I love this!!!

Please Do It On Your Knees

Well, I hear people who are talkin'
about people most everywhere I go----
To hear them tell it they were there when it
happened, there's nothin' that they don't know.
Well, you may not approve of the things I do
but if you're gonna talk about me,
make sure what you're sayin' is done while
you're prayin'---and please do it on your knees.

The Book says brothers will love one another
but love doesn't need any words.
It's proven by the things we do and not say --
for actions speak louder than words.
There will always be people who will talk about people
but if you're gonna talk about me,
then tell it to Someone who can do somethin' about it
and please do it on your knees.

You can tell the Lord all the things I've done
that didn't seem right to you,
but don't tell your neighbor 'cause
he can never give me the grace to see me through.
You can tell Him all about how weak I am
and pray that He'll strengthen me--
you can talk about me any time you wanna
but please do it on your knees.
~Unknown~

A New Year!

Usually I am bummed when a year ends but I am glad to see the end of this one! This was without a doubt the hardest year our family has ever had. I usually try to smile no matter what is going on but it was getting harder and harder to do. I am glad that things turned around and we might actually make it! I love my job and I am hoping that with the coming year Daniel can find a job he can love!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

New idea

I decided the other day that my kids and their parents were more negative with each other than we ever seemed to be positive so we are starting something new. I gave the kids and my mom as well as Daniel and I 6 pieces of cardstock and we are all going to write down something we like about each other on each one and I am going to put each person's pages in a paperboard scrapbook along with pictures of each of us. That way we can look back on them and know that our family members do think nice things about us now and then. I really figured I would get alot of flack when I brought it up but all the responses were positive! Mom asked what we were to do if we didn't have anything positive to say and I told her that it was funny that she mentioned that because I had already planned to tell them that if they couldn't find something positive to say then perhaps they needed to search their soul and see what they could do to help that person be a better person or even see if maybe they were a problem to that person. I also told them that I didn't want any negativity at all, we would save that for another year. When I went upstairs Jonathon said he didn't know what to do about Grandma. I was shocked! I asked him if he couldn't find something he liked about her and he said that was his problem...he liked EVERYTHING about her but didn't know if it was ok to just do that. He also had 1 more question...did we really have to write the negative things next year because he would rather not take part in that. I told him I was kidding about that and he was glad! I tried to explain to my kids how fragile life is: for the last 3 years we have lost at least 1 relative. I told them that all the little things that bother us really wouldn't matter if one of us were to be buried tomorrow. I think I got through to them. I saw some tears among some that I would not of expected. I just never want to take my family for granted and I want them to feel that way about each other. If one of us were gone then our family would be incomplete. I am looking foward to havin them read these things on Christmas Eve.

YUK!

This background is sooo ugly! I will have to change it when I get a chance! I miss my 3 column template anyway. This seems so crowded!

little of this and that

I am in Columbus right now. Daniel is installing a front door and a water heater for Lester and Shirley and I am making a chicken noodle dinner. YUM! I told Daniel that if someone was watching him they would think he knew what he was doing! Just kidding! Anyway, not much going on other than that.

cry baby....

I am sitting here crying. Tears of frustration as well as the fact that so much has happened lately that I feel out of touch with what everyone is doing! I really hope that Daniel gets a job soon. We have exhausted our store of resources. Thankfully, the Heavenly Father still has lots! Daniel and I were in Columbus a couple of weeks ago and ended up passing my dads house. I was so sad. I never visited him there because he was living with some old lady and I didn't care for her at all! She was nice when I called there but I just never could get past some stuff. I mean she would call dad to the phone if mom called and mom could hear her say, "Bill, it's your wife." How right is THAT????? Oh, well. enough of that!

Half gone...

We are almost ready to hit the road......well, I am. Daniel has been working as well as doing stuff here and there to get ready. I think we will leave on Tuesday or maybe Wednesday. I do know it will be next week! :) We are going to Columbus first to leave some of Jonathon's things as well as his car. My MIL had told me that Jonathon was looking rather thin and I was hoping that was just Grandma talking but I asked my SIL if she thought he was and she said that is was funny that I asked because just the day before she thought he looked thin. I told her that I knew he ate at Subway when he worked. Then I was like, "oh, great! look what it did to Jarrod!" Anyway, I need to get up there and fatten up my boy! Mom said that Jacob was still the same so I suppose he is ok. I will be about 1.5 hours from Jonathon if we are in Ohio but that is never too far for a mom!

In other news I have been acting like a blond lately. I dumped a cup of liquid in the garbage that I was thinking I was dumping in the sink. Then I almost dumped stuff in the dishwater. Then I almost pulled out in front of a car. I NEVER pull out like that even when they signal because not everyone actually turns but I was in a hurry and decided to go. I started out and a voice told me "NO!" so I stopped and sure enough they did not turn. Thank you Lord for your guidance!
GOOD GRIEF I AM MAKING SO MANY TYPOS! FORGIVE IF I MISSED ANY!

Just kidding right?

I saw an ad in our local paper today that said Medicare would now pay for "eyelid lifts." I am not trying to be mean here but most of the people I know that are on Medicare....well the least of their "droopy" worries is their eyelids. I think that will be a huge mistake because think of this, you fix the droopy eyelids and they are going to be able to see the other droopy, drooping things and be unhappy with that. I say let the eyelids droop! I thought I had seen it all when it comes to stuff they will pay for but apparently not. Sigh....I have some droopiness going on, I wonder if I could get me some Medicare?

on the move...

To put unanswered questions to rest I will take a minute to answer some questions! Yes, we are moving to Ohio. Kind of weird since it is around where I showed up in this world. Daniel has not had a falling out with his bosses---things are just slow here like they are everywhere else. Of course, in Daniel's perfect world we would be heading to Columbus but there is nothing there. He will be doing the same thing in Ohio that he is doing here as far as the remodels and that sort of thing. To start with he will be doing some jobs for the man we will be renting from. I plan to go back to work. I want to do home health care and I have talked to 3 agency's and they have openings, they just want to meet me in person and say there shouldn't be a problem if I have a good reference and I talked to my boss at the hospital in Columbus and she said that won't be a problem. The funny part is that one of the ladies told me that I had to be 21. I told her how old I am and she apologized and said I sounded really young! That is fine with me! Just wait til she meets me! HEE! HEE! We will be leaving here the week of the 27th.

tossing wheaties....

UGH! Alot of things seem to be making me sick lately and the lady that was sitting next to me smelled like cat urine, cigarettes and some undefineable, nasty, gut wrenching stench. I only hope that she doesn't get that computer back. Ugh, I wanna hurl!

Happy 20th Anniversary to my sweetheart!

20 years ago We were newlyweds enjoying the day and looking forward to the future! Seems like we have had an action packed 20 years. For the most part they have been great years. There has been a few bumps but nothing we couldn't handle! Thanks sweetie! You are still the best!

My girl

At my daughters request I changed her sidebar picture.

Early Happy Birthday to Jonathon!

I hope you have a wonderful 19th birthday Jonathon! Somehow it is hard to believe that my little boy is now a man! I am so proud of you and the things that you have accomplished. If you were going to be here tomorrow I know what you would want for supper...Grandma's BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, homemade rolls and freezer brownies! No restaurant food for my 1st born! Have a great day and please forgive me if I have to cry a little!
Love,
Mom

Tears for a stranger...

I was never a fan of Michael Jackson and to be honest I don't think I have heard any of his songs all the way through. I supppose that is why noone was more surprized than me when my eyes filled with tears when Daniel told me that he was gone. Perhaps it was because a person has to wonder if the man had any real friends at all. My first thought was, "the ground is level at the foot of the cross and no man stands higher than I." That is an excerpt from a song that the Dunn's sang when I was a teenager. Like I told Daniel, when Michael Jackson crossed the line of worlds he was no better known than any of the rest of us. Whether you loved or hated him or perhaps you never gave him any thought one way or another he was judged justly by his creator and for him that is good. I think at times that having more money for our needs would be nice and having money for some extras would be super nice but at what price? I would never trade the love of family and friends for a few trinkets. As I went about my evening (yesterday) I was so sad for the waste of his life. I walked around my yard and enjoyed a breathtaking sunset and I realized that Michael Jackson had seen his last sunset and had begun his eternity. Someday we will all see our last sunset and will also begin our eternity. That is a sobering thought.

being slow is good....

Yesterday I got up and was in the mood to cook so I made 2 loaves of banana bread and a Granny cake. For supper I made: homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans and deviled eggs. We would of had homemade bread but when I thought of the mess I decided that we didn't need it. :) We did have sweet tea! I was quite worn out after that and decided to sit and rest while Daniel burned some brush. There was a little pile that Seth had pulled out that day and I kept thinking I would go get it in a few minutes. Well, the minutes kept ticking by and Daniel went and picked the stuff up with a pitchfork. I saw him and Seth looking at the ground and talking. Since I was hearing words like; "how long" and "what kind" I meandered on over and... it was a snake. It was only a Racer but I think I would of fainted if it had gotten on me! For once I am glad I decided to just relax for a few more minutes!

YUCK!

Last week we went to a restaurant to sort of celebrate Abigail's accomplishment and there was a lady there that could only be described as BRASSY! She was with a group of people and was ruining every picture they tried to take. It almost seemed like she was half drunk at least. Anyway, as she was leaving she took her ice cream cone and gave it to a little girl that was not in their group. I would of never believed this if someone had only told me but that kids mom let her take it after asking the lady if she had licked and she told her, "no." Anyone could tell that it had been licked----is was almost gone and smooth across the top. Then she proceeded to tell the kid to give the lady a kiss and she did....right on the mouth! Now, I was not one of those mothers that followed the kids around with lysol and all that but I didn't let my kids kiss people on the mouth. I think mouth kissing should be for consenting adults! Daniel said that maybe the mom was trying to be nice and took the cone from the kid later. Ok, maybe, but what would be the point after she had already licked it? I try to be nice but I draw the line. My kids kissed people we knew (like Sara and her family) but strangers????? No way! EEEWWWW!!!!

We did it!

I had not actually decorated a cake since 1989 but I thought hey....I might still be able to and homemade cakes are much better than store bought so I borrowed some tips and Abigail made the frosting and I decorated that cake! She is a patriotic gal so she wanted a patriotic cake. By the way, it was for her completion of 8th grade! So hard to believe...........sigh!

Abigail finished 8th grade!

Congratulations on a job well done Abigail! So hard to believe that you will be in 9th grade when school starts up again! Where has the time gone?

Tea Party

A couple of weeks ago Daniel asked me if I wanted to go to a Tea Party and I had sort of forgotten about the protests type of things so I was thinking that as a bull in a China shop I certainly didn't want to go to a Tea Party but he said he really wanted to go and wanted me to go too. So I asked where it was going to be and wanted him to explain. AHA! Then the light came on and I decided that I would go because he wanted me to but I sure didn't want to. It turned out to be alright. There wasn't any yelling and stuff. There were some talks and that sort of thing. All in all it was fun. I saw some interesting signs and the older man in the picture was a veteran and he cried during the National Anthem so of course I did too!

not nice!

I had a strange dream last night Yes, Sheila, I ate chili! Anyway, in this dream alot of people that I have known that have passed away in the last few years were standing in the vestibule in Columbus and another lady that has not passed away kept trying to kiss one of the women on the lips because she knew the lady hated it and even though this lady kept asking her to stop she just kept it up. Everyone was just standing there and kind of smiling like they were embarrassed. I got fed up and said, "listen here ya old bag, she told you to stop it and she meant it and if you don't I am going to bust your mouth." Well, some of the people gasped and others laughed. The dear lady said, "oh, you don't want to do that." I said, "yes, I do and actually I always have." I then proceeded to try to get her to kiss her again because I really wanted to bust her mouth! The really bad part???? When I was a teenager I always hoped someone would bust her mouth!

Humpty Dumpty????

Ever have one of those days where you think you will be glad it is over? Monday was one of those for me. First thing in the morning I was doing some dishes and turned to do something and the dog was there. Me, being the nice person I am didn't want to step on his tail so I tried to step over him and somehow ended up sliding across the floor. Instantly a hard knot came up right below my knee! All day I was in pain. When Daniel got home he asked me what hurt. I told him that on my left side it was my, palm, my ankle, shin, knee and on my right it was my palm and in the middle it was my back. The crazy thing is that the knot on my knee went down real quick and even though I could barely get in bed without bumping one of the "owies" that night when I got up on Tuesday my back felt better than it had in I can't remember how long! I wonder now if I had something out a little and my dance put it back together!
Also on Monday I was following the leader and nearly turned in front of a vehicle. That will teach me not to do that. My mom tried to teach me better but apparently I still haven't learned anything! I had to laugh on Monday night(in spite of my aches and pains)because it reminded me of Parker W's prayer for all of his aches and pains awhile back! By the way, my back is still great! I only have a bruise on my knee and my shin is kind of an ugly green. I think that is old age because sometimes things in my frig turn green!

Heaven's gain!

I was so sad when my mom called and told me that Sis. Thompson had passed away but then I got to thinking that she is more alive now than she has ever been. I called Abigail over to me on Saturday to tell her about this and she just slumped her shoulders and walked away. For some reason she has always loved the Thompson's and Best's. It might of had something to do with always being able to count on them for fundraisers or to be a booster. On the other hand it might just be that they are loveable people. No matter what the reason Sis. Thompson will be loved and remembered in our family! As a pastor and pastor's wife we could always count on them.

not all bad

As I read over some of my posts it seems like I have made Jonathon out to be an idiot. I haven't tried to do that. He certainly isn't an idiot! He is quiet most of the time but when he does say something it is usually profound or very funny! He was not always this way. He carried on conversations before he was 1 and our Michigan preachers wife had a great time getting him to say big words like, "ibuprophen" and other monster words. When he was 10 I asked him why he didn't talk much and he said, "mom, there are so many people that just sit around talking all the time and it ends up being stupid and I just don't want to add to it." I nearly croaked! He also doesn't hate babies, they are just not on his list of favorite things in the world. I think that comes from, " I have no idea what to do to take care of a baby."
Anyway, there you have it....a look at my quiet one! By the way, both of my far away boys called me on Mother's day. Jacob said, "I have been waiting for you to get home so I can call you." Jonathon called while I was napping. Seth came in and said, "mom, don't have a heart attack but the phone is for you." I asked who and he said, "it's Jonathon!" Just because he is quiet doesn't mean he doesn't love his mother!

it's a baby

I was talking to Jonathon earlier and asked if he had seen Heather's baby. He said that he had, so I asked if she was cute. The conversation proceeded to go like this:
JG: I guess
Me: you guess? Is she or isn't she?
JG: I guess so, she's a baby and all that.
Me: Okaaaay!

As you can see he is not all that into babies. If it had been one of the others there would of been a definite opinion! Sometimes when Jonathon hears a baby squalling alot he will ask me to please tell me he never did that. Thankfully, I can tell him that he didn't.

slithery things!!!!

EEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!! I was standing at my kitchen window yesterday and noticed a bird flying to the ground and back up again. I thought, "someone is trying to get a lizard lunch and is a lousy hunter." Upon closer inspection I thought it was the biggest lizard I had seen (in the wild) and it was not a lizard at all. It was a ssssnnnnnake! A long, ugly, white snake! EEEWWW!!! I thought birds were the prey of snakes but perhaps it had gotten a baby bird or something. I know I would of taken on an enemy that tried to get one of my babies! I am not really afraid of snakes I just think they are ugly. I decided to let my curiosity get the best of me so I wandered out to the wooded area to have a looksee and thought that maybe it had gone up a tree so I was looking up and decided that if that thing or any of its relatives crossed my feet someone would definitely be pulling a white sheet up over this old gal but I didn't see anything so I came back to the house. I had just been telling Daniel last week that I wanted to clear that area and put a table or something in there but .....NAH!

Happy 17th Birthday!

Wow! It is so hard to believe that Jacob Daniel Gates came into this world 17 years ago today. 10lbs. 3oz of cuteness! He ended up in an incubator because of a partial lung collapse and looked more Indian than the Indian baby that was born later that day. (because of jaundice.) I hope Jacob has the very best of Birthdays! I also hope he has many more! HAPPY BIRTHDAY my dear 2nd son! Dad and I love you very much!
p.s. I will post some photos as soon as I get it figured out!

The power of prayer........

I talked to my mom this morning and she said that when she walked to the bathroom her ankle did not bother her at all! She is believing God for her healing. A friend of mine told me last night about a man she was taking care of that had a fistula(sp) from surgery and it would not heal. He told her he was going to call his mom and tell her to pray, the next day it was healed.
As some of you know, Jonathon has been up North looking for a job and I really thought he was going to be disappointed with the economy like it is but he has a job at Wal-mart. I told him the other night it had to be nothing but prayer because I don't even think they called his work references. It probably helped that he passed the background check and drug tests! Thank you to all of you that have prayed and are still praying for the various requests that I have made! God still has some people that know how to pray and are willing to do it!

my mom

My mom went to the Dr. yesterday, the 23rd to get her shoulder looked at and it appears to be healing nicely. Her ankle on the other hand is in trouble. When my mom was in her 20's she broke her ankle and it wasn't set right and she has had alot of problems with it over the years. It has gotten to the point where something has to be done but her Dr. hesitates to do surgery on it because of her knee replacement. If he did surgery and she got an infection it could go to her knee and her leg would have to be amputated above her knee. That is not an option and even the Dr. agreed that she probably could not handle that. He told her that her ankle is starting to fuse on its own and that if it would continue to do that he would not have to do surgery and she would no longer have pain and it would stop seeping. That is where you all come in. He told her to let all of her praying friends know about it so they could pray specifically for this and that at this point him and mom needed to go from believing that He could to believing that He would! He is going to check it in 3 months and he expects it to be fused! Now, I am going to tell you something that my mom would never tell you. He told her that he was watching a TV show (mom couldn't remember the name but I think it was American Idol) and there was a woman on there that was older and more plain than the usual contestants and that the judges and other people were making fun of her....until she opened her mouth and started to sing. The Dr. asked her if she had ever been laughed at for being a bigger person or for looking plain and of course, she told him yes. He told her that was because they didn't know and love her but that none of that probably mattered to the ones that did know and love her. He told her that she would look like an angel when she got to Heaven and that he believed she had the Spirit of God in her. My mom cried and so did I when she told me. She told the Dr. that if God decided to take her home instead of healing her that it would be ok with her because in her words, "I am 64, I am an old woman now and my work here is done." He didn't agree with her and told her that he believes that God will give her a physical healing. I doubt if she told him that she has also shocked some people when she opened her mouth to sing! As of this moment I am asking you to pray and I am claiming this promise: Matthew 18:19, "Again I say unto you, that if 2 of you shall agree on earth as touching anything they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in Heaven."
Is there at least 1 of you that will agree with me?

you have got to be kidding me...

is the first thing that came to mind when I put a stick of butter in the microwave to melt and nothing happened! It was also the first thing I thought when I took the cake out of the oven and it didn't look quite right! Come to find out the microwave bit the dust and the oven temp. is off! I was talking to a Job's comforter about the microwave and she said, "I wish mine would break so I could get a new one." I was just thinking why couldn't it of been hers since I don't have money for a new one. When I voiced that to her she informed me that she didn't either. So, me not being the sharpest knife in the drawer said I couldn't figure out why she would want hers to break so she could get a new one if she didn't really have money for a new one. (made no sense to me.) As for the stove, I can still use it for now I just keep adjusting the temperature! SIGH! I just feel lost when I can't bake and all that good stuff. I am thankful that I can still do meats and stuff that doesn't require a steady temperature but my beloved cakes, pies and cookies! Whatever will I do! Enough whining for the day. Have a great day ya'll!

HUH?

Ok, somehow or another it deleted the slideshow of my mom and put Abigail's on twice. My mom's is gone even from photobucket! I think I will go take a nap---this is giving me a headache!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABIGAIL!

Abigail won't be 14 until April 20th, but the library is closed!
So Happy Birthday to our favorite daughter! Dad and I can hardly believe that you will be 14. Seems like just yesterday we were blessed with our adorable daughter. We love you dearly and your vivacious spirit is something I love about you. You never go into anything halfway! You were so tiny (to us) at only 8lbs, 2oz! I hope you have many more wonderful birthdays and that all your dreams come true!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I want to wish my mom a great birthday! I won't tell you how old she is but I will say that she had a "significant" birthday the year Abigail was born! :) You are absolutely the best mom and grandma there is!
We all love you!

p.s. I am beginning to hate smilebox and photobucket...I made a nice colorful slideshow and ended up with the post below! GGGGRRRR! It was not the operator because I have done them before!

Surgery for Abigail

I took Abigail to the dentist to get a cavity taken care of. Oh, if it would of ended up being that simple! She is going to have to have that one taken out and the adult one that is growing under it has to be pulled up and put into place. This will take place in Naples at the dental school since we don't have dental insurance. I have 4 kids and she is the only one that has ever been put out and this will be her second time! She is a trooper so I am sure it will be fine. I told Daniel that maybe we can go up the day before and have a little fun beforehand since she won't enjoy much after that!

Not true..............

Somewhere it has gotten around that my kids are not allowed to call mexicans, "mexis" but they can call blacks..."n******s." That is not true at all! I am not racist!

Missing you both!

I never did think I would be one of those moms that were just thrilled to have their nest empty and even though only 2 are gone and probably not even permanently I find myself in tears and missing them badly. I have been told all I thought about was my kids and Daniel and that is not true. (Just ask my friends) I do think of others too. I guess I liked making each of my kids favorite foods and that sort of thing. My mom says that she is really enjoying having Jacob there and he is a big help. I am sure he is~~~he was to me! Our friends are enjoying having Jonathon and I guess my In-laws are too. Anyway, I miss you boys!

getting creative...

I really miss my 2 boys right now so instead of sitting around being glum I am going to put aside the mundane and scrapbook. Maybe that will help lift the blues! I have to go to the store and get some groceries and pick up the pictures first then it is time to get busy!

glasses

Thank goodness for small favors! Seth's glasses broke right in half but they were covered by warranty! I am glad because that is the last thing we needed right now! Actually it was a BIG favor!

New Site

I found this new template site and they have some really cute stuff. smittenblogdesigns.blogspot.com

I was thinking the other day about friends and the way they greet each other. I knew when Jonathon's friends picked him up from the airport they would all be glad to see each other but probably the most they would do would be to look at each other and say, "dude!" Ladies usually give each other a hug and might even get misty-eyed. Girls will giggle and act a little shy and men will grab each others hand and shake it real good while pounding each other on the back. (I think they must feel like the guy needs a burp after the trip) Anyway, I can think of several friends that I might hug if I saw them right now even though I am not typically a hugger!

big heart, little wallet!

My daughter, Abigail has a super big heart but it really outweighs her wallet! She has adopted 4 soldiers and since she earned some money helping a friend she decided to buy them stuff. She was so caught up in getting them the items that she spent all of her money....now she has to save for the shipping. I took a box to the P.O. to see what she was up against and it costs nearly $10 for a shoebox! I guess there are no breaks even if it is for a good cause. I told her that I would take her downtown to the circle to play her flute. You know, with a hat on the ground and a little sign. I wasn't serious anyway but her dad said, "no, way!" She was thinking she could humbly beg or even just regular beg! Anyway, we will let you know how it all works out! No matter what individual feelings are concerning this war I feel like we need to support our men and ladies!

Dinner for Jonathon

I am trying to make Jonathon's favorite foods before he heads off into the wild blue yonder tomorrow. On the menu is:

BBQ chicken
mashed potatoes
green beans
rolls
deviled eggs
brownies

so far I have managed to:
cook the brownies a little too long
leave the margarine out of roll dough...it has been added
I also know my chicken won't be as good as my moms but Jonathon says it's the thought that counts.
I told mom I feel like a newlywed! I do know how to cook but it sure doesn't look like it.

Medical Mystery???

The other day I was talking to an older friend and she said she had never felt better before she had her tubes tied and her hysterectomy. I said I thought it would stink to have your tubes tied then turn right around and have to have a hysterectomy and she said, "Oh, it wasn't that bad because they did it at the same time." I thought, "HUH" but said, "why" and she asked, "why not?" My response was that a tubal was to prevent pregnancy and if you had the hysterectomy there was no way you'd get pregnant and she said you could have a tubal pregnancy. Now, I know I was only a care partner but I am sure that is not possible. If anyone knows otherwise feel free to let me know!

Cars

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The rat in this picture was not real. Sheila, some of these cars were for sale. I am sure your hubby would appreciate a gift like that!

Old woman.........

There was an old woman that didn't live in a shoe but one by one her kids were flying the coop and she didn't know what to do! Sniffle, sniffle sob. Jacob is up North at my moms as you all know and he informed me that he would let me know when he wanted to come home so I could save my breath and stop asking. Now Jonathon is going to Indiana to visit friends! It will be weird to have 2 kids at home. It hasn't been that way since November 10th, 1993! It might actually be fun! I will miss them both. I am NOT one of those parents that's just waiting for the day when they have an empty nest.

Updated photo

Donna, Here is the updated photo you asked about! BIG NEWS! My BIL called and we have a new addition to our family. Valerie Ann was born last night. He said she was cute with lots of black hair. Of course, she is cute! I am sure there were people that looked at my kids and didn't think they were cute but their dad and I sure did! Anyway, congratulations to Jonathan and Heather as well as Lester and Shirley! (I am not sure of name spelling so don't quote me on that)

Things that make you say ARGH!!!!!

The week started out wonderfully! Went to the dollar store to get my name brand cleaning stuff for $1. There was an older lady double parked---I personally think that is ok----just park in the North 40! She was shopping all over the center so I very nicely(?) pulled up by her and said, "do you know that is illegal?" She didn't even care! Tuesday I was determined to have a better day....I bought frozen pizza that I had been told tasted "just as good as Papa John's" a total nontruth. I was a nimrod and got more than would fit in the freezer so I set 2 in the frig until lunch time, no problem, right? I hit the brand new creamer as I was getting the pizza out and of course the cap broke and shot creamer across the floor! GGRRR! I thought I had cleaned it up but must of missed a little because Jonathon stepped on some and informed me that when kids make messes they get chewed out when they don't clean it up properly!!! On a happier note Jacob did a lesson at his church last night and my mom said he did great. He was plain spoken and informed about his topic. I wish I could of heard him. He asked her if she was trying to make a preacher out of him and she said she wasn't really that all she wanted was God's will for his life. Please pray for Abby and a friend of the family. The friend fell and broke her wrist and Abby is going to stay with her for a few days! Take care ya'll and THINK SPRING!

Jacob

This is the picture I took of Jacob as we were about to let him go through the gate at the airport. He wasn't thrilled about the picture taking thing but obliged his mother. We had to get up at 3:30 A.M. to get him to the airport and when I got up I saw that the living room light was on so I went to check on him to be sure he was awake and to my surprise he was up and dressed! I told him he needed to grab a bite to eat and he informed me that he already had!!!??? He came to my room and told me that he thought the old people would never get up. HUH? It was 3:40 so the obvious question was when had he gotten up. 12:45. He was no doubt the one taking the trip! His trip was great...........a chubby guy was sitting by him so I guess Jacob was "sharing" his seat. Then the lady behind him had to make use of the puke bag. He said it was great!!!??? Sarcasm I believe! I miss that kid but he is enjoying himself and is looking forward to getting involved with the kids at moms church and who knows maybe this will be the ministry that God calls him to. Pray for him as you think of him.

the girl from yesterday?

A few weeks back I got my wedding dress out and noticed that it had stains on it and decided to toss it. Abigail wanted to know if she could try it on and of course I said she could. I was shocked when it fit her except for the length. Since it was a few days until the trash came I told her to just put in back in the tote. Before trash day came around I thought of making throw pillows out of it. I sat down the other day and took all the stuff off. Abby kept telling me to stop before it was too late and she was sure my mom would croak. I finally convinced her that it was better to have a plan than a useless dress. My mom only asked if I regretted it and I said only when I measured it and the waist was 28! This is the pics of Abby as well as the cake she made for my B-day. Excuse the boxes in the background. We had just moved.

update

Alot has happened in the last 2 weeks. We finally got completely moved in. Jacob left to stay with my mom for awhile and it is NOT because he is a problem child. We miss him terribly. He just wanted to try out for some jobs up there and stay with my mom for a time. He really got sanctified during revival and he is anxious to help with the kids at my moms church and that sort of thing. It sure was odd to be sending him off on the plane.
I also had a birthday on the 18th and Abigail made me a delicious "from scratch" cake. I do believe I need to let that little gal in the kitchen more often! She enjoys cooking and her results aren't ever bad so I will have to loosen the reins some!

"F" in faith

I have been rather worried for the past few weeks. With the move---which includes higher rent and all that goes with it as well as the slowed economy. To make a long story short I wasn't really praying about the issues. I was worrying, but sitting in church the other night I realized that if I had been given a test I would of failed miserably! I turned it all over to God and he has really helped me with the issues. I have been very sick off and on which has also caused me some concern. God did come through for us and we were able to get electricity in the new house without the $300 deposit which really helped alot! Another very small thing(to those looking on)After my last bout of sickness all I wanted to eat was the cheese in a can but I can't afford to pay $3.50 for something like that so I told Daniel that I wanted it but not to worry I sure wouldn't pay that. I had to go to K-mart to get Calgon and I was short on money(not an unusual occurance) but decided it would not hurt to go past the sale rack and lo and behold they had the cans of cheese for $1! I was so surprised! I was telling my mom about it and I started to cry and told her to excuse me for my bawling but to me it was much more than a can of cheese. Of course, I shouldn't of even said anything about my bawling to my mom because when she started to talk I realized she was bawling also. She told me that God was showing me that he did care about the issues in my life and he was rewarding me for accepting the fact that maybe I could be content even without it!

Busy!

Not only have I been busy cleaning and packing I also homeschool the kids! My MIL is hitching a ride down here with her sis and BIL so she will be here on Sat. which is the BIG moving day. She told me not to worry about making bread and that sort of thing~~~I don't think she understands that it won't even be a consideration. We'll be lucky if I fix anything! My friend(and neighbor) is going to fix us chili to have on Friday and another meal sometime over the weekend! That will be a much appreciated help. I had my sale and it well pretty well. I have one rather odd sale...I had put out a cradle and it was not priced yet. A lady asked me what I wanted for it and I told her "a couple of dollars" she looked at me and asked, "would you take $3?" UHM! Let me see....SURE!

Gone for awhile........

I am gonna be gone for a few days because I am eyeball deep in packing! I am also trying to get ready for a yard sale. Daniel asked me the other day how I could sleep so late and I just stared. I told him that it was because I was rump draggin' tired and I am also under alot of stress with all that I need to do. He is so laid back he doesn't seem to get it. My brothers ex-wife(she divorced him not us)told Daniel once if he got any slower and laid back he would slip into a coma. That is true, not much ruffles his feathers. Anyway that is where I will be so I will see you all later! BTW anything past 7a.m. is late to him so I am not sleeping that late!

borrowing trouble?

I started going through my Home Interior stuff to see what I could sell. I washed up all the votives and was looking in the china cabinet to see if there were any in there. Nope, I did see the fire extinguisher and I said, "oh, there's the fire extinguisher. We have never needed it, Thank God." I went in the kitchen where I had put a votive cup in the microwave and there was a popping sound so I smacked the button to open it and the paper towel was on fire. I had done that several times already to soften up any bits of wax and had absolutely no problem. Seth said, "about that fire extinguisher!" All's well that ends well. We put out the fire(without the extinguisher) and cleaned up my rather black microwave!

RANDOM!

I love to watch clouds and saw this interesting one on the way down here.

The other pictures are of the paint job in the house we might rent! Did I say that it needed help?

A house....

Well, it appears that we will be getting the house I posted about earlier. Now I feel a little more capable. It was kind of weird to be packing with no idea where we were going. Of course, I heard through the grapevine that I had got my job back at the hospital and we were moving back North. Never mind that most of those people don't have a clue as to who I am since I have been gone for 4 years. Another thing is that I never even applied. I think jobs take some application or something odd like that. I also wonder how I was going to support us on that. I didn't make that much! :) I was only a nurse aide! Oh, well. That is not the truth. Sorry to disappoint some of you down here!

all is well.....

Kind of. I think we might of found a house. I was sort of thinking along another line and it just did not "feel" right but last night I felt so at ease with the other choice and when I talked to a friend today she waited until I said my piece then told me that she actually thought the house we were seriously thinking about was the better choice also. Now I just have to pack and clean and hopefully the guy will waive part of the deposit if we clean that house and paint the walls. If that is the case I sure have alot to do before the first! So, why am I here? I came down here to go to the t-shirt store to get boxes--they have nice heavy ones! Couldn't abstain from stopping in to check up on my friends! Please pray for us. I have all that to do as well as some physical things going on! SIGH!

On the move.....

I found out on Jan. 1st that the co-owner of our house wanted it by Feb. 1st. I nearly croaked of course because that meant 1 month to find a house we could afford. A little known secret by only the ones that know me well is that when I get really stressed I laugh--uncontrollably! Well, sunday morning someone requested to sing...
I've got a roof up above me,
I've a good place to sleep.....
I do not know what possessed me but I leaned over to Daniel and whispered, "for right now." He said "what?" Then he realized what I said, and said, "dear!"(he uses that word when I am misbehaving) Anyway I started to laugh and he kept saying things like, sshhh, stop, straighten up and such. Then he started to laugh....I glanced back at my aunt and she was laughing even though she only thought she knew what we were laughing at. (she was right) I think some of the people thought we were nuts! There are times I still feel overwhelmed with all that I have to do and I do not know how, when or any of those things but God has shown me that he is working things out according to his plan because...
There's a miracle in the making
one just for you (me)the father
will prove he is working even now.