April 30th, 23 years ago

Twenty-three years ago at lunch time I gave birth to this little lady. Today, I can't believe she is the age I was when I had her. Life sure has flown by. As I think back to her last 23 years alot of things come to mind. She was a funny child, she was sick alot, like to hug but didn't like to sit still on your lap for long. She was mischievous in her only little creative way, didn't take no for an answer, was very persistent. Loved, I mean Loved sweets, candy of all kinds, Oreo's and chip sandwiches. (no wonder she was sick all the time). For many years was attached to my hip, didn't like to spend the night away from home. Was a little on the scaredy side. As she matured in middle and high school, she became very determined, loved school, wanted to be a part of the school spirit. She came out of her shell more throughout these years. Became a little on the OCD personality, stresses out over small things, holds her feelings in more than she should, was a pretty good teenager to raise. College years were alittle harder at first, But she has come around wonderfully. She is into running and exercise. She eats much healthier than as a child. She is still pretty OCD and determined. She is learning to speak her mind and stand up for herself. I think she is coming into her own skin and I see growth in many areas of her life. She is a beautiful woman and I believe God is going to use her. One of her verses we learned as child for her personality was I Peter 5:7 "Cast all your anxiety (worries, cares) on him because he cares for you" As our children grow up, we hope and pray that what we have taught them will stick. That they will remember through out life God Loves them and will be there for them. I am a little sad because my baby isn't at all a baby any longer but God has blessed me with a wonderful young woman to enjoy life with now.

First Home Pictures

This is Josh and Abby's new home. The previous owners were foreclosed on so they ripped out all the landscaping in the front. As you can see it will be an easy house to keep up, since it is all brick. It is on a private little drive and is surrounded by alot of trees. The neighbors have been extremely friendly. They have brought up hot cookies and tea while we were helping them move in.

This is the master bedroom, the colors in the house are this green everywhere. The basement has a darker shade of green, as Josh says it goes great with all my stuffed animals on the walls.

This is the dining room. The only problems with the house were it was a little dusty because no one has lived here for 3 years. They removed light fixtures from some of the rooms, took knobs off of some of the cabinets,they removed only one window shutters on the front porch, little random things need to be fixed. They removed the shelving in the master bedroom only, I don't know why this is the only closet they did this in. But I decided that this was something that I could work on Saturday. Josh started helping me and then left me to do the rest by myself. I followed the directions to a T, and at church told Abby I hope nothing happens to the closet or I will get fussed at. We went back to help again on Sunday and they came out the front door Abby was laughing and Josh said "Mom the closet shelves just came out of the wall" I thought he was kidding, but no they all were laying in the middle of the closet floor. What the directions did not tell me was that you had to buy a separate anchor (that did not come in the packet with everything else) and screw them into the studs in the walls. So off to Lowes I go.....

The shelves are in and so far are holding up wonderfully.

First Homes

Josh and Abby are purchasing their first home today. They close on the house at 11:00 and we are going to start moving them in after lunch. The house is a fore-closure so they got a great deal. We have been going there at night to help them paint and clean up a little. When we left last night Joey said " I know your jealous, do you wish you had their house. They have twice the size house we have and have paid less for it than we paid for ours." I am a little jealous, but really happy that my children are being blessed from God with such a great opportunity. I will have pictures next week..

Turkey's

Here is my first born with his first kill of the turkey season. He did allow me to keep this turkey to cook for him sometime. This is one of his hunting buddies, Mike but we call him Fritzy, or The Fritz Man

This is Josh's other hunting buddies, His dad of course and David, aka Big Daddy Dave.

This is Josh's second bird of the season, he kept this one for him and Abby. When I look at these pictures I have to laugh, because Josh mentioned the other day, do you realize I hang out with all old people. I have always said he was born a old man at heart.

Allergies

I have never experienced allergies like I am this week. My whole family is allergic to everything. Josh took shots as a small boy for about 3 years, Joey is allergic to everything mildly except for grass. When grass starts heading out he can barely function. Audrey has been on allergy shots for 5 years, we finally decided they were not working, (when questioned "why am I still on shots 5 years later) the Dr.'s quote "there are some people this doesn't work for, we usually can tell after 3 years, they got extra money for 2 years. Thank goodness Audrey finally questioned them. She is allergic highly to alot of things, so she always looks like she has been crying or drunk. Me, I maybe get a little sniffle one time a year. This year the Dr tells me that the pollen is so bad that they have seen many who never have problems coming in. I have a sinus and ear infection, I can hardly talk without sounding like a deep voiced mad woman. I have been praying for the Lord to help me not talk so much, his humor is incredible, I haven't wanted to talk because I start coughing so bad, so maybe this is his way of shutting me up. To top it all off, I am not a person who takes medicine of any kind, Allergy medicine, benedryl makes me want to kill people. I have a very short fuse if I am on these types of medicine, so I choose not to take them and suffer through. This time I have to take them to try and clear up the ear infection. I also don't take anitbiotics well, I usually keep up with what works and what doesn't. I missed one this time, I took what they prescribed for me and about 3 hrs later I started feeling sick, as I was going to church to teach small groups I found a bottle I kept in my car of a antibiodic that made me really sick last time I took it, I kept it in there as a reminder to never take again. I forgot about it , you guessed it, I took the same stuff again, need less to say, I didn't get to finish my small group, I stayed as long as I could, then grabbed Joey out of his class and drove home as fast as possible. Then next morning I was a half way new woman. I have never felt very compassionate for people who suffer with allergies, (get over it, it can't be that bad) was usually my comments. But after this week of suffering, I will be a kinder more gentler soul and I am considering giving up exercise.....Every since I started exercising 2 years ago I have been sicker than I have been the last 20 years........

Sinful, but the best Cake I have ever eaten

I think I have eaten the best cake ever made this weekend. It literally caused me to say sinful things. My sister and I have been exercising for 2 years this past March. She has lost about 12 pounds total, I have gained 11 pounds. As you can tell exercise is not all its cracked up to be. Leigh Anne (my younger sister) has decided she is very frustrated so she gave up sugar last week. She lost 5 pounds the first week. So as I ate the most delicious cake that I have ever wrapped my mouth around I told my friend Diane who made the most delicious cake I have ever eaten could I please have a small piece to take home to eat for breakfast the next day. Actually I was going to take it to the gym at 5 am the next morning and eat it in front of my sister because she has so much more will power than me. So not only did I eat the cake but I also had sinful thoughts ( jealousy,envy, no self-control and I'm sure many more popped in my head). Maybe this is the reason I gained and she lost.......

Turkey Day

Today is Turkey Season, Joey and Josh took these pictures a month or so ago, These were just a few of the ones they saw that day. This morning they went hunting and all they say were three or four. I tried to talk Joey into staying home because we have had some in the back yard for weeks. But those turkeys are smart little creatures, they see a little movement and zoom they are gone. I woke up around 7 and looked out the window, Joey left at 5 and guess what was within 6 feet of me. A gobbler, a jake, and about 3 hens all Joey would have had to do is put his gun out the bedroom window and I would be cooking some turkey tonight. This is my handsome first born, who eats sleeps and thinks hunting 24/7

And as you can see this is Joey smiling once again because he is camo'd up

Maybe by tonight I will have me one of those yummy turkey's to cook up I also want this wall decoration from their fanned feathers, so far after 27 years don't have one yet. They seem to shoot them in the wrong place and mess up their feathers.

Cancer, such a ugly word

Yesterday Joey and I found out a friend of ours within a twenty-four hour period has been told he has a brain tumor, would have to have surgery this morning and the report is not the greatest. His tumor was malignant and to described it, it is something like what Ted Kennedy had. They told him it was larger than they expected and that it would probably grow back within a year. He is a christian man and looks at life very realistic. He is a in your face, to the point (Yankee) Ha....but very thoughtful kind of guy. Joey, Me and two other men from church went to see him in the ICU last night about 9:30 and as he told us how this all came about, he said you know if I live or die tomorrow its all still going to be great because to leave this place means to him to be present with God. Now as a Christian I know that the greatest thing is to be able to leave this world and live with our Savior forever. However, as a human it is hard for us to let go of all we have here. We think of our spouses, our children, our families, our friends and just the way of life we live and think "I'm not ready to leave this yet" As we prayed with him last night I truly believe God was listening and even though today the report is not as great as we had expected. What came to my mind yesterday when I first heard about this was I am so excited to see what God is going to do through this. I told Allen how this was the first response that came to me and he said he had been thinking all day how could this be a testimony to others. Its great to see Christians at work through the tough times, I can't imagine going through trials that we all have and not have a heavenly father who is there for us to comfort and love us through it all. Pray for Allen, Rhonda and their sons Frank and Tim

Stones

Once again I have begun the good fight of a kidney stone. However, this time I won the battle and gone is the enemy. Its hard to imagine that the pain felt came from something as small as a poppy seed. I feel a little embrassed to admit that the little rock tried to take me down. It started Sunday morning so I didn't feel very good all day, just a nagging pain that kept me figity all day. We went to Joey's aunt Sis's for lunch, this woman is 81 years young and cooked almost the whole meal for 20 of us. I do aspire to be active like her at that age. Then I had about 25 of my family over for a cook out. I had a sharp pain every once in a while, but nothing too severe. I went to bed that night with a heating pad and ibuprohen. As 4 am I woke to loud noises outside, decided I didn't feel great so I watched TV, another rerun of LAW & ORDER. About 6am I started to feel that twinge of pain that I know does not promote a child at the end, just a rock. I called my sister and asked her to work for me at the office, but by 8:30 the pain was gone except for feeling like I need to be stuck with a needle and all the air let out. By 8:00 last night my rock child was produced and today I feel like a new woman.

Easter

We have decided to go to the mountain house tonight for our anniversary. This is killing two birds with one stone thing....Its free, and we need to check on the winter damage. If you remember they had snow all winter, I think they finally saw grass about a week ago, but it also snowed some more up there last week. I wanted to have a few thoughts on the upcoming Easter holiday. I do love the Easter season, when you go to church and get to acknowledge out loud that our King is risen. That he is alive and well and in charge. Revelation 11:14 says " We give thanks to you. Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and begun to reign". I know that I am glad to serve a God who is alive and personal, who is there with power. He is risen, He is risen indeed......