My favorite picture... both in color and b&w!
5.31.2007
Our niece, Korissa
These are our niece, Korissa's, 3 month pics... taken at Sears. I played some with them (black&white, sepia, vignettes, etc.) Enjoy!
Lil' D Stylin'
Lil' D's mom left his sunglasses in the house yesterday, so I thought I would let D wear them on our walk. After only 2 times telling him "No" when he started to pull them off, he wore them without touching them the whole half hour. So - if a picture is worth a thousand words... I'll shut up! 'Nuf said!
5.30.2007
Tagged
All the posting I did yesterday, and I forgot to do this! I've been tagged by April to post 8 things about me. I'm not sure I'm real great at this, but I'll try.
1. I have moved 20 times in my 29 years.
2. My husband and I are a "camp couple" (we met working at Northland Camp) and also survivors of a long distance relationship (10 months long!) We're a little over a month shy of our 7th anniversary.
3. When I was little, we lived in Montana. I was riding in the back of a pick-up truck, and did not obey when my dad told me to stay near the cab of the truck. I was standing up, and he took off from a stop sign. I fell face first on a gravel road. I don't remember much else, except that my mom picked all the gravel out of my face with a toothpick. I guess the damage wasn't too bad... I don't have any scars from that that I am aware of.
4. My family went on a missions trip to Mexico when I was in grade school. We helped build an orphanage. I have a few memories from that trip: my brother standing on a fire ant hill watching the ants until... he had ants in his pants! Another brother burning his lips on jalapeno juice, and submerging his lips in the lake. Slicing my head open when I had my feet up on a huge metal washtub. It was empty, I leaned forward, and the opposite side flipped up and cut me just above my hairline. I still have a scar from that.
5. I broke my left wrist my sophomore year of college. My friend and I were messing around during the couple's skate during the "Late Night Skate." The guy I was "dating" at the time was a jerk and wouldn't skate with me. Anyway, I fell, and broke my wrist.
6. I have been to all but 2 states in the lower 48 United States. I have also been to Mexico and Canada. (I have not been to Oregon or California... maybe next summer!)
7. I love to travel and see new places and do new things. And, just in case you couldn't tell yet... I take HUNDREDS of pictures while I'm there! (You never know what you might forget!) I love taking pictures.
8. My husband and I are trying to visit every Major League Baseball park in the United States in our lifetime. We really officially started in 2005, and have been to: The Metrodome (Minnesota Twins~ but that was before we started this project. We did go together, though, so it still counts!), Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles ~ we've been there SEVERAL times!), Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Citizen's Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies - their mascot is hilarious!), The Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds), Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals), and RFK Stadium (Washington Nationals). Also on the docket for this summer is Jacobs Field (Cleveland Indians).
Well, I don't know how exciting these are, but it was fun to play. I don't know who has been tagged and who hasn't, so if you want, consider yourself tagged!
1. I have moved 20 times in my 29 years.
2. My husband and I are a "camp couple" (we met working at Northland Camp) and also survivors of a long distance relationship (10 months long!) We're a little over a month shy of our 7th anniversary.
3. When I was little, we lived in Montana. I was riding in the back of a pick-up truck, and did not obey when my dad told me to stay near the cab of the truck. I was standing up, and he took off from a stop sign. I fell face first on a gravel road. I don't remember much else, except that my mom picked all the gravel out of my face with a toothpick. I guess the damage wasn't too bad... I don't have any scars from that that I am aware of.
4. My family went on a missions trip to Mexico when I was in grade school. We helped build an orphanage. I have a few memories from that trip: my brother standing on a fire ant hill watching the ants until... he had ants in his pants! Another brother burning his lips on jalapeno juice, and submerging his lips in the lake. Slicing my head open when I had my feet up on a huge metal washtub. It was empty, I leaned forward, and the opposite side flipped up and cut me just above my hairline. I still have a scar from that.
5. I broke my left wrist my sophomore year of college. My friend and I were messing around during the couple's skate during the "Late Night Skate." The guy I was "dating" at the time was a jerk and wouldn't skate with me. Anyway, I fell, and broke my wrist.
6. I have been to all but 2 states in the lower 48 United States. I have also been to Mexico and Canada. (I have not been to Oregon or California... maybe next summer!)
7. I love to travel and see new places and do new things. And, just in case you couldn't tell yet... I take HUNDREDS of pictures while I'm there! (You never know what you might forget!) I love taking pictures.
8. My husband and I are trying to visit every Major League Baseball park in the United States in our lifetime. We really officially started in 2005, and have been to: The Metrodome (Minnesota Twins~ but that was before we started this project. We did go together, though, so it still counts!), Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles ~ we've been there SEVERAL times!), Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees), Citizen's Bank Park (Philadelphia Phillies - their mascot is hilarious!), The Great American Ballpark (Cincinnati Reds), Busch Stadium (St. Louis Cardinals), and RFK Stadium (Washington Nationals). Also on the docket for this summer is Jacobs Field (Cleveland Indians).
Well, I don't know how exciting these are, but it was fun to play. I don't know who has been tagged and who hasn't, so if you want, consider yourself tagged!
5.29.2007
More cards
Here are some more cards that I have made recently. I'm on a roll with the masculine cards... I have 2 brothers and a BIL that have birthdays within a month of each other. Next up... more thank you cards, a SIL birthday, MIL birthday, and 3 more Father's Day cards! Stay tuned!
My future SIL's bridal shower card (I wasn't totally pleased with the result, but I couldn't figure out what else to do, and I had to get it in the mail to make it in time for her shower. The silver entwined hearts are from their wedding invitation.)
BIL's birthday card
Father's Day card made at the last stamping party
Country coffee Thank You(another one of my favorites... the gingam is actually fabric)
My Brother's Birthday card
Masculine Thank You card
CAUGHT!
What a day! Today's weather was absolutely beautiful... partly cloudy, in the upper 80's. I had the day off (one of 3 days off this week, + Sunday!), and just couldn't resist going outside.
First, though, I went and worked out at the gym. My back is messed up again, and bothering me, but it feels fine when I exercise, so I did. I came back, ate lunch, and decided to be brave and go lay out in the sun.
My dilemma is this: I live in an apt. complex. I did not want to lay out where anyone could see me, for 2 reasons. #1 - I absolutely, positively despise tan lines, but love to be tan. (Yeah, I know, skin cancer here I come! Actually, I am pretty careful about it ~ as much as one can be who lays out, anyway.) Before you get any crazy ideas, I do get SOME tan lines, as some things just cannot be helped. However, I usually lay out in a bikini **gasp**, and this is the #2 reason I don't want people to see me. I definitely do NOT look good in a bikini, and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to see that! :-) (Only 30.5 lbs to go!)
Well, today, I decided to venture out back and see if there was an area that was possible for me to achieve my goal of no one seeing me. We live in the apt. on the very end, which helps. The second thing going for me is that the back of our building is flanked by "tanglewoods" and therefore no one can see me from that direction either. The only two obstacles left were the line of site from the entrance drive that someone could look down the length of the buildings and see me (though it would be very far for them to look), and the windows of the apts next to mine. As I walked around back, I discovered that there is an alcove in the design of the building. This space houses all of the AC units for the apts on that side, and is designed so that you can't see them unless you do it on purpose. PERFECT, I thought. All of the windows that had a view of me are spare bedroom windows, one of which is mine, and all of the others had the blinds closed! I thanked the Lord for the opportunity, and set up my little laying out area, thinking that I was "home free."
First, though, I went and worked out at the gym. My back is messed up again, and bothering me, but it feels fine when I exercise, so I did. I came back, ate lunch, and decided to be brave and go lay out in the sun.
My dilemma is this: I live in an apt. complex. I did not want to lay out where anyone could see me, for 2 reasons. #1 - I absolutely, positively despise tan lines, but love to be tan. (Yeah, I know, skin cancer here I come! Actually, I am pretty careful about it ~ as much as one can be who lays out, anyway.) Before you get any crazy ideas, I do get SOME tan lines, as some things just cannot be helped. However, I usually lay out in a bikini **gasp**, and this is the #2 reason I don't want people to see me. I definitely do NOT look good in a bikini, and I wouldn't want anyone else to have to see that! :-) (Only 30.5 lbs to go!)
Well, today, I decided to venture out back and see if there was an area that was possible for me to achieve my goal of no one seeing me. We live in the apt. on the very end, which helps. The second thing going for me is that the back of our building is flanked by "tanglewoods" and therefore no one can see me from that direction either. The only two obstacles left were the line of site from the entrance drive that someone could look down the length of the buildings and see me (though it would be very far for them to look), and the windows of the apts next to mine. As I walked around back, I discovered that there is an alcove in the design of the building. This space houses all of the AC units for the apts on that side, and is designed so that you can't see them unless you do it on purpose. PERFECT, I thought. All of the windows that had a view of me are spare bedroom windows, one of which is mine, and all of the others had the blinds closed! I thanked the Lord for the opportunity, and set up my little laying out area, thinking that I was "home free."
My lay out spot
I was home free... until... one of the guys that does the landscaping/grounds comes rambling by with his weedwacker. I was caught! He looked a little embarassed that he had seen me (I was decent, just in a bikini). I said hello, and hoped that he wouldn't walk back the same way that he had come. Well, about 1/2 hour later... he comes by again. Note to self: don't lay out while the grounds guys are still around. :-)
I enjoyed the sun immensely, and hopefully will have very few tan lines. :-)
Also, while I was out there, I discovered that some birds had built a nest in one of the dryer vents that have an outlet about 1/2 way up the building.
Evidences of a bird nest in the dryer vent...
...and on the ground below
Apparently the father bird was either a little discombobulated at my presence or was irritated because the mother bird wouldn't open up the vent to get the food that he was bringing to her. He sat there for several minutes chirping and squawking, flitting from dryer vent to corner of the building, to roof of the building to nearby tree. Finally, a head poked out of the nest to retrieve whatever was in his mouth. He was a little better after that. I didn't have my camera with me at the time, or I would have included pictures.
When I came back out to "flip" and sun the other side of my body (with camera in hand), the bird became a little "camera shy." He wouldn't sit still anywhere! I did manage to capture one of him flying toward the nest, but it's not great.
Bird flying toward nest
I'm sure he was relieved when I headed inside to shower, then work on some cards.
All in all, it has been a good day... except that it is now 9:45pm, and my husband still is not home from work. I hope that means that he is selling a car (which is much-needed for us at this point... it has been a very slow, long, discouraging, frustrating month for him.)
***ETA*** Chris is on his way home now... at 10:15pm, and he DID sell a car... another car to his very first customer. Praise the Lord for His Provision.
Our Afternoon Walks
Since the weather has been so nice lately (and I get cold sitting in an air conditioned house all day), Lil D and I often take a walk in the afternoon right after lunch. Another mitigating factor in this is that Lil D's 13 yr old brother is now home from school all of the time. He TRIES to annoy me all day long (I think he's trying to make me quit.) (This situation could be another whole post, but I'll leave that one alone for now.) It is a great relief to get out of the house and away from big brother, J.
ANYWAY, this is how Lil D goes for a walk... he is much like Linus from Peanuts... his blankie and pacifier pretty much go with him everywhere. On our walk, we pass many houses with beautiful flowers. One day I decided to take the camera with us, and this is what we see. The flowers are GORGEOUS! Enjoy them!
ANYWAY, this is how Lil D goes for a walk... he is much like Linus from Peanuts... his blankie and pacifier pretty much go with him everywhere. On our walk, we pass many houses with beautiful flowers. One day I decided to take the camera with us, and this is what we see. The flowers are GORGEOUS! Enjoy them!
Lil D terrorizes the cats
It is always amazing to me that most pets are so patient with little ones, regardless of how much they pull, poke, and squish them! Here are some pics of Lil D terrorizing his cats! I love it in some of the pictures you can see the cat's paws around Lil D's head... but no claws, or hissing or even running away! Amazing!
Memorial Day - part 2
Every week in our church bulletin, there is a letter from our pastor. I love the letter he wrote about Memorial Day. It completely captured my thoughts, and rather than reiterate it to you in my words, I'm going to copy it. Here's the letter from Pastor Lonnie Mattingly:
A DAY TO REMEMBER
Memorial Day is a United States Federal Holiday that is observed on the final Monday of May. It was formerly known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Following the end of the Civil War, many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died.
WE SHOULD NEVER FORGET
The military men and women who gave their lives that we might have life. Last Sunday evening I asked this question - "If those who died for the freedom you are now enjoying could see your lifestyle and commitment to freedom, would they say it was worth giving their life for?"
We should also never forget the Christians who have been and are being martyred for their faith in Christ. I thank the Lord that salvation has come to our generation. The cost for many was death at the hands of the enemies of the cross. Let's stand up for Jesus regardless of the cost.
We should never forget our Saviour and the ultimate price He paid for our sins. Let's honor Him every day until He returns to receive us to Himself. If you have never trusted His saving grace, do so today. Don't let His death for you be in vain. ~Bro. Lonnie
5.28.2007
Memorial Day
(Soldier: Because of your bravery, courage, and sacrifice, liberty & freedom are still ours. We are deeply grateful. GODSPEED)
I just wanted to say a HUGET H A N K Y O U
to the men and women in the military that sacrifice every day for me to have my freedom, as well as their spouses and families that sacrifice the moments they miss while being away from each other. I hope I live a life that is worthy of that sacrifice. A special thank you to my dad, for serving in the Navy during the Vietnam War, and my 3 brothers in law that have served in various branches of the military. Also, thanks to our good friends, Pete, who served in Desert Storm in Iraq, and Jeff, who has also served many years in the military.
(Letter Home)
I don't have the time to write more tonight, so I'll continue this post tomorrow. I just wanted to post this today... I am so thankful to be an American, and so proud of all of those who have given their lives, whether in life or in death, to preserve the freedom and liberty that I hold so dear. I am deeply grateful!.JPG)
(some gave all)
5.25.2007
Follow-up
Have you ever wondered why you fear something so much, then when it happens, everything goes better than you expected, and you feel absolutely STUPID for the crazy fear that you had in the first place? (I know, that was a REALLY long sentence!)
Well, I am happy to report to you all that I finally faced my fear and had a good conversation with my hubby last night about my struggles. As always, he was very understanding and encouraging (why was I scared, again?), and we have made some decisions on the direction we are going to take in this matter.
Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's wisdom for our family, and as we claim God's promises as He wrote them in His love letter to us. We know that He has the BEST plan for us, and that it will be revealed in HIS time. So, we do what we can, and we wait to see what God has for us. I am excited to be able to look back someday and see what God has done... whether or not we ever have children.
If God never gives us children, I will still love and serve Him.
Well, I am happy to report to you all that I finally faced my fear and had a good conversation with my hubby last night about my struggles. As always, he was very understanding and encouraging (why was I scared, again?), and we have made some decisions on the direction we are going to take in this matter.
Please continue to pray for us as we seek God's wisdom for our family, and as we claim God's promises as He wrote them in His love letter to us. We know that He has the BEST plan for us, and that it will be revealed in HIS time. So, we do what we can, and we wait to see what God has for us. I am excited to be able to look back someday and see what God has done... whether or not we ever have children.
If God never gives us children, I will still love and serve Him.
5.24.2007
Struggles
Ok - I'm going out on a limb here and going a little deeper into my soul and revealing some of it to you. This is the abbreviated version (and if you know me, that's very hard to do!)
Chris and I will be married for 7 years in July. We don't have children yet, and don't know if we ever will. I have been off birth control for almost 4 years now. We have not yet been tested to see exactly what the problem is, mainly because we have never both been at the same place with that at the same time, which is my indication that God just didn't want us to do that at that time.
Since Christmas time, when Chris flat out told me that he didn't think that we would ever have children and that he was content with that, I finally got to the point that I can honestly say that I am content either way. We would love to have children, but if we don't ever have children I am OK with that as well.
Then, this past week, we watched the movie Facing the Giants. It is an EXCELLENT Christian movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. Again it was EXCELLENT! In the movie, the main characters have been trying for 4 years to get pregnant. They both get tested, and find out that the problem is with him, and that it is humanly impossible for them to have children. "But with God, nothing is impossible." The story ends as they have a 2 year old boy, and she is pregnant again.
This opened up the struggle for me again... not so much with wanting a baby vs. not having a baby, but the struggle of whether or not my faith or unbelief is the underlying issue in us not having children. I mean, there are many stories in the Bible of women who were barren, and how they dealt with their struggle:
1) Hannah - prayed so fervently that the priest thought she was drunk
2) Sarah - gave Hagar to Abraham because she tried to do things her way instead of God's
3) Rachel - begged Leah for her mandrakes to help her conceive
...the list goes on and on.
So, my struggle is this... where do I draw the line between manipulation and faith? Where is the line between trust and unbelief? There is the little cliche, "God helps them who help themselves." Does that apply in this arena? How do all of these things balance to help me make the wise and right decisions in my own life? Now, I realize that in all reality, no one can give me the right answers for my life except God. But right now, I just don't know what those answers are.
Here is my dilemma... do I pray and beg God for a child like Hannah did? But on the other hand, I don't want to be like the Israelites who begged God and "he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." (Psalm 106:15) Do I claim the promises of God in Psalm 113:9 "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD." and Psalm 128:3, 6 "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table...Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children..."? But what if that is not the plan that God has for us? What if He wants us to show his glory more by NOT having children? There are many couples that we know, including family members, that have been blessed with children through the awesome provision of God through adoption. We are thrilled with them for God opening this door to them, but for some reason, neither Chris nor I have any peace about that option at all.
How do I know what to do? I am trying to do my best to live a life that is in the center of God's will, and I know that He will give me wisdom in these areas, but the answer has not come yet. I can't tell you how many people have told me to "be patient, don't worry, you'll have kids," etc. I appreciate that encouragement, but at the same time I wonder, "How do they know? Are they just saying that to make me feel better? Or do they truly know somehow what God's plans are for us?"
Thankfully, I have a friend here that just went through all of this a few short years ago. They now have 2 beautiful daughters. She is such a blessing to me, and it was nice to have a friend to listen to my babble, and understand exactly where I am. Not only that, but she is a spiritual encouragement as well.
Well, now you know my struggle, and you can pray for Chris and I as we attempt to figure this all out... or wait it all out. Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom in how to deal with all of this. Thanks so much for "listening!"
Chris and I will be married for 7 years in July. We don't have children yet, and don't know if we ever will. I have been off birth control for almost 4 years now. We have not yet been tested to see exactly what the problem is, mainly because we have never both been at the same place with that at the same time, which is my indication that God just didn't want us to do that at that time.
Since Christmas time, when Chris flat out told me that he didn't think that we would ever have children and that he was content with that, I finally got to the point that I can honestly say that I am content either way. We would love to have children, but if we don't ever have children I am OK with that as well.
Then, this past week, we watched the movie Facing the Giants. It is an EXCELLENT Christian movie. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. Again it was EXCELLENT! In the movie, the main characters have been trying for 4 years to get pregnant. They both get tested, and find out that the problem is with him, and that it is humanly impossible for them to have children. "But with God, nothing is impossible." The story ends as they have a 2 year old boy, and she is pregnant again.
This opened up the struggle for me again... not so much with wanting a baby vs. not having a baby, but the struggle of whether or not my faith or unbelief is the underlying issue in us not having children. I mean, there are many stories in the Bible of women who were barren, and how they dealt with their struggle:
1) Hannah - prayed so fervently that the priest thought she was drunk
2) Sarah - gave Hagar to Abraham because she tried to do things her way instead of God's
3) Rachel - begged Leah for her mandrakes to help her conceive
...the list goes on and on.
So, my struggle is this... where do I draw the line between manipulation and faith? Where is the line between trust and unbelief? There is the little cliche, "God helps them who help themselves." Does that apply in this arena? How do all of these things balance to help me make the wise and right decisions in my own life? Now, I realize that in all reality, no one can give me the right answers for my life except God. But right now, I just don't know what those answers are.
Here is my dilemma... do I pray and beg God for a child like Hannah did? But on the other hand, I don't want to be like the Israelites who begged God and "he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." (Psalm 106:15) Do I claim the promises of God in Psalm 113:9 "He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD." and Psalm 128:3, 6 "Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table...Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children..."? But what if that is not the plan that God has for us? What if He wants us to show his glory more by NOT having children? There are many couples that we know, including family members, that have been blessed with children through the awesome provision of God through adoption. We are thrilled with them for God opening this door to them, but for some reason, neither Chris nor I have any peace about that option at all.
How do I know what to do? I am trying to do my best to live a life that is in the center of God's will, and I know that He will give me wisdom in these areas, but the answer has not come yet. I can't tell you how many people have told me to "be patient, don't worry, you'll have kids," etc. I appreciate that encouragement, but at the same time I wonder, "How do they know? Are they just saying that to make me feel better? Or do they truly know somehow what God's plans are for us?"
Thankfully, I have a friend here that just went through all of this a few short years ago. They now have 2 beautiful daughters. She is such a blessing to me, and it was nice to have a friend to listen to my babble, and understand exactly where I am. Not only that, but she is a spiritual encouragement as well.
Well, now you know my struggle, and you can pray for Chris and I as we attempt to figure this all out... or wait it all out. Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom in how to deal with all of this. Thanks so much for "listening!"
FINALLY!
After 6+ weeks of not being able to exercise, my chiropractor VERY RELUCTANTLY gave me permission to do cardio workouts, 2 days/week, 20 min/day. YEAH!!! I exercised today, and it felt good! I burned over 200 calories in that 20 minutes... 15 minutes hard exercise, 5 minute cool-down.
As of this morning, I have now lost 18.5 lbs. Even without exercise and with eating out so much on my FL trip, I still have lost about a pound/week. I am thrilled about that. I was hoping to have lost 40 pounds by Nathan's wedding (June 30th) but I don't think that's going to happen. Although, I still have a litte more than a month (37 days on Tuesday, Nathan informed me... but who's counting?!?!) :-) If I can exercise even a little bit, maybe I can get 10 more off. We'll see...
Also, I want you all to know that my little mouse "went the way of all flesh." I found him in my trap Tuesday morning. Hopefully, that is the end of the mouse in the house stories for a while. (Donette - I use peanut butter with D-Con on my traps, but I really don't know how to help you with your mouse IN the dishwasher!)
I think that's about all for the major events this week in my life. I had 2 days off this week (not including Sunday) so I am trying to recover from lack of sleep and fighting off some kind of illness.
Oh, yeah, one more thing... "my" "Lil D" stood up by himself yesterday for a few seconds. This is the first time I've seen him do that. I kind of tricked him into it... he was standing holding onto his walker, and I gave him part of a cookie to eat. He is like a little racoon ~ he has to play with his food and figure out what it is before eating it. So, he let go of the walker in order to turn the cookie over in both hands, and was standing all by himself without knowing it! It won't be long and he'll be running all over the place!
As of this morning, I have now lost 18.5 lbs. Even without exercise and with eating out so much on my FL trip, I still have lost about a pound/week. I am thrilled about that. I was hoping to have lost 40 pounds by Nathan's wedding (June 30th) but I don't think that's going to happen. Although, I still have a litte more than a month (37 days on Tuesday, Nathan informed me... but who's counting?!?!) :-) If I can exercise even a little bit, maybe I can get 10 more off. We'll see...
Also, I want you all to know that my little mouse "went the way of all flesh." I found him in my trap Tuesday morning. Hopefully, that is the end of the mouse in the house stories for a while. (Donette - I use peanut butter with D-Con on my traps, but I really don't know how to help you with your mouse IN the dishwasher!)
I think that's about all for the major events this week in my life. I had 2 days off this week (not including Sunday) so I am trying to recover from lack of sleep and fighting off some kind of illness.
Oh, yeah, one more thing... "my" "Lil D" stood up by himself yesterday for a few seconds. This is the first time I've seen him do that. I kind of tricked him into it... he was standing holding onto his walker, and I gave him part of a cookie to eat. He is like a little racoon ~ he has to play with his food and figure out what it is before eating it. So, he let go of the walker in order to turn the cookie over in both hands, and was standing all by himself without knowing it! It won't be long and he'll be running all over the place!
More on my trip to FL
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The Mitchell family at Julianne's Graduation
OK, before going on with the story of our trip, I have to tell you 2 stories that involve my father-in-law. Just a little bit of background with him: He likes to be right... and most of the time is, but I LOVE to argue with him and prove him wrong... just because! I now have the type of relationship that I can do that with him, and it doesn't come across as being disrespectful. In the earlier years of my marriage and dealing with my FIL, we had some tough times, but my relationship with both him and my MIL are wonderful, and I am SO thankful for that. I get along VERY well with my in-laws (at least most of them), so much so that sometimes I wonder if I should have been born into their family instead of my own. ANYWAY... back to the FIL...
Tuesday night, Chris' family all went out to eat together, which we normally do when we are all together like that. We were having our regular dinner conversation, and somehow we got on the subject of engagements (I'm not sure how that happened, but it did.) I made the comment that my mom had actually given me "permission" to kiss Chris when we got engaged (my parents have always maintained the "hands off" policy... no holding hands or ANYTHING.) My brothers always made a big joke about getting "Mom's permission" to do this or that. SO - I made a comment about it at the table. Now, you have to understand... I was sitting on the side of the table with Chris' brother, Jon, on my left, Chris' sister, Tiffany, on my right, then Kim next to her at the head of the table, then Sandy across from Tiffany, Chris next to Sandy (across from me) and my FIL next to Chris. The conversation was really between Chris and I and his 3 sisters that were down on our end, and I THOUGHT that my FIL was involved in a conversation on the other end of the table. I made the comment about kissing, and out of the blue, my FIL turns and says, "So - you were totally disobeying your father's rules when I broke you and Chris up in the living room at our house that Christmas?"
***Chris and I were NOT perfect during our dating days as far as physical contact is concerned, as I'm sure most people aren't. This particular instance, Chris was sitting on the couch, and I was laying across his lap, and we were talking. We weren't even kissing!***
So, I replied, "Yeah, well, there were a lot of my father's rules that I broke growing up, but I've gotten them all taken care of with my dad... and besides, in some things I still believe 'If they don't know, it won't hurt them.' " I looked across the table and saw Chris' look of disbelief that my FIL had actually brought that up! It was pretty funny, I thought. The funniest thing about it was that I had actually totally forgotten about that incident. I mean, Chris and I have been MARRIED for almost 7 years, so the incident that he was referring to happened the Christmas of 1999... over 7 years before. He had NEVER brought it up before, and then all of the sudden, out of the blue, there it was.
Cloudy skies on our road trip... I love how the sky looks fake.
The other thing that happened with my FIL was while Tiffany and I were traveling. We had called him to tell him that we were about 30 minutes from our destination, and he tried to tell us we were 45 min - 1 hour away. I didn't agree, but let it go (this time.) Earlier that day, another SIL called us to ask us about something else, and gave us a little tip on a tricky turn that was not labeled well on our directions. We were just coming up on this turn when my FIL called. By the time I answered the phone, we had already turned on the road. So, he says to me, "There's a tricky turn coming up soon..." and I interrupted, "I know, we got it." To which he replies, "You don't even know what I'm going to say." "Yes, I do." "No, you don't." "Yes, I do." "No, you don't, HEATHER BETH, you can't read my mind!" "You were going to tell us about the turn onto .... We already made that turn. We have directions, and Kim already told us about it. We'll see you in a few minutes!"
So - why was this so funny? I guess my FIL was really irritated because HE USED MY MIDDLE NAME!!! I couldn't believe it... MY DAD doesn't even use my middle name, and my FIL used it! I had a little discussion with him about it later, and I told him that I wasn't trying to be rude or disrespectful, but that I really did know what he was going to tell me, so I was trying to save his breath. (How very thoughtful of me, don't you think?!? :^}) He told me that he had just had a really long day and he was already irritated, so he was just frustrated that I wouldn't listen to him.
By the way, I WAS right... it only took us 30 minutes to get to our final destination from when we called him the 1st time, not 45 min- 1 hour, but I decided NOT to tell him that! :-)
I ended up staying in a hotel with all 4 of Chris' sisters and his 3 month old neice for the 2 days that we were there. It was fun ~ I get along with his sisters very well. So well, in fact, that Chris made the comment before he left on Wednesday to come home, "My sisters love you so much that if I were ever to leave you, they would kill ME!!! Not that I'm planning on leaving you, EVER!" ;-) Again, I am thankful for the family that I was so blessed to be a part of when I married Chris. Don't get me wrong... I LOVE my family, too... I just don't fit in quite as well in my family... there's been too many things that I've done in the past to them for them to be as accepting now... but that's another story that I don't want to revisit.
Saturday, Tiffany and I headed for home after spending time with her brother and sister-in-law that we really hadn't had the chance to visit with over the weekend. We ended up taking Sandy, Kim, and Korissa with us for a little while, then dropped them off at the airport so they could head home. We then drove to Jacksonville (which was on the way home) and met my brother and sister-in-law for dinner. I was very thankful that their schedule was clear enough for us to do that with them... they keep VERY busy. As we were entering Jacksonville, we got a call from Tiffany's brother & family, who was also headed home to Pensacola. They had left a couple of hours before we did, and were calling to let us know that 50 miles of I-10 just west of Jax had been shut down due to the wildfires in the area. They had gone 45 miles in 3 hours!!! Since they were so sweet to call us and warn us about the detour, we were able to ask my bro, Steve & Kathryn, if they would mind if we just stayed the night with them that night and headed home in the morning. I figured since it was already 6:30pm, we wouldn't get home until 2 am if we continued on that night. I would much rather be stuck in traffic with just the 2 of us girls in the DAYLIGHT as opposed to the middle of the night. Besides, that would give us the opportunity to get a "good night's sleep" for the drive in the morning.
"Fog smoke" from the wildfires... this was on the trip from Pensacola on Thursday. The sky really was this weird color green.
More "fog smoke" from the wildfires... this was what the sky looked like from behind us.
Well, we didn't get a "good night's sleep." We barely ended up taking a long "nap." Kathryn, Tiffany, and I stayed up until 3:15am! Kathryn was doing "makeovers" for us, and throughly enjoying it. Poor Steve was left on his own, and ended up going to bed around 1am. Kathryn plucked our eyebrows (I've never had mine done before) and did our makeup. She was still going strong at 3am, but I reminded her that she had to get up for church in the morning, and we had to get on the road and drive at least 5 hours! We had a great time, though, and it was fun for me to get to know Kathryn more. It was very funny to me to see my SIL's from the opposite sides of my family together ~ never thought that would happen ~ and getting along so well. Kathryn and Tiffany are actually the same age. Chris got a laugh out of Tiffany the next morning when he was talking to her. She made these statements one right after the other, "Kathryn is GORGEOUS! She and I are alot alike!" In true big brother fashion, Chris replies, "Oh, so now you think you're gorgeous, huh?" :-)
Not the best picture... but one eyebrow done, one not done. Can you tell the difference?
Tiffany beautiful with make-up
Heather & Tiffany after make-overs.JPG)
At 3 am...
I flew home that afternoon, and had uneventful flights. I was thrilled to see my husband, and to be home! It was a good trip, and I am so thankful that I was able to go!
5.22.2007
Recent Cards & Cross-stitch
Here are all of my recent cards that I have made, as well as a cross-stitch that I just finished for our niece. By the way, I created the pattern for the cross-stitch ~ I cut the lion and giraffe out of another pattern, and then did the alphabet writing myself. I know the bottom part is hard to read, but I didn't want it to be the focal point. The very bottom line says, "Stitched with love by Aunt Heather Beth." I have a lot more cards to make today, plus other errands, so I have to run. Enjoy the pictures!
5.18.2007
My (our) Trip to FL
Last week I was blessed to be able to take almost a whole week off of work to make, as my BIL called it, the "Graduation Journey." As I've posted before, I had a BIL graduate on the 5th with a second degree in Mechanical Engineering... with a 4.0 GPA, in addition to being a husband and father, working full-time, and church responsibilities. Congrats to him!
Then, on the 9th, my SIL graduated with an Associates Degree in Business, Secretarial (I'm not sure what the technical term is for her degree. Out of all the graduations in the family, this one meant the most. This SIL suffered a brain aneurysm when she was 7 years old. She went into the hospital on my hubby's 16th b-day. The MD's didn't think she would live, much less lead a normal life. Well, God knows so much better than the doctors! She had intensive therapy and missed a year of school, but has almost completely recovered. She still struggles with things, such as not having peripheral vision on the right side of both of her eyes, and memory issues. All that to say that some of the family didn't even think she would GO to college, much less GRADUATE! It took 3&1/2 years (she changed her major, too), but she stuck to it and graduated. She was actually able to wear a hood with her regalia because she completed over 100 credit hours. Congrats to her!
Chris and I flew down to FL on Tues. for my SIL's graduation, but Chris couldn't miss any more work, so he flew home on Wed. evening. It was a short visit for him, but we were able to get in some family time, and also spent the night at the home of some dear friends and spent some time with them. I remained in FL for yet another graduation. I also got to BRIEFLY say hello to my baby brother while there... but we'll see him the end of June for his wedding.
Another family member graduated and is now officially in the military. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THAT FAMILY MEMBER! Another SIL and I drove up to the graduation. This was her 1st ROAD TRIP, and boy, did we make some memories!
It all started the night before when I spent the night in her apt., and we stayed up way late talking. During the evening, we ran out to Walmart to get snacks for the trip. This SIL doesn't drink pop, so we found some flavored water to take. I had the great idea of freezing the H2O so that we wouldn't have to take a cooler with us (not much room in the trunk of a VW Bug). The next morning she had to work, so I read a book - a whole book - that morning! (I LOVE to read, but don't take the time very often b/c once I start a book, it is almost impossible for me to put it down!) I took the water out of the freezer, and noticed that the sides of the bottles were bulging a little, and thought that was a little weird, but not worth a closer look.
After she got off work, we loaded the car and started on our trip, but not before stopping at BK to grab some lunch for her. Well, we had to wait for the chicken to cook, so pulled around for them to bring it out to us. While we were waiting, I checked to make sure we had additional napkins in the car, "just in case." We didn't, so she ran in to grab some napkins.
Later down the road, we got thirsty. We decided to open one of the bottles of water. My SIL had the bottle and the steering wheel in her left hand, and went to open the bottle with her right hand, and... you know what's coming... it EXPLODED EVERYWHERE!!! What we DIDN'T see when we bought the water was the little word ***SPARKLING*** on the label! So - we're lucky that the water bottles didn't EXPLODE in the freezer. After another hour of opening the bottle, letting out some carbonation, and closing it back up before it fizzed over again, we were FINALLY able to drink it. It was delicious! :-)
We also have the memory of stopping at yet another BK, and it taking FOREVER to get my SIL's sandwich b/c she ordered chicken, and the sandwich making guy only was making BURGERS (regardless of the fact that she ORDERED FIRST!) Then we drove through some FOG SMOKE with sightings of some ash falling from the sky due to the wildfires along the freeway (we never actually SAW the fire.) The sky was really dark at first and then was a greenish color. As we were leaving the area and the sky was clearing, we looked back and the sky had an awesome orange glow. (I'll post some pics later.)
We also had some guys toying with us. We were just talking, and out of "nowhere" a red Honda Civic passed us, then pulled into the lane in front of us and hit the brakes pretty hard. I was thinking, "Why in the world are they cutting us off and hitting the brakes when there is no one else around, and no reason to hit the brakes?" I told my SIL to go around them, and as she changed lanes, so did they. I was able to see the driver's face in the side mirror, and he was laughing as he looked at us. It was then that I realized they were just playing. SIL pulled back over into the lane, and they did as well. The windows were darkly tinted, so we never did actually see their faces. We did, however, see their silhouettes as the passengers turned around to watch us. We turned off on the same major exit to another freeway, but as we went north, they went south. I had JUST asked my SIL if I should roll down my window and wave, when the driver rolled down HIS window and waved at us! I was teasing SIL that 3 HOT guys were chasing her down! :-) Of course, I HAD to call my hubby and tell him that guys were hitting on us, to which he sweetly replied, "It must have been the hot babe in the passenger seat!" I'm not so sure about that, but I'm glad HUBBY thinks that I'm still a hot babe! :-)
Well... I'll have to finish this story later. I'll also include the pics that I can. Thanks for reading my stories! :-)
Then, on the 9th, my SIL graduated with an Associates Degree in Business, Secretarial (I'm not sure what the technical term is for her degree. Out of all the graduations in the family, this one meant the most. This SIL suffered a brain aneurysm when she was 7 years old. She went into the hospital on my hubby's 16th b-day. The MD's didn't think she would live, much less lead a normal life. Well, God knows so much better than the doctors! She had intensive therapy and missed a year of school, but has almost completely recovered. She still struggles with things, such as not having peripheral vision on the right side of both of her eyes, and memory issues. All that to say that some of the family didn't even think she would GO to college, much less GRADUATE! It took 3&1/2 years (she changed her major, too), but she stuck to it and graduated. She was actually able to wear a hood with her regalia because she completed over 100 credit hours. Congrats to her!
Chris and I flew down to FL on Tues. for my SIL's graduation, but Chris couldn't miss any more work, so he flew home on Wed. evening. It was a short visit for him, but we were able to get in some family time, and also spent the night at the home of some dear friends and spent some time with them. I remained in FL for yet another graduation. I also got to BRIEFLY say hello to my baby brother while there... but we'll see him the end of June for his wedding.
Another family member graduated and is now officially in the military. WE ARE SO PROUD OF THAT FAMILY MEMBER! Another SIL and I drove up to the graduation. This was her 1st ROAD TRIP, and boy, did we make some memories!
It all started the night before when I spent the night in her apt., and we stayed up way late talking. During the evening, we ran out to Walmart to get snacks for the trip. This SIL doesn't drink pop, so we found some flavored water to take. I had the great idea of freezing the H2O so that we wouldn't have to take a cooler with us (not much room in the trunk of a VW Bug). The next morning she had to work, so I read a book - a whole book - that morning! (I LOVE to read, but don't take the time very often b/c once I start a book, it is almost impossible for me to put it down!) I took the water out of the freezer, and noticed that the sides of the bottles were bulging a little, and thought that was a little weird, but not worth a closer look.
After she got off work, we loaded the car and started on our trip, but not before stopping at BK to grab some lunch for her. Well, we had to wait for the chicken to cook, so pulled around for them to bring it out to us. While we were waiting, I checked to make sure we had additional napkins in the car, "just in case." We didn't, so she ran in to grab some napkins.
Later down the road, we got thirsty. We decided to open one of the bottles of water. My SIL had the bottle and the steering wheel in her left hand, and went to open the bottle with her right hand, and... you know what's coming... it EXPLODED EVERYWHERE!!! What we DIDN'T see when we bought the water was the little word ***SPARKLING*** on the label! So - we're lucky that the water bottles didn't EXPLODE in the freezer. After another hour of opening the bottle, letting out some carbonation, and closing it back up before it fizzed over again, we were FINALLY able to drink it. It was delicious! :-)
We also have the memory of stopping at yet another BK, and it taking FOREVER to get my SIL's sandwich b/c she ordered chicken, and the sandwich making guy only was making BURGERS (regardless of the fact that she ORDERED FIRST!) Then we drove through some FOG SMOKE with sightings of some ash falling from the sky due to the wildfires along the freeway (we never actually SAW the fire.) The sky was really dark at first and then was a greenish color. As we were leaving the area and the sky was clearing, we looked back and the sky had an awesome orange glow. (I'll post some pics later.)
We also had some guys toying with us. We were just talking, and out of "nowhere" a red Honda Civic passed us, then pulled into the lane in front of us and hit the brakes pretty hard. I was thinking, "Why in the world are they cutting us off and hitting the brakes when there is no one else around, and no reason to hit the brakes?" I told my SIL to go around them, and as she changed lanes, so did they. I was able to see the driver's face in the side mirror, and he was laughing as he looked at us. It was then that I realized they were just playing. SIL pulled back over into the lane, and they did as well. The windows were darkly tinted, so we never did actually see their faces. We did, however, see their silhouettes as the passengers turned around to watch us. We turned off on the same major exit to another freeway, but as we went north, they went south. I had JUST asked my SIL if I should roll down my window and wave, when the driver rolled down HIS window and waved at us! I was teasing SIL that 3 HOT guys were chasing her down! :-) Of course, I HAD to call my hubby and tell him that guys were hitting on us, to which he sweetly replied, "It must have been the hot babe in the passenger seat!" I'm not so sure about that, but I'm glad HUBBY thinks that I'm still a hot babe! :-)
Well... I'll have to finish this story later. I'll also include the pics that I can. Thanks for reading my stories! :-)
Funny story of the day
Well, actually it happened last night...
It's a good thing that I'm not scared of mice...
Why is that, you ask? Well, here's the story...
I loaded the dishwasher last evening before going to bed. (That's pretty funny in and of itself in my house... I don't usually do dishes until I absolutely have to...). I didn't start it, though, because we have an old dishwasher that is VERY loud, and the kitchen is only separated from the living room by a bar-type counter. We also have a vaulted ceiling in this "great room," so the sounds from the kitchen echo really loudly when you're trying to watch TV in the living room. (Proof of this... my hubby turns up the TV volume to about 40 when I'm running water or doing anything of that type in the kitchen... up from the normal volume of 20-23). All that to say... I was GOING to turn on the dishwasher just before going to bed, but I forgot. We had been in bed for about an hour (I still had not gone to sleep) when suddenly I remembered that the dishwasher needed to be turned on.
Now, there were evidences that we had another mouse in our house when I returned from our graduation trip to FL on Monday. The level of D-Con in the box was greatly decreased, and there were mouse droppings on the floor of the pantry. I thought maybe I had been lucky, and the mouse had eaten the D-Con and had, as my dad so eloquently phrases it, "gone the way of all flesh."
However, I discovered last night, that there was STILL a mouse in the house. I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light as I went. I stood beside the dishwasher and turned the knob to start it. As the dishwasher started with its bangs and loud clicks...
A flash of brown, or maybe it was black, flashed across my kitchen floor in my line of vision, only after scratching the top of my foot as it ran across. Apparently the start of the dishwasher freaked out the mouse... or at least, I THINK it was a mouse... causing it to run to a much safer (and more quiet) hiding spot under the stove. After recovering from a bit of shock that a mouse just ran across my foot, I returned back to bed. As I settled comfortably under the covers and told my hubby the story, he asked, "WHERE WERE YOU?" To which I replied, "In the kitchen." (I think he was relieved at that answer revealing that the mouse had NOT run across my foot while I was IN BED!)
So, why is it such a good thing that I'm not afraid of mice? Well, you see, if the same thing had happened to my good friend, Beth, my mother, or numerous other friends of mine who hate mice... I would have let out a blood-curdling scream that would have woken the neighbors for a mile around! :-)
I'm sure the neighbors are very glad that I don't hate mice... they just don't know it!
It's a good thing that I'm not scared of mice...
Why is that, you ask? Well, here's the story...
I loaded the dishwasher last evening before going to bed. (That's pretty funny in and of itself in my house... I don't usually do dishes until I absolutely have to...). I didn't start it, though, because we have an old dishwasher that is VERY loud, and the kitchen is only separated from the living room by a bar-type counter. We also have a vaulted ceiling in this "great room," so the sounds from the kitchen echo really loudly when you're trying to watch TV in the living room. (Proof of this... my hubby turns up the TV volume to about 40 when I'm running water or doing anything of that type in the kitchen... up from the normal volume of 20-23). All that to say... I was GOING to turn on the dishwasher just before going to bed, but I forgot. We had been in bed for about an hour (I still had not gone to sleep) when suddenly I remembered that the dishwasher needed to be turned on.
Now, there were evidences that we had another mouse in our house when I returned from our graduation trip to FL on Monday. The level of D-Con in the box was greatly decreased, and there were mouse droppings on the floor of the pantry. I thought maybe I had been lucky, and the mouse had eaten the D-Con and had, as my dad so eloquently phrases it, "gone the way of all flesh."
However, I discovered last night, that there was STILL a mouse in the house. I got out of bed and walked into the kitchen, flipping on the light as I went. I stood beside the dishwasher and turned the knob to start it. As the dishwasher started with its bangs and loud clicks...
A flash of brown, or maybe it was black, flashed across my kitchen floor in my line of vision, only after scratching the top of my foot as it ran across. Apparently the start of the dishwasher freaked out the mouse... or at least, I THINK it was a mouse... causing it to run to a much safer (and more quiet) hiding spot under the stove. After recovering from a bit of shock that a mouse just ran across my foot, I returned back to bed. As I settled comfortably under the covers and told my hubby the story, he asked, "WHERE WERE YOU?" To which I replied, "In the kitchen." (I think he was relieved at that answer revealing that the mouse had NOT run across my foot while I was IN BED!)
So, why is it such a good thing that I'm not afraid of mice? Well, you see, if the same thing had happened to my good friend, Beth, my mother, or numerous other friends of mine who hate mice... I would have let out a blood-curdling scream that would have woken the neighbors for a mile around! :-)
I'm sure the neighbors are very glad that I don't hate mice... they just don't know it!
THE END!
PS. I didn't get much sleep last night after that... I kept thinking I felt something crawling on me... :^)
5.16.2007
Funnies for today
I just received this via e-mail today, but I don't really like to forward stuff. Therefore, I thought I would post it for your reading enjoyment. :^)
1) NUDITY I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, "Mom! That lady isn't wearing a seat belt!"
2) OPINIONS On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."
3) KETCHUP A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."
4) MORE NUDITY A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
5) POLICE # 1 While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"
6) POLICE # 2 It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What'd he do?"
7) ELDERLY While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"
8) DRESS-UP A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning. "
9) DEATH While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes."
10) SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
11) THE BIBLE A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear."
I'm always amazed at what kids pick up from adult conversations, and what they come up with in their little brains all by themselves. Kinda makes you think about what you say in front of a child... you never know when your words will come back to HAUNT you! :-)
It's all in the way you look at it.......
2) OPINIONS On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, "The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents."
3) KETCHUP A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. "Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle."
4) MORE NUDITY A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, "What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?"
5) POLICE # 1 While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, "Are you a cop?" "Yes," I answered and continued writing the report. "My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?" "Yes, that's right," I told her. "Well, then," she said as she extended her foot toward me, "would you please tie my shoe?"
6) POLICE # 2 It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me "Is that a dog you got back there?" he asked. "It sure is," I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, "What'd he do?"
7) ELDERLY While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by the various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, "The tooth fairy will never believe this!"
8) DRESS-UP A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, "Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit." "And why not, darling?" "You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning. "
9) DEATH While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: "Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes."
10) SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. "I'm just wasting my time," she said to her mother. "I can't read, I can't write and they won't let me talk!"
11) THE BIBLE A little boy opened the big family bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. "Mama, look what I found," the boy called out. "What have you got there, dear?" With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, "I think it's Adam's underwear."
I'm always amazed at what kids pick up from adult conversations, and what they come up with in their little brains all by themselves. Kinda makes you think about what you say in front of a child... you never know when your words will come back to HAUNT you! :-)
5.15.2007
I'm HOME!!!
Hello everyone!
I'm finally home from almost a week away. Actually I got home around 10:30pm Sunday night, but am trying to recover from my vacation. I'd tell you all about it, but some of the people involved have asked that I not include them in my blog for their protection, and I want to honor that request... SO - I'll just have to share bits and pieces with you, along with maybe a few pictures here and there.
First of all, I have the FedEx story to tell you...
I told you already that Chris has planned our anniversary surprise trip. Well, 2 weeks ago now, I came home and found a FedEx slip on the door. I didn't know what it was about, so I called Chris to ask him. He confirmed that it had something to do with our anniversary trip. He was supposed to pick up the 2 packages, but with his work schedule it makes it very difficult (He's not getting home until after 9 pm these days.) So, after 2 days of debating what to do and discussing the options, he told me that he needed me to go pick them up at the FedEx office. I asked him how I was supposed to do that and not find out who they were or what size they were, etc. He came up with the plan for me to take another bigger box into which both packages would fit and ask the person at FedEx to put them in that box without me seeing them. (I guess they were pretty small.)
So, feeling just a little bit foolish, I drove down to the FedEx office with my empty box. I entered the office, and explained the situation to the man behind the counter (who was very sweet, I must add!) I told him that I was there to pick up the 2 packages, but my husband didn't want me to see them. The man kind of raised his eyebrows at me like, "What kind of naive wife is this?" Noticing the doubtful look on his face, I explained to him that Chris was taking me on an anniversary trip and it was a surprise. He, in turn, asked when our anniversary was and how many years we were celebrating, and if he did this for me, did he get a trip, too? I replied that I didn't think it worked that way, to which he just laughed. He also asked me how he was supposed to know that I wouldn't look at the packages when I got into the car. I told him that he would just have to trust me, and that my husband is very fortunate that I like surprises! Besides, if my husband trusted me enough to send me to pick up the packages, I guess the FedEx man would just have to trust me, too. :-)
After exchanging a few more questions and comments, he went into the back room to retrieve the packages. He placed them on a table just inside another doorway where I couldn't see them. He came back in, grabbed the scanner, and went around the corner to scan them. Then he came back and checked my ID, took my empty box, and disappeared around the corner again. A few seconds later, he reappeared, picked up a roll of packing tape and walked back around the corner. I heard the tape going and going and going... I think he must have wrapped tape around that box probably 6 times!! Finally, he emerged with my tightly shut taped box, and sent me on my way.
When I got home... I opened it! Just kidding!! When Chris got home, I told him the story, and we had a good laugh about it. (I love it when employees of companies make it so nice to do business with them!) Chris then took the box into our room and emptied the contents. After hiding everything that was in them, he came back to tell me that not only did Mr. FedEx tape the box so thoroughly, he also put packing materials around the boxes inside to ensure that they wouldn't shake and rattle around and give me a clue how small/large they were. I thought that was very funny! I then told Chris that even if this trip is just in town or whatever, it will probably be one of the most special anniversaries, just because of the memories involved in the whole process.
So, there you have it... special memories from the FedEx man going above and beyond in his job!
I'll post more on my trip some other time. Let me just say that I enjoyed my time away very much, and I have another whole batch of memorable events added to my memory bank, in spite of the irritations and annoyances that come with lots of people and little sleep! :-)
I'm finally home from almost a week away. Actually I got home around 10:30pm Sunday night, but am trying to recover from my vacation. I'd tell you all about it, but some of the people involved have asked that I not include them in my blog for their protection, and I want to honor that request... SO - I'll just have to share bits and pieces with you, along with maybe a few pictures here and there.
First of all, I have the FedEx story to tell you...
I told you already that Chris has planned our anniversary surprise trip. Well, 2 weeks ago now, I came home and found a FedEx slip on the door. I didn't know what it was about, so I called Chris to ask him. He confirmed that it had something to do with our anniversary trip. He was supposed to pick up the 2 packages, but with his work schedule it makes it very difficult (He's not getting home until after 9 pm these days.) So, after 2 days of debating what to do and discussing the options, he told me that he needed me to go pick them up at the FedEx office. I asked him how I was supposed to do that and not find out who they were or what size they were, etc. He came up with the plan for me to take another bigger box into which both packages would fit and ask the person at FedEx to put them in that box without me seeing them. (I guess they were pretty small.)
So, feeling just a little bit foolish, I drove down to the FedEx office with my empty box. I entered the office, and explained the situation to the man behind the counter (who was very sweet, I must add!) I told him that I was there to pick up the 2 packages, but my husband didn't want me to see them. The man kind of raised his eyebrows at me like, "What kind of naive wife is this?" Noticing the doubtful look on his face, I explained to him that Chris was taking me on an anniversary trip and it was a surprise. He, in turn, asked when our anniversary was and how many years we were celebrating, and if he did this for me, did he get a trip, too? I replied that I didn't think it worked that way, to which he just laughed. He also asked me how he was supposed to know that I wouldn't look at the packages when I got into the car. I told him that he would just have to trust me, and that my husband is very fortunate that I like surprises! Besides, if my husband trusted me enough to send me to pick up the packages, I guess the FedEx man would just have to trust me, too. :-)
After exchanging a few more questions and comments, he went into the back room to retrieve the packages. He placed them on a table just inside another doorway where I couldn't see them. He came back in, grabbed the scanner, and went around the corner to scan them. Then he came back and checked my ID, took my empty box, and disappeared around the corner again. A few seconds later, he reappeared, picked up a roll of packing tape and walked back around the corner. I heard the tape going and going and going... I think he must have wrapped tape around that box probably 6 times!! Finally, he emerged with my tightly shut taped box, and sent me on my way.
When I got home... I opened it! Just kidding!! When Chris got home, I told him the story, and we had a good laugh about it. (I love it when employees of companies make it so nice to do business with them!) Chris then took the box into our room and emptied the contents. After hiding everything that was in them, he came back to tell me that not only did Mr. FedEx tape the box so thoroughly, he also put packing materials around the boxes inside to ensure that they wouldn't shake and rattle around and give me a clue how small/large they were. I thought that was very funny! I then told Chris that even if this trip is just in town or whatever, it will probably be one of the most special anniversaries, just because of the memories involved in the whole process.
So, there you have it... special memories from the FedEx man going above and beyond in his job!
I'll post more on my trip some other time. Let me just say that I enjoyed my time away very much, and I have another whole batch of memorable events added to my memory bank, in spite of the irritations and annoyances that come with lots of people and little sleep! :-)
5.04.2007
All kinds of random information...
Well, I feel like it has been a while since I really posted. I mean, I know I've posted pictures and explained a little bit, but somehow it just feels like it's been a long time.
The past week or so has been full of ups and downs for me... not so much in my own personal life, but more because of news that I've had from friends. I have been told that one of my dear friends is now a single mom of four children, ages 7 down to 9 weeks, because her husband left. Another couple of friends of mine had complications with their childbirth, and their much wanted baby girl died about 24 hours later... the funeral was last Friday. Mrs. Beth Horn (wife of Dr. Sam Horn formerly from Northland) has been diagnosed with cancer, and it is already metastasizing into her lymph nodes (not a good sign.) Another friend is struggling with the financial state of her family and dealing with 6 kids, 2 of whom have special needs in one way or another. I also just heard that a man that I greatly admired for his strong testimony kind of "went off the deep end" and is involved in a "ministry" that is very far away from the convictions upon which he used to stand. Also, on a totally different note, my new car got "keyed" the other day while I was at work. OK - so that's the BAD news!
The BETTER news is this... most of those that I have mentioned above have been an incredible testimony and challenge to me! I can totally see God working in their lives giving them the "peace of God, which passeth [surpasses] all understanding" (Phil. 4:7) and showing Himself to be the "God of all comfort" (II Cor. 1:3-4). I am thrilled to see the strength and grace that God has given my friends in the midst of their trials.
As for my car... we were concerned that it would cost $1,000 to get the scratch fixed because it extended over 2 panels.
However, I have to give props to Brian who is the Body Shop Manager at Cross Motors... he wet-sanded the scratch, then buffed it, and made it disappear... at the cost of a box of donuts for the shop guys on Monday morning. Praise the Lord for his provision in that area!
Chris made Salesman of the Month again for April by selling 13&1/2 cars. This does not get him the $5,000 bonus, but it does get him some extra bonus money for the units he sold.
We leave on Tuesday for FL for Chris' sister's graduation from college. I'm excited to see family again.
We received my bro, Nathan and Caroline's wedding invitation in the mail yesterday. Again, I am so excited for them. The invitation made my heart hurt a little for them, though, as it still had Caroline's dad's name on them (he passed away about a month and 1/2 ago.)
Well, that's all I can think of right now. Actually, I do have to share a story with you about the FedEx man, but it will have to wait for another time. Have a great weekend!
5.03.2007
More cool stuff from Louisville!
I love observing the sunrises/sunsets in this area. Air pollution makes for some awesome colors. I like to keep my camera with me most of the time, just in case I see something picture worthy.
A couple weeks ago, a storm was moving through, and I captured the first 4 pictures. A couple of days later, I was walking through my living room and noticed that the wall was orange where the sunrise was shining through the windows... so I snatched the camera and shot a few pictures of the sun rising. Of course, it looked much better IRL. The next 2 pics were taken as I was leaving for work that same morning.
The TARC building pics were taken when I was on my way back from picking up some packages at the FedEx building. Louisville has some really cool architectural buildings. I don't always get to take pictures as I am usually either driving through, or the passenger that can't get the driver to stop for a photo opportunity. :-)
Enjoy the scenes from my small part of the world!
A couple weeks ago, a storm was moving through, and I captured the first 4 pictures. A couple of days later, I was walking through my living room and noticed that the wall was orange where the sunrise was shining through the windows... so I snatched the camera and shot a few pictures of the sun rising. Of course, it looked much better IRL. The next 2 pics were taken as I was leaving for work that same morning.
The TARC building pics were taken when I was on my way back from picking up some packages at the FedEx building. Louisville has some really cool architectural buildings. I don't always get to take pictures as I am usually either driving through, or the passenger that can't get the driver to stop for a photo opportunity. :-)
Enjoy the scenes from my small part of the world!
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