Neal at the Cross

Money Secrets of the Amish - A Review

2011-06-11T17:46:00.002-04:00

Money Secrets of the Amish

Finding True Abundance in

Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving

Who could reset getting a book with a title like that? Well, not me, that's who! You see, we live in an area where the Amish have settled. While our area isn't as rich with Amish as the area where the author, Lorilee Craker, did her interviews, we have many just the same!

I have often wondered how the Amish community has faired with the economy in the downward spiral it has taken (ah, another topic all together!), and this book answered my question beautifully. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I literally finished it in just a couple of days. I also spent a good portion of our trip to Florida for vacation explaining all the principals that the Amish have used to my husband and daugther! And yes, I LOVE the UWMW principal - Use it up, Wear it out, Make do or Do without! Interested in learning more??

From money saving tips, to their simple lifestyles, there is so much that one can learn about the Amish and their ways in this book. Not only can one learn about the Amish, but there are just so many things that you can walk away with that could make a huge difference in the lifestyle of an "Englisher"! Right down to enhancing your families lifestyle!

If you, like the rest of us, are looking for ways to cut costs, and live a much simpler lifestyle, then I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book. It is well worth the read! I promise!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

I received this book free from Book Sneeze.com for writing this interview.

Love Food and Live Well - a Review

2011-05-24T13:59:00.005-04:00

When I asked to review the book Love food & Live Well, I wasn't sure what I would find. How can one LOVE food and still LIVE well at the same time? Let's face it, isn't it loving food that gets most of us into trouble? Isn't that why we gravitate towards books on the subject of food and dieting?

What I found as I read this book is that it isn't necessarily the LOVE of food that is the issue. It is our dissatisfaction with ourselves that causes us problems. When we begin to hide behind the food... that is when the trouble begins! You are unhappy with out you look... so you eat to dull the pain. You are unhappy in your work/home/family (you fill in the blank!) you find solace in food. And the issue with that? That is NOT what God created food to be! It was NOT given to us as a replacement for what we think we need/must have. It WAS given to us to do a very simple task - nourish our body - period!!

In her book Love Food & Live Well, Chantel Hobbs purposes a simple 80 / 20 rule. 80 % of the time you should eat food that will deliver the maximum fuel your body needs. The other 20% of the time you can splurge on the foods that you love! She is quick to add that this rule alone will NOT work for you, you MUST incorporate exercise into your life as well.

I found this book to be very insightful, and I found her continual reference to scripture, and to God's plan for our lives, to be very encouraging.

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

I was given this book, by WalteBrook Multnomah in exchange for this review

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

Finally!

2011-05-23T12:08:00.003-04:00

The day has arrived! Michael gets his halo off tomorrow at 7:30am! That is 86 days! Can you just imagine how excited he is? He told Carly that he will be able to do boy things! And yes, I have said over and over "Stop pbeing a boy until that halo comes off!"

Thanks to everyone for the cards, stickers, and most importantly your prayers!

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

A Good Day!

2011-04-13T19:36:00.005-04:00

Yesterday started out great... Michael was up and ready to go... but by 1:00 he told me that his "head was tired" and a few minutes later he threw up. Then he seemed fine. About the time we sat down for supper it all started again. This time he threw up several times... but kept telling me that his head felt "tired".

By 8 PM he was laying on the couch sound asleep. I didn't have the heart to wake him up to put him to bed. He was resting SO easy. So I watched some TV... did some knitting... checked by FB several times... and then around midnight he sat up and asked if everyone was in bed. Well, yeah!!!! So off he went to bed, asking me several times if I would hear him if he got sick. So I sat up until nearly 1 to make sure he went to sleep.

And sleep he did ( I did NOT sleep as I kept waking up to listen for him!) He woke up at 9 this morning without a hint of being sick. He ate his breakfast, did his school work, ate some lunch, played some Mario Kart, took a nap and now this evening he is STILL doing fine. We believe that this may NOT have been the flu, but a migraine. This is not the first time he has told us that his head felt "tired" and then he has thrown up. It has happened after school work, it has happened when he has been on the computer, it has happened when he has played Wii. Not always... but that is what he has been doing when this has happened before. I think as soon as the halo comes off we are heading to see the eye doctor!

But today was a GREAT DAY where his schooling was concerned. He was definitely ON TASK today! He came up with and wrote 8 sentences using key words ALL BY HIMSELF! He worked on the fraction 1/2 and actually GOT IT!!! He did a paper on opposites all by himself and ACED the paper!!! It has been awhile since he has done so well, and it was great to be able to heap on the praises... in fact it did us BOTH a world of good!! (And if you homeschool you know exactly what I'm talking about!)

Looking forward to this weekend. Rachel's Graduation Open House is Saturday, and we are SO very proud of her for getting her LPN. AND she's already been hired to work in a doctor's office!! Way to go Rachel!!!

Sunday we are having an open house to try and help along the sale of our home... and Michael is excited that he will get to go and play with Emma and Levi while we are "banished" from our home! Since we have already found a home in Madison we hope to sell soon before it gets sold out from under us! But it is all in God's hands and we know that while we really love this place, if it sells before we sell then God will just have something better in store!!

FINALLY Monday (and yes we count Monday as a weekend day here as it is Mickey's day off!) we will go back for Michael's one month check with Dr. Havlik and we are praying that he will give us a date for the halo to come off. This boy is SO ready for that (and so are we!)

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

One Month to Live - A Review

2011-04-06T19:30:00.003-04:00

Well, I began this book in February, but due to a surgery that my son had, I just didn't have to finish it in the one month alotted! But what a wonderful read.

My journal is overflowing with little bits and pieces of wisdom. Words that just seemd to jump off the page at me: "If God gives you a plan that isn't a challenge to you, it is an insult to God"... "Embracing our time on earth as a limited resource has incredible power to liberate us."... "The only way we can live for eternity is to embrace each day as a gift from God"... and I could go on and on and on!!!

Written by Kerry and Chris Shook, One Month to Live is a plan that steers you in thirty days towards a no-regrets life. The four principles they urge the reader to embrace are: Live Passionately, Love Completely, Learn Humbly and Leave Boldly. I have come to belive that living life with the "when" and "then" mentality is really not living at all. If you find that you are continually saying "when this happens then.... " you might find this book will unlock the door to a life lived in the now!!!

I highly recommend this book to one an all! I definitely give it a 5!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah for this review.

Michael Update April 1, 2011

2011-04-01T19:24:00.005-04:00

Michael's progress through March 24th.... And below is Michael today... April 1, 2011... Only 16 more days until he goes to the doctor for his first check up since we've stopped turning. Hopefully we will get a date of removal at that appointment.

All this and I can still get a smile out of him!!!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Transformation

2011-03-06T19:48:00.002-05:00

These pictures pretty much say it all.....

Above.... the day before the surgery on 2-22-11

Below... day 5 of the turning... 3-1-11

And below... after day 9 of the turning...

Must say this is a HUGE transformation! It is so hard to fathom that this can be done... much less in so little time. Once we are finished with the turning, the distraction part, then it will be down to waiting for the bone and muscles to play catch up. But right now, I am just truly amazed by this whole process. And I am amazed by the courage this young boy has shown in the
face of this surgery and whole process. He is doing so well. We are so proud of him.
Praises to God for making this whole procedure possible so that when
he is a grown man his life will be less of a challenge!

Have a Blessed Day!Lynn

Memories of Mae....

2011-01-29T16:14:00.004-05:00

Thursday, January 27th, marked the birth of my grandmother, Tina Mae Martin Sifers... and no... that isn't pronounced TEENA... that is a LONG I sound... TIIIINA Mae. Or, if you were an "old timer" you would have said "Tiny Mae". She was born in 1910, and a few weeks after her 80th birthday she passed away. And I am pretty sure not a day goes by that I don't think of her in some way.

When I came along in January of 1959, I was welcomed by a "big sister", who turned 3 after I was born. 1959 also ushered in the birth of my brother in December. Yes... you read that right... we were both born in 1959. So my mom had three children 3 and under... and yes... it is okay to shudder at this point... I'm sure she did! This made my mom one busy lady!! I'm not sure how she managed!

For the first 5 years of my life we lived on Main Street in Pekin... a tiny town then... a tiny town now. To one side of our home lived my Great-grandmother, Mamaw Pearl and behind our home lived my grandparents, Mae and Pap... yes... we called her Mae. She was much to young to be called Mamaw or Grandma or any other grandparent type name... or so she said. So my brother, sister and I all called her by her first name... Mae.

Mae and Pap had a trailer, that in my "child's mind" seems forever away from our home... but when I look at the lot that held our home and their trailer today, I wonder how they both fit! Both their home, and Mamaw's were surrounded by flowers of all kinds: roses, tulips, daffodils and iris to name a few. To this day, an Iris remains my favorite flower... especially a purple bearded iris, there were tons of those in the flower beds. Mae and Mamaw spent a ton of time in those beds caring for them. I have such vivid memories of those beds!

I spent a lot of time with Mae and Pap when I was little. I loved to go to their house. I thought it was kind of cool that they lived in a trailer. I thought the fact that it had an addition to it was pretty neat as well. I thought that the shelving that seperated the living room from the eat in kitchen was "upscale" with all of the little knick knacks that were on the shelves. I actually have the two roosters that sat on those shelves!

I found it amazing that Mae NEVER used her oven...that's right... she kept it filled with candy. I am not sure that it was ever turned on. All of their meals were prepared on the stove top or in an electric skillet that always set out. When we spent the night we were given foods such as canned salisbury steak and instant mashed potatoes to eat... I thought they were wonderful. (I must confess that as an adult I've "tried" those again, just to have that memory, and they AREN'T that great!) My grandmother would poach us eggs for breakfast, and I still remember just how the egg poacher looked. She also kept her fridge stocked with small glass bottles of Coca Cola!!!

On Christmas Eve we would gather at their home with aunts and uncles and great grandparents to open gifts. There would be a dish with orange slices on the table, chocolate cremes too, and Mae would make rice krispie treats in the electric skillet, sitting them out on the porch to cool. All the while we would be sitting in front of the TV watching for Santa's approach to our area. And her amazing silver tinsel tree, with a rotating colored light, would be sitting off to the side, glowing first one color then another as we opened our gifts.

After the passing of my grandfather, Mae remained in the trailer for a time, but eventually moved in with my parents on the farm where we had moved. She spent the next 11 years with them there. For a portion of that time, I lived right next door. I don't believe there was a day that went by that I didn't talk to her, if only on the phone. (I still remember her number!) She would call me to tell me the "news" that she had just read in the National Enquirer, always certain that it was,without a doubt, the truth. I would call to let her know what new thing one of the kids was doing, or how my work was going.

For awhile, she would take me to appointments when i didn't have a car. Soon, I was the one taking her to appointments when my mom wasn't available to do so. She was no longer able to drive, and was on oxygen full time. Soon she would begin to have bouts of pneumonia, and each one was harder that the last to recover from.

I watched as she taught my children, and my sister's children to "sew". She always kept needles and thread at the ready, along with scraps of material, for them to sew when they asked. They would sit for what seemed like hours pushing a needle through fabric, back and forth, until they had created "something". My sister and I had done the same thing as children. She would sit by watching, always ready to help if needed.

There finally came a time when decided that she wanted to go to a nursing home. So my mom and dad got all of her affairs in order, and off she went. Every week we took the kids in to see her, and they actually enjoyed playing bingo with the residents there. I know that she looked forward to those visits, and I do believe that she was learning to enjoy the freedom that came from not being worried about her medicenes. A few short weeks into her stay she once again became sick with pneumonia, heading into the hospital, and unable to shake it's grip, she went to be with Jesus.

My sister and I had been sitting at the hosptial all day, making sure that our parents had been able to leave to get some rest. I remember when she kept repeating over and over again, "closed crackers"... and wondering what in the world she meant, until we realized that she was saying "closed casket". She knew... she realized that she was not going back to the nursing home. In fact, she was in conversation with people we couldn't see, but I believe they were there just the same, telling her it was all right to "come home". We all made a point of letting her know that it was all right to let go, that something so much better was waiting for her on the other side.

When I finally came home to shower and rest my phone rang. I hadn't been gone more than 30 minutes, and she had taken her final breath, letting go of this world and grabbing hold of the hand of Jesus. I couldn't help but wonder if she had waited until I was gone, not wanting to cause me pain. I was happy that her suffering had come to an end, but I made my way into the shower, and I cried like a baby. I had not only lost my grandmother that day, but one of my best friends.

This February 18th she will have been gone for 21 years, and I miss her still today. But I know that one day, as I prepare to draw my final breath, Mae will be there waiting to greet me, along with all of the other loved ones that I miss... Pap Sifers, Grandma Re, Pap Cullison, Aunt Wanda and so many more... and they will be in the company of my Savior, who I long to see.

Happy Birthday Mae... I love you!

Lynn

The Charlatan's Boy - A Book Review

2011-01-26T10:40:00.008-05:00

The Charlatan's Boy, a novel by Jonathan Rogers, find us looking into the life of Grady. As far back as Grady can remember he has been the "boy" of Floyd, a traveling showman. They have gone from village to village for years, making the most of Grady's "ugliness". Billed as "The Wild Man of the Feechiefen Swamp" Grady performed for audiences far and wide. But it seems that no one believes in the feechies anymore.

Floyd and Grady set out to make them believe once again. So armed with the tricks of their trade, the charlatan and his boy set out to create another Great Feechie Scare, which Floyd swears will make them rich. All Grady wants is to know just who he truly is.

This book had a review on it stating "A new kind of story. It's C. S. Lewis and Mark Twain rolled into one." As a lover of the writing of Lewis and Twain, that comment alone had me requesting this book to review. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with the tale as I had hoped to be.

I continually found myself struggling to find a "mental picture" in which to set the characters. I couldn't make up my mind if the area would be more "western" or if I should set them in scenes closer to those found in an English countryside. I honestly struggled to finish the book.

I am giving this book a 1.

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

I received this book from the publisher, WaterBrook Multnomah, and their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a postivie review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James

2011-01-03T15:17:00.007-05:00

I must admit I found myself pleasantly surprised by Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James. I was expecting your typical, run-of-the-mill “girl gets guy” kind of fare, and instead found myself enjoying a story of “God gets girl”, and she gets the guy as well!

Set in the early 1900’s, this inspirational love story brought the sights and sounds of Newport, Rhode Island to life. The quest of Charlotte Hale to make it in a man’s world takes her to places that she never thought she would go. Her desire to become a real journalist for the Rhode Island Reporter, not just a mere secretary, finds her jumping into an undercover assignment designed to bring down Daniel Wilmont. The young widowed Wilmont, a professor of religion, writes a controversial column for a rival newspaper, and Charlotte’s boss is willing to go to great lengths to see that Wilmont’s writings are stopped.

Along the way, Charlotte learns about love, but NOT just the love between a man and a woman, but about the love of the Lord for his children. She learns that the Lord will love us and forgive us, even when we can’t love or forgive ourselves. She also learned to trust her life and its path to the Lord, going to Him more and more in prayer. Many of the characters in the book found themselves learning to wait upon the Lord, a lesson that is so valuable to each of us. One of my favorite statements in the book says it best, “praying is important, but sometimes the Lord is slow in answering.” I think we’ve all been there.

I truly enjoyed this book, the second in the A Ladies of Summerhill series. How I wish I had read the first, Love on a Dime. James has a way of describing her characters and their surroundings that makes one feel as if they are there. Her characters are well “fleshed out”, allowing the reader to feel what they feel.

If you are looking for a book to snuggle up with on a cold evening that will leave you inspired and filled with hope that God’s love can, and will, win out, then I suggest you pick up a copy of Love on Assignment. You won’t be sorry you did!!

I give this book 5 stars!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tandem - by Tracey Bateman

2010-12-15T19:08:00.003-05:00

When I asked for this particular book this was the line that grabbed me... She soon realizes that centuries old secrets tie Abbey Hills to the Chisom estate and a mysterious evil will do anything to make sure those secrets stay hidden. Even the man who grew up loving her may not be able to protect Laureyn from the danger. Kind of just grabs you and begs you to unlock the secret, doesn't it?

I must confess when I started this book it wasn't at all what I expected... and I'm not about to ruin the "surprise" for you. The premise of this story was good, but I often found myself feeling a little lost in the continual switching between characters. It made the book a little less enjoyable for me. It might have been an easier read if I had actually read her first book, Thirsty. And I do feel that given the current trend in books and movies, this book should do quite well!

I loved the glimpse that we were given into Lauryn's relationship with her father, who was in the final stages of Alzheimer's. The care and the love she showed for him, and her reactions to his decline, is something that I feel many will be able to relate to. It was written in such as a way that made me truly care for her character. I also found it interesting how the relationship that Amede and Eden shared with their father drove each of them to become the women they were. A father's love, no matter what form it takes, can definitely change not only how we view ourselves, but how we view our relationship with God.

My rating for this book.... a 4.

Tandem http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/catalog.php?isbn=9780307457172

"I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

Indivisible - An AWESOME book to begin my reviews with!

2010-11-20T15:15:00.003-05:00

There is a fight going on inside of you, a fight between two hungry wolves. One wolf is fear, envy sorrow and regret, greed, spite, arrogance, and self-pity. It is guilt, resentment, false pride, superiority, ego and unfaithfulness. The other wolf is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, and forgiveness. It is integrity, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faithfulness. The fight goes on and on, each one trying for control. Which wolf wins? It is the one you feed.

By far, one of my favorite quotes written by Kristen Heitzmann, who offers this and so much more in her book Indivisible, a book that I couldn't wait to get back to, time after time.

Throughout this book, Police Chief Jonah Westfall fights with the demons of his past, while fighting to create a future which includes the love of his life... who for so many reasons continues to keep herself just out of reach.

The masterful interweaving of characters plumps out this book nicely, leaving no character left behind. The addition of bringing today's real issues to a small town setting only served to make this story more real.

If you are looking for a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat on a long, dark, winters night, I suggest that you give this book a try!

My rating... a definite 4.5.... I would have given it a five but I had the ending figured out a little too early on.

Happy Reading!

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

"I received this book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review"

It's Here

2010-11-16T16:43:00.001-05:00

My book to review has arrived... Indivisible by Kristen heitzmann... can't wait to dig in!!! Any book that begins "Wrapped in a woolen throw..." can't be bad!!!!!

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

A New Look... a New Outlook

2010-11-10T19:48:00.003-05:00

My best sister-friend Rebecca over at Knit By God's Hand sent me a message the other day about Blogging for Books. Now, she has been doing this for some time and she knows how much I like to read. So what is better than not only getting to read a new book, but getting to review it for others who like to read? The only thing that might come close is knitting!!!

So, I have officially been accepted by not one, but two different publishers... and I am expecting my first book any day now... so check back in, and hopefully I will be able to help you find some good books to read (or stay away from!) during the cold months of winter!!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Michael the Baker... Part 2

2010-10-11T16:11:00.003-04:00

Michael the Baker has been at it again.... Last week... an apple pie...

... a MILE HIGH Apple pie at that....

This week... a pumpkie pie from REAL pumpkins...

He did a great job adding the ingredients...

... and stirring them up....

This pie was not so HIGH... but it sure did turn out lookin' nice. Can't wait to cut into it... and Daddy even brough home whipped topping!!!! We even had enough left from the two pumpkins we cooked up to make another pie and a loaf of pumpkin bread later on. They are in the freezer waiting their turn to become something yummy!!!!

Now... what can we come up with to cook NEXT week??!!

Be Blessed...Lynn

Michael the Baker

2010-10-02T10:01:00.003-04:00

Michael and I spent some of our school time yesterday baking some banana bread. He was so excited about it... first he got to mash the bananas....

.... then stir in the milk, eggs and vanilla....

... next came the dry ingredients...

... and finally we placed it in the pan for baking!

Michael checked on his creation numerous times during the hour it took to bake... but frinally....

... it emerged from the oven nice and golden!!! And I must say, it made the house smell wonderful and it was very yummy!

What might this have to do with homeschool??? Well, Michael often struggles with taking directions... so I am going to try working on that with something that he enjoys..... there are a lot of directions to follow as you prepare something to bake! Not that he can measure... yet!.... but he can pour, he can stir, he can scrape down the sides of a bowl, he can mash... yes, this will definitely help with directions.

This weekend we are headed to an orchard, as we have been studying about fall, harvest time, and picking apples. Monday, we will bake and apple pie!!! We will also pick up a pie pumpkin because this week, we are talking about pumpkins all week, and at the end of the week we will prepare a REAL pumpkin for pumpkin pies! Gotta say... we are LOVING homeschool!!!! But it just might be REALLY bad for ones diet!

Be Blessed...Lynn

Disconnected....

2010-09-30T10:40:00.002-04:00

Ever have one of those days (weeks, months??) when you just feel disconnected? From your family, your friends ... from life in general??? More importantly, you feel disconnected from your church, and from God????

Ever feel like you just can't get back on track? The doors are closed? The windows shut tight? So you just sit and wait... and wait... and wait???

Guess you could say that right now, I'm kind of walking through the dessert.... I'm asking... I'm listening... but am I truly seeking with all that I am??? Or am I allowing myself to become even farther disconnected???

These are all questions that are running through my mind today. Ever have a day (or a week, or a month!) like that?? What helps you to find that oasis again???? Give me your thoughts!

Be Blessed...Lynn

Hubers and Camping Out

2010-09-10T23:17:00.002-04:00

Michael and I had a pretty good time last weekend as we headed up to Huber's for the day....

He really enjoyed his ice cream... right down to the last drop!

The tractor ride was a hit....

He even took a stab at feeding the goats... which surprised me!

Then he led me on a while goose chase through the corn maze!

Really enjoyed my day with my little guy... we both had an awesome time....

And then this week... Mickey was on vacation, so he and Michael decided it was time to do a little camping in the back yard... Thanks to Rachel and Robert for the loan of their awesome tent!

And after a chilly night... a good breakfast was in order.... eggs, bacon and hasbrowns...

This coming Monday, September 13th marks the 4th anniversary of our Gotcha Day... the day that we received Michael in China... he has grown so much in the past four years... he has come pretty far... and we have been so very blessed to have him as a part of our family!!!!

Finally.... Women of Faith

2010-08-26T18:26:00.004-04:00

It has taken awhile, but here it is... Women of Faith... Above... the new tradition... a freeze frame picture..... this year we lost Rachel, but added Chasity, Jordan and Maria...

No W of F trip would be complete without hitting the shops at Edinburgh... and since Rebecca is now a cooking wiz... we headed to one of my favorite cooking stores....

Followed by a ride for my "baby" girl.... what joy 50 cents can bring....

.... not to mention trying on boots....

Carly tried her best to keep Abigail with her at all times... she just plain loves that little girl... but alas, she had to share with others! Abigail did SO good at the conference... but then she did get a LOT of love!!!!

Carly not only got to spend time with Jordan, but with Chasity as well... she has grown very close to them both... and they had such fun.

My best sister-friend, Rebecca Jo, came fully prepared for the weekend... not one, but TWO SCC shirts AND blow-pops!!! She was SUPER excited to see both SCC and Mary Beth... I'm pretty sure she is his biggest fan in the WORLD!!!!

And yes, Carly had to share Abigail with me as well....

Really had a blessed time at this conference... the one big disappointment is that my friend, Erica, had to leave before the event started. Her daughter, Emily, who battles with Infantile Spasms, began to have seizures and she had to high-tail it back to Louisville to meet Emily and Joe at the ER. Hated that she missed it, and fully believe that speaker Patsy Clairmont was speaking directly to her needs... Satan sure has a knack for keeping you from hearing a word from God, doesn't he????

Took a few days to get back on track, but I'm already looking forward to attending next year... August 19-20... so mark your calendars and try to meet me there. And if you live outside of the driving area for Indy, look for a Women of Faith event near you - you won't regret it... I PROMISE!!!!

2010-08-19T14:10:00.003-04:00

Makes me roll in the aisle....

Gives me hope....

Makes me see that people have so many sides...

Makes me laugh.....

Encourages me with subtle humor....

Makes me laugh... THEN cry!!!!

Gets me on my feet dancing!!!!

Gets me on my feet singing praises to God!!!

I am SO looking forward to spending time learning from these people at Women of Faith this weekend! If you are joining me there... let's have a great time. If you aren't, please be in prayer that our weekend goes off smoothly... that we have GREAT weather... and awesome travel!!!
But more importantly, please pray that hearts are changed!!!!

OOOHHHHH... An AWARD!!!!!

2010-07-20T14:54:00.003-04:00

My new bloggy buddy, AuburnChick, has bestowed upon me the honorable title of...

... you did remember to insert a drum roll, right??? If not, be sure to read it again and do so. It make for some GREAT build up!!!! So for the rules....

1. Thank the person who gave you the award... THANK YOU AUBURNCHICK

2. List seven (7) things about yourself that people don't know.

Hmmm.... well.... let's see... I'm such an open book.....

1. When I was a little girl, I would take all of my Barbie dolls and chop their hair off short. I ALWAYS had short hair, and I thought THEY should look like ME.

2. I am pretty sure that the perfect Bologna and cheese sandwhich has to be made JUST right.... bread, Miracle whip, then cheese... then a layer of potato chips... followed by the bologna, mustard and another slice of bread... in THAT order. Now I know, I could "see" that your nose turned up when you got to the whole "chips" part... but hey... it is GOOD!!!

3. When I as in high school we were asked to take a test to see just what we would be suited to do after graduation. Me... I was apparently suited to become a mechanic. Yes... you read that right... a mechanic. Now, I scored SUPER high on the mechanical portion of the test, but I'm pretty sure that it didn't mean MECHANIC... so I've often wondered if I've missed out on my "perfect career opportunity" or if my guidance counselor was in the wrong line of work!!!!

4. I've always loved music... a true band geek... but many of you may not know that I USED to be able to play several different instruments. I say USED to because I'm pretty sure after 30 years the skills are GONE!!! Clarinet, baritone, french horn, mellophone, and trumpet... and I once taught myself to play the Sax so that I could teach my nephew how to play over summer break... yeah... TRUE geek.

5. I've always loved crafts... and had the joy of working in a craft store for 5 years... ah... the bliss!!! But while many of you know about my love of all things yarn, you may not know that I used to love cross stitch... I've made some pretty darn good things in my day... but alas... my eyes are NOT what they used to be, so I no longer do cross stitch.

6. Along the lines of the "eyes"... I have macular degeneration... fortunately the "slow" kind... as well as cataracts... hence the no longer being able to cross stitch. We are "watching" it all as it progresses... and I'm pretty sure that I'll have to have the cataracts removed at some point... which is a GOOD thing, because they can now implant lenses and then I will NO LONGER need glasses. As for the MD... well... it will take time, but I will eventually lose the vision in that eye... and while I was pretty bummed about it when I first heard... I called my Aunt who has already lost her vision in one eye, and after some crying... and then MUCH laughing... I'm okay with it all... it isn't in MY control anyway.

7. And lastly... I think I should leave you with something funny... I HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE, HATE MICE.... yes, those furry little CUTE creatures... I HATE them!!! When I was but a wee little girl, my cheek was bitten by a rat while I was sleeping... or at least I was TOLD it was a rat. I had to get rabies shots, 1 a day for 14 days, around my little belly button. Which also has caused me to hate shots. How is this funny, you might ask??? Well, over the years growing up on a farm, I've had my run ins with numerous rats, mice AND shots, and every time has ended up being one of the funniest stories. So, if you want to see me a) run hysterically b) pee my pants or c) scream like a REAL girl... just bring around a little mouse... I promise, you won't leave disappointed!!!!

Now... to pass along the honor....

Robbie... over at Now There Are Five... this is one busy lady!!!!!! You will love her momma's heart and her Memorial Box Mondays!!!!

Terry... another one of our adoption momma's.... and she's at it again... gearing up to head to China to bring home a daughter... her family is such a mixture... and they are so BLESSED to have been brought together by God...

Christy... she has gone through some pretty major "life change moments"... and has not only held on to her faith in God to provide, but has stepped out in faith as well....

Enjoy getting to know these new friends!!!! And remember to visit AuburnChick as well!!!

Winging it...

2010-07-12T09:36:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I walked into my SS class and wondered just where all the children were! While the numbers were better than last week (one child showed!), they were still down. I only had 4 kiddos in class... summer vacations are definitely taking a toll on the numbers! Now, I had prepared a lesson on the Wise Man and Foolish Man last week, and I opted out of it with just one student... she went to another class. I opted out of it again this week... I really need more numbers to do what I want to do.... so I decided to "wing it".

I asked the kids who showed up what their favorite bible story was... hands down the story of Noah. So off we went... on a Noah adventure! We talked about God asking Noah to build the Ark... we talked about the fact that when God said it would rain, it had NEVER rained in Noah's lifetime... the ground had ALWAYS been watered from below.... then we talked about the SIZE of the Ark... try explaining THAT one to first graders.... the 4th graders... they understood a little better. Then we talked about all the animals that were on the Ark.... and we made a list of all the ones we could come up with. Then I told that that it only scratched the surface of the number present.

Then we got into logistics... what would they need to survive... and not just for 40 days and 40 nights... if you add up the time they were on that Ark for over a YEAR... I think it was 379 days that we came up with!!! So they would need LOTS of food for all of the animals... and some of the animals that came along had to BE food for other animals such as lions, tigers, ... you get the picture. Then I asked them, "If an animal eats, and digests the food, what happens next?"... blank stares were all around the room... then I saw a light bulb pop... yep... "They poop!" Oh yeah... as one of the boys put it... "that's a LOT of poop". The girls were pretty freaked out about the bug issue... that is a LOT of bugs in one place too!!!

Then one boy asked, "What about all the OTHER people? What happened to them?" and I told him... "Because of their sins, they all died. Only 8 people remained on the WHOLE earth... along with the animals that God would use to refill the earth with MORE animals." The obvious next question.... "We have floods today... will be all die?"

Then we talked about rainbows... and God's covenant with His children....

What child hasn't drawn a rainbow at some point? Or seen one on a rainy, sunny day?? And I told them that God promised us that he would NEVER destroy the entire earth by that means again. This didn't mean that there will never be floods, just that he will NEVER use one to take out the entire world. And we talked about the fact that once God made that covenant, he had to watch as the world once again returned to its sinful ways... but that he had a plan in place already... and he would send his Son to die on the cross for our sins.

I handed out paper and crayons and showed them how to draw a picture of the Ark... the mountain it landed on... and I added a rainbow and the dove we had talked about, holding an olive branch. Then I turned them loose to work on their own pictures. As one of the boys was finishing up his rainbow he asked, "Mrs. Lynn, can I add a sun? You have to have a sun to make the rainbow work!" And as I told him of course... I wondered if he really understood what he had just told me....

"You have to have the SON to make the rainbow (promise) work."

Gotta love working with kids... sometimes they just have a way of taking an hour long lesson and bringing it down to just a few words!!!!

Freedom... What does it mean to you?

2010-07-03T14:21:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I killed some time in Meijer before I went to see Eclipse with Carly and some friends. As I was roaming through the store picking up a few odds and ends for our Annual 4th of July gathering I found myself humming along to the music... very patriotic! As the music changed I found myself wanting to belt out the words to the next song, "This is My Country". And then I started to wonder just how many people actually even know that song!

You, being over 50 and coming from a very small town, I think I in a minority here. Not only is my hometown small, but it boasts of having the longest consecutive 4th of July celebration in the USA. This year marks the 180th celebration, and when I was growing up we took our celebration seriously. And to some extent, we still do.

I can remember as an elementary student, attending a small township school, being led in the songs that made us proud to be an American.... "The Star-Spangled Banner", "America, the Beautiful", "God Bless America", "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", "America- My Country tis of Thee"... and yes... even "Yankee Doodle Dandy". I still feel such a sense of pride when I hear these songs... but I'm sure that many people today just don't know them... oh, if they heard them they might be able to come up with a name, but the words? Maybe not... and I find that VERY sad.

This is my country! Land of my birth!

This is my country! Grandest on earth!

I pledge thee my allegiance, America, the bold,

For this is my country to have and to hold!

This is my country! Land of my choice!

This is my country! Hear my proud voice!

I pledge thee my allegiance, Americam, the bold,

For this is my country! To have and to hold!

Lyrics like that... they just aren't out there anymore. If you don't know the tune, just read these words with feeling... they should make you feel a sense of pride!!!!

There are men and women out there today who are working day and night to protect this country and our freedoms... and there are men and women that you pass on the street everyday who have given their service for the same. You may not recognize them as you pass, they don't wear a special tag, or wave a banner, but they served... and they see how we, as a nation, are turning our backs on all that they went to fight for. I'm sure it must make them sad.Take some time to just google Patriotic Songs this weekend and look over the lyrics... pull up a few on You Tube... be proud to call yourself an American.. and thank someone who served so you could be free.

Freedom is something that we've all started to take for granted... and I think we need to get a check on that... because in the blink of an eye, we could find ourselves unable to enjoy the things we do today... I see the enemy beginning to take a step in that direction, and if we don't begin to fall on our knees and ask for God's protection, we will no longer be able to worship Him freely. That is probably one of the most important aspects of freedom for me... drop me a comment and let me know what freedom means for you... I'd love to hear!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Meet Murphy!

2010-07-01T22:00:00.001-04:00

Here is our new family member... Murphy.... and yes, I can't just say Murphy... I have to add on. I've been making him Irish... Murphy O'Neal.... Carly on the other hand has been calling him Murphy Brown... he is NOT a girl!!!

He is currently snuggled down in his new bed, snoozing away. Gonna have to get him up to kennel him soon so I can go to bed... which means a trip outside as well.

Had to have him sheared due to matting and ticks... not too happy with the results... couldn't believe how he looked when I picked him up... and this is an improvement because I took a fine tooth flea come and got rid of a bunch of junk they left. And the poor little guy... his cut is just terrible! Fortunately hair grows, and for that I am thankful.

I've decided that even I can do a better job than that, so friend of mine who has been a groomer, but now only does a few out of her home, has offered to teach me... gonna be getting my shears soon... but I think I have awhile before his hair will be long enough to even straighten out... maybe I can find him a little puppy wig??? Or in his case, a toupee!!! Thank goodness it is summer or I would have to whip out a doggie sweater for the poor thing.

Aside from the bad hair day, he was also "snipped", or as I like to say, he had his manhood adjusted, so he is gonna be a little sore for awhile. He seems so even tempered, and even Michael has taken up with him and he has always hated dogs. He even led him around the yard for awhile tonight... progress!!!

Vacation pictures - part 2

2010-06-29T09:57:00.005-04:00

A few more vacation pictures then I'm finished... promise!!!

Zia's in THE HILL area of St. Louis... AMAZING Italian food... Carly had her very first REAL ravioli... seafood stuffed... amazing..... We actually went there at a Women of Faith Conference and loved it so we tracked it down on this trip!!!!

Michael ACTUALLY touched a rabbit... this is HUGE for him... we were at Purina Farms...

He was determined to ride on the Lion at Grant's Farm... he did NOT want to go up and down, and the lion was the only stationary one on the ride...

The Frozen Custard shop has been on Route 66 since 1929.... it was pretty good!

At the zoo we did another ride, and again... the giraffe did not move.... Carly is texting pictures... and I am riding the " Somalian Wild Ass"... yes... that is really what it was called....

LOVE this picture of the lioness... isn't she beautiful????

Yes... my children are strange.... but you have to admit, they are cute. Wonder how many other children have stood in front of this picture doing the same thing???

Nice vacation... but ALWAYS glad to be home!

Vacation ... the beginning

2010-06-24T22:14:00.009-04:00

Just a few pictures from our trip... more tomorrow.... sorry... but indulge me a little ;) !!

The arch... amazing....

We actually rode to the top... this is the small area we rode up in.. only room for 5!

Carly was excited.... she got a signal at the top!!!

The whole family at the top...

The view was amazing....

Everything looked so tiny!!!!

And yes... Carly was STILL getting a signal... texting Rebecca... Erica... Chandra... Rachel... and Clinton... think it took her mind off of just how far up she was!!!!

Had some WONDERFUL BBQ at a place called Pappy's Smokehouse... appropriate if you know that Mickey is called Pappy by the grands!!! This was a little hole-in-the-wall kind of place, but it has been featured on the Food Network... it was VERY tasty!!!! Best ribs I've ever had!!!

Then we spent some time at the City Museum as well... it was a great place and Michael finally got into the action...

He even got up next to the Frisch's Big Boy... which is amazing in itself if you know our boy....

Have more pictures to download and edit... then I'll get them up as well....

The next step....

2010-06-15T21:17:00.005-04:00

Have you ever just had one of those times in your life when you wondered... just what IS the next step? That is kind of where I'm at right now... and it isn't easy knowing where to set my foot down.

There are just so many different types of steps one can take in their life....

A step forward... heading in a new direction...

A step back... going to a place you've been before...

A step to the side... allowing others to take your place... or maybe just walk beside you

A step down... leaving a part of your life that you've clung to for a long time

Sometimes determining the direction we take is hard... sometimes it is easy... and sometimes the decision is taken out of our hands...

So that is where I'm at right now... standing still... listening... trying to determine which direction makes the most sense....

How about you??? Have you ever been in one of those positions??? Wondering which step is the right step???? One thing is for certain... I never have to take a step alone... I know that Christ is right there beside me... and for the decision to be right, I just have to keep my eyes on him!!!

Emily's Birthday and another cake down

2010-06-13T18:46:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Miss Emily!!!! It was such a joy to get to spend this afternoon with our good friends Joe and Erica as they celebrated Emily's !!!

I spent the day yesterday creating her cake... it was so much fun to do for her... and in the picture above, she is wearing the tutu and out fit that our daughter Chandra made for her... a true princess outfit. The cake is my fourt foray into the world of fondant... I'm getting better... it is just gonna take some practice! With all of these kiddos to bake for, I'm sure I will get plenty!

There were serveral family members and friends who came to help celebrate.... and the tables were decorated withe the pictures that they had taken by a photographer for the Littlest Hero project... (I think I have that name right!)

Thanks Joe and Erica for sharing your little one with our family... we love you... and we love her!!! We are so blessed to count you in our family... and Happy, Happy Birthda Princess Emily!

To sing....

2010-06-08T23:24:00.002-04:00

On Saturday, while being out and about all day long with the open house, I guess my allergies got the best of me. By the time graduation was over, my voice would have rivaled Barry White's... well actually... Barry Smith's!!! You see, our music minister's name is Barry, and he has a pretty deep voice. I LOVE to sing with Barry... I enjoy harmonizing with him because his voice IS so deep. While I sing alto, it is a pretty low alto.

I knew by Saturday night that singing was just NOT going to be an option for me on Sunday morning. And I was truly disappointed. I sing back-up vocals around 4 months out of the year... and since it only happens once a quarter, I really look forward to my time singing. Not only that, but I get to sing with my best sister-friend Rebecca, which is just too much fun.

I have to tell you how hard it was to NOT sing during service. I had already taught my SS class, so my voice was already rough. And I REALLY wanted to sing the harmony on the songs that were being sung that morning. Some of them I really ENJOY the harmony parts so much... but I tried very hard to NOT sing. I didn't want to make a bad problem worse.

As I stood there, doing my best MillieVanilli impression, I realized just how much the praise song portion of the service can enhance your whole experience. I wonder how people can just stand there and NOT sing praises to their Lord and Savior. And trust me... people DON'T sing on Sunday mornings... I've seen it first hand. It always seems so funny to me to be standing up in front of a congregation looking out and seeing just how many people don't move a muscle during the singing. No muscle, no lips... not even a blink of an eye. It is like they are only ENDURING that portion of the service. (And believe it or not.. we SEE you not enjoying it!!!) After Sunday I can't help but think that they are SO missing out on something that is wonderful! They are missing out on a opportunity to be JOYFUL in the pressence of their SAVIOR!!!!

So from now on, if I see you standing there NOT singing, I may just run up and ask you to sing with me... I got to feel what you are missing... now I want YOU to see what I've found!!!

.... and we are DONE!!!!

2010-06-07T09:38:00.008-04:00

Carly has finally graduated!!!! YIPPEE!!!! What a wonderful day we had.

We started out the day by hosting an open house for family and friends. Around 45 people came throughout the day... and we had such a good time with them all. Thanks so much to each of you who came to help us celebrate Carly's accomplishment! Her cake turned out nice... and was pretty tasty too!

Carly and a few of her friends blessed us with a little surprise....

It was a lot of fun.... not just the dancing but the reactions of those who where watching!

We are so proud of this young lady... she has grown up to be pretty darned amazing... and we can't wait to see where the Lord takes her in her journey. Happy Graduation Carly!!!!

One Down......

2010-06-03T09:43:00.002-04:00

That's right.... one graduation down, one to go. Michael celebrated his graduation from kindergarten yesterday at Eastern. He is pictured here with is principal, Mrs. Essary, on the left and his teacher, Mrs. Sanders, on the right. He did a great job.

Below is my great-nephew Chase (and yes, I am THAT old!) who also graduated. He is the one on the left in his button-down shirt and tie. Told his mom that he looked like a "real man" going to a "real job". How cute is that?

This year, Michael's class was blessed with a cadet teacher, Miss Brianna. Oddly enough, I coached Brianna for years as Carly played T-ball, then softball. Her dad acted as my assistant coach for a good number of those years, and I could always count on her mom, Pam, to do whatever was needed. Brianna will graduate with Carly this Saturday.

Michael's graduation marks the beginning of Summer Vacation for him, and he is already looking forward to vacation in a couple of weeks. And he is already talking about our homeschooling next fall. Hope he is still excited about it when the time comes!!!

Now... baking cakes for Carly's graduation open house scheduled for Saturday. Can't wait to celebrate her accomplishment with family and friends. Praying for a nice, cool and NON-rainy day... but well be satisfied with the weather that God sends our way! But if you come, remember to tell Michael congratulations as well, he is pretty excited about graduating just like Carly!!!

Time flies....

2010-05-29T10:48:00.002-04:00

My blog friend Auburn Chick posted a run down of her graduating daughters school years, and I thought it was great... and I would like to do something similar as we prepare for graduation next weekend!

Carly has always been a little bit of a "mommy's girl", and I have so many wonderful memories of her growing up. She has never been very far from my side... and while is some respects that might not have always been a good thing, it has been a blessing as well. She is so much like me at times that it is just ... well, it is strange!

As the youngest daughter (she didn't become a big sister until she was nearly 12!) I wasn't sure that Carly would EVER talk. Her oldest sister was 12, and her other sister 7, when she was born. All Carly had to do was point to whatever she wanted and they were ready to oblige. I remember the day that I finally had to say, "Don't just hand her things, make her say the word, or she will NEVER learn to talk." She hasn't stopped talking since!

With a sister 12 years older, it wasn't long before she became a playtoy for Chandra's friends. At ballgames she often sat with these girls in the cheerblock, loving the attention that she received. And as Rachel become active in the marching band program, Carly could be found on the sidelines listening to the music, and tossing a flag into the air, dreaming of the day she could do what Rachel did. Now at 18, Carly has the ability to get along well with those individuals who are older than she is, which will serve her well. She has also developed a love for music... and all of those years on the sideline at band competitions were a big part of developing that love.

Carly has always had a love for babies... if there is a baby to be found, she will be somewhere near. That love of children led her to volunteer in our church nursery when she was in junior high... and she has been in children's ministry in some capacity ever since. Many of the children who are entering kindergarten this year started out with Carly in the nursery. She loves the children she works with, and they have grown to love and respect Ms. Carly. I find myself smiling with I see one come up to her during fellowship time so that they can share something with her. Or when they call out goodbye to her at the end of a service. We have been so blessed by watching her grow in this ministry.

When Carly decided that she no longer wanted to participate in band, we knew that she would miss that connection to music, so we bought her a bass guitar as she had once mentioned that she might like to play. She began taking lessons with our music minister, and with her background in music it was only a few short weeks until she was playing with the band on Sunday mornings. I am always amazed at how quickly she learns a new instrument, her talent is truly a gift from God and we are pleased that she has chosen to honor Him with it. She also picked up choir in school, and this year sang two solos and a duet at their spring concert. She did such and awesome job and we are so proud.

As Carly prepares to walk on graduation day next week, there are just so many blessings that we are praying for her... she is about to begin the next chapter in her journey, and with page after page of life stories still to be written, we are asking that God continue to keep her in the palm of his hand. We pray that she will find the path that has been chosen for her, and that she will learn more about herself as she travels it. And not just about herself, but about who she is IN CHRIST... as that will be the most important lesson. We pray for her to find joy, peace and eventually love... and we pray for her to be happy.

As I have looked back over her life with us over the past 18 years, I have smiled often, and I have shed a tear or two as well. I am humbled that God would allow me to walk alongside such a wonderful young lady (just as he allowed me to walk alongside her sisters, and now her brother!) and I pray that as parents, we have been able to instill in her those things she will need to draw on as her life begins to turn towards walking more independently.

I love you Carly... Happy Graduation!!!

The Countdown Begins

2010-05-18T19:59:00.006-04:00

Well... we are now down to 8 school days until Carly is finished with High School! That's right ... 8 DAYS!!!! She will have her graduation rehearsal next Friday, May 28th, followed by a Senior Picnic. She does not have to go back on the 1st and 2nd as she has enough days left that she can miss. So on the 1st, we will head out for a day of shopping... getting her sandals to go with her cute graduation dress... getting the remainder of the food for her open house.... I can't believe that we are THIS close!!!!

I've started to pull out some of her pictures to create a display for her open house... she was such a little cutie pie... all blonde and curly haired.... And now... she has become such a beautiful young lady... and young woman that I am very proud to call daughter....

And on June 2nd, Michael will graduate from Kindergarten... and we will begin a new adventure as we prepare to homeschool him next year. I have realized that while I have always had a desire to be a teacher, and that God has definitely led me to that... he has also given me a son to teach. While in a service one Sunday, as I was struggling with what to do about Michael and his developmental delays, I silently cried out to God asking him what I can do, and this still, small, voice said to me... "I've given you one to teach at home..." Okay... point taken... so next year Michael and I will begin 1st grade at home. I am thrilled to be able to do this for Michael... and excited that God has given me such clear direction.

My little boy isn't so little anymore... he is growing by leaps and bounds, and I don't want to miss a single moment of it.... but I am so thankful that he has had such a wonderful teacher in Mrs. Sanders this year... she has taken all of his needs to heart, and has made his year so much fun!

The next 2 1/2 weeks will be busy ones... but the doors that are opening are huge... and I can't wait to see what waits on the other side!!!

Having some grandkid time...

2010-05-13T14:21:00.002-04:00

Okay, I know it has been awhile since I last posted... sorry... I am guilty of just READING blogs and not tending to my own... I've smacked my own hands, and I know that makes you feel somewhat better!

Today I drove up to get two of the grands so they could spend a couple of days with us. Mommy is having a surgical procedure, and so they have come to hang with me while she gets a little rest. They were so excited when I got there... it was so cute. I walked in the door and they both said, "Let's go!" Yeah, I didn't think that I was going to get to tell anyone else hello, or even have time to pray for our daughter before we left!

As soon as we hit the road, they were excited to see so many semis on the roadway. Immediately Kailyn said, "Nanny, if you do your hands like this, the semi driver will blow his horn at you..." And up went their little arms, fists clinched and making the motion... oh, don't tell me you don't know that motion... I'm sure you've done it a few times yourself. And low and behold, the 1st guy they ask... he toots his horn at them. They giggled with delight and proceeded to "make the motion" at the next three semi driver's in front of him... none of which obliged. Looking ahead, I told them that just maybe they needed to take a break from that activity... there were HUNDREDS of semis ahead of us... seriously!!!!

So they decided to ask me about a million questions instead... all of which I had an answer for... even if I had to make one up... hey... they are 5 and 3... can they prove me wrong??? I think not... and at the end of the question and answer session, we hit McDonald's for a couple of Happy Meals and some quality time on the play equipment. Their little legs must have made 20 or more trips up that thing. I was getting tired just watching them!

And from there, we hit the library, where they each got to choose a movie... which they thought was pretty awesome.

Right now, they are taking a nap in preparation for Michael's arrival home from school... they are so excited to see him, and he has been chomping at the bit for them to get here. So for now, I'm gonna enjoy the calm before the storm that occurs when the kids are here!!!

Momma was I......?

2010-04-28T12:11:00.003-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had an interesting coversation with Michael over breakfast. Actually, he was eating and I was getting stuff ready for school! So this conversation totally caught me off guard.

Michael is HUGE on looking at pictures... he drags out the albums once or twice a week and just sits and pours over the pages. The night before he had been looking at one of his favorites... the album that holds the pictures of our trip to China to bring him home. As he was eating he asked, "Where was Cam when I came home from China?"

"Well," I answered, "remember Cam was born AFTER you came home from China. We have the pictures of you holding him in the hospital."

"I know that," he replied. "But WHERE was he?"

"Oh, well, he was in Chandra's tummy."

"Why?" he asked. And at that point my heart began to sink a little as I replied, "Michael, that is where all babies grow, in a momma's tummy."

He sat there for a few minutes and looked up at me and said, "Did I grow in YOUR tummy?" And I must say, my heart sank a little farther as I said, "No, Michael you didn't. Remember, we came to China to get you."

"Oh, well, whose tummy did I grow in?" As I looked at my little boy, sitting there with his syrup lips and mik mustache... I answered him as truthfully as I could. "Michael, you had a mommy in China, and you grew in her tummy. But she wasn't able to keep you, so she made sure that you were in a place where we could find you and bring you to live with us."

Again, he sat there very thoughtfully and asked, "Why couldn't she keep me?" Wow, how do you answer that question? So I told him, "I'm not sure buddy, because she was in China and I was in America, so we never met. But I am sure that she loved you, and she wanted to make sure that you came to live with us."

And as my heart was breaking a little bit for my son, he looked up at me with a big smile and said, "And you picked me, right?" "Yes, Michael, we picked you."

Then he said, "When you looked at my picture, did you say, 'He's perfect?' " "Yes, Michael, we said that you were perfect for our family."

And with that, he went back to eating his pancakes, and drinking his milk, chattering on and on about school and what he would do that day.

I have to believe that Michael's "China mom" loved him... how could you carry a child for 9 months and not love them?

I have to believe that as she looked at his little face on the day he was born, and saw that he had been born "imperfect" in a society that values perfection, that she STILL loved him, and that she was crushed to have left him on the doorstep of a children's hospital. Afterall, she did leave him AT the hospital, where he could be found and cared for.

I have to believe that she wonders about him to this day, and I pray that she will somehow know that the little boy she carried is safe with a family who finds him a perfect fit.

And I'm sure that this question will arise again, as all such questions do... and I will teach him that growing in a tummy isn't nearly as important as growing in a heart... and that he has been "growing in my heart" since the day I saw his little face on my computer and we were told that he was ours.

I have a feeling that there will be more questions that will require hard answers as he continues to grow.... and I pray that God will always provide us with answers that will build Michael up... because sometimes the truth is just plain ugly.

Baby Bird Update

2010-04-23T22:02:00.002-04:00

Just a couple of pictures to show how the babies are growing!!! What a difference a week can make!!!

All snuggled up and safe and sound... momma wasn't too happy about the picture taking... but hey... gotta show off the kids!!!

Another Sign of Summer

2010-04-21T10:22:00.002-04:00

We are huge bird feeders here at the Neal home! We have two "seed feeders", one in the front and one in the back... and during the spring, we put 2 hummingbird feeders out front. The number of birds we feed is astounding. And the types that come are numerous. We feed ALL year long... we get a little lax when berry season is in swing because they don't hit the feeders as much.

We have cardinals, black capped chickadees, tufted titmouse, nuthatch, blue birds, blue jays, woodpeckers, house wrens, sparrows, mockingbirds, mourning doves, rofus sided towhees, cowbirds, redwinged blackbirds... and robins are everywhere (see the previous post for more about those!) But you get the picture... we have birds galore! And we just love to watch all the bird activity around our home.

Every spring we eagerly await the sighting of the first hummingbird. My mom and I make a point of letting the other one know when they have arrived. This year, Mickey was the lucky one to see the first bird. Over the years our numbers have grown... with one pair the first year we put out a feeder to 3 pair last year. We have even found where they nest... and the construction of those little nests is amazing. So after the sighting on Monday, today I had Mickey bring up the feeders and I've filled them with yummy sugar water to draw them in (4 parts water, 1 part sugar... more than that will damage their little livers!) Can't wait for them to make their appearance at the feeders... it is just another sign that summer is right around the corner!!!

Next up... planting some flower!!! Yay!!!!

Wonderful weekend and a glimpse into new life!

2010-04-18T20:55:00.004-04:00

Had a great weekend. On Friday, my dear friend Rebecca called me to tell me that while at Women of Joy in Louisville she was able to get a free ticket to the concert on Saturday night - Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W. Smith. She asked if I was interested... are you KIDDING ME!!! Oh yeah!!! She said to cross my fingers because she had to make sure she could get the arm bands that went with it.

So Saturday, Michael and I head out to run our errands, and between stores my phone rings... Rebecca says... I got the ticket AND the bracelet... and then we both screamed! Poor Michael... he just held his little ears. Then we realized that not only could I go to the concert, but I would be able to go to the Worship Service on Sunday morning - featuring Liz Curtis Higgs!!! Oh my... I LOVE this woman. So I sent a text to Sha, who was able to cover my Sunday School class... and I was all set.

I must say I was totally blessed by this weekend... it was amazing... and just what I needed. So a huge thanks to Rebecca for asking me to go... and to the gracious unknown woman who gave me such a wonderful gift!!! I sent word with her friends to thank her for me... she was an angel this weekend for sure!

So after we went to lunch today, I headed out into the yard to do a little weeding while Mickey washed the cars. He noticed a robin that was trying to make its way into one of our holly bushes. He took a peek and this is what he found....

Three newly hatched baby robins.... and they were so tiny and bald... with just a few pin feathers...

It is always so uplifting to see new life... be it a little baby... or a baby bird... it makes me stand in awe of our Creator... and on the heals of Women of Joy... all I can say is that it was a perfect way to end the weekend!

Latest Project

2010-04-16T13:25:00.002-04:00

Finished a little sweater for Emma. A vintage pattern.. probably 1950's.

Love the subtle design on the front...

...and it fit Emma nicely!

One happy girl!

2010-04-05T23:16:00.004-04:00

Just a few pictures to share from Easter weekend. God has so richly blessed Mickey and I... and we are truly thankful for all that he has given us. Especially this family! What a blessing they are!

2010-04-01T08:18:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures with you... first, Emma Rose with her Birthday cake.

Then... all our kids! Aren't they all just precious?! It is funny when look at this picture... there are just so many years between them all! And Michael, he is one lucky little boy having so many big sisters to watch over him!

And here is my mom, or Gram as the kids call her... and Kailyn added into the mix. I was taking the picture or there would have been four generations!!!! And Emma was too busy running around playing to get in on the "girl" shot!

Looking forward to this weekend, and celebrating Easter. All the kids and grands will be here, and it looks like the day will be a nice one. We have an Easter service to attend... eggs for hunting... and a great meal planned.

Friday night, our church, Greenville Christian, will be holding a Good Friday service at 7. The Ensemble will be singing, and both Carly and I are taking part. It will be a great way to begin the Easter weekend. At our final practice last night, a mother and son from our church practiced their duet... and I must tell you... it was amazing! The words to the song were just so powerful... Enjoy! Oh yeah... kleenex alert!!!!

A little slouch and some Oz....

2010-03-27T14:40:00.006-04:00

Thanks to Auburn Chick, I have finally been able to produce a slouch hat that Carly truly likes! This is my third attempt, and I had given up hope of ever finding a patter that I could do... AND that Carly would like.... Auburn Chick, you've made my life MUCH better!

Fits her nicely... and she shows great approval!!! Yippee!!

Now for some Oz..... My second granddaughter, Emma Rose, is having her 3rd Birthday Party tomorrow... and she LOVES The Wizard of Oz... the girl can literally quote the movie... AND... she knows the order in which things happen... so an Oz party is in the making.... and I get to make the cake!

First things first... makeing the yellow brick road.... and with Glinda being a favorite, I opted to use her on the top... and the little flowers... yes... they are for the Munchkins....

And on top... "Are you a good Witch or a bad Witch?".... Seriously, if you ask Emma that she will say, "I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas".... now how cute is that?! Happy Birthday Emma Rose!

The Sound of Quiet

2010-03-17T15:54:00.004-04:00

Well, the grands have gone home... unwillingly, but they are gone. Kailyn and I have a special bond, as I watched her for the first several months of her life... we are close... and she told me this morning... she wasn't going home... she was staying with me forever. It didn't take Camden long to join in, although he spent some teary eyed moments missing his Mommy over the past few days. Kailyn was finally pacified as I printed out a chart for her counting down the days until she comes back to Nanny's house... just 18 in all.

The quiet in the house after they left was amazing.... Michael headed straight to his computer game, and it was really funny to hear NOTHING after 4 days of EVERYTHING! And as quiet as it is... it is still a little sad. Wonder if this is what God thinks after we've spent a long time praying to him for something we desire... and then when we get what we've asked for ... or we get tired of praying... we just stop talking to him? I'm thinkin' maybe.... anyway....

Just wanted to leave you with a few pictures from our time with the kiddos....

Emma, Camden, Levi and Kailyn

Michael

Kailyn

Camden

Emma

Levi

Capturing His Attention

2010-03-16T14:06:00.003-04:00

The past few days I've been exceedingly blessed. I've gotten to spend time with my grands, Kailyn and Camden. They currently live around an hour away from us, and we only get to spend time with them every 4 to six weeks. While many of you may think that is pretty good, you must understand I was used to seeing them more often than that, and them being far away has been a struggle for me.

I am fortunate in that we keep our other grands, Emma and Levi, once a week, and spending that time with them is great. So it isn't like we are starved for "grandkid time" it is just that we miss having K and C living close.

They arrived on Saturday, coming in for Game Night, something we are attempting to do with a few friends and family every 4 to 6 weeks... and they arrived in a whirlwind of activity. Along with their mommy and daddy, they came to church with us on Sunday and then Sunday afternoon, they shipped their parents back home, and they will remain with us through Wednesday afternoon.

With Michael in school, it has been fun to have some "Nanny" time with them, getting to know them all over again. They are growing so fast, and K will actually be registereing for Kindergarten tomorrow! And C... he is getting so big, talking non-stop... having 'REAL' conversation.

Yesterday, when Michael came in from school, he bounded up the stairs at break-neck speed, he was ready for some play time... and I actually thought a few minutes later he might just want some alone time as K and C both vied for his attention. They were excited for him to be home, they were ready to play, and they each had a different activity in mind for him. It was clear to see that they both felt he was their personal friend... and he should be lavishing his attention on only ONE of them... not BOTH.

I couldn't help but smile at the situation, realizing that we are a lot like that with God... we are always trying to capture his attention... to get him to listen to us... to hear what we want, what we say, to get him to be our personal savior... forgetting that he came to save us ALL... forgetting to put aside our wants and our desires long enough to pray for someone else's needs.

I think that just like Michael, God runs to be with us... he is excited about spending time with us...but I think that he wants us to understand that it isn't all about our needs, or our desires... (though he does care about those!)...but it is about what HE desires for us. I also believe that he wants us to be in prayer for those who are also in need of his attention. He wants us to plead on their behalf... to think of their needs over and above our own... and I think that when we finally get that, he will be so proud of the growth we have shown!

Thunder....

2010-03-13T14:20:00.003-05:00

The Lord thundered from heaven; the voice of the most high resounded. Psalm 18:13

As I sat reading during the other afternoon, I heard thunder... and I wondered at first what it was. Yes, I do know what thunder is... what it sounds like... but it had actually been awhile since I had heard it. And as it was off in the distance it actually took a second clap for me to registered that I was hearing thunder.

As spring is quickly approaching, I turned on the TV to make sure we were under no warnings and saw that the storms were to our east... just far enough away to not cause us any problems, but close enough that I got to hear the occasional clap of thunder.

When Mickey got home he asked if I had heard the thunder during the day, and I told him that it took a few times of hearing it for it to register, and he remarked that he had to listen again as well, stating that it had been awhile since he had heard any thunder around here.

It hit me today as I looked out at the darkening sky, that the season of thunderstorms is upon us, and we will once again be hearing thunder on a regular basis, and that we will once again become accustomed to its sound. And I thought how quickly we forget sounds that we just don't hear very often, or even that we become used to and just tune out... and I wondered... is that how I am with God?

Have I often forgotten his voice because I just haven't heard it lately? And have I not heard it because I'm not listening, or because I have become so accustomed to it that I have tuned it out? And those times where I struggle to hear his voice, is it there and I'm just not sure what it is that I am hearing???

If I can't immediately identify the sound of thunder, how can I identify the voice of God???
And is he "off in the distance" because I have placed him there???? Just some questions rambling around in my mind today... Have a blessed weekend.....

2010-03-10T21:21:00.002-05:00

This afternoon we traveled to Louisville to visit little Emily in the hospital. Emily, who has been diagnoised with Infantile Spasms, had a g-tube inserted today for feeding a special diet. Her mommy, Erica, does a great job of explaining the ins and outs of IS and the diet here.

But this post isn't about IS, or the diet... in fact, it isn't about Emily... my post is about her parents, Joe and Erica. I want to tell you what I see as I watch them with their little princess.

We've been friends with Joe and Erica for awhile now... we have officially adopted them into our family, and while they do not share our earthly DNA, we are related through the blood of Christ. We shared in their sadness when Erica had a miscarrage... we shared in their joy when they found out that Emily was on the way. We were there for her birth, and we were there on the day they dedicated her to the Lord. And I have been amazed by the love that this young couple has showered on their daughter. She was loved from the beginning, and is more loved today, than she was yesterday.

The struggles that they have endured over the past three months have been enough to crush the spirit of even the most solid Christian among us. I have watched as they have ridden wave after wave of highs and lows. From the diagnosis, and all of the uncertainty that came with it, to the medications that offered a cure yet failed, to the surgery that she just went through, Joe and Erica have walked on the edge of a cliff that is so high, there is no solid ground in sight. And through it all they have tried desperately to hold on to their faith, and I know that they must be hurt, angry and desperate for their little girl to be healed from this disease.

I have watched as Satan has whispered lie after lie to them, trying to lead them to believe that God does not care, that he is distant, that there is no hope. I have watched as people have lifted them up, showing them the love of Christ, and I have watched as Satan has used people to try and lead them away from all that they know to be true about the God who loves them so deeply. And I wonder... how will they continue under such a heavy weight. And I wonder if they will remain strong, trusting that God is in control... and that HIS control is good enough.

And then, tonight as I stood and watched them lovingly help Emily as she had a cluster of spasms, I was struck by the looks on their faces.... that look that is only seen when a parent looks at their child... that look that says, "I love you more than I can explain, you are mine, and I am here for you! You are NOT alone." That look that was on their faces, it says it all... they will never give up, they will never leave her side, no matter how hard the road may get... they will love her with a love so strong THEY don't even understand it.

THAT is the very love that God has for each one of his children... and seeing the looks on their faces helped me to get a glimpse of how God's face must look as he looks down on me... I am completely and totally humbled by the thought. God... the creator of the universe... the great I AM... looks down on me and says, "I love you more than I can explain! You are mine! I am here for you! You are NOT alone!"....

And to Joe and Erica... I just want you to know that he is looking down on each one of you with that same look of love... and that he must be so very proud of you as you care for and love your little angel. And just as you will never leave Emily's side... he will never leave yours! And no matter how rough the road gets... he will love you with a love that is so strong you will find rest there if you allow yourself to do so.

I am proud of you both, and I am blessed to count you as a part of my family. I will continue to pray for Emily's healing, and for strength for you to withstand the whispers and the lies that Satan will use to lead you away from what is right and true. And I want to thank you both for the lesson that I learned tonight as you allowed me a glimpse into what love looks like.

Just stuck....

2010-03-08T09:36:00.004-05:00

Have you ever gotten a song stuck in your head??? I'm sure you have.... who hasn't at one time or another!!! Generally a really catching tune like "The Ants Go Marching One by One"... (sorry, you'll be singing THAT one all day now!).... but since ensemble practice last Wednesday, I have to admit that one of the songs has nearly driven me crazy!!!

The song is beautiful, and the line I'm hearing over and over is great... "What wonderous love is this, oh my soul, oh my soul, what wonderous love is this oh my soul"... now... I hear it all day long... I'm repeating it over and over in my mind. I even hear it if I wake up in the middle of the night!!! Now THAT can be a little frustrating!!!!

But today, it hit me... why should I be frustrated about a song that is praising our Savior repeating itself over and over in my mind? We are created to PRAISE our God and our Savior... and when we reach heaven that is ALL we will be doing there!!!!

Each of the four living creatures had six wings and covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying, "Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. " Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him that sits on the throne, and who lives for ever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, "You are worthy our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things and by your will they were created and have their being." Rev. 4: 8-11

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousdand times ten thousands. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise."

Then I heard every creature in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them singing: "To him that sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise, and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever." Rev. 5: 11-13

Now WE... you and I... are the creatures on the earth... and we get to SING PRAISES along with all of the angels... the creatures of God's creation... with the Elder's... we get to priase HIM over and over and over again... and I don't think we will be frustrated or bored... I think we will be excited... amazed... awestruck... I can't even find the right words to describe how we will feel.

So I'm gonna start looking at this song that is stuck in my head a little differently... I'm gonna let it roam, and ramble, and maybe even begin just belting it out... because I am PRACTICING for my forever and ever with the God who created me to worship HIM!!!!

Going a little Squirrelly

2010-03-03T14:13:00.001-05:00

We've had out bird feeders for years, and this year there was so much snow I put a dish of food on the porch as an extra for the birds... and this is what we now have....

But aren't they cute???

A little messy....

But still VERY cute!!!!

Baby Shower Cake in Progress

2010-03-02T08:16:00.006-05:00

Saturday I spent the day working on a Baby Shower cake for a young couple at church. Just a few pictures to show the progress... which began at 10:30 AM (cakes baked and cooled on Friday!)

First I whipped up some awesome butter cream icing (with a little crisco added for decorating purposes). The cakes were covered in a base coat and allowed to dry while I began to work with the fondant.

I had looked through tons of pictures, but this design is the one I kept coming back to... peas on a pod. So after covering the bottom layer in a pale green fondant, and the top in a pink fondant... the decorating fun began... first... the peas!!!

Next, I added a few edible pearls as the flowers on the vines.... and cut out a few green flowers to add on... using pearls in their centers.

I then added a few swirls to the bottom... and yes... it seems to be a little crooked... but remember... I'm still learning....

then I added a little more design work.... and a little welcome sign.... I found edible markers to use for that...

Another shot of the top....

... and an additional shot of the sign...

And there you have it... a shower cake... along with an extra cake for the additional guests expected... total time to complete 5 hours....

And at 7:30 AM on Sunday morning, the day of the shower, I got a call that she was at the hosptial having her little bundle of joy... so the shower didn't happen! But Abigale made it into the world without any problems... and the cake was to be taken to the family... the additional cake... well... I must say it was very tasty! AND... my brother was on the receiving end of half of it... so it was thrilled! So congratulations to Paul and Noemi on a beautiful baby girl!!!

Cooking and a little Love...

2010-02-13T10:24:00.002-05:00

Fixed one of our new favorites last night... and even Carly ate most of the veggies... a first for her! And Michael... well, obviously, he loves his Chinese food... he was pretty excited.

This stir-fry is so easy, and VERY tasty... I use...

Sliced button mushrooms
green onions
1 rib diced celery
1 pkg. fresh snow peas
1 head nappa cabbage
sliced chicken breast

I use a combo of olive oil and a little sesame oil for flavor to cook it it.... and I vary the amounts of veggies used depending on how many I am feeding...

First you cook the chicken and put it off to the side... (I wipe out the pan and start again with the oil!) I put all the veggies except the cabbage in the wok and continue to stir it until they become tender (NOT mushy) then I add the cabbage as it wilts pretty fast... I throw in the cooked chicken... and then I add some soy sauce (also depends on the amount of veggies I have!) Stir that around a bit then move the veggies to the outside edge of the wok and add some cornstarch mixed with water to the boiling liquid in the center to thicken the sauce a bit.

I serve this over minute rice cooked with some chicken broth for flavor.... YUMMY and healthy!

And just as we sat down to eat, Mickey has to "go downstairs for a minute"... and up he comes with a dozen roses for me to enjoy over the weekend!!! How sweet is that?!

Happy Valentine's Day to you all...

Loved the meal...

2010-02-10T19:20:00.003-05:00

I was pretty happy with tonights supper... this eating healthy stuff is kinda fun! Baked Salmon with roasted brussels sprouts and "carrot" fries (actually roasted as well). Very colorful... very healthy... and VERY yummy!!! Even Michael was happy with the results! (And Carly ate carrots!)

Miracle or Mystery?

2010-02-09T09:14:00.002-05:00

Asking that you go back to visit my friend Erica's blog again today... some might say a mystery... me... I'm callin' it a miracle.

Pay a visit

2010-02-08T08:58:00.003-05:00

Please take some time today to visit the blog of my dear friend Erica, what she has shared today will bring a lot of things into perspective in your life.... and then take a moment to be in prayer for her little princess, Emily. And say a prayer for Joe and Erica as well... they have such a burden they are carrying.

The Birds...

2010-02-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Matthew 25 - 27

We woke up to around 4 inches of snow this moring... and I must say even though I really HATE snow, it was definitely beautiful! Now, the birds were all flitting around the feaders, which they had nearly emptied yesterday in anticipation of the snow. So, out went Mickey to clean and fill the feeders. The birds are now completely satisified and and hanging around outside both our front and back windows.

The birds were taken care of... they had NO worries... they just came to the feeder and they were fed... and how I wish I could be like one of those birds. If I could just give up on all the worrying that I do... and know that I can go to the Creator and be fed... that He will take care of all of my needs... and that he will do so in such a fashion that I will have NO worries.

Today, I think I've learned alot from the birds of the air.... and I'm thankful for God's reminder!

When I grow up....

2010-02-03T10:34:00.003-05:00

I always KNEW two things when I was younger... I wanted to be a mom, and I wanted to be a teacher. The mom thing was pretty evident to anyone who came near me! I LOVED being around babies. If there was a baby anywhere near me, you could bet I was parked right next to it. As I grew older, I pestered my aunts unmercifully until they would let me hold their babies. (Sorry to all my cousins that I drug around!) I could sit and hold a baby for the longest time, never tiring of looking at their little hands, their faces, and making them smile.

That "mothering" even carried over into my high school years, where I was called "mom" by people both older and younger than me. I was the shoulder that was sought out to cry on, I was the ear that listened to all of the problems. I was the voice that instilled some sense of sanity into a day. I am a people person, and even today I find myself listening to others, and loving on them the way that God would have me do.

Now... the other quest... teaching... that wasn't so evident to those around me. When I did finally go to college in the 80's, I studied Business Management... not something that I've used much over the years since.

When I returned to school last fall, I decided that I would go into the field of Medical Assisting... afterall, the medical field is booming right now. There will always be the need for those in the medical field... people are ALWAYS sick, right? So last semester, I took 9 credit hours towards that goal, and got a 4.0... YAY me.... and I was happy with that. This semester... I signed up for more classes, and then I realized something... I still wanted to be a teacher.

I struggled for a time with those thoughts. I asked God why I should change now... with classes already under my belt... it is a crazy idea! And the answer... I was BORN to be a teacher. So, over the summer I am changing my goals... and while the thought of losing what I've taken is daunting, I feel a sense of peace about the whole thing.

When I told the teacher who I worked for as an aide for a couple of years she said, "Finally... I told you that you were born to be a teacher."

When I told Michael's teacher she said, "That is great, Carol has always said you missed your calling, and I agree."

When another kindergarten teacher found out she said, "I think that is wonderful, you'll do great. You were born to teach!"

All words of confirmation that I needed to hear.... and I believe that they were sent to me by my Father, who has known all along that he created me for this... and he has been waiting patiently for me to "get on board". So God... sorry about your wait... I hope that I make you proud!!!

Eating Healthy

2010-01-28T13:49:00.002-05:00

I've started eating much healthier of late. During the holidays I not only packed on several unwanted pounds but I cause a really major flare up with my reflux. I'm talkin' major pain! So I decided to take a cue from my daughter, Chandra (see her blog here!) While she has never PACKED on the weight, she did have a struggle with reflux. She changed EVERYTHING... and she has been so much better. So why not try, right?

So every day, begin with a smoothie - 3/4 cup 100% Apple juice (no sugar added!), 1/2 cup plain Fat Free Yogurt, then some frozen fruit - peaches, strawberry, blueberries and banana (and yes, I freeze the banana - 1/2 them, wrap in plastic wrap, and bag them.) I do add one packet of Truvia (a sugar substitute)... and I must say, I LOVE this drink. Around 10:30 I have a few pretzels, or a box of raisins, or a low fat granola bar, and for lunch I don't vary much... 1/2 a sliced chicken sandwich, a few baked chips and sometimes some carrots or celery... and then I have another small snack around 3.

Sound boring???? Well... maybe... but I do get to shake it up for supper!!!

I decided to stay on track I had to make a menu (another Chandra idea!) So I sat down and did a two week menu... some of the items....

Baked Salmon with Carrot fries (yes, that does say carrot!)

Homemade pizza with basil pesto, fresh mushrooms, onions and cheese (see Chandra's blog!)

Oven Fried Chicken

Stir-fry chicken and veggies

Shrimp Scampi

Herb-crusted baked Cod with sweet potato fries

Hungry yet??? Sounds good, huh?

AND... I'm only drinking water... and lots of it. And the reflux has practically gone away. I'm still finding a few things that upset it, but I just make a note to avoid them and find something different to use instead.

The best part... I've lost around 15 pounds since New Years Day!!!! That is WITHOUT exercise... so that just shows how much "bad" stuff I was putting away!!! Today, I headed back to the "YMCA".... thinkin' that it is time to get in some exercise as well.

I've spent a lot of years not eating healthy, and it has definnitely taken it's toll on my body, but I can tell you that I KNOW that God wants me to be healthy so that I can serve him to the best of my ability. And MY BEST just hasn't been good enough of late. So it is time to make a change and make it last!

And check out Chandra's blog from time to time... she's planning to add some of her yummy recipes... you might just find that you and your family enjoy eating healthy as well!!!

Joy in the Creation

2010-01-26T10:51:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to post a couple of projects that I've had on needles since December.... finally completed! Yippee!!!

I went to a wonderful yarn store in Indy... my sister-in-law Sara is lucky enough to live a short distance from this store, and I honestly believe that I could spend all day there just looking at the yarn and touching it. However, I doubt that I could affort much, as we found one skein that was $140!!! Yes, you read that right... $140.00!!! That is grocery money, folks.

However, they did just happen to have a clearance room... and once I found that out I headed that direction. I came across some of the most amazing looking yarn, and it was originally $40. I did the math, figured out I could get it for $10, and with the urging of Sara, I brought it home. Of course, I also found a few other little goodies as well! The shawl below is what I created with that yarn... and now I'll have to purchase something to wear it with (darn the luck ;) )

At Christmas, I made the cutest little capelet for my buddy Chasity. When I finished it, I absolutley loved it. So I dived into my stash, found some really nicely colored sock yarn, and I knit another one up for me!

And I've already bought a shirt to wear with this on! ;)

Next on the needles... a pair of socks and a lace project. I've had this lace for well over a year, and I've started a couple of things and it just didn't work for me. I ran across a simple lace project so I'm gonna give it a shot!

I'm always amazed when I complete a project. I find it so rewarding to take a skein of yarn that has no shape or form, and turn it into something that is pretty and useful. I think that crafting of any type is a gift that God has given us to show us how fulfilling it is to create something. When I'm finished, I look at what I've done and I'm happy... and I think that must be only a fraction of how God felt as he created us! To think that he can take something that has no shape or form (ME!!) and turn me into something that he views as beautiful and useful for his purposes... well... I know that he must love so much more than I deserve!

Go ahead... make something, and look on what you've made... see how it makes you feel... and then know that what you feels is small in comparrison to what God feels about HIS creation... YOU!!!

Baahhhhhh.... Stupid Sheep......

2010-01-23T10:39:00.003-05:00

In our Sunday School class, (Mickey and I teach 1st through 5th graders!), we've been talking about Jesus being the "Good Shepherd"... and we've been talking about sheep! If you ask my class what they are, they will yell "Stupid Sheep"... and yes, I know that "stupid" isn't a good choice of words, but it is the one they chose!

Last week we talked to them about how important it is to listen. That if you don't listen carefully, and you aren't paying attention to the details, then you can get lost. I briefly showed them a couple of items that I had brought from home when I was welcoming them, and told them how much I liked those items. Then I placed them out of sight and asked them to draw what they had seen.

It was comical to watch them, because while they remembered the shape, they couldn't add the details to what they had seen. Then I brought the items back out and asked them to take a longer look at the items because we were going to draw them again. This time some of their pictures were amazing... because they KNEW what to expect. They had heard the INSTRUCTIONS! And then we told them that the INSTRUCTIONS they need to know what God wants from them in their lives are easily available... IN THE BIBLE. And that while the instructions are there, they will only know how to use them if they LISTEN to the voice of the MASTER telling them what to do.

Tomorrow we are going to talk to them about following the RIGHT voice. That as "sheep" there are many "shepherds" trying to capture our attention... and if we don't listen to the right voice, we might get led astray!!!

To bring that point home we are going to make the cutest little lambs....

... part of the fun of our class is that we are very 'PROJECT' oriented... and the kids love it. We try and do a craft at least 3 out of 4 Sundays so that they remember!!!! Love teaching these kids... and I love what they teach me in return.

I've Been Tagged

2010-01-18T09:38:00.004-05:00

My best sister friend Rebecca, over at Knit By God's Hand has asked me join her in a little fun.... looking back over 2009 and picking my 5 top memories.... hard to do, but here goes!

My family got together, and long with a few of my friends, were able to surprise me with a 50th birthday party! And it was actually a surprise... which NEVER happens, so it was very cool. A great way to spend a day.

Over Spring Break we took Carly and Michael and headed to Washington DC. I've always wanted to go there, and we had talked about it a few other times, but this time, we made it. It was a great trip, and we got to see so many things that I never thought I would see.

I also headed back to school in 2009... yes... at the age of 50! Who would have ever thought that was possible?! Not me, for sure. But I have a wonderfully supportive husband who is cheering me along every step of the way. Not to mention my kids and my friends.... it isn't the easiest thing I've ever done, but I am enjoying it, and I know in the end it will pay off!

How about the birth of this precious little one.... Emily Jean Rollins!!!! There aren't many children on the face of this earth that were waited for like this little one! She is having a pretty rough time right now dealing with Infantile Spasams but she is such a beautiful little girl and I count her as an additional grandbaby! Her "birth" day really was a wonderful happening for us in 2009!

Rebecca, Carly and I walked in the Arthritis Foundation's Walk for a Cure in Louisville. While I have Arthritis, we walked for my granddaughter Emma, whos has been diagnoised with JRA. She is currently in remission on medication. The day was beautiful, and who would have thought that I could walk 3 miles in a short amount of time. Loved hanging would with all of the family and friends who came to support Emma.

Now, I can guarantee that I could add more to this... but the Tag was for five .... so five it is.

Think that I'll tag....

Forever a Family
And Now there are Five

Life is a Daring Adventure or Nothing

Reflect the Son

Have fun and if you are reading and just want to join the fun, leave me a comment so I can check out your top five!!!

Happy Birthday Camden!

2010-01-16T22:53:00.005-05:00

Today we headed to Edinburgh to celebrate the birthday of our oldest grandson, Camden. It is just amazing to me that he can already be three years old! (Of course, if you ask him, he'll tell you he is six!!!) Hope you will indulge this proud Nanny as she shares a few pictures of Camden, our other grands, a few of their friends! Happy Birthday Buddy... we love you!

My daughter, Chandra and her husband, Jeff, made this cool Cars cake... great job guys!!

He was pretty excited about the whole day....

And like most kids... he couldn't wait to open his gifts!

My mom loves to get the grands musical cards... the kids love them... the parents??? Not so much!

Chandra's good friend, Maria, and her family joined us for the celebration. This is Chandra with Maria's daughter Amelia.... she is a real cutie.

Emma and Amelia found every bit of jewelry that Kailyn owns and managed to get most of it on at one time... they told me they were "going to the mall"....hmmmm....

The next thing we all knew, there was a fashion show in the making happening in the bedroom.... these little princesses were having a blast dressing up in their finest....

Then it was time to have a "dance party"... the music was turned on and Camden had his first dance with a girl... it was the cutest thing to see....

Everyone was in on the act....

It was a great day, and so much fun to watch all the kids play and to catch up with everyone. God has blessed us greatly with such a wonderful family..... thanks for allowing me to share these memories with you! Have a wonderful day in the Lord.....

And so it begins... AGAIN and a few thoughts on Forgiving and Forgetting

2010-01-12T08:46:00.004-05:00

You guessed it.... Spring Semester has started, and wow, is it going to be a load!

Yesterday was my first day back, and I have three classes, plus one online class... a total of 10 credit hours. While that may not seem like much, the classes I have are going to involve a ton of reading... a lot of hands on... and I've already seen that it is going to consume much of my time. I have 6 chapters to read by tomorrow between all of these classes. (And I found out in my Anatomy / Physiology class that I will "get to" disect a sheep brain.... UGH!!!) So with that said, I guess I need to finish this post and get started!

But there is something that I am feeling very compelled to post today... so here goes....

A friend recently posted a thread on FB - "Why do people say bad girls are good and good girls are bad?"

Now, I must admit that my initial response to that was - "I've often wondered that myself".... but this morning I was convicted about something.... Who am I to judge who is good and who is bad?

There are girls our there who have made some bad choices, I was one of those girls back in the day, but did that make me a "bad girl"? Hardly, I still did things are were considered good... I did those things all the time. My CHOICES were bad, but at heart, I was not a BAD person.

I was reminded that God chose 'BAD' girls to work through (Rahab) and to use as examples of His Son's ability to grant forgiveness of sin (Mary Magdalene). And for Mary, at the very point her sins were FORGIVEN, I can guarantee that they were not FORGOTTEN by the world. But to Mary, which was more important to eternity..... yep... I hope you got it... it was being forgiven.

So I'm thinking that as we look around us, we shouldn't pretend to be Santa, marking our list either "naughty or nice", I think that we should make an effort to see everyone as a CHILD OF GOD who is loved by Him, regardless of the bad choices they have made. He longs to bring them into his arms and whisper his forgiveness to them.

I am 51 years old, and I am positive that my sins have not been forgotten.... I live with them daily, but just as I know that they are not forgotten by me, or the world, I know that they are FORGIVEN.... and I, for one, am choosing today to NOT be the one to stand in the way of someone else being able to feel God's forgiveness! I don't have a "magic 8 ball" telling me that someone has asked for God's forgiveness, and that they are now "clean".... but I do know a Father who has cleansed me, and I hope that I can somehow be used by Him in a way that will build up those "bad" girls so they will become less focused on what isn't forgotten, and more focused on being FORGIVEN!

The wonder of it all.....

2010-01-08T11:39:00.003-05:00

So look at this face... all excited about going out into the snow... the first REAL snow of the season... could that smile get any bigger???

Maybe so! Michael was just too excited to get out and enjoy the day....

He even convinced Daddy to go out with him.... okay... Daddy was gonna shovel the drive.... but he still got whacked pretty handily with a snowball!

But... after all the preparation to go out... he lasted around 15 minutes. He came in with his little fingers freezing, and asking to just stay inside! Maybe he should have taken a cue from Carly....

Doesn't get much warmer than playing a few games of Guitar Hero to pass the time....

This morning I wondered how I ever thought that snow was a good thing as a child... then I was reminded... it meant NO SCHOOL!!! And while I might not have liked to play in the snow (although I DID play in the snow)... it meant a day filled with wonder. And I guess the older I've gotten, the more that sense of wonder has escaped me.

Maybe I just need to take a little more time to look into the eyes of a child and remember what that first snow felt like.... might make all the difference, huh?

Let it snow... let it snow... let it snow....

2010-01-06T21:48:00.006-05:00

As you can imagine, Southern Indiana is in a dither over the prospect of SNOW! Kids are either asking God to bring it on, or keep it away... and yes there are kids who truly don't want to have a snow day! They don't want to have to make up days later in the year.

Carly is one of those kids.... she doesn't want a snow day... she wouldn't mind a 2 hour delay, but she just doesn't want a full day out of school. Part of that is due to the fact she just isn't an outdoorsy kind of girl. She HAS gone outside to sled, or build a snowman, but I'm telling you, it is short lived. She is more like her momma... bring on the hot chocolate, a warm blanket , and a good book. Now THAT is a nice way to spend a snowy day.

But more importantly for her, this is her senior year... and she doesn't want to have her graduation pushed back! Who can blame her for that?! You see, the schools all have built in snow days, but there aren't many. And while the schools used to be able to petition the state and get a few days back at the end of the year, this just isn't a possibility anymore. So now, if they use all of their snow days, then the days must get tacked on to the end of the year.

This can seriously cause problems for those trying to plan vacations.... and for us... planning a graduation party is gonna be tough if I can't be assured of the date. And I am definitely a planner!

So while snow is great... it is pretty.... kids love it... and it is good for the ground... I would just as soon see it fall on Friday night and be off the roads by Monday! Yet, I have been reminded that there is a season for everything under heaven... and I know that while I might not find great joy in the fact that there is snow... I do find great joy in God's creation. And His seasons were created for a purpose... and while I might not enjoy this upcoming weather... there is a quiet found on a snowy morning that you just don't find at any other time. So, I will praise Him for the beauty of the snow and for the warm house that my family and I will enjoy on a cold and snowy day.

Time to Make a Change....

2010-01-05T11:09:00.004-05:00

Have you ever had a time when you just KNEW that change was necessary... but you HATED the thought of making it?? That is where I am right now... on so MANY levels! But one huge change I have to make is in the way I eat. After reading the blog of my best sister friend, Rebecca (Knit by God's Hand), I began to do a little reflection, and I didn't like what I saw when it comes to me and my eating habits.

Now, let me tell you, this girl LOVES her food! Food for me has always been that "constant friend". Got a problem? Eat a little something. Feeling down? Eat a little more. Happy?? Eat something really good! Bad news...... well.... you get the picture?

On top of that... I LOVE to cook.... and not just cook, but BAKE!!!! I love to try new recipes... I love to make Fried Chicken for my husband because it is his favorite (and let's not forget the mashed potatoes and gravy that MUST go along with that!). I love to cook up creamy wild rice soup... the kids love it. I adore making pumpkin bread.... banana bread... cookies... pies and cakes! And the trouble with that is... when I make it, I eat it! And let's not even talk about my love for going to a restaurant and trying new things.... or digging in to a particular favorite!

And in the process of all this LOVE, I have gotten extremely overweight (yes, let's use the word obese, why not? The doctors have!) I have blood pressure issues, my cholesterol is off the charts without meds, and thanks to my love of food over the holidays, my reflux is KILLING me.

I guess if I wanted to be like the vast majority of people, I could try and find something to blame all of this on, (my past, or relationship glitches, or I'm just "built this way") but in reality, I have only myself to lay the blame on. I know that I have choices, and I often take the easiest, (and most tasty!) choice available. And I know that if I accept the blame for this (and I am!) then I have to take the steps necessary to fix the problem.

A New Year's Resolution? Nope, never can keep those. It is just time! God did not create me to be this way. He does not want me to be unhealthy. Of this I am sure. And if I want to truly be the person God would have me to be, that means I have to make some changes... both physically and spiritually.

So if you want to join me in making a change, leave me a comment.... if you have any suggestions on how to cook better and eat right let me know. If you just want to drop by and leave a word of encouragement from time to time, I would love that. And if you are going to make that change yourself and you'd like a little prayer, let me know.....

Train Up....

2010-01-02T13:39:00.005-05:00

I love this picture.... as we sat down for our Christmas meal to pray I looked up

and there were Michael and Kailyn, holding hands for the prayer.

As our family has grown, they have taken the

"place of honor" at the bar,

or as they call them... the big chairs.

This picture reminded me of a favorite verse....

Train up a child

in the way he should go,

and when he is old

he will not turn from it.

Proverbs 22:6

Happy 2010 and a few leftovers from 2009

2010-01-01T14:13:00.006-05:00

As 2009 has drawn to a close, just wanted to share a few pictures from the past week....

Michael was really in to Christmas this year.... he sat for weeks eyeing the Walmart Circular, asking for the Buzz Lightyear that he saw there.... guess the picture below says it all....

And Carly was pretty excited about the "family" gift... an Xbox 360 Elite... complete with Guitar Hero World Tour.... and our good friend Ricky was kind enough to allow her to borrow a couple of other Guitar Hero games as well... it has been a fun gift for the entire family!

Christmas Evening we had all the kids and grands here at the house... we did a "Happy Birthday Jesus Cake"..... decorated by the kids, of course....

The singing was great, and each of the kids had a candle to blow out for Jesus....

Then they sat and listened as Pappy read the story of Jesus' birth....

.... even Buzz Lightyear got in on story time....

After a full day of Christmas fun.... it didn't take long to get everyone situated for bedtime....

The week following Christmas, Mickey was off on vacation... probably not much of a vacation for him though. We had a "re-do" for a couple of our rooms. Carly moved downstairs, and we painted that room and moved all of her stuff down there on Monday and Tuesday of this week.... then we took her old room upstairs and made it into a knitting room for me.... and I LOVE it.... the whole room was centered on the border below.... see the nice little sheep on the border???? Yep... purchased because you KNIT the wool.....

I must say, the room turned out wonderful... and I know that during the week I will spend a great deal of time there as I study and knit... it is just plain cozy!!!!

And we have kept a bed in there so that we have a spare.... and we've moved the computer and printer up there as well....

I must say I am just thrilled with this room. I have a few little extras I still need to get... but that will come. I feel so blessed to have a husband who would spend his vacation days doing this for me.... he is pretty special!

As for 2010.... I welcome a new year.... I don't do resolutions... haven't for years! I just want to continue to try and live me life as the Father would have me do. There is no greater way to begin a new year than by being resolved to let Jesus' love shine through you. I know I will stumble... and I might even fall... but I also know that my Savior will be there to catch me... and pull me back up when needed. I am thankful... I am humbled by His love... and I am truly blessed.

Happy New Year....

Lynn

What type of "tip" do you leave????

2009-12-30T09:29:00.002-05:00

Following the news this morning the 700 Club came on... now seldom do I watch this, but as I was checking FB, E-mail, etc... I just left it on... and all of a sudden a phrase caught my attention....

"I was leaving God a tip each Sunday".... WHAT?????

They were having a segment on tithing, and the husband and wife they were filming were talking about the moment when they decided to tithe. The husband said that "they had always given at church.... " a little bit here... a little bit there... always leaving God a small tip.... and I couldn't help but think that for many people, they probably give more to a server following a meal than they give to God.

Honestly, my heart aches for those who have not embraced tithing.... is it always easy... no, it isn't. It can be difficult to place money in an offering plate that could provide food for a dinner plate. I've been there, done that. But in all the years that we have given a tithe, God has never failed to provide for our needs. NOW... hear me on this.... I believe that God would provide for our needs even if we DID'T tithe.... but I can tell you that he has always provided ABUNDANTLY.... and we know in our hearts that he is pleased that we continue to give so that his word can be spread!!!!

I know that the next time we go out to eat, I'll think about our tithe when we leave our tip. I hope that it will always serve as a reminder to me that God's gift is worth so much more than a tip could ever repay!

Cookie Baking Day

2009-12-22T23:22:00.007-05:00

Today was cooking baking day! Unfortunately, Chandra, Kailyn and Camden couldn't make it down this year, but Emma and Michael, along with Carly and Rachel... did a good job getting Santa's cookies ready! I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves! Enjoy!!

Merry Christmas!!!!

A little more Christmas!

2009-12-14T08:27:00.004-05:00

Over the years I've accumulated several Christmas houses... this picture shows a few of them... I have 5 more that I have on a shelf above a window that I leave out all year long. I began getting these home in the late 80's when I directed the choir at the church I attended at the time. Each year, following the Christmas Cantata, they group presented e with a different church....

Later on, my family got in on the act... the picture below was the addition that Carly gave me last year. I love the fact that you can actually see a lady inside the kitchen cooking! And Mickey gave me the "newspaper guy" when I still had The Good News Monthly. I've also got a school house, a Fire/Police Station, a long cabin and an Antique store. Carly is the main giver of houses now... I love getting them.... and someday I'm going to have to expand the display area!!!

And I LOVE putting up our christmas tree... we make a point of buying ornaments on EVERY vacation that we take. So as we are putting up the tree, we have fun talking about where we got the ornament, and the memories we made on that trip. We have a Micky and Minnie from our Disney trip... we have Panda from our recent DC Trip... where we went to the National Zoo to see their Panda exhibit. We have ornaments from our Gatlinburg trip, our Myrtle Beach trip, a Hershey Kiss from our Pennsylvania trip... you get the picture....

But I also have some ornaments that have been on the tree for YEARS!!! Like the ones below... My mom got me these handpainted angels when the girls were little. One to represent each girl.... they have had a place at the top of the tree ever since.....

When Michael came along we had to one one for him.... so since his FAVORITE character is the Gingerbread Man from the Shrek movies, we purchased this ornament just for him. He LOVES to put it up each year..... and the little angel beside it... that is Carly's as she played the Sax for several years....

While we were in China getting Michael, we purchased this angel....

And we ornaments for each of the grands.... plus ornaments that we have purchased with the addition of each one... there is an ornament for our exchange student, Sara... which we still place on the tree each year.... and the ornament below we purchased as a reminder of Kishsnider, the young boy we sponsor through World Vision. We have faithfully sponsored him for years now.... it has always been so much fun to receive updates and pictures.....

We have ornaments that were gifts, ornaments that wqere "created" by our children, and I have an entire bag of ornments that we no longer use that I will be keeping because of the memories that they hold. As I look at our tree I am reminded of so many memories... each of which are a part of our holiday season.... and it makes me smile.

If you get the chance to share a little about your holiday memories or traditions, let me know... I'd love to read what you have to share.

Have a blessed Christmas season!

Gotta love the smile!

2009-12-11T10:54:00.004-05:00

This past Thursday it was Michael's turn to take in snacks for his class. While at Walmart I bought the Pillsbury cookies that have the designs on top and brought them home for us to bake. Michael got to place the cookies on the cookie sheet and then we took a seat in front of the oven to watch them bake. He just wasn't sure that those little round cookies would "grow" big enough for his friends.

So we watched at they baked... and ....

... we watched as they flattened.....

And as you can see he was pretty happy about the whole thing!

We bagged one of each design in individual bags for his friends and he was SO excited. When he came home he said, "All my friends LOVED the cookies". Yep... that smileis what it is all about.

Christmas Questions Answered

2009-11-30T21:53:00.007-05:00

1. What is your favorite Christmas Movie?
That would be "White Christmas"..... I watch it EVERY year... sometimes more than once... and I have even been known to pull it out during the summer for a "fix"!!!! Love the singing... love the dancing.... just LOVE the movie!!!

2. What is your least favorite Christmas movie?
ANY of the Rudolph or Frost sequels... they are so lame... the originals are great, but the others... not so much.

3. What is your favorite Christmas song?
Thinking that would have to be White Christmas AND Silent Night..... it just doesn't feel like Christmas without hearing them both.

4. What Christmas song drives you crazy?
I Saw Momma Kissing Santa Claus.... followed closely by Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer... where is the Christmas spirit in EITHER of those!!!!

5. What is your favorite Christmas drink? (ie: eggnog...)
Hot Mulled Cider... love the smell.... absolutly cannot stand eggnog... how gross is that!

6. What is your favorite Christmas memory?
Going to my grandparents house on Christmas Eve... we would watch Santa's approach to Louisville... we opened presents... and my grandma made Rice Crispy Treats... and she would sit them on the porch to cool....

7. What is the best toy / gift you received?
As a child, one year I got a "life sized doll".... I remember opening it and I was SO excited... my Pap Sifers tried to trade me his new furry coat for it! As an adult... easy... Mickey asked me to marry him on Christmas day in 1998, in front of the girls... very romantic!!!

8. What is the worst toy / gift you received?
A shower head.... seriously????

9. What do you love about the holidays?
Singing Christmas songs all season long... getting gifts that I feel will be loved... the anticipation... baking cookies....

10. What annoys you most about the holidays?

Seeing Christmas decorations come out in OCTOBER... come on... talk about sucking the joy out of the season!!! What happened to Thanksgiving being the official start to the season???

11. Do you prefer an angel on top of your tree? Or something else?
Angel... my mom and dad have had their angel on their tree... the SAME angel... since they married... she is VERY old... and still beautiful. We used to make her new dresses every couple of years...

12. What is your favorite family recipe?

Christmas Cookies... still use the same recipe book my mom used... LOVE the cookies... REALLY love the dough!

13. Are you a Grinch or a Whoo at Christmas?

A Whoo.... and my youngest granddaughter looks like Cindy Lou Whoo!!!!

14. Christmas light displays - love them or hate them?
LOVE them... can't wait to put ours up... we don't turn them on until Thanksgiving night... a Mickey Rule... but I am SO anxious to get them on!!!!

15. Santas at the mall... fun or creepy?
Anymore... just creepy.....

16. Christmas cards - do you send them, yes or no?Used to send out a TON but postage is so high now... ecards... do those count???

17. What is the best part about Christmas, in your opinion?
The best part is teaching our kids and grands about Jesus... afterall... it is HIS birthday!!!!

18. What is the worst thing about Christmas?
Commercialism.... seriously... I hate the commercials that tell us that Christmas is ALL ABOUT THE GIVING.... DUH... it is SO about the receiving of GOD'S gift to us!!!!

19. When do you put up the tree and take it down?
Up Thanksgiving weekend... down New Year's Day....

20. Out of the 12 days of Christmas, which day and gift would you want your true love to send?
Five golden rings??? But then I'm NOT that into jewelry..... and NO ladies or maids thank you very much!!! So I would have to say two turtle doves.....

21. Why do you think Grandma got run over by a reindeer?
I am thinking that there must have been alcohol involved.... can you think of a better reason???

22. Who is your favorite reindeer?
Comet... and I LOVE the comet on The Santa Claus... he has such attitude!!!!

23. Do you believe in Santa Claus?
And you want me to put it in writing if I don't??? What if he sees it???? He sees EVERYTHING!!!!

24. What is your favorite smell at Christmas time?
Cookies baking.... hands down!

25. What would make you happy at Christmas this year?

The same thing that makes me happy every year... having all of my family.... husband, kids and grands, all together.... and just enough snow to cover the ground, but NONE on the roads!!!!

Have a blessed Holiday Season!!!!!

Wrapped in Love....

2009-11-12T21:30:00.002-05:00

Had another great night of knitting and chatting with my Rebecca and Cindy. Our numbers are low, but we are really enjoying our time. Sometimes I forget how nice it is to sit in conversation with my Christian sisters.

So today, I am thankful for friends who enjoy the same things that I do, and for a church who has embraced our ministry. Today was a good day!

Talk Radio

2009-11-10T16:13:00.002-05:00

I'm a fan of Christian Radio... always have my car radio tuned to either K-Love or WFIA... (unless Carly has been messing with the dial!) and I find that there are days when I just HAVE to turn the knob over to WFIA for a little talk radio.

I get Janet Parschal on my drives home on Tuesday and Thursday... love her show... and on Monday nights I get Albert Mohler. Sometimes I just feel like "mainstream" news isn't telling the whole story.

Now that made me wonder... how did it work back in Jesus' day? No radio... no newspaper... just word of mouth. So who did they decide to listen to? How could they tell if someone was shooting straight with them?

And then I realized that things have changed much in the past 2000 + years... we are still trying to listen and decide who we can depend on to tell us the truth. And just like 2000 years ago, the answer is a simple one.... we listen to those whose opinions match up to scripture. And unfortunately, I haven't noticed many dots to connect on mainstream tv....

I feel that the world is headed in a direction that many don't see... and they will be caught by surprise at the end results. Me...? I'm just gonna keep looking to the Lord, and praying that He will continue to open my eyes to HIS truth.

Monday Musings....

2009-11-09T12:25:00.002-05:00

Ran across this passage of scripture in my reading... and with the way things are right now in the world, it truly spoke volumes. I know it is long, but PLEASE try and make it through... this is GOD speaking to our world right now...

Psalm 2

Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain?

The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord

and against his Anointed One.

"Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.

Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath saying:

"I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill"

I will proclaim the decree of the Lord:

He said to me: "You are my Son, today I have become your Father.

Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance,

the end of the earth your possession.

You will rule them with an iron scepter; you will dash them to pieces like pottery."

Therefore you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you be destroyed in your way,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Do you think that if the "Kings" and the "rulers of the earth" were to read this right now they would understand that this is truly directed at them? Or do you think that they would see this as a "work of fiction" that has no true bearing on the world today or how they see fit to "run things"?

Unfortunately, I believe that it would be the latter... and I believe that there are those leaders our there who are truly "gathering against the Anointed One."

Where will you take your stand... on which side will you fall?

Blessed are those who TAKE REFUGE IN HIM!

Carly had a baby....

2009-11-04T08:34:00.003-05:00

Carly opted to take a parenting class this year... mainly because she loves babies... and she knew that one of the "perks" if you will, was to bring home one of the life-like dolls for a day. When she arrived home yesterday she announced that she had named her baby Paxton Kole, and that she hoped he would be a "good" baby. The "mom" who had him the night before only gotten three hours of sleep!

The smile on Carly's face (above) was soon replaced by a frown as the night wore on. Just as she sat down to supper and took a bite, the baby cried... she tried to feed him... not what he wanted... so she changed him... and he went back to sleep.... just as she finised eating he cried again.. this time he needed to eat. This went on all evening long... and it was funny to watch as she tried to decide what he needed. These babies even BURP! But he did "sleep" from 9:30 to 3:30, and after eating and being changed, was still asleep when Carly got up at 6:45.

Just as Carly was leaving for school, Paxton woke up again... he had slept the entire time she got ready for school, which was a good thing, and he was set to "turn off" at 8:00 AM, so out the door she went at 7:45... and he cried. So there she was... out on the driveway all hunkered down over this doll changing its diaper right out in the cold.... hmmm.... not a "real" baby way to deal with it. The last thing I heard her say was... "He better not cry when I'm driving to school cause I'm gonna be late and I don't have TIME to feed him." AHHHHH.... the words of a true mom! I myself have uttered those exact words on many occasions as I have loaded up a baby in the car and headed to work.... brought tears to my eyes... oh yes... tears of laughter.

I will almost bet that as she drags her tired body to church tonight she'll be thankful that she didn't go ahead and sign up to have this baby all weekend long as she originally wanted to... and I think that she'll have alot more empathy for those new moms who bring their babies to the nursery on Sunday morning.

Oh, and Michael couldn't STAND the baby... he has an aversion to baby dolls in general, but one that actually CRIES, and sounds like it is drinking and burps... yeah... I think he thought it was possessed or something.... he couldn't wait to see Carly taking it out of the house this morning... and as we drove away from the house he said, "Carly is taking that baby back to school, right?" Yes Michael. "And it isn't coming back,right?" Yes Michael. The smile on his face said it all!!!

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T07:08:00.005-05:00

Saturday evening, Mickey and I had the kids and a few friends from church over for our second annual Halloween Costume Party. Last year, we had a bon fire, this year ... no way was that gonna happen. After tons of rain, and a cold snap, we decided to turn our garage into Halloween Central. After draping black table runner all around the room, we strung up some orange lights and added some white Christmas lights and we were in business.

Mickey came as Indiana Jones, and looked quite handsome, and I was a "beautiful witch". Kailyn (below) was excited to be a beautiful witch for Halloween, and when she asked me what I was going to be I told her I wasn't sure yet. She said, "Nanny, you should be a beautiful witch just like me. Or.... the Easter bunny." Yeah... I opted for the beautiful witch! I made Kailyn and I matching capes for the event!

Levi and his mommy came as pirates... however, no one managed to get a picture of Rachel in her costume. But Levi was so cute... occasionally he would remember that there was a bird attached to his shoulder and he would hank on it! Emma came as Snow White, but every time someone would ask to take her picture she would say NO, and then run away.

Carly came as Deb from Napoleon Dynamite. We searched through a couple of Goodwill stores to complete this look. She has let her hair grow for the longest time so she could pull off the side pony. Michel came as a "Robot". The costume was actually "Duke" from the GI Joe movie, but hey, he thought it looked like a robot and that was good enough.

We had a "rock star", Pippi Longstocking, and a "brain donor", just to name a few of the costumes that were worn. We even played pictionary, which got a little cut throat as it was girls against the guys. All it all, it was a great evening of fellowship, and we had a great time.

Next up... Kailyn's 5th Birthday Party. How the time flys by! Then we will be gearing up for Thanksgiving. Can't you feel the excitement of the Holiday's beginning to build?!

The Amazing Race - An Amazing Event

2009-10-25T17:24:00.006-04:00

Saturday evening was a time of fun for our High School and Middle School youth students. There were six groups of four, and a driver on each team. Based on the TV show, The Amazing Race, each team had to accomplish 12 challenges. And what a vast array of challenges there were!
Our own challenge was one that involved MENTAL skills... we are NOT a messy family. So...
Bring on Christmas just a LITTLE early.

After a morning of fixing the rest of my Halloween costume, I spent some time in the kitchen baking up a batch of Christmas cookies... and we had a list of 17 Christmas songs for the kids to name. (Yes, I was feeling a little "seasonally conflicted" by that time!) The teams were given a bit of lyric and from that they had to come up with the name of the song. There were songs AND traditional hymns... and I must say, most of the kids struggled. A few didn't do bad, and one young lady blew me away when she got the hardest one on the list with no problem at all!

Our daughter Carly, above with the bandanna and yellow shirt, was on one of the teams. I believe they ended up being dubbed Carly's Angels... and these girls cracked me up. One of the songs, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, gave them a fit. And the funniest part was the fact they kept singing that part of the song over and over again and saying, "What is the name of that song?" Their driver, Ms. Kim, said she was going to have to leave the room, she wanted to help them SO bad. But no help was allowed.

Poor Jacob was the ONLY boy on his team, but hey, if you can be surrounded by lovely young ladies, how bad can it truly be! And at the end of their challenge they were treated to a Christmas Cookie... and off they went to their next challenge.

These kids made their way through an obstacle course (which ended with making s'mores :) ), dug for $5 worth of dimes in a vat of tomato juice, macaroni and other change, and bobbed for apples in a tub of ICE WATER! They visited the "gross buffet" where I do believe some of them "tossed their cookies!" There were other stops as well, some physically challenging and some just downright gross.

The event ended at "The Ranch", a property owned by our church, Greenville Christian, where the kids and their adult leaders ate chili and hot dogs, and enjoyed some fellowship time.

A HUGE thanks to all those who opened their homes, took time to drive our kids, and put this event together. I believe that it was a huge success... and I'm ALREADY planning for next years Race... just hoping they ask us to be a host home again. It was truly an enjoyable time getting to spend a bit of our evening with the future of our church... they are an AMAZING group of kids!

God of the BIG and the small!

2009-10-23T12:35:00.006-04:00

Today I had to make an EARLY trip to the outpatient ER for a visit with a plastic surgeon. Now, just so you know, I didn't get any type of cosmetic surgery, so don't expect a huge change when you see me next.

A couple of weeks ago I had to have a basal cell carcinoma removed from near my nose. This nasty little bugger came up over six months ago and looked like a small bump. It never changed and so I didn't worry. The one day it just began to ooze blood for no reason. So I called the dermatologist, and two weeks later out it came. Just about the time it began to heal well they called and said that it was a BCC and that they did not get it all. I would need to see a plastic surgeon, and an appoint was made.

The doctor I went to set up an appointment for removal of more tissue, and today was the day. Of course, as is my luck, it was raining cats and dogs this morning. A few things I don't like... driving in the rain, driving in the dark, and driving downtown. Today brought me in line for all three of those events.

As I was nearing the interstate, I got a text from my dear friend Rebecca, telling me goodluck and to be careful. She knows how bad I hate driving like this. So as I prepared to enter I-65 the traffic was crazy and I utter a small prayer, "God, just clear me a spot." Now you may be laughing, but that is exactly what God did!. The traffic between exit 7 and Eastern Blvd. was clear all around me. I was so relieved and so excited to see that God hears even the smallest of prayers.

My procedure went fine... I won't know if they got it all until my appt. next week to take out the stitches. And... the doctor said I will probably have a black eye by morning... but I am good with that. It is just a comfort to know that our God is willing to look after even the smallest details of our day!!!

Wonderful Weekend

2009-10-19T08:49:00.003-04:00

kendFirst, I need to thank my sister friend Rebecca for the pictures. My camera has expired... so I don't have one that is readily available. Mickey does have a work camera, but it is kept in his work van, so I can't just grab it at a moments notice. So thanks friend for the use of the pictures!

Yes, you are seeing correctly. Ariel on a pie! Carly celebrated her 18th Birthday yesterday and her request.... a pecan pie with an Ariel candle....

She had a great day... a great weekend actually... Friday, Mickey and I went and got her a newer, improved cell phone. When we gave her first cell phone to her, it was my old one, no bells or whistles. The phone she has now is pretty cool, and she was very excited about it. Then Saturday she went bowling with friends, then they headed to Cici's Pizza. Yesterday, we had family and friends in for her official birthday dinner. All foods requested by her... sort of.

Her requests... Grilled Mesquite Chicken, potato salad and fiesta pasta salad. We added in green beans for those people who didn't was a carb day! The day was beautiful, and she had a wonderful time. Our baby girl is officially an adult now!

Michael and the grands were determined to head outside, and they asked everyone to take them. Finally they made it around to Pappy, who happily put on his jacket, bundled them all up, and headed outside to play.

I just love this picture... this is in our back yard. Mickey has the kids at the edge of the woods and Camden, Kailyn and Emma are looking to see if they can find the "bears and alligators" that apparently live there!!!!

God has truly blessed us!!!!

Fall Break???

2009-10-15T14:01:00.004-04:00

The kids are out of school today and tomorrow for all break, but I'm wondering... WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO FALL???? Yes, the trees are turning... and it has cooled... but hey... it seems down right cold for this time of the year. And I'm not sure we'll have the leaves to enjoy long if the these rains keep happening!

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year.... aside from the allergy allert that my body goes in to. I love all of the colors... Carly gets so tired of hearing me say, "Oh, look at that tree... it is beautiful". But I can't help myself.... God just really out did himself when it came to creating fall! Can't you just imagine his excitement as he brushed on all the colors that would be used in his creation. Living in the woods affords me views out both the front and the back of the house that I can enjoy.

And honestly, I don't think we spend nearly enough time thanking God for the beauty around us. I believe that there are times when we don't see it at all, we are so focused on other stuff...

So I encourge you to stop for a moment and take a look around you.... really focus on the colors... enjoy a sunrise or a sunset.... and then thank God for the beauty that you see!

Check out my Sister Friends Giveaway!

2009-10-12T12:27:00.002-04:00

If you love to read and are searching for something worthwhile, visit my sister friend Rebecca's Book Blog for some fantastic ideas. AND...... she is having a giveaway... how awesome is that!

A long time...

2009-10-08T16:06:00.004-04:00

It has been a long time since I last posted anything on my blog... okay not as long as some, but a long time for me. Things have been pretty hectic around here... a lot can happen in a couple of weeks time. On Monday, September 28th, Mickey's dad had bypass surgery. They finally took us back to see him around 7:30 PM... it had been a long day of waiting. We were told that the surgery went well, and that he would be in recovery overnight. On Tuesday, they were unable to rouse him sufficiently, and felt that he was still over medicated... and when he was still in that state on Wednesday, they told us that he had suffered several mini-strokes while in surgery. This was confirmed by a CT of the brain. We were also told on that day that "what you see is what you get. He won't get any better." But I have to tell you... on Thursday morning, he began to talk and things were looking much better. All I gotta say is... doctor's aren't gods... only God himself knows that plans that he has made, and apparently he wasn't done healing Bob just yet. So today, one full week since he began to talk and come around, he has been sent to rehab for treatment. We are praying for a major recovery here. God has already done a miracle... we just have to have faith that this miracle will continue. On a lighter note, between the surgery and today, we have taken care of a lot of business...
Sunday, October 4th, we held our 2nd Annual Stephanie's Hope BBQ, and it was a huge success.... our efforts will allow each of our mission teams to take $500 on their trips that will be used to bless the people of the countries they visit.

That day was also big for Michael... he got to go to his first skating party! Our wonderful friends Rebecca and Ricky hosted a skating party for their sweet little grandson, Isaac (for some cute video of him on skates click here). In anticipation of this day, they purchased Michael his first pair of roller skates for his birthday. He has been going nuts waiting to use them. He did such a good job, and he loved it. Carly and Mickey even joined in the fun... me... not so much... I just "walked" instead and held on tight... but I have to tell you... after an hour he was asking me to let go and he was just great on his own... (of course I didn't stray very far!)

So, now you know why I haven't had much time to post... I have had to fit studying in the mix as well.... so things have been busy! I'll try and do better.... I really will!

Wrapped in Love

2009-09-28T22:21:00.002-04:00

Check out the shawl above... if you want to know where it is headed, go and check out the blog of my dearest sister friend Rebecca. (While your there, check out her blog... she is one awesome inspirational writer!) We are headed into some new territory and I am so excited about the journey. And if you want to join in... come on! There is plenty of fun to go around!!!

Another Birthday Down

2009-09-22T08:50:00.005-04:00

Michael is officially 7 years old... and his Wall-E party was a huge success... he was bouncing off the walls all evening Friday as I put the finishing touches on his cake. (Emma does look nearly as happy as Michael!!)

God was faithful when he placed this little guy into our family... we love him dearly!!!! We know that he was definitely created to be a member of our household!!!! We had a great time... I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story!

Consumed

2009-09-16T16:32:00.002-04:00

Have just started back to school has brought about some changes here in our household. Where I was once a stay at home mom who occasionally subbed at the local school, I am now a student. That doesn't just mean that I go to school and come home, it means I have to study as well. So I've had to make some adjustments. My good friend Kim not only goes to school, but owns her own business AND has children... not sure how she manages to find enough hours in the day.

When you begin something new, it can be time consuming, and everyone feels this to some degree. Be it the husband who is taking up some of your slack, or the children who aren't getting your undivided attention as they think they should. Everything begins to center around that thing that is consuming your time.... and today I wondered... why am I not as consumed with GOD as I am with my schooling???

The answer is simple... I have given him second place... heck... maybe even third or fourth! And that just makes me feel terrible... so now I have to do more readjusting... but this time... I think I have my priorities a little straighter!!!!

So I am wondering, have you ever been down this path? And if so... what did you do to bet yourself corrected??

Wonderful Weekend

2009-09-06T18:17:00.006-04:00

Had the kids and grands in Saturday... a wedding to attend... a cookout for Rachel's birthday... and celebrating a holiday weekend. It was a great time... and here is the calm before the storm...

The kids were pretty content while Pappy cooked up some burgers... they were willing to sit in front of the TV and watch some Looney Toons!

Kailyn and Michael were busy riding Michael's 4-wheeler... and at first he was in the driver's seat. But... that was short lived. She let him drive through the front yard, had him stop, and she took over... and by the end of the evening, we had to line them all up for a good cleaning.... Camden was already in the tub, as he spent a huge amount of time rolling around in the yard!

Can you see the dirt on those feet? And their hands weren't much better.... so as I sat down with them for a foot washing, Rachel grabbed the camera and said, "Look at Nanny... she is lovin' em like Jesus!"

Must say, the water was pretty brown by the time I got to Michael... and it made me stop and think... I only washed 4 feet in that water (clean enough to get them all into the shower or the tub!). I couldn't imagine what a foot washing in Jesus' day must have looked like... or how good it must have felt.

Each one of the kids commented on the warmth of the water (wonder if they warmed the water in Jesus' day?! Doubtful...) they talked about how good it felt, and they loved the attention. And I have to tell you, I felt pretty good about doing this for the kids... it was so neat to watch their faces, to feel them relax under my touch... just a little insight into another time....

A great weekend... with one more day to go... looking forward to a little down time with my sweet husband... God is so GOOD!!!!

The end of a long week

2009-08-28T23:22:00.003-04:00

One week of school down, and I have learned a great deal this week, and it hasn't all been from books!

I am HUMAN

Okay, I already knew that... but it was truly driven home this week. I am taking 9 credit hours at school... not alot when you first think about it... but oh my! Three classes... one on Monday night, and two on Tuesday and Thursday... not alot, right? Well... let me tell you... to those students who are taking 12 to 15 hours... you are my HERO!!! Tons of reading... lots of notes... memorization skills to hone... and it isn't easy! And in my human-ness, I have been afraid that I will fail.

I am NOT ALONE

Going into this I knew that I would need support... and I have gotten it by the truck load! Mickey has been awesome... he has been so encouraging! (Thanks for testing me with Flash Cards!) Carly has just warmed my heart... she is so proud of me, and that keeps me wanting to do MORE! Chandra and Rachel have been encouraging as well... from texts on my first day to calls wanting to know how my day has gone. Rachel has even quizzed me on FB!

Even my friends have joined in with encouraging words on FB and through e-mails... and it has all be very much appreciated.

God has a SENSE OF HUMOR

Ever been in one of those situations where you are just determined that you want something YOUR way, and with a chuckle, God tells you it is HIS way that counts? Yeah, that happened this week as well. Can't wait to see what I am to learn from this!!!

You may be OLD but you are NEVER TOO OLD

I thought I might just get to Ivy Tech and be the OLDEST person taking classes... WRONG. You are never too old to learn something new... and I have been blessed to see that! We have even joined the YMCA and the older people there... those ladies and gents who I know I are their 70's that are doing the machines.... they INSPIRE me!!!! I just hope that I can one day inspire someone in the same manner.

It is okay to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF

I have been on quite a journey this week... not only a journey into a new place... a new chapter in my life... but a journey into finding out just who I am... and not just who I am in this WORLD, but who I am in CHRIST... and I fully believe that He is showing me things about myself that I hadn't noticed, or believed existed within me.

Yes... it has been a long week... but one that I am glad to have experienced.....

God is ABLE where I am NOT.... and for that... I am truly thankful!

Another first day....

2009-08-24T16:18:00.002-04:00

This post is for my kids... every first day of school of their lives a picture has been taken to mark the moment... so Carly snapped this one of my on my "first day" of college!!!

Is it me... or do the books seem heavier now? Maybe I have just grown a little weaker over the years. Regardless... the adventure is beginning! Wearing my WoF shirt as a reminder that I CAN do this.... I just need a little faith to make it happen!

Heading back to school....

2009-08-19T13:12:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I spent the morning at the IVY Tech Sellersburg Campus signing up for classes... that's right, I'm headed back to school. Who thought that at 50 I would be doing that?!

I am currently enrolled in the Medical Assisting program, hoping to become a Certified Medical Assistant... praying that it all works out. I'm excited to begin another chapter in my life... it should be fun!

Just hope that my 50 year old brain can keep up with everything !!!!!

First Day of School

2009-08-11T10:54:00.004-04:00

SURPRISE... AHHHH... IT'S THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

Hard to believe that this is Carly's Senior Year!!!!

And look how handsome my little Kindergarten Man is!!!!
New hair cute... sporty shorts, a new backpack and a huge smile...
what more does a guy need to impress the ladies?!
(And I'm talking teachers and lunchroom ladies... NO girlfriends...
not until he is at LEAST 25!!!!)

Oh NO!!!!, What is this, and Women of Faith

2009-08-10T12:08:00.008-04:00

Last week we had a pretty hefty storm move through, and as Carly and I were helping Rachel get the "grands" out of the van we heard a huge popping noise. When I got in the house and looked out the window this is what I found! Fortunately, the playset was NOT damaged... just a lovely old tree.

And WHAT IS THIS???? Mick found this in the woods near our home. We have NO clue what kind of plant this is, so I am thinking that some of my bloggy friends might have a clue.

Whatever it is, it is kind of cool looking isn't it?

And Friday we were off to Women of Faith where we met up with 50 women from our church and an additional 12,000 of our newest friends! Prior to our arrival in Indy, we stopped off at the outlet malls for a little recreational therapy... one of Carly's purchases...

... these truly amazing sunglasses. And she and Bec managed to put on a fashion show in Rue 21...

Normally, Bec would have just KNIT these hats, but hey... for $6 AND it matched her shirt... yeah....

Our first speaker at WoF was Patsy Clairmont... how I LOVE this woman. She can have you laughing like crazy one minute and bawling like a baby the next. She is truly a gifted speaker and the way she weaves words into stories... only someone truly gifted by God could do what she does....

AND ... yes... Steven Curtis Chapman was our concert the first night. Thought I was gonna have to chain Bec to her seat... but she was a good girl. She DID rush the stage, with Carly close behind camera in hand. (check here to see the picture). He was truly amazing... and I was in tears listening to this man's testimony.

And meet two of my wonderful friends.... Vicki and Sha. This mother / daughter duo are some pretty awesome people!!! My friend Vicki opted to attend the second day of WoF "topless"!!! Yep... she is battling cancer, and is just beginning to get a little "peach fuzz" going... and I was SO VERY PROUD OF HER for leaving her hat in the car! I am so excited to see that her hair is beginning to peek through, and believe that she should wear it PROUDLY like a badge of honor. She is truly an amazing lady, and has raised her daughter to be pretty amazing as well. Sha just happens to be one of the most awesome children's ministers I've ever had the honor of working with!

And who knew that "pop art" could be so colorful??? The lovely "street artists" below are my best sister-friend Rebecca, my oldest daughter Chandra, my youngest daughter Carly and my middle daughter Rachel. They literally almost knocked a couple of guys over on the sidewalk striking this pose!!!

The weekend was amazing... we were all moved... we were all touched by the speakers... and we were all sad to see the fun end... and if you want to join us next year... mark your calendars for August 20-21st!!! It's an awesome time and we would love to see you there!!!

I'm A Winner

2009-07-31T10:46:00.003-04:00

"OH YES I AM!"

I take part in a "Sock A Month Knit Along", basically I try and knit a sock every month and post it to the blog. We just finished SAM 7, with each KAL running six months. This was my third SAM, and each month I have watched as winners of drawings have taken home "fabulous prizes". Yarns... most hand dyed, have brought tears to my eyes... markers, lovingly made, have made my simple plastic markers pale by comparison... and each month I have NOT been the winner. You see... I just don't win stuff.... until NOW!

I had put my socks on the blog early in July so that I could concentrate on other Christmas gifts, and had not checked back. I received an email from Zonda, one of the administrators of the blog with a link back to the blog... and there it was...

...400 yards of the most beautiful spring colored sock yarn you have ever seen... with my name below it as the winner!!! (And that little package you can see at the front... MARKERS! Yes... I was so very happy when this arrived!) Anyway... I digress.... I was SO excited when I saw this blog entry that I called out to Mickey with the news... he said, "That's nice"... NICE???? Okay... this was WAY better than nice!!! Then I told Carly, who politely smiled and said, "That's great, Mom." GREAT???!!!! Again... why all the lack of enthusiasm???? So I did the only thing that a girl can do in a situation such as this... I sent the link to my best sister-friend, and fellow yarn lover, Rebecca... and I awaited her reply. I was NOT disappointed... there were more question marks and exclamation points in her email than there had been in the conversations with my family. FINALLY... someone who understood the importance of this occasion!!!

Now... don't get me wrong... my family was thrilled for me... but they were thrilled as only those looking in from the outside can be... they did not have the JOY of a knitter plastered on their faces... or dripping from the voices... but I love them anyway. Afterall... not everyone is called to LOVE YARN... we are a chosen few!

Our Weekend in Pictures

2009-07-27T14:58:00.009-04:00

Mickey has always wanted a hardwood floor... when we built he wanted it, but didn't want to spend the money on it at the time. So this weekend, we put a hardwood floor in our livingroom... all by ourselves!!!

Wednesday, I spent the day unpacking 15 boxes of wood planks....

On Thursday, Mickey tore up the carpet while I pulled up the staples holding down the padding. The floor was then vacuumed and preped for the wood!

Friday morning, we began the day at 8:30 by laying felt paper on the floor...

And then I laid out the first row of wood for Mickey to nail in... no fancy nailer here... had to drill holes and hand nail the first row!

Around 12:30 we took a 30 minute break for a sandwich. I think we managed to get pretty far by that time. Using the "fancy nail gun" made the work go much faster!

We were pretty excited when we got to the final row of the living room... this mean that we only had the area in front of the stairs and the hallway to complete... and while it didn't seem like much, it was harder to lay... there were doors to go around there, as well as the carpeting at the top of the stiars!

(For supper... we ordered Domino's... LOVE the fact that they deliver here!)

The completed living room...

Michael had the entire downstairs at his disposal... complete with TV... but he decided that he would rather watch a video while reclining on our bed! His own personal little nest!

I think that the finished product turned out amazing... and on Sunday we brought up the new couch and loveseat we had in the garage.... our re-do was complete!

But I have to admit... it was a long weekend... (we had a VBS day thrown in the middle of this!) and I am still tired!!! And last night... just before we went to bed... Mickey said... "I'd really like to do hardwood in the bedroom as well!" With a big smile on my face I said... "Sure... but not for AT LEAST two or three years!!!"

Alone in a Crowd

2009-07-16T09:23:00.003-04:00

Some of you have heard of the "Stalker Bird" that we have here at the house. Okay... I think it's real name is a "Yellowbellied Flycatcher", but I swear, the bird is stalking us!

I know this isn't a great picture... he's pretty hard to catch in the right spot... and I know that is on a hummingbird feeder... maybe he was raised by hummingbirds??? I don't know.

This little guy showed up last Friday. At first I was confused... he was sitting on the back of the rocker on the front porch... just looking in the window. As the day progressed, he began to fly up to the window and peck on it... then he would land on the screen and just hang there, looking in. He has even landed on the back door to sit and peck on it. Everyday, several times a day, he goes through this same routine!

Mickey has suggested that he sees himself in the window and thinks that he has found another of his kind. You see, this little bird isn't generally found around here. They winter in Chille, and migrate to Canada in the summer to breed, then head back to Chille.... and we are pretty sure that at some point on the journey, he became lost. And now... he is here all alone. I called a local newswriter, who happens to be a huge birding enthusiast, and I asked her opinion on what we could do. She said, "He is just going to have to figure out this isn't where he belongs, and then move on to where he is supposed to be."

I've thought about that alot over the past few days... I've decided that this little bird is sure a lesson in our Christian walk. Sometimes we go places we shouldn't... be it from a conscious choice or just by merely following the crowd, and we end up where God just doesn't want us. And like this little bird, we end up "beating our beaks" on the window or door, trying to find a different path... or someone to help us find our way home. And all the while, we haven't really figured out where we are SUPPOSED to be... we just know that it isn't where we are. Once this little guy figures our he isn't supposed to be here, we hope that he will move on and find his family... because while he isn't alone in our yard... we have tons of different types of birds... he is still lonely. We can also be lonely in a crowd when we aren't supposed to be where we are. That is when we need to turn around and walk away... or maybe walk away isn't the best choice of words... maybe I should say we "walk toward" where we were supposed to be in the first place!

the 4th in pictures!

2009-07-06T10:25:00.012-04:00

Michael, Kailyn and Camden were busy watching the crowd at the fireworks on July 3rd. We have watched them on the lawn of the Pekin United Methodist Church for years, and hundreds of people are busy on the lawn throwing Frisbees, eating and visiting.

Rachel brought "little chairs" which the kids all loved.

Michael was very excited about the fireworks.

Kailyn was very busy taking care of Levi...
if you didn't see her right away all you had to do was look for Levi,
who was dressed in his green jammies (below) so that he was
ready to just plop into bed following the fireworks!

Emma and Camden spent a little time in the chairs...
and I mean a "little"... they loved to run in circles around
our blankets and chairs, getting rid of a little energy!

Isn't that an awesome picture of the moon?
Mickey captured it right before the fireworks began.
He also managed to get a few good pictures of the fireworks themselves.

We had a nice weekend... even though it rained most of the afternoon on the 4th.

No cornhole... no swimming... but plenty of eating occurred!

And yesterday... yep... following church it was a day filled with napping.

Hope your holiday was as happy as ours!!!!

It is ALMOST here!!!!

2009-07-02T09:12:00.003-04:00

The 4th of July weekend is a BIG DEAL in my hometown... Pekin, Indiana is the site of the OLDEST CONSECUTIVE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION IN THE UNITED STATES! Now, there are older celebrations but the word CONSECUTIVE is what makes our celebration stand out. This year will be the 179th such celebration. Personally, this will be my 49th celebration - I have only missed ONE in my life... one of my favorite pictures is of me sitting on the front porch of our home when we lived on Main Street in town... I was 6 months old watching my first parade!!!

So this weekend out daughter who lives out of town will arrive with her family on Friday and will leave on Sunday. We will meet our other daughter and her family on Friday evening for the fireworks, which we will watch from a local church. Then on Saturday, Carly and I will go and stake out our viewing spot for the parade (which we will all watch together in the SAME SPOT AS ALWAYS!). After a visit to the park for a walk through the rides and booths, and much visiting with people you ONLY see once a year on the 4th, we will head back to the house where we will prepare for our annual cook-out. Our "extended family", comprised of church friend, will arrive at 4 and the swimming (if it doesn't rain!), cornhole (ditto on the rain!) and SCRABBLE will begin.

The day will be filled with tons of food, loads of laughter, and the giggles of little children... it will be a GOOD DAY!!! And in the midst of all that fun, I hope that we remember to give thanks for those who have made this day possible for us... those men and women who have given of their time, and many their lives, to keep America free. The song GOD BLESS AMERICA will be sung in many venues over this holiday weekend... but I believe that He has ALREADY blessed America... and that, as a nation, we have taken that blessing for granted. Remember to be in prayer for our country and its leaders... and especially for the next generation of leaders... that they will KNOW GOD... and follow his ways... so that American can remain FREE!!!!

Time for a Change!

2009-06-30T10:49:00.003-04:00

Mickey and I have lived in our home for nearly 10 years now, and it is time for a change. Oh, not that we haven't made a few changes since we've been here. We painted a few times (okay, NUMEROUS times) and we have added items to the walls, and we've added furniture, but we have decided it is time for a semi-major change!

We bought a new couch and loveseat (the solid is the furniture, the paisley will be pillows) over the weekend, and some paint for the livingroom... and we are going to install wood flooring as well. Actually, we wanted wood flooring when we moved in but alas, carpet was cheaper, so we went that route.

Think that it will be fun to make a few changes... it always makes the place seem brand new once again. Just not looking forward to the process... tearing out carpet, removing baseboards... the mess this will create... but you have to have a mess in order to have a finished project!

Kind of like our lives... we are constantly reminded that we have areas where a fresh coat of paint might make a difference, but we hate the mess and the cost that comes about when we make a change, so most of the time, we opt to NOT remodel... but the end result... well worth the time and effort!

So if you have some free time... give me a call... I think I can set you up with some weekend work!

Two Posts - One Day

2009-06-25T14:58:00.002-04:00

Crazy isn't it? But... I just had to share this picture sent to me by one of the "special daughters" that I have been blessed with... the caption underneath read - "I love my new blanket".

This is Emily Jean, whose Daddy, Joe, and Mommy, Erica are like a part of our family. To Emily I will be "Aunt Nanny", and I made her this blanket before she was born. So she is certainly wrapped in a lot of love there!! And isn't she just plain gorgeous!

Question for the Day

2009-06-25T13:00:00.002-04:00

What would you do with a million dollars???

Here is why I ask...

Our adoption agency, Bethany Christian Services sends out a monthly newsletter via e-mail - it lists Children of Promise (special needs children) who are available. They only showcase a few each month, but there are so many in need who are just longing for a family. And believe it or not, sometimes that "special need" is nothing more than the age of the child. You see, most people want to adopt infants, the older children are often just not thought of.

That truly breaks my heart. Michael turned 4 while we were in China to "pick him out" as he puts it. Yes, Michael did have CL/CP, but he was also older, which was included as a "need". In this months newsletter they showcased children from Taiwan, and there was one little boy on the list whose only need was that he was an "older child". Yes, an other child at the age of 6!!! He is a beautiful little boy with a smile that just melted my heart.

So, if I had a million dollars I know the first thing I would do, I would bring this child home to live with us, and I would love him with all my heart. As for now, all I can do is hope and pray that someone out there will see this little face and have the ability to bring him home, where he can be showered with love and affection. Yep... a million dollars would go a long way... and I would bring home as many children as I could bribe Mickey into letting me have, because EVERY child needs someone to love on them!!!

If you are interested in adoption, please don't hesitate to contact Bethany Christian Services, they will be more than happy to place a child in your arms that will love you as much as you love them!

A fun day

2009-06-24T09:10:00.004-04:00

Yesterday our middle daughter, Rachel, brought over the grands for lunch and a swim in the pool. This was Levi's first swim in Nanny and Pappy's pool, and a little sunscreen can really change a guy's doo!!!

Yep, he instantly transformed into SHARK BOY!!! His Aunt Carly looks for any opportunity to give him a "faux hawk"... she thinks that the style suits him!!!

The day was perfect for a swim, and there was NO RAIN... and I've heard that there is NO RAIN due to arrive today. Finally a chance to dry out a little bit. I know... the rains are supposed to return tomorrow, but I am truly looking forward to some dry time in between.

In closing, I'd like to share the scripture I read this morning... one of my favorites... from Psalm 108...

My heart is steadfast, O God,
I will sing and make music with all my soul
Awake , harp and lyre!
I will awaken the dawn!!
I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations
I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love, higher than the heavens,
your faithfulness reaches to the skies!