Christmas Memories......

It's Christmas time. All around you, there are Christmas decorations, the familiar ringing of the Salvation Army bell in front of the stores...a nip in the air early in the mornings and late evenings. All the stores are full of busy shoppers trying so hard to find that perfect gift for a loved one. Children all over the world are making their lists to send to Santa, and silently hoping that it really isn't true that he knows when you've been bad or good...or that if he does, there would be too many kids to keep track of and he would forget a misgiving or two...
I love Christmas time..it brings back so many memories of growing up. Mama always baked a ton of cookies and cakes and froze them. She'd take some out, we'd eat em all up, she'd take out some more..lol. Sometimes, I remember going to the freezer and sneaking some out so she wouldn't see me..Her cookies were simple, yet delicious! I remember one kind was just graham crackers with vanilla frosting. She'd sprinkle red and green sugar on them and that was it...they were so, so good. And she'd make a tea cake with a dab of grape jelly in the middle...Granny Brazier made those mostly...I miss Mama...and I miss Daddy too. He'd always act like Christmas was no big deal...but he sure did enjoy all that went along with it. He was our "Santa" when it came time to pass out presents at the family gathering...and at some point he always got us to gather round the piano and sing. I am thankful for the Christmases that I had growing up. Like I said, Mama made the holidays special. I would always get excited when Mama would come home from the store with apples and oranges which she would set out in a bowl, oh and the mixed nuts, still in their shells. She'd get out the nutcracker, and Daddy would make a mess shelling pecans..lol. I had to clean that mess up many times...stepped on a few shells too..ouch! Mama always bought a box of Chocolates too...us kids didn't like them much, except the caramel one, you know , the little square one...but Mama did. And I can still see the candy in the box, each one in it's little candy paper, and a bunch of them would have the top mashed in!...LOL..ya'll know what i'm talking about...she'd mash to see what flavor..ha ha....
What I wouldn't give to have just 1 day of one of those Christmases to relive again. Just one hour even. I would forget the gifts, the cookies, fruit and nuts, and sit beside them and just hold their hand. I would tell them as many times as I could how much I loved them, and thank them for all they did for me. I would shower them with hugs and kisses....but I know that will never happen. But their memories and Mama's Christmas legacies live on...Donna, Darrell and I still get together for Christmas, we still bake cookies and candies..I buy oranges and apples, altho neither Tony or myself ever eat them. I still get mixed nuts in the shell and we still gather round the piano and sing...sometimes it makes us cry..sometimes we get silly and laugh...either way, you can see, through us, Mama and Daddy there , ♫ if only in our dreams.♫

Vacation ahead...

Well, we are preparing to head out to Disney in 9 days. We are taking Kerry and Gayle Duvall and their kids and families. Kerry, along with Glynn, are distributors of the metal roofing that we manufacture. They have been good to us and our business, TJ's Metal. They have been our distributors for several years now. Tony decided a few months back that we needed to do something in appreciation for all their business...and.....aha! I know! Disney!...what else?....since Kerry and Glynn are partners in the business it was a no brainer that we would take them both..but Tony got to thinking, Kerry and Gayle only have 1 other child...hey..let's just take them too!...so in 9 days we'll board a plane and head to Orlando once again....We are also taking our other 2 distributors at the same time in January. That would be Tony's brother Neal and his whole family, and his sister, Melody and her family...they both are distributors of our metal. Tony and I love Disney...we enjoy going ourselves, but we love taking others..we love to see the faces of the little ones as they see the castle for the first time..or Mickey Mouse...Tony says he remembers us being a young family and not being able to afford taking us anywhere..coming to Alabama was our "vacation"...but that was ok..I knew we couldn't do anything else, and our kids had never gone anywhere anyway so they didn't know anything different....that's one reason we love taking others...maybe take someone that wouldn't be able to go on their own...and no kuddos to us...cause we get something out of it ourselves....lol.
I think after our trip in January, we are going to go on one more family trip..and retire from Disney...maybe go once a year or so... just not go so much. I am looking into us "retiring" with a Disney "land and cruise trip"...4 days at WDW, then a bus pick us up and take us to a Disney ship and spend 3 days at sea. We've never been on a cruise before and we've always wanted to, just kinda leery about seasickness...yuck..just take tons of Dramamine I guess..anyway...that won't be til round June or so..i'll worry bout that then. We would also love to go to Hawaii again...
Well, it's church night tonight..hope we have a good service..hope we hear the Word of God...hope I see myself if i'm found short...and I probably will be...usually am...especially if it's about Charity...ugh.

God is Still Good!

I liked the title of my last post so well, and it is still so true, that I decided I would use it in this post as well..He is so good to me and I feel so truly blessed by Him. He has been everything i've ever needed Him to be. A friend, confidante, financial advisor, financial provider, healer, comforter...He is everything!
I see His plan in my life every day..when I wake up, it's because He let me. When I go about my day, from one place to another and back home...it's because He kept me safe. When I face life's trials, disappointments and sorrows, He is always there with the right remedy. Sometimes it's hard to imagine that someone as big as him, would know every little detail of every human being. I find it so hard to think that He knows every second of every minute in the day and what it will hold, and He walks ahead of me to prepare the way. What is even more amazing is that He knows this for every single person. I think of all the things that He has made right in my life, and I think, how in the world can I ever repay Him? I know it's said that all He wants is our praise, but that seems too easy. Well, sometimes it's hard to do that, but not because I don't think He's worthy. Just that I feel so inadequate, and what I have to offer in the way of praise is so small. But I believe that every single sacrifice, each and every testimony counts. I've been testifiying and have had my mind go completely blank. I might recover in a second or two, but by then i'm ready to sit back down...lol...i'm thinking.."what in the world just happened"...ha...but, He knew. And i've thought, "boy, that was so pathetic", there is no way that that offer made it on the books, but it did. Each and every one does.
When I think of the things He has been so good to me about, I have to mention our little Crimsyn. This lil booger is growing so much! He laughed out loud at church with me Thurs night..that was music to my ears..I've wanted my grandbabies to stay newborny for as long as they would, but time doesn't stand still..and when they just had to pass that stage, I always looked forward to the time when they would start laughing out loud..Crystal had been telling me he had started laughing, but Granny wanted him to laugh for her...and he decided he would oblige me Thursday night while Br Shirley was preaching..he had just had a good nap, and had finished his bottle and he was ready for Granny!...it was like all I had to do was look at him and he would laugh!...that made my heart so happy! To think that things could have been so different if the Lord hadn't answered our prayers...Like I said...God is good...He will always be good! Thank you Lord...I love you.

God is so good

Wow...this journey the kids are on seems neverending...As most of you have probably heard by now, Crimsyn is in the hospital with Spinal Meningitis. And although I wonder when is their life gonna get back to normal, I am not ignorant enough to ask what else could go wrong. This could have turned out so much worse than it is and I am thankful things went the way they did. Had this baby still been in Hawaii and this happened to him, well...I don't want to think about it...Not knowing what situation the birthmother is in right now...we have to think that Crimsyn would probably not have received the care he needs...not that she wouldn't have provided it...but because she couldn't have...It was heartbreaking when I got to the hospital today and he was laying on the pillow in Crystal's lap, crying and moaning because he was in pain...he couldn't stand for Crystal to move him, it made him cry out worse...but our God is an awesome God...He had one of His children lay hands on him (and Crystal)...and within minutes, Crimsyn had ate a full 4 oz of milk and was just laying there smiling at me and Crystal! He appeared to be in no pain...just contented to lay there looking at us...he would turn his head toward my voice when I spoke to him, and turn his head and follow me when I moved...it was nothing short of a miracle!....he laid like that for probably close to 2 hours...Crystal said he wasn't feeling as well this evening, but he has had a rough 2 days and was probably tired...they are very optomistic about his recovery, but he still has a ways to go before we can get the all clear and we know the extent of things....Crystal looked at me and asked me "what if he was still over there"....thank the good Lord, we don't have to worry about that anymore.

This is one boring Friday night...

Ok, it's Friday night. I'm bored. Stuffed full of CrackerBarrell and ready for bed, yet i'm not willing to call it a night. Got a lot of things on my mind and I can't seem to turn it off. I thought about sleeping with the windows open tonight...I love the fall and late Spring season cause I can do that...Tony doesn't like it much, but as long as he doesn't have that sticky feeling from the humidity he usually gives in..lol. I was hoping one or some, of my grandkids could spend the night with us..at least the evening, but they all had previous plans..so that left Pappy and me to fend for ourselves. So I washed some clothes. Easy and boring enough. Tony decided to go fishing, but came home in just a little bit...said it was too windy, and, he sheepishly tells me, he forgot to put the plug back in the whatever it's called and the boat began to fill with water and the motor that pumps the water out of the whatever it's called came on. He didn't know what was going on at first, then he remembered that he forgot to plug it back up. So he hurriedly takes the boat out of the water, puts the plug back in and comes home. That was the extent of our excitement and even then, I didn't get to be there and him telling me the story wasn't quite as exciting as if I had actually been in the sinking boat with him. I am sure I would have panicked and cause an even bigger commotion than he already had going on all by himself. But I got tickled at him..instead of telling me, or I should say admitting to me, that he forgot to plug the whatever it's called back up and that he had to take the boat out of the water to fix it, so he just came on home..he just said it was too windy to fish..hee hee. Actually, it was too windy to be out there, and I was kinda surprised he went to start with. We decided to head on up to CB for a late dinner..beans, cornbread and carrot cake...it was all good...Now i'm here, right back where I started...it's still Friday night and i'm still wishing I could have seen the kids, and bored again...so I thought I would blog a boring story to go along with my nearly perfect, boring night...Tony ruined my chances of a completely boring night, with his boating episode..and I didn't even get to be part of it....oh well....maybe next Friday night he won't mess it up and I can boast of our boringness! ...is that a word??...ugh.

My " I'm Thankful" List...

I've seen several blogs lately, listing the things they are thankful for. Being the age I am, and having the Holyghost for over 42 yrs now, there are several things that I could post. As I state in my blog's title, I wonder how much memory I have here on this computer..i'm sure if I could relive every day of my life in my mind, I would use up all of it here on this one blog alone. I know it is easy to say that you have so much to be thankful for, but until you sit down and start to name them one by one, do you really start to thinking.."wow...He really did that for me"...etc. So in keeping with the other blogs, i'll try to post some of the ones that come to mind...

I am thankful for my mother and dad. Altho times were hard at home, and some of my worst memories of life come from that point in my life, i'm still thankful I had a home. Thankful that my dad steadily worked a job and provided for our needs..thankful that mom withstood a lot of hard times and heartache to keep us all together. I love you mom and dad.

I am thankful for my religion. I thank the Lord for giving me the Holyghost. I love my religion. I can trust the people I go to church with. I can call on them in time of need and know that they will be there. I am thankful for my church family especially, I love them, and I know they love me.

I am thankful for Tony. The Lord sent him to me when I was at a crossroad in my life. I needed someone to love me, and protect me and He sent me this skinny, black haired boy from Alabama to fill that need. Together, we've weathered storms and sunshine, good times and bad, happy and sad...key word here is "together".

I am thankful for my children. No mother could be any prouder of her offspring than I am mine. I have a son, who has always been a joy..ok..well...he did go thru a spell where I wanted to wring his neck, but he wound up being one of my best friends. He pastors a church now, and his life direction has taken a serious turn, but every now and then, he's becomes my fun-loving boy from days gone by. My daughter, Erica, has done me so proud. Have you ever been to her home? Immaculate..ever hear her sing?...sounds like angels....know her as a friend?....she's faithful...I seriously don't know what I would do without her. She is such a help to me now that i'm not able to do like I once was...and like her brother, I feel she is one of my best friends...I can tell her anything...

I am thankful for our in-laws, Crystal and Todd...everyone should have a daughter in law like Crystal..she takes such good care of our son and grandchildren. She has never given us a reason to worry that our son wasn't being treated right..and she has shown us nothing but love and respect...she has such a caring nature about her and i'm proud to call her my daughter in law. We also love Todd very much. He is extremely loyal to his household..he adores our daughter and grandchild...he has worked and provided for our daughter, and we've been so thankful we haven't had to worry about that..everyone that knows Todd, loves him, and we're no exception.

I am SO thankful for our grandkids!! Woo Hoo!! Grandkids!! We wanted a bunch....and what a bunch we have...lol...Kristen, Carter, Caden, Resiana and Crimsyn are our pride and joy...all of the older ones have already developed their personalities...and they are all different...and what fun they are! Baby Crimsyn is still too tiny to tell about yet, but we're sure he'll fit in somewhere between spoiled rotten and a cutie patootie...him being our last (probably) he doesn't stand a chance..he'll probably be both.

I am thankful for the way the Lord has blessed our business. He has provided for us all through our married life. I remember when Tony made $1.85 an hour...

I am thankful for the times the Lord has healed Tony and me. He healed Tony of ulcers, and me of RA..not to mention all of the other illnesses we encountered along the way..

I am thankful for the Lord's comforting hand. It's been there during some of the most heartbreaking times of my life...I felt it as I said my last goodbye's to Daddy...then again with Mom.......when we said goodbye to Tony's dad...the peace from that comfort saw us thru those dark days of sadness.

Well, as you can see, the list could go on and on...i'll stop before I bore you to death and you unfollow me...lol......see ya!

A New Beginning...

Well, it looks like our storm is over..the wind blew, our faith tested, but the Grace of God found favor with us, and allowed our family to be complete. I've held him, kissed him, cuddled and adored our little Crimsyn, and yet it still seems so unreal that he's with us now, forever. He will probably be the last little one in our small family, so I am really trying to take in every minute. They are little like this for such a short time. It's hard to believe he's already 4 weeks old today..he still looks like a newborn..maybe 2 weeks old. And i'm kinda glad...altho we would have been glad to see him come home a year from now, i'm thankful that the Lord allowed us to get him back now, so we could enjoy him as a newborn, get to see him sit up, his first attempts at crawling and walking..his first laugh, tooth,..too many "firsts" to mention...it could have so easily been denied us...and I have my kids back...last night I was at their house and Crystal was almost back to her usual self, a little tired looking, but cleaning every little nook and cranny as I sat there and held the baby...I finally had to tell her to stop cleaning and sit with me..so she sat at the table with me and wiped the centerpeice down as we talked....lol..I don't think she can help it....and Slick was playing hide and go seek with Caden and Resiana...it was so good to hear their laughter and squeals of excitement as they found each other...(smiling here)...the past few weeks they have just been a shell of who they are..walking around in a daze, amid a whirlwind of emotions, questions and wondering what the future held for the baby they had to leave behind. But all of that is over now. We are at peace. And I know I am saying "we"..and I know it is the kids that are actually going thru all this and some might not understand my use of the word "we"...but Tony and I grieved over this situation too...we had waited for him right along with the kids, and anticipated having another grandchild added to our fold...we went for him as a family, left without him as a family...I have said since i've been home. that one of the hardest things I ever went thru, was when that plane left the ground and we were on it without Crimsyn. I knew no one on the plane, other than the family, knew what we were going thru, and altho I cried, I didn't feel like I could let go like I wanted to...it was like in the movies..I kept thinking that if I looked out the window I would see someone running down the runway after the plane waving their arms trying to stop it, to tell us she was there with the baby..and we could take him with us after all...but when the wheels of the plane left the ground...i'm telling you, it was such a feeling of despair and disbelief that we were really leaving without him....and then when we landed and they turned the radio on, the song that was playing was "Just call out my name, and you know wherever I am..i'll come running..."..which started the crying all over again...later on I said that the people that could see us probably thought...wow..those ladies sure are scared to death of take off and landing..lol...
We're looking forward to the holidays now..can't wait for all the family gatherings that are in the days ahead..I sure am glad I have a big table...and we're thrilled the Lord has added Resiana and Crimsyn to it...and i'm so happy I didn't give my high chair away!

Surprise!!!!!

If you've come here looking for news, well you've come to the right place. I have lived one of the hardest days of my life trying to keep a secret and if you haven't heard by now, you've guessed it...CRIMSYN HAS COME HOME!!!...

The kids got the call from the adoption co-ordinator at our singing Fri night..she said the birthmother wanted Slick and Crystal to come and get the baby..she has been sick, and never really wanted them to go home without him to start with..so...back to Hawaii they go! They were gonna wait and try to go Monday,..but they (adoption lawyer) told them they needed to get over there quickly, so they hurried up and made their reservations, boarded the plane and took off around 3am Sunday morn...Now we had no idea this was taking place, we were in Florida, so when we got home Sunday afternoon, I just assumed we would see them at church that night...of course they were no-shows, and everyone was looking to me and Tony for answers as to where they were and we had none! I didn't know where he was myself, and why they had left in that manner...now understand...Crystal had sent me a text message the day before saying she was gonna throw Slick a surprise birthday party on Wed nite because we had missed celebrating his b-day since we were in Hawaii at the time, and he was so depressed..yada yada...so i'm already concerned that my kid is depressed, now he and his wife are no where to be found!...I text and text, then finally, Slick texts me back that they are ok..just had to get away for a few days...they would be home Wed morn...so I back off, I was ok just knowing they were ok..I should have put 2 and 2 together tho...Slick had told me that if they ever got the call to come get him, that him and Crystal were gonna slip off over there, and not tell anyone..that way if they came home empty handed again, no one would know it...but I honestly didn't think they would do that...Fast forward to last night.........

We were all sitting at Triple R behind the door...someone says "They're here!"...so we are real quiet...sitting there bursting with anticipation the door opens and in steps Crystal...one of the little kids couldn't hold her "surprise"...and we all laughed...but quickly quieted down again waiting on our "victim"....Crystal finally opens the door all the way and when he comes into view all the held in/up anticipated "Surprises" all come out...then dead silence for about 2 seconds! When our "surprise" fades away mid-word....he looks at us and said.."No...Surprise" to us!...then the real yelling started....We were dumbfounded...there he is, holding our precious Crimsyn!...it took a second for it to really sink in to some..Todd said he was thinking...why is he holding a baby?...then he realized WHO that baby was...BJ said he thought the same thing...there were tears of joy, lots of laughter, hugs, hugs, and more hugs...as he quickly made his way from one family member to another..it was mostly immediate family,...but there was no Clark family and Wooten family..we were as one, all there together, celebrating the return of our beloved baby...

The kids had wanted to surprise us, and that they did. We have kept it quiet all day, because they want to surprise the church tonight...not sure just how Slick is gonna do it..but right after they came home, he was telling the church that they still had hope it would work out someday, and not to be surprised if one night Crystal didn't walk down the aisle holding baby Crimsyn...it will be interesting to see what he does...but she is gonna wait in the kitchen and when given the signal..she's gonna walk down the aisle with him....I can't wait!

I'm Remodeling and Tony's in a Trial..lol

I do not like remodeling...and neither does Tony. He can't stand it. When we got home from Florida last weekend, we opened the door to a mess. Br Duane had been working while we were gone, but didn't get finished..I wasn't expecting him to be done..but wasn't expecting the mess I had either...but it had to be...i'm putting in new flooring and all of my kitchen and dining room stuff had been moved into our den, which we have to walk thru to get to the rest of the house...and sheetrock dust was everywhere! I expanded my kitchen and a few walls had to be rebuilt..etc...anyways...immediately Tony went into a deep place..lol. Did I mention he can't stand remodeling? He'll build a house in a sec...but remodel??? No, no, no....not that. So he has been very dumpy since we've been home..doesn't want to stay here..lol...he got up Monday morning and said he was gonna go service his truck...when he got back, of course they were not done, and Br Duane tried to get him to go service his truck...lol...we laughed at him cause we only have so many vehicles to fix...then he went into the gameroom, shut the door, turned on his TV and decided it would be a good time to watch some of his series that he has, and his TV didn't work..don't know what happened to that while we were gone, it worked before we left....so this morning he went fishing...and his trolling motor has tore up..hee hee...oh, i'm not laughing cause it tore up, but wonder what he's gonna do now...

Just Getting Home...

Hello to all 20 of my followers!...lol..I hear that more than that read my blog, but for some reason they don't follow me, which is ok if they don't want to...I say a friendly Hello to all my visitors as well!!!...
It's been several days since i've last posted...I just got back from Disney yesterday. We went down there with Cindy, Anthony and Landon..and Janet and Kevin Sanders and their family. We had a lot of fun as always...but i'm glad to be home. It was hot down there...a lot hotter than I remember it being for this time of year...and I could definitely tell a difference in how I held up this time...I have to use a scooter because I have severe Arthritis in my knees and ankles, and i've been using a scooter for the past 3 yrs now when I go down there...but this time, my knees hurt from just sitting and them being bent all day...I had a very hard time walking even the shortest distances....I wish I could feel free to ask the Lord to heal me, but He's already done that once before when I was younger.....
I had gotten up one Easter morning and my ankles felt sore. It felt like I had sprained them both. By the end of the day, I couldn't stand to put any pressure on them...Tony had to carry me to the car to go home. Needless to say we were concerned...I had no idea why I couldn't walk or what had happened...As the week wore on, my ankles got worse, and it started affecting my knees. Knots had come up in my legs. After about a week of just getting worse, I went to the Dr. He ran some tests and the results were I had RA...Rheumatoid Arthritis...he said that as fast as I was going down, I would be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life within weeks. There was nothing they could do other than pain management...devastated and confused as to why this happened, I went home with no hope of getting better, just something to help with the pain. I was a young mother, with 2 school age kids...they were only in like 1-2 grade...Slowly I got worse, the med's weren't helping much at all with the pain..I talked to Tony and told him that I didn't want to take the medicine anymore. I wanted to trust the Lord. If He didn't heal me, I would be in a wheelchair soon. I have always been an active person. We sang in a group. I thought of all the changes in our life that would have to be made...and I cried. I cried at night that I wouldn't be able to raise my children. Within a couple of weeks, I could no longer walk, even with assistance. My legs would not support me. They were swelled, full of knots and looked awful. But I was determined to push forward. When it was time to get the kids up for school, I would crawl down the hall using my arms. I couldn't use my legs at all. They were like dead weight...but I could not let myself give up. They didn't have cordless phones at that time, ours hung on the kitchen wall...and when it would ring, by the time I could work myself to it, they had already hung up...I don't know what I was thinking anyway...I couldn't have stood to take it off the hook..so after a few times, Tony got me a phone that sat on our coffee table...after a few weeks of struggling like this, I took another downward turn. I was in constant pain, and it was getting worse. I was having trouble eating, I guess being in bad pain, my body wasn't focusing on food...therefore I grew weaker..Now, I was going to church and having them pray for me..and once they met at the church to pray for me, and I would get some ease..once I even fell asleep on the bench as they prayed and they just left me there asleep and proceeded to have service..lol. But, despite all the prayers, I grew worse daily. In just a few short days, I was bedbound. I remember totally breaking down when I could no longer care for myself. I could do nothing, not even feed myself, my hands had drawn...all my personal care had to be handled by the sisters...that is a humbling experience. As they took care of me, I could feel the love and compassion they had for me..they knew that it could have just as well been one of them. In just a short time, I went from a normal 20 something year old mother, to a bedbound invalid...we were trying to have faith that the Lord was going to heal me, but I still grew worse..even my toes started to draw back towards the bottom of my feet...my head hurt constantly, my knees and ankles were swollen and feverish, throbbing with each heartbeat...I had lost 36 lbs in 3 weeks..and was hardly eating or drinking anything. My kidneys were producing something that looked like coffee, nothing like normal. I was beginning to find it hard to stay awake...hard to focus...the only time I was really at myself was when the pain was bad...and when it seemed I would only last a few more days.......
It was Sunday night, around 10pm. I was in so much pain, I couldn't hardly bear it. Tony told me that we needed to call them in to pray, but I refused. I told him that it was no use. He then asked me to at least call Sis Charlotte Stephens..we were and still are good friends, and he at least wanted me to tell her..so I did. She, like Tony, told me I needed to call the Children of God in to pray...again, I said, "I already have, 3 times"...it was late, and I figured they were ready to go to bed..but she insisted, saying..."that is what they are here for"..."this is part of our duty, to pray for you"....finally, I said ok...she arrived within minutes, and began calling them in...Tony had gotten me settled in the bed, and I lay there, still as I could as to not cause any more pain...2 brothers walked in the room and stood at the foot of my bed. I lay there with my eyes closed, and I heard one of them say.."She'll be dead in 2 days"...Oh my Lord!!!....and then as the others came in I could hear them saying things like..."I am so down"..."meeting was dry as a bone, I didn't get anything out of it"..."my mind is so bothered"....and i'm laying there thinking..."Lord, you have sent me a bunch of dud's to pray for me"..."there ain't no way i'm gonna get healed tonight!"....lol...I can still remember the feeling of desperation I had as I listened to them talk...I just knew I should have not listened to them two...but as Br Jr called them to order, and began to say a few words about what they were there for, a calm came into the room...I was still just laying there, quiet and still...and they began to pray...in what seemed like a few minutes, the Lord came into the room...quietly at first, but the Saints began to feel Him there with us...they began to pray harder, and the next thing I knew, Br Jr laid hands on me...I opened my eyes, and saw the Saints rejoicing..Br Jiggs Brewer was jumping up and down, under His power..I had a ceiling fan going in the room, and his hands would go in between the blades...that was amazing!...some of the other Children of God were up shouting too...and they laid hands on me...my hands began to straighten out...and the pain left...Now I don't know what some of ya'll are gonna think about this part, but it happened...some saw a figure, dressed in white, standing outside that bedroom window. Couldn't make out a face..but I think it was Slick, who ran out the door and looked at the outside of that window, and saw no one. There was no way whoever was standing there could have known he was going to do that, cause he wasn't in the bedroom with me and they wouldn't have seen him leave it to check...I think Slick just heard them talking and went out to see...myself, along with several others, believe it was an Angel, sent with healing, to come to me. But regardless, it was an amazing night...everyone there got spiritual help, I was no longer in any pain, and I had a sense of peace...from that day forward I begin to improve. At this point I had been bed bound for 2 weeks..it was another week before I could actually get out of the bed..It had been 3 weeks since my feet had touched the floor....but I was eating and drinking again...I began to sit at the edge of the bed at first, then starting taking little steps...it took a few weeks before my strength and appetite were back to normal...but I finally got to where I could walk alone again... and i've been walking ever since!...there was a sister who worked for the Dr I saw about this and he asked her how I was doing..he was concerned because he knew that the RA had hit me hard and fast and was curious about my condition..when she told him what had happened, and that I was back to normal, he was stunned..
That's been many, many years ago. I have raised my children. I am literally a walking miracle. That shouldn't have been my fate..but the Lord was good to me..and every now and then, I think about the pain i'm in now, and I feel selfish asking Him to take it away...this is just plain old age Arthritis, a disease I developed from too many years of WALKING on cement floors...lol ..I feel sorry for all the people that don't have the Lord to help or heal them...I'm one of the lucky ones...and i'm thankful for all the good years He gave me...

My "Son" is Shining....

I have a wonderful son. He is a source of great pride to me and his dad. I couldn't be any prouder of him or i'd be bursting at the seams...He is proving that in great sorrow, there can be comfort. That when all else fails, you can trust God. His heart is broken, his thoughts are sad..yet he still goes on. He has tried to hold his head up, but the last few days, he has shown signs of being weary, I could see it in his face Sunday night at church...he was expected to stand up there and lead the congregation in a worship service without hanging his head. Both Saturday night and Sunday night, he and Crystal both, came out to church and held their heads up. He did what the Lord gave him to do and tried to push the service forward. I think that we as a congregation didn't know what to expect, but he set the pace for service to go forth as if there were no great sadness weighing his heart down. He did as any good shepherd would have done, he saw to his flock..he tried to let them know, hey...we're gonna pull thru this...but I know him, and I told Tony, that Slick was slipping thru the cracks...my mothering instincts kicked in and I begin to pray for the Lord to comfort him as well as Crystal...and let me stop and say something here...No one could ask for a better daughter in law than Crystal...we can tell and feel that she loves us..she has never made me feel like just "the mother in law"....she has been a good wife to my son. She has kept his home clean, his clothes washed and his meals cooked.. she has been a wonderful mother to our grandchildren...Tony and I both love her dearly. We think she is doing a wonderful job as the pastor's wife...they both have made us so proud so far...Now i'm sure Slick has been grouchy, ( I can hear Crystal amening me..lol)...and he's probably found himself short on patience a few times since they've come home...the jetlag, the questions in your mind..the sadness as you look at his empty cradle...trying to carry on in some form of normalcy for the other children.....all would be enough to make anybody crumble......so, as his mother, I want to take a few minutes and give him his kudos....Slick, you are a wonderful son. You are a loving but overly worrying father..lol, you are doing a great job pastoring the church, and I know you're carrying a heavy load with a sad heart... you need to hear and know that you are doing a good job...but you also need to hear that we recognize your loss, and don't expect you to be on top right now....We love you and are so proud of you Michael....and we're so sorry this happened.

The Storm............

I'm not even gonna half way pretend that things are ok. They aren't. Ok..well, i'll try to. I know I should. And honestly, I am doing better than I was at first.... We still don't have Crimsyn back, and it's hard to know what to do. It's not like we have any choice here, and just being the grandparents, we are hanging on to every word we hear from the kids to know if there has been any news. I hate to call all the time, i'm sure that every time Crystal or Slick have to say the words.. "No, no news yet"...or "We still don't know anything"..only serves to remind them that they don't have anything new to tell...that the situation is still just like it was the last time someone asked them....so I just hate to bring it up. But, I can't help myself...and everytime I hear from them, or see them, I have to ask....
They have "adopted" one of the songs Erica and her group has on their new CD...The Journey....there is a line in there that keeps my faith afloat...it says " the precious hand of God will lead you home.."...and I find comfort in those words...because it doesn't matter how far the journey will take him, and what circumstance he may encounter...the Lord knows just where he is...I mean, we are serving a God that is so big, He measured the waters in the hollow of His hand! Wow...just a few days ago I flew in a plane across the ocean...at around 545 mph..and it took 4 hrs! I can't wrap my mind around how much water that is...and then to think he measured it all from the hollow of His hand???? Oh my goodness... how could I doubt that He would know where one little tiny baby is...and how to bring him home...actually, I don't doubt it. I know He can...I just worry that He won't...that it's not in His will...but my mind keeps going to the dream I had while we were flying home...Crystal and I were trying to nap, we sat together on the plane coming from Honolulu to Texas...I nodded off and dreamt that all of us that had gone to Hawaii were all gathered in a circle. All of our houses were in a circle around the outside of us...there was our house, Slick and Crystal's, Erica and Todds, Brandy's, Lester and Lanita's and Dusty and Julie's...we were all standing around in this circle talking when we saw a storm coming...we all ran into our own home and took cover. I dreamed that the house shook from the strong winds, and the windows rattled, but we were inside praying for safety. After the wind had died down, we all began coming out of our homes and once again began to gather in the circle...we looked around at our houses...the roofs were destroyed, shingles were missing, the windows broke out and glass all around us, but our homes were still standing...while we were talking of how amazed we were that no one was hurt, a small Hawaiian woman approached us...holding her hand was this little black headed boy...he was walking, but he was still so little that his feet barely touched the dirt and he looked as if he were skipping as she walked hurriedly towards us...she asked us did we know who this little boy belonged to...that the storm must have separated him from his family and did we know him.....and we looked closer....it was Crimsyn!...don't ask me how we knew...he was a newborn the last time we had seen him, but we knew it was him...we were so happy! We cried, we praised the Lord, and laughed joyously that our Crimsyn was once again within the circle of his family...my thoughts are that maybe the "storm" was us having to leave him behind...and altho our houses were damaged, they still stood...their foundations strong. It would take time to repair them, but they had not been destroyed. And as I remember how our homes looked after the storm, it is hard to think of them ever being put back to the state they were once in...but then, when God has a plan, He makes no mistakes. I only hope and pray we can be strong and find moments of comfort from His Word and through the love of His children as we wait and watch as His plan unfolds.........

Our faith in, and love for our Lord has not withered or wavered. We believe that He can, and pray that He will...send Crimsyn home.

No words.....

I had to go to the doc today. Seems like the air in the airplane didn't do my lungs too much good and I was slowly headed for a case of Bronchitis...I wanted to head if off, I get it so easy now since I had a severe case of it two yrs ago and landed in a hospital for four days. The doc seemed to think that the air in the plane was the culprit..says it happens quite often in Bronchitis/Asthma sufferers that take extended flights...(glad Carter and Caden, both Asthma sufferers, have shown no problems...that I know of)....Anyways, the nurse came in and asked what was the problem, and after I told her, she asked me about the baby...how was our trip...etc. I let her finish asking her questions, she was rapidly asking them...and I told her what happened....I wasn't prepared for her response...."oh well, there'll be another one to come along someday"...like we had been waiting on a taxi....I just looked at her..I couldn't respond at first...what do you say to that? Rather than give her a lengthy speech on how there could be no one to replace this one, that we didn't want a replacement...yada yada, I just quietly told her I didn't want to talk about it. She quickly apologized and left the room. I know, I know.....I can't blame people for not knowing what to say.... but sometimes, if you just have to say something, it's best to just say "i'm sorry" and leave it at that..."we'll be praying for you"...are words of comfort, support and love...and are priceless during a situation such as this...well, during any sad/bad situation.... But like I said in my earlier post..we have no words to offer as an explanation....so most likely all you'll get in return is a heartfelt "Thank You".......
I thought of Crimsyn more today than yesterday...cause he is probably out of the hospital by now..but we don't know where he is..(unless they heard something last night)....I pray that he isn't at the park...that he and his birthmother are at a shelter...such as that will be...at least they would have a roof over their head and she could get some help to get over the C-section. I hope he has clean clothes, clean diapers and enough milk to fill his little tummy...it is torture not knowing....

Stunned........

I'm sitting here at the computer, ready to update my blog, and words have failed me. I don't know what to say. I can't think of the right words to say to make anything better. I don't know if any such words exist. The only way I know that things will be right, would be to go back to Honolulu and pick up Crimsyn and bring him home. I feel like in time, he will come back to us. But at the same time I wonder, was it not His will? How could we have not known His will? I prayed for it. I am quite sure the kids did as well....what did we miss? Did we want this so bad that we overlooked any signs...went past a feeling?? I don't guess it's wise to question things, but since i'm struggling for the words that make it understandable, i'm left to write my thoughts....There is one thing I do know for sure...He will do us right. He knows we are human, and we make mistakes, handle things wrong, overlook signs and feelings...and that we love Him. And we want what's right...it's just very hard to accept that Crimsyn isn't part of His will for our family. Down deep, I am expecting the kids to call at anytime and tell us that it has worked out, and that everything is in order and there can be no changing of minds. I am not a very overly affectionate person on the outside, I am quite reserved ( I think) in that dept..and sometimes I wish I could be different....but make no mistake...I love that baby. I still do. I've never touched him, I didn't get to hold him, or kiss him...I could only look at him thru the glass window...I didn't get to tell him I was his Granny, but he is my grandson, and unless the Lord tells me it's not His will, I will try to do all I can, albeit thru prayer, money, love, sacrifices....whatever it takes to bring him home to his family....Granny loves you Crimsyn..XO

He's On His Way!

Slick and Crystal just got back from taking the birthmother for her Dr visit today. Her sugar is unstable, which isn't good for her or the baby, so they have made the decision to induce labor tonight at 7pm Hawaii time, which is midnight Ala time. Tomorrow (28th) is Slick's birthday, so if he takes long enough to get here, he will share his Daddy's b-day...which causes me to go back 36 yrs ago tonight...I was in the hospital in the most agonizing pain I had ever experienced.there were no epidurals back then...just to get this lil bald headed, squalling young'un we came to call Anthony Michael ...aka Slick...28 hrs it took to get him here..(did I mention no pain relief available back then..lol)...but he was worth every minute of it...we love you Slicky, and hope only the best for you and Crystal tonight as we wait on the newest member of our family to arrive!

Patiently waiting.....

Well it's the beginning of day three here, and i'm the only one up right now. Still kinda mixed up on my hours, but the others seem to have it down pat. I'm sunburned pretty bad on my face and neck and it kinda kept me awake last night, as did the million thoughts that were running thru my mind...so here I am, up, and wondering what today will hold. I hope we get news that our baby is on its way...there are several family members here, and I know they will be disappointed if they have to return home and miss his birth...but they are having a great time waiting! I am going to look into some Luau's..we all want to go to one. I would love to do some more sight seeing...island hop to the island that Carter is from...there is just so much to do. It's kinda hard to plan anything too far ahead tho because you never know when the baby will decide to come...I've done real good with my knees the past 2 days..i've done a lot of walking. Been in some unreal pain by the end of the day, but i'm trying to keep up. We went to Pearl Harbor yesterday so Kristen could get a school report in. She has to do 2 reports for missing school. It was a sombering experience..we went to the Arizona Memorial where there are still something like 1177 men still entombed in the ship..this memorial was actually built over the ship..you could see it..and could still see oil on the water where the ship is still leaking..and could still smell a burned smell from where the ship was in flames....just knowing those men were still below brought a sombering feeling to you....we then headed down to Honolulu and Waikiki...shopped at the International MarketPlace, drove on up to the ritzy side of the island where the big shots live...saw signs on the road that asked people not to disturb the owners...made you wonder if maybe that was where some Hollywood stars lived..they were gated and secluded...went to Diamond Head saw the crater there...we made a full day of it...I think i'm ready to spend the day at the ocean...with sunscreen this time....lol.

We're Here!

Well ,we've made it thru the first part of the journey. The flight from Dallas to Honolulu was delayed 3 hours, but everyone did fine on the flights and we arrived safely..That was what was most important...we enjoyed an all you can eat breakfast buffet at a place on the ocean. The view was spectacular and the food delicious. Fresh fruit and fruit juices...wow! We all eat til we were stuffed. We stopped and took some great pic's of all us on our walk back to our condo's. Slick and Crystal and going to check on the status of the baby today, and I think we're just gonna hang back on the beach with the kids and let them enjoy one of God's greatest creations, the ocean.....post again later on.....Jo

Ready to Go!

Sis Sherrill has made mention of this song on my blog, and I guess it's kinda fitting seeing that we're just hours away from boarding a plane to begin our journey to Hawaii to get our new grandson. Of course, i'm hoping and praying we have a safe flight there and back..and that everyone does good on the plane and the hours "fly" by...pardon the pun...and yes, it was intended..LOL....We're all packed, and it is 9:30pm Sunday night. We leave for the airport at around 3:45am...Tony is already dressed..ha ha..he says he is gonna stay up and watch TV so he'll be good and sleepy and hopefully can sleep onboard the plane...I'm afraid he is gonna regret that..they are 5 hours behind us..and even with a good nights rest, this trip will be very taxing. When I went with them to get Carter, I didn't think the day would ever end...it kept on staying daylight...but in crossing time zones that go back, you relive those hours over and over again...and then on the way home it's just the opposite...let me tell ya, jet lag is real...it takes a few days to get with Hawaii's schedule, then bout the time you get with it, it's time to come home and reverse what you just worked hard to achieve!...Our first few mornings over there, I was awake at like 2-3 am Hawaii time...but my body was still on Bama time which would have been 7-8am...but being up that early allowed me to witness some of the most amazing sunrises I have ever been priveleged to see. The Sun coming up across the ocean is unbelievably beautiful, and I can't wait to share them with Tony....He wasn't with me last time...and i've told him he has to see at least one with me..lol. And then at night, the sight of the moon shining out on the ocean is so stunning! Hawaii is a beautiful place and i'm so excited to be sharing it with my whole family!...i'm Ready To Go!!

Gonna Be Granny Again!

As most of you probably know by now, we're just days away from heading off to beautiful Hawaii to get the newest addition to the Clark family...I wish I could tell you what his name is gonna be, but as of today, i'm still not sure. Sad that I don't know huh....but I keep asking Slick and he keeps saying he doesn't know....I am thinking it will be Anderson, but we'll see. I am just excited to have another baby in the family..it's been 5 yrs since we've had a baby to enjoy...and this will probably be our last, unless someone else calls them up with a child needing a home...they probably wouldn't be able to tell them no...lol.
Our role as grandparents in the adoption process is just amazing. When we got our grandchildren, from Kristen to Resiana, I can distinctly remember having the thought "You are their Grandmother"....And at that instant, this great love for them found a permanent place in my heart...and when I say permanent, I really mean that...I still hang a stocking on my Christmas tree for Ryan..the little boy that Slick and Crystal got to keep for a couple of weeks before being taken back. And altho it's much easier to handle now, I could cry for him today if i'd let myself...you just don't forget loving someone that much just because you can't be with them...you just don't turn that off. I think of him often this time of year because it's close to when we got him, I still have a pic of him in his Halloween outfit sitting out on my mantle all the time...
We're now all caught up in the anticipation of this baby's birth, and let me stop and add here that with Slick and Crystal's kids we're only talking a few weeks...in Caden's case it was less than 2 weeks I think...not much more than that if any for Carter and Resiana either....lol...this will be our 3rd from Hawaii...my 2nd trip over there...wondering what he's gonna look like, praying he's gonna be healthy, and trying to imagine what kind personality he will be bringing to the family...so far we have a talker, a genius, a comedian, and a humble one...what will this one be like?? Will he be tall and skinny or short and fat??...it really doesn't matter...we'll take him any way he comes to us...just like we did the other grandkids...we're just happy to be getting another addition to our little gang...
We are one excited, thrilled, blessed, scared (of the long flight), sick (Kristen), nervous and soon to be bigger, Hawaii bound family!

10" Nails...

Well ya'll...ole Slicky is wanting me to give the scoop on Erica and her nails....10" nails according to him...and I guess I could see where they'd appear to be that long considering he was only about 6-7 yrs old or something like that...those were her weapons to fight him with...he would pester the fire outta her (course his story is gonna be different) and she'd respond by chasing him down the hall, her claws bared, and if she got to him before I got to her, she'd let him have it with em'...now mind you, her nails were her pride and joy...she loved her fingernails...probably cause she was the only one in our family that had any that were of any length..so she felt kinda superior...LOL...JK Erica, don't go ballistic on me...but once she learned that holding her hand up in a "tiger strike" like fashion caused Slick to go running off hollering for Mama.."Mama, Sissy is after me with her nails"....there was no stopping her...if she caught him, which was most of the time, she'd scratch a plug outta him...I would punish her by cutting her nails...now mind you, when I would do this it would cause her much grief and despair and she would just cry and cry...and scream bloody murder the whole time I was clipping them...you would think she'd learn not to do it again, but, somehow Slick would manage to push her beyond the realms of reason and here she'd go down the hall, claws outstretched, to go after him....it didn't matter if she was justified or not tho..I usually clipped them off....(the times I knew about it anyways)..and I wouldn't doubt it, if he'd admit it, that he carried on once or twice just to get her in trouble so I would clip them...didn't you Slick...yeah, thought so....
Hey Slick, wonder if they'd be interested in hearing about you and your little dance in the hallway???? HA HA HA HA....

Hello to my 14 Followers..lol

Hello all you followers of mine...how are ya'll doing today? I am sitting here trying to cool off ...time to wind down from a busy day. Tonight is church night, and sometimes I am in a run all the way up to church time and then get to church and crash...I'm gonna try to be rested before I get there tonight..lol. This heat will drain even the healthiest of souls, it's been near to unbearable to me. We have some at church with severe breathing issues and this weather is so hard on them...as I look out the window now, I see some clouds forming, hopefully they will bring some much needed rain to my poor flowers. I've tried to keep them watered, but by the time i'm done with all my flowers, I need a good soaking myself...(so I jump in the pool). I wanted to have a cookout tomorrow night, but it's still just too hot and humid even in the evenings to enjoy being outdoors...so i'll wait a few more days...by then, we may be in Hawaii...I say "may", cause we're not totally convinced we're going to go...we want to ...no doubt at all about that...but we both are so nervous about the flight we can't even think about it. I've been before, and (Thank you Lord) I did ok....(knock on wood)...but Tony has panic attacks. And when he does, he usually passes out and when he passes out, he usually goes into seizures...Yes...my strong, handsome, hardworking man is a wimp when it comes to certain things. Two things in particular....flying and needles..among other things, like gory stories...he has been known to have to walk outside at church during testimonies telling about accidents....actually, it is kinda a church joke...everyone looks at him when someone that doesn't know him comes to visit and testifies about something like this....Now he has passed out from getting a shot, IV....etc...and when he does, it usually causes him to have a form of a seizure...not like the epileptic type, but when he faints, his blood pressure drops so low it sends him into this seizure like activity and he has even flat lined before! Some scary stuff...let me tell you. I don't believe he would be any whiter/grayer than if he were really dead when this happens to him...it is very terrifying to me..I can only imagine what he feels like..lol..anyways, he doesn't do good flying either, and it's all he can do to make it thru a short flight to like, Orlando...but to Hawaii?????....he's just so nervous about it...but we don't want to not go either...and I can't really depend on Slick...he's got his hands full with his own issues...Crystal is VERY, VERY claustrophobic, Carter AND Caden BOTH have Asthma, and he's worried about all of them...what if one of the boys has an Asthma attack on the plane..what if they BOTH have one? He's gotta keep Crystal calm and her mind occupied so she doesn't dwell on the fact that she's in a pressurized aluminum tube, over the ocean, or land for that matter, with no way out....man, just typing this?...i'm making my ownself nervous! So needless to say, if we do all wind up going, we will probably be a sight to see by the time we get to Hawaii! Me and Slick will probably look like death warmed over from worrying about these guys, and they'll do just fine and be like movie stars coming off the plane looking for the red carpet...ugh..we'll just have to see!

Never Grow Old....

Getting old is hard. I mean, i'm glad that i'm still alive, and to be alive I must grow old...but it's hard. But when you get older, your mortality seems more real...like it's a black cloud looming over your head just waiting for the lightning to strike. It makes you think, like i'm doing now, sad thoughts.....(maybe not all go thru this, but right now I am and I can't help it ).... Life is just going by so fast. It's hard to believe that the next age milestone in my life is 60. I remember being a young girl, 12 to be exact...wondering who I would marry, my first (and last)..boyfriend was Tony, lol....wondering where I would live, how many children I would have...etc...and then I remember walking downstairs to the basement (at Black Oak) after saying our vows and telling Tony "wow...we're really married"...like that was something I didn't think would ever happen to me...and then a year later, the sound of our firstborn crying, and Tony sitting beside my bed crying because he wanted his son to be named after him and asking me would I mind..(I had another name picked out)..how could I have refused that???....then a little less than a year later, our daughter came along..Tony said he knew that we'd had a girl just by the look on my face when they brought me thru the delivery room doors. Back then, the father wasn't allowed in the delivery room...and we didn't learn what we were having then either unless we had to have an emergency procedure that somehow would tell....they (Slick and Erica) kid each other sometimes because for 2 weeks out of every year they are technically the same age..they liked 2 weeks in being exactly a year apart...then they both started school the same year, I cried like most all mothers do...and i'm serious, before I knew it there were dates, and boys coming to the house, and then when Erica left home, all my eggs were in one basket....Slick's...LOL...now let me tell you, he was a character back then...but he was a Mama's boy too...I had grown very close to him, and grieved my self nearly silly when he married, but I think i've already addressed that in another blog, so I won't go there again...Tony and I tried to settle into a life of just us two...and at first it was different, strange and quiet..oh it was so quiet..too quiet...kinda the way it is now...I tried to enjoy the freedom of not having to keep track of my kids, but it was hard too...i'd lay awake and wonder if they were safe and sound at home, or out on the road somewhere....and I had to stop that...had to talk straight up to myself...this is life, this is what happens when they grow up...they don't have to tell you where they're at, what they're doing and who they're with anymore...I think Slick and Crystal have been married about 16 or 17 years now...Erica has been married for 19 (I think)...i'm used to this way of life now...but it only means i'm that many years older, and i'm beginning to tell and feel my age..my hair is nearly completely gray, except for the ends which stubbornly refuse to give up their color...reminds me of when Slick said to me..."Mom, if you're gonna wear one of those hairpieces, why don't you at least match it to your hair color"...and i'm like.."uh...this isn't a hairpiece..it's my real hair"...lol....and Tony has had to deal with losing his hair for several years now. His latest ordeal is that it is turning gray as well...he is really starting to show his age too, bless his heart.. He is and always has been such a good man...he's worked 2 jobs most of our young married life, trying to make ends meet for his family. He did very little in the way of recreation during those years..he just thought it a waste of time when his family was in such need and he could work...He meant for his family to have what they needed..and the Lord always provided him with work to see that he could. He has always been a workaholic and has very little use for laziness...He's kinda semi-retired now...he goes into the shop every now and then to see what's going on, but for the most part, Todd runs the business...Slick owns his own shop up in Georgia...so we're thankful they both have good jobs to support their families...
Oh well...i've whined enough for today...I guess i'm kinda down...I just learned that Resiana is going to start school tomorrow as well as Caden, and it just makes me think of how time is just slipping away...just seems like yesterday when Caden was born...he is such a stinker!...Resiana will do well in school I think....I love the little family the Lord gave Tony and me...I just wish (I think) ...time would stand still and give us just a few more days with them...............

They're Here!

Well, Libby's puppies finally arrived last night...right on schedule. They were due today. Last night around 9:30pm is when everything started, but she didn't have her first pup until 4am! She had 3 by 5:00am, then everything came to a complete stop for a couple of hours..I was beginning to get a little concerned...Sis Carol was up with me, this is her business too..and I told her if I had to be up she did too...lol...anyways... 2 1/2 hours after #3, she had puppy #4..then 2 hours later she has the last one. There were 5 altogether...4 boys and 1 girl. They have the prettiest markings..We litter named them as they were born, and since I am such a Disney fan, we named them after the characters..Prince Charming, Mickey, Goofy, Cinderella and Pluto. We were hoping to get at least 1 more girl so we could have a Minnie, but it just wasn't to be. Of course they will get new names when they go to their forever home. It was after 12 noon today by the time I got everything back in order, and Libby and the gang are resting comfortably in the swimming pool...Erica's dog, Jax, is the daddy, and she has been calling and checking on the status of her "grandpuppies"...they left going to the Smokies last night and had to miss the big event. Next time you see or talk to Todd, congratulate him on the arrival of his "granddogs"...hee hee...bye for now!

It Gets Sweeter.....

Well, yesterday was our 37th wedding anniversary! We had hoped to be in Hawaii for the occasion but our grandbaby is not co-operating..lol....so the celebrating will just have to wait until he does...we didn't want to not do anything on our special day, so we went to CrackerBarrell (big surprise) for breakfast..and then for dinner we ate at The Dock's...a local restuarant located on the river at Goosepond. I enjoyed King Snow Crab Legs and Tony had a steak....we love eating out...I miss cooking sometimes, but Tony says i've done my time in the kitchen and he hates for me to have to clean a kitchen just to say I cooked for him...LOL..gotta love this man...but I haven't completely stopped cooking, sometimes I feel the need to pick up a skillet and cook something...and when I do, he'll say that he misses my food...so i'll cook a few meals in a row, and then he's like...uh...wanna go to CrackerBarrell????....LOL...that means he's tired of me spending hours in the kitchen..I don't know about you other ladies, but i'm like my grandmother, some of you knew her as Sis Lois Brazier...I have to mess up every single pot I own to cook...even cooking for just us two, I can create a disaster! And then it takes a long time to clean it back up...but some say that's why my cooking is so good..lol...if I see an empty pot or skillet, then I must cook something in it...it's the reason that when I cook for just us there are like 7 dishes on the table...and all he wanted was Pinto's!...I love to cook for my kids and have them come to the house, but it doesn't happen too often..with singings, practice for singings, revivals, church, school...it seems like there is no good night for everyone...I know one day we'll regret that we didn't...things can change in an instant, as it did with the recent passing of Br Mike Goolesby..what a sad tragedy. You just take life for granted, just always think they'll be there tomorrow, we can do it some other time...but you never know. Now I must say that my kids have never to my knowledge told me no when i've asked them to come for dinner...(they're not stupid...lol)...what i'm saying is that I tell myself that they are too busy with their lives to bother them with it...Erica and Todd both have groups and by the time they practice one night, go to their midweek service then a singing on Fri night, I hate to take an opportunity to spend it at home away from them, and then Slick has his responsibilities of the church to see to, including helping in revivals, so I just put myself on the "someday" list...maybe I shouldn't do that...maybe I should just say..."Look kids, I want a time slot in your busy lives...you won't have me around forever.."...but the sad reality is that it may be that I lose one of them....you never know...I just know that I miss my parents terribly...If I could have them back again, I would either go see them or call about them daily...i'm sorry to say I didn't do that but a couple of times a week...I hope they knew I loved them...ok..let's change the subject....please.
Most don't know this, but I have started raising puppies....another sister from my church, Sis Carol Moskoyes, is partners with me...i've always wanted to do this, but never found an incentive to follow thru with it until Sis Yvonne opened her pet grooming store this Feb (which I am partners with her in also)...I had another friend who raised dogs and she needed to sell some. We told her we would try to help her sell them and she gave us a commission. She brought us 9 puppies and we had them sold in no time! Word had gotten round town that we had puppies for sale, but now we didn't have any, which led me to look for local breeders, buy their litters and sell them at the store to make a lil extra for the shop...I got to thinking that this would be a good time to pursue my desire to raise puppies...so I went with it...I bought several good breeders, and have successfully had 1 litter so far...and we're expecting our 2nd litter any day now. Actually today is her due date...but i've been expecting her to whelp a few days now, she looks so miserable...this morning she barely touched her food, and went straight back to her whelping box, which is actually a small plastic swimming pool...so i'm expecting to get puppies very soon! I am having a kennel house built as I write and i'm very excited to have a heated and cooled place for the dogs when it is complete...I will be inspected by AKC and then i'm official! Course, I don't have to be inspected by AKC to be official, but it helps when it's time to advertise. Right now we have Maltese, Yorkies and Schnauzers. I also have a Toy Poodle that we got from someone who needed to get rid of him, and we are going to have the "designer" breeds of Malt-Poo's and Schnoodles! I want to get one more breed, the Shih Tzu's, then i'm done...I think...LOL!

Get the Fire Extinguisher Ready!

Well, it's almost time to get all the fire safety equipment out of storage...yep...my birthday is just a few days away and it's a sight to behold to see all those candles lit up..a fire hazard too...LOL!..there will be 54 of them this time...we barely kept it under control last year...ha ha..just kiddin'...but my birthday is Aug. 1...in just a few days..I don't like getting older, but it beats the other option available..so I pick getting older..I was hoping to be able to spend it in Hawaii, getting a new grandson, but I don't think we're gonna make it...and our anniversary is Aug 3rd...it would be nice to spend it there too, but we haven't been given any news about the baby, so i'm not counting on it now....maybe he will be born on my birthday or our anniversary! That would be a great gift!...they still haven't picked out his name, as far as I know...Tony has his fingers crossed that they give him his middle name...it will be exciting to be in Hawaii again...but I hope I feel better than the last time I went...last time I went without Tony, and I was miserable without him...seriously. I would stand on the beach at night and cry for him...I had been apart from him before, but something about us being so FAR apart..so many miles...so far we had crossed like 4-5 time zones...I couldn't stand it...the only time I could be happy was when I was with Slick, Crystal and Carter.....and although Hawaii is beautiful, and the ocean was right out my window, I was ready to go home. I left there with the unforgettable memory of when and how we got Carter..I relive that memory often..it was sad and happy all mixed up together..I never think about it without crying a little..tears for his birthmother...tears for my children and how happy they finally were...I can still see the look on Michael's face when Crystal asked him did he want to hold his son for the first time...and I can also see Michael, carrying Carter, walk up to Tony as we got off the plane in Nashville, hand him the baby and said.."Here's your grandson"...everyone was crying happy tears!....I'm excited about going, ready to make new memories, get a new grandson, and Tony will be there with me, that will make all the difference for me.............

And We're Off!

Well, revival started Sunday! Wow!!... that's the word that first comes to mind. I was amazed at how many people turned out for our Homecoming service...someone stopped counting at 450...we were so thrilled..honestly....and we were so thankful for the help that we got from the sisters from Trenton and Higdon. Trenton did all of our desserts and a lot of Higdon sisters helped with the dinner...we needed every single dish that was brought and we truly appreciated it. No one has made it so far, but we are definately expecting someone to...no doubt. I hope Br Jimmy and Br Edwin have a good week...I know they and their wives are probably VERY tired, they have been in revival for weeks now...
And then our baby news.....the kids told us the baby would be coming early! YAY!!...as long as he's healthy of course....we are trying to decide whether we should go or not...not that we don't want to...(a brand new grandbaby and a trip to Hawaii..come on..lol)...but that plane ride there (and back)...is gruesome. Not for the faint of heart...lol..we're gonna wait on more details before we decide...it will be close to our 37th anniversary, so we're taking that into consideration as well...it would be a great way to celebrate that!...I just really wish I was in better health...and Tony has a few health issues that we have to consider as well...but whether we go or not..we are so happy to be getting another grandchild..Tony and I thought that we had all we would get after the kids got Caden...we were so happy when Slick told us about Resiana...but then a few minutes later he told us about the baby and we've been talking about how many grandkids we would soon have...we've nearly doubled the amount!..lol...Tony said he had the thought that they might would name this one after him...he figures it's the last shot of it happening that he has....Tony and Michael's name is both "Anthony"..he said if they named this one Anthony, he would be 3rd generation...i'm like yeah.... "Anthony Anderson doesn't sound bad"...lol..(trying to go along with him)....I told him they were considering Anderson Blaine...Blaine is Tony's middle name...and he was happy with that too...but if they don't..we'll still be happy...we just want him to be healthy and hurry and get here..it will be so much fun having a newborn in the family again!

Thank You Lord!

Well, it seems that all i'm gonna be blogging about this summer is sickness. After my spell with that sinus junk, I awoke this past Thursday morning to tummy troubles. I tried to push on...we were supposed to go camping Fri nite, so I had a lot to do with all the bookwork I take care of...but by the end of the day, I was wiped out. I wasn't able to go to church, I had only eaten a biscuit all day long, and maybe a handful of cherries...and with the rumbly in my tumbly doing everything it could to get rid of any substance in that tad of food...well, I just didn't have the strength by the the end of the day...and then, after Tony left for church, I started feeling like I was spinning round, and going to pass out...I called the church for him to come home. He wasn't there too long and I was still getting worse, so he called the church back and asked for some to come pray for me...in just a lil bit the house was filled...I had gotten in the floor (got sick and just went to my knees) and laid my head over on the couch..they started praying, and I would get better for a few minutes, but then that wave of nausea and the spinning room syndrome came right back...they prayed 4 times...the last time tho...someone laid hands on me and annointed me, I didn't know I had been annointed at the time...and it felt like someone just laid a blanket over me and I went to sleep!...now, mind you, I didn't realize I had fully gone to sleep..you know how it is when you're sleepy and your head kinda bobs, and it snaps you awake? and you look around to see if anyone saw you..lol....well, that's exactly what I felt like I did...like I had just nodded off and caught myself....but they said I had slept for several minutes, and was even lightly snoring! All I know is when I woke up, all that sick stuff was gone..Tony had annointed Br Duane Sanders, who has been very sick with breathing and throat problems, and he said he was healed and shouted all over the place...(all this while I was asleep)...I never knew it happened. When I woke up and said I was well, Sis Janice Sanders said "Thank the Lord" and she took off shouting...lol..she said it reminded her of the time Br Duane broke his back and the Lord put him to sleep and he quit suffering...they said several others really felt good...I missed it all...I got up, went to bed and slept so good..I was able to go to the campground by Fri night...I had to eat a little thru the day to get my strength back...My tummy is still having a few issues getting back to normal, but the nausea and dizziness have not returned..It is amazing how the Lord works...I found out later that there were some new Children of God, they've only had the Holyghost a couple of months....they weren't raised Holiness, and had never been called to a house to pray for someone sick and they were amazed at how it all worked out...I'm glad that I got to be a part of that...well...someone had to be the sick guy!...LOL.....

Helloooo out there...

Hi guys..how's things going with you today? Me? Oh, i'm still fighting this sinus crud..actually sitting here with kleenex stuck up both nostrils trying to catch it...(cool mental picture huh? hee hee....)...seriously tho, I just can't seem to get rid of this stuff...ugh. I was gonna go back to the Dr this week, but kept telling myself that I was better, you feel better, you're almost well, but i'm not...so if i'm not better by Monday, i'm gonna go back...my throat is sore from all this drainage junk...ok...now that I have officially grossed you out..i'll change the subject..ha ha!
I hope everyone had a good week...we stayed at the campground most of the week. We came home tonight to go to church. Tony wasn't able to go...he had tummy issues..(he'd prolly be thrilled to know I told ya'll that...(snicker....lol)...I think he ate too many Pinto's last night...I cooked a huge pot of Pinto's, grilled pork chops, fried some taters, made some cornbread fritters, corn on the cob, onion and peach cobbler for dessert! That's some fine eatin'..especially outdoors around a campfire....well, actually the campfire wasn't too great...like, who needed a campfire in this 100 degree weather? But they wanted to roast marshmallows..so we had a campfire...i'm like...here..give me the marshmallow..i'll stick it to my forehead, let me know when it is melted enough for ya...I was sweatin' like crazy, pert near to suffocating and everyone else is wanting to stand by the fire and roast marshmallows...good grief people....but once my body realized that it was either adapt to the heat or croak, I was able to reach a tolerable temperature, somewhere between hotter n' firecracker and toasty as a marshmallow...ha ha...I wanted to be inside the RV....and be cooler n' cucumber but nooooo....that would not be sociable, so I endured it...I think I sweated off a pound or two, so it was not all in vain...I love staying at the RV...Tony lets me turn down the AC way lowwwwww....like..see your breath low...and you talk about sleeping..man, I can sleep like a log...I just have to get used to the rhythmic shaking that happens to be Tony over there shivering like crazy under a sheet, 2 blankets and the bedspread...he usually stops shivering after bout an hour or so...that's bout how long it takes him to get frozen good thru and thru...he kinda just stiffens up over there, and the shaking stops!...he's a good ole fella, he knows I can't sleep good at night nowadays...and he knows a cold room helps me, so he takes the cold so I can sleep...course it takes a lil while for him to thaw out in the mornings...most mornings i'm up before he is and i'll go turn up the thermostat to start the thawing process...bless his heart...
Our revival starts in 2 weeks...i'm very excited about it and looking forward to it...it seems like it has been a summer of miracles...and i'm anxious to see what's in store for us...I hope I can be a help during the revival..I can't stand for long anymore, and I sure nuf' can't get on my knees anymore, (there are no cranes at church to help me get up)...so I don't feel like I am much help in that area, but I sure wish I could be...sometimes the girls will get me a chair or the piano bench so I can sit and be close...but sometimes it embarrasses the hound outta me...so I just don't...it's not too bad if it's just homefolk, but I prolly wouldn't do it during revival...it's bad when you want to, but aren't able..I will just try to focus on the things I can do!
I'm also looking forward to 4th of July...my family always comes down and we spend the day outdoors around the pool...eating, splashing, eating, dunking, eating, diving, eating some more and then fireworks!!! We love fireworks, and usually have a huge display...we all pitch in and buy them and most time have like $750 -$ 1000 in them before it's all said and done...we've had traffic pull over and watch em...a lot of our church family will gather at our house at dusk to watch them with us...ya'll are welcome to come too!...I sure hope it doesn't rain...
Well....I think it's time for me to hit the sack...can't hardly keep my eyes open now so i'll call it a night....love to you all!!!

Checkin' In....

I'm just checking in today to give some bored, out of their gourd soul, something to do...lol. A lot has happened since my last post...a revival at Nila, which was very good, Father's Day, which was sad to me..and yet another set back with this sinus junk. My heart went out to Rhonda Brown this week-end due to the passing of her father, Br James Cain. She celebrated Father's Day with him, lying in state, at the church...now that is sad. But I know she has that great hope of being with him again someday and that is priceless. I loved my Daddy...He was a hard worker and provider, who loved his family, baseball and fishing/hunting...He was hard on me when I was younger..but it only made me stronger. And it made me the tough skinned gal I am today. Well...I guess i'm not so tough skinned anymore...but I used to be. Nowadays it doesn't take much to reduce me to a blubbering, snotty mess...I think that happens to all women as they get older...and I can't stand that. I don't like letting things bother me...I like peace. I like to lay my head down on my pillow and not struggle with the days events..not worry about something i've said or done...what needs to be done or not done...but in the end, it's ok. It doesn't matter anyway...whatever makes for peace is what I want. I would love to be a peacemaker. The Bible says peacemakers shall be called the "children of God"...sometimes wanting our way will cause a person to sway from being a peacemaker..so I want to be careful. I sure don't want to be a hinderance...but I don't know anyone who does..haha.
It sure has been hot here...I feel sorry for the boys that have to work our shop. We try to keep them supplied with Gatorade, HUGE fans, and even popsicles, but I know they have to be miserable out there working. Last year, when all those storms came thru, they worked 60 hr weeks in that heat, just to get all the orders out...we could not have done it without them...(we rewarded them with a trip to Disney..lol)...this year there has been no severe storms to overload us, but they still have the heat...it has to take it's toll on them...and then they freeze in the winter months...if I keep on i'll feel bad enough to give them a raise..so i'll end this blog right here!...HA HA ....Just kidding guys..... lol

Feeling Better..for real this time.

I am feeling much better again...this time I waited a couple of days before I said so..lol...didn't want to jinx myself like I did last time. So glad that has passed, and feel sorry for those suffering with it now. It seems like there a lot of people dealing with sinus issues and the heat only seems to magnify the yuck...
Revival at Nila is going so good..I haven't heard from services today (Tues), but Sun and Mon were very good...there have been a couple of new ones start to the altar..sure hope they make it. There were several sisters and their kids from Skyline that came down to swim today...they brought picnic food and it seemed they had a lot of fun...we're glad that people enjoy the pool, it gives them a place to take their kids without costing a arm and leg...just bring your own stuff...whatever that may be...and have a ball! Kristen and Carter always have a summer pool party, but i'm thinking that this year they might have to have separate parties. Kristen says her party will be themed Team Edward/Team Jacob...Carter is thinking his will be an Alabama pool party...they have it sometime in the midst of all the revivals going on and before school gets back in...its a little work, but they always have a ton of fun...and that's what it's all about to me. Caden and Resiana will start having their's in a few years...bout the time Kristen and Carter think they're too old for it..lol....well...gonna get off here and do some sewing...going to church at Nila again tonight and going home with Carissa....can't wait!

Happy Birthday Kristen!

I was so consumed with my pain and difficulty in functioning that I forgot to mention that today is my beautiful granddaughter, Kristen, birthday! She turned 12 today...I can't believe it's already been that long since she came into our lives and changed them forever! She is a great kid, always trying to get a laugh, very protective of her friends and family, and a wonderful little Child of God..I will never forget the day she was born...Erica called me around 7:30 that morning, I went straight out there and was with her all day long...we went to the hospital around 10pm i'm thinking...and she was born around 3:45am. We couldn't believe that we got a girl! We did'nt know what we were getting..so we were all anxiously awaiting to hear...she's been such a blessing to us ever since...I know Br Ray and Sis Joyce...PawPaw and Grandmaw, are just as proud of her as we are...
And Tuesday was her spiritual birthday...1 yr old! I began praying for the Lord to give her the Holyghost when it was time about a year before He did..I knew He would know when she was ready...when someone called us from the church that night (Flat Rock) and said she was praying in the altar and Erica said to call us...I just knew she would recieve it...my prayer going out there was for the Lord to allow me to make it in time...Tony had just walked in the door from work and was dirty and didn't feel like he could go anywhere like he was, so I ran out the door and made it from the house to the church in 12 minutes..I was driving like 80...when I walked in the door, they told her " look who has come to see you make it..(or something like that)....she started back praying and I think in less than 1 minute she was speaking in tongues with the prettiest witness you ever did see! She is making the Lord a good little soldier, trying to be careful what she says...and trying to obey the Lord when He tells her to do something during church....me and Pappy are very proud of her!

I take it back....

Did I say I was feeling better???? Well, I take that back.. I WAS feeling better...around 6pm I got to coughing and couldn't stop. I tried cough syrup, drops, mints, popsicles, honey...you name it. I had to get up and go sleep on the couch cause I was disturbing Tony, the culprit who started it all..yeah, I'm back to blaming him for giving me this stuff...lol...so i'm heading to see my Dr around 3 for a dose of feel good stuff...I hope. Sure hope no one else gets this crud. I don't really think it's contagious..just something in the air..cause I was doing good til I went outside yesterday...but it was only for a little bit. Anyways, i'm down for the count again...

Feeling better!

Well, I am feeling better today. I had a bad breathing episode last night, had to use my inhaler for the first time in a long time, and Tony prayed for me and I have been doing better. I griped on him cause I said he gave this crud to me, but actually I don't think this stuff is contagious. Its just sinus junk, and I don't think that you can pass that on?...now if it were a cold or flu, then yeah...anyways, i'm better and that makes me happy! I've got a lot to do..our revival starts a month from Sunday and that time will fly by..Usually i'm working my head off , with Erica's help, right up to the start of revival..but this year I really want to be done with everything at least a week before. I want to have all of my clothes picked out and ironed. Tony does his own ironing, so I don't have to worry about that. He has always done his own ironing..says he likes to iron, and likes his clothes done a certain way and prefers to do it himself! I got lucky there gals...lol. I've ironed them for him a few times when he was in a pinch for time, but even then he tries to do it himself...I just insist he let me. I just have a few more desserts that I want to make...Donna is making some "Granny" cakes for me...they are just the old fashioned yellow cake with chocolate frosting..like the ones Sis Gladys made. Our Granny made them too, we grew up on em'...we didn't know what the name of the cake was, so we just started calling them Granny Cakes...she's good at making them and she's gonna make me 3 in exchange for the fruit bowl I made her yesterday...she said it was a big hit...didn't even have 1 grape left...haha...I made it, but wasn't able to get out to take it to her...Sis Janice Sanders did that for me...she's a good friend!
Erica is supposed to come today and we're gonna make me some curtain panels and her some valances. I don't know what I would do without her. I am so thankful the Lord gave me such a good daughter to help me. She is a wonderful person. She is the quiet, behind the scene type...she does not have to be in the limelight to be happy...she's very reserved until she gets to know you, but once she does, she'll open up and you couldn't ask for a better friend...she's not one to talk about stuff/people...sometimes I will tell her something, and she's like..oh yeah..I heard that such and such time ago....but she's never said anything...and i'm proud of her as a wife and mother...she keeps a spotless house...and takes care of herself, Todd and Kristen. You don't see them out in wrinkled, unironed clothes like some poor husbands and kids i've seen...and she does a great job at having company on regular weekend and during revival...proud that she feels responsible enough to pull her weight in that area.....guess you can tell i'm very proud of my daughter! Don't even get me started on her singing...lol.... Sometimes nowadays, I think I ask too much of her...I know she has to grit her teeth sometimes when I mention something I want to do...she just knows she's gonna probably have to wind up helping me with it...i'm sure she wishes I would just accept the fact that I am not able to do what I once was and slow down...my mind tells me that all the time, but my heart is still young, it has not realized that I am fixing to be 54...that arthritis has taken over my knees and is working it's way down into my ankles and feet. I figure I won't have a choice before long...either a wheelchair or surgery. But i'm not doing either til I have no choice. I'm gonna keep on the way I am until something gives. It's very depressing to realize and know that your body is going downhill, that you have reached and passed your prime and can no longer do what you please. But the alternative is not being alive at all...so I guess i'll just deal with getting older..lol....well i'm gonna end this blog before I have to change the title ....hahahaha........til next time....

And we're off..

Well..i'm off to a yucky start this week already. Tony has had some sinus crud going on for the past 3-4 days and he has successfully passed it on to me. I started feeling bad at church last night, started with a tickle in my throat after I got home, and awoke this morning to a full fledge sinus episode. You know, the kind where you have a hacky cough, eyes watering kinda mess. I was so hoping to get a lot accomplished this week..but I haven't given in to it yet. Actually, I got a lot done today. Br Duane is finishing our new deck..I have had an addition to the house built on and added a utility room, 2 walk in closets, a sunroom and a service bathroom for the pool. He got the bathroom done, my utility room is now functional altho not completely finished. He has to move my cabinets from my old utility room into the new...I did several loads of laundry, made 6 Caramel Pies, 1 Oreo Delight and 2 Cream Cheese pies and put them in the freezer to have on hand and for revival next month...so the day hasn't been a total loss. But as the evening nears, I am feeling worse...that's the way it goes isn't it. My kids were always sicker when evening and night came...guess it holds true for adults too. Tony wasn't feeling much better this morn, but paid a visit to his Dr and got something to help him...a few hours later he is saying he is already feeling some better...he could have kept this junk to himself...but nooooooooo......lol.
I am planning on going to Skyline tomorrow. I am helping Donna do her desserts. I am making a huge fruit bowl for her. It will have 2 watermelons, 4 cantaloupes, 4 lbs green grapes, and 7 quarts of strawberries in it. I layer the fruit and it is very pretty..I always make it for her and sometimes for Erica's revival cook day. It is usually a huge hit. I sure hope I feel better..I may just have to take it to her and leave if i'm not better...i'm one of those "if you have it, keep it" kinda people...aint too keen on passing contagious stuff around. I have chronic Bronchitis, and breathing problems as it is. I have to keep an inhaler with me, so I don't want anything if I can help it. I wish everyone would just stay to themselves if they know something they have is contagious. I think it's good manners for one thing. And courteous. We have several people other than myself that have breathing issues at Stevenson. Br Jim Warren, Sis Carol Sanders, Sis Della Peacock all have severe breathing problems. And about 5 kids have Asthma down here. So I think you are doing them a great DIS-service to come around them KNOWING you have a contagious illness. If you don't know, that's one thing...this is one of my biggest pet peeves, (if we're allowed to have one..lol). Don't take a puking kid to church. Or to town shopping...anywhere for that matter...would you appreciate it if someone drug you all over the place and you felt that bad? Naw...some probably wouldn't even get out of bed much less go shopping, but yet there are some out there that do that to their poor little kids...shame on them. Br Charley used to preach on that... he'd say a good mother would rest her sick children and take care of them, not dress them up and drag them all over town or wherever and them so sick they can't hardly walk....ok gotta get off my soapbox....lol....
Well, I hope the Lord continues to bless the revivals going on...maybe i'll see you somewhere!

Just another Saturday....

Well, it's Saturday afternoon. I've made 2 desserts for Donna, and gonna make 2 for me to put in the freezer. Skyline's revival starts tomorrow and I always try to help her and Tamara with their desserts. They return the favor when it's my revival...every little bit helps. I went early today to Wal-Mart to get the stuff I needed..it's so HOT outside..I know it's just normal June weather, but I guess old age is catching up with me cause I just can't handle it like I used to. I always look forward to our revival..I usually cook up a storm of stuff, have company nearly every day...and by the end of the week, i'm just too pooped to move..lol. I went to Trenton this past week several times and during dinner one day, I was sitting, talking with another older sister about how it used to be during revival...we only took out dinner on Homecoming day, ate it outside in the heat, with the flies...lol...if we cooked the rest of the week, it was of our own accord and we just took people home with us. I don't remember exactly when all that started changing, but hey, it's what we do now, so I just go with it. I guess as long as people are receiving the Holyghost, then we're doing ok. I really enjoyed going to Trenton last week. The people there treated me good, the food was good, and services were good. I know Slick and Crystal are wore out, as is the Trenton congregation, i'm sure. I meant to keep the boys some this week, but, I went to church as well..lol..and what time I didn't go to church, I went to work...so it didn't leave much opportunity for them to stay with me...I can't help but want to go where he's helping at during revival...but he probably doesn't even notice if i'm there or not..lol. Kristen went with me a couple of days...she loves going around to different places. I'm glad she has an interest in going to church, and I hope that doesn't change.
Uncle Carl and Aunt Ruby went to church with me and Tony on Wed night. I really didn't have any expectations, but I had never been in church with any of Daddy's people...ever. They are of the Baptist faith, and we've never gone. I have always wanted to be in church with U Carl..I had even thought about going to his church, but didn't know where it was, or what he would think...he came by the shop the other day and was asking about everyone, and I told him about Slick helping in a revival close by..he lives in Bryant. I asked him would he like to go to a service with me and "see him in action"..haha....and he said yes! So we picked him and A Ruby up. They knew several people there. They also know a lot of people that go to Higdon church as well and some of them were there too. Slick talked to the lost and told the Plan of Salvation. That was what I wanted them to hear. At least one time, I wanted them to hear the real and true, way to Heaven. The Lord even allowed Slick to lay hands on U Carl. Afterwards, U Carl told Slick that he wanted to ask him some questions....I can only hope that he is interested in learning more...but if that isn't it...then I want the Lord to know i'm thankful that they were given the opportunity to hear the Word.
Well i'll go for now...gonna go make those 2 desserts...see ya!

One long busy day today....

Well, i'm home from church now...spent a long but enjoying day with the folks at Trenton where Slick started revival today. We had a good turn out from Stevenson, and I was glad..some of us went to Ryan and Cherie's between services, then church was fantastic tonight...and we ate afterwards and now i'm home. I had some work to do in my kitchen before I called it a night...some clean up from this morn, and a little to do for tomorrow. If the weather holds out, the Gray family will be here to celebrate Memorial Day. It's also Tony's birthday. He will be 55....speaking of birthdays...
Today was my spiritual birthday. 42 years ago, the Lord gave an 11 yr old girl her chance to go to Heaven. I've seen some changes...made by man...but the Lord has remained the same. Always faithful, loving, merciful and true to His word. He has never let me down. Might not always had things to go the way I wanted them, but when I earnestly sought things to be the way the Lord wanted it to go, it was always for the best. Had some happy days along the way..had some heartache...but praise the Lord, i'm still a Child of God. I had a rough go of it growing up, and I think it toughened me some..but i'm thankful for those trials now..they are my testimonies...i'm thankful for every chastisement, because of it, I realize that I am still one of His
But anyways, Thank You Lord, for keeping my soul all these years...
I hope that Trenton and all the other churches that are running revival this week, have a fruitful and prosperous one. I hope that Children of God get help and a little encouragement to hang in there...and that the precious Word of God has free course...take care ya'll...and have a safe and happy Memorial Day!

Whew....

Well...it's 1:45 pm and i'm wore out and I don't feel like i've done anything...I hate days like today. I wake up with a mindset of "i'm gonna git er done" today..I have a long list of things that need to be done...but just don't have the get go to do it. Not today anyway. We're having some work done outside..a new deck...and my outdoor kitchen area is a mess. Suppose to be finished this weekend..but I don't see that happening, and i'm having the Gray family over for Memorial Day, which also happens to be Tony's birthday...I hope enough of it's done that I don't have to worry about the little ones. But they will prolly stay in the pool most of the time.
I went out to Hytop and helped Erica finish her garden pond, and used muscles that I forgot I had. I think that's why i'm so sluggish..my muscles are still screaming cause I abused them..lol. Sometimes I get in that kinda mood tho...I know what needs to be done, but flip, I don't wanna do anything. Then i'll get up a few days down the road and knock myself out trying to get it all done. And I don't know what i'd do with Erica. She is my lifesaver. I have promised myself that i'm gonna slow down, and downsize some stuff around here..and what do I go do? I add 700 sq ft to the house! But, with Tony and I growing older it just seemed like a good idea to move my utility room closer to our bedroom. LOL (that's what everyone does when they get older huh?) I was hauling laundry down to the other end of the house, then back again and all the way back to iron something, then back down to the bedroom to get dressed..WHEW. My house is 92ft long so that makes for some walking..but now, the utility room is connected to our bedroom/bath and we got new closets too..so everything is right there. Gonna use the old utility room, which is connected to the kitchen, for a walk in pantry and open it up on the wall that connects it to the kitchen....I was hoping for that all to be done by our revival, but i've given up on that. So I won't start it til after....
Slick starts revival Sunday at Trenton. He's gonna be working with Br Matt Long. He has 4 revivals plus our own to be in this summer. I plan on keeping the kids here with me some so they can have some pool days during their summer break and it won't seem like all they've done is gone to church. Good ole Granny! I expect that they (Slick and Crystal) will probably be like Erica and Todd were by Kristen. They let her stay with me during their revival when she was little...we enjoyed it while it lasted...Todd had told her last year that she couldn't stay with me all week anymore. She was getting older and it was just time. Then right off the bat she received the Holyghost at Flat Rock's revival and that took care of that! So now i'll keep the boys some...don't know how much she'll let Resiana stay just yet....the kids, Kristen and Carter, always have a themed pool party every summer. They invite their church friends and they have an all day party...hotdogs, cokes, ice cream...the works..they play in the pool..so the entertainment kinda takes care of itself. I'm thinking this year they will have to be 2 separate parties..one for boys and one for girls. We'll have to see what their parents say.
Well, guess i'll go for today...it's church night tonite, and i'm anxious to see what the Lord has in store for us!