Lights! Motor! Asian?--Feb 2010 Part II. 11/6-Pix, part 2. Page 199.

[MAGICFOR2]

Very Nice Derek! Thanks so much for checking in and Merry Christmas to all of you!

 

[englishrose47]

OMGosh ]



Awww,

I can't wait for my chance to finally meet with you and Tracey, Ms. Rosie. How are you lady? I miss your funny antics.



OMGosh!! I have to agree with Brooke on this one!!

I am always looking forward to Dis Meets !! and as for the Potty Humor !!!Liessa and I could not resist!!!

 

[englishrose47]

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long absence. Just checking in to say "Hi" and say thanks to Camille for the Christmas card. That got my attention to visit the DIS.

Life has been hectic with the usual Christmas festivities (I finally got the Christmas lights up and got the tree in the living room but it's still barren and without decorations!).

Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a Kool Kwanza.

All the best from Derek, Wendy, Erin, Dylan and Ashlyn

Thanks for checking in on us Derek !!How is Jordan doing ?? Is Peep Fest still on???

May you and your Family have a Truly Blessed Holiday !

 

[DisneyDerek]

Thanks for checking in on us Derek !!How is Jordan doing ?? Is Peep Fest still on???

May you and your Family have a Truly Blessed Holiday !

Hi Rosie, I'll have to ask Wendy to post on Jordan as I haven't talked to him in a while. Regarding Peep Fest, we'll have to see what his program advises him and which vices he may maintain/avoid (he may be banned from the internet altogether). I'm waiting to see a "new and improved" Jordan when he comes out of the program....someone more focused on God's plan for his own life but also someone who puts some of his past life behind him (lest I saw the mayor of the pool will be retired for life?).

As a close family member of his, I sometimes struggle in the role I play in impacting his decisions in life. When we offer him free trips to stay in our timeshares, buy him a casual drink, etc, I wonder if I presenting him with temptations or enjoyments (like the verse, "causing your brother to stumble"). Likewise, I feel the same way about endorsing/supporting/participating with his master plans to attend Peep Fest and visit WDW when realistically, he's cash strapped, needs to get his feet firmly planted on the ground in terms of his career and future, and basically needs to follow God's calling for his life.

So in a nutshell, Rosie, I'll stand by what his program, his advisors and his church leadership advise...if that means being the "bad guy" to remind him where to put his priorities....then so be it. If that means, being careful in getting caught up in habits that cause him to lose focus on staying on the straight and narrow path, I'll take up the task.

This is my (and other's) quandary with the DIS. It is both a support group and a reminder of Jordan's past lives and until he gets his life back on track, he may have to "go easy" on his grandiose plans in life.

Stay tuned.

 

[mom3sonstt]

That's a beautiful family picture. But I especially love Dylan - after al the Baby Sumo pics - he's sure growing up into a handsome little dude!

 

[nowellsl]

Derek, that doesn't make you the bad guy, it makes you someone who cares very much about Jordan. I don't envy you your position, but if there is anything we need to do to help (even if it means having no contact with Jordan) please let us know!

Your family picture is beautiful! Have a great Christmas!

 

[glennbo123]

Beautiful family picture Wendy and Derek!

Derek, I understand and support your stance. We all would love to "see" Jordan on here again, but if it turns out that that's not in his best interest then staying away is the way it should be. The ol' "you gotta do, what you gotta do" kind of thing.

We'll stay tuned to see what the future holds.

 

[DisneyDerek]

That's a beautiful family picture. But I especially love Dylan - after al the Baby Sumo pics - he's sure growing up into a handsome little dude!

Thanks Tanya, for the funny reminder about Dylan's sumo days. It is great to see him mature and leave the baby fat behind him.

Derek, that doesn't make you the bad guy, it makes you someone who cares very much about Jordan. I don't envy you your position, but if there is anything we need to do to help (even if it means having no contact with Jordan) please let us know!

Your family picture is beautiful! Have a great Christmas!

Thanks for the encouragement, it's funny because other relatives (and Jordan) have commented that in some ways, I'm closer to Jordan than his real brothers. I think that's because of our connection via Wendy who is like his sister (which would make me his brother in law, I suppose. It is a fine line that I walk and I'm trying to encourage him while also trying not to be his "partner in crime".

Beautiful family picture Wendy and Derek!

Derek, I understand and support your stance. We all would love to "see" Jordan on here again, but if it turns out that that's not in his best interest then staying away is the way it should be. The ol' "you gotta do, what you gotta do" kind of thing.

We'll stay tuned to see what the future holds.

Thanks Glenn for your support and comments on the family picture. I don't think Jordan will ever fully remove himself from the DIS, but he may need to re-prioritize things in life.

Wishing you all a blessed holidays.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Derek, Thank you for your candor. We all want what's best for Jordan, and if that means "closing up shop" here, we will understand. We'll continue to pray for guidance for all of you. I'm happy he is moving forward to the life God has planned for him.

 

[englishrose47]

Derek I asked the question because I saw the potential conflict!! I whole heartedly support yours, the families and Jordan's need to focus on recovery !! I too as most know have stuggled with addiction !! It is behind me now but was only brought about by years and many changes !! I am not a regular church goer but I put my life in God's hands every day and trust he will guide me thru it !! May the Lord's Love shine on you , your family and Jordan!!

 

[mom3sonstt]

Thanks Tanya, for the funny reminder about Dylan's sumo days. It is great to see him mature and leave the baby fat behind him.

I guess I should explain.....I am reading Jordan's old trip reports. On the one I am currently reading (or was until things got to hectic to keep going for awhile) Wendy had just announced she was pregnant with #3. So in addition to flashback pictures when Dylan was a baby, where I am at in the "story", he is still a lot younger than he is now.

 

[YukiPhnx]

Thanks for the update Derek! That picture is just beautiful.

 

[Millie12591]

Ditto Everyone!!! It's great to see this is still keeping us all connected- thanks Wendy for keeping us updated!

Tammie, hope you get that comuter fixed soon, we'll miss you if it totally dies!! YIKES! And I'm uber jealous you two get to meet- (You and Camille). Have a wonderful time together!! Someday, the 3 of us will get to pow-wow up here!!! Right, Camille?

Your are soo right! I promsie we'll get together. Hopefully we'll have a bit more time to get to know one another better.

Bumping so people can post some thoughts for Jordan!

We love you man! We are so glad you are improving, growing better and stronger! There is so much to be thankful for during this holiday season, but nothing more than friends and family! You are in my thoughts and prayers on a regular basis! Happy Thanksgiving to a dear friend and brother!

Well, I missed out on Happy Thanksgiving wishes but I do hope that everyone here will have an amazing Christmas.
I especially wish Jordy and his family a wonderful Christmas while he's away.

Happy Thanksgiving to Jordan and all his PEEPS on this thread! I hope everyone has a super holiday!

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas.

Yes, Miss Spunky! I think you could give the B's on The View (which I don't watch) a run for their money - I mean maybe a NEW VIEW!!!

They need a run for their money! They also need some reality checks to be sure! Well, all but one of them. There is one on there who has some sort of reality happening in her head. I don't watch it either, but from time to time I see them on commercials. I have watched them waaaay back when I thought there would be a fair and balanced group. What the heck was I thinking?!?

You are so sweet - it was fun to make our friendship more "real."

Hey, my son said people fall in that water all the time!!! It's really shallow!
I almost fell in myself this trip - I was walking and looking at my camera, and the walkway started to curve - I almost didn't!

Getting ready to get going on my cookies and shopping this week - I'm a little behind!

It really was fun to make our friendship real, I knew we'd get along just fine from the moment you made mention you had the same luggage I had. I need to do more cookies, everyone ate all the one's I made so far. That's okay, I needed to get up and do more any way.

Hi everyone. Sorry for the long absence. Just checking in to say "Hi" and say thanks to Camille for the Christmas card. That got my attention to visit the DIS.

Life has been hectic with the usual Christmas festivities (I finally got the Christmas lights up and got the tree in the living room but it's still barren and without decorations!).

Hope everyone has a blessed Christmas, Happy Hannukah and a Kool Kwanza.

All the best from Derek, Wendy, Erin, Dylan and Ashlyn

It's good to hear from you Derek. I'm glad you all got the card.
The family picture is just beautiful, the kids are beautiful.

You do what you feel you have to do to help Jordy, Derek. I'm in total support of that.
In dealings with people in recovery coming from a place of love will go further than anything else we can do for someone. In the end people are going to do what they are going to do regardless of what we say or feel about it, loving them gives us a place of common ground to be able to continue to relate incase they don't do what they need to at one point or another. Christ never brought us to Him by way of anything but love, it wasn't judgment, or scolding that's for sure! By the way, I don't think your loving Jordy with the time shares made him do anything, he's a big boy and can make decisions for himself, you shouldn't feel any guilt about sharing your blessings with him. He had to be the one to make up his mind about what he did or didn't do. The enemy wants you to take on that guilt, so put it down and leave it.

I am always looking forward to Dis Meets !! and as for the Potty Humor !!!Liessa and I could not resist!!!

It was a good one Rosie. Thank you for sharing.

 

[WendyO]

Hello Everyone! I had a wonderful time in Texas for Thanksgiving with my DS and fam. My vacation was made even better my getting to meet up with the Oh-so-sweet Camille!

Tammie

Tammie! So awesome you did a fun DIS meet! Camille looks so sweet! What fun!

I loved reading about the DISmeet! It's funny that jokes about axes always come out when we try to explain our DIS-friends to our families. (Or is it just when my DIS-friends try to explain me to their families?)

Yeah, Derek was the same way when we first talked about meeting our "imaginary friends" in person earlier this year. But since then, I think he's warmed up to the fact that they're just great down to earth people and now are amongst those we consider friends... but I guess better safe than sorry in the beginning... ha ha ha ha. (reminder... gotta sharpen my axe....)

I'm just seeing the pics of your visit to the "ranch" now Wendy - thank you so much for posting them! Jordan really looks great!! Continued prayers for his complete healing!

Hi all, just talked to Jordan today. He's doing really well but dog-tired these days so he wanted to apologize for not writing thank yous for those who have sent cards, letters and/or care packages. He's been working 50-60 hours plus having to attend sessions, do homework etc. He has expressed his thankfulness for those who have sent things specifically for the other guys (or seemingly so, like multiple $5 or $10 Wal Mart cards... so easy to split up) because he knows of at least 12 guys who are out of work right now... the work slowed down during this time of year for some of the employers so there are a lot of people in the program who are not earning an income, plus still having expenses to take care of their families back home, and also paying for program expenses. So he is trying to share with others during this time. However, he is also seeking the Lord in being a good steward of his own money (so not giving it all away) but being a good steward in saving some away for when he comes home, and putting some of the extra money towards funding the program himself and not solely relying on the funds collected before he started. So he is trying to be a good steward of his finances while still exhibiting generosity. It's a fine line to discern, so continue to pray for wisdom.

He is really being broken down and for the first time, isn't thinking about when he's coming back, and honestly is in no hurry to come back. He is focusing on getting better so that he doesn't rush back to his "old life" prematurely and at a point where he's not able to withstand the pressures of his life back home. He went through a series about idols, which come in so many forms (even fun things like the DIS or the Ducks or whatnot) so he is really delving into what dying to self is all about, and what truly were his idols ("self" being a big one, as it is with all of us, what "we" want...) that were keeping him from fully sacrificing to God's will. He is even considering staying out there if the Lord calls him. But for now, he's not even thinking about the "end" of the program, but rather just focusing on progressing in his own journey of healing. But he wanted me to convey his appreciation of all your thoughtfulness and generosity, and especially when it extends to those around him suffering so much more. Please don't take his lack of communication back as a lack of appreciation, and he wanted to thank you all for your love and support.

Thanks for checking in on us Derek !!How is Jordan doing ?? Is Peep Fest still on???

May you and your Family have a Truly Blessed Holiday !

Hi Rosie - as Derek said, we'll see about Peepfest... but it would be nice to celebrate in some way with whoever can make it if we can all manage. Even for us, we'll have to see what happens with finances over the next 18 months, but we can always "plan"... but we'll see what our bank accounts say (ours and Jordan's). We may have to delay Peepfest a year or two but we'll keep you posted. For now, it's still a nice dream to have and we'll see if it becomes a reality... to reference the DCL ships... We can WONDER if it's just a FANTASY... but maybe if we all DREAM ... then MAGIC will happen!

Hee hee hee. I'm such a dork.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Love the DCL reference, Wendy! Thanks for the update and please relay to Jordan our love and prayers through this time. We support him in whatever he feels led to.

Have a wonderful Christmas with your family, and please post a few pics!

 

[WendyO]

Merry Christmas from the rainy west coast!

 

[lovealldisney]

Thank you Wendy on the update! It's so nice to hear that Jordan is really progressing in his journey. Please wish Jordan a very Merry Christmas and Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family.

Wendy

 

[marvali]

River walk is a lively fun place, don't you think Marv? It can be very romantic, especially at Christmas time with all the lights up.

Yes it was a wonderful and lively place when we were there! We stayed downtown and actually had a small glimpse of it from our room. I bet it is beautiful at Christmas!

Derek, thank you so much for the update and the perspective. What a wonderful attitude to take towards Jordan and what is best for him! Sometimes the hardest thing we can do for someone is to give them the tough love they need to help them along their journey! So glad Jordan will have that love and support when the time comes!!!

Wendy, thanks for the update and the words from Jordan! It is so good to hear that the program is doing him so much good. It appears he is really starting to make a significant breakthrough in his life through his experience there! We all miss him and love him dearly as a friend and brother and want what is best for him in his life! I will continue to keep him and his brethren who are there with him in my thoughts and prayers!

And to both of you, what an absolutely beautiful family you have! Such wonderful smiles all of your children have! They are precious and priceless for sure!

I hope you and all of your family have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Joyous New Year filled with many blessings!

(Oh, Wendy, I really liked the DCL reference!)

 

[lauren_elizabeth]

What a beautiful family!

 

[Millie12591]

Wendy, it was such a treat to come on here and see you had a chance to post again!!

I'm happy to hear Jordy is doing so well, I'm all for Peepfest happening, but I'm more for Jordy getting what he needs out of this program, his recovery is what is most important. It blesses me to hear his recovery is going so well, it couldn't be an easy process and probably a lot harder with the men around him going through such hard times. I'll be sure to pray for these men and hopefully send out something very soon.

Your family is so beautiful, they just keep growing and becoming little lady's and gentlemen as time goes on. You could always tie a brick to their head to keep them from growing. I'm pretty sure it won't work, but the thought's there.
Merry Christmas to you and yours Wendy.