Happy Birthday to YOU!!!

Today our darling granddaughter

Kaitlyn Diane

is 8 years old...

now, how did THAT happen??

Count Your Many Blessings, Name Them One By One

Yesterday was a rough day. The littlest things got under my skin and then it was one thing after another to the point where NOTHING was pleasant, where everyone and everything was trying my patience. So, when "the last straw" hit I knew I had to do something to change my mood...I began by counting my blessings...and naming them one by one. (in no particular order)

Test results indicate NO cancer in my stomach

Five beautiful and HEALTHY grandchildren

The promise of eternity in Heaven

Reliable transportation

My children who love and serve Jesus

Laughter

Blue sky and warm air on my skin

Living in a free country

My husband of 28+ yrs whom I adore and who treats me like a queen

Many strong friendships

Time alone

My talents and abilities

My mother, whose body is broken, but mind is clear and healthy

My son's girlfriend was not injured Saturday when she was involved in a horrible auto accident

The list can go on and on and on

As these things are going through my mind I find that things like: someone inconsiderately leaving a cart in the middle of the aisle at WallyWorld is not as big an issue as I made it...the cashier who talked with her co-worker (about smoking) the whole time she was processing my order may have been rude but it wasn't worth getting upset about...the fact that I can't get a hair appt before this weekend isn't going to change who I am, just how I look.

So, what "things" are bugging you, getting your goat, pulling you done, clouding your vision? Are they worth allowing them to steal your joy, raising your blood pressure, and generally ruining your day?

Take time today to count your blessings!

Links

I will readily admit, I know just enough about this whole computer/internet business to get me by. My son, Ryan, usually pours on the patience and helps his mom along. There are things that I learn by trial and error, like adding my special event countdown signs, my cyber pet and my weather gal. Ryan was in disbelief when I told him I knew how to do some of these things, he even made me prove it!!

But somethings are just beyond me...and one of them has been -how in the heck do you insert a link and make it part of your text?!?!?! Well, Ryan is home and has agreed to help me out a bit, which he does each time he is home.

Thanks Ryan, I know you are on vacation, but your momma appreciates you putting your work hat on and helping me out.

Amelda Marcos, eat your heart out!

Oh how I do love purses..funny that the last few years I have purchased many purses but always go back to my old favorite. I could match Amelda Marcos shoe for purse. Big purses, teeny tiny purses (a.k.a., Pam Wanna Be's). Leather purses, straw purses. Plain old black purses, bright pink purses. I love purses.

My old favorite gets more use than any others. It has been to the repair shop 3 times. It has a place for everything and I can usually keep everything in its place. I could find anything in my old favorite with my eyes closed. It fits nicely in the bottom drawer of my desk at the office. It is just the right size to fit next to me in the car. The second time that the handle had to be replaced (from being used so much) I decided to just break down and get a new one. What did I come home with? One exactly like it!!! I took the new one back and took the old one for a third handle. I love my old favorite.

Today I bought a new purse! Ha, it sure didn't surprise my hubby.

Me: I think I will go back to Payless Shoe Source and get that straw purse with the leather flowers.

Hubby: I thought you just bought a new purse.

Me: I did, 2 wks ago.

Hubby: What will you do with another new one?

Me: It will match the outfit I am wearing to Alan and Jeni's Luau. (yes, today I found something to wear to the wedding!!)

Hubby: And the one you bought 2 wks ago doesn't match?

Me: No, it is earth tones, my outfit for the Luau is sherbert colors.

Hubby: (silence)...(turning around in the mall, headed to Payless Shoe Source)

My hubby, what a trouper. I don't ever remember him telling me "No" when it comes to getting a new purse...and it's a good thing because it just dawned on me...I don't have a wallet that matches my new purse!

So, tell me, what do you think of my new purse?

My Very Relaxing Day

This has been the most wonderful day...lazy, morning...read my email, leisurely cup of coffee and a muffin with hubby.

Watered the outside flowers and plants, did some laundry, then paid the bills (why do we put it off when it really only take a few minutes and is such a relief when it is done???).

Helped Ed with a couple of things in the yard and enjoyed lunch on the deck, BBQ Polish Sausage for me, Brat for Ed...cantaloupe and grapes...

Did some other odds and ends around the house...starred at my lovely new blogskin, wrote a couple of emails and did some filing.

This evening Ed and I drove to Bandon, I shopped for a new pr of Burki's NO LUCK, and a new dress/outfit to wear to AJ's wedding NO LUCK, then we went to Bandon's Fish and Chips and Chowder House...got fish (fresh fresh fresh cod) and chips to go...took it to the jetty and ate in the car. Fed the seagulls our fries.

This little guy had different coloring than the rest of the seagulls. The others were picking on him so we made sure he got his fair share of our fries. His legs and feet were black, his head was light grey, his back dark grey and his chest medium grey. He had a red beak. The gulls around our area are not colored like this little guy.

I love spending time with my hubby, he is such a good friend.

Back home, the sun has set and we are winding down for the day. It is quiet and peaceful. I am looking forward to a refreshing sleep.

God is present and we are comforted knowing He is in control.

Isn't this wonderful!!!

Isn't it just the most beautiful blogskin you have seen? I am amazed that it is mine!!!

Darlene of What Would Jesus Blog, see link on side bar, designed this skin just for me, I am so honored to have a Darlene Original, a one and only just for me!!!

It totally fits me to a T, most of you know I am a Mary Englebriet fan, big time! and quilting is my "thing", and I am so-so-so looking forward to arriving in Heaven. Darlene hit all the high spots and managed to work in those whimsical ME flowers as well and we know I love my colorful flowers. She did not miss a beat with this one...

Thank you Darlene, no matter how I say Thank you it seems kinda cheesy compared to this new design, which is me through and through!

Don't forget to let Darlene know what you think of my new blogskin by leaving a comment and becoming one of my friends in my castle!

Busy times

All summer long we have waited for it to "be" summer:

Warm air

Daylight late into the night

Sleeping with the windows AND CURTAINS open to get a breeze

Friends over for BBQ's

Out of town visitors

Well, summer is here, and we are busy busy busy...doing all of the above and more!

With Ryan being home there is never a dull moment. He is the most active kid (almost 24 year old kid!) I know and he keeps us on the move as well.

Last night we had dinner with the Cranstons, we have known this fun family since they moved to Coquille in 1994. Ryan and their daughter, Katie, have been laughing, goofoff, pals since Ryan was in 8th grade and Katie in 6th. Now they are in a slightly more formal dating situation. Anyway, Ray BBQ'd salmon, Katherine fixed an awesome salad and then there was a terrific blueberry dessert. The food and fellowship were both tip top and we look forward to many more such evenings. How fun to enjoy other adults but to have our adult children there to join us as well.

Bocce is the new game that Ryan is teaching us. It is kinda like lawn bowling, sorta, a little bit. Anyway we are looking forward to learning this game. Since this game can be played with 2 people it will be a fun way for Ed and I to spend a few of these longer, warmer evenings. Check out this link for information on the game. www.worldbocce.org

That's it for now...no time to add more.

I took these pics of some of our flowers, our yard is full of color!

Surprise!!!

Our son arrived home early this evening...we did not expect him until Wednesday early morning. Ryan drove the 14 hrs to surprise us. Here he is greeting HIS son, who had been waiting for his dad by the front door...animal instinct, there really is something about animals who sense various things. Akira seems to know when Ryan will be home and greets him without hesitation, most ppl he will run from, but not his daddy. Welcome home Ryan, Welcome home Akira's daddy.

Wisdom for the Day

Faith is not believing that He can,

but KNOWING

that He will

Hurry Up and Wait...

It's the game we have played all our lives, right?

Today we got up, ran the dust mop around the house, checked the flower pots for blooms that had wilted, we hurried up and got it all done...and then the waiting game began.

And the waiting continued...

We had an appointment with a real estate assessor today. He was to arrive at 1 p.m. Great!! Wonderful time of day, not too early, not too late. Saturdays are usually pretty kick back at the Gwillim home, we do the laundry, yard work, clean up vehicles, you know, maintenance type of things.

If you have been reading our blog you know we have done a ton of work on our home, so we decided to re-fi in order to accomplish a personal goal...getting out of debt with the exception of our mortgage. If the appraisal comes in where we believe it will, we will have NO debt...wonderful goal, one that has kept us motivated to raise the value of our home and just make it look wonderful for whomever God had choosen to appraise our precious refuge.

And the waiting continued...

At 2 p.m. Ed called "Joe's" cell, no answer...left voice mail. Called his office number, no answer...left voice mail. Called his pager, no answer...left voice mail.

At 3 p.m. Ed called the mortgage company rep whom we have been working with and who has been such a wonderful help to us. No answer...left voice mail.

And the waiting continued...is he coming? did he forget? did he get lost? was he in an accident? should we be totally ticked or start praying for this man that we do not know and do not know what could have happened to him.

Ed pulled his van in the back yard and started to vacuum it out.

4 p.m. the phone rings.."Hey, Grandma, this is Rex (as if I didn't know that voice!) we were wondering if you and Grandpa are home and if we could come by in a few minutes, we have a surprise to show you." Not the assessor, better than that... the grandkidlets!!!

4:30 p.m. kids arrive, Kaitlyn has a new puppy and couldn't wait to show us. While we are oohing and aahing over the puppy and I am cleaning up Tristan's toe (gross story, short version is he is going to loose his big toe nail due to a summer crash...gross, gross, gross...and painful as well) the phone rings...

It's Joe the assessor, he is about 30 minutes away...hip hip hooray!

Kids (and puppy) out the door, move the van off the lawn, wash and dry the 2 drinking glasses on the counter. Ready when you are Joe!

When Joe arrived we wanted to tell him all about this old house that we love and call home. Joe: "I like to start by measuring the outside and taking a few pictures." Ok, we'll wait to tell you about the recent face lift our beloved home has gotten. wait, wait, wait.... Now he is in the house. Sitting on the edge of the chair I start to open my mouth... "I'll measure each room and take a few pictures." wait, wait, wait...Joe now wants our tax lot number...I want to explain the transformation of these old walls..."I'll have questions to ask when I get done with the overview." (If he would take a moment and listen to us he would not need to ask any questions because we would be happy to tell him everything he wants to know and more!) He opened the basement door and went downstairs. wait, wait, wait... We are frustrated, this guy appears to have no interest in our home, only the house. Back up stairs, tape measure and camera still in hand.

I have waited all day to see this man, I have waited all day for this guy knowing he was going to inspect my home...who wants to be inspected? Who wants someone to open and measure every closet, write meaningless numbers, codes and comments on a form?

45 minutes after Joe's arrival to our home he comes up from the basement, takes a seat at the dining room table, writes on the form some more...and we wait. Joe's first real comment to us was, "This house looks like a million dollars. You have a wonderful home." Can you believe that? Mr Offical, Mr Follow the Rules, Mr Measurement, Mr I Am Over Four Hours Late is telling us we have a wonderful home. Not a nice house, not a structurally sound house, but a WONDERFUL HOME.

He asked us questions, we answered and he asked more...he loves our home. It is an old house, built in 1928...think "vintage, cottage". He loved the history we gave him about our home, raising our boys, throwing parties, explaining how we fit our family in this tiny home. He loved hearing how we knew how many teenage boys were visiting at any one time-just count the prs of shoes on the porch. Then he opened up...and we found out many things about him...in the end I think he needed to hear that there are still homes...not just houses with people in them. He is an appraiser, he meets many people all over the state (he actually lives 5 hrs north of us) this is what he does for a living, walking through buildings that people live in.

We were happy to share with Joe what this "building" means to us, but we did not need to, I guess this old home speaks for itself, it isn't just walls and windows, paint and carpet, this old home is filled with love and precious memories, this old home is filled with the many prayers that have been said over the years, for salvation, for healing, for health. God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit have all be praised and glorified within these walls. There are sounds of laughter and crying coming from every corner. Babies have crawled on these floors, boys have dressed for the prom in these bedrooms. Screams from waterfights, and bee stings echo in the yard. I have a darling picture of our Maddie on the toilet, trying her hardest to poop in the potty like a big girl!!! and one of her daddy many years before climbing up the inside of that bathroom door frame at about the same age. How do you put a dollar amount on something like that?

We waited all day long to tell this guy that is this not a house, but a home and no matter what he puts down as a dollar amount, the figures would be far under our homes true value. We sure wasted a ton of time today, because we didn't need to say a word.

Thank you Father for filling our home with love and laughter, and so many precious memories that even those who did not experince them can feel them.

Share Jesus, and if necessary use words...

PS. As Joe was leaving I reminded him that in his words, our home "looks like a million" and I was sure there was enough room on his little form to write that number in there, which only added to the laughter within these walls.

Blog Surfing

I have been Blog Surfing of late. Most of the time I hit a "dud" so to speak, oh the variety of topics you will find!!! From one blog totally devoted to the woes of potty training (the last diaper I changed - excluding grandbabies - was over 20 years ago) to how to buy the PERFECT digital camera - (yawn, yawn, yawn) - to young girls who are in a foreign country as an exchange student - (the first 150 photos were interesting) - to public blogs set up for families who live miles and miles apart but use blogging to keep in touch, kinda like a chain letter that gets to everyone at one time rather than being sent to Aunt Mary for her to add her remarks to and send on to Cousin Jack for him to add to and send on to Grandpa Fred etc etc etc, you get the idea. (I actually always thought this would be kinda cool, but like most of those chain letter things it probably would not stay alive very long). I will NOT give details about the blog that I recommended to my son...we both work in offices and it was a blog of office humor, the early posts where hilarious and we could both relate to some of the posts, as it went along I am pleased to say both my son and I decided it had gotten out of control and we both quit reading it. (thank you Ryan, and please DON'T tell anyone I suggested you read that garbage!!!)

Once in a while I stumble on a blog that I can either relate to the topic (ie. quilting or scrapbooking) or maybe the blog title will grab my attention which is the case with Darlene Schacht's blog, What Would Jesus Blog? I read a couple of her current postings and was thrilled with the humor, so very much like my dear-dear pal Franki, who lives too far away for me to get a daily dose of her mocking, fun, silly humor.

I could tell this gal had that "let's not waste a second of life", "life is a party and that is what we are gonna do!!" type personality. So..I did what I usually do when I find a blog that just might hold my interest for 30 minutes or so, I found her very first post and started reading. She has almost 7 months worth of posts, and thus far I have not found one that did not touch my heart in one way or another. She writes about her darling children and their antics, she writes about her hubby (oh how we love to write about our hubby's - I just gotta get braver and tell the whole truth and NOTHING but the truth where hubby is concerned.) She writes about the less desirable situations and people she has encountered throughout the course of her day.

What really caught my attention was her way of sharing Jesus through her posts. Not many of us can relate our walk with Jesus to having a baby puke on you...and hitting your mouth no less! Not many of us can share the love of Jesus when we tell about the twin brother and sister that went to her elementary school whom she later found out where really both male, but something went horribly wrong following their birth and one was forced to live as a girl, then a guy..and then killed himself.

Darlene shares about the time her dear sweet little son, Graham, shared with his mommy that he could feel God and the Spirit living in his little body. What wouldn't a mom or grandma give to hear those words? Reading this post reminded me of my own darling boys, both at age 5, sharing that Jesus lived in their hearts and they wanted to tell the whole world, which Roy did on Christmas Sunday 1984 when his "grandpa" Elmer Goodwin baptized him and Ryan 2 years later on Christmas Sunday 1986 when his daddy baptized him. I hadn't thought about those precious moments for a while. Memories are wonderful!

Now I am going on and on when what I really wanted to do was to simply invite you to visit Darlene's blog. Darlene has given me permission to add a link to her blog, so you will find her blog link under "Favorite Places to Go". Check it out, I know you will enjoy.

As for me...I am going to try to figure out how to get Darlene to come as a guest speaker...I am sure she will fit right in, after all if she and her pal can sit on the sofa in their PJ's, drinking diet Pepsi (the best choice!!) and burping, she isn't too far away from joining us for our PJ fashion show at camp in January!

OK, back to reading, thus far I have only made it to the middle of February.

Taking Things for Granted

The past couple of days I have been reminded of how blessed I am to be in the stage of my life that I am.

My children are grown, they are supporting themselves and for the most part are happy with their lives. My husband is a SAHH (aka: early retirement) and has been for almost 6 years.

We are empty nesters. We are no longer first and foremost Dad and Mom. We no longer wake up with a child standing on the side of the bed in the middle of the night wanting to crawl in bed with us (with the exception of our granddaughter, Kaitlyn, who usually finds her way to our room when she spends the night, and boy do we enjoy that snuggly, toasty warm body especially when she puts her feet in gpa's back and her head in mine...yes, she usually wins and gets the bed to herself after about an hour ;-) ). We no longer have to consider the basic food groups when we prepare a meal (not even when the grandkids are visiting, which is our role in life now, to feed them what they want- I think that is why God made Grandparents, to let grandkidlets have their way once in a while!).

We can get up early and stay up late, or sleep in late (anything after 6 a.m. is considered slacking around here) and go to bed early. We like to play Skipo while eating our lunch. We spend hours on the deck or in the yard saying nothing or talking until it suddenly dawns on us the sun has gone down and the neighbors are probably enjoying our intimate conversation as much as we are. We can jump in the car and take off for an overnight trip with only a small bag for the two of.

We are enjoying time alone...but the truth be told...our time alone is full of memories of our children and our grandchildren...full of "remember when..." AND... Our time alone if full of beautiful dreams and wonderful plans for our future.

We are so thankful for this stage of life. Date night every night, dinner for 2 on the deck, complete with candles (if the wind has not picked up) and wine (well ok, wine coolers for me, and if it has been a really warm day Ed will break out a beer). We are excited about the memories we are adding to the precious memories we already have that will take us into the next stage of life.

We don't take this time for granted, time is too precious to be taken for granted.

Virus Vs. Bug

We are sitting out on the deck, watching the fish, laughing at Meow as he is up to his usual antics. ... generally having a nice quiet evening...I came in the house to get my laptop so that I can upload the pics of Meow and our new Koi I had just taken when all of the sudden a little red bug (Ed thinks it was some kind of beatle) lands on my keyboard and precedes to scurry under the T key (I kid you NOT) so now I have a computer bug.

OK, what the heck am I gonna do about this...Ed runs to get the tweezers, hoping I can get it out...nope...didn't work, he is under the keys and he ain't comin' out.

OK, think think think...whadda gonna do...CALL Ryan (sung to the theme of Ghostbusters). He started laughing before I had a chance to tell him the whole story. Being the sensible one that he is he suggested I get a can of air and try blowing the bug out. OK, hand the phone to Ed, run in to My Creative Mind, tear through my traveling sewing tote, get the canned air, back out to the deck.

Ed and Ryan are yakking about something, pick up my laptop, hunt for the bug...can't find him. Of course Ed was not watching to see if the bug got out on it's own and he and Ryan on yakking about a totally different topic (hey guys! what is the most important thing right now???) I go ahead and give the keyboard a good air dusting...nothing comes out of the keyboard...give it another shot...nothing...and another...and another...NOTHING.

By this time I am convinced that the little bugger has left my computer and if I have not ruined my computer it by using half a can of spray on it it should run fine. My turn to talk to Ryan again, he is still laughing at my computer bug...oh well, I have been the object of his laughter on more than one occasion, poor kid, it is a wonder he is normal.

OK, try to get online. MSN comes up with an error message....giving me three choices...

Report Error...Cancel...DEBUG

I kid you not!!!

Life on the Edge

STOP LAUGHING AT ME!!!

Gone Fishin'

Done is such a nice word, deceiving but nice

The painting on the outside of the house is complete...(at least we think it is). So the paint cans, brushes, tarps, sawhorses and etc. can be put away. One giant task fully completed, and we are so glad to have it crossed off our list.

The hanging flower baskets have been put back up, mail box, porch lights, window boxes, planters, yard decorations and furnishings, and etc. have all been put back in their proper places.

Our house actually looks like our home again. Nice feeling to have the outside where we want it.

The inside is next, in no particular order:

• Paint/re-decorate our bedroom (gee, it was November when I started gathering up stuff to re-do our bedroom.
• Clean sweep My Creative Mind room (sewing/craft room for those who don't know me)
• Put those red touches on the kitchen (which should take me all of one Saturday afternoon)
• Bathroom: new flooring (is stored in the basement and has been for 2 years!!)

When does it end, just when you get it the way you want it, you change your mind and start all over again. Change, it is good to accept change, because things around us are always changing.

Shoulda taken a picture

Those dreaded words...on a Monday morning no less...

Ed had just walked into the bedroom with a bowl of cereal in his hand. It was not more than 3 minutes when "Oh Crap!" was heard loud and clear....

As I sat in the living room, finishing my half cup of coffee, I said a silent and selfish prayer that his bowl of cereal had not been spilled on my beautiful "Welcome to My Garden Quilt". (As you can see, it is very very white.)

Out of the bedroom Ed came, cereal bowl in hand (thankfully!!) to tell me that the bar holding up our hanging clothes had collapsed and all our clothes were in a heap on the floor.

Ok, it wasn't the quilt...boy was I relieved!!

So...tonight we are installing new rods and shelving units in the closet...I guess it is a good time to sort through the closet and toss those articles of clothing that someone else can use better than either one of us.

Welcome to Monday...the week can only get better.

Night Sky

I really needed a better camera to get this shot,

but it was breathtaking...beautiful night sky,

the moon was bright and the sky was midnight blue.

The EYE

My Daddy

Clifford Roy Hamilton

July 10, 1925-September 5, 2004

Today would have been my daddy's 80th birthday.

One of the secrets of life

is to make stepping stones

out of stumbling blocks.

JACK PENN

Lurkers

Not sure what is going on...seems like many of you are reading my blog but not commenting, which is fine, but then a few of you are reading and then sending me email??? that doesn't count!!! (you know who you are ;-).

I added a counter a couple of days ago and yesterday it went crazy.

Getting Closer

After another day of working in the yard, we are getting closer to having the outside almost to the maintenance only stage (hip hip hooray!!!). Flower boxes are on the windows, ladders and paint equipment no longer liter the back yard, weeding is pretty much done, trees/plants are in the ground, we're almost done barking the flower beds, extra lawn furniture is no longer taking up space on the deck....etc, etc, etc. It is a good feeling to know we are another hard working day closer to having the outside where we want it.

You have succeeded in life

when all you really want

is only what you really need.

VERNON HOWARD

Whatever!!

I have been playing with my blog skin, shifting and jogging things around...and then back again...sorta...Seems like I have messed a couple of the settings up and can't get them back the way they were...I really want a completely different blog skin...Ryan hurry home!!!

He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Ecclesiastes 3:11

It's been a good day...

I've had a full day today, not an usual day, but a full day none-the-less.

Up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for my day...wondering if I should cut my hair off or get a perm to cut back the prep time, 40+ minutes to dry my hair every morning is a bit tiring, I could use that time to sleep!! Meow up on my lap while I read e-mail before work, he is so soft and cuddly.

Work: 8-4:30, I my new job is going very well. I've been at this firm for just over 3 months. A completely different field than I ever thought I would go into. Lots and lots to learn. I think I am doing ok.

After work I am on the road to see my momma. She was on the phone when I got to her room. My niece Traci (who lives in North Carolina) is so faithful to call her gma, Traci always makes her laugh and smile. They were yakking up a storm, I could tell it was Traci before I got to the door, Momma has a special tone when speaking with Traci.

Momma has been trying to tell me something for a couple of wks, I have no idea what it is she is telling me, but we keep trying to figure it out. Tonight she was willing to get out her alphabet board to spell out what she wanted....F I L R. OK, now....can anyone help me out here?? She was so excited to show me she was wearing a skirt!!!! Good grief! If I had only known that wearing a skirt would bring her so much joy. She was like a kid with a new toy. Momma just beamed!!!

Anyway, I had taken a couple of her unfinished quilting projects to see if she wanted me to finish one or the other for her to give my nephew Alan for a wedding gift. The first is a BEAUTIFUL table runner. She used Christmas prints and it is absolutely gorgeous. NO NO NO, she did not want to give that to Alan and Jeni. OK, well then I pull out the second, which was a set of 6 place mats. The tears started flowing. She touched and patted each one of them. Yes, this is what she wants me to finish for her to give as a gift. Tears dried up. Since they still needed a tad bit of machine work I brought them home again and will take them back up to the care center to work on while I am visiting her. She loves to watch while I work on one of her unfinished projects, and I love to work on her projects. It gives me great joy to touch what she touched, to complete something she started. I always let her pull the last stitch through, and then help her cut the thread. She started these projects, I want her to have the pleasure of finishing them.

Now I am home again. It has been a full day, it is Friday and I am expecting it to be a full weekend as well. We have things to do in the yard, things to do in the house, a going away picnic for a young family in our church, papers to complete and get ready to mail, bills to pay...you know...just the usual kinda stuff that makes up life.

If you think you can,

you most likely will.

If you think you can't,

you loose before you get started.

Tristan is 10 today!!!

Happy Birthday to you buddy.

Tristan we are so proud of you.

You continue to grow and change and mature,

we are excited to see the plans God has for your life.

Fear Factory Birthday Party complete with digging for worms,

transporting dog biscuits via their mouths,

passing raw eggs (no shell) from person to person

and eating chocolate pudding laced with corn...

but that is a whole different story.

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The one who goes the farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and to dare. DALE CARNEGIE

Happy Birthday to YOU!!!

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday dear Nancy,
Happy Birthday to you!!!

Today is my sisters birthday. Nancy is my older sister, (of course all of my siblings are older since I am the youngest of 5 kids). Over the years I have grown to appreciate many things about my sister, here are just a few of those things:

Tact: she is the most tactful person I have ever known
Poise: she can keep her composure under any situation
Unselfishness: she always puts others first
Patience: think bread pudding cupcakes
Smart & Pretty: yep, hands down, she is the winner

I admire my sister so much. When I grow up I wanna be more like her.

Happy Birthday Nancy,
I Love You!!!

Rain!

Oh how I love to wake up to the sound of rain, the feel of moisture in the air... even if it is just a drizzle. It has been a wet winter, and cold too.

My favorite season is Fall. I love to watch the colors changing all around. I love to take "Leaf Walks" with my granddaughter, Kaitlyn. (This is when we walk around town looking for interesting colored leaves, pine cones that have dropped and etc. We have been known to send these treasures and symbols of Fall to Ryan in San Diego who misses these simple things since the seasons do not change so drastically in Southern California.) I love to walk in the rain, with or without an umbrella, with or without a hat.

When Spring came this year it was raining, it had been raining for months...and months. I was more than ready for warmer, drier days. When Summer arrived I was REALLY ready for some days where we could be in the yard or at the beach.

Summer is here, and the air is warm...the sky is not giving up much moisture. I enjoy the warm air on my skin, the longer days when we can be out in the yard.

I love Summer, but the gift of rain this morning was refreshing to my soul.

Today's Quote

Be like a postage stamp, stick to one thing until you get there.

Hey....let me in

Just when I finally learn to use the back door...

you lock me out....

gee, thanks guys!!!!

I'm cutest when I am sleeping

Thank you Ryan

Thank you Ryan for my beautiful boquet of flowers you sent me for Mother's Day...they were absolutely breathtaking. Thank you so much my son.









Ryan I was most surprised that you thought to replace the sun plaque that was broken. Thank you very much I love my new sun, thank you very very much. Love, Dad

Eyes to melt your heart

Jason Eliot April 2005