Would You Believe It's Been 21 Years?....

Thursday, October 14, was like any other day for me for the most part. I did things around the house and took care of Daddy. Tia needed a trip to the vet clinic and that gave me a new round of doggie meds to add to the daily routine. I made a quick dinner so that my sister and niece could come over for a visit. A few times I thought about the fact that it was our wedding anniversary but told myself to focus on the task at hand. Hubby sent me nice text messages throughout the day and recorded a goofy sing song video on his phone for me and that gave me a good laugh.

As I closed up the house for the night I heard my phone going off with a call from Hubby but my hands were full with syringes and tubes so I let it ring. Then the house phone rang and I thought, " bless his heart he is persistent today."

He said, "Hi honey. I just wanted to talk to you one more time for real before the day is over. I have a problem though and was wondering if you could help me with it. See, I think every married couple should kiss at least once on their anniversary. Would you please open the door for me and let me in?"

Yes for real! He had secretly made plans a month ago to surprise me. I was in shock! God bless him. He has set up surprises for me many times in all our years together and I have feigned the wool being pulled over my eyes because it was the effort that was special. But wow! This is what it feels like to really be surprised.

Hubby had even made arrangements for my cousins to stay with Daddy so we could get away. He told me to pack a bag because he had a road trip in mind and reservations waiting for us. He knew I had been missing the breeze and serenity of the beach so this was our hotel room view in Corpus Christi.

Oh my goodness what a relaxing time. I let my hair down and felt the tension roll off and away from my shoulders as I sat listening to the warm waters of the Gulf and did some beach combing for seashell treasures.



We spent the next day driving around and laughing at ourselves getting lost numerous times as we wound around the Gulf islands of Mustang and Arnasas. All too soon it was time to head back into San Antonio. My cousins insisted that we not rush home so we spent the following evening walking the River Walk downtown. We rode a tour boat and threw snacks to the resident ducks. Then we grabbed a dinner table next to the water and feasted on the local cuisine.

It was such a wonderful weekend, a weekend that I will treasure for a long time.
Yesterday I took Hubby to the airport and we had to say an all too quick goodbye. All the same, I feel rejuvenated and more focused on the tasks at hand. I am so grateful for the blessings of each day.

And guess what? I am typing this on my brand new laptop that Hubby brought for me!
Yes I am one spoiled lady.

Time Goes Zipping By....

I am so sorry. You have been so kind and wonderful to be praying for me. You have been concerned for me, and I have been non-existent. May I please explain my warped sense of thinking during all of this time?

Surgery really did wipe me out for a few weeks. But by week 3, my schedule was beckoning to me and I was itching to stop being a zombie. From that point on, there has been so much happening that I have barely sat at the computer to check emails much less be able to do any writing. The thing is this....even when I have had a few minutes to write and even think on the possibility of blogging, I felt too guilty to write with not having the time to visit others' blogs. How one sided of me to write and share but not enjoy visiting with you. So my solution was to not write at all. I am sorry. Can you forgive me?

If you would like to know the highlights of events during the 2 months that I "purposed" to recover just keep on reading. I have to laugh because with all the joys, memories, and things to do....it is a good thing I "purposed" to take time off or I would have really been busy.

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First on the list was family camp. All I can say is "wow" when I look at this picture. There I was almost 3 weeks after surgery and still filled with Oxicodone when my hubby took this picture. We had pulled into camp and I moved from the passenger seat of the borrowed camper to the camp chair and there I stayed...half asleep and enjoying the outdoors while others ran around me playing volleyball and singing campfire songs. (Notice Kekoa being my ever present protector)

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The following week was our annual youth adventure to the YWAM ropes course. I think you can look at the pictures I posted by following this link. (If that doesn't work then go to this link and click "TDE at YWAM Ropes Course".) I didn't participate this year. It was hard to not gear up and jump in. But making the food and supervising was enough for my energy level. The later half of the day found me sleeping in a shaded grass area and shrinking away from the 95 degree weather.

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Next on the calendar was to immediately put the finishing touches on planning and putting youth camp into motion. It was a blast. Was I tired?....yes. But God put wonderful people around me to help with all the cooking and implementing of meals. Shopping for, preparing, and feeding 25 people for 4 days went off with great ease.

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At the same time camp was happening, I received joyous news that my brother and sister-in-law had their baby girl. I am now an auntie! We were hoping that I could be there in the delivery room but Little Angel-girl had different ideas and came early.

When I became a mom, I thought my little girls were so perfect when they were born.....but something sure pulls in my heart every time I hold this precious one in my arms.

My brother and sister-in-law formally asked Hubby and me to be Angel's god-parents and said that if anything ever were to happen to them that we are the only people they would want to raise her. Oh how I cried.

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Did things slow down then? Nope not a chance. It was time to celebrate Pippin's 18th birthday. She had been planning all summer long to take a few days off from her beach job and spend time with us. My plan was to surprise her with a big party.

Surprised her we definitely did. Here is what happened when she returned home from a few hours of distractions and found a house full of people and decorations.........

Yes, she was so surprised that she completely ran out of the house in shock. I caught her in the driveway and dragged her back in to enjoy the fun. She warmed up quickly and enjoyed all the joys.

She would give me such an embarrassed death glare for sharing this picture.......

This is a picture of a picture that my mom had been saving for "Pippin". It was taken when she was 9 months old. (Yes the red head is me. I know I look nothing like that these days.) So the true story goes......

We were in a photo shoot taking tons of pictures and she was getting bored. Innocently, she looked up at me and grabbed at those dangle earrings that sparkled ever so greatly. I had just told her a firm "no-no" and pushed her hand away when that look went across her face and the photographer snapped the picture. That giant picture was posted in the studio in an Oklahoma City mall for 3 years because of the funny candor on her face.

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The following week I hosted a party celebration for my new little niece. I love this picture of her and me together. She had so much expression already in her face and only being barely 2 weeks old.

The dress that she has on is the same outfit that both myself and my brother were christened in. Then my girls were dedicated in it as well. I washed and ironed it all up so that Angel could do the same thing. Our youth pastor came to the party and performed such an amazing dedication. He held Angel and rocked her as he told her first bible story and prayed over her. He spoke destiny and purpose over her life and taught that just as little boy Samuel heard from God, Angel too can be sure of never being "too young" to be used in great things. There was not a dry eye in the house.

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The next day my mother-in-law came into town for a couple of weeks. It was fun to spend lots of time with her and her girlfriend. We shopped, giggled, ate out a lot, and spent a few days at the beach visiting Pippin.

While we were at the beach, my step-daughter and her beau came for a visit as well. So there we were all at the beach and a wonderful thing happened.....they got engaged!

(I think it is really interesting how this picture came out. It was simply a quick snap with my cell phone. I love the highlights and shadows.)

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While we were shopping and beach combing, Puddin' was spending the week in California doing something of a missions trip. She and 91 others gathered just outside of Fresno at a YWAM gleanings farm and processed something like a "bazillion" peaches. All week they worked the conveyor belts that sorted peaches and then set them on pallets in the sun to dry. Those were then packaged and shipping to countries in need. she had an amazing time and is already talking about doing it again next year.

This is one of the many sunrises that she was privileged to be able to see as she woke up and got ready for a full day of working the conveyor belts and turning peaches.

The peaches couldn't just be thrown into the machines. They had to be sorted from good and bad. They had to be on the belt system a certain way so that when they went through the corer there wouldn't be wasted fruit.

This will give you a small idea of just how big the project was.

All of those pallets are filled with peaches drying out in the sun.

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So that just about brings you up to date with my summer spin.

What is on tap now? Well Pippin and her friend Rixxi are in the process of moving back here this week and getting set up for all things normal now that their summer jobs are finished. From here they will be focusing on college and jobs while Hubby and I will cheer them on in the best way we know how.

Puddin' is back in school and working on her sophomore year of studies. She is much more comfortable and easy going about it all this year. Well, as comfortable as high school can possibly be anyway. She enjoys her classes but the highlights of the week are youth events and worship practice where she is the regular drummer now.

Soon, my sister-in-law will be finished with her maternity leave and I will have the joy of being Angel's daily caregiver. They emailed me this photo 2 nights ago. Look at how much she has grown already in just a month.......


At the moment, I need to go pick up Kekoa from the groomers and then pick up Puddin' from school. I will be back SOON to share more events and thoughts.

I pray my blogger friends are doing well and I intend very soon to be able to visit each site and do some catch up....if you will still have me.

God's Sense of Humor....

A few years ago we acquired some trees for the backyard from my dear friend that used to work at a local nursery. One of the big selling points that the nursery advertised was the fact that they did not carry fruit bearing trees. When I first heard that statement I asked, "What is wrong with fruit?" So my friend explained to me that when people around here (like big corporations) decorate and landscape, they want the pretty flowers without having to mess with the rotten fruit clean up.

Interesting I thought. And with that we took home a handful of trees that were over stock and scheduled for the burn pile. Amongst the trees we planted there were 2 Apple Blossom trees. I am really not versed in what causes a tree to scientifically NOT have fruit and I promise I do not have a green thumb. I actually don't even go in the backyard a lot and so I forget that they are there. But these trees must be really happy, see...........

I think it is worth a smile and giggle. Man tries to control and pattern everything away into a certain order and God says that He has other plans. All we need to do is trust.

(I wonder when the apples will be ripe and if they will have a pleasant taste.)

What Did I Order......

Last week Rosie-girl and I were running errands and decided to stop at the local Wendy's restaurant for lunch. As we were sitting there eating and talking, one of the employees came out to do clean up patrol. He was a happy go lucky type of guy with a string Hispanic accent. He came over to us and asked, "Excuse me but have you seen a mouse running around here anywhere?"

Shock played across my face as I processed what he said and evaluated the implications.

Then he laughed and said, "I am only kidding. I am talking about that funny mouse in the Disney cartoon. You know he was in my hat and now I can't find him anywhere."

'haa haa funny joke', I thought. 'good for him for having a fun sense of humor. Don't know if his manager would feel so light hearted about it but whatever.'

So today Rosie and I were again running errands and figured we would stop at the same eatery for cheap food that is advertised as being more healthy and wholesome.

As I opened my smart choice of a grilled chicken wrap......a green bug crawled out to inspect the world. It looked just like this little thing below. Silly me....though my first nano-second thought was 'wow that is a pretty color to photograph', in my shock and panic state I didn't think to take a picture.

I covered the food and bug with a napkin and carried it all up to the food counter. The employee was shocked. I listened to the eeks and shrieks of the other employees as she carried it back to show the manager. She came back to me and said, "My manager says sorry and told me to give you your money back.....or do you want another sandwich?"

Okay I give grace to tons of people. After all I need it myself and who am I to judge. but what kind of question is that? Of course I don't WANT another sandwich.

She gave me my money back....a whole $1.50 and told me to have a nice day.

Rosie of course didn't want to finish her lunch after watching the green thing crawl out of my food. I don't blame her.

Who knows what important thing the manager was doing during my little crisis, but they couldn't even come out and talk to me? I am not one of those get them for all they are worth kinds of people. If you burn yourself with your coffee it is because you should have known that hot coffee would be hot. It is not the fault of the food vendor. But live bugs in the food.......how about a coupon or better yet just give me back the whole $5 I spent there in good faith.

Yeah, we are not going to eat there anymore.

(Recommended as Post of the Day at David's Authorblog. )

This Is No Way To Mop a Floor....

Take a minute to picture the facts and circumstances that build up to this setting:

*I administrate the childrens classes at our church
Schedules and lesson planning are very much due for those classes, which is my job

*I am the home school teacher to 1 junior high girl and 2 high school girls
There are only 9 weeks of school left to finish out grades and subject content

*I am not a packrat but all of my family members are
Two days ago the girls felt it was time to finally overhaul their collective rooms

*I am not a packrat because when things are laid everywhere, I feel panicky and claustrophobic
Things to be gotten rid of are now wall to wall in the main part of the house

*We have company staying the weekend with us beginning tonight
See above

*My in-laws and our oldest daughter (with boyfriend in tow) will be here in 5 days
Still see above

*I am three months over due for a hair cut
I feel like the Shaggy DA

*I got up and took my friend to the airport at 4:30 this morning
An honor and privilege to do anytime

*The calendar has us with a fun full weekend in store with friends, classes, birthdays, and church


So there is the basic setting.
School was just getting started.
I was still in my grubbies because I chose to lay back down after returning from the airport instead of showering.
I reviewed the math lesson and then figured a cup of my newest vice (Chocolate Marshmallow Bunny Coffee with Hershey's Chocolate Caramel creamer) would hit the spot.

That is when I heard the noise...the hissing and spitting sound of running water forcing its way out of a pipe. The sound was coming from the laundry room. As I followed the noise, looking for the source, my socks became wet. The water was warm, snuggly warm.

"No please no," I muttered as I pulled the panel off of the water heater. "We have school to do, a car full of Goodwill stuff to drop off, a friend to pick up, rooms to still finish cleaning, a drum lesson, dinner...blah blah blah..." Relentlessly, unmercifully the water still poured. It didn't care that I had a schedule to keep.

I slapped off the power to the water heater on the electric panel and called my hubby. He had no phone service in the mountain pass he was driving in and couldn't take off of work anyway. So I called my dad. He came in a flash with tools in hand to be our knight in shinning armor. One quick look told him that the whole unit had seen its finer days of water regulating. After wrestling with it for hours, we found that none of the designated parts wanted to work in the way they were designed. Water came out of every opening possible except for the drain spout. We rotated towels through probably 30 gallons of water on the kitchen floor before the spout gave way to our authority.

So here I sit, sore arms from wringing towels, no water in which to shower with, 15 wet towels waiting for a turn in the machine, and a schedule to keep. I am okay really. I laugh in the face of adversity. Haa haa!

At least my kitchen floor is now mopped clean.

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(personal note: David at Authorblog honored me a 'blog of the day honorable mention' for this post. It is exciting!)

Chocolate Is Good For You...

Remember the candy promises I discovered that took me by surprise?

Here are the messages I uncovered today...

Apparently, chocolate is quite good for a person after all.

Matthew 7:7

"You aren't going to believe what just happened. Come outside and help me with the boxes in my car."
That was the call on my cell phone as we were kicking off our mid-week youth service. I grabbed my coat and ran outside to find 2 giant boxes in her car that needed to be carried in. A huge NW sporting goods store that makes quality (and dare I say a little spendy) clothing, donated these boxes to our youth group.

As we went through the boxes, we found brand new vests, snow pants, wind breakers, and thick winter coats. We laid them out on the benches according to size and gender. Then I brought out the youth, one by one, to see if there was anything they could use.

Over and over again I heard things like,
"Are you serious?!"
"Really...I can have and keep these pants?"
"Oh my gosh! I was praying that some how I could get clothes for the snow trip. Now I can go!"
"Wow God really answered my prayer!"
"Cool now I can give these to my friend and she can go too!"

See, this weekend we are planning a day trip with the youth group up to the mountain for some snow play. It is going to be a load of fun. Most have been excited in anticipation. But a few have been down because where we all reside in the valley, it is not a need to have snow gear. Families can't just go out and buy all that stuff for one day of play.
Now everyone is taken care of and there are still a couple of items left over that I can take over to the shelter.

It was so fun to be part of the blessing. Seeing their smiles and their eyes sparkle blessed me.

Surprises...

Last month, my mother-in-law gave me a big Costco sized bag of individually wrapped assorted Dove chocolates. With 8th grade science studies going on in "Rosie's" room and "Pippin" getting a piano lesson, I decided to open the bag and treat myself.
As I unwrapped the caramel sensation and began to pop it into my mouth to savor, I noticed a message on the inside of the wrapper.

Keep the promises you make to yourself.

Where did that come from? I fought the urge to look over my shoulder, thinking I was the focal point of a prank. Interesting. Quick deduction brought me to the conclusion that it was put there by the confectioner company. What an interesting statement to put on the inside of a chocolate. It must be a random thing they do as a selling technique.
With the sweet caramel taste a memory in my mouth, I opted to open a 63% extra dark square. It had a statement too.

Hearts that feel deeply, live richly.

There must be these little promise statements on the inside of each piece of candy. I love the statements and have to wonder how God uses things in the most unexpected places to speak to me.
On the other hand, I have to laugh. I figure the candy company used this as a marketing ploy to encourage consumers to savor the moment and enrich their lives.

Knowing me though, I will have to fight the urge to not open them by the handful just so I can know what each wrapper says.

Meet Lani.....

My parents came knocking on our door last night with this cute little bundle.

After 20 years of pinning away, my mom finally indulged her desire for a "fuzzy child".

Say Awe!