Little Musings!

I recently read the following quote somewhere and jotted it down because it had such a profound message. It was one of those things that made me stop and examine myself.

"Don't speak unless you can improve the silence."

Anonymous

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A delicious breakfast, recently prepared for my husband and I, by Chef Shane! Notice we each have a cereal bar, cup of juice, bagels w/ cream cheese, and cereal bowl. Oh and he also set the fruit bowl out for us.

What a blessing this little guy is to us!

Calling All Doctors, Calling All Doctors!!!

Did you notice I've changed the heading of my blog to "Midnight Musings"? I was afraid the word "Madness" which I had used there previously might be off-putting to some people; they may think I'm crazy or something!

I had a ME day! Hubby went to work around 2:00. Shane is over at his grandparents, so I had the house all to myself. This rarely happens, but when it does, I seem to go crazy vacuuming! I did vacuum some today, but didn't have it in me to do it right. My floors do look better than they did before I took a swipe at them.

I have been on line and on the phone trying to track down some new doctors for us. Dr. Carthy, our family practitioner, closed his practice the end of November. Our medical records were sent to Dr. Rosenthal. I've never heard of him! I called last week, had to leave a message for the person who is incorporating all of Dr. Carthy's patients. They called back and left me messages. Today, I was blessed to be able to speak to a real live person! Guess what? As of January, this new office no longer is on the panel for my insurance. So now I have to find us a new Primary Care Dr. Boo-Hoo! I will miss going to Dr. Carthy's office. So much has taken place there. For one, that is where I found out I was pregnant with Shane! And the Nurse Practitioner, Camille, is the sweetest, kindest, care giver I have ever met!

I called the Dentist's office to change my husband's appointment.

I looked up 3 Dermatologists on line, then found the one closest to our little town. Shane needs to see one for a dark growth on the side of his temple. It looks to me as if a pencil lead is embedded there. His pediatrician gave us the 3 referrals.

I also called my favorite Rheumatologist today. I have two, but one is a woman and really seems to have a heart full of compassion. I haven't seen her since shortly after Shane was born due to the fact that when my husband changed jobsback then, our insurance changed as well. I called today out of the blue in hopes that she would now accept our insurance. She still doesn't accept our insurance! So I guess I'll keep going to my other Rheumy, who is great, but loves to get me involved with his "medical research projects"! Now don't get me wrong! We have wonderful medical insurance and there are lots of Doctors in our area who accept it, however, today I felt like I was chasing rainbows! I'm sure the Lord is in the process of leading me to the perfect Doctors for us!

I was able to spend lots of time on the computer today doing my favorite past time - blogging! It seems the Lord led me right to the spots I needed to be. The scriptures I came across, the poems, some of the homemaking challenges, just all seemed to be what I needed. Many things I found today simply brought a smile to my face. Thank you, Lord.

My sweet Jackie called this afternoon. We spoke on their Vonage phone. She won't have access to it or the Internet for a few weeks, due to the fact that they are moving! She had a rough day yesterday, but we ended up giggling about it all. That usually happens when Jackie and I talk. We get into a big "giggle fest"! I love her so much!

Two of my favorite people - my boys!

Well, I'm off for a hot bath before dear hubby gets home. Night night!

Ya' Gotta Love Me!

You Are: 60% Dog, 40% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog.You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful.And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are'>http://www.blogthings.com/areyoumorecatordogquiz/">Are You More Cat or Dog?

Scripture for Sunday

"Create in me a clean heart, O God;

and renew a right spirit within me."

Psalm 51:10

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I thought I would take a minute tonight and list a few thoughts and blessings!


1. Realizing I now have a soon to be 20 year old son who lives away from home.

2. Knowing God is in control of our life and has a special plan for our family.

3. Seeing little reasons here and there of why God lead us to Tampa, FL in 1987.

4. Having both sons here at home during the holidays.

5. Finding out my niece and her hubby are expecting their second baby.

6. Receiving Christmas cards (especially ones with photos) from dear friends.

7. The precious visit I had with my Aunt Tommie.

8. Finding great books on line to give as Christmas gifts last month.

9. Cleaning out our garage and getting rid of lots of stuff.

10. Having my 9 year old son helping more with chores around the house.

11. Having time to blog.

12. Rain and cooler weather this month.

13. New church family.

14. My husband's good job.

15. Having renewed old friendships over the past year.

16. Having the freedom to worship freely.

17. Having the freedom and ability to homeschool my children.

It's So Good Y'all!!

I finally tried a recipe from my Paula Deen cook book! (Pat blessed me with the book at Christmas!) I had used my can of Ro-Tel tomatoes for another recipe earlier in the week, so I simply put a partial can of Hunt's diced tomatoes in. When the dish came out of the oven, those of us who wanted more of a kick added some salsa to our serving. This worked out better for Shane, who doesn't care for spicy dishes. We really enjoyed the dish!!




Mexican Chicken

One 10 3/4 ounce can cream of chicken soup
One 10 3/4 ounce can cheddar cheese soup
One 10 3/4 ounce can cream of mushroom soup
One 10 ounce can Ro-Tel tomatoes
1 whole chicken, cooked, boned and chopped or 4 cups leftover cooked chicken
One 11 1/2 ounce package flour tortilla
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

In a large bowl, stir together the three kinds of soup and the tomatoes. Stir in the chicken. In a greased 13x 9 inch pan, layer the tortillas and chicken mixture, beginning and ending with tortillas. Sprinkle the cheese over the casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Top with sour cream if you desire!
(The Lady & Sons, Paula Deen)

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Our Family Day

Hey - Speaking of family, where is mine??? I can't wait for all my family to get back to their homes safely. My son is in South Beach, Fl, My sister and hubby were away at a couple's retreat in Venezuela, My niece and her hubby are at a youth camp in Paraguay,(its summer there, school is out), Ashley is sick, Kim is working, Amber is back at college in Pensacola, so who does that leave in our little circle? Oh Pat and I and Jayde, sort of.

Shane had a dentist appointment in Tampa today. He goes to the same office and Family Practice where we always took Josh. I knew Dr. Mike, the young dentist on staff who Shane really likes, was the nephew of Josh's dentist. Today, however, I learned he is my Rheumatologist's son! I knew Dr. James McIlwain, (Josh's dentist) was the brother to my rheumy, but I never thought about the new guy being my rheumy's son. It's kind of neat! Shane's cross bite is correcting itself as he grows, but Dr. Mike (the young McIlwain) is fearing Shane will need braces in the future due to his narrow arch. We will wait and see!

After the dentist office, we swung by my parent's home for a short visit. It wasn't a good time! A dear, sweet, 83 year old church member of my dad's congregation passed away this week. My mom was just arriving from work, rushing to get her shower so she could meet up with another lady from church and deliver food to the grieving family. Dad was resting as the viewing was to start at 6pm tonight. The funeral is at 1pm Friday. Please pray for the Hooks family. We know our dear brother is in a much better place now, but its hardest on those left behind. Most of his family are saved, however, one daughter in law is from Thailand and a Buddhist. She has received the gospel on several occasions this week. Please pray for her salvation. I believe her name is "Lee". Also, please pray for my dad as he presides the funeral Friday.

Now onto a lighter note! For Christmas, my husband's boss gave us gift cards to one of our favorite restaurants, Liang's Bistro. It's an elegant Asian bistro where everything I have tried from their menu has been TO DIE FOR! Today we bypassed the Chicken Lettuce Wraps appetizers we always get, and tried their Cream Cheese Puffs. Let me just say -SUCCULENT! Agustin ordered the Terriaky Chicken and Rice. I ordered the Orange Peeled Chicken with Rice. We both shared with Shane. They give such large portions at Liang's, so it made sense for us to do it this way. After cleaning our plates, we tried a new dessert. Bananas deep fried in Won ton skins, served with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce. It sounded like it was going to be great, but none of us were thrilled with it. Shane giggled when I told him that it just goes against nature to bite into a hot banana!


Arriving home around 5:30, Shane went out into the back yard to run off some pent up energy and throw stuff into our small lake. I changed into my gown and fell into bed. I have been fighting an ear infection and have started on some anti-biotics. Shane came in soon and crawled in beside me with his reading. He read me one chapter, I then in turn read one chapter to him. We then practiced writing all the words he had struggled with. He is learning cursive and does pretty well with it. We then did some rote memory work for math and some flashcards. He then went to the family room to hang out with his dad. I fell asleep and awoke at 9pm! Shane and his dad had been on the computer looking up facts and photos from World War 2. I went back to bed around midnight, and now here I am at 4 a.m.Hmmm!

Blessing in a Pot!

I received a sweet blessing from my friend Pat today. She brought her daughter over to give me a pedicure and along with that, she brought my supper! She had made some "Italian Wedding Soup" for their lunch and brought a potful over for us. It was sooooo delish! I did'nt have to cook supper because this soup had it all. Pasta, greens, herbs, meat, and wonderful broth warmed our insides on this chilly, wet day in Florida . Thanks so much my dear friend. You are Christ' s love in action! And thanks to daughter number two who listened to Shane do his required reading for school. That was so sweet of you!

We had a wonderful time of fellowship, or should I say, galship?

Please pray for the Hooks family. They lost Brother Henry last night around 10:10 p.m. He was an 83 year old father, husband, friend. Thank You.

God is at Work!

Blessings everyone! We had a wonderful time at Aunt Donna's Friday with a delicious meal of pinto beans, cornbread, cabbage with kielbasa sausage, corn casserole, ham, and a jello /cottage cheese dessert. My Aunt Donna is 80, but flits around a kitchen like she is 16! LOL Aunt Tommie, on the other hand, has more in common with me; we both move slow and cautiously! My parents and Shane had a great time as well. It was precious watching my Aunt Donna show Shane one of her family albums while sitting with him on the love seat. I overheard her tell him, "This is my son who retired from the army several years ago and then got a letter from Donald Rumsfeld himself, asking him to go to Germany to teach the soldiers how to fight those terrorists. So now your cousin Steve is in Germany." Then later I heard, "This is my grandson Shawn, who is a student at West Point." "This is your cousin Joe who fought in Viet Nam. He has a metal plate in his head." And then again, "This is Ted, another one of my grandsons. He was an army ranger, then he taught at West Point, but is now in Germany serving." She had such pride in her voice. Shane took it all in. Now remember, Tuesday, we sat all day with a family at the hospital and we were privileged to hear from a World War 2 vet. I was so happy for Shane to have these experiences.

Tuesday evening at West Gate, I sat a couple of rows behind the Rossiters. (our youth Pastor and his wife at Faith Baptist) I noticed they had gone up at different intervals during the invitation. Later, the Pastor called for a second altar call for those feeling a special calling on their lives in some capacity. I watched as Bro. Rossiter took his sweet wife's hand and they headed up to the altar very quickly, with purpose in their step. I thought right then and there, "We are going to lose them!" In other words, I had the feeling they were surrendering to a different type of ministry. So I was not surprised in the least, when I was told about the announcement which was made in the morning service today at our church. Bro. Rossiter has felt led to plant and pastor a church! What a blessing, But I have been told it was a very emotional time for the teens of our church and their families. They all love the Rossiters and their five children so much.

Tonight was precious too, as many teens who had attended college days at West Gate shared testimonies about how God had worked in their hearts during the short three days there. One girl expressed how frustrating it is for her to seemingly have to go away to something special to get her back on track. I know exactly what she meant. We know what we are to do daily as we walk this Christian walk, but we get in a rut or lackadaisical, laying aside some important priorities, or allowing bad attitudes to creep into our spirit. But we can go to a retreat or conference and get so fired up and convicted and back on the straight and narrow, so to speak. She was saying how she wished that wasn't so in her life and she would be trying to prevent it from happening again. Another testimony that touched me deeply was when a teen boy started speaking about not putting himself into his school work and doing just enough to get by. He found himself under conviction and asked God and his teacher to forgive him! What really touched me with this guy's testimony though, were the genuine tears and his brokenness. He was hardly able to speak. Every one around me had to wipe their tears away. Joyful tears at seeing someone humble them self, admit their short comings, but being determined to turn it all around through the strength they have in Christ. It was AWESOME! Wish you could have been there!

Have a God-filled day!

Just For Fun!

You Have a Sanguine Temperament

You are an optimistic person who is easily content.You enjoy casual, light tasks - never wanting to delve too deep into anything.A bit fickle, it's easy for you to change plans or paths when presented with something better. You enjoy all of the great things life has to offer - food, friends, and fun.A great talker, you can keep the conversation going for hours.You are optimistic and sure of your success. If you fail, you don't worry about it too much. At your worst, you are vain. You are obsessed with your own attractiveness.A horrible flirt, you tend to jump into love affairs and relationship drama easily.You're very jealous - which just magnifies the craziness around you.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whattempermentareyouquiz/">What Temperment Are You?

Scripture for Sunday

Oh that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! Duet 5:29

Pardon My Blog!

Pardon me a moment please while I climb onto my soapbox!
I read a comment on someone else's blog in which the lady seemed offended that some women's blogs share recipes and silly facts about their families. If she thinks blogging is just about posting her Bible Study, then more power to her; but don't condemn me or some of "our" fellow Christian lady bloggers who are choosing to sprinkle some fun and family facts in with our testimonies.

The purpose of my blog is to have conversation and interaction with my friends and family members who are spread across the globe. Another goal of mine, while blogging, is to be an encourager to my friends and family while living thousands of miles away from them. While doing such, I pray I reflect the Lord's goodness, mercy, love, and longsuffering. I trust I will never bring reproach upon His name!

I know my family enjoys some of my light hearted moments I post about here and some of my silliness as well. I pray I never get so 'ober-spiritual' that all I know how to do is "preach" or compare others to myself. I don't know about you, but I find it a big turn off when someone thinks I should perform as they perfom; or when they are so judgemental they can't relax and enjoy sweet fellowship with other believers.

We all blog for different reasons. Let's have fun and allow each person to have the freedom to enjoy whichever blog-type they are drawn to! For goodness sakes - we are all free individuals in Christ, aren't we?

Now that I am off my soapbox I would like to encourage you (when you have a few minutes to spare, hahaha) to read a couple of posts I got so much out of today while visiting other's blogs. I came across two very helpful posts for those of us trying to be better help meets. These are also good for my single friends who are preparing for married life! If you would like to read these posts, just visit the link on my right side bar to "Cherish the Home" where Mrs. B has some wonderful tips on how to prepare for Sundays. The second article I found helpful is at www.baptist-girl.blogspot.com. She talks about women's roles in her last two posts. Enjoy!

Christian Fellowship

Thanks for your prayers for my friend Sally. Her surgery went well and they were able to remove the kidney by a laproscopy surgery. Faster healing time! Our only complaint was that the surgery, which was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. actually began at 5:30 p.m.! Poor Sally had been there since about 11:00 a.m. for prep, waiting for it all just to be over. She did very well though and seemed very calm. Of course, they may have given her a little something to help with the nerves! She is recovering well and is hoping to go home in another day or two.

The fellowship we had Tuesday in the hospital was great! Everyone there was a born again Christian, most were fellow church members of Sally's and her family. Agustin was able to stay until about 2:45. He needed to get some nourishment before heading into work. My parents, Shane, Agustin and I went to one of our all time favorite Chinese restaurants, Lee Gardens, which is located about one minute from the hospital! After lunch, he went on to work while the rest of us returned to the hospital to find they hadn't taken Sally into surgery yet. So we all kept taking turns going in and out of Sally's room visiting with her in shifts. Missy snuck fast food in for Harold, (Sally's hubby),which he had to come out into the waiting area to eat. She hadn't had a bite since Saturday, only pure liquids. It was now Tuesday. He didn't want to torment her!

A big highlight of the day was having the opportunity to talk with Sally's brother-in- law who is a World War 2 veteran. He told Shane of a few battles he was in. One story that I found so interesting was about the time the Japanese attacked the military hospital (tent) with bayonettes. That was a blatant violation of international law! This young man of 18 was inthe platoon which had to go after those enemies that night. What a story! He told Shane that when he plays his battle games on computer or playstation, to always look for high ground to have the benefit of observaton. Also to select as his arm, a BAR. (Browning Automatic Rifle) That was all the rage during WW2! Shane found that to be awesome inside info! Mr. Bob also told Shane about some fun times. He said he would volunteer for barge duty to take the groceries from the ship to the PX on shore. The reason being that he could get himself a big ol' helping of Planter's Peanuts in a can! Everyone else would have to buy their's at the PX! I had Shane shake his hand and tell him thank you for fighting for our country. Of course, I took a photo which will be posted eventually.

On another note, I asked the vet what he thought about the war we are in now. He simply said, "We could win it and be on out of there if we weren't being so politically correct. That is what is killing us. We have the know how and everything we need to win and and win fast, but we are trying to please too many other countries." To which I had to say a hearty "AMEN"!

I was very tired and swollen by evening, but had my heart set on attending services at Florida Baptist College. So at 6:15 p.m., Shane and I caught a ride with Missy B. over to West Gate where the college days events were taking place. Shane's church pants had been folded up in his suitcase all day and were very wrinkled. I had a plan! When we got to the church, I asked Missy to watch Shane while I ran upstairs to the girls dorms and borrowed an iron! I saw someone I knew right away upon entering the lobby. I told Shane to have a seat on the bench around the large fountain and wait. He told me, "OK mom, but I don't feel good about this." Not sure what he meant and I didn't have time to ask! So up in the dorms, already set up in the hallway was an ironing board and iron. YAY! As I'm ironing, I recieved hugs and greetings from some of my favorite girls. (Katelin and Callie) They acted so happy and surprised to see me! I loved it of course! So I ran back downstairs to Shane and Missy. Missy went to save us seats in the auditorium and Shane and I went to find restrooms to change in. We ran into another one of my favorite people - Ashley L.! She stood outside the men's restroom door with Shane's bags and things to watch out for him while I went into the ladie's room to brush my teeth and freshen my makeup. We then regrouped and visited with several friends and I am happy to announce we made it into the auditorium with time to spare! But I was so swollen and burning up! So hot! I prayed, "Lord, you've got to get me through this service!" Of course He did. I know Sherry and Paul who sat behind me must have thought I had worms in my pants or something. I had to wiggle and move so often. My back muscles were simply worn out from sitting all day I guess and were contracting! Is that crazy or what? But I am so glad I toughed it out. The service was so worth it! It was my first time to hear Kenny Baldwin, who reminds me of preachers I heard as a girl growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, Greenville, S.C.!!!He played the piano as lively as he preached! The special music by the college tour group was stupendous, even though two of the singers had sore throats. The altar was full at altar call and the Holy Spirit led Pastor Turner to have what seemed a second invitation for a specific calling. The altar was filled again. It was quite exciting!

When church had finished, my parents were in the parking lot waiting for Shane and I. We were all pooped. They had missed service to stay at the hospital with Sally's family and to be sure all looked well before leaving. We went through a drive thru, on the way to their home, and Agustin came and picked Shane and I up after he got off work. We got home around 1:30 Wednesday morning. Needless to say to you who know me -- I was in bed until 3:30 or so Wed. afternoon.

Now today, Friday, Shane and I are off to visit my two aunts down in Sun City. Aunt Tommy is leaving for her home in Indiana on Sunday and we wanted to be sure to see her one more time before she departs from us. My Aunt Donna is cooking a big country meal for us! Pinto beans, ham, cabbage, and much more! It will be a precious day.

Aunt Donna is wearing the white hat!

Josh with Aunt Tommie on his 18th birthday!

I Loved This and Just Had to Share It!

A young man shopping in a supermarket
Noticed a little old lady following him around.

If he stopped, she stopped.
Furthermore she kept staring at him.

She finally overtook him at the checkout,
And she turned to him and said,
"I hope I haven't made you feel ill at ease;
it's just that you look so much like my late s on."

He answered, "That's okay."

"I know it's silly, but if you'd call out
"Good bye, Mom" as I leave the store,
It would make me feel so happy."

She then went through the checkout,
And as she was on her way out of the store,
The man called out,

" Goodbye, Mom."

The little old lady waved, and smiled
Back at him

Pleased that he had brought a little sunshine
Into someone's day, he went to pay for his
Groceries.
"That comes to $121.85," said the clerk.

"How come so much ...
I only bought 5 items.."

The clerk replied,
"Yeah, but your Mother said
You'd be paying for her things, too."

Don't trust little Old Ladies!!!

Correction!

I found and corrected a mis-statement in last night's post. I used the words "Holy Spirit" where I should have used the word "God". No biggy probably to most of you, but it bothered me all day and I couldn't wait to get on here tonight and correct it. I don't want to misrepresent Debi's book in any way.

Also, I must thank my dear niece, Jackie, for suggesting I read the book "Created to be His Help Meet" in the first place. I owe as much to her as I do to Debi for the improvement in my marriage! Actually folks, I owe it all to the Lord! He simply worked through Jackie and Debi. Isn't He great?

A Chameleon!!!

Agustin training his employees on the New Menu

Who Is Agustin?? He told me he was a chameleon! LOL And I have to agree. I can understand why everyone wants to put Agustin in the "Mr. Steady" column. He has become that more and more. Jackie made a valid point. Once I learned what he needed in our marriage relationship; he relented somewhat in his "Command" position. Also, I am convinced that my health issues have caused him to take on lots of the "Mr. Steady" characteristics. But believe me, if you lived with him, you would see "Mr. Command". He is a very mannerly person and will allow others to make decisions. However, no matter what he gets involved with, he ends up leading the troops.

This discussion has caused me to form a new conclusion about the 3 types of men. Their individual personalities play into this so much! For instance, my friend Kim is married to an EXTROVERTED "Mr. Command Man". (We love you Mike!) I , on the other hand, am married to an INTROVERTED "Mr. Command Man". Nevertheless, when Kim is at my house and Mike calls to see where she is and what is for supper and where are the girls, do the girls have money, etc.; it is as though I am listening in on one of mine and Agustin's conversations. In the past I would get offended when Agustin would ask, "Well, did you give Josh money for his supper after the game?" Many times I would think, "What does he think I am? An imbecile or unfit mother?" Or He may call my cell phone, "Where are you? I thought you would be home by now with supper waiting." There are times even now he will announce before bed, "I'm off tomorrow and we are going to tear apart the garage and reorganize it." I may have other things going on but he doesn't ask. Now I realize its all just part of his make up and his need to feel in control. I have learned to simply not plan anything on his days off. I must be available for him. I'm not telling you this in a negative conotation. I simply want anyone reading this to realize that understanding how your mate operates and thinks can save a marriage. I owe so much to Debi Pearl. Her book has helped me tremendously! If it weren't scripturally based, I would not be able to sing its praises so strongly. I had learned to adapt my thinking toward Agustin's style of doing things. But after reading, "Created to be His Help Meet", it has been so much easier. My eyes were opened to a few things I had been overlooking or ignoring.

Now my dad, however, is a "Mr. Steady" all the way!!! Growing up, what mom did or said never seemed to be questioned. He didn't even seem to realize we needed money to eat dinner after a game. I'm sure he indeed DID realize it, but you never heard him voice any concerns. He knew my capable mom took care of all the details. He loved his times being home alone having peace and quiet, so it was a luxury for him to have my mom go off with her friends or to their houses, or to a ladie's conference. So you can imagine, what a surprise it was to me when once, early in my marriage, I simply told Agustin I was going to Golden Corral with Jan Demas. Boy was I read the Riot Act!! I went anyway and came back to a most miserable and cold house. Now however, I do know how to "appeal" to him with my ideas and make him feel they are his! (insert evil laugh here! Just Kidding!) Present day, things are good for us because he and I both have grown stronger in the Lord and in our relationship to each other.

Since this little game of mine started and I saw how everyone thought he was a "Mr. Steady", I got out the book yesterday and read it to him again as we drove into Tampa to the hospital. He listened to all 3 different types, then decided he is a "Mr. Command Man", but conceded he has lots of "Mr. Steady" in him too. I guess that is a wonderful thing! We should want to have the attributes of all 3 parts of God, which is what Mrs. Pearl based this whole "typing of men" on. Therefore, I am proud to say my husband is displaying a rather balanced picture of God. I guess he could work on the visionary part some!

Here is an excerpt from a fellow blogger. You can read the entire article on her blog. www.cherishthehome.blogspot.com or click on the link on my right sidebar.

"That's why the Bible should be our main source of inspiration in our homemaking.......and I think that is why God wasn't as specific, in His word, as we would sometimes wish He would have been. He knew that being a helper or help-meet is going to look and be different for every man.(emphasis mine)

The best advice I have would be to really search the Bible, pray and ask for God's leading, and ask your husband how he would like you to spend your time. Ask him how he would prioritize your days. You might be surprised at how different your view of helping and your husband's view of helping might be."

Blessings!
~Mrs.B.

Thanks for playing my little game! I had a blast!

More Hints!

Well, I can tell you all need more hints to help you guess who Agustin really is, so here goes!
Please keep in mind that now that he has grown in the Lord, some of these are less of an issue!

1) When his sister was planning her wedding, he took over and became her wedding planner AND errand runner. He also coached the groom in every area!

2)When I am buying a new purse, he gives his input and let's me know if it is too "granny" looking.

3)He has a say in how I style, color my hair.

4)On his days off, he treats me and the boys as though we are his employees and we must follow HIS agenda!

5)Every time I decorate our bedroom, it has to pass his approval first!

6)I was never allowed to go out and eat with my friends in the early part of our marriage. He would feel betrayed. However, as he grew spiritually and as he matured, this changed to a degree. He still feels he needs to know where I am every minute.

Some of you didn't know these things about Agustin did you? He hides it well! No, he is a very balanced man, but has one main characteristic. Guess again!!!

Scary Quote!

" Parents give up their rights when they drop the children off at public school. "-- Melinda Harmon, Federal Judge, 1996

I could'nt tell you in what context this Judge made this statement, but isn't it enough to scare you a little?

You Tell Me!!!

I have a fun idea! Since most of you who visit my blog also visit my sister's blog (The Jungle Hut), you will notice she posted about the three different types of men perusing Debi Pearl's book, "Created To Be His Help Meet". She asked if we knew which type of man we are married to. I certainly do, but here is where my little game begins! Read her post if you aren't familiar with the book. Then come back here and leave me a comment as to which man you think I am married to. I can't wait to see your opinions. Your choices are 1) Mr. Command Man, 2) Mr. Steady Man, 3) Mr. Visionary Man. Later, I will reveal who the true Agustin is.

Here are a few hints in photos to help you figure him out!

Attending Shane after Shane's Baptism.

Taking his sons to the air show at MacDill Airforce Base!

Hugging his sister Ruth goodbye as she and her family leave for Argentina as missionaries!

Catching a few minutes to watch a football game with his son Josh, before heading out the door for work!

Playing a skills game at Busch Gardens with Shane!

Training his line employees about the new menu and computer system!

(In the black chef coat)

Being a loving and handsome husband to me! Josh's Senior Homecoming!

Please Pray For Sally

Please remember to pray for an elderly member of my dad's church, Sally Hargrave. She is in her late seventies. Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. she will be under going surgery to remove a kidney due to a fast growing cancer. Also her son, daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren will need prayers as they have what will seem like a tiresome wait for them tomorrow. The surgery is said to last 2-3 hours, but due to sign-in and prep, they will all arrive at the hospital early in the day.

My father, (their pastor) could use your prayers as well. He will arrive at the hospital with the family and spend the entire day with them. My mother also will be there through out the entire ordeal. She has a very bad back and will need prayer as well.

Agustin, Shane, and I will be there during the time the family is just hanging out waiting. They were there for us when my dad underwent his 5 bypasses. They have been very dear friends to us through out the years and have done many countless good deeds for us. We want to show our support by being by their sides tomorrow, catering to them. Pray that the Lord will be glorified.

This sounds more like Amber....???

You Are 65% Addicted to Blogthings

You lead the pack when it comes to posting Blogthings. And your friends (mostly) thank you for it. It's cute that you insist on being called your Japanese name. Just stop bragging about your IQ score!

How Addicted To Blogthings Are You?

Swooning On Saturday

Shane has a tummy ache and can't sleep. He is lying on the bed behind my computer desk and just saw me open up a new post box. With his sweet little voice, he says, "What are you gonna post about?" I answered that I didn't know. He said, "Well maybe I can help you because my stomach hurts and I can't go to sleep." So here we go!

He told me to title it My Day. It started by staying up until 3 in the morning. This caused me to sleep until 1p.m. Hopefully I won't stay up until 3 in the morning again! Right now we are listening to Josh Groban's CD entitled, "AWAKE". I ate a BLT sandwich, cleaned my bathroom, showered, got dressed. (Shane stops here and leaves the room to talk to his daddy. Pam's own words begin.)) Agustin came home and showered then we headed out the door to Josh's Alumni ball game in Tampa. There was a good sized crowd there. That was a pleasant surprise. I saw many parents of Josh's former team mates. Many have moved out of Tampa. One mom now teaches at Emmanuel Christian School in Ft. Myers. My dear friend Katelin Turner came and sat with me for a while. We had a wonderful visit. She is recuperating from an ear surgery. It is about the 4th time for this same surgery. Please pray for her healing. She is a tenth grader. She looked great! I saw our dear old friends, Kim and Danny Miller. They used to hang out at our house alot when they were dating and after becoming newlyweds. Kim was about a size 0 or 2 and would hold my little Joshy on her lap while playing Rook! I'd love to see her do that now! She and Danny still look the same - as young as ever! They have two gorgeous little girls. Kim may be a size 4-6 now!!!

Pastor Turner came over to greet us at one point during the game. He and Shane have an on-going quarrel concerning the baseball teams they prefer! I should write about that some time. I told Pastor he was keeping our knees calloused as we are offering up so many prayers for him and the ministry there. They are finishing up a major building program, staff changes, new students, many attacks from Satan. But with a smiling face, he excitedly shared with us how plans for college days are coming and so many kids are registered. All dorms are completely filled this time! God love him! He is like a ferocious bull-dog. No matter what happens, he keeps at it!

During half-time of the game, they had any man who wanted to come out and take 3 shots from half court to win a gift certificate to MiMi's Cafe. (One of my favorite places!) Agustin did great! All 3 of his balls came so close to going in, but alas, if we go to MiMi's soon, we will be paying out of our own pockets, but it was fun!

Then they had a cake auction to raise money for the High School's Senior trip to Europe. Agustin bid on a chocolate bundt cake covered with cream cheese frosting and Hershey's kisses. We got it for only $7.00!

The alumni won the game, but they were very sweet and declined fouls and put in some of the poorer players if they got too far ahead of the varsity team.

After the game, we said our goodbyes and went to eat at Lee Garden's Chinese. We have been going there since Josh was a baby. One particular waitress knows us so well. She came to our table laughing saying, "Your mom was in here last night around 7:00. I told her that was awful late for her. She is usually here around 2:: 30!" Its nice to have that kind of camaraderie with the staff.


After an hours drive to get home, we all got in our jammies, brushed our teeth and just chilled. Of course, I blogged! I loved every one's posts today but I must say my son's was my favorite! He had me in tears. I mean I was sitting in a puddle of them by the time I finished reading his post. I will be swooning for days to come, hence the title of this post! Thank you Josh for the loving gesture.

A FAMILY FUN DAY IN THE PARK!

A SUNDAY AFTERNOON VISIT FROM JOSH WHEN A COLLEGE FRESHMAN!

Now to bed we must go so we feel fresh for the Lord's day. Oops! It's already 12:30! I had to take a Percocet and am now feeling so drowsy but I don't feel that sickening pain in my right shoulder, jaw and temple that I have been fighting all day. To bed I go! Goodnight!

Your Dominant Thinking Style: Visioning

You are very insightful and tend to make decisions based on your insights. You focus on how things should be - even if you haven't worked out the details. An idealist, thinking of the future helps you guide your path. You tend to give others long-term direction and momentum.

What's Your Thinking Style?

Just For The fun Of It!!

Someone shared this with me and I thought it would be nice to share:
The 14 days of Homeschooling
The 14 days of Homeschooling (sung to The 12 Days of Christmas)



On the first day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can you homeschool legally?”

On the second day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the third day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fourth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the fifth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “YOU ARE SO STRANGE! What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the sixth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How long will you homeschool, YOU ARE S0 STRANGE, what about P.E. , do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the seventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the eighth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the ninth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “They’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E. do you give them tests, are they socialized, do you homeschool legally?”

On the tenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “What about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE!, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the eleventh day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, what about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the twelfth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “Can they go to college, I could never do that, what about graduation, they’ll miss the prom, why do you do this, look at what they’re missing, how long will you homeschool, YOU ARE SO STRANGE, What about P.E., do you give them tests, are they socialized, can you homeschool legally?”

On the thirteenth day of homeschool I thoughtfully replied: “They Can go to college, yes you can do this, they can have graduation, we don’t like the prom, we do it cuz we like it, they are missing nothing, we’ll homeschool forever, WE ARE NOT STRANGE!, We give them P.E., and we give them tests, they are socialized, AND WE HOMESCHOOL LEGALLY!

On the fourteenth day of homeschool my neighbor said to me, “How can I get started, why didn’t you tell me, where do I buy curriculum, when is the next conference, WILL PEOPLE THINK WE’RE STRANGE? I think we can do this, if you will help us, we’ll join a sports team, and we’ll homeschool legally.

What's With This?

I retook this quiz and came out as a totally different order. I am a first born.

You Are Likely a Second Born

At your darkest moments, you feel inadequate. At work and school. you do best when you're evaluating. When you love someone, you offer them constructive criticism. In friendship, you tend to give a lot of feedback - positive and negative. Your ideal careers are: accounting, banking, art, carpentry, decorating, teaching, and writing novels. You will leave your mark on the world with art and creative projects.

The Birth Order Predictor

Amber's Blog is My Excuse!

Jackie has commented that she is awaiting my excuse as to why I didn't blog yesterday. Well here it is! I have been so busy reading and trying to digest all the information on Amber's blog that I haven't had time to write my own!! Just kidding! I would love to be as driven as she is! And of course, to be so intelligent would be a fun experience! Just ask her, she wore herself out but presented a very logical and well researched debate.Love Ya' Amber!

My hubby was off yesterday, so we had HIS agenda to tend to. Then late last night - when I normally blog - I had four lovely young people come over to hang out and watch a movie! My Josh, Rita's Josh, Joel, and Naomy were all here. We had a few snacks and a few laughs. We had to keep it down to a low rumble since Agustin had gone to bed early and had to get up early for work. They all left around 3a.m. - all except for my Josh. He knew he didn't have any work for today, so he decided to grace us wtih his company. It was sort of like old times, hearing the cereal being poured into the bowl before hearing a word spoken from him! I had a good laugh when I read his blog today and he had mistaken Jackie's recipe for cookies, then she commented it was a muffin recipe he had read! Rita and I laughed so hard on the phone about that!

Saturday, I am planning on driving into Tampa to watch Josh and some other alumni from West Gate play basketball against the current West Gate High School team. I really look forward to watching my son bask in the glory of his talents. He hardly has a chance to express his strong suits. Anything physical is what he is all about! He has a God given ability to "PERFORM EXCELLENTY" if it involves motion or physical agility. He is a quick thinker and can take over in any emergency that arises. He has an animal like prowless and is ever so alert as to what is going on around him. (As long as it isn't too deep or philisophical - right Josh?! ) It thrills my soul that he will be able to do something tomorrow which will boost his ego! (and mine as well) My prayers continue for him to be what God would have him be.

Shane and I did schooling today and then watched a documentary about Panda bears. They are adorable and he "cooed" and "awwed" the entire time! He and his brother enjoyed a few wrestling matches and can anyone answer me this? Why do boys think they must throw things at one another? Each time Josh Daniel is here or my Josh is here, something gets thrown at someone! It can be anything from rolled up socks, to beanie babies, or pillows. Then they just giggle and giggle! Beats me!

I LOVE MY BOYS! Photo taken Nov. 1998 (Shane,11 months old, Josh,11 years

So Me!

I am the first born child of three. However, I have read in several sources that if a child is the only child for five years or more, they may have the tendencies of an only child. So this quiz hit the mark with me. At first I was shocked it came out that I was an only child, but then I remembered I was almost five when my sister Rita was born!The quiz was fun anyway.

Oh! and I know Jackie is going to have a thing or two to say about one particular ideal career mentioned for me! (I can't wait to see her comments!)

You Are Likely an Only Child

At your darkest moments, you feel frustrated. At work and school, you do best when you're organizing. When you love someone, you tend to worry about them. In friendship, you are emotional and sympathetic. Your ideal careers are: radio announcer, finance, teaching, ministry, and management. You will leave your mark on the world with organizational leadership, maybe as the author of self-help books.

The Birth Order Predictor

Talk To Jenna Day

I recieved the following information last night from the administrator of Jenna's blog. Let's do this for Jenna! (Leonard's 17 year old relative involved in automobile accident)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: As the author of this website I am taking creative license to declare Wednesday, January 10, 2006 official "Talk to Jenna Day", so get those typing fingers ready! Whether you know her a little or know her a lot, whether you send a joke, a prayer, a poem, a song, a short message or long, just send it!! You are already in the website so just click on Guestbook up at the top and then click on "Sign My Guestbook", type in your email address and enter your message. One day when Jenna is able, I want her to be able to sit down and read these messages and know that "Talk to Jenna Day" was a very special day in history!!
Thank you so much for your continued interaction in this website. Each and every person makes it special for Jenna, Jay, Kelly and Jessie.

www.caringbridge.org/visit/jennaball

Amber Got Me Going Again! Quizzes!

Your Five Factor Personality Profile

Extroversion: You have medium extroversion. You're not the life of the party, but you do show up for the party. Sometimes you are full of energy and open to new social experiences. But you also need to hibernate and enjoy your "down time." Conscientiousness: You have medium conscientiousness. You're generally good at balancing work and play. When you need to buckle down, you can usually get tasks done. But you've been known to goof off when you know you can get away with it. Agreeableness: You have high agreeableness. You are easy to get along with, and you value harmony highly. Helpful and generous, you are willing to compromise with almost anyone. You give people the benefit of the doubt and don't mind giving someone a second chance. Neuroticism: You have medium neuroticism. You're generally cool and collected, but sometimes you do panic. Little worries or problems can consume you, draining your energy. Your life is pretty smooth, but there's a few emotional bumps you'd like to get rid of. Openness to experience: Your openness to new experiences is medium. You are generally broad minded when it come to new things. But if something crosses a moral line, there's no way you'll approve of it. You are suspicious of anything too wacky, though you do still consider creativity a virtue.

The Five Factor Personality Test

You Are a Auditory Learner

You tend to remember what you hear, and you have a knack for speaking well.You excel at debating, foreign languages, and music.You would be an excellent diplomat - or rock star!

What's" Your Learning Style?

You Are a Life Blogger!

Your blog is the story of your life - a living diary. If it happens, you blog it. And make it as entertaining as possible.

What Kind of Blogger Are You?

Time for A Recipe!

Chalupas

3-4 lb pork loin roast
1/2 - 3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 sm can diced green chilies
1 lb dried pinto beans

Put all ingredients in crock-pot with meat on top. Cover with water. Cook 6 hrs on high. Break up meat and cook 30 mins on high. Serve with hard or flour tortillas and taco fix-ins.
Makes 7 LARGE servings!

Progress and Floozies!

Hi Friends! I, Me, Yo, the Nazi of comments, am being ridiculed for not putting up a new post!! Can you all believe that? I have been blessed with a few days of feeling so much better, that I have actually been doing some house-keeping and accomplishing some things I have been wanting to do! YIPPEE! I praise the Lord for my progress! The fact that I haven't been posting over the past few days is a testimony to answered prayers!!! Oh and my son Josh has been here all week-end hogging my computer!! Now last night, (Sat.) I did get a little carried away with all the games and quizzes these young bloggers have thrown my way, but I haven't actually journaled! I have just sent my boys down the road to Tampa. Josh is taking Shane home for the night. Shane took his math and reading books with, so as not to get too late of a start on his "back to school" mode! Now while I have my dear, sweet computer to myself and while Agustin is still at work, I would like to blog!

Here are a few of the things I accomplished this week!

1) Bleached my kitchen trash can inside and out

2) Took everything out of my kitchen pantry and reorganized it totally - Agustin helped with this on his day off

3) Put away the last of the Christmas gifts that were laying around

4) Packed away all Christmas decorations - except for the tree and ornaments

5) Caught up with all laundry

6) Scoured and disinfected my bathroom

7) Baked cookies

8) Cooked several meals

9) Paid several bills

10) Cleaned off my desk (halfway done)

11) Wrote and sent thank-you notes

12) Used Agustin's new Dead Sea Salt scrubs/creams, during/after a hot soak in the tub

13) Balanced my checkbook

14) Called 2 of my elderly aunts, made various other phone calls

15) Had a blast with my boys this week-end

16) Was able to dress myself for church this morning - no help required from Agustin

A lot of those things may seem trivial to you, but to me they are giant milestones! They are points of PROGRESS! I absolutely haven't been able to accomplish that much in one week in a very long time. My pain wouldn't allow it. That is why I am on cloud 9 about it! Once again, I must thank all of you for your prayers and support through this blogging craziness! I LOVE it! God is so good to me!

A FEW OF THE REASONS (joints) I HAVE ASKED FOR YOUR PRAYERS!

I took this photo around 2 a.m. one morning a few days before Christmas. My hand and entire arm were on fire from the swolleness. It seemed every place on my body hurt as well, but this was the night I blogged about the middle finger being the "star of the show!" They continued to swell through out the night until the middle knuckled turned so purple, I thought it was going to burst open! The joints of my hands and feet, when swollen, are visible . I can only imagine what the joints in my shoulders, hips, jaw, neck must look like as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I must share this little tid-bit with you. Those of you who know Shane well will appreciate it! He and I were reading Proverbs 5 about the "strange woman". I paused at some point, wanting to find out if he was grasping the meaning of the verses. I asked, "Do you remember the last time we read this chapter, what mommy told you strange women were?" He replied, "Oh yeah, they are the floozies!" (this is a word he learned from the movie 'Nacho Libre', which most of you who read my blog have seen!) When that word "floozie" was used in the movie, Shane asked what it meant. I was happy to explain it on his level. I guess he got the message!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shane just called me from his grandparent's house so excited. In church service tonight, our Pastor brought a wonderful message from Revelations 18. The "anti-christ" was mentioned various times. Shane just found out a visiting speaker was at his grandparent's church and also spoke on Revelations and the end times. Being a chalk artist, he had illustrated the sermon and my parent's were telling Shane about it. On the phone Shane says to me, "Mom you are not going to believe this? You know the anti-christ and how Pastor Naill preached about Revelations at church tonight? Well so did Brother Arnold! He preached almost the identical same thing. Grandma was telling me what he said and I can't believe it. It was almost just like Pastor Naill's! Isn't that cool mom?" I just melted inside at the thought that my little man of nine was so excited over the Word and things of the Lord that he just had to call me to talk about it! Isn't that a blessing?

I Am Pleasantly Surprised!!

Classic IQ Test
What's Your IQ?

Congratulations, Pam!
Your IQ score is 118

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Insightful Linguist. This means you are highly intelligent and have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind. And that's just some of what we know about you from your test results.

I Liked This One!

You Communicate With Your Ears

You love conversations, both as a listener and a talker. What people say is important to you, and you're often most affected by words, not actions. You love to hear complements from others. And when you're upset, you often talk to yourself. Music is very important to you. It's difficult to find you without your iPod.

How Do You Communicate?

I COULD HAVE TOLD YOU THIS!

Your Geek Profile:

Academic Geekiness: Low Fashion Geekiness: Low Gamer Geekiness: Low Geekiness in Love: Low General Geekiness: Low Internet Geekiness: Low Movie Geekiness: Low Music Geekiness: Low SciFi Geekiness: Low

How Geeky Are You?

My Life's Soundtrack

Let's See How Cool I Am!!
Directions:
If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be? So, here's how it works:
1. Open your music library - the entire thing!
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.
7. Don't skip songs.

opening credits: I Remember - Kenney Chesney
theme song: Good Livin - Acapella
waking up: Ashoken Farewell - Celtic Women
first day at school: You and Me - Lifehouse
growing up: Hymn A L'Amour - Josh Groban
first boyfriend: When I Fall In Love - Linda Rondstat (Can you all believe that is what came up?)
first date: Take Me Higher - DJSammy
fight song: Keep On Workin' - Acapella
breaking up: The Way You Love Me - Faith Hill
happiness: Anyway - Martina McBride
mental breakdown: Every Time I Look At You - Il Divo (ROTFLOL)
driving: If You're Not the One - Daniel Bedingfield
first job: (ROTFLOL!) I Can Go the Distance - Josh Groban
flashback: Would You Go With Me? - Josh Turner
getting back together: O Holy Night (LOL) - Il Divo
wedding: A Moment Like This - Kelly Clarkson ( So cool!)
honeymoon: Deck the Halls/The Twelve Days of Christmas - Kenny G (We were married in Dec!)
birth of a child: My Confession - Josh Groban (Hmmmm!)
life as a parent: Always Be A Child - Ray Boltz ( I am crying now!)
meeting the antagonist: Steppin On the Clouds - Acapella
final battle: Get to the Point - Acapella
death scene: Dancers of the Night - Guido Luciani
funeral song: We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Kenny G
end credits: Don't Wanna Close My Eyes - Aero Smith

Enough About Those Cookies Already!

I guess I am going to have to give in and bake some cookies today. (Yes, it's 12:53 AM so it's already Friday!) I'm tired of Jackie and Pat whining!!! Just kidding girls! I do have all the necessary ingredients to bake those awesome chocolate chip cookies that Jackie posted the recipe for some time back. Shane and I made some a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving, and they were the best I have ever eaten! Jackie was telling the truth on that one! Well, I guess she tells the truth on most things. Let me try again, I guess she tells the truth all the time. Hmmm, one more try, HONEY-I KNOW THAT GIRL NEVER LIES! Enjoy the photos of Shane and I making the most delicious chocolate chip cookies ever! [Eat your heart out Pat!]

First, you must gather all your ingredients!

Cream the sugar, butter and wet ingredients!

Add "what makes the world go 'round"!

Fold those babies in!

Place in a pre-heated oven!


Baked to perfection!

Shane's favorite part of the whole process! Mine too!

Awesome Quote Speaks Volumes

"Your cheerfulness can only spring up freely and healthily out of your heart when your heart is truly at rest in God; when you are satisfied with His ways, and wishing no change in them."

--Priscilla Maurice (1810-1854)

New Blogger on the Block!

Hey Guys!
Just in case you didn't notice a new link on my side bar, I'd like to point out that our Kim has a blog!! Yippee!! She is starting the new year off right. Her address is www.kimberlykay.blogspot.com in case you want to add her to your links. Enjoy! She is good! Oh and those cookies were better than good!

HMMM-Last Time I Was "The Giver"

You Are An ENFP

The Inspirer You love being around people, and you are deeply committed to your friends. You are also unconventional, irreverant, and unimpressed by authority and rules. Incredibly perceptive, you can usually sense if someone has hidden motives. You use lots of colorful language and expressions. You're qutie the storyteller! You would make an excellent entrepreneur, politician, or journalist.

What's Your Personality Type?

I've Been Dwelling On This Today...

God is always there! He is the one Person that I can count on because He's promised that "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (Hebrews 13:5b) and "...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39) What a blessing to have these scriptures to remind us of whom we can count on as we journey on into 2007!

Teresa's Hard Work!

Hey All!

My cousin Teresa, who comments regularly on our blogs has designed the website for the school where she teaches. Feel free to peruse the site and learn more about her and her job! This is the same school both of my parents attended and all of my aunts and uncles attended as well! The third grade teacher at Huff is my Aunt Phyllis, mom's youngest sister. Teresa is the Computer Lab instructor. Have fun!

http://huff.wyom.k12.wv.us

Post Christmas Notes

Our Tree - One More Time!

Some of My Favorite Gifts-Perfume from my Hubby, Earrings from Shane!

Closer View of Earrings from Shane - Garnet in Silver!

Wild Game of Uno - Christmas Eve!

Thank You Dear, Sweet Pat for my Paula Deen Cookbooks!!!
(My husband actually had a funny remark about me recieving cookbooks. I may share it at another time!)

Hope you had a sweet, memorable Christmas! I can barely believe, after all the excitement and anticipation, that the big day is behind us already.

We had a lovely family celebration at our home. Everything went smoothly and we spent lots of time relaxing and just enjoying each other. We did have lots of occasions for entertaining and loved every minute of it.

Shane is having a ball with his new presents, especially the Smithsonian Lab Set that Santa brought him. Josh will be enjoying all his gift cards to area restaurants; but seemed the most pleased with his gift card to his favorite jewelry store!

I noticed that several of our neighbors have already put their trees out at the curbside, ready for brush pickup. That's just another reason we're considering purchasing a good quality, artificial tree for next year and it must be pre-lit! I enjoy leaving my tree up for a week or two into January so I can continue to keep our home festive for a little bit longer. I love having the time now, after the holiday rush, to sip my hot chocolate in front of my lit tree and reflect on the past month and the days to come. I think it is so sweet to wake up each morning and see the tree lights already on as testimony to the fact that my hubby enjoys doing his morning Bible reading by the lit tree.

However, here are a few things I've been doing today:
New Year's Day , 2007. . .

a) Posted my New Year's Resolutions. I've chosen several things I want to do in the new year and I've posted this list near my computer. This way, I can see the list daily and be sure to contribute something to ensure my resolutions are kept each day throughout the year.

b) Avoiding the supermarket. Before buying any new food (besides some staples such as milk and bread), we eat up all of our holiday leftovers. It's great because it saves me quite a few days of cooking. It saves us money because we always ensure everything is eaten before it goes bad. Plus, it helps us clean out the fridge for all the healthy food we want to get in there for the new year.

c) Stored all the Christmas wrap. I've been organizing and storing all of our holiday wrap, bows, tissue paper, gift bags and ribbon for next year. I've invested in several clear, plastic storage boxes which will stack in our garage. This way I can see what is in each box and be able to easily purchase what I need, if anything, next Christmas.

d) Made returns. We received two gifts this year that needs to be exchanged for another size. I already filled out the exchange form, applied the return sticker, and called UPS to come pick it up this week! (They were items I had ordered through a catalog company as gifts for my family.)

e) Wrote out Thank You's. I'll be writing out a thank you card each day for those people who were kind enough to give or send us gifts. I plan to have them all in the mail within the next week.

f) Journaling/Blogging. Over the next few days, I'll journal things I want to remember for next year. I do this in my special Christmas Journal that was purchased for me as a gift by my Mother several years ago. I've already indicated what I purchased or made for my gift recipients. I'll also indicate what we wore, what table linens we used, what dishes we had, what people seemed to especially like and more notes like this that we can reference for future holiday celebrations. I'll be blogging more about these things and my resolutions in the coming days I'm sure!

The beat is on for the new year!

Another Post About Our Christmas!

View of our home from the sidewalk. We had red and green floodlights lighting up the palm tree and red lights swirling up the front columns, but it didn't really show up in this photo!

Poinsettias in our newspaper box. Notice it was a rainy day on Christmas in the Tampa area.

The Poinsettias on our front porch after the rain!


Don't you just love the snow that fell onto his nose?

I loved these outside lights on a home down the road from our house.

The brothers strike a pose!
Aunt Donna, Me, Aunt Tommie, and Shane at Aunt Donna's house!

Our Center piece on our coffee table in the front living room. Aunt Donna quilted the Christmas table topper for me several years ago.
I love it!

The closest you come to getting a snowman in your yard in Florida!

You Are a Cranberry and Popcorn Strung Tree

Christmas is all about showcasing your creative talents. From cookies to nicely wrapped presents, your unique creations impress everyone.

What Christmas Tree Are You?