Shower for Baby Jesse

I met up with Sheila Friday afternoon to go to Paris for Mandy's baby shower. I finally got to see her office and meet her work fellows.  Her boss let her leave early, so we got on the road around 3:00.

When we arrived in Paris, we met up with Stephen for supper and then went to watch "The Hobbit."  Mandy had been sick all week and didn't feel like getting out.  She wanted to be well rested for the shower the next morning.  We enjoyed getting to spend a little time with them.

The shower was really nice!  Mandy (and Jesse) got a LOT of nice things!  The brunch that Melanie and Doris and Brenda prepared was yummy, too.



Mandy at the brunch table

Pack N Play from Great-Aunt Cheryl



Baby Swing from Great-grandparents (Byrnes)

Blessing Banner from Aunt Sheila

Little Man outfit from Grandparents (Gaddys)

Box of clothes from Aunt Sheila

My first rag quilt attempt

I'm thankful that we had the opportunity to share in Mandy's special day.  After the food, games and gifts, we had to head on back home.  It was nerve-wracking navigating the rain-slicked roads, but we made it home without incident.

An Uncertain Vacation

We left Wednesday evening for our 6th Annual Mother/Daughter Weekend.  (Don't you love that it is a capitalized event?)  Paula arrived several hours before us and had everything cozy and waiting for us when we arrived at our cabin on Caddo Lake.  We got settled in and spent the next couple of hours visiting and planning our weekend.
Thursday morning (after sleeping in...which we did every morning except Sunday!) we drove into Jefferson and explored the quaint downtown shops.  We didn't make it to all of them, because the rain settled in and we were too cold and wet.  We did manage to fit in the Gone With the Wind museum, barely making it before the proprietor closed for the day!  That evening we rode the Christmas Train.  After a late supper we headed back to our cabin, watched a movie and visited some more.

Library inside dollhouse
 

Friday we drove into Marshall.  After getting so cold and wet the previous day, we decided not to do any downtown shopping.  So we grabbed a quick lunch and then went to watch "Catching Fire".  The girls and I had already seen it, but Paula hadn't.  I think we enjoyed it as much the second time around!  That evening we went downtown to see the lights and do the double-decker tour bus.  The light and music show at the capital was fantastic!  We also enjoyed watching the carolers performing.  We ended up being the only guests riding the tour bus, and our tour guide and driver were very friendly.  Actually our experience in both Jefferson and Marshall left us very favorably impressed.  Every shop or restaurant that we went to had very friendly service!  After our tour, we went to Cajun Tex for supper and to warm up.  It was the perfect spot...hot food and bread, generous servings, good prices and good service! 

We were a bit tired of being cold and wet, so we decided to stay in on Saturday.  Our cabin didn't have a DVD player, so we made a trip to Walmart Friday night to purchase a cheap one, plus to get groceries to tide us over for the day.  We slept late, stayed in our pjs all day, played games and watched movies (and prayed for good weather and roads for traveling home the next day!).  Great bonding time!

view from our back door

Sunday morning we checked out of our cabin and drove to Queen City for church services.  It was really good to visit with our dear friends there.  We extended the visit a little longer by going out to eat together.  They were concerned about us heading home with the weather and road conditions being "iffy" and tried to talk us into staying the night.  We wanted to try to make it as far as possible before having to stop for the night.

The drive home wasn't as bad as we thought it might be.  We saw a lot of snow and ice, but it didn't start showing up on the road until we reached Dallas...then it was just mainly on the bridges and overpasses.  That slowed us down a little, but we still made it home by about 7:30.  Another great weekend together!  Already looking forward to next year!

 

Psalms 147:[17] He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?

Special Times and Blessings

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  Stephen and Mandy came in late Wednesday night.  Daddy and Bobbie and the girls came over the next morning to help get everything ready.  While I was finishing up the cooking, Mandy put together a beautiful veggie turkey and Ricky made a couple of really cute apple swans.  Daddy and the girls got the tables set and ready.  It was so nice to have all the family together and share a special meal.  After eating and cleaning up, we got out the "Apples to Apples" and played a game...lots of laughs and good times!  Then Daddy and Bobbie went home and the kids and I went to watch "Frozen."  It was a really good, old-fashioned Disney film!  While Dennis and I rested up that evening, the kids headed over to the girls' house for a fire.  Perfect day!

Friday morning we got up early and drove to Frisco to Stork Vision.  Stephen and Mandy had been given a session for a 3D/4D sonogram as a gift.  We got to see Jesse!  He didn't really cooperate...seems like he is a snuggly little sleepyhead!  That is ok though...Mandy will really appreciate that once he gets here!  We got a pretty good idea of what he looks like tho.  Afterwards we all ate lunch together and then parted ways.  So thankful for our time together!

Sunday, Koh B. came over and spoke both times for us at Highway.  Cindy and Mel were still in town for Thanksgiving and came with them for morning services.  It was so nice to see all of them.  Koh gave a two part lesson on God's Providence...very comforting and faith-building.  We enjoyed a scrumptious potluck in between services, along with some good fellowship.

Dennis has been having stomach problems for about a month now.  He took off yesterday to go to the doctor.  We are pretty sure it is his gallbladder, but they will have to do a couple of tests to make sure.  After his appointment, he went out to do a little hunting in the afternoon.  Didn't kill anything but got a good look at a big buck that he is hoping will survive until next year!  (He has already killed his 2 bucks in that county for this season!)

The girls and I leave tomorrow afternoon for our 6th annual Mother/Daughter Weekend!  We are heading east to Uncertain, TX, on Caddo Lake.  We plan to browse the shops in Jefferson and look at all the pretty lights in Marshall.  We had hoped to do a carriage ride, but it looks like the weather won't be cooperating for any outdoor activities!  We are really looking forward to our special time together!  I'll try to share pictures when we get home.

Have a wonderful week!

Psalms 34:[8] O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.  [9] O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.  [10] The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.  [11] Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.  [12] What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?  [13] Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.  [14] Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.  [15] The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Happy Thanksgiving!

This is my favorite week of the year...Thanksgiving!  It is such a special time to be with family and recognize all that I have for which to be thankful...my hope in Christ, my wonderful husband and 3 amazing kids (plus one by marriage and one by choice and all the others gathered along the way), my CASA kids and the positive changes in their lives, my home and all of its comforts, the gorgeous world that surrounds me (I'm constantly amazed at the beauty that God created for our enjoyment!), my health (I honestly feel better and healthier than I have in MANY years), and the opportunities that await me in the future, as God sees to bless me.  I am very blessed!

It looks more like winter around here right now than fall with this strong arctic storm system that has moved in.  We've had freezing rain and sleet and COLD temperatures since Friday.  I think the sun is supposed to come out in the next day or so.  I enjoy winter weather, but I LOVE sunshine!

I have some CASA work to do this afternoon and in the morning, and then I can commence cooking and cleaning.  Stephen won a Greenberg smoked turkey, which is what we'll be having for Thanksgiving dinner.  I'm excited to see if it is as good as everyone claims.  Of course there will also be dressing, sweet potatoes (I'm going to roast them this year, instead of candying them for a little lighter fare), deviled eggs, rolls, olives (we HAVE to have olives), a loaded potato casserole (that Sheila is making), a veggie turkey (that Mandy is going to arrange), and I'm going to try out a new broccoli and wild rice casserole.  Then, of course, PIES (pumpkin, pecan, and plum - how alliterate!)...and cookies...and homemade candy.  It is WAY too much food for our small family (only 9 of us this year), but we'll enjoy it as leftovers, too.

Friday morning, we will accompany Stephen and Mandy to their appointment at Stork Vision for a 3D/4D sonogram.  I am so excited about this!  We'll get to see Jesse for the first time.  (We've seen pictures of the first, regular, sonogram...but this is different!)  I finally got the squares cut out for his quilt that I'm making.  I need to set up a sewing station so I can start putting it together. 

Sunday, we are having a guest speaker at Highway and a potluck in between services.  We are looking forward to having Koh and Michele's family here for the day.  It has been a long time since I've heard Koh speak, so I'm really looking forward to hearing him again.

I hope all of you have a very wonderful Thanksgiving week with family and friends! 

"Trauma and Misery"

Last week was pretty full.  I went to a symposium in FW all day Monday.  It was presented by the FW Trauma task force.  The only speaker was a widely acclaimed pediatrician/psychologist from Pennsylvania who works with children at Covenant House, a shelter for homeless kids.  He spoke to us for 6 hours on how to help children who have experienced trauma.  He was the best speaker I’ve heard on the subject…giving very detailed examples and suggestions of what to say and do.  He was also a very entertaining speaker, which made sitting, listening to one person for 6 hours SO much easier!  The emcees for the event were also quite entertaining!

Dennis and I had planned to go out to eat when I got home that evening.  A local restaurant was offering free meals for veterans.  However, Dennis had been sick at his stomach all day and didn’t feel like eating much of anything.  He had this bug all week, off and on.  He went to work each day, but he felt bad and didn’t have much of an appetite.  He felt really bad yesterday, but seemed to be ok this morning and went on to work.  Ricky was started to feel sick yesterday, too.  Hope he doesn’t end up suffering as long as Dennis has!

Mary F is still in rehab and progressing slowly…still suffering from lack of appetite and nausea.  I hope that she will soon progress to the point to where she can return home.  She is so miserable!  Jim is doing well.  He was sick with a bad cold and infection for a week or two but seems to be ok now.  His home health nurse is supposed to be setting him up with Meals on Wheels.  The ladies from church have been taking turns cooking for him, but he really doesn’t like to feel like he is “inconveniencing” anyone…even tho we repeatedly tell him he isn’t!

The girls and I left Friday after work to go watch Stephen perform in “Les Miserables”.  Jessica and I met up with Sheila for supper close to where she works.  We tried out a new restaurant, la Madeleine.  It was quite tasty and different from the norm.  They serve French cuisine and have wonderful pastries and desserts!  We also bought some truffles to take with us to snack on later in the evening.  We stayed the night in a hotel in Mesquite to break up the trip.  (Plus we knew that Stephen and Mandy would be out late that night anyway.)  We made it to Paris around 10:30 and, after a quick trip to Hobby Lobby, got to Stephen’s house around 11:00 or so.  We visited, had lunch together, and then went to the theatre to watch “Les Mis”.  It was wonderful!  I had had my doubts about a small community theatre putting on a performance of that magnitude, but they did a really good job.  I can’t watch that story without sobbing, plus I’ve always gotten emotional watching my children perform, so watching Stephen portray Jean Valjean was gut-wrenching!  It was all I could do to not blubber uncontrollably! 

After the play, we headed back home.  That is such a long drive!  So glad we didn’t have to do it all in one day.

The guys had a business meeting/study between services yesterday.  Sheila had to go on a visit for her CASA case at 2:00.  Jessica ended up going home after services with a bad headache, so that just left Ricky and I together for lunch.  Instead of cooking my usual Sunday dinner, we opted to eat out at Chili’s.  I enjoyed our “date”.  Dennis gave a wonderful lesson last night…despite the fact that he was miserably nauseated.  It was a wonderful assembly all around!  I could tell from everything done and said that the guys had had an excellent study…it shown through in all they did.  Since Dennis was feeling so sick, tho, we came straight home afterwards.

Guess I’d better get on with my day…lots to get done.  I hope the week goes well for all of you!  And remember that throughout the trials and sufferings life dishes up, we have One who can calm any storm.

2 Corinthians 4:[8] We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.

 

 

Blessings abound

I’m loving this cool fall weather!  The forecast shows it getting down into the 20’s one morning next week.  I love sweater and blanket weather!

Well, I was able to exchange my defective Yoga (computer) for one that was fully functional.  I am loving it!  So far, it has done everything that I’ve needed from it, and it is so easy to use (which is something I REALLY need!).  It is portable enough to carry with me on my CASA visits, but it still works like a laptop when I want it to.  Then it can convert to a “tablet” when I want to play games or just surf the web.  For someone who has never used an Ipad or smart phone, it is quite an eye-opener to how versatile those things can be!

Last weekend Dennis headed out to Spur to do a little hunting.  He killed 4 hogs...a sow for Daddy and Bobbie to butcher, a couple of boars and a piglet…just to trim the “herd”.  They are really overrun out there!  I took advantage of him being gone on Saturday to go visit some of my kiddos in South Dallas.  That pretty much ends up taking most of a day!  Then Sheila came over and hung out that evening.

We were very pleased Sunday to see Donnie and Tammy show up at Highway!  Donnie stood in for Layne and spoke for us that morning…gave us a very good lesson on making the most of our opportunities.  It was good to see both of them again.  After services, James and Renee invited everyone over to their house for a potluck…lots of yummy food and good fellowship!

Attended a CASA roundtable on Wednesday morning.  My program director approached me when I arrived and asked if I would give a short talk at our Volunteer Banquet the next evening.  She wanted me to share the story of my babies.  I reluctantly agreed.  I am TERRIBLE at public speaking…I get so nervous and flustered!  But my babies’ story is so encouraging that I felt like it needed to be shared.  I spent HOURS working on what I wanted to say and practicing!  Of course, when I finally found myself behind the microphone, I forgot everything that I had practiced.  But I had my notes and this story is one that I can recount anytime…it holds such a special place in my heart.  I made it through without passing out or crying, so I guess it was ok.  I followed another advocate, standing off to the side at the front of the room while she told a story of one of her cases…one with a sad ending.  I wasn’t expecting it and had to try with all my might not to burst into sobs during her story! 

The banquet was wonderful.  The prime rib (my first time to try it) was wonderfully smoky and the chocolate tart was out of this world!  For entertainment, they had a very talented young woman, Abbey Cone,  sing a couple of songs for us…one that she had written.  The second song was “Nobody’s Child”, which was written about children in foster care.  It was such a moving song…I was really fighting the tears again!  She has recorded this song and donates $1 every time someone purchases it off of ITunes. Then we had a motivational speaker talk to us.  It was a very inspiring presentation, as well as entertaining.  It was a wonderful evening…and surprising!

We got deer #2 butchered and in the freezer this week.  There were three of us working on the meat and all three of us ended up with bandaged thumbs!  My freezer is quite nicely filled now.  I asked Dennis to please hold off on killing any more deer until it has time to clear out a little!  That is the nice thing about having such a long season (October – bow, Nov-Dec – gun, and then muzzleloader – January).

I have an all day symposium to attend on Monday.  It is entitled “Building Resilience:  Children and Trauma”.  It ought to be very informative.  It will entail getting an early start on my day, which will be quite a change after having Dennis off on vacation these past couple of weeks.  We have been sleeping in most days…gonna have to get back into a regular schedule!

Matthew 25:[34] Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: [35] For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: [36] Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. [37] Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? [38] When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [39] Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? [40] And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

 

Everything in its time

Well, it has been about 2 weeks since my last post.  Things have been fairly busy.  Dennis has killed 2 deer so far this bow season.  We butchered the first last week and the second is aging in our garage refrigerator.  I’ve cooked a couple batches of jerky from the last of last year’s meat.  That stuff does NOT last long around here.  The last batch I made was pretty big, so I put half in the freezer so we’d have some to share.  I caught Ricky finishing it off the other night.  Guess I’ll have to make up another batch in the next week or so!

Dennis took me shopping for a computer of my own a couple of weekends ago.  I had pretty much decided I wanted a Lenovo Yoga…a cross between a laptop and a tablet.  We discussed the pros and cons with our favorite salesman at Best Buy and decided to go with it.  We had to order, since they don’t carry them in the store.  I got it the next week.  Spent a couple of hours trying to get it all set up and connected to the internet, including calling and talking to the tech support at Lenovo.  Turns out that the wifi card was defective and I have to return it to a service facility to get it replaced.  I’m still waiting on a FedEx box to ship it in.  Arghhhh!!!!  I thought technology was supposed to simplify our lives!

Mary is in a rehab/nursing facility in Weatherford now.  It is better that she is closer to home, but she is still having a lot of problems.  Continued prayers for her and Jim are much appreciated!

I completed the cake for the big 70^th birthday party for Sheila’s old boss.  I spent I don’t know how many hours preparing to make that cake…working on the design and pattern.  Then I spent 12 hours on Saturday…baking, icing and decorating it.  It was a 10” x 25” 2-layer red velvet cake with cream cheese filling.  The girls delivered the cake and then attended the party later in the day.  Everything went off well and the guests of honor were pleased with the cake.  One of the party activities was a flash mob.  I can’t wait to see the video when they get it uploaded to Youtube!

Dennis is off for 2 weeks’ vacation.  We left after services Sunday evening and headed toward Paris.  We broke up the trip, like last time, and spent the night in Mesquite.  (That hotel gift card is really coming in handy!)  Then we met with Stephen first thing Monday morning to go over our account.  Afterwards we bought his birthday present and delivered it to the house.  I took the stuff from my baby drawer to give to him and Mandy for baby Jesse:  a blanket and booties that Maxine had knitted, a bib that she had cross-stitched, the blanket that I crocheted, plus some clothes that I had bought.  Mandy is really looking pregnant now.  I’m really looking forward to the day after Thanksgiving.  They were given a gift of 3D/4D ultrasound that we are all going to go watch that morning.  Sure beats fighting the Black Friday crowds in the stores!

Dennis is planning to head out to Spur this weekend.  I’ll be staying home this trip.  I have a visit I need to do with some of my CASA kids on Saturday.  James and Renee are hosting a potluck at their house on Sunday, too.  I’m looking forward to that!

Well, I guess that is about all the news for now.  I hope the rest of the week goes well for all.  Don’t forget to turn your clocks back this weekend!

Ec 3:1-8  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted, A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

Autumn, health issues and a little "craziness"

It is 40° this morning!  We have received about 3” of rain in the past few days.  The 10 day forecast shows highs in the 60’s and 70’s and lows in the 40’s and 50’s.  Looks like fall has finally settled in to stay.  Hallelujah!

Well, the 5k at Clark Gardens went well.  It was a perfect morning for running.  There were 159 runners total.  I came in 102^nd.  But I did it in my best time ever, so I was happy.  About a week later, Jessica showed me a picture on her phone.  The Weatherford newspaper had put a picture from the race on the front page.  Guess whose picture was front and center?  *groan*  I guess they were trying to motivate other old, fat women to get active!

The night before the race, we got a call telling us that Mary Fox had fallen and broken her hip.  After I got cleaned up after the race, I heard that they were planning surgery that afternoon.  So I headed to FW.  I was able to visit with Mary for awhile before they came to take her to surgery.  She was in good spirits, for the most part.  Since it was a Saturday, the hospital was lax on their normal policies and allowed all of us (Ron and Karen, Jim and I) to stay with Mary in preop.  We were able to talk to the anesthesiologist when he came by to see her.  Mary had had a lot of trouble with pain meds when she broke her other hip, so we discussed it with him and he decided to do a nerve block.  That ended up cutting back on how much pain medication she needed after surgery.  The surgery went well and she ended up spending 4 nights in the hospital before being moved to rehab.  She is struggling with being able to walk, since her “good” leg has a knee that is bone on bone.  She really wants to go home, but she needs more therapy to build up her strength.  Jim is doing ok.  His son is driving him to the rehab and other friends and family are taking him home most days.  (He lost his leg last year and needs assistance getting around.)  Please continue to keep the two of them in your prayers!

Dennis killed his first deer of the season last Friday…a nice, young buck.  That same day, Kyle and Parker came over to work on deer stands/feeders.  Then Sunday afternoon, the guys (including Ryan, too) took a quick trip out west to get them set up.  Those boys are sure enjoying all of this “hunting” activity.  I can’t wait to see them when something is actually killed!

I spent the last two Tuesdays taking Daddy to doctors in Arlington.  His urologist wanted him to see an oncologist for his prostate cancer.  The oncologist wanted him to see a urology cancer specialist.  So that is who we saw this week.  He wasn’t overly concerned about Daddy’s condition and suggested a watch and see approach.  He was diagnosed in 2009 with a very non-aggressive form of cancer and the doctor doesn’t feel like it will adversely affect him during his lifetime.  Most of the treatments are rougher than the disease at his age.  So he doesn’t have to go back for another 6 months for another PSA.

Anita is doing well after her gallbladder surgery!  The abdominal pain that has plagued her for the past couple of months is gone.  She is still tender from surgery but getting back into her normal routine.

Last Saturday was the Crazy Water Festival.  I hadn’t been in several years…since I worked for Meals on Wheels.  I volunteered to help with the CASA booth Saturday morning.  We had face painting and a basket of goodies that we were selling tickets for (which Jessica ended up winning!).  Plus we were trying to raise awareness of our organization and recruit new volunteers.  While I was there we had one very promising woman sign up for training.  I don’t know how much money we raised, but we had a lot of kiddos lining up to get their faces painted! 

Cara and Heather spent the night at the girls’ Saturday on their way home from Austin.  They all came over to eat Sunday dinner with us.  It was good to see them and get to visit for a short while…sweet girls!

Dennis turned 61 on Monday.  He was gone most of the day with Kyle and the boys, setting up their deer stand and feeder.  I was gone most of the day, too.  I had taken a pot of soup to Jim and then had a visit in Weatherford to observe.  So we just went out to Pulido’s for supper to celebrate.  Just one more year until he reaches his “retirement age.”  Woo-hoo!

I have a cake to do next week for Sheila’s old boss, Riley.  He and a fellow banking friend are both turning 70 and they are having a big party to celebrate.  I’m doing a “$70 bill” with both men’s faces on it.  I’m depending on Ricky to do the drawings of the faces.  It is going to be a challenging cake…to say the least!  But Riley has been SO good to Sheila, I feel like he deserves the best I can do!

Well I need to get cleaned up and start my day.  I have a couple of CASA appointments today that I need to get ready for.  Hope you all enjoy this wonderful fall weather!

Ps 86:4 Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Life goes on...

Well, I haven’t posted in a while…haven’t really had anything to say.  Tending to business:  CASA work, day to day chores, etc.  I finished Jesse’s baby afghan last week.  I think it turned out pretty cute.  I’ve been putting all of my baby stuff in an empty dresser drawer.  Well it is FULL now!  Guess I’ll have to send stuff home with Stephen and Mandy next time I see them.  I hope to start on the rag quilt tomorrow.  Can’t wait to see how it turns out!

Tomorrow is the 5k at Clark Garden’s fall festival.  I’ve about decided that it will be the end of my “running career.”  I’ve been jogging now for 5 months and I still hate it!  Haven’t really made a lot of progress either.  I don’t think this old woman is built for running!  I still intend to do my 3 miles a day walking, at least 3 times a week.  I do enjoy the health benefits I receive from the exercise.  But my legs (especially my left knee) don’t appreciate the wear and tear of jogging.  My legs ache when I wake up every morning afterwards and my joints creak and pop until they get warmed up.  It has been an interesting “experiment” and I’ve really enjoyed being able to participate in the 5k Color Run and tomorrow’s event.

I am getting in gear for Thanksgiving!  I know…it is still almost 2 months away.  But I LOVE it and look forward to it every year.  I wish I had lost a little more weight already (I’ve lost about 23 pounds so far), because I won’t be losing any more until after the first of the year.  The holiday season is rough on me, weight-wise!  I love all the baking…and eating!  I’m going to TRY to be good, but I will definitely be eating more sweets than I have been.

Ricky and I are having to share a car right now.  His car is in the shop being repaired and probably won’t be ready for another week or so.  We are both looking forward to having it back home and running again!

Anita had gallbladder surgery Monday.  She had been in a lot of pain for many weeks, and they finally determined she had a polyp in her gallbladder that was stopping it up.  When they took it out, it was twice the normal size.  She said she could tell the difference as soon as she woke up from surgery!  Aside from being sore from the “incisions” (they did laparoscopic, so they were mainly just holes), she has felt pretty good. 

A pretty good cold front is supposed to move in tonight.  It is supposed to get down into the 40’s tomorrow night.  Bring it on!!!  Dennis is hoping to go bow hunting tomorrow evening (if he gets off work in time).  I got the freezer defrosted this week, so I’m ready!

I hope you all enjoy this wonderful fall weather that is heading out way!

Php 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Color Me Crazy!

The kids (Ricky and Jessica) had their first softball game of the fall season last Monday night.  They have a pretty good team this season!  The game was great.  Our team stayed in the lead up until time ran out.  The other team was the “home” team, so they got one last time at bat…and scored 3 runs…just enough to win.  Bummer!  But it was a fun game to watch.  Looking forward to game 2 tonight.

I started crocheting a baby blanket for little Jesse last week.  I’ve got most of it done…probably do another 6-8 inches before I finish.  Then I’ll start on the rag quilt I’m planning to make for him.  This will be my first rag quilt and I’m excited to see how it turns out.  It will be done all in flannel, so it should be very soft and cuddly.

We did the Color Me Crazy run on Saturday.  Our team consisted of James and Jared P., Kyler and Kynlee, Jessica, Sheila and I.  Our registration packet included a bag of color, so we “decorated” each other really well before the run started.  I especially liked Jared’s hand print on Jamie’s forehead!  The run started at 8:00.  I had determined beforehand that I’d just stay with the group, walking most of the time.  But once we got going, I got inspired to jog.  Seeing others running tapped into my competitive spirit (which I really don’t use that much!).  It was a beautiful morning to be out and the course was nice and easy (the back 9 holes of the golf course).  It was a lot of fun, and I’m glad we did it!  Trying to get off the color wasn’t nearly as much fun though.  My face was VERY pink and I was quite stained in the bend of my arms and my hands.  It is about all gone now though.  Looking forward to doing it again next year.  (Just 3 weeks until the 5k at Clark Gardens!)

The guys had a study/business meeting all afternoon yesterday between services, so I invited Anita to come home and eat dinner with the girls and I.  She hasn’t felt well for weeks but had been feeling better over the weekend, so she came.  She has been having a lot of abdominal pain, having a lot of tests run, and they still haven’t figured out what is causing her problems.  She is pretty sure it is gallbladder related and is waiting to get test results back to confirm or deny that. 

Dennis has been building a deer stand in the evenings after work for the past week or so.  He is just about through.  He has tomorrow and Wednesday off, so we plan to go to Spur to set it up.  I have CASA work to do all day tomorrow, so we won’t be able to leave until around 5:00.  I’ll be glad to see that stand finished and set up someplace besides my garage!  Dennis has been wearing himself out every day…delivering the mail for 8-9 hours and then spending several hours every evening working on the stand.  He needs a rest!

Looks like cooler temperatures are heading our way…and maybe some rain!  Looking forward to that!  Hope the week treats all of you well!

Pr 4:10 Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings; and the years of thy life shall be many.  11 I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.  12 When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.  13 Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

Had a wonderful weekend!  Ricky and I met up with Sheila at her place of work Friday afternoon and headed to Paris.  The gender reveal party was supposed to start at 8:30 (with the reveal at 9:00).  We got there right on time.  It was good to see the folks who turned out to help them celebrate...family, friends, clients, coworkers in the community.  We mingled around visiting and snacking until the big moment.  The guy who programmed the lights was a little mean…teasing us more than we liked.  But finally the tower turned….BLUE!  I think we all would have been happy no matter what, but I have to admit that I just prefer the oldest child to be a boy.  I like having a big brother around to look out for the younger siblings.  Stephen and Mandy have picked out the name, Jesse, for him.  It is feeling so much more “real” now!

We stayed up late Friday night visiting and reminiscing.  It was fun to listen to my three kiddos talking about their growing up years.  I learned several things that I never knew!  (Don’t know if I’m glad I didn’t know, or if I wish I HAD known at the time!)  We slept in on Saturday, and then after a good breakfast that Mandy prepared, we had to head home, so Ricky could go to work that afternoon.  When we got to FW, I had Ricky drive my car home, so Sheila and I could stay and do some shopping.  Both of us have been wanting to do some baby shopping but were waiting to find out whether to buy for a girl or boy.  We hit most of the baby stores in the mall and found some really cute things!  Then we went to Hobby Lobby so I could get some yarn and flannel for making a baby blanket and quilt.  Time to start being a granny!

Ps 78:4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

A Bit of History, Mountain Scenery, and a Little Serendipity!

Dennis found out last week that he was going to get his long weekend…tagged onto Labor Day!  With four days off, we decided to take a mini-vacation.  Since our trip out west last November, we’ve wanted to return to the Alpine area to do more sightseeing.  So we did!  We decided to take the scenic route…avoiding the interstate as much as possible.  It added a little time to our drive, but the sights were well worth it!

Friday night, we strolled around downtown Alpine.  Saturday morning, we visited the Museum of the Big Bend on the Sul Ross University campus.  It was well worth the visit!  Then we headed north to Fort Davis.  I loved that quaint, historic little town.  We walked around town, seeing the sites and looking at the shops.  Then we had lunch in the hotel/drugstore soda fountain/restaurant/art gallery.  There was so much to see, and the ½ pound burger we shared was delicious!  I also loved the rustic fixtures in the restroom.                             

After lunch we visited Fort Davis National Historic Site.  Although it was very hot and sunny, we spent a couple of hours looking around.  We both thoroughly enjoyed our tour!          

Since we were planning to spend the night in Van Horn Saturday, we decided to take the east side of the scenic loop of the Davis Mountains.  I love driving through that country…it is SO peaceful and quiet.  You almost never see another car.  There is very little evidence of man throughout that whole region…just raw, natural beauty.          

Sunday morning, we met with the church in Van Horn.  We have known of the Brewster family for years but had never met them “face to face.”  We were made very welcome by the whole congregation.  After the assembly, we went out to eat with Brother and Sister D.H. Brewster, their daughter Twila and her husband, Forrest, and Lane Brewster and his wife.  We felt like we had known them forever and had a wonderful time visiting with them.  They urged us to go home with them, but we needed to head on back to Alpine.  So glad we had the opportunity to get to know them!

We took the western side of the scenic loop through the Davis Mtns. on our way back to Alpine.  I think it was even prettier than the east side!   

We didn’t know it when we planned the trip, but Saturday we found out that Labor Day weekend is when Alpine hosts its yearly hot air balloon festival.  So we got up early Monday morning and drove out to the airport to watch.  What a sight!  It isn’t a huge festival…there were only 9 balloons flying today…but it was a joy to watch.  What a wonderful bit of serendipity!

The drive home was long and hard…it is always the worst part of a vacation!  But all went well and we made it home safely by suppertime.  A lovely weekend that we will long remember!

De 33:13 … Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath, 14 And for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon 15 And for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills, 16 And for the precious things of the earth and fulness thereof…

 



Jeff Davis County Courthouse

Rustic Plumbing



Old Bank Safe

Military Precision!



Soda Fountain

Sundry things...

Well, summer hasn’t quite let go of us yet!  Temperatures are back up in the 100° range.

Dennis went to Spur last Saturday night and took the Young guys with him.  They put up a deer feeder and did a little scouting.  This will be Ryan and Parker’s first time to hunt…and they are pretty excited!  I think all the guys enjoyed their trip.

I’ve decided to start bowling regularly.  I really enjoy the game, but I am really bad at it!  I definitely need more practice.  Ricky and I went last week and I bowled pretty good (for me!) on my first game…a 114.  I went this week by myself to practice and bowled a 104 on my first game.  (I refuse to disclose the scores of my second games to avoid self-incrimination.)  I’m hoping, with time and practice, that I might actually learn to bowl consistently!

I’ve discovered a way to get a “good” core workout…contract food poisoning!  I came down with a case Tuesday night and hugged the toilet for about 2 ½ hours.  My stomach, side and back muscles are sore today!  I don’t even get this sore doing situps!  I really don’t recommend it though.  As much as I dislike doing situps, I would much prefer them to the other!

Dennis is actually getting his long weekend this week…tacked onto a Monday holiday!  I don’t know if that has ever happened before.  We decided to take advantage of it and take a little mini-vacation.  We loved our 1-night stay in the town of Alpine last year on our trip out west, and I’ve always wanted to return for a longer stay.  Dennis suggested taking this opportunity to do just that, so I made reservations.  We have an appointment on Friday morning, but plan to head out as soon as we finish.  We’ve never visited the church in Van Horn, so we plan to do that on Sunday.  Sure looking forward to revisiting the lovely Davis Mtns. and exploring the sights of Alpine!  Also looking forward to some restorative time with just the two of us!

Tuesday was Jessica’s birthday.  She and Sheila came over for her birthday supper of shrimp fajitas and angel food cake with berries.  (Hopefully, I’m the only one who developed food poisoning from the shrimp…think I contracted it while handling the raw seafood!)  Later that night, she went downtown to wait for the filming of the zombie movie.  Unfortunately they had postponed filming, but the word hadn’t made it out to the public.  A lot of people showed up and stood around for nothing.  She was really hoping she could be an extra in a movie on her birthday.

Fall softball season is about to start.  Ricky formed a new team out of those from their spring team that wanted to come back, plus scouted out strong players from some of the other local teams.  Their first game is in a week or two.  I look forward to watching…hopefully they will win some this season!

Take care and try to stay cool during these last dog days of August!

Mt 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

Travels and Rain

We enjoyed our trip to Paris last week.  I usually DO NOT like to discuss financial stuff, but it was fun to watch Stephen and Dennis in action.  (I don't mean to sound like I'm bragging, but Stephen is quite good at his chosen profession.  He sure didn't get it from me, tho!)   I understood the basics of what they discussed, but much of it was way over my head.  It was good to see Stephen and Mandy’s house and Stephen’s new office for the first time.  (Yes, it has been a LONG time since we were last there.) 

We had a bit of excitement coming home.  We could tell on the trip up that we had a problem with one of the truck tires.  (We took the truck to bring home some furniture for Sheila.)  As we headed west on Wednesday afternoon, it continued to get worse.  We had decided we needed to stop in Bonham to look things over real well before progressing on towards home.  (Dennis had looked over the tires in Paris and couldn’t see a problem.)  Well…we didn’t make it!  All of a sudden, BOOM!  The truck was going ALL over the road with Dennis trying to hold on and get control.  I thought for sure that we were either going to roll or run into something.  Thankfully, God was watching over us and we were able to safely maneuver to the shoulder!  The rear tire on the driver’s side was stripped of tread and had beaten up the fender and scratched the side of the truck.  Dennis changed the tire and then we motored on home with no further problems.  (Sheila’s dresser got bunged up a bit, too, where the restraining strap dug into it.)

Saturday morning , Layne and Heather threw a graduation/going away party for Rebecca.  There was a good turnout, lots of goodies, and perfect weather.  Later that evening, several groups went to the Ranger’s game.  It would have been nice if they all could have sat together, but I think all had a good time. 

We were all saddened by the passing of Donna Rue last week.  This was such a loss for Diane… especially so soon after the death of their dad.  There was a very good turnout for the visitation Monday night.  It was nice to see so many dear friends show up to support Diane.  Ken did an outstanding job at the funeral Tuesday morning!  Mary F. rode with me, which made the drive much more pleasant.  We weren’t able to go to the cemetery, as I had an appointment in Weatherford at noon.

We were blessed with 6” of rain last week!  It rained all night on Tuesday, while we were gone.  Then there came a big storm early Friday morning…lots of thunder and lightning.   I can usually sleep through storms, but not that one.  I love lying in bed and listening to the rain and thunder though.  It is a very peaceful sound to me.  Our grass loved it, too!

Guess that’s about all for now.  Take care and God bless!

Pr 30:5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.