A Loving Rant and This Week's Walking With You Mamas

Please visit the Walking With You blog to read a little about this week's featured mamas and take a couple minutes to show them some love and pray for them this week. Also, included is a bit of a "loving" rant from my soapbox. (At least is was meant in love...firm, tough love...but love nonetheless. Hopefully that's how it is taken!)

Feeling a Little Protective...Stepping on My Soapbox...and Showing Some WWY Love to Two Sweet Karens

Warning...I am about to step on my soapbox a little. It's a place I rarely go, and honestly it takes quite a bit to send me there. Today, it seems necessary. Please, be patient as I get this off my chest. You see, I feel a little protective sometimes...of those I love, of close friends, and of grieving parents.

In this community, for the most part, we find love, acceptance, and support from others who have walked this path before us...those who walk alongside us. But, in real life...outside of this community...it is often a different story.

I have received some emails recently from friends...and over the years from others, as well as my own experiences that have driven me to the soapbox.

Mothers who have buried their children...mothers whose arms ache, mothers with tear-stained cheeks and broken hearts, mothers who tenderly and gingerly tiptoe back into society...only to find judgment and heartlessness or indifference.


A mother is judged for grieving the twin that was lost, when one child remains.

A mother is judged for not attending a baby shower.

A mother is judged for including the child that is in heaven when asked how many children she has.

There are so many more...but let me just stop right there! Are you kidding me? Do you know how many times I have neglected to mention my children in heaven, because I wanted to spare the feelings of someone else? I didn't want them to feel uncomfortable. Do you know how much courage it takes for a mom to share something as sacred and tender as the loss of a child?

Most of you reading here, know all too well...but for anyone out there judging these mothers who want to share the lives of the children that no one sees...please step outside of your comfort zone for just a moment. If you are a mother with children who walk this earth, imagine for a moment that someone expected you to exclude them from being mentioned as a member of your family. Imagine how you feel when your child slides into home plate, takes her first step, attends his first date, gets her first A, says his first word. Moms love to share about our children. They are the passion of our very hearts...the apple of our eyes. Do you think that a mother who doesn't get to watch all of those dreams come true for her child has any less of a desire to share about her daughter or son?

They were here...they are loved...they are missed. And, please don't misunderstand. I am not about wallowing in grief, although this ministry takes me to that place often, as I walk with others freshly flung into grief's painful path. But, I hardly think that missing your child...or mentioning his or her name when asked how many children you have should be considered unacceptable "wallowing in grief" or unhealthy behavior. Some behaviors are unhealthy. That is another issue. The cases that have been referred to us recently are not in any way cases of unhealthy grief. They are simply mothers, doing the best they can to put one foot in front of the other, to piece together the brokenness of their hearts and dreams, to honor the lives of their children, and to find some hope and peace in the new reality where they now find themselves.

Love is the key for all of us. Before we speak, may we pray that our words would be filtered through love and full of grace.

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Ephesians 4:29

O.K....I'm going climb off my soapbox now, stop preaching to the choir, and share with you about about two sweet Karens, and their precious babies in heaven. In the spirit of showing love and not judging or turning our backs on those who grieve, please take some time to offer these sweet mamas your encouragement and prayers this week!

Sweet Karen #1 has such a cute blog called Gott Joy! I'm not going to lie, I love me a blog title about joy! Recently, Karen shared her heart and a few "whys" in this beautiful post.

Here's a little bit about Karen's sweet baby girl Rebekah Joy from her blog:

On October 13, 2009, our baby daughter, Rebekah Joy, was born still due to a knotted and wrapped umbilical cord. This happened a few days before her "due date." I started this blog as a way to honor her little life and give praise to our precious Lord


Karen #2 is also quite sweet and full of beautiful faith. Her heart shines through her blog, and she is a lovely prayer warrior for expectant mamas. You can read more about her beautiful daughter, Faith Evangeline here. While you are visiting her blog, please take a minute to check out her pregnancy prayer list.

Thanks for listening to my vent, and please show show some love to these sweet mamas.

Goodbye Summer...It's Been a Great Ride

School is underway, which also means that I am back to work. Adjusting to a new schedule and routine is not one of my strengths, I'll admit. While I most certainly enjoy and appreciate my job working with special needs students at the elementary school, it is hard to let go of the sweet freedom and light-hearted fun of summer. My boys are also lovers of the good times of summer, which leaves the three of us in serious "transition mode". No more afternoon naps, impromptu swims at Grandmas, running barefoot with the neighbor boy (James...not me!), late morning snacks, reading on a blanket in the yard after an afternoon bike ride to the library....sigh. It's so hard to say good-bye to three months of Saturdays and the sweetness of summer. Until next year...that is.

So...please bear with me, if it seems like I'm slacking a little right now. A couple more balls have been thrown into our juggling act, and it may take us a little bit to get our balance and rhythm!

Since I'm kind of missing summer, it seems a few summer-reminiscent pictures are in order!

James did an awesome job on his first canoe trip...





The Tims...who definitely had the upper hand in our splash fight!





My friend, Tracy and I in front of The Gerken "Cozy Cabin"...




James with Tracy's son Aidan thoroughly enjoying the bunk bed...


Not pictured is the infamous go-kart wreck between both Tims and James. They were laughing so hard in the pics, but they are dark and somewhat blurry. So I wasn't able to share them here. It was such a great time of refreshment and fun for our family, though. Much needed!

A taste of my favorite place...




When I step on to the golf course, I feel the peace and serenity wash over me. The beauty never fails to catch my breath as I stand atop the hill and behold the shades of green, inhaling the fresh air, feeling the breeze caress my cheek...inviting me to stay awhile. I am captivated by the pristine surroundings...drawn in to drink of the splendor as I leave behind the cares of this world for just a little while.

Golf isn't over, of course...even though the lazy pace of summer has passed for another year. Many afternoons, you can find me here, cheering on the golf team and soaking in the serenity of my favorite place. I am enjoying watching Timothy as high school golf season is well on its way...


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We ended the summer with a performance by our band, One Way, at the Corn City Festival last weekend. Unfortunately, it rained...and rained...and rained some more. Other than a few die hard fans (consisting of mostly family and a few good friends...as well as some passerby who huddled under tents and shelter houses to listen...) our crowd was pretty small. We still had a really great time, and it seemed to be a blessing to those who did brave the conditions to come out. I really love the boys from One Way (especially the guitar player...He's pretty cute!), and I'm so grateful for all the time they put into preparing for our little performances. It's such a blessing, and also a lot of fun to serve the Lord with these dear friends.

Singing in the rain...





I wish I had some pictures to share of James with his friend, Clayton. They didn't let the rain slow them down a bit. They took off their shoes and rode the blow up rides, running barefoot in the rain and sliding gleefully down the slides as if they were the only children at a water park! Never mind if it rains on your parade...just let the rain become part of the celebration! They certainly did... =)

O.K....that's enough summer memories for now...sniff. Just wanted to leave you with a reminder that we are still featuring blogs and stories of grieving moms on Walking With You each Monday. Please take some time on Mondays to encourage and pray for these families. (The post is usually up by late in the day Monday...you know...I'm juggling!)

Featuring Holly and Laura This Week...Show Them Some WWY Love

It's time for back to school for us this week, and I'm sure for many of you, as well...but I hope you can take a few minutes to stop by and show some love to the two mamas we are featuring this week on Walking With You.

Most of you probably know my dear friend, Holly - Mommy to Carleigh, Jordan (and Kyndra, too!) and author of the Caring For Carleigh blog. Holly has such a compassionate, beautiful heart and is often found showing love and encouragement to another babylost mama. Her blog is an excellent resource for a family whose child has been diagnosed with anencephaly...and for anyone facing the loss of a child. She also serves on the board of Sufficient Grace Ministries, and is always willing to lend a hand...or swing a golf club...or serve hot dogs and ice cream...or whatever activity we find ourselves doing.

We are also featuring Laura, mommy to Virginia this week. Laura's daughter went home to heaven in May, due to a condition called cystic hygroma. You can read more about Virginia at Virginia's Story. One of her posts that really spoke to my heart shares what the body of Christ looks like in the acts of love we can display to those who grieve. Laura is currently walking through another loss, the miscarriage of her 11 week old baby. Please take some time to show her some love and pray for her this week.

Please show some love to these sweet mamas and take some time to cover their families in prayer this week. Thank you so much! Love to all...

Ride 4 Grace, Meeting Bloggers, and a Hodge Podge of Happenings

Life is definitely getting in the way of blogging lately...as it should! Life is meant to be lived, after all...and living it is exactly what we've been doing.

At the end of July...We enjoyed a family vacation to the Mohican, where we camped, canoed, rode go-karts, witnessed a race-stopping go-kart wreck involving James, and both Tims, argued around a campfire about the proper pronunciation of the word creek, stayed in a teeny-tiny "cozy cabin", slept in bunk beds, experienced astounding success popping Jiffy Pop popcorn over the campfire, lost to James in putt putt, lost to the Tims in a splash fight, laughed at (husband) Tim's made-up songs, and had an all-around lovely weekend. I am trying to upload (download) pictures as we speak...ahem...blog, but may not get them all up in this post. So stay tuned...



I met a dear bloggy friend, Monica...otherwise known as The Writer Chic, and shared a delightful lunch with her and her two sweet children at The Olive Garden. I really enjoyed our conversation, and wished it could go on and on. We talked about how that will be just one of the many amazing gifts in heaven...that great conversations will not have to end. We'll have plenty of time in eternity one day to laugh and sip lemonade and chat with great friends. Won't that be wonderful? It's kind of incredible how we can meet a blogger and feel as if we know her...as if we are old friends. That's how I felt when I met Monica.



I first found her blog from a comment she left on BooMama's blog. I saw that she called herself The Writer Chic, and loved the cool name. So, I clicked over. I read off and on for awhile, and have often felt a kinship with this sweet mama. When she walked through the loss of her son, Duncan, my heart was knit together with hers in yet another way. Over lunch, we found more in common, as we shared our hearts. What a gift to have met her. I encourage you, if you have time to stop over and read Monica's beautiful account of her son, Duncan's life and her time with him. Monica is a wonderful writer, with a beautiful smile and sweet spirit.

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Ride 4 Grace 2010





Our dear friends Dave and Brooke Amspoker and Holly Haas hosted the last fundraiser event of Operation Support Sufficient Grace 2010 this past weekend. We did not have the turnout we hoped for, but we are so grateful to those who did come and share the day with us, offering support to Sufficient Grace. There were about ten riders and a few family and friends joined us for an ice cream social. A local CMA (Christian Motorcycle Association) group came to show their support, as well. The ice cream was delicious. James had a wonderful time helping to serve our guests, and Holly and I sported our Sufficient Grace Ministries T-shirts. (I've had a few people ask if they can order SGM t-shirts and thought about making them available online at the Dreams of You Shop. Let me know in the comments if you are interested!)












Thank you so much to our friends and family who continue to support this ministry, and thanks to Dave for all your efforts in planning the Ride 4 Grace and Holly for all of your help. Also...thank you to both of your families for their support. A big thank you to Randy and the folks at the First Church of the Nazarene in Findlay...what a beautiful building God has blessed you with. We are continually blessed by those who have supported this ministry in various ways. You can read more about the Ride 4 Grace event at Caring for Carleigh...

And...in other news...our band, One Way, has been busy practicing music for our upcoming appearance at the Corn City Festival on Saturday, August 21, 2010 at 11:30am. If you are in the area, we'd love for you to stop by and listen...and show us some love! I'm hoping maybe someone will try and make a dvd of the performance. Anyone out there, who may be coming and who has a dvd camcorder thingy...and wouldn't mind taping, that would be great. Then, maybe I could share it here...if it sounds o.k., that is.

Oh...here's Tim riding with Ned in Ned's Smart Car at the Ride 4 Grace. Sorry babe, that was the closest to being on the ride as you were going to get that day.



Sigh...no cool bikes for us...

Please Take a Moment to Show Some WWY Love to Sweet Karin...Her Smile will Brighten Your Day

I wish I had more time to write about sweet Karin, but I am only home for a few more minutes and then leaving again to work on music with our band. I don't want this Monday to pass by without asking you to take a moment this week to show some walking with you love to sweet Karin @ A Spirit of Hope.

Karin is so sweet and her smile just warms my heart and brightens my day whenever a comment from her pops up on my blog. Karin has lost two sweet little ones, and is currently expecting. Please pray for the little one being knit together within this sweet mama. Her first few posts share a little of her heart as her family walks this journey right now. I'm sure she would be blessed by your words of encouragement and your prayers. I know that a lot of us are busy right now, and it's hard to find time, or inspiration to blog. But, if you have a moment...it would be wonderful if you could visit this week's featured WWY mama.

Thanks so much...love to all...

The Yoke We Carry

The above picture was taken on a field trip to Sauder's Museum in May. James was eager to test out the yoke after watching other boys boast being able to carry its heavy weight. I, of course, used it as an opportunity to point out how heavy the yoke would be to carry a long distance on his own, as I lifted it from his sagging shoulders. Then, I briefly whispered the scripture to James regarding the yoke that Jesus wants us to carry, and how it is meant to be light...not a heavy burden. It's light, because He helps us carry it, or even carries it for us.

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Matthew 11:28-30

James is smiling in the picture, but don't let his wide, toothy grin deceive you. That yoke was heavy, and he sighed with relief when I lifted it. As we walked along, and in the days ahead, I reflected on the simple truth of the scripture. It often happens when we mothers are "teaching" principles of wisdom and truth to our children that we are also the students, as God whispers His truth to our own hearts.

I can't say for certain, but I could probably speculate that a good number of you will be able to relate to what I'm about to share about the carrying of burdens. The yoke represents all the things we try to carry on our shoulders: brokenness we try to fix on our own, our sin, our hurts, disappointments, regret, responsibility for those we love, expectations that will never be reached - both those unmet by others and those we fail to meet, grief, pain, failures, illness...every burden of this life. When we carry it alone on our shoulders, it weighs heavily on our back, stealing our energy, wearing down our resolve. Our shoulders slump under its weight and every step is cumbersome. Our heads hang in broken despair.

Then, One who loves us comes alongside and lifts the heavy yoke from our weary shoulders. Relief washes over us as we look up into the eyes of our Rescuer. He walks beside us, carrying the weight of the burdens that we created, the very buckets we filled with all of our "stuff". His yoke is easy, His burden is light. This is the yoke He means for us to carry...the one with Him doing the lifting while we find rest for our tired souls.

He never meant for us to carry all of the things we heap into our buckets and try to carry on our backs. The only part we are responsible for is the moment when we are asked to release the yoke. Sometimes, He comes alongside us to lift the weight of our burden, and we hold on tightly...thinking we must continue to carry all of this heavy weight. I have been guilty of this stubbornness, and He has reminded me time and time again to release the yoke that is not mine to carry. Sometimes I only listen when it gets so heavy that I begin to stumble under the weight. What freedom awaits for the day I learn to let go sooner, or better yet, never pick up my heavy-laden yoke at all.

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Speaking of carrying yokes...please take some time this week to show some love to and pray for our double feature...Crystal and Hannah...on this week's Walking With You blog.

Featuring Two Mamas This Week...Crystal and Hannah

This week, I am cheating a little. We are featuring two mama bloggers. Hope you don't mind!

The first blogger is, Crystal from Blessed to be Broken. Crystal is mommy to Calvin Phoenix and to her Rainbow baby. Her most recent post shares some pieces of her heart as she reflects on missing her sweet boy.

Crystal also has a beautiful website/project in memory of her sweet Calvin called Calvin's Cupcakes. She honors the birthdays of babies in heaven with a sweet-designed cupcake...not the kind you can eat, but the kind you can feast your eyes on! =) It's definitely worth checking out!

Please show Crystal some love and take some time to pray for her this week. She has been very faithful in reaching out to many in this community and has participated in many of our Walking With You posts.

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I hope you will also take the time to stop by and show some love to our second featured mama, Hannah from Rose and Her Lily and read about her sweet daughter, Lily. Sweet Lily was born still in March 2010.

In her most recent post, Hannah shares something I think we can all relate to as grieving moms...standing in the store aisle feeling the waves of longing and the ache for what we are missing.

Please take a few minutes and show her some love in the form of an encouraging comment, and please pray for her family this week. Thank you to those of you who have taken the time to visit each WWY mama. It means so much to a grieving heart to know she does not walk this path alone.

Love to all...

Soaking it In...

I can't recall a dream I've had about my own babies, but I have longed to dream of them since they went home to heaven thirteen (and twelve) years ago. Last night, I dreamed of many of your babies. I couldn't make them out, but I dreamed of so many babies that have gone home to heaven and family after family needing comfort. I suppose it is because the grief of many has been heavy on my heart.

Everyday, I speak to or read about, or exchange email with a mother who has buried her child. Since May 13th, we have sent more than 45 (and counting) Dreams of You packages to grieving families around the country. Truth be told, I had no idea when I took the first steps into this journey that the need was so great. I didn't know the level of broken-heartedness I would encounter, the magnitude of loss that would surround us. I spent much of the past thirteen years healing. Only the last five years have led me to the path I now walk beside many of you.

Suffering exists all over the world, and to some of it, I have turned a blind eye. There is always more that we can do to feed the hungry, to comfort the grieving, to reach out to the lost, to restore the broken. The need is endless. And, yet, this is the corner of suffering that God has given me to look upon. This tiny corner of need. In my dream it seemed endless and constant...so many families. But, in the face of all the suffering in the world, it is just one tiny corner.

This week, three families have lost a child in our region. In this small community, that is a large number. I won't lie, the losses have hit me hard this week. Even as I prepared Dreams of You Baskets for these families, more emails are coming in from mothers across the country and beyond. More mothers who have said goodbye to their babies. My heart breaks for each one.

Every once in awhile, the emotion builds up and spills over for me. And, when it happens, I struggle with feeling selfish for allowing my own sorrow to take my attention when so many are suffering. When I need to stop and pray for myself...for strength to offer comfort, for wisdom to know what a family needs, for comfort for my own aching heart...I feel selfish. While talking with others who work with grieving families, I heard the same struggle and sentiment expressed this week. And, as often happens, the struggles in my own heart became more clear as I listened to them.

It isn't selfish to feel pain for another hurting soul. It is human. It isn't selfish to ask for prayer...to know that we are too weak and small to carry the burden alone. It isn't selfish to ask the Lord to fill us up, that we may give more to those in need...to comfort us, that we may give comfort. Being willing to hurt with someone else is a privilege, a gift...a gift that comes with a price. But, true compassion sometimes requires a heart that is willing to break...over and over again.

This week, while many in our community struggled to make sense of the tragic loss of a two day old baby, one friend of the family expressed guilt, wondering how she could feel joy in her day when her friend was suffering. I thought about that often this week. I was preparing to leave on a camping trip with my family...very much desiring (and needing) to focus on relaxing and experiencing the joy of the moment with them for a few days, when the call came, requesting our services. Not only would the funeral home oversee the needs of the family whose baby had died, but also the parents who lost their teenage daughter. I stopped midway through packing my suitcase, and tried to mask the tears falling as I listened to the voice on the other end of the line. My heart throbbed with the familiar ache of sorrow as I hung up the phone. I stopped packing to pray for the families and prepare a Dreams of You package.

I let the tears fall for a little while, and thought of how much my family has seen those tears as I cry for so many. I thought of how much we needed to embrace joy this weekend. They needed me to focus on them, without distraction. They didn't need the heavy weight of sorrow. So, I asked the Lord to help me put away the sorrow and embrace the joy. It's something I believe He has been teaching me to do, as I continue to learn how to serve Him in this way.

I used to feel guilt experiencing joy when there was so much sorrow. But, one thing I have learned in the midst of so much suffering is that we must embrace the moments of joy when they come. For, we never know when we will be called to suffer in our own life or to walk with someone else who is hurting. And, there are plenty opportunities for weeping. When a moment of joy comes our way, we must soak in every inch of the gift. It may very well be the thing that carries us through the next difficult time in our lives.

Another friend expressed it well when she said, "It isn't selfish to embrace joy in our own life when we know others suffer, it is an act of gratefulness for the gift God has given us." If we don't cherish it when it comes, and cherish the people He has given us to love, it will pass...and we will miss it. There is plenty of time for grief, for suffering, for sorrow in this life. We should weep with those who weep...but we should also take time to rejoice with those who rejoice...to live in the land of the living...to love with abandon. There is a time to mourn and a time to dance, and there are gifts in both seasons. When the time to dance comes, I don't want to miss it because I'm too busy mourning. So, I will mourn when it's time. And, when it's time...I will put it away and dance with those I love while I am able.

I pray that you will do the same...that you will embrace joy when it comes with freedom and abandon...and without guilt.

Show Some Love to Lori and Read the Extraordinary Journey of Her Sweet Megan

This week's blog feature is Lori from Our Special Needs Life, a sweet mother who has walked a path that many of us have not experienced. Just the same, she is a mother who has said good-bye to her sweet baby girl, after an almost ten-year-long extraordinary journey. Her daughter Megan's life is a beautiful testimony of God's grace and peace. Megan's joy despite circumstances is evident in her beautiful smile. Her life is truly a humbling inspiration, and I pray that you will be blessed as you read about this amazing girl.

An introduction post...

Dear Megan...a letter from a mother's heart...

Megan's battle

Megan's life and faith...

Please take some time to encourage and pray for Lori and her family this week. And, thank you so much for showing love to last week's mama, my friend Deanna. Love to all...

Help me Solve a Heated Debate in the Name of Proper Grammar

Alternately titled: The Great Creek Debate 2010

It's 3:43a.m.

I have been awakened with heartburn and kept awake with thoughts I'd rather not think. Sadly, I'm a "once I'm up, I'm up" kind-of girl. I could pour out my deep thoughts here, but instead I thought maybe you would like to help me solve a heated debate that recently took place around the campfire at the Mohican on our mini-family vacation. In fact, I'm quite confident that many of you out there in blogland are also lovers of words and proper grammar, and will be delighted to enter your two cents into this debate. We can call it research.

The argument before us is the correct pronunciation of the word creek. There were five of us, and I was the only one who insisted that the word is pronounced as it is written, with the long "e" sound. Creek. The other four individuals insisted that they had only heard it pronounced crick. I said that a "crick" is something you get in your neck. You go fishing in a creek.(By the way, Ned, this is for you: crick - Pronunciation: \ˈkrik\, Function: noun, Etymology: Middle English cryk, definition: a painful spasmodic condition of muscles (as of the neck or back).)

Their strongest argument was regarding regional dialect. I must say that I do not agree that it is even the dialect in Northwestern Ohio to pronounce creek that other way. But, I have no evidence to back up that theory at this time. My evidence sited at the campfire was every teacher I've ever heard read Little House on The Prairie (which leaves plenty of opportunity for pronouncing the word, creek), everyone I've ever heard refer to Cripple Creek in Napoleon, Ohio, and every member of my family growing up. There must have been others influencing my strong conviction on the pronunciation of this word, as well. For, I wholeheartedly believe that I am correct.

I will concede that there are words in the English language spoken differently due to dialect. I am even guilty in my middle-aged laziness of slipping on my grammar from time to time. Although, I used to pride myself at one point in my life on my impeccable grammar. However, my argument remains that just because the majority of people in a given area pronounce something a certain way does not make it proper grammar.

Also, in true Christian love, I will give other reasons that chip away at the credibility of my campfire friends. Reasons that somehow are coming much more freely to my mind in the wee hours of this morning than they were Saturday night.

Fact: My husband's family background is quite "country". While there is nothing wrong with that at all, I am guessing that my husband spent more time hanging out with his dad in the barn talking about fishing in the "crick" than reading books and listening to his English teachers. I love you, honey...and your sweet family. But, I do not believe you are pronouncing creek, correctly. =)

Fact: My teenage son's arguments that evening were irrelevant because that child would argue with me if I said the sky was blue. That negates anything he said in the discussion. And, for the record, he did not get his pronunciation of the word creek from me. Such rebellion in the hearts of these young folks. =)

Fact: I have known my friend Tracy for years, and I think she and I will agree that her mispronunciation and misuse of words in the English language is one of her most endearing qualities. However, it does not make her an authority on the correct pronunciation of the word, creek. Again, I am calling my friends and family out publicly with the utmost Christian love.

Fact: I have less evidence to refute Tracy's husband's arguments. But, I will say this: Ned loves a good argument more than anyone I know. He has tried for years to drag me into a heated debate about a variety of subjects, and I have resisted for years. Apparently, he had not yet found a subject I felt passionately enough about, until now. Proper grammar may just be my Achilles Heel.

I consulted Merriam-Webster, and the results were inconclusive. Sadly, I think that proper grammar is in danger of becoming extinct because someone has deemed it acceptable to allow dialect to determine how words are pronounced, rather than holding fast to what is deemed "correct". As Tracy pointed out, they will change and add to definitions and pronunciations of words as culture changes and the majority of people influence the way words are expressed. This is disheartening for someone who has enjoyed an abiding love affair with proper grammar.

Webster's results:
Main Entry: creek
Pronunciation: \ˈkrēk, ˈkrik\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English crike, creke, from Old Norse -kriki bend
Date: 13th century
1 chiefly British : a small inlet or bay narrower and extending farther inland than a cove
2 : a natural stream of water normally smaller than and often tributary to a river
3 archaic : a narrow or winding passage

— up the creek : in a difficult or perplexing situation

Webster, I cannot believe you have let me down by including that dialect-influenced pronunciation as even an option! This has forever changed our relationship. It is a sad, sad day when one cannot count on Webster as an authority on the English language. A sad, sad day.

I did, however, find an online site that gives the correct pronunciation of words audibly. You can hear the truth for yourself on this site: www.howjsay.com. Apparently somewhere in the world someone still values proper grammar.

It is with great pleasure that I reveal yet further evidence to my claim from www.fanetik.org. In a chart displaying the correct pronunciation in one column and the incorrect pronunciation in the "but not" column, the answer is clear and irrefutable. Creek, pronounced kreek BUT NOT krik. All is right with the world, no thanks to Webster....I might add.

From this site about the American Standard pronunciation of the word, creek, this statement referred to the Pennsylvania Dutch pronunciation: The German dialect spoken by the so-called Pennsylvania Dutch of lower Pennsylvania is the oldest immigrant language to remain in daily use in the United States, and so it shows very extensive English influences. The fact that it survives at all is due to the extreme clannishness of the people using it... The vulgar American pronunciation often shows itself, as in heist for hoist and krick for creek. I'll concede that vulgar may be a little strong, and I would have worded this with more grace. Perhaps there are others who feel stronger convictions on the subject than I! I will also admit that my own Irish/German heritage has influenced my speech. It makes sense that those gathered around the campfire also boast strong German heritage. (By the way, can I just say that I thoroughly enjoyed the use of the word, clanniness in the statement above?) Still there is an issue of what is correct and proper.

Fact:
The long e-sound in creek is maintained in standard American, but changed to the short i-sound of sit in the vulgate (n. 1.The common speech of a people; the vernacular.2.A widely accepted text or version of a work.).
—Chapter 7. The Standard American Pronunciation. 2. The Vowels

Fact: For Tracy - What did I find on a list of extensive homophones on www.enchantedlearning.com? Oh, just this: creak/creek.

I have not yet found conclusive results on the regional dialect debate, so I thought maybe some of my dear word-loving blogger friends may be able to help me with this one. Plus, I'm getting a little sleepy. It may be true that many of you pronounce creek differently than yours truly. If so, I still love you...(even though I believe I've given a strong case of the correct pronunciation). =) I would love to know how many of you pronounce creek...and I know that you can speak for various parts of the country, which I think will make it more interesting.

So, in the comments of this post, for the sake of research...please state whether you pronounce the word creek as /kreek/ or /krik/. I'd love to hear how you actually pronounce the word and your opinion of the correct pronunciation.

And...as a disclaimer, I hope you know this post is all in fun and much of what I said is meant to be "tongue in cheek". Please do not take offense to my strong grammatical opinions. Creek or crick, I love you just the same! =)

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UPDATE: New WWY post is now up on the WWY page.
The new featured WWY family will be up by Monday afternoon on the Walking With You page.