having some 
early signs of teething as you
are not yourself...and the drooling has begun!


Just this week it was said in the office that
this was the first time they have heard you
cry...way to make it three months buddy!


We joked in the office that you skipped
a month somewhere.
You are so alert and interested in everything.


You are one wide eyed baby...
not to mention so incredibly smiley!


You have a morning routine with your daddy...


And I love our evening routine
that you and I have going!
You still LOVE bath time!


Month number three consisted of a couple
of road trips to finally meet the family!


To Perry we went and you met the entire
family all at once at Mimi's 80th 
birthday party!


Then to Richmond Hill we went for Memorial Day
Weekend...you met the fam for a get together on
Saturday, then a "Meet Jude" party on 
Sunday for our friends!


You still nurse well...and take the bottle well on most 
accounts.  You still have a few choking issues while eating
and following your 2 month check up
we went to Scottish Rite...
but you are all good to go.  Just have to grow out
of this phase!


You are getting so big!  You weighed in at 11lbs, 12ozs 
at your 2 month appointment.
I weighed you as you turned 3 months old...
and you are at a whopping 14 pounds!!!


Your eyes are still mainly blue with
a little color change around the pupil...
wondering if they are going to stay
blue like your Daddy's
or turn hazel like your Mommy's!


You went swimming for the first time during
your 3rd month....and you LOVED it!
Don't know if it falls into the same category
as your love for bath time, but whatever it is, it was
so much fun (and thank you Grandaddy for 
heating the pool for me so it felt like bath water!)


You are quite partial to your Mommy...
you love your Daddy and you're
pretty good going to others.  Every once
in awhile the only person you want is your 
Mommy and to be honest...
I'm okay with that. :)


You are still in love with your Murphy (the owl).
I think he's here to stay.
We had to get you Murphy #2 as Murphy #1
was having too many emergency baths!


You love to smile, stick out your tongue, coo
and cuddle!


You discovered your hands and started sucking
them on a way that didn't mean you were hungry...
you just wanted to suck your hand...your whole hand. 
It's too cute!


We love you so, so much and it's 
hard now to imagine our lives without you.



I can't believe you are already 3 months old
as it feels like just yesterday we were eagerly anticipating
your arrival! 


Thank you for bringing us great joy...


and happy three months baby boy!

posted by Kristin @ June 05, 2011 0 Comments