David and Grace's Wedding

Sweet, Simple, Small Wedding,

A young lady I've known since she was eleven years old is now a wife!

FRIDAY NIGHT-THE REHEARSAL DINNER

Bride's family members open their gifts at the rehearsal dinner.

Pat's creative display of flatware and napkins.

Night before the big day, the bride receives a kiss from her mom.

SATURDAY, THE WEDDING!

Presley was a little shy as the Flower Girl, but on the exit, she was really into throwing out those rose petals!

The ceremony


Matthew, the ring bearer! What a splendid job he did! He took his role very seriously.


Exiting as Mr. and Mrs. David Johnson

The Cake!

Didn't my friend Shannon do an excellent job?

The Groom's Cake!

Also made by Shannon.

My friend Pat used her talents in full force for this wedding. She not only coordinated the wedding, but also planned and prepped the entire reception! The sandwiches were gourmet!

Everything was delish!

Pretty in Pink!

Our dear friend Teresa was shocked to see how tall Shane has grown!


Mother of the bride with dear friend Brenda.


Dad seems to be reading "the riot act" to Sarah!
Dad and Pat congratulating each other on jobs well done!

Edited!

Just read the last small entry I made here. Man, I shouldn't post when I'm so sleepy! I'm so embarrassed at all the mistakes it had. This post may not be much better though, due to the time. (2:26a.m.) I'm experiencing this little thing called PAIN! After the busy weekend, I expected this though.

I loved all the fun comments y'all left for me. I'll try to post photos tomorrow. Right now, I'm off to visit my cousin Gehrig's new blog HERE! It seems we've "reeled him in" to this bloggy world! BWHAAA!

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

Just for fun!

I've been scanning some of my dad's favorite vintage photos. I thought my cousin Ron and sister would enjoy these.

Remember all photos are clickable for better viewing.

My dad's father, Booker Clark Riffe stands in the center.

I remember Grandpa always wearing a hat unless inside of course, then the hat could be found on a peg inside the door.

The gentleman in glasses is my dad's Uncle Armour England.

The old homeplace of Uncle Armour England. This log cabin is where the England family reunion is held annually in early August. I was delighted to be able to get the key and explore the interior while I was in West Virginia last summer. I'd love to be able to restore this place inside and out!

When I toured Uncle Armour's log cabin, this sign was the first thing I saw

upon opening the door.

Somewhere in this photo is Dad's Aunt Merby.




My Granny Suzie's mother. Dad's grandma, Arminda Horne.

(Don't you just love her boots?)

Dad's Aunt Americo (Aunt Merky) with her husband. This is one of Nichotie's daughters. Nichotie being my dad's great grandmother and full blooded Cherokee! This photo was taken in coal country (West Virginia). Notice the cold, dark mountain behind them.

Ha! After publishing this on my blog, I clicked on it to enlarge and was suprised to find another man hiding behind them!!

Dear Gehrig,

Thanks for your recent comments. They have really made my day and it's especially gratifying for me to know that your visit here has caused my baby sis to experience some jealousy! hehe

If you click on any comment she leaves me as JUNGLE MOM, it will lead you to her blog. Or you can go to The Jungle Hut. If the link doesn't work, you can find a link to The Jungle Hut on my lower right side bar under "blogs I like."

******************************************************

The rehearsal dinner went well and all seemed to have a good time. I'm looking forward to the wedding tomorrow at 2p.m. My dear friend, Pat, is the wedding coordinator. She is an amazing woman with many talents. She and her daughters make everything they do worthy of praise.

More photos to come soon when I'm more awake!

Good night world!

BusyFriday!

Loved all the comments about mine and "Ally Jo's" meeting yesterday. I already saw her again today! She and I both said we can't wait until we need to borrow a cup of sugar, like real neighbors do! hehe

Shane is there right now playing with Jonah. I'll pick him up in a minute or two as we head out to Tampa this afternoon. Hubby and I are catering a wedding rehearsal dinner. I can't believe Gracie's wedding is tomorrow!

I'll update as soon as I can.

A Doll & A Hoot!

First - the DOLL!

I met "Ally Jo" today and Shane met her son. For those who may not have read yet, Ally Jo visited my blog a couple of weeks ago. Through days of comments back and forth and some emails, we found out we live in the same neighborhood and we both homeschool our sons! We both feel this is a blessing from God, especially after meeting today. We really seemed to hit it off. She is so down to earth and good hearted. She loves the Lord and her family. My kind of person! She has such a sweet voice and loving personality.

I called her as we were walking out our door, telling her we were in route, walking her way and we'd arrive at her house in 5 min. or less. When I turned the corner of her block, I could see that she and her son were out in their front yard and they both started waving us in! Then in a flash, she was running toward us, laughing. I knew from that moment on we'd get along just fine. Below is a video to prove how she greeted us.


Here she is running toward us. Before she began running, she yelled out,
PAM!" She looked and acted so young when I first spied her waving at us, that my first impression was that it was her teen daughter.

Our boys seemed to "click" and love the same style video games. What a blessing it was to hear their conversation coming from the front room.

Ally Jo and I visited in her den and cut out a dress pattern! I hadn't touched a pattern since high school when Maxi skirts were in and I had to sew one for Home Ec.

I met her husband briefly. His personality reminded me of my husband's; very polite and business like.

After two and a half hours, I made the move to leave. It was hard to leave such a warm, hospitable home. It was hard to break up the boys visit. Not to worry though, because they just live around the corner from us so ---WE CAN DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN TOMORROW!
(just kidding, I won't be one of those obnoxious neighbors. However the invitation was put out there and I so appreciate it.)

Here is part of a comment I received tonight from Ally Jo:

"Gosh girlfriend, I'm wiped out. Allyson got home 45 seconds after y'all left. *sniff* I watched Spongebob with Jonah and slept until 4:00. My hair is washed now. Wanna come back over. Send Shane over tomorrow to play. It's going to be like sweet angels laughing again to hear kids playing in my house. God is good. And so are you. I loved talking to you and hearing so many awesome stories. You should be a writer."
Thursday, May 14, 2009

Jonah & Shane, gaming!

Here she is folks! My neighbor, "Ally Jo"!

This is the sweetest cat we've ever met! She jumped up and looked sweetly into Shane's face and said, "MEOW!" (Translated, "Please pet me my new friend.)


"Ally Jo" & her handsome son. Such a sweet young man!

NOW FOR THE HOOT!

Remember a few posts back I put up a video of my cousin Gehrig describing what he thought was in my empty picture frame? Well --- HE'S BAAAACCCCK! He left me this adorable comment which refers to that post and includes thoughts about my Mary Kay Party as well:

"Pam....That FRAME is not EMPTY!!!!!

Come on, I don't know about you showing that work of art to women at your Mary Kay Party although I can understand why they would be interested.

G"

Oh Gehrig, I wish you were here right now so I could hug you but you don't even need

to be here to make me giggle!

Love ya' man!

Oh, and don't be jealous! I think you're a DOLL too!

Feeling Blessed!

Yep, that's how I'm feeling tonight! I had a nice long chat with "Ally Jo" this afternoon. Goodness, she is so nice and has a sweet, Texan accent. Imagine Laura Bush speaking with you over the phone! Remember, Ally Jo (that really isn't her name come to find out, but I'll always think of her as that) lives around the corner from me, but we met via Lady Jane's blog @ Tickleberry Farm, which originates way out west! (Visiting her blog is highly suggested here!It's very peaceful, spiritual, restful, and chock full of encouragement) So....we are to meet around 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, er, today! It's already Thursday, yippee! And you know me, I'll have my camera in tow so you can meet her too!

Then to top that, today "IT RAINED" good & plenty!
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now better late than never, I will post some photos from this weekend & Mother's Day!FRIDAY NIGHT was ... Girl's Night In! We played with make up and ate Red Velvet Cake! Thanks Shannon for the sample of what you'll be whipping up for Gracie's wedding on Saturday! Don't change a thing!

It was delish! Even the two eleven year old boys made lovely comments about it such as, "It's so creamy!" and "Man, that's really good cake!" What more could you want?

Grace & Maria
(once again, the empty frame hung behind them! I promise to post about that soon!)

Maria with mom and I after we played with some Mary Kay samples.

Mother & Daughter time in honor of Mother's Day
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Sunday, Mother's Day, May 10

My card from Shane, too cute!

I always love me some Burt's Bees products for my lips. This packet is from Shane.

Out of all the gift bags in the closet, I thought it was so cute that he chose the jewelers bag to put the chap sticks in!

I also received this neat little gadget which works great for my arthritic hands!

From Hubby! Not really feminine, but it was on my wish list!

I Hear Thunder....

and hear drops of rain! Praise the Lord! We are in such dire need of this! Hope it rains enough to count, but not too much! I have family recovering from flooding up north. How ironic!

ALSO, Y'ALL AREN'T GOING TO BELIEVE THIS! I JUST FOUND OUT THAT A FELLOW BLOGGER LIVES ONLY TWO BLOCKS FROM ME!

Ally Jo and I have so much in common it seems. She found me through Lady Jane's blog. Lady Jane blogs from California! What a small world huh? I can't wait to meet Allly Jo and her family! She has an eleven year old son whom she home schools and an eighteen year old daughter who is graduating this week. She nor I allow our sons to hang out with the kids in the neighborhood. We neither one have met boys our son's age whom we would feel comfortable for ours sons to choose as best friends. This really could be such a big blessing for us both! I'm giddy with excitement to think Shane may have a fellow home schooled eleven year old boy right in the neighborhood!

Check out her blog here!

P.S. It has already stopped raining!

Prayers for my Relatives in Flooded Region

I just wanted to ask you all for prayers for many of my aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends who live in southern West Virginia. Flooding has torn through several of their small towns, now roads , bridges, and many homes are no longer. The bridge leading to my Aunt Phyllis' house is gone. The swollen creek separates her from the highway. Several schools in the area are closed due to damage. One is where my relatives teach. At this point, there can be no school and only 2 businesses are open in the entire region. There will be lots of clean up ahead. People aren't able to work their jobs or get to grocery stores. It's of my understanding that some of my family is without electricity.

One bright ray of sunshine that has come out of this tragedy is that the best of America is on display. Everyone who can get out and drive past Aunt Phyllis' house, yell from their cars, asking if they can get her something. Today she did tell one of the sweet passer-byers that she would love to have a loaf of bread! She said the general feeling is similar to what we all felt after 9-11. Of course, this isn't on the same scale as 9-11. She said people, strangers are coming together and taking time to care for others.

So far, there have been no reports of death, only devastation. You can google Gilbert, W.V. flooding to learn more. The national guard is there to distribute food and water. Thankfully, my relatives in the flooded area know Christ as Lord & Savior and are comforted in His loving arms!

Here are two links if you want to learn more.

Charleston Daily

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090511/ap_on_re_us/us_severe_storms


Below are a few photos of my Aunt Phyllis and her son Gehrig when they visited with us in April. You just have to watch this short video! You'll see a video of Gehrig being his jolly self, describing the painting on my wall. LISTEN TO HIS INFECTIOUS LAUGH! He flew to the Tampa area to see if he could be a candidate for a specific eye surgery. Unfortunately, the Doc told him the surgery would do no more than if he wore glasses. He didn't seem all that disappointed about the diagnosis. He said he was just thrilled to be able to attend a "Tax Protest Tea Party" while in Tampa. This kid is so lovable. Well, I guess I should call him a man, a master black belt and instructor in Karate, as well as a history teacher. He and I had some great political discussions. He has an entire campaign planned if he were to ever run for political office in his state. He said first off, being albino would give him a different look which would set him apart from the other candidates. Next, he believes he would get the miner's votes and the teacher's votes. Lastly, he said he'd definitely win with his slogan, which would be, "You can't VOTE against Justice!" (Justice is his last name!)

I'll do a whole other post about that empty frame some day!

Dinner out! Guess where? Agustin, Gehrig, Aunt Phyllis, Pam, Loretta, Shane

Agustin, Gehrig, Aunt Phyllis, Pam, Loretta

Our server was from Russia and such a sweet girl. Please pray for her. She's going through some heavy health issues. Click to get a closer look at her beautiful smile! You'd never know she was a single mom fighting for her health would you?

Aunt Phyllis, Loretta, Gehrig, Pam

This photo was taken before mom's back surgery. She was in so much pain here.

To All My Wonderful Mommy Friends

Happy Mother's Day!

I wasn't able to attend any Mother & Daughter Teas this year, so I thought I would FINALLY post some photos from one that I attended last year at my parent's church.

You know me, I'm always a little late!

The cute little flower shaped cucumber & cream cheese tea sandwiches!

My place at the table. Mom decorated this one with her own china. Notice the photo of mom, my sister Rita and I which she had thoughtfully placed at my seat.


Some of the yummies created by my friend Pat and her daughters. Top level, scones! Bottom level, chicken salad croissants and tiny tea sandwiches!

Different ladies in the church volunteer to decorate and set the tables. Their guests sit with them the day of the tea. This is mom's table.

Me & Mom
May, 2008

Some of the ladies who attended.

Our guest speaker and soloist.

More attendees.

Friends!

The gift laden table! Mom always plans on giving away MANY gifts!

The program.

Look what I got in my Mary Kay gift bag! Eyeshadow samples and lipsticks.

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

TWO REASONS I LOVE BEING A MOM!

Shane @ Chuck E. Cheese's

Josh @ a hotel

Two blessings God entrusted to me.

Bazaar Foods Star Visits West Virginia

I just finished watching one of my favorite shows on the Travel channel: "Bazaar Foods With Andrew Zimmern". Tonight's episode was my all time favorite. Andrew visited different Appalachian towns and partook of traditional mountain, natural, and even authentic Cherokee foods. I was born in a small, southern West Virginia town and lived in the mountain community the first two years of my life. I've been a "city girl" ever since, only visiting my birth place and relatives during summer or holiday vacations. Each and every time I go to the mountains, my soul is stirred and I feel as though I'm under some type of enchantment. There is something that speaks to me from the sound of the babbling creeks or the crickets at night. The cool night air is so refreshing. It's quite a treat to be able to sleep with my bedroom window OPENED!!! I'm proud to have my roots in such an enchanted place!



Andrew's first stop for tonight's show was in Helvetia, W.V., a small Swiss village I had never heard of. I was aware that many Germans had settled in the mountains of W.V. My paternal grandfather was of German descent. My maiden name was Riffe. I've often commented that some of the architecture and music in the area where my relatives live in southern W.V. remind me of Swiss or Scottish/Irish origins.

Andrew also visited a family of The Cherokee Nation which was right up my alley. My dad's great grandma was full Cherokee. I got chills during the show tonight when I heard the grandma of the clan ask God's blessing on the food in her native Cherokee tongue! The cooking for the family get together was cooked in a most authentic way. Johnny Sue, the hostess, has a modern kitchen but continues to use recipes and methods of days gone by. Bear meat, venison, and fish caught near the home were on the menu.

I know my sister will find these links enjoyable.

Helvetia, WestVirginia
Wikipedia Helvetia, WestVirginia

"Feliz Cinco de Mayo!"

You can tell Shane is thrilled to have his mom videoing him! (*sarcasm*) But we do truly hope that y'all had a great Cinco de Mayo. The French were defeated in battle by the Mexicans in Puebla, Mexico. That is what the big hullabaloo is all about!

Check out this happy little video!CINCO DE MAYO

This is what I fed my finicky husband for lunch before he rushed out the door to manage an Italian Restaurant! It was my stab at making the day special for him! LOL

Hey, they're actually pretty good. You can find them in your freezer section at SAM*s!

Note: I'm all for border control, but my husband is Mexican, so I think we can celebrate this holiday for him and to instill part of my husband's culture into our sons. We do this in our home. We don't demand the American government to recognize Mexican traditions. True, many places of business use it as a big money maker-which I think is loopy. I mean, I don't recall ANY business making a big deal out of "Fourth of July" while I was living in Mexico. By the way, my husband came here legally 22 years ago (1987) and was finally sworn in as an American citizen on August 4, 2000.

A QUESTION FOR MY SIS!

Rita, do you remember what I was saying to you when Clint snapped this photo?
The above photo was taken during our Civil Wedding Ceremony in Queretaro, Qro. Mexico back in 1986! Agustin was signing our marriage papers before the Judge. (I remember her being so eloquent. She read a lovely romantic poem to us!)If you enlarge it, you will get a better view of my husband's parents standing behind him and his sister Ruth, with her husband Larry (who was her fiance at the time). If you feel so inclined, leave me a caption about this photo in the comment section. I can't wait to read what your witty minds think up! Have a nice Monday!

MY LIFE IS "A DAY AT THE BEACH"!

Well at least it was on Thursday! My hubs had two days in a row off, so he wanted to do nothing but relax his first day. "Let's hit the beach tomorrow!" were his words to Shane and I when he got home from work Wednesday night.

We did a small amount of school yesterday a.m. then off to Clearwater where we stayed at the beach until 5:30 p.m. It was a grand and gloriously sunny day with a gentle breeze, not much humidity. On the drive home my hubby mentioned how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful state. After arriving back into our small town, he ran into Publix for steaks. Once home, Agustin cooked while I took a shower then a long bubble bath! We then ate our delicious supper. We ended the evening watching a good rented movie. Went to bed around 1a.m. beat!

Today, after breakfast, Shane and I did some schooling then we went with Agustin to the Army/Navy store looking for things to finish decorating Shane's military theme bedroom. Found some hollowed out grenades and some digital camouflage handkerchiefs which I plan on using to make a valance for his window. Then over to Home Depot, gardening and yard care supplies, home to plant a couple of flowers in my mailbox container. Agustin fertilized the entire lawn, (yep, we're late on that! We decided to not renew our contract with the company that usually takes care of all that kind of stuff.) I swept the driveway, sidewalks, and porch. Now, Agustin and Shane are gone to play soccer and I'm having a moment to myself, enjoying the peace and stillness! I'm so ready for Agustin to return to work tomorrow! (said jokingly, somewhat) Maybe I'll get some cleaning and organizing done!

I am thankful for a wonderful opportunity Ihad today, allowing me to share with one of my neighbors how I have peace during these troubled times and am not overly alarmed about the hype of this "Swine Flu". I never cease to be amazed at how God gives me the words to say when necessary. I trust the Lord will continue to use me as a mouthpiece to share His love and goodness.

Enjoy some photos from our beautiful area!

Remember to click on photos to see more details!

These photos were taken the first week in April when we were at Clearwater Beach. I meant to post them back then to torment my bloggity friends who were still living in frigid areas! The skies were just as pretty yesterday as they are in these photos. In this photo, I wanted to capture the kite, the sky, and the new hotel being built on the beach.

Click on photo to enlarge!

Driving back into Tampa, from Clearwater, we pass the Hyatt where hubby once was a Sous Chef. Oh and they have a wonderful restaurant here called "Oyster Catchers" with Alligator on the menu! It's delicious, alot like chicken, trust me!


Going over a bridge leaving the beach.

This is a "MUST CLICK" to enlarge. Enjoy the American Flag in all it's glory!
I took this in the city of Clearwater. I loved the huge American flag waving boldly in the breeze. I wanted to include a few palm trees in the shot for my blogging friends who may have been experiencing cold weather back on April 2nd when I took these photos. (I had planned on posting them that night, but procrastinated. Sigh*what's new?*)


I love the street signs in downtown Clearwater and I love the architecture of the hotel on the right. (Remember, all photos are clickable for better viewing.)

Doesn't this bungee jump swing thing remind you of a huge spider or web?

My guys! I love 'em!

Coming home, driving onto the causeway back to Tampa. A few years ago, Agustin took this route to work each day and often saw dolphins swimming here!