Hello! I’m starting this at 11pm and I’ve taken pain meds. SO – if this doesn’t make sense, bear with me. Being forced to sit still makes you think. When you think, you miss what is no longer within reach….the coffee pot, the cranberry juice, the dark chocolate…but most importantly, family. I’m super close to my family, by that I mean I care about them A LOT! I don’t bug the tar out of them by calling them all the time, or probably even as much as I should. Spending time with them is my favorite thing. Any moment I get to spend with family is something that I dearly cherish. There is no need for me to talk the whole time, be the center of attention, or anything of that sort. Simply being near them is wonderful.
You see, we are truly blessed. By “we” I mean the LA (Louisiana, not Los Angeles) branch of the Langenmayrs…Microsoft Word says I’m spelling my last name wrong. Lovely application/program, thinks it’s smarter than me! Anyways, we are blessed. My parents are AMAZING!
Yes, I’m biased – but if you met them you would completely agree. And if you didn’t, well then you need your head examined. My mom and dad love their children first and foremost. My dad has done everything within his power to provide for us, love us, and teach us how to be God fearing adults. He calls and texts me just to tell me he loves me. When I am home in Indiana, he takes me out on dates just so we can hang out and catch up on life without interruptions. Dad opens doors for me, hugs me, and prays with me whenever and wherever he is. How many fathers do that? Last February he met Stephen for the first time. Dad wisely never said, “Yes, go for this man” or “No! Are you smoking something?!” He simply showed nothing but acceptance toward Stephen and love towards me. It frustrated me greatly at that time, but looking back it was the best thing. If he had said, “Yes” I would have gone for Stephen simply because Dad said so. If he had said “No” I would have gone for Stephen simply because he said No….and then later regretted it.
Just as a side note, my one “beef” with my father is this: Steve called to ask permission to marry me. My darling loving father had one question, “Are you sure? She’s quirky!”
But he is wonderful and very caring, gentle, compassionate, Godly man. I love him! I am so very blessed to have him!
My mother? Oh, you know, Mother Theresa incarnate – if reincarnation were real, which it isn’t. Momma didn’t want children or marriage. She met Dad and had 6 kids, homeschooled them, and drove them to all sports and church functions. Obviously, she changed her mind about marriage and children. =) Momma is my best friend. How many women can say that? I can call her at any time of the day, tell her anything no matter how great or small, and she listens. Compassionately listens and wisely advises or simply gives me a hug through the cell phone. Momma has the strength to remind me Who our God is and how much He loves me and provides for me, even in the midst of my “moments.” She saw Steve for who he was, and proudly proclaimed to the world that she is now the grandmother of 3 amazing grandchildren! Ok, so it was 3 in June, now it’s four. NO I’m NOT PREGNANT! My sister in law Katie is! And that brings me to the next part of my family – my siblings. 3 brothers. 2 sisters. We don’t call a lot. But…do you have those friends that you don’t see very often and don’t call very often? However, when you get together it is almost like you see each other every day? We are like that! We are a very tight knit group. We love fiercely and protect each other even more so. We laugh! We eat! We are LOUD!
Let’s just note that we are not Greek (because that totally reminds me of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) although we are Lebanese! I’m a quarter Lebanese with a German last name…my children have no hope of being level headed…
Katie is married to Solomon my oldest brother. Their oldest child is Nolan. HE IS A GEM! Oh my goodness! He does not sit still and loves to explore life! Nolan is not mischievious and in to things for destructive purposes. He simply likes to learn…and organize. It’s true! Nolan will turn 2 on May 11 and already LOVES to organize! No offense to my brother, but Nolan inherited that trait from Katie. =) Micah is their second child. He is still in the oven, but should be here by July 4th – ish!
Then there is Abraham, the strong silent type. When he speaks, you listen! Unless he’s joking around and then you better be prepared with witty comments! There are not words for how much his quiet strength helped and encouraged me growing up, but it did. He is very level headed and very discerning. Where I trust too much, he sees truth.
(This is Abraham and Nolan when he was a few months old...Nolan is a few months old, not Abraham)
Jonathan – oh how I love him! He is our comic relief who encourages through Scripture and prayer! Jonathan has a love for the Lord that is convicting! He loves words, loves learning, and inspires people to do likewise.
Sarah is our tender hearted care taker. She is a gem and loves to help people. Sarah is also very goofy and at times “blonde” but with hair that is darker than mine. ;)
Esther? Oh, just put Abraham in a girls body and you have Esther! They are 8 years apart, but very alike!
I am so blessed to have them! Do you know that they never met Steve until just before the wedding? Yet they all welcomed him into the family with open arms. They opened their hearts and arms to our children…so much so that Kyle and Abby sobbed as they drove away from our wedding. Kyle and Abby were afraid they would never see these new aunts and uncles again. The Kafoure side of the family doesn’t do the word “step,” it’s family or not. In this case, it’s family. Thanksgiving was spent in Indiana. My babies still talk about going to the Children’s Museum with Uncle Solomon, Aunt Katie, Nolan, Papaw, and the rest of the crew. Kyle and Abby can’t wait for Nanna and Papaw (my mother and father) to come out so they can make cookies with Papaw and watch movies with Nanna (run-on sentence?) They also cannot wait to make pancakes again with Uncle Jonathan. He taught Kyle & Abby how to flip pancakes in the air and catch them on the spatula! “When will Aunt Esther and Sarah come visit so we can beat them in basketball?” “Will Uncle Abraham let us come visit him in Atlanta?”
Do you see? Do you see how much love my family has poured out on us?
Or Steve’s family! Ok, so MY family. I adopted them before he and I got together, at least I adopted Connie. She was my “mom at work” who prayed with me and looked out for me. Jim and Connie are very, very similar to my own parents. It has been an absolute blessing to marry into their family. Jim is rough and tough and gruff and a HUGE softy! Did you know he switched his time off to come out here? It’s true. He wanted to come out here to help. He chose to come be a fill-in parent for me. Steve is a big boy and would do just fine, but Jim has a heart of gold. He knew it would be easier for us if Jim came out with Connie. Why is Connie here and not my mom? Because my mom couldn’t make it out here that fast. Life happened and it didn’t work out. My momma knows that my momma in law will look out for me as if she had birthed me herself. Connie & Jim love me as if I were their own. They love my babies and are going to practices, helping make lunches, helping with dinner, playing basketball and catch with them. They are even loving on our goofy puppy! Why? Oh, you know – because they are fabulous. I married into a family of 3 brothers. I broke the trend. Andy is the oldest and married a petite blonde named Kristi and they have Michael. (notice “petite, blonde, and first name starting with ‘K’”) Andy is a hard working man that loves his family. Then comes Stephen. Third is Jacob. Jacob married Kelly who is a petite red head (notice K, petite, and again light haired) and they have two of the MOST adorable children IN THE WORLD! Luke and Audrey. Stephen? Oh he married a tall DARK HAIRED lady named Elizabeth. Yes, I broke the mold. I am not petite. I do not have light hair. My name does not start with a K. Just thought you might like to know I am the odd man out. …I am also the palest of them all!
(Jim & Connie at Steve's pinning ceremony)
Andy (I can't find a picture of his wife & son with him =( )
Anyhoot, no offense to anyone, but I am really really really really really missing my fiery red headed sister in law. To be honest, in the beginning she scared me. Jacob is a big man, basically Stephen with darker hair and a little taller. He is a goofy man. I love to harass him. It’s fabulous! Kelly is quieter. “Silent” would be a good word for our first meeting. Steve introduced me to her at the Gator game. She smiled, I think, and that was it. Steve asked if we wanted to sit together and talk and I honestly was so nervous I just shook my head no. For crying out loud, she didn’t even give a full fledged smile! I am a friendly outgoing person, but I was already nervous just from being out with Steve for the FIRST TIME EVER! Plus it was feeling like a date and I had told him it wasn’t a date…he didn’t listen.
The next time I ran into Kelly was the “meet the family dinner.” Again, another quiet affair and I was so nervous I almost got sick to my stomach. Through much encouragement, I continued to at least smile and say hi. What did the trick, I think, was we both discovered we are big goofballs. It’s true. Kelly is HILARIOUS! She tends to be stoic but then pops out these one liners and it’s awesome! There is more to Kelly than meets the eye. In the few short months I spent down in FL after getting married, I got to know her more. For example, she adores her children. I have not seen many mothers of today drawing with chalk out on the driveway, just so their son would have a “train track” to ride around on. Luke is absolutely obsessed with trains. Kelly knew he would love to have a train track, so she drew one. Kelly has spent literal HOURS watching Thomas the Train, simply because Luke wanted to. Audrey was a tough case when she first arrived…ok so that’s not completely true. Audrey was a much easier start simply because Audrey came almost before the doctor could catch her. It was the first few months after that that Audrey was tough. You see, Audrey was colicky. Kelly patiently got up at all hours of the night when it was her “shift” and lovingly took care of Luke when it was Jacob’s “shift” to take care of Audrey. I never heard her complain. The only way you could tell anything was going on was Kellly looked a little tired. Jacob did an amazing job during that time too! He joked about the lack of sleep, but I never heard him complain either. My favorite memories of that time? Catching Jacob and Kelly at different moments when they would be gazing with absolute and complete adoration at this little bundle. I don’t understand that depth of love just yet.
How many parents of today who are going to college and taking care of two children who are 3 and not quite 1, would spend their spring break completely centered around their children? That’s what Jacob and Kelly did. I miss these two. I miss bantering with Jacob. I miss the quick witted moments of dry humor with Kelly.
I miss my Luke kisses and hugs. …I can’t believe I am typing this, but I miss hearing Luke call out “Hi Aunt Pizzy!” I miss seeing Audrey’s incredibly pudgy face light up! It is a rare thing, but her momma and daddy can get her to do that. I miss hearing her squeal with delight as she rolled up and down the hallway in her walker.
Kelly doesn’t know it but she helped me SO much last semester and even back in January. See, I was bemoaning certain things in my life. Work, lack of fun, adjusting to married life, keeping up with the house (which, truth be told, Stephen did most of that.) Kelly? Oh, she and Jacob live with Connie and Jim. They have for 2 years. Kelly didn’t complain. Kelly didn’t whine. No, she simply said “You have to make the most of what you have and know it will get better.” …or something to that effect. Hopefully she will read this. I am terrible T\at telling people things. We were doing dishes together when she said that. Kelly went on to say you have to count your blessings. It’s true, you do. I often think of that moment. She is right. Kelly is one of those people that when she opens up and talks, you had better listen. If you don’t, you will miss something that is very profound.
Steve and I moved in with Connie and Jim for 10 days before coming to LA. Yes, I lost my big girl panties and had a hard time with it. Kelly helped me realize how blessed I was. She helped me laugh and put a better perspective on the situation. Don’t get me wrong, Steve did too. However, a man doesn’t have the same perspective a woman does. Kelly hit the nail on the head. Steve did too – but, you know what I mean.
Kelly is fabulous. If you don’t know her, you are missing out. She and Jacob are a wonderful team…the kind of couple that will really go far together. Luke, just look at him! He is just as adorable and sweet as he looks! Audrey, what a gem! Poor girl, I’m told she is like my husband was. Pray for Jacob and Kelly! Steve was a handful as a child! I wish they were here. I love that family.
Hopefully, you read through this. I love my family, all of them, so very much. We are adding more people to our family soon I’m told. That’s not my news to tell though. ;)
