You know I couldn't leave sad...

The phrase "working mother" is redundant.
Jane Sellman

Old age ain't no place for sissies.
Bette Davis

Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as
men to be thought half as good. Luckily, this is not difficult.
Charlotte Whitton

Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your body starts falling apart.
Caryn Leschen

I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm not dumb -- and I'm also not blonde.
Dolly Parton



and here is a parting thought to ponder.....

A man's got to do what a man's got to do. A woman must do what he can't.
Rhonda Hansome

See ya!

Local News

This has been a very busy time in our lives. We just got back from babysitting in Texas. It was very enjoyable. Now we are catching up on our stuff. You know the fun stuff like paying bills, balancing bank statements, and doctor appointments.


This has been a troubling time at home though. When we were driving home from Texas, I thought I saw a vehicle coming out of our driveway. I said that, in humor, to Al. He said "I hope that it is not coming out of our driveway, it is a firetruck." Well we came home to find our next door neighbor's driveway filled with firetrucks, ambulances, and workers. Our neighbor's house had caught on fire and burned. No one was home, thankfully, no firemen were hurt, but our neighbors lost their home and many personal belongings.

We just found out that while we were in Disneyworld, a friend of ours and local accountant died in a car accident. He was a very nice 39 year old man. Please pray for his wife and 2 children, his first name was Ken.

Also while we were in Florida one of our local football players had an accident on the football field and is dealing with partial paralysis. His name is Bryce, please pray for this teenager and his family and friends.

Yesterday afternoon somewone who took dance with my daughters and went to high school with them passed away in a car accident. This is a note I received from one of her friends and classmates:

"For those of you who knew her, Ashley Perrin passed away yesterday in a car accident. As devestating as it is, she leaves behind a beautiful little girl who is only 8 years old. Please everyone keep Ashley's family in your prayers, and may God grant them the strength to get through."

Please pray for this young lady's family.

This all makes me reflect on my previous post to remember that "God is God" even when I don't understand. He is there and he will carry us as we lean on Him.

God is God - Steven Curtis Chapman

Listen to the words to this song:
And the pain falls like a curtain
On the things I once called certain
And I have to say the words I fear the most
I just don’t know

And the questions without answers
Come and paralyze the dancer
So I stand here on the stage afraid to move
Afraid to fall, oh, but fall I must
On this truth that my life has been formed from the dust

God is God and I am not
I can only see a part of the picture He’s painting
God is God and I am man
So I’ll never understand it all
For only God is God

And the sky begins to thunder
And I’m filled with awe and wonder
‘Til the only burning question that remains
Is who am I

Can I form a single mountain
Take the stars in hand and count them
Can I even take a breath without God giving it to me
He is first and last before all that has been
Beyond all that will pass

Oh, how great are the riches of His wisdom and knowledge
How unsearchable for to Him and through
Him and from Him are all things

So let us worship before the throne
Of the One who is worthy of worship alone.

How many times do "I" think that I am in control. Don't listen to it just in the light of 9/11 but think about what is going on in your life today, and realize that God is God and we are man/woman. Al mentioned this evening if he had to live his life over he wouldn't change a thing. I agree with him. Who we are today is because of where we have been, and God is God.
Please pray for my cashier at Walmart today's Dad. He is a diabetic and has been in the hospital trying to get his sugar straight. Please pray for Heather in Alabama who gave birth to her daughter Isabella yesterday. They are both ill. Isabella is premature and only weighs one pound and six ounces. I praise God for the birth of David yesterday in Texas. He weighed nine pounds and nine ounces, he and his mother are doing great.

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com

Children

As most of you know Al and I were blessed with 2 beautiful daughters. Our oldest has three children and Alanna is giving birth to her first on October 10 (please be in prayer for her and her new daughter). I came across this and found it to be very true and funny.

THE BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN ...

Your Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time,
breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's little bureau.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress -- a whimper, a frown -- you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your
firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to rewind the mechanical swing.

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaner.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays. (We had this happen, after multiple xrays he passed the nickel at Disney World, it was a memorable vacation)
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his
allowance!!




Our still unnamed granddaughter 5 weeks before her birth! She is finally gaining some weight and showing! She moves all of the time. Her Mom (and Dad) are glowing!

Alanna this is for you:

Before I was a Mom I slept as late as I wanted and never worried
about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth everyday.

Before I was a Mom
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night..

Before I was a Mom
I never held down a screaming child so that doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to put it
down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop
the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love, the heartache, the
wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a Mom.

And before I was a Grandma
I didn't know that all those "Mom" feelings more than doubled!
Love is patient ~ Love is kind ~ Love Never Fails ... Never Ends!

Please remember in prayer:

Alanna and Baby girl
My Mom - cancer
My sister Norene - illness
My neice Holley and unborn son
Fay and her baby due Monday 9/17
Hoppa - Chemotherapy
Lee Russell - Cancer
Billy - fluid around heart
Our pastor search committee



Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com



Thank you Lord for a wonderful vacation week at Disney World with family!

Night of Joy 2007

Steven Curtis Chapman is one of the Christian artists that we saw at Night of Joy this year at Walt Disney world. His insights and ideas are wiser and more wide-eyed than ever before on This Moment, his sixteenth studio album and first new project in more than three years. The new wonders he’s finding at home and now on the other side of the world add passion and a worshipful air to his thoughtful lyrics.
But that's not to say this record came easily. Chapman truly wrestled to find its core.
"Theme has always been so important for me," says the man behind such modern favorites as For the Sake of the Call and The Great Adventure. "I've got to be hearing clearly from God about what it is that he's giving me to share from this platform. It doesn't have to be earth shattering for everyone else, but it has to be for me."
After an unexpectedly long season of listening, what Steven finally heard was simply profound.

"The words of Revelation 1:19—’write therefore the things that are seen'—kept coming back to me," he recalls. "It was as if God was saying, 'Just write what you know.'"

What Chapman knows well today, through the growth of his family and his growing heart for international outreach, is the vital importance of embracing the "miracle of the moment." That's the title of the duly anthemic first single and opening track from This Moment, and it’s a truth that definitely needs fresh restating in such a fast-forward world.

We are who and where and what we are for now. And this is the only moment we can do anything about. So breathe it in and breathe it out. Listen to your heartbeat. There's a wonder in the here and now. It's right there in front of you. And I don't want you to miss the miracle of the moment.

We had such a wonderful week in Florida. Everything was wonderful. We had afternoon showers each day but that helped to cool things off. I have tons of suggestions for anyone who is planning to go.


This is what happens when a 2 year old is not sure if she likes Disney Characters in costume. Maw Maw was security for her and everything was ok.



Some people were very secure with all of the characters, but they still love their Maw Maw!




Al was loving every minute of it! We had a great time and I will write more tomorrow! Have a good weekend.



Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark


One : Don't miss the boat.
Two : Remember that we are all in the same boat.
Three : Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
Four : Stay fit When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
Five : Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
Six : Build your future on high ground.
Seven : For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
Eight : Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
Nine : When you're stressed, float a while.
Ten : Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
Eleven : No matter the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting...

May your troubles be less,
may your blessings be more,
and may nothing but happiness
come through your door!

Steven Curtis Chapman

We went to the 25th anniversary of "Night of Joy" at Walt Disney World last weekend. It was wonderful. Christian bands were playing Friday and Saturday night. If you ever get the oppurtunity to go.....do it!

Logan singing

This young man goes to church with us and is an awesome christian young man who has been bleesed by God with multiple musical talents and is using them for the glory of the Lord.

Pachelbel Bedtime

This is for all new parents or really all parents. It is really cute.