Friday, April 30, 2010

Packaging Popping!


Yesterday Anna and the kids came by and were here when I got a package. They were as excited as I was and could hardly wait for me to open it!
And you know what their favorite part was??????? The packaging of course! Here they are
popping the packaging!!!!!

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Childhood memories

Got home this afternoon from my parents' house. Went in to help out with my dad and did some housework too.

Haven't spent the night over there in quite a while and it was a bit strange. My parents have lived in the house for 46 years. The guest bedroom is the bedroom I shared with my sister, Denise. At various times over the years we "roped" off that room, daring the other to step on our side!
Wow! It seemed larger then!

Then there's the inside of the bathroom drawer where we wrote our names, only to go back and add our married names too!

Funny how we now look at it through "different" eyes.

As I stood washing up dishes, I thought about all the dishes I had washed and dried all those years...all the water fights while we did the dishes..."inspect it inspector"-words we would say to the other when the dishes weren't quite clean...a friend helping with dishes one night, saying she would wash the front AND the backs of the plates at our house but she never washed the backs at hers'...so many memories at that sink!

And the hallway...boy did it seem much longer ! Remember "meeting" my Dad very late one night after staying up late with my sisters, laughing in Donna's bedroom, being threatened with a smashed dead Grandaddy Longlegs by Denise, only to have her fall on the bed which then crashed very loudly to the floor, hearing our Dad's feet hit the floor in our parents' bedroom... I quickly exited meeting him in the hall telling him that "it wasn't me"! (We were up by 6 am vaccuming and cleaning that following morning...his idea, NOT ours!)

To my parents and my sisters....."thanks for the memories"!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Going Home!

Dad's going home today! Yippee!!!
I will be going over some and helping out as will my sisters.
Know he will be much happier at home!
Thank you God!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Home again, home again!

Just got home from the hospital this morning. My dad is doing very well and is hoping to be discharged tomorrow!

It is SO very nice to be home! "There's no place like home!"

Am going to sit out on the porch with Mike and enjoy the quiet and the rest of the day!

Friday, April 23, 2010

"Hospital Time"

My Mom and my sisters and I are doing hospital time.
My Dad had knee replacement surgery yesterday. Long day yesterday and we all survived quite well! Dad's surgery went very well!

God surrounded us with the nicest people all day long.

My sister Denise spent last night and I will spend the next two nights but Denise will come back to stay Saturday night with me. Our sister Donna will be back on Sunday.

One thing I can say about my family...there is so much love and so much fun!
We had no sooner arrived yesterday morning, that we already had a "reputation" with the staff!
(Hopefully that was good....:)
Everyone was so nice and so friendly...made the day so much better!

Me...I am not one much for hospitals and don't know too many who are but it was a special day being with my sisters, Mom and Dad. My Dad is quite the character!

When I left last night he was experiencing some pain and that's hard to handle.
Spoke with my sister this morning only to find that he didn't sleep at all.
So, I'm praying that he will be able to sleep very well tonight.

He begins his therapy this morning...the good old"bending machine" begins at 9:30.
They will get him up so hopefully all this will work towards a good night's sleep!

Am cooking for Mike so he will have something good to eat when he's home and then off I go...
back to the hospital armed with my Bible, journal, some good books, food, water and my Game Boy Advance with Tetris and PacMan!

That should keep me busy!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Wisdom from The Guernsey....

I am reading a most unique novel...The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society by
Shaffer and Barrows!

I began it last night and didn't want to put it down. The setting is England and the Channel Islands in 1946.

Quotes from "the Guernsey"....
"Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers. How delightful if that were true."

"I love seeing the bookshops and meeting booksellers- booksellers really are a special breed.
No one in their right mind would take up clerking at a bookstore for the salary, and no one in his right mind would want to own one-the margin of profit is too small. So, it has to be a love of readers and reading that make them do it-along with first dibs on the new books."

More another day!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Enjoying Spring!


Enjoying this beautiful Spring! This is part of our front yard. We have what we call the "natural" area and really don't have much grass to cut in the front.
And now we're completely closed in since the trees have filled out!
We love it! Other than Heaven one day, there's no other place I would rather live!

Saturday, April 17, 2010

A "Calling"

We all have a "calling"...something we are meant to do with our lives. The "calling" is not for ourselves but something we give, do for others.

It can be teaching, can be in the business world, raising your children to be caring and selfless, being a loving, godly husband or wife, son or daughter, finding ways to help others grow to reach their potentials, their goals, achieve their dreams...so much more.

"Callings" always come from our hearts. What is it we love to do...? We take those God-given talents...those things we love and use them to bless others. It can be poetry, painting, working with our hands, music, gardening, fishing...other sports, reading, etc. We are to take each gift, each love and share it with others...serve others.
It is never for ourselves although we will be greatly blessed each time we give.

One of my sisters is "called" to keep her grandchildren while their parents work. I have friends who are called to the education field, others in business, full-time ministries. Actually as believers we are all called to a "full-time' ministy...that ministry is our calling.

It's making this world a better place to live; giving people hope, encouragement, unconditonal love...one person at a time.

In college I "felt" the call to teach and I did in a public school system in an extreme low income area for 7 years. I knew God had called me there and while I was there I gave to"my" kids and loved them. And yes, I was extremely blessed!

Then I was "called" to stay home and raise our own children. Finances were tight but I never regretted it and I know our children loved me being home. Next came homeschooling...a definite challenge but so worth the price, but I knew that I was "called"!

Now I am called to be "Granggie" to our 8 "Grands and called to the Treasures...to the elderly...those who many times are forgotten and discarded by society yet they are dear and precious to God. I have been in this "calling" for many years now.

This morning as I was on the porch, talking to God, reading some in the Word and then I "heard" His voice speaking to my heart. It was gentle yet there was an urgency to His message. I will not share all that He said to me but one thing He said quite clearly was "pay the price..."
He was telling me to do whatever it takes to fulfill the "calling". I must say His message has greatly affected me this morning...and I hope it will every day for the rest of my life.

Make a difference in someone's life. Find your calling and do it with gusto! Pay the price!
You and I were born to bless others.

Friday, April 16, 2010

Profile Pic

I changed my profile picture this week. Just needed a change.
Can't really rearrange furniture much anymore so I'll just do other things...here and there.

The porch picture is the "real" me anyway! This is where I "live". When it's just me at home all my meals are eaten there and when Mike's around we eat there quite a bit.

I am out early in the mornings with Bible, journal and coffee in hand, usually for hours.
I have to tear myself away to get things done in the house and when I do accomplish other tasks,
the porch is my reward!

It truly is a haven, a sanctuary...and I am so incredibly blessed to be able to "live" there!

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Great quotes!

A friend sent me some really great quotes this morning and I just had to share!

"Inside every older person is a younger person~wondering what the __ happened."
(I don't do expletives)
Cora Harvey Armstrong

"Inside me lives a skinny woman crying to get out. But I can usually shut her up with cookies."
~unknown~

(It isn't the cookies so much for me as it is with something salty!)

And the last one for today:
"I refuse to think of them as chin hair. I think of them as stray eyebrows."
Janette Barber

Actually I do have one more for today and it is one I think about periodically.

"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission."
Eleanor Roosevelt

Tis true, tis true!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Struggles

Deep down inside I REALLY want a healthier lifestyle....healthy eating habits, healthy weight,
an exercise program I can live with...

But I am struggling....

I seem to have these "lapses"...where I lapse into a bag of chips, or brownies and then lapses of finding myself always hungry...searching the fridge, pantry, or just eating the wrong foods.

One thing I am not doing...I am not beating myself up over it but I just "keep on"! The only way I can fail is to quit!

My daughters and a dear friend have been so encouraging lately and it has been just the thing I needed. I've watched my friend work hard at getting healthier and she has done so well.
I really am proud of her! She is so inspiring!

I'm actually learning about myself and which foods work for me and which do not.
Yes it it most definitely a lifestyle change and I'm taking it one day at a time.
And I do have the HELPER and He's the best!

For the beauty...








"For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies...

Monday, April 12, 2010

Happy Birthday Kylie Hope!

Our beautiful youngest granddaughter is five years old today!
Happy Birthday Kylie!
We love you soooo much!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

What a day! :)


This afternoon we enjoyed Kylie's birthday party with all her cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents! Ten adorable, active kids and they were everywhere. Kylie had a "Walle" birthday party so "Walle" was playing in the den, other toys and things on the porch and in the yard and bubbles with Auntie Jen on the deck! Whew! Kids to the left of us! Kids to the right of us! Kids on the swing set and the yard swing. Kids shooting Nerf dart guns, climbing trees, in and out...in and out! Double Whew!
But, oh what fun! And one of the highlights in all that excitement was the first sighting of our Hummingbirds! He came inspite of all the hoopla and drank from this birdfeeder! I had been looking for them the past two weeks!
So nice to have our tiny-feathered friends back for another season!
What a wonderful day!

Saturday, April 10, 2010

A Most Beautiful Day!




It has been an incredibly beautiful Spring day!




We did some yardwork, planting three rose bushes, two other bushes, potted two red geraniums.


We were weeding and digging and putting out bark chips...all as quickly as we could because we had a wedding to attend. What a perfect day for the wedding of a very dear friend!
And it was a beautiful wedding indeed!

Friday, April 9, 2010

Beautiful RAIN!!!!

So thankful for the wonderful rain we got last night!
No more "yellow" cars, etc.!

And the air is so clean and fresh this morning...ahhhh....

Lovely, just lovely!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Free at last!

Wednesdays are my "Treasure Days", as I have said before.

Today I went to the first assisted living and then to a nursing home/rehabilitation center.
One of my favorite treasures, Doris had fallen and broken her arm. After having surgery and a brief hospital stay she was sent to rehab.
She's doing great! She's happy and being treated quite well. Of course she's hoping to go "home" soon.

Went to her "home" to visit other dear friends. I'm always the one who gets so blessed!
One of my gentlemen "treasures" was happy to see me and as I shook his hand in our greeting,
he gently kissed my hand. Felt like a true Southern Belle! (And him a "Yankee"! :)Ha ha! )

Gave my other gentleman treasure a surprise...a Game Boy advance that we got via the internet!
His had broken!

Visited Doris's "boyfriend" to assure him she was doing fine and then saw my other dear friends,
Pearl and Jackie.

One bit of sad news, though. My friend, Joyce Ann was no longer there but I do know where she is and she is so much better now! She is with our Lord!
I will no longer be buying her the gold Dial soap she liked and I will no longer hear the way she always said my name, that always brought a smile to me, but she is now happy and whole
in every way! And knowing her, she already knows everyone's name up there!!!! :)
She is indeed, free at last!

Monday, April 5, 2010

The I L S Ladies!

Here are some of the Ladies of our book club at our April meeting.
We dressed in "lounge clothes" in keeping with the book we read, Sister Chicks in
Sombreros by Robin Jones Gunn.
We usually eat first, or at least fix our plates and visit a bit before we get started.

We discuss the book rather thoroughly and yes, we do get off on rabbit trails at times,
but we're always" reined in", getting the job done.

There is much laughter, sharing, and sometimes a few tears. It's a very special time
of fellowship and bonding and we read some really great books!

Easter Joy!

Easter evokes many emotions, especially joy and delight at the newness of life that is so evident in Spring's unveiling!
New life in Christ makes all the seasons more vivid, especially
Spring! Wow! I don't think it will ever become "old" to me. I take such pleasure in every change of season, taking in the sounds, the beauty that each one brings and enjoy them every day.

This Easter was so beautiful! Morning coffee on the porch while watching the day spring to life...coming together with fellow believers celebrating our risen Lord...preparing for the arrival of our children and the "Grands"
for an Easter supper and of course, a very "active" egg hunt!
Christian, our oldest "Grand" felt he was too old to look for eggs so he helped hide them! Of course that eliminated him from finding eggs with coins and candy but we graced his palm with a bit of folding money and he was quite content!

After dinner on the porch, the egg hunt began and it proved to be very entertaining. Seeing 7 kids running all over the yards, in the edges of the woods, climbing on log piles, looking in drain "pipes", and bird feeders was so much fun! What was especially endearing was to see some of the older ones helping the younger ones and sharing their eggs...how unselfish!

Then there was checking out the loot! The older ones were into the coins while Duncan was all about the chocolate! Every time I turned around he had chocolate on his face and his hands!
Kylie was into certain colors, Emma, Makenna, Elliott and Camden into seeing how many they could find and Kellan, well he just loved going all over and wasn't too interested in getting the most!

I do believe the highlight of our evening was the water fight! I had gotten water guns for them all. Well, they were told not to shoot each other but what were we thinking????
Then it really got exciting for Christian came inside shooting me! I chased him, got his gun and filled it up and off I went for REVENGE! And yes I got it! Then we were all "shooting" each other and dripping. Then Elliott decided to "shoot" Papa who had no gun, only a bit of watered down tea and knowing Papa, that's what he used! He threw it on Elliott, chasing him off the porch and then the next thing I heard was "Papa's got the hose" and sure enough there was Papa, carefully squirting the "grands" and everyone laughing!

After a quick clean-up, everyone piled into their cars and Papa and the Granggie collapsed on the porch loveseat...in lovely quiet!

It had been a perfect , life-filled day!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

"Happy Day"!

"The empty cross...

the empty grave...

Life Eternal, You have won the day!

Celebrate! Jesus IS alive!

Happy day, happy day!"

Saturday, April 3, 2010

"Paid in full!"

"The debt was so great, that while man alone owed it,
only God alone could pay it."
Anselm, 11th century theologian

Friday, April 2, 2010

Deadly silence...

"Low in the grave He lay,
Jesus, my Savior...
waiting the coming day,
Jesus, my Lord."

Thursday, April 1, 2010

"Praise the King"

"...Praise Him for the blood that fell
and bloomed a rose that day,

And praise Him that He suffered through the guilt,
the grief, the shame.

Oh and praise Him that His tender love
will still forgive today.

Oh praise Him all ye people,
Praise the King!"

Cindy Morgan