We're All Tourists

This was in a book that I happened to look at today. It was just a book that had all these little sayings in it...nothing that would constitute the book as being religious or spiritual but it caused me to think that way a little and thus...this blog.
In the grand scheme of what we call life that's what we are: ALL Tourists. This world is just a place for us to visit for a short amount of time and then we return (hopefully if you know Christ) to the One who created us. In no way can I say that the last four months have been easy for me...but in no way can I say that it's the most difficult thing I will ever face in my life. Something I've learned is that you have no idea what the next five minutes hold, let alone the next day. If the last four months is the worse I will experience then Praise God! But if not, then in the end of it let me say Praise God! We come into this world knowing nothing and still in all honesty, leave it not knowing much more than when we started...this world is not our home. My home is with Christ. Christ allowed me to come to this world, be born to David and Pat Willwerth, grow up with a loving family, get an education, marry a fabulous husband, and have a beautiful baby...but in the grand scheme of God's Plan...this isn't it. God is allowing me to spend my days here with a loving family, educating little ones for their future, teaching students, and seeing my son grow on a daily basis... But it boils down to the fact that I am just a tourist here. My home is with Him. It has taken me these past four months to begin seeing that...and I'm still not as close as I want to be in understanding it.
I am going to enjoy the opporunity that God is giving me to look around and "take it all in" (so to speak, not literally). But I want to be reminded that in the end...He is my home.

Gone...

Just a real quick note...grandma passed away early this morning around 2 AM...please be in prayer for our family.

Can I handle this???

This is a question that I have been asking myself since about 11:40 AM yesterday (Monday). My vice principal, Amber, came in to my classroom and said "Your husband is on the phone. There has been a family emergency." First thoughts: mom's been in a wreck, something's happened to Luke. (I knew it wasn't Jeff since he was the one on the phone.) I answer the phone with a "what's happened!?" and Jeff tells me that my grandma has had a stroke and is being taken by ambulance to the hospital. I hang up and begin freaking out trying to figure out what to do. Amber told me to go and be with my family. Se we get to the hospital and she's in the emergency room having tests ran. When I go back to see her you could look at her face and tell it had been a stroke. The side of her face is very droopy and her words were slurred. When we got there this morning she was worse than yesterday...she can't speak at all right now. She's having trouble breathing. A test was ran to see if she'd had another stroke during the night...but we don't know anything yet. This is my moms mom...the one that I grew up living next to until we moved to VA. I can't go through this again... The past four years around this time something bad has happened...one year my poppa was in a horrific car accident, Luke had MRSA, and now grandma...We can't keep going through this...I know that God is taking care of it all...but that doesn't stop our earthly pain.

My baby can see!

I know I am so behind in blogging that I haven't even posted pictures from Luke's birthday party but they are coming. However we had an opportunity this week to have Grace cut his hair. Now I battled all day and kept saying I was going to call and cancel it. Every time I though about how it would change him I'd start to tear up. But all in all...at least he can see now!

The Before Shot while waiting on Mrs. Grace.


Hey! I can see!


That tickles!


"That's what you look like!"


My handsome little man

Life changed...

A year ago today...

I woke up around 4 AM
I made the "long" trip to St. Vincent's hospital at 6:00 AM.
I took 3 pills with one swallow of water.
I met the best nurse named Christy.
I had my closest family with me.
I walked into an OR as a family of two.
I heard my sons first cry at 10:19 AM.
I was rolled out of the OR as a family of three.
I received God's second biggest blessing in my life. (Jeff being my first)
I held my miracle for the first time...and never wanted to let him go.
I received news that my miracle had a heart murmur.
I felt God's loving, promising presence.

A year ago today we welcomed Lukas Bona Walker into our family. He has changed our lives for the better everyday. We love him more today than yesterday...but less than tomorrow.
God blessed us with him at His perfect timing. God knew that this past year would be a difficult one for us...and he allowed Luke to be a part of the bright side of the year. I really don't remember what life was like before him...and I don't think I want to.
<-- Minutes after you were born!

My baby boy was born weighing 8lbs 4 oz...and now at 12 months weighs 24 lbs 6 oz!
He is a crawlin, cruisin baby boy that likes to discover how things work.
He knows who his mama, dada, gammy, poppy, grandma and grandpa are.
He knows who Harley is (my moms dog) and calls her Dardy.
He smiles at you when you want to cry...and you can't help but smile back!

I am amazed at how God poured His love out to my family a year ago today. His timing is perfect and for that...I wish my little man a Happy First Birthday on today February 1st 2009.