A BLESSED MOM AND NANA

Skipping WAY ahead

2010-03-08T11:52:00.012-05:00

So, it appears that I've just skipped Christmas, New Years and Valentine's Day this year. :) Not sure why, but my blog has just not been high priority for me lately. I guess I'm keeping my thoughts inside instead of sharing them so much. I've found that sometimes when there are things going on and I "talk" about them, it sounds like whining. So, my new approach to the problem areas in my life, thoughts about problems, etc. is to take them all to God first and leave them with Him. So.....I'm jumping way ahead to a very blessed event that happened in our family.

On February 27, 2010 about 5:25 a.m. our phone rang and our son-in-law, David said "It's 'go' time". Of course, I said "Are you serious?"....he responded with "I wouldn't call you at 5 in the morning to joke".... :) So, we hurried and got ready to go to Portsmouth to stay with Mia while her mommy and daddy went up to the hospital to check and make sure it was indeed the real thing. By about 8:30, Krista was 4 cm. dilated and was going to get her epidural. Papaw took me up to the hospital and he took Mia out to Clarktown to stay with her Aunt Jayme. She was pretty excited to be going to stay with Bryce and Collin--they had been planning this for so many months!! I'm not sure about times, but it wasn't long before the doctor came in to break Krista's water and she was 6 cm., she rested for awhile, comfortable with the epidural in place and the room being quiet and calm. Then it seemed like no time she called the nurse and said she was feeling pressure...they checked her and she was 8 cm. She asked David to go to the car and get the video camera, they had left it in the car. He wasn't gone from the room for 2 minutes before she said "something feels really weird, a lot of pressure"...again the nurse came in and said "with the next contraction I want you to try pushing"....Oh, my....it was really quick. She promised that they wouldn't let the baby come without Daddy being in the room. :) It was kind of exciting for me, I got to be in there for a few of her pushes, holding her head and feeling like I was actually doing something. :) David got back and I went out to the waiting room. But, I couldn't stand it out there long, so I went pacing back and forth. I went and stood outside the door of Krista's room and about 12:25 (or so) I got to hear the first cries of Baby Zane.

The nurse snapped this picture for us of Zane right after he was handed over to his mommy. Isn't it precious? :) It was just a little while and Papaw and I were invited in to meet the little man. He weighed in at 8 lbs. 1 oz. and was 20 1/4 inches long. We all took turns looking him over and admiring his hair, his hands, his toes and his little fat roll in the back of his neck.

I had been texting Jayme back and forth letting her know what was going on. So, it wasn't too long before she and Mia along with YoYo, Dawn and Sharayah came in to see the little guy. His sister was in love at first sight. She just kept saying "he's mine...he's really mine". It was so cute. This next picture shows the look of sheer joy on her face, although it is a little blurry (sorry--trying out a new lens).

We all went home for awhile and then went back down so that the Greene boys could meet their new cousin. We were all surprised at how quickly Bryce fell in love with Zane. He looked at him and it was like he was amazed--I think he had given up on there really being a baby....that many months is a long wait for a 5 year old.

And, poor little Collin, he couldn't figure out why he was the only one who didn't get to hold the baby. I love the look on his face here. He's sad...it kind of looks like he's unhappy that his mommy is holding another baby, but Jayme says it's because he wanted to hold Zane and he was told he was "too little". :)

What a blessing this new little man is to our family. Although Collin isn't even 2 yet, we all have kind of forgotten how fun a new baby is. I'm praying that God will bless Zane and work in his life even as he is so young. Today, he's going to the doctor--he seems to have gotten the virus Mia had last week. So, I'm praying for his health, his parents and his big sister. God has blessed me with the most wonderful kids and grandkids....I can't believe how rich His blessings are!

So Very Thankful

2009-12-10T16:22:00.008-05:00

I guess that Thanksgiving is the one time of year, if none other, that we consider all we have to be thankful for. I try, especially when I'm feeling sorry for myself, to make a mental list of all that God has done in my life and blessed me with. If I strive to remember each and every blessing in my life, it doesn't take long to realize I have no right to feel sorry for myself!

Thanksgiving this year was a little different--there were family members who couldn't be there for various reasons, the crowd was down, but still, as a family we have much to be so thankful for. For example, at my age, I still have both of my parents alive and in relatively good health. That is a blessing to be sure! I have been married to my very best friend for 31 years--for him I am very thankful! God has given me 3 wonderful children, who have over the years become the best friends I could ever ask for. God has also blessed me with 2 great sons-in-law, who not only take care of their families physical needs, but are very involved in the spiritual health of their wives and children. Over the last almost 2 years, my son has grown so much spiritually that he never ceases to absolutely amaze me--or should I say God's work in him continues to bless and amaze me! Josh has such a talent for remembering things he reads, learns, etc. and is just really growing in his faith! Then, last, but not least, God has blessed me with three of the most beautiful, wonderful, funny grandchildren ever! And, if that isn't blessing enough, He's developing a new grandson that will arrive sometime in February to join our clan! The greatest gift/blessing I have received is by far my salvation. Without the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, I would not have the hope and confidence of a life with Jesus forever! Wow....like I said, how much more could I ever ask for....and I truly AM thankful for all that I've been given and blessed with.

I guess on Thanksgiving we do tend to remember all these things. And, we did have a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend. I was able to spend time with my big brother--that's always a blessing! So, anyway, I thought I would share a few pictures from our Thanksgiving weekend. May I remember to be thankful throughout the year--not just on Thanksgiving!

First, here are a couple pictures of my daughters and their families. It was a little chilly, so if the kids look cold--they were.

Here is the Greene family. Josh, Jayme, Bryce and Collin. Bryce is at that age or stage where it's really hard to get a good picture of him. He's an adorable little boy, as is his brother, but he just has so many more important things to do than get his picture taken. :)

And, here are the Dunhams. David, Krista and Mia...(baby Zane is below where the picture ends). We are all excited to meet Zane sometime in February. He's going to get lots of love from his big sister, that's for sure.

Uncle Josh played Tinkertoys with Bryce and Mia. He did, however make sure to tell everyone that he did NOT want any Tinkertoys for Christmas. :) Not that any of us would have bought him any, of course.

And, this picture cracks me up. I said "Hey guys, can you hug each other and look at Nana"...and THIS is what I got..

And, yes, I'm even thankful for that silly boy! :) God has certainly blessed me, huh?

Trick or Treat and Trick or Treat!!

2009-11-04T09:52:00.017-05:00

So, Thursday, October 29 was the day designated for Trick or Treat this year in the county. It was from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. that evening. Well, on Wednesday of that week, Mia started throwing up in the evening. It lasted the evening and on Thursday she was feeling better. However, after an early nap, she woke up when I stopped to drop some things off. I held her and told Krista I was pretty sure she had a fever. She got the thermometer and her temp. was 102.1 under her arm, so it was like 103. Poor little thing was pitiful. It ended up that Krista took her to Urgent Care to rule out the H1N1 virus, since Mia is only 2 and Krista is pregnant. They ruled out the flu and said she had a stomach virus. Anyway, because she was so sick, she didn't get to go trick-or-treating with the boys this year. Let me share a few of the pictures of the boys actually going trick-or-treating first, then I'll explain the other trick-or-treat in my title. :)

We had a cute little pirate, who had quite a bit of trouble with that pesky eye patch. But, he loved the weapons (I'll show you that in a minute) and loved the actual trick or treating.

We had the cutest little frog...this costume was a hand me down from Bryce. The year Bryce wore it, he was just past 2--we have the cutest pictures of him in this costume too. One of him with his princess (Anna Kate) kissing him on the cheek. So cute! Anyway, Collin wasn't real fond of the costume (the hood mainly), but rode along in the wagon. When he got his first "treat", which was a sucker, he was happy. He loved looking at the stuff in his pumpkin and trying his best to get a sucker opened.

The boys had a great time walking around and getting treats. Bryce was really surprised with the biggest Tootsie Roll he had ever seen. His Aunt Bev had gotten special treats for him and his cousin Kylee. His had this huge Tootsie Roll in it and he was EXCITED!

And, here are both the boys. The pirate, complete with his weapons and the cute little frog! These are just a few highlights of Trick or Treat night. A fun time with the Greenes. :)

Then, because we were sad that Mia didn't get to go trick or treating, we decided to get together on Monday, when she was all better and let the kids dress up again. Actually I was really sad that she didn't get to go too as was her mommy. She was happy with just coming to Nana's house in her Tinkerbell costume and saying "Trick or Treat" when I answered the door and spending some time with her cousins. :) She sure does love those boys!

We had time before dinner to take some pictures of the cuties outside, then enjoyed dinner and some fun time before the Dunhams had to leave for Krista to go to Bible Study. Here are a few of the pictures from that night.

Mia loved wearing her Tinkerbell costume. It's the same one she wore for her birthday, but she felt like a princess all over again. She was adorable in it too. :)

The boys and Mia all love one another so much. I can't wait to see how things change or remain the same when Baby Zane arrives. I am so thankful that God gives me a chance every now and then to enjoy all my grandkids together. It seems like we never get to spend enough time together, but I guess that's how it is when life gets busy and people get busy. Here's a picture of Mommy, Mia and Baby Zane. I'm having trouble figuring all this blog stuff out on the new computer, so I'll end with that picture. Don't know why this part is underlined and blue....:) I hope I'm not linking to something way "out there". There, I think I fixed it. Anyway, I praise God for the wonderful kids and grandkids He has seen fit to entrust me with. I pray that I will have many, many more opportunities to spend wonderful evenings with them in the days to come.

Our Little Mia

2009-10-31T16:58:00.009-04:00

We took Mia recently to get her hair cut again. As you can see, she didn't care much for the actual process of the new hair do....

The process wore her and us out, but the end result was so cute. We brought her back to Nana's house (she and Krista were staying with us for a few days) and curled her new "do" and then went outside and took some pictures of her with the new style. She looks so adorable with the new cut. Krista actually cut a little more off of it after these pictures were taken. She's such a sweet little princess girl. Enjoy the pictures

She loves to pose and say "cheese"....isn't her outfit adorable? I got her the red shoes and then her mommy found this adorable outfit for her to go with them.

She even sat and posed for me for several pictures. She is growing up so quickly. It seems like if I go for 2 or 3 days without seeing her, she is talking about different things and just changes. She's going to be a really good big sister, I'll tell you that. She can hardly wait to hold her baby brother and kiss him.

I even got her to do some of her great jumping skills for me. Isn't she just adorable? Funny story of this day....we went out to eat dinner that night before church and it was a little windy. She put her hands up and said "Oh, no...my new hair". :) So cute...and so funny.

Happy Birthday Bryce

2009-09-28T12:43:00.008-04:00

I'm afraid I have been a little lazy on keeping up my blog lately. Bryce's birthday was on the 22nd and I'm just now posting a birthday wish to him. But, to be honest, last week was a blur and I didn't seem to have an extra 10 minutes to sit down and type out a post. :) Jayme, Bryce and Collin stayed here with us on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday while Josh was away on his annual fishing trip to New Orleans. (He had a great time and caught lots of fish, by the way) So, I had the privilege of spending Bryce's actual birthday with him--which was exciting.

Here's a picture of Bryce on his first Christmas. I don't have any earlier pictures on this computer, so I will try later to find his newborn pictures and post some of those. A "watch him grow" type thing.

I don't think I'll ever be able to thank God enough for allowing me to be a Nana to this little guy. Well, actually to all 3 of my grandbabies. They are each so special in their own way, with special traits all their own.

Since Bryce was our first grandchild, I never knew until he was born how excited I should have been all along. :) I guess it was a concept that I didn't understand until I laid eyes on him that first time. Wow...talk about a flood of emotions!!! There was that beautiful, perfect little boy and he was being handed to ME! My heart filled with love that day and has continued to grow bigger and bigger with love for this little man!

We celebrated his birthday on Saturday evening, since his daddy was gone for his actual birthday, and it was on a school night. Yeah, he's in Pre-Kindergarten now and has to be in bed by 8:30 or so. That makes it difficult to have parties during the week. :) He is loving school and really loves his teacher. He told me the other day that I looked like his teacher. Knowing how much he loves her, I know that was a compliment. :)

Here are some pictures from his party on Saturday. He had so much fun and was a real gentleman. He played nicely with the other kids, allowed his cousin, Mia to help him open presents and thanked everyone for the gifts.

Here's what he looked like when he walked outside and saw his present from Nana and Papaw and Mamaw and Grandpa. (He had a Super Mario Brothers party and wanted to dress up like Luigi! He is his mother's son)

We all went together and got him a trampoline. He was shocked and surprised. He knew that there was going to be a surprise and asked me where they were hiding the surprise. He guessed the kitchen cabinets, Josh's work room downstairs, etc. I don't think he would have ever guessed it!

All the kids had such a good time jumping (once the rain stopped a little). The big kids jumped for awhile and then got off and gave the little ones a chance to enjoy it a little. They all had a lot of fun.

This is Bryce doing his Luigi pose. Yeah, from the video game. :) He's such a character. So creative and has a great imagination.

We talked him into posing with his cake for a few pictures. He's just not so into pictures these days. Makes it hard to let others see how he's growing. :) But, we're always able to sneak pictures here and there. I'm not sure what this face is, but it's supposed to be a smile. hehe...

He found some dinosaur figure things at Walmart one day when Aunt Kiki was with us. He really, really wanted them. So, she told him that she would buy them for him for his birthday, but he had to forget about them. (That's like telling an elephant to forget) Here he is opening those dinosaur things. He was funny about it--tried to act surprised.

Here's my favorite picture of Bryce from his party. He was blowing out the candles and was having a rough time with all 5 candles. I guess 5 candles take a lot of wind. :) By the way, I put a candle in his wassles (waffles) on Tuesday (his actual birthday) thinking he would love it....well, he did NOT love that. Almost ruined his whole day. He went to school and told his teacher about what his Nana had done to him. Put a hole in his waffle! (Oh, my!!!)

What a special night this was for Bryce. I am so thankful to God for this little boy. The week of his birthday had been kind of a hard one. I had some emotional ups and downs that just about did me in. :) But, praise the Lord I was able to share in this special time with this special boy. I do thank God daily for my kids and my grandkids. I love them all so.

Beware David Beckham!!!

2009-09-03T13:04:00.006-04:00

Bryce has started playing soccer this year. He seems to enjoy it, even if he sometimes doesn't look like he is. His first game, I asked him if he was "raring to go" and here's what he looked like. What do you think, was he raring? :) He's so adorable, isn't he?

He really didn't mind when it was his turn to sit out a quarter and sit on the bench. The first game he told his mom (after getting off the bench) "I made a new friend...it's that one over there, his name is Tucker". He was telling her all this while he was out on the field. :)

His second game, I told him that if he would go out and play hard and try to kick the ball I would give him a surprise. And, Mamaw told him that the first time he kicked the ball, she would give him a dollar, then the second time he kicked it Nana would give him a dollar, then Grandpa, then Papaw, etc. He had it figured out that he was going to get a lot of money! Well, he did kick the ball a couple times and really played harder, so he got his surprise (a package of Cars Mini Adventure cars) and a couple dollars. :)

Josh was older when he started playing soccer (2nd grade) so I am getting to experience a whole new thing--little guys at soccer. It is so fun to watch them though and know that Bryce is so excited to have Mamaw and Nana there (and everyone else!) to cheer him on. He's learning the concept of "team" and having a little fun. It's so wonderful to see that God has created such a perfect little guy--physically able to play soccer, run, talk, laugh, love...even when he gets in trouble, I love him so. Of course, I think God created three pretty wonderful, perfect grandchildren...MINE. :) I am so thankful for each of their little lives and especially to see how God works in their lives. I have a feeling that God has some big things in store for those three special little people...well, four when you count that little he/she Krista is carrying. Can't wait to meet him/her. :)

Here are a couple more random pictures from Bryce's first soccer game. Like the title says, Beware David Beckham!! Bryce Greene is coming up!! :)

He got to do a throw-in! Look at that form!!

Apology

2009-09-02T16:20:00.001-04:00

If you read my blog entry from Saturday before yesterday afternoon, I need to apologize! Apparently I did a link wrong and my video link was taking people to a place that I did not intend! A friend called yesterday and said that she was pretty sure that it wasn't working right. So, if you read it before, I'm so sorry!! :) I removed one link and just typed out the website on the other one. Perhaps I'll learn what I did wrong before I try to link again. :)

A Week to Remember

2009-08-29T14:19:00.011-04:00

This week has been a week I won't soon forget, that's for sure. On Sunday evening, Krista, Mia and I went to Cincinnati to spend the night in a motel so that we could get to Mia's doctor's appointment on time on Monday morning at 9:15. We had a lot of fun on Sunday, going to Target, eating dinner out, laughing at Mia's funny antics, etc. We had an interesting time getting checked in our motel and all headed to bed about 10:00. God is so good--we went to Mia's appointment on Monday and he said that her tests all looked good and that he would say that she had experienced a "successful tethered cord release". She no longer had the reflux that she had been experiencing before with her bladder and kidney. He does want to keep an eye on her and check her again in 3 months, but all in all, the appointment was great. What an answer to prayer!!!
Late last week, I learned of a situation that burdened my heart so deeply that I truly felt sick so much of the week. I prayed, crying out to God for His intervention. I was made aware of the situation when I was asked to pray about it--and praying I did! It appears now that God's will was not as my prayers had been and I've had to remind myself today time and again that God is still God. He is still good and He is gracious and righteous and Sovereign about all! It's the first time in over a year that my heart has been so burdened. I think God was reminding me that there are so many times in daily life that I need to call upon Him--to ask for His guidance.

Then, on Wednesday when I went to work, I found out that a young woman whom Krista had gone to school with had died. She was only 26. I suppose I will never understand the death of a person so young with so much ahead of them, so much to do for God and so much to experience. She left behind 4 young kids. I was reminded of how each day we awake, we should praise God for the day--another day of life He has given us. A day to love, to laugh, to serve Him. It reminded me that I don't know what each day holds...how many days do I have left here? How will I spend them? Will I freely share the love of Jesus Christ with those around me? Lord, help me to live each day with a heart thankful to You and a heart willing to love others and share your love with them.

Today, there was a fundraiser for a young man in the area who has been falsely accused of a terrible crime. My friend and I went and walked a mile in support of him. It was one of the fundraisers where you get sponsors and then go and walk. There were so many brothers and sisters in Christ there--showing that family support and loving on them. God has blessed me with so much--a wonderful family, a wonderful Heavenly Father who loves and blesses me daily. Please pray for this godly, young family. If you are interested in finding out how you can help support them you can go www.support4milesferguson.com Please pray for them. Here's Collin sporting Mamaw's Support bracelet. He's such a sweetie too!

After the walk, we got to go to Bryce's soccer game. It was a nice way to end this very emotional week. He was funny and actually kicked the ball a couple times. Have you ever seen a cuter soccer player? He's doing his warm-up lap!

I'm so thankful to have survived this emotionally challenging week. I pray that I will learn lessons from this week and apply them to every area of my life.

Princess Maleigha is TWO!!

2009-07-27T10:56:00.007-04:00

Saturday, July 25, 2009, Maleigha turned 2!! I can't believe it's been two years already! I will never forget those long few days waiting for her to arrive. Nana, Papaw and Aunt Jayme took off for Louisville as soon as we found out Krista was in labor. However, her labor progressed rather slowly and we ended up being there for two full days before she arrived. But, it was fine--she was such a welcome sight!

Mia has been through some pretty serious things in her two years--spinal surgery, a lot of yucky tests, etc. However, God is good and He is faithful. He has taken such great care of that little lady. She is a joy to our family! She loves her cousin Bryce so much and tries to do everything he does and likes what he likes, etc. She is sweet, lovable and kind--most of the time. :) She IS two after all.

Saturday we had a birthday party for her. We had a houseful of people there to celebrate with her. She had such a great time and loved all her presents--thanking each person for their gift. Uncle Josh got her a Dora riding toy thing that was the hit of all the kids--they all loved it.

Mia with her wands--she loved them and shared them with Uncle Josh. :) He loved the pretty purple wand.

Mia brought this heart from home and kept saying "It's Mia's heart".....she's funny.

Nana got Mia a new "Ellie" doll. She has a doll like this one that I got her for her first Christmas--she loves it and was thrilled with the new, clean Ellie. :) The first one is looking pretty rough.

This is the famous Dora car that was the big hit. Here are all the kids around it. :) They each got a turn on it. :)

Mia blowing out the "2" candle on her cupcake cake. She blew it out 3 times--Mommy had to keep lighting it so we could sing to her. :) What a sweet girl.

Happy Birthday sweet Maleigha. Nana loves you so much and praises God for you and for your life. I know that God has some wonderful things in store for that little lady. I'm going to include some more random pictures from her party. Happy Birthday Mia....we love you. I know she's going to be a wonderful BIG sister in February!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

2009-07-23T14:03:00.002-04:00

So, it's been 17 months since our wonderful Pastor Scott and his fantastic family left us at our church. Have you ever thought about how good God is and realized what a blessing He gives us so often through church family? Well, when the Duncans left, there were many, many people at Grace that felt like our world had collapsed. God had another ministry for Pastor Scott, and for that I am thankful--especially for everything he has done for my son. He has been a friend, a godly example and a wonderful mentor for Josh. However, when they left us, I realized how much I had taken them for granted. I longed for the long talks Jennifer and I had, I cried over not having Pastor Scott to go to when I had a question or a concern. And, the kids, well....I really missed them too. And Bryce missed his buddy Ben and his fiancee Anna Kate.

But, thankfully, God has led us through that time.....not that we don't still miss them, but He has shown us that our dependency needs to be on Him and Him alone. Not on the pastor...although the pastor can be a great encourager and motivator. Today, we got an e-mail and confirmation that God has indeed led another pastor to us. Pastor Russell Wight from Somers, Connecticut has accepted God's call to Grace. Oh, how I praise God for leading us this godly man. As we prepare for him and his family to come, I pray that we will all be helpful to them, loving towards them and accepting of them. Isn't it amazing how God's timing is always perfect? We've been through several "potential candidates", none of which seemed to "fit". I pray that God will pour out His blessing on Grace--help us to change where we need to change and to learn to accept leadership and Godly guidance.

Thank you Lord, so much for leading a pastor to us. Now may we all be aware of and follow through on wherever our place is in the body of Christ and that we may show the love of Christ to a lost community.

Precious Little Birthday Boy

2009-07-15T15:00:00.008-04:00

Last Thursday, July 9, 2009 Collin turned ONE year old. It's hard to believe--the year has gone by so quickly. I still remember the long night waiting for that precious guy to make his appearance. We were just talking the other night about that night--Bryce spent the night with Uncle Josh--just the two of them. We were laughing about the different things that happened that night. But, one really great thing happened that night--Collin arrived. :)

Like I said, the year has passed by so quickly. We've all enjoyed getting to know Collin and enjoyed watching him grow and change almost daily. He's growing up to be such a big boy! He went to the doctor today and weighed in at 28 lbs. 6 oz. -- at one year old, I'd say he's going to be a big boy, huh?

So, on Saturday, Josh and Jayme had a party for Collin at their house. The day started out great....sunny, nice. Well, about 4:30, a terrible storm popped up. (The party was to start at 5:00). We had torrential rains, hail, wind, lightning, thunder.....it was BAD. Josh went downstairs and they were getting water in the basement. So, he started up the shop vac and started sucking water out. About 5:15 or so, we found out that the basement at the church was flooding. So, Papaw went down there to help. Long story short, Papaw never made it to the party, lots of people were late and some weren't able to make it at all. To be sure, Collin's first birthday is one none of us will soon forget.

Everyone that made it to the party had a great time. The kids had fun with a jumping castle thing that they borrowed. Mia got to see Bryce's cousin Kylee and they had fun together. Collin had a fun time, enjoyed the cupcake he got and was just happy to be there. :)

Here's Collin before everyone arrived. I went over early to get a few pictures before everyone got there. He is so good. There are also a few pictures of the directions, cake, etc. that Jayme did for his party.

Collin really enjoyed the cake. Jayme gave him his own cupcake with a "1" candle on it. He loved the icing and the cake. Of course, he's an eater--he'll eat pretty much anything. ;) But, the cupcakes were delicious and the cupcake cake was adorable.

Collin had a great birthday, despite the bad weather, flooded basements and difficult travels for others. Here is perhaps my favorite picture from that night. You can see the pure delight on his face while he is enjoying his cake! :) Thank you God for the wonderful gift of grandchildren. I thank you that my grandchildren are such an important part of my life. Thank you also for my children who so lovingly share those kids with us. :) Happy Birthday Buddy. Nana loves you.

BIG NEWS!!

2009-07-07T11:41:00.010-04:00

Well, another holiday has come and we have received MORE big news. During theThanksgiving 2006 weekend we found out that Krista was expecting Mia....they announced it to the family through David's prayer for the food...thanking God for the little one he had blessed them with. Then on Thanksgiving 2007 Jayme wore a shirt to Granny's that said "Eating for 2"...announcing her pregnancy with Collin.

So, now this past weekend, on the 4th of July, Miss Mia came to the family picnic for the 4th sporting a special "Big Sister" t-shirt that her mommy made for her. They had told us the Sunday before and Krista called her brother and sister to tell them before everyone else found out. Here's Mia in her little t-shirt:

God continues to bless our family--both in numbers and just general blessings. I love my kids and grandkids so much and know that I am so undeserving of all the blessings that He has given me. However, I am so very thankful for each of these little ones God has given us and for His continued care of them and His love for each of us. Thank you Lord for ALL you give and all You do for us. Here's a picture of Baby Lentil (because Krista said the baby was about the size of a lentil) with a sparkler, compliments of Aunt Jayme. :)

And, here is a picture of three of the greatest gifts/blessings God has ever given me. I realize every day how much I love these three special people in my life. It's so wonderful to now be able to love them not only as my children, but as three of my best friends in the world. God is SO very good!!

Sharayah & Kevin's Wedding

2009-06-16T19:14:00.009-04:00

My niece, Sharayah got married this past weekend. It was a beautiful wedding and a two lovely receptions. They got married at a church in Ft. Thomas, KY and had cake and punch, etc. for the guests who were there. Then they had another reception later at Kevin's family's home in California, KY. It was such a beautiful day, with love so evident everywhere! :)

Anyway, Sharayah was a beautiful bride and I think she thoroughly enjoyed her special day. She, her parents and Kevin's parents all did a wonderful job preparing for the wedding. Kevin's parents have a beautiful house on the Ohio River with a huge yard to accomodate everyone. They had built a dance floor, complete with lights and decorations. It was really so nice.

Bryce and Mia were in the wedding also. Bryce was the ring bearer and Mia was one of the flower girls. They both did a great job. Bryce was very cooperative for pictures and all the other duties that go along with being a ring bearer. Mia did a great job being the flower girl--she certainly was cute. She didn't drop any petals during the wedding, but had a great time practicing in the dressing room before getting ready.

I thought this picture of Bryce and Sharayah together was so precious. He really was very cooperative and did pretty well during the wedding. He got a little bored, and when he looked up and saw Mia playing with his pirate sword, he started shaking his finger at her and shaking his head "no". :)

Anyway, the day was great....I was fortunate to have all my kids there and grandkids. Any day that I get to see them all at one time is a very blessed day. (Not that the day was about me!) God has blessed me with so much in my life--the best three kids He had and the three best grandkids EVER!! Here are a few more random shots from the wedding and reception. Enjoy!

The lovely flower girl, Mia and the handsome ring bearer, Bryce. :) Both a little squinty.

Uncle Josh came on to the dance floor to do some of his mad dancing skills with Bryce. Bryce was doing everything Uncle Josh did. I think this was some kind of Ninja Turtle dance. Bryce thinks there is no one quite like his Uncle Josh and I have to say that I think Uncle Josh is another example of a godly man for Bryce to follow--he has his daddy too. :) Sharayah dancing with her Daddy. They danced to the theme from "Beauty and the Beast"...Bryce asked if YoYo was the Beast. :) He's funny.

The girls "performing" their pact dance. Sharayah chose the song "Baby, Baby" by Amy Grant to do their little dance to. She used to sing it and act it out when she was little. Mia decided she needed to get involved in this one. :) Can't leave out the little guy. Collin was SO good all weekend. He had a few sleep issues in their motel room, but all in all, he was an angel. He is sitting at the table at the reception here enjoying some snacks. This one seems to be suspended in the air, huh? :) And, last, but not least.....here is the new Mr. & Mrs. Sharayah and Kevin Gautraud. Thanks for including us in your special weekend. May God bless your marriage!!

God in the convertible???

2009-05-29T21:22:00.005-04:00

1 Peter 5:7-9

Casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world

The scripture above are verses that I've "known" for years. However it seems in the last few months--almost year that those verses have rang so true. I just told someone the other day that it just seemed like there were so many people hurting. Our church is relatively small and I know of some really sad, terrible situations. There are people dealing with health issues, family issues, lonliness, unconfessed sin, etc. There are people within the church who don't "like" others, there are just SO many hurting people.

Well, today, I had to go to the grocery store to get some groceries for a carry-in dinner at church on Sunday. I was so burdened for a couple different people--one special friend who had to undergo a second surgery in 10 days, a family member going through some rough times. Well, I decided to drive my convertible today--the sky was a beautiful blue, the clouds so light and fluffy, the air so comfortable. I drove with the top down, praying for the people who were on my heart. I know it sounds strange, but somehow with the top down, I felt like my prayers were flying straight up to Heaven, directly to the ear of God. I know that God hears each and every prayer I whisper and the ones in my heart, that never have voice to them. But, somehow today, listening to Chris Tomlin on the CD player, smelling the wild honeysuckle and wild roses and feeling the wonderful breeze, well, it seemed like God was "there". I continued to pray, and praised God for the miracle of His creation and the beauty of the Earth He made. As I prayed for a young man who has been on my heart so deeply for a couple weeks, I really felt like God was reaching out to him at that very minute, touching his heart.

As I was casting all my anxiety on Him--I knew without a doubt that He cared for me--and cared about all those hurting people I was crying out for. I also know that Satan is just around the corner, trying to convince us that God doesn't care and that our cares don't matter to Him. But, as I prayed to God, I realized that I was kicking Satan--proving to him that God does care, that He loves His children and that He wills and allows what is best in each of our lives. And, that God wants to hear from me--hear about the cares of my heart. That thought is so deep to me--the God of the universe--the Creator, cares about ME!!

So, do I think that a convertible is the BEST place to talk with God? No, I think anywhere is the best place. God is with me no matter where I go or what I'm driving. However, today it seemed like God really showed me His presence--which was exactly what my hurting heart needed. I praise God for His love, His mercy, His grace and his never ending presence in my life.

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!

2009-05-18T18:04:00.012-04:00

After Krista posted on her blog about the verses in Philippians about being anxious and turning everything regarding Mia and her surgery, etc. over to God, I have to admit that I felt terribly guilty. I found myself worrying endlessly about Mia, about the surgery, about her recovery, about her time in the hospital, etc. However, after meditating on that passage of scripture and others, I can honestly say that I, too, turned my worries and whatever "claim" I have on Mia, over to God. For, He is the Great Physician, He loves Maleigha more than her Nana ever can....and in His sovereignty, He knew while she was being formed what the outcome would be. How awesome is that? Thinking about things like that often just blows my mind!!

Anyway, we arrived at Cincinnati Children's Hospital a little before noon on Friday, May 8 for Mia's spinal surgery to detach her tethered cord. She had to have some blood work done and be checked in, etc. She cried when they drew blood, but was pretty good other than that. They took her right in the holding area for surgery, did vitals, etc. They gave her some sedation medication to prepare her for her surgery that was supposed to be at 2:30 p.m. Keep in mind, that she wasn't allowed to have any solids after 6:00 a.m. and nothing by mouth after 10:00 a.m. Still, she was doing well. The above picture was taken after they had given her the medication that was supposed to sedate her enough that when Mommy and Daddy had to hand her over to the surgical team, she wouldn't care. They brought her a baby to play with and she did really well. However, 2:30 came and went...3:00 came and went....3:30 came and went. Someone did come in and tell us that they had to take a child back to surgery and it would be a little behind schedule on Mia. Well, about 4:40, they came and got her--by that time, the sedation medicine had worn off, she was getting cranky and wanted her "cuppy" with some "milky". She was tired, hungry and not happy. I have to admit that my heart broke when we went out to the waiting area and all I could hear was her screaming "NANA!!"....ringing in the halls of the area.

Her surgery went well, didn't take as long as they thought it would, but the neurosurgeon said that the fibers that were tethered were really tight--much worse than he thought they were going to be. (Another confirmation that God's timing was perfect) She was sedated pretty heavily by the time we got to go in and see her and we were told that she would be "out" all night. So, we all left to go get some sleep--Krista and David stayed at the hospital and Nana and Papaw went to find a motel (another story--whew!!).
Fast forward to Saturday morning--here's what I saw when I came in to see her. Not nearly as bad as I thought she would look, but she was very restless and in pain.....a hard thing to witness. But, still, we were praising God that she was doing so well. When you are in the PICU for just a few minutes, you know that a little one in Mia's condition and with her problems is a real blessing. We knew that she was going to be fine--her surgery was over, she just needed to recover. And, as hard as it was to see her in pain and hear her cries, it was a relief to know that God was in control, was caring for her and healing her as we sat by and watched.

Saturday evening I left to go to the motel, Krista was going to spend the night in Mia's room. She text messaged me about 9:00 and said that all was well and she was going to try to get some sleep. So, I slept well, not knowing what was going on at the hospital. :) They had to replace Mia's IV about midnight and she really had a fit. She had a lot of anxiety over the nurses coming in, etc., they said that most kids who are in the PICU are used to doctors, nurses and the atmosphere of the hospital. She was not...so, she freaked out when the doctors, nurses, cleaning people, etc. came in. But, anyway, they didn't have a very good night that night. I was going to just run around on Sunday so that David's folks had a chance to spend time with them and Mia. But, I got a text about 8:30 that said Mia was having a rough morning and to come whenever I could. I got ready in record time and got there--her nurse said she had been crying for Nana...broke my heart. But, when I went in the room, the above picture is what I found. They had gotten Mommy up in bed with Mia and she finally settled down some.

By Monday afternoon, she was released from the PICU and in a regular room. From Monday afternoon until Tuesday afternoon, you could watch her getting better. She had to get up--which was hard for her at first, but she got up and was trying her best to walk, play, etc. We took her a wagon ride to the toddler play area they had for patients. She played with dolls, kitchen stuff, books, etc. Nana took her for a couple rides in the wagon down to the first floor and we looked for babies--she loves babies!!! And, by Tuesday evening about 5:30, she was being released to go home. GOD IS SO GOOD!!! We never imagined she would bounce back so quickly. Praise God she did and she is continuing to recover, heal and get used to walking again. We all had so many friends and family members praying for Mia--to each of you I want to say "THANKS"...she is such a sweet girl and I have to admit, has a very special place in my heart. She went to church with Nana last night and then came back to our house. She was even dancing to one of her Dora DVDs....a welcome sight indeed.

Praise be to God for His mercy, His grace and His blessings. And, thanks to all who were praying for our Mia--she is thankful too. She now says when asked "Who made you Mia?"...."God did". And, He did!!

Happy Mother's Day 2009

2009-05-13T21:22:00.009-04:00

The last couple years, I have not been able to spend Mother's Day in the traditional ways you would think of celebrating the day. Last year, my wonderful son, Josh graduated from Asbury College on Mother's Day. We are so proud of him. He is living in Huntington, WV now and working for Arrick's Propane (hehe) and enjoy his life there. God has truly been with him during the last year and a half--through trials, God was victorious!!!

This year I had everyone over on Thursday evening. Not really for Mother's Day, although I did end up having cards for my mom and the girls for Mother's Day. We had dinner together and had prayer for Mia since her surgery was coming up the next day. We had a great evening together and everyone enjoyed the kids. They are something, that's for sure!!!

Anyway, Mother's Day didn't really happen with our family this year, although there were some special times that made me see just how blessed I am to be the mother of this bunch of wonderful people!

Here's Jayme with her boys on Thursday evening--their "Mother's Day" picture with their mommy. Josh and Jayme have two very sweet boys--God has blessed our family with both of them. They are both so sweet, yet so different. I guess that's good though, gives them some variety. :) They are beautiful, aren't they? All three of them!!

Little Miss Mia seemed to be the center of attention kind of on Thursday evening. We all had her surgery on our minds--dreading it, but thankful that it had been scheduled in God's time and that she was going to be able to have it done before the condition started causing her any permanent problems. Of course, she had no idea what was going on--she's so young. She enjoyed the "party" and had fun playing with her cousins, wrestling with YoYo, being with Uncle Josh before he went to the beach, being with her family. She loves any opportunity to have a party--just like her Nana. :)

We had a lot of fun together, the kids had fun being together, yet it was kind of a bittersweet evening--Mia's upcoming surgery was on all our minds. But, praise be to God, she did great, and has bounced back beautifully. I'm going to do a post about that next--so watch out. Here are a few more pictures from our little get together on Thursday evening. I sure do love my family--all of them.

Sweet

little Collin-always the happy

guy.

Uncle Josh and his best little lady. These two have a special relationship--she loves him and he loves her.

My precious little Bryce..loves the Nintendo DS now--it's what he does. :) He is getting pretty good at it and gets a little impatient with Nana--who is NOT good at it. :)

Easter 2009

2009-05-05T18:37:00.007-04:00

Sorry that it's taken me so long to post about Easter. It seems like there's so much to do and so little time. I know--everyone has the same 24 hours in a day. I'm not even sure where my 24 hours go some days. :)

We had a great Easter--complete with the kids "matching" outfits. I felt like they were still close enough to the same age and found these adorable outfits that were all in their ranges. So, here they are, dressed up for Easter. We all went to church on Easter (of course) and then came back to our house for dinner. Krista, David and Mia were able to come by for awhile--long enough to take some pictures of the kids together--family together, etc. Then they had to leave. But, we did get some cute pictures of the kids.

We had an Easter egg hunt mainly for Bryce--Jesse did help him find all the eggs. We had 32 eggs hidden, so he probably needed a little help. He had a great time finding them, then he took a turn hiding them for his Mommy, for Granny, for Nana and anyone else who would look for them.

Mia loved picking the beautiful yellow flowers in Nana and Papaw's yard (dandelions). She would smell them, share them with others to smell. She thinks they are so special. :) She looked so adorable in her little dress and her little pigtails her mommy gave her and the dandelions matched it perfectly!!

Collin enjoyed his lunch then was sitting at the dining room table with the rest of us when he began dozing off--in his high chair. It was really quite funny, well, in a sad kind of way. But, he had a great time playing when he got up from his nap. He looked so cute in his little shortall thing--he's definitely got the legs for short pants...those chubby rolls!! Gotta love 'em.

It was wonderful to have my parents and my brother, sister-in-law and their family here as well as my kids. It was a wonderful day to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord--the real meaning of Easter. Having the family near and enjoying time together is a gift from God--but the greatest gift is the gift of His Son who came to earth as a baby to die for the sins of the world. Praise the Lord He rose again--giving us the chance for Life Eternal!!

Happy Birthday Krista and her daddy

2009-04-11T21:41:00.004-04:00

We had a birthday get together last night to celebrate the hubby's birthday and Krista's birthday. That's right, she was born on her daddy's birthday...26 years ago. I used to tell her all the time that I was so happy she was born on his birthday because I didn't have to buy him a gift that year. :) She's been the best birthday present he ever received, I'm sure.

We all had dinner together and then had present time and cake. It was a great evening to all be together. It's hard when your children become adults and have their own lives to be able to get together. Josh had softball practice last night, so he didn't get to come to the party, but he will be here tomorrow for Easter. So, it all works out. I love having them here whenever they can be. The kids all had a great time together and Bryce and Mia got along really well.

The saddest/funniest thing of the evening was when the Greenes arrived, Bryce immediately got very sad because Uncle Josh had gone back to his apartment before they got here. He thought he was going to get to see him for a minute before he left. So, Bryce starting crying--he didn't want anyone to see him, so he went into the living room to be alone and cry. Mia kept going in to check on him. Jayme told her that "Bryce was sad because he didn't get to see Uncle Josh before he left". Mia walked away and spotted a collage picture of Josh's graduation from Asbury last year. She went over and said "Bryce, Unca Josh"...and pointed to the picture. Then she smiled at him and laughed, like she had fixed it all. Then Bryce walked over to the picture and looked at it and told Jayme "Mommy, I just feel really sad inside of me"....it was heart wrenching!! :) But, after YoYo, Dawn and Jesse got there and Jesse wrestled with him and played with him, he was better.

Happy Birthday to my two favorite April babies. I love you both SO much.

26 years ago

2009-04-08T22:13:00.002-04:00

Twenty-six years ago today, I welcomed my second precious daughter into the world and into my life. I was honestly so excited to have another girl--I loved the first one so much! So, I just wanted to take this opportunity to say "Happy Birthday Krista"....you are definitely the BEST birthday gift your dad ever received--even if you did steal his birthday. :)

We're having a little birthday get together on Friday, so I'll post pictures then and another birthday greeting for her, but I didn't want to miss saying "Happy Birthday" to my sweet, wonderful daughter. Love you sweetie.

Trusting God

2009-03-29T22:52:00.003-04:00

This past week, David and Krista had to take Mia to Cincinnati to have an MRI on Wednesday and a consultation with the neurosurgeon on Thursday. (To read more about the results of it, read Krista's blog here). Be sure to read her entry on the passage from Philipians. It's funny how much we can learn from our kids, you know? Many times I have told Krista that God knows all about Mia and knew from her conception that she would have this problem and that she would have to have surgery. It's not a surprise to Him. Why, then, do I feel so nervous about it? God loves that little lady more than I can ever imagine--much more than even I can love her--and let me tell you, that's a LOT. :)

I am learning to trust God in a whole new way. I'm trusting a very special baby girl to His love and His care. After all, He created her for His glory, isn't He the best one to care for her? I am committing to memorizing the verses Krista posted and to pray those words--trusting that God will remind me often of His care and His goodness.

If you don't mind, please put Mia on your prayer list--she will be having her surgery in the next month or six weeks. Please pray that God will hold her in the palm of His mighty and loving hand--cradling her with His goodness.

Thanks to you all who have been praying for her and who have asked about her. I love all my grandkids so much and love that God loves them more!!

Video Games!!!

2009-03-15T21:03:00.005-04:00

On Friday, Jennifer and the kids came to visit for a little while. Bryce brought their Mario Kart game and was really nice about sharing it with Ben and Anna Kate. However, he couldn't stand to just let Anna Kate play though. As you can see from the picture, he is playing right along with her, without a controller. :) He told her how to play...over and over. hehe....

Anna Kate was so cute playing it--she moved her whole body, twisting, turning, etc. trying to get the car to go the way she wanted it to go. She did pretty good, but I'm not sure she was enjoying it that much.

Ben brought his Nintendo DS along with him, so he enjoyed playing it for awhile. Bryce enjoyed watching Ben play his Sonic game and a Mario game. They had a lot of fun together...playing, watching one another play the different video games, etc.

Ben showing Bryce how to play one of the DS games. They were so cute together. The kids took some time to circle through the living room, foyer, kitchen, dining room and around and around. Krista and Mia were here for awhile and she joined in too. I didn't get any pictures of this, but it was Ben, Bryce, Anna Kate and then Mia. They would yell something and she would scream it too. :)Collin spent the day being the great baby that he is. He is enjoying sitting here in the floor with Miss Jennifer, chewing on a pool diving toy. He's such a happy guy--always willing to just follow whatever is going on.

Before we knew it, it was time for them to leave. I asked the kids to let me take a picture of them together before they left. They had been inside all day, so I guess the sun kind of got to them--they were all squinting...well, except Anna Kate--she had those cool shades. :)Here's Bryce with the picture Anna Kate made for him. She told him she made it 'specially for him. :) They all had a lot of fun and we adults did also. It was great to catch up with them a little. Love 'em!!!

Maleigha

2009-03-12T14:51:00.002-04:00

Thanks so much to those of you who prayed for Mia's tests on Monday. The results were about what we expected, I suppose. Her bladder is still refluxing back to the kidneys, which is not really good. They've put her on a maintenance dose of an antibiotic so that she can avoid infection. Krista said she was a trooper during the test--which involves a cathedar (yuk!). She said that she had some pain after the procedure when she peed. :(

But, she will return to the urologist in June for an ultrasound and another consultation with him. Krista said she really liked this doctor and he was very informative and kind. Then, they will schedule an MRI and consultation with the neurosurgeon. Apparently there is a possibility that if the kidney/bladder thing is the primary symptom, it may fix itself. If it is secondary, she will probably have to have surgery somewhere down the road.

Please continue to pray for Mia and her parents. There are many things going on now--so please pray that God would keep His mighty hand on this precious little girl. She's so sweet...she really is, it's not just a Nana saying so. :)

Thanks again for praying. The prayers are SO appreciated. Our God is ABLE to take this condition away completely!!

Please Pray for Mia

2009-03-08T17:12:00.007-04:00

Tomorrow, David and Krista will be taking Mia back to Cincinnati Children's Hospital for another appointment with the urologist and another test to decide what the next step will be for her. The urologist they saw in October was very concerned with the results of the tests they ran on her at that time. It seems her bladder is full of scar tissue and is only holding about 1 ml. of liquid and should be holding about 40 ml. Her kidney had fluid retaining on it also. They are to see the urologist for another test and then to see the neurosurgeon (or that's the way I understand it).

I would be so thankful to everyone if you would pray for Mia tomorrow. These tests are terrible for her. One of them involves a cathedar--those are not pleasant for anyone, especially a little one who doesn't understand. And, I'm not sure what else will be necessary. So, please, pray for her and for Krista and David--these appointments are hard on them as well. They should find out if and when she will have her surgery. You all know how special my grandkids are to me, so I really would appreciate the prayers for us all!

First Haircut

2009-02-27T08:09:00.010-05:00

Yesterday, Krista and I took Mia to the beauty shop for her first official haircut. She had about 10 long hairs when she was tiny that Krista cut, but this was her first time in the beauty shop for a "real" haircut. She's going to be a flower girl in a wedding in June, and she had some wild hair sometimes in the back. So, Krista decided that she would like to have it cut to make it appear thicker and help it to grow evenly.

This is what Mia thought of the whole idea of a haircut! I don't know if it's because she has had to endure some pretty awful things at various doctors offices and hospitals, but when Deb came towards her, she started screaming. She wanted Nana to hold her, so I got a cape and she got a cute little pink butterfly cape. She wasn't really impressed with the cape or the Minnie Mouse I was trying to make dance in front of her to distract her. She loved the picture Deb had hanging up of her granddaughter, Mari, but that wouldn't even comfort her during the actual cutting time. :)

She did hold pretty still though...well, some of the time and Deb did a great job on the "do". She trimmed it once and Krista said she wouldn't mind it being a little shorter, so she trimmed some more off of it. At the end of the ordeal, Deb gave her a Dum Dum sucker, which you can see made her feel a lot better. But, of course, it was a purple one I guess that would make anyone feel better, huh?

Here's what her hair looked like in the back when she was finished. Deb just dusted her bangs a little so they didn't fall into her eyes, but didn't cut those. She's still go so much new hair coming in. Isn't it adorable though?

And, best of all (hehe)....she got a "First Haircut Certificate" with some of the hair in a little bag on the certificate. I guess she's now an official "girly" girl, huh? Her beauty shop experiences have begun. Krista couldn't wait to get her home and play with it some--curl it up a little, etc. But, it was a fun experience....well, it was for me. I'm thankful that I was invited to go along. :) And, after we finished at the beauty shop, we went to Wendy's for a Kid's Meal--cheeseburger, fries and lots of "dip dip" (aka ketchup). We called Jayme and she and Collin met up with us for lunch. So, Mia got to see Collin also....that helped make up for the tragic day she had--hehe....she was really not hurt at all in the cutting of her hair. :)

No cheeseburger for this guy. He had his baby food and then just sat back and watched everyone else eat and played with his turtle. He's such a good baby. :) For those of you who are wondering about Bryce, he's getting to be a big boy....hates for me to take his picture. He was at preschool on this day, so he wasn't with us. He's a very fine young man though...I'll try really soon to get some good pictures of him and post them. He was playing a Wii game last night while he was here and I tried to take his picture--he said "Nana, quit taking my picture--I'm playing Mater Nationals". :) I sure do love these three little blessings. Each one is so different, and special to me.

Spring? Well, maybe Soon!!

2009-02-18T15:34:00.003-05:00

It's always exciting to me when I start to see the first signs of Spring. Today is a beautiful day (well, it is right now)...it's about 60 degrees, the sun is shining. It makes me so anxious for the beautiful Spring weather.

Here's the very first sign of Spring I saw..just the other day. Yes, those are tulips, just starting to come up. They usually come up, then we get a snow on top of it. And, true to form, there is snow predicted in the next few days. So, I may have more pictures to post of the snow on the tulips. :)

A Happy Valentine's Day weekend

2009-02-16T14:14:00.005-05:00

This past weekend was, of course, Valentine's Day. On Friday evening, Jayme called and asked if we would like to go to Toro Loco with them. Of course, we never pass up an opportunity to eat there! So, we met them down there and had dinner with them and Tom and Lois. Then afterwards, we went over to Josh and Jayme's. I brought a little gift for each of the boys, since it was Valentine's Day the next day. They had a "family date" with the Swords family on Saturday, so I gave them their gifts on Friday. I had found a few of Bryce's favorite things, Cars for him. He's always amazed when we find some that he doesn't have--yeah, he has that many. He was so excited by each thing that was in his gift bag. He is going through this thing that he doesn't like to have his picture taken. So, this is the only picture I got of him. Collin, however, smiles every time he sees a camera pointed at him.

I got Collin a little Elmo that talks and says something about hugs...he loved it. He laughed every time that Elmo would talk. Collin is a pretty easy baby to entertain--he's happy most of the time. And, very content to sit in the floor and play with toys, which is a blessing, seeing as how he's pretty heavy--it would be difficult if he was a baby who needed to be carried around a lot.

Then, on Saturday, Jayme and I went to a baby shower for a lady at church, then I came home and we went to Portsmouth to pick up Mia. Her mommy and daddy were going to go out for dinner and a date. So, Miss Mia got to spend Valentine's Day with Nana and Papaw. She is a lot of fun. I got her a little book that is Dora and has a little piano on it. She is very interested in music. Of course, she inherited some pretty musical genes from her mommy and daddy. If I could get a video to upload, I would put one on here of her singing. Krista has the best one--if any of you are friends with her on Facebook, be sure you check it out. If you are friends with me, I have one of her singing, one of Bryce singing and one of Collin giggling!!

Since Valentine's Day is about love, I thought I would share these pictures of the little people I love so much. My entire family is very important to me and I love them all so. We are all missing Granny and Bippy right now, as they are in Florida. Granny, if you get to see this, I hope you enjoy seeing the kids. I'll try to get more pictures to you soon--I just haven't taken many lately. I thank God for my family and pray for them--I am praying that God would be important in each of their lives and that He would lead them where He would have them to go. :)

Happy Valentine's Day--well, a couple days late.

Wii Mania

2009-02-11T14:45:00.003-05:00

I know a lot of people don't like for their kids to play video games, fearing it will make them lazy and sedentary. However, I got a game for Josh for Christmas for the Wii that actually gives Bryce lots of exercise. The game is Mater National (from the Disney Pixar movie Cars) and Bryce loves it. Well, he won't actually play it, but he loves to watch others play it--and he "coaches" while they play. He gets very frustrated when they don't take the exact turn he wants or if whoever is playing doesn't do the game just the way he wants it done. :) It's funny to watch, that's for sure.

The kids were all here on Monday--Uncle Josh had come in for a doctor's appointment and Bryce had sent word for him "not to leave until he got to see him". So, we ordered pizza and all got together.

Here he is thinking he can move the car on the screen by moving his body. He gets so "into" this game. He loves it and hates it all at the same time.

Uncle Josh is a natural at video games, so he's usually willing to play the game for quite awhile for Bryce. Apparently here, Josh did something right--looks like Bryce is cheering him on!

By the end of the evening, Bryce's shirt was about a whole size bigger, the neck stretched out, chewed on and just a regular mess! He would get "nervous" about someone playing messing up and would chew on the neck of his shirt. He is so fun to watch when this is going on though--he's very intense about it!!It looks like Uncle Josh must have done something good here--look at that face! He's so fun. He did take a turn at playing and actually did pretty well. When Krista was younger, she would want to watch the others play a video game before she would want to play. So, maybe he's taking after her. He couldn't find a sweeter person to take after. ;) Well, she is so very sweet now!!

We had a fun evening on Monday. When Josh told Bryce it was time to go, he said "Hey, no one even played with me tonight".....I guess the video game was a work out, not playing. :) He's a great little man though and his nana loves him very much.

Oh, yeah, by the way, he came into church on Sunday morning saying something to himself, under his breath over and over. Jayme said "Bryce, remember what you were going to tell Nana?" He looked at me and sweetly said "N-A-N-A....I can spell your name!" My heart melted!!!

Ice Storm--Round 1....2009

2009-01-30T22:57:00.008-05:00

Well, it's Friday evening and we have actually survived the Ice Storm of 2009--hopefully the only one of the year!! We (thankfully) never lost our electric. We had no cell phone service, internet or cable for a couple days. We still don't have our land line service back.....hopefully soon. Josh, Jayme and the boys have been living here with us since Wednesday morning (well, Josh didn't come until Wednesday evening). They still (as of 11:00 p.m. this evening) don't have electric at their house, so we are still having one big slumber party here!

Here's the way the snow/ice started. Tuesday came with about 6 inches of snow by noon or so. This picture is of the pine tree in our neighbor's yard, with a little snow on it. I took a camera out with me to get the paper that morning. :) By Tuesday evening we started getting a freezing rain/ice mix.....which landed on top of the 6 inches of snow. It was pretty, but not at all fun! Josh and Jayme lost their electric about 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. Papaw had made several runs back and forth from Clarktown to our house, so on one of the runs, he picked up Jayme and the boys. They got here about 9:30 or so.

Here's the snow with a little ice on it. We got about 1/2 inch of ice on top of the snow...then, we got about 4 more inches of snow on top of the ice. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? Jayme, the kids and I haven't seen too much of Josh and Papaw. They have been working very long hours....very hard times. It's been very trying for them and very tiring too. We've kind of just played the days away while the Greenes have been here. Bryce brought some of his Mini Adventure Cars over and I had a couple little things upstairs that were new, so it's been fun for him. Except--their Mater National game for the Wii was in their Wii system and they couldn't get it out to bring it. He wants the electric to come back on so he can watch Mommy and Daddy play that game some more.

Here are some of the pictures from the ice storm. Most of them don't need explanation.....just wanted to post them for all to see. Especially since my parents are in Florida and are missing all this...I want them to be able to share a little bit in the fun.

These two were taken while we were driving to Walmart--along Lucasville/Minford Rd. The pine trees looked like they had their "arms" hanging over the utility lines, huh? It was an eerie feeling driving along there, trees were a lot closer to the road than usual.

Today was actually a beautiful day. The sun was out and the sky was a magnificent blue. You could hear the ice melting and falling outside--crackling on the power lines and the trees. The last few pictures were taken today. I pray that soon all have their electric restored and life can get back to some version of "normal"...whatever that may be. I know I have a husband who is exhausted! I have to admit that the sun glistening on the trees today was really a sight to see! The pictures really don't do the scenes justice....it was so beautiful. God can make something so beautiful out of something so difficult. Kind of like our lives sometimes, huh? God can use us for His good even when we mess up on our own. Does that make sense--with ice storm pictures? :)

Happy Birthday Jayme

2009-01-20T19:56:00.008-05:00

Yesterday was Jayme's 28th birthday. I can hardly believe that it has been 28 years since I became a mother for the first time. It seems like only yesterday that she was that tiny little girl born after several days of labor. Becoming a mom has been one of the greatest blessings in my life, second to my salvation and being a wife. I have the greatest kids in the whole world! Each of them unique and special!!

We had a little family party to celebrate Jayme's birthday. I made dinner and had everyone here. The party was a little hectic and a little on the wild side. Bryce had been coughing for a couple days--flare up of his asthma. Apparently he got a little too worked up and threw up a couple times. Mia was just excited to have everyone there and was happy to be there too. She was running around squealing and laughing. Collin was a little intimidated with everyone there and he was crying. :) I know, typical evening, huh?

Anyway, we had a great time. Dinner, cake and pie (thanks Lois) and ice cream. We had present time (of course!). Well, the surprise I eluded to before was the following:

Thursday evening when the boys stayed here with me, Bryce painted his mommy a picture for her birthday. I gave him the idea of the flowers, but he said "Mommy does like flowers", and then helped him pick colors, etc. But, he did the painting himself. Isn't it adorable? He worked very hard on the picture and left it here to dry on Thursday. He came home from church with us on Sunday and spent the afternoon. I had put it in a frame and he wrapped it up for Jayme. He was so excited--he just knew his mommy was going to love his painting.

She opened it and looked very surprised and happy with the picture. Here she is when she opened it. And, then.......here they are together. He was so proud and happy that she liked the picture. Here are a few other pictures from the evening. It seemed like I was really busy, so I didn't get to shoot many pictures.

Mia had so much fun. She loves family get togethers. She loves to say "YoYo" too, and enjoys playing with Uncle YoYo. She did some pretty fun dances for entertainment and was just fun.Collin is sitting in his little chair, keeping an eye on Uncle David. David was making some noises at him and I loved this look on his face. He's a sweet baby! And, for the last picture.....the birthday girl with her favorite (Union Mills) cake, blowing out her candles.........Silly Jayme! Happy Birthday Sweets. I love you so!!

My Guys

2009-01-16T22:40:00.003-05:00

Last night, Josh and Jayme had Bible study at their house, so the boys came over to spend the evening with Nana. Papaw was at his water board meeting, so I was on my own. :) But, they were very good. Once Collin got his belly full (2 jars of baby food and 6 oz. of formula!) he was a happy guy. And, Bryce was just happy to be here too.

Collin is getting pretty good at sitting up on his own. And, when he does topple over, he catches himself and falls very gently. He enjoys sitting up too--no more of that baby stuff of laying on a blanket in the floor, or sitting in a baby seat!

We got Bryce a Nintendo DS for Christmas, and he has really enjoyed it. I got him a Wonder Pets game for his that he is "really good at". He was playing with my DS last night and trying out a Mario type game. He was very intent on it, but I'm not sure he ever figured it out. But, he enjoyed trying.

Collin is such a sweet baby. So content, so happy. Jayme made up a little song that she sings to him sometimes. Anytime you sing it, it brings an immediate smile. "Collie Wally Doodle Bug" is the name of it. If you see Jayme, ask her to sing it for you. Be prepared for it to get stuck in your head though--it is one of those songs!

Bryce got very interested in a little gumball machine toy thing that is really kind of a baby toy. However, he was trying to work the little puzzle thing in the ball. As you can see, he was fascinated by it and very determined to get the marbles through those little holes. hehe....he's a funny guy.

We had a fun evening, even if it was really cold! I have some more pictures to share later, but they involve a secret, so I can't show them yet. Shh.....don't tell the secret!!! I have such beautiful, happy grandchildren. I love them all SO much. Can you tell????

Another "do"

2009-01-16T21:10:00.007-05:00

Well, she's finally made it! Mia had a "Kiki do". That's right, she had a hair do like her mommy used to have when she was a little girl. Last Friday when I had Mia while Krista and David moved, I decided to try to give her a Kiki do. I got a curling iron out, a comb, rubber bands, hair bow and the whole shabang! I put her in the high chair with some of her favorite fruit snacks on the tray. She happily ate the fruit snacks, and I played. :)

When Uncle Josh and Papaw got home from work, we got ready and went to Portsmouth to meet Mia's mommy and daddy for dinner. Mommy was very surprised to see Mia sporting the "do" she herself made famous in our family. :)

Isn't she adorable with the little side pony? She's such a girly girl and such a blessing to our family. God blessed us with such a sweet, happy little girl. And, one whom I pray will grow up to be as great a young woman as her mommy is.

Looking Forward

2009-01-12T09:41:00.003-05:00

Last week, here in the Arrick household, it was just a rough week. It started on Sunday and was completed on Friday. It seemed like there were so many things that happened last week, that I was sure God was testing me somehow.....or maybe us.

I allowed people and what they say to discourage me, steal my joy and just generally make me miserable with grief. I prayed for God to give me the answers--prayed for my attitude--prayed for the attitude of others. I prayed that God would do a work on those who found it necessary to drag others down with criticism.

Our family gathered on Monday evening to watch the OSU game (see previous post) and enjoy some family time together. Well, between dinner and the beginning of the game, we had a phone call from an irate customer.....who chewed my husband out for about 20 minutes. I really wanted to call her house about 3:00 a.m. and ask what made her think it was o.k. to call someone's house about a business problem, etc. But, I held my desire to do that in check. Then came Tuesday--a very stressful day. Wives know that when someone attacks one of your own, you become like a mother lion or bear--seeking to attack back. I think I cried more last week than I have in any one week period in my entire life. Then on Friday, someone broke into our car while we were eating out. I had been allowed to enjoy a wonderful day with Mia, while her mommy and daddy were busy with the activities of moving. We had enjoyed a nice dinner and then came out to find the car window had been shattered and someone had stolen a purse out of my car. I am so thankful that my wallet, check book, etc. were not in the purse. There was, however a nice camera--which had a memory card in it with pictures of my grandbabies! That really bothered me!! We're praying that the person who stole the purse was only looking for money and that the rest of the contents will be found.

So, today is the 2nd day of a new week. Krista was called to jury duty today and got selected to the jury. She called and was pretty upset about it. I've been praying for her off and on all day. After just moving, etc., she is very worn out and emotional. I felt so bad for her when I talked to her.

Anyway, I've said all this to say that there is a new Jeremy Camp song out which really encourages me. I'm going to post the lyrics to the song, called "There Will Be A Day"....it speaks of the day when we will be free from the worries, the lonliness we sometimes feel, the heartache of this life.... we'll see Jesus face-to-face. It should be my focus daily, but I have to admit that after a week like last week, I do look forward to the day when there will be no conflict, no heartache, no crying, no more pain! If you haven't heard this song, it's worth finding it online and listening. It's a great song.

Thanks to all for allowing me to "unload" a little here. I pray that I will be fully relying on God and His help this week. I have given the day to him.....and will do so again tomorrow. I just heard on the radio this morning how so many people get excited about a brand new year, but as Christians, we are awarded a brand new day each and every day. God's mercies are new every morning! Have a great week!

Here's that song:

Jeremy Camp -

There Will Be A Day

From the album Speaking Louder Than Before
I try to hold on to this world with everything I have

But I feel the weight of what it brings, and the hurt that trys to grab

The many trials that seem to never end,

His word declares this truth, that we will enter in this rest with wonders anew

But I hold on to this hope and the promise that He brings

That there will be a place with no more suffering

(Chorus)There will be a day with no more tears, no more pain, and no more fears

There will be a day when the burdens of this place, will be no more, we'll see Jesus face to face But until that day, we'll hold on to you always I know the journey seems so long

You feel you’re walking on your own

But there has never been a step

Where you’ve walked out all alone

(Chorus)

Troubled soul don’t lose your heart

Cause joy and peace he brings

And the beauty that’s in store

Outweighs the hurt of life’s sting

I can’t wait until that day where the very one

I’ve lived for always will wipe away the sorrow that I’ve faced

To touch the scars that rescued me from a life of shame and misery this is why this is why I sing

Go Bucks!!

2009-01-06T11:53:00.005-05:00

Last night was the Fiesta Bowl. Josh came home to watch the game with his dad and since his sisters hadn't seen him for a week or so, they all came over. I made homemade pizza and we had dinner and watched the game. Well, some watched the first quarter or so. Bryce had school today and Mia was getting tired. Thought I would share a few pictures for your enjoyment--and so you could get a look at my adorable grandkids. :)

Bryce and his daddy were wrestling and having fun with Josh throwing him up in the air. They did this several times. I snapped this picture--don't you love the look on Bryce's face? It's adorable. I did snap one picture and missed him--it's a good picture of Josh, but just missed Bryce's head. :)

Mia came dressed and ready for the game--as did everyone! She has a Buckeyes cheerleading outfit and was of course wearing an OSU hairbow. She looks pretty serious in this picture, but she was pretty wound up last night! Aunt Jayme said "spazzy"...... but she is so funny. She's started doing this fake laughing thing--she opens her mouth very wide and laughs really loudly! Funny girl.

And, look who is sitting up really well...almost unattended. He does really well catching himself when he starts to tip. Collin is such a great natured baby--so happy and fun. He's almost 6 months old already too--that's so hard to believe!!So, I asked Bryce if I could take a picture of him last night. You know, a posed, cute smile one? Well, he laid on his mom's lap and wiggled and wrestled around....hiding his face, etc. So, here he is with his eyes closed--hoping Nana will go away with the camera. I get to pick him up from school today--his first day back after break. He doesn't know I'm coming, so hopefully he'll be pleasantlly surprised. Here's Mia trying to talk to Collin--she's wearing her pajama top on her head. Does she remind any of my family of a picture of a certain little girl in the movies from her 2nd birthday--with the scarf? :) I do have adorable grandchildren, don't I?

God is good and faithful.....I need to remind myself of this today and everyday. I want to live a life before my kids and grandkids that points to Jesus--because He lives in me, you know....and I'm in Him. That thought does blow my mind!

Well, Happy New Year again. Hope all is well in your world--wherever you are. :) Oh, yeah, and if you watched the game, you know that OSU didn't come out on top. But, it was a good game and they have nothing to be ashamed of!! Go Bucks...better luck next year!!

Ponytail, Ponytail, You Is a Gril

2009-01-01T11:09:00.005-05:00

Weird title, I know....but, when Josh was little, he used to stand by his daddy on the couch and he would gather up some of Daddy's hair and say, "Ponytail, ponytail, oo (you) is a gril (girl)". When I saw Mia yesterday, those words came back to me. And, here is why:

Yeah, Mia has enough hair now to put some little piggy tails in her hair. She and Krista came over yesterday evening for awhile. David had some responsibilities at the church and wouldn't be home until after midnight and I hated for the two of them to be alone all evening, so I invited them to come over and visit with us. I love having them come over, so this was a perfect opportunity! I don't like to butt in on their family time, so I was really happy that they had a free evening. We had church, but it didn't start until 9:00 p.m., so we got to visit with little Miss Mia for a couple hours!!

My parents have gone to Florida for the winter, so I promised I would try to update this blog at least once a week with pictures of the kids. So, there may be posts that are really boring to most people, but I know that Granny & Bippy will love seeing pictures of the kids, so some others may have to put up with the randomness of some posts!

We went to church for our Watchnight Service last night. It started at 9:00 and we had prayer time and a small devotional, then played games and ate in the basement. We had a good time, although I've found that I'm too slow for Dutch Blitz!! :) I pray that as the New Year has now begun, that we will all strive to be more like Christ and be ever mindful of those around us. As the Brandon Heath song says, "Give Me Your Eyes"....let's try to see others through the eyes of God--seeing their needs and their hurts. We have the answer to life's problems and hurts--it is Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year!!!! May 2009 be a wonderful, productive year--one dedicated to the cause of Christ!

Christmas Blessings

2008-12-28T16:19:00.011-05:00

Well, it's December 28th and another Christmas has come and gone. I've tried this year to remember the true meaning of Christmas. I admit that at times, I've been caught up in the gifts, the cooking, the busyness of the season. I am so blessed! God has given me the best family to share all my holidays with. We really did have a wonderful Christmas. I thought I would share just a few of the highlights of the season.

Christmas Eve we always go down to my mom & dad's where we celebrate with my two brothers and their families, my parents and my aunt. Of course, the crowd continues to grow, but their family room does not. :) We decided that there really isn't a place big enough for the number of people we cram into one room. Here is a picture of my three beautiful grandbabies taken at Granny's in Bippy's big comfy chair. I've tried for 5 1/2 months to get a decent picture of the 3 of them together. I actually got a couple good ones this time.

These little rascals continue to grow and change. Bryce is not so keen on getting his picture taken these days, unless it's his idea. I have quite a few pictures of him where he sticks his hand out, just as I'm shooting. :) He's a character, that's for sure. He's a very sweet boy though...I do love him so.Here's Jayme with Baby Collin. He was wearing the Santa Claus outfit and he was roasting when he woke up. So, he got to wear his cute little 1st Christmas bib. He's a very good baby. Always happy!

Here's Krista and Mia at my parents house too. David and Krista had to leave for awhile--they had Christmas Eve service at church, so we tried to get some family pictures of them before they left. However, once they left, we didn't do anymore of my family. It got pretty hectic. I'm not sure why Mia looks so sad here. Bryce and Uncle Josh are becoming really good buddies. Josh took him out on Tuesday for a special day. They got an apple juice slush at Sonic and some Tootsie Rolls at CVS. That's all Bryce wanted to do. Well, that and ride in Uncle Josh's red truck. That was fun!

Mia got a new pink tricycle from Granny & Bippy. She loved getting on and off of it by herself. (sorry about the red eyes--I didn't get them repaired on the computer upstairs and I'm having trouble with the laptop!). Mia really enjoyed Christmas this year. She loved opening presents and loved everything she got.

Christmas morning, we were invited over to Josh and Jayme's to watch the boys open what Santa brought. They had told Bryce not to get up until the clock said 8 something on it. We got there at 8:00 so we wouldn't miss him getting up. He got up about 45 minutes later, looking like this:

But, he came right into the living room and started opening presents!! He had a lot of fun and got some great things.

And, here is Collin with one of his new chewie toys. The poor guy is teething and just chews and drools all the time. I sure hope he has a tooth pop through soon!

Bryce got a talking United States map. He's quite fascinated with the different states. He started that right after Uncle Doug was here visiting. He couldn't believe that Papaw had a big brother who lived in Texas. So, he wanted to know where Texas was. This map tells the states and their capitals. Here is Uncle Josh trying it out--trying to see if he can guess the capitals, I think.

I'll close this entry with just one more picture. It's a picture of Bryce with his Christmas gift from his mommy and daddy. He has been asking for a kitten for a long time. So, they got him one for Christmas! Isn't he cute with it? He named it Lightning (as in McQueen), but today he told me that he was changing it's name to Monkey. Not sure why, but...well, he's 4. :) He said at lunch today that he just wanted to go home and see his toys for awhile. They have had so many Christmases to go to that he hasn't had a chance to enjoy all his things.
Thanks for looking at my pictures from Christmas. I pray that the coming year brings you joy and peace through the person of Jesus Christ. For, it's in Him and Him alone that we can have true Joy, true Peace and a Life in Him. My goal (not resolution) for 2009 is to become more like Jesus Christ--to fall more in love with Him through learning more about Him. I pray for my family as they serve Him and search for His will in each of their lives. So, Merry CHRISTmas and a Happy New Year. May God bless each of you in the year to come.

Christmas Program #2

2008-12-15T11:35:00.005-05:00

Last night was our church Christmas program. Grace P. did a great job organizing and putting together a program which included the youth groups and the choir. It was fun singing with the other ladies and learning new songs which spoke of the birth of Jesus Christ. I pray that someone there who may not know Him would have heard the good news of Jesus last night and seek Him as their Savior.

So, Bryce was a sheep again this year. He was happy to be a sheep until he learned that there were others who were going to be sheep too. He wanted to be the only sheep and he loved Nana--something he said when he cried during rehearsal last week. He was a sweet little sheep, as you can see from this picture.

Collin, being the only infant at the church right now, well, he got to play the Baby Jesus. He did such a good job. Of course, his mommy had put off feeding him and fixed a bottle and hid it next to the manger. So, Holly (who was Mary) had the bottle there to feed him as soon as they got up there. He was so good......and Holly was a great Mary. She loves holding Collin, so she was perfect for the job. Thanks Holly!

Here is a picture of the Holy Family and a shepherd and a sheep. The kids all did so well. They sang and were just plain cute. The sheep even crawled down the aisle, coming in from the back. Those of you who know our church, know that the aisle is a very long one, so they had a job doing that. :)

Here are a couple more pictures from the program. They don't really need explanation, so I'll just post them for you all to enjoy. God has certainly blessed me with the most precious grandchildren. He has blessed me even more, however, by sending His only Son to come to this world as a baby, coming to live a perfect life and then give Himself as a sacrifice for MY sin. This is the Christmas story. Not the trees, the shopping and all the things we stress ourselves out with, but to celebrate that Jesus, fully God and fully man came to Earth to save sinners. May you experience His love this holiday season and celebrate not only the Child, but the Savior. Merry Christmas to you all.

Christmas Program #1

2008-12-13T23:52:00.005-05:00

Bryce's preschool Christmas program was on Friday. I was so honored that he invited me to come and watch him in it. It seems like only yesterday that my own kids were in their Christmas programs down at Temple Tots--they were in kindergarten, but it was still so melancholy to go down to watch as a "grandparent".

Here he is when they first went on the stage and lined up. He was holding tightly to Miss Stacy's hand before they came in and while they were going up. I think he was nervous. His eyes give it away in this picture--he's seeing all the people out there!

Oh, wait, he spotted Mommy, Daddy and Mamaw back there and gives them a little wave. Nana was sitting on the floor down in front. You do what you can for the photos, you know? He spotted me a couple minutes later and rewarded me with a big smile.

And, here is "Up on the housetop the reindeer pause...." (He's got the motions down, and he says he was singing really loud.

Out jumps good old Santa Clause................. One of the little boys next to him started to put his hand on top of Bryce's head during the performance. Bryce just gave one of his famous "looks" to the boy and then told us later that he didn't know who the boy was, but he was trying to mess up his hair!

Here he is after a great performance. He really did well, singing and doing the motions. Mamaw brought him a Laffy Taffy and Nana brought him a Reese's Peanut Butter Christmas tree for doing such a great job. Brilliant minds think alike--SUGAR!! :)

And, here's Collin and Mommy after the program. Aren't they cute? After the program, we took Bryce out to lunch and to Walmart. What a great day, huh? He's such a blessing and is getting so grown up. Today he went to an Ohio State basketball game with "the guys". That's something that only big boys get to do, you know.

Cute kids

2008-12-11T21:44:00.002-05:00

Just a note....we took the kids last Saturday to get pictures taken--trying yet again to get one of the 3 of them together. Well, we'll see what she got, but Jaki's work is so amazing. I thought maybe someone might be interested in seeing a sneak preview of what she got. She's posted a picture of Bryce and a picture of Maleigha. Check them out at Jaki's flickr site. I think that they are both on page 2 now, so you'll have to scroll down and check them out. I can't wait to see the rest of them.

Have a great evening.

Tree Trimming

2008-12-09T21:02:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, after a dental visit, Christmas shopping in Ashland for a few hours and having the kids over for dinner, we decorated the big "family" tree in the basement. We like to have our Christmas down there, where the kids can run free and all the "stuff" is down there. Bryce was very excited about helping with the tree. However, he was more excited about putting together the Thomas Christmas train. Well, he and Papaw got the track put together and got ready to put the train on the track. But, even with new batteries, Thomas wouldn't go. Poor Bryce had been looking forward to getting the train back out since last year. Here's what Thomas looks like right now. I think I'll be online this evening trying to find another set....a Christmas Thomas--with a snow plow, of course!!

That was the sad part of the evening, but then we headed downstairs to decorate the tree that Papaw, Bryce and Josh had put together and put the lights on. Bryce was excited about the ornaments until he saw the bead garland.....then he decided he wanted to play with them.

Here's Aunt Kiki putting some ornaments on. They enjoy looking at the old ornaments each year, finding the ones from their first Christmas, with their pictures in them. Poor Uncle Josh didn't get one with a picture--they didn't have them that year (that I could find anyway).

Here's what Baby Collin did while we decorated the tree. Well, he sat there for a little bit, then he played with Papaw and Daddy, who left the ornaments up to the rest of us. Collin is a little young for Christmas stuff this year, but by next year, I'm sure he'll be right there in the middle of it all with the other two.

After we got finished with the tree, I wanted to get a picture of the 3 of them in front of the tree. They had all brought their Santa hats, so we were set.......or so I thought. :) Here are a few of the attempts. Maybe someday I'll get one good picture of the 3 together.

Well....like I said, it was interesting. But, here's one that is not too bad, I guess. I'm a little out of focus a little, but they are all 3 there, and all three sitting, kind of.

Oh, wait.......Bryce has a funny look on his face. Well, we'll keep trying and keep loving these three kids. They are so much fun. So wonderful!!! Here's one final picture. Aunt Jayme and Mia, posing together for a sweet picture for Nana. Wow.....do I ever love my family--all of them!!!

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T12:03:00.007-05:00

Well, Thanksgiving has come and gone. There's a blog I follow in which the writer encouraged everyone to find something to thank God for that you find hard to be thankful for. I try to generally be a thankful person and had to think a little about this. However, I remembered back almost a year ago and a very hard time our family was forced to go through. I tried to be thankful for that time. And, believe it or not, I found that I was thankful for it. It drew me closer to a member of my family, it made me thankful that God drew that person to Himself and it made me thankful that the time is now over. So, what is hard at the time, can make us thankful later.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. My mom cooked (with help from us all) for the family again. She likes to have everyone in and can still manage to cook a great meal for a big group, even after getting used to cooking for two. We were able to have some great food, some great fellowship and got some pretty good pictures. :)

I hate to admit it, but it took us about 10 tries to get a good picture of the Greenes. Not that they aren't photogenic as can be, but well, there was one of them that was way too excited about everything going on to stand still and get his picture taken. (Shame on you, Josh ;)...haha)

The Dunhams were a little easier--Mia is still pretty easily contained. She had a great time--after she warmed up to everyone. She played in the sale papers for about 40 minutes--like you would play in leaves. It was hilarious and she had a blast. :)

Uncle Josh with his best little girl. She loves for him to pick her up in the air like that. I think because he's so tall and strong. :) He's a great uncle to all the kids. Bryce loves to play with him and wrestle with him. Mia loves him because he picks her up like this and gives her the t.v. remote. She's not allowed to have it at home, but Uncle Josh is a softy. And, Collin loves to look at Uncle Josh and smile at him. Josh is feeling a little more comfortable holding Collin now too. He's better at controling his head. (Collin, I mean)

And, here are the three greatest gifts God ever gave me. I have loved this bunch all their lives--even before that. :) I knew I loved each of them the moment I saw them and have never quit loving them. It's fun being their mom now, but also being able to be their friend. I guess there are advantages to your kids growing up. I still get sentimental and weepy sometimes when I think about how quickly the time has gone since they were little. But, I do love them so....then and now.And, here are the Roes. My younger brother and his family. His daughter, Sharayah just got engaged a few weeks ago to Kevin (on the right). So, probably by next Thanksgiving, he'll officially be a memeber of the family. Although he already seems to be a part of the family.

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving. I am so thankful for each and every blessing in my life. I'm also thankful for the situations God brings into my life that cause me to see Him and seek Him. I guess now it's time to get busy on the Christmas preparations. :)

Give Thanks

2008-11-26T15:20:00.011-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!

Serve the LORD with gladness!

Come into his presence with singing!

Know that the LORD, he is God!

It is he who made us, an we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise!

Give thanks to him; bless his name!

For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

I decided to post one of my favorite pictures of each of my three grandchildren as a reminder of just a few of the many blessings God has given me.

Bryce, taken last April. I just think this picture is adorable of him.

Mia--taken last Thanksgiving when she and Krista came to visit. I love this picture of her.

Here's newborn Collin--he's only 4 months old now, but he's changed so much. I just think this is cute, and since the pictures of the other two were older, I thought I should post an "old" one of Collin.

God has certainly blessed me beyond belief. His mercies never cease to amaze me and His grace gives me the strength for each day and is so wonderful. I pray that in the year to come, I learn to share the grace and love of God with the world around me. May I see the needs of others and share His love with them.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone. God bless you all!!

Temple Tots Thanksgiving Feast

2008-11-25T13:28:00.006-05:00

Today was the Thanksgiving Feast at Temple Tots, where Bryce goes to preschool. Because it was Neighbor-2-Neighbor day at church also, his daddy couldn't get off work to go, so he invited Nana to go along, as well as his mommy. His teacher, Miss Stacy said that he was excited all morning about Mommy coming to eat lunch with him. :)

The feast was really nice. The folks at Temple Baptist Church had gone all out with decorating, food, etc.

Collin got to go also, decked out in his Thanksgiving hat. I told Jayme that he looks like the Thanksgiving Butterball. :) He's a sweetie. He got to enjoy his lunch at the feast also. Then, it was a nap for him on the way home.

This was Bryce's placemat he made for the feast. We got a little bit of food on it, but it was so cute. He said Miss Stacy helped him draw his hand to make the turkey. :)

This is Bryce's plate of food. He did pretty well with it. Except his favorite part was the bowl of candy corn on the table. I did talk him into a bite of real corn and then a piece of candy corn. That worked for a few bites. He's got a sweet tooth, that's for sure. And, who knows where he would get that??? :)Here's Mommy, Bryce and Collin--all at the feast. Aren't they cute? Happy Thanksgiving--as you can see, I have MUCH to be thankful for....these 3 and much, much, more. Thank you God for my wonderful family.

Fall Carnival

2008-11-18T06:48:00.007-05:00

So, I thought it would be fun to take Bryce and Mia to the Fall Carnival this year at Valley Elementary. I hadn't been for years--probably since my kids were in elementary school. Bryce had been watching a Boz video where they went to the carnival and he envisioned rides, huge games, etc. Well, it didn't quite measure up to that, but they both had a great time. Bryce was ready to go and excited when we went to pick him up. He had been counting down "sleeps" until he got to go. We stopped to pick Mia up and she just squealed and made her excited face. (Which is hard to describe, but she squeezes her fists and makes a little well, excited look!) She really got excited when she saw that she was going to get to ride in Nana's car and the DVD was already on!

Once we got there, Bryce was ready to GO! He wanted to just see what all there was. They had games set up in different rooms, many in the hallways and huge inflatables in the gym. Some of the games were above the two of them, like throwing real darts at balloons--yeah, we didn't go there!

Here is Bryce "fishing" for a prize. Mia is looking at the fish that looks like Nemo. She fished after Bryce did, although she preferred to just point at the fish and see the different ones on the board.

This was one of Mia's favorite games. The other favorite was also a pool, filled with water that had ducks floating in it. You were supposed to pick a duck, show the girl the number on the bottom of it and then you got a prize. However, Mia wanted the ducks that had the numbers on them. And, this game, she wanted the balls, not the prizes they had. She is a silly girl! :)

Bryce was trying to get the football through Brutus's hands. I don't know if you can see where it is, but he's pretty close for a 4 year old. Mia is cheering him on. She wanted the football after he finished. They were going to let her throw it, just for fun, but she didn't want to throw it--she wanted the football. I guess at 15 months, you don't really understand the concept of games, you just like the equipment!

So, as you can see, they both enjoyed the carnival a lot! Next year, Collin will have to go along with us too. I felt bad that we didn't take him, but I didn't figure he would enjoy it. And, someone would have had to carry him (which is a BIG task in and of itself). :)

After the carnival, we all went over to Granny's for dinner. Here is Collin, sitting on Bippy's lap. Jayme says she wants to get him a Santa suit to wear for Christmas--he already has the rosy cheeks!

What a blessing my family is to me! This was a great day--got to enjoy the kids for a few hours and then enjoy my extended family at my mom's house. God is SO good.

My Cute Grandkids

2008-11-09T21:36:00.008-05:00

This past week has been a hectic one, to be sure. Hectic, but enjoyable. Thursday, I got to go over and stay with Mia while her mommy went to a doctor's appointment. Mia usually naps from noon until about 3:00 or so. However, that day, she went to sleep about 11:45 and then by the time I got there about 12:30, she was up! Personally, I think she knew Nana was coming and wanted to get to see me. We had so much fun. We went for a walk up the road then came back and played in the leaves for awhile and I pushed her in her little red car.

Here she is--posing for me. I'm not sure what the face is about. She's a funny girl! She's starting to have such a personality--so fun and so beautiful!

Fun in the leaves! I was throwing leaves up in the air and she was cracking up! I'm not sure what was so funny about it, but she loved it. :) She's a sweetie! Patronizing Nana!

On Thursday, after Krista got back and I visited with her for a few minutes, I went out to Elbrooke to help my hubby clean out his mom's stuff from her room. That was a task that none of us really wanted to do, but it had to be done. I was doing o.k. with it until I opened a plastic box that contained her "Grandma" sweatshirts. That made me pretty sad. It's funny how we all take people and things for granted until they are gone from our lives. Maybe I'm the only one who feels this way.

After working out there for about 3 1/2 hours, I went and picked up the boys so that they could stay with us while their parents had Bible study at their house. We had a fun evening, although Baby Collin was a little fussy. He had gotten his 4 months shots that day--poor baby!

So, then comes Friday. We made a trip to Walmart, then about 4:30, the boys came over to spend the night with us!! Their mommy and daddy were taking the teens from church to a Big Daddy Weave concert. Thankfully, Uncle Josh came home on Friday too--he was a big help in playing with the boys, etc. Bryce and I (and Uncle Josh) baked some cookies on Friday evening. I decided we would make some sugar cookies and make them look like Ninja Turtles.

O.k., I know I'm not talented or artistic, but he was thrilled with them. He had a lot of fun dumping in the ingredients, using the mixer, and then putting the icing on the cookies. He put the green on and then I did the mask. He did lick his knife a few times. :) Surprising, huh?

Another shot of him showing off his cookie. He ate it and thought it was delicious. Actually, he ate part of it and then finished it for breakfast. He said that he sometimes asks Mommy if he can eat a cookie for breakfast and she says "Sure, you can eat cookies for breakfast". :)

The Little Guy was a little fussy again on Friday, but we enjoyed him anyway. He and Papaw hung out some while Nana and Bryce did the cookies. Here he is on Saturday morning, just an hour or so after he got up--went back to sleep. Isn't he beautiful and precious? I love the little rosy cheeks. :) (O.k., the chubby, rosy cheeks!!)

Saturday evening, I had the chance to go to Huntington to hear Dr. Bill Brown from Cedarville University at River Cities Community Church (where Josh is going). I also got to see the Duncans and was able to hug Jennifer! It was a great weekend. Hectic, but great. I love my family so much and enjoyed spending some time with the kids!

Trick-or-Treat 2008

2008-11-04T22:47:00.008-05:00

I'm a few days late posting about trick or treating, but things got real busy there for a few days. I want to say "thanks" to all of those who have been praying for our family during this time of grieving the loss of Ralph's mom. She is so much better off though. There's no more pain, suffering or sickness for her! Praise God!

So, anyway, here are a few of the pictures I snapped of the kids on Thursday when they went trick-or-treating. They had a great time and so did I to be honest.

First we have sheriff Bryce--a rootin' tootin' cowboy! He went to preschool on Thursday as Raphael, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but wanted to be a cowboy for trick-or-treat. I think he's a very handsome little cowpoke! He had a great time and was very polite to folks...always saying "trick or treat", then saying thank-you. The cutest was when he went to one house and they gave him 2 Tootsie Rolls (small ones). Lois said he looked at them and she thought he was going to say something about "only" getting 2 little Tootsie Rolls, however, he said "Mamaw, I got TWO Tootsie Rolls"....he's growing up! (And, of course, he loves Tootsie Rolls)

Next is Little Bo Peep Mia. Krista originally wanted to make Mia's costume and spent a lot of time making her a chicken costume. However, when she attempted to try it on her, she screamed, held her breath, closed her eyes and just generally threw a fit! So, Nana ordered her this costume, got a sheep and made her little staff. She was adorable with her little costume--complete with a yellow bruise between her eyes! :) Gotta love the bumps and bruises! Mia got some cheese curls from Grandpa (Bryce's grandpa) first thing and she held on to them the whole time. She would look at them and say "Yum"....

And, finally, it's Baby Collin as a Turtle. He would smile everytime someone said "Turtle, turtle" to him. It was a perfect evening for his costume. It kept him pretty warm with the chill in the air. He had a good time riding along in the stroller. Isn't he the cutest turtle you've ever seen? He didn't carry a pumpkin with the other two, but I think he enjoyed the evening anyway.

Here they all are! The Greene family and the Dunham ladies. (David had a stack of papers to read and grade, so he stayed home). We had a good time and I hope we can all remember the fun part of this day instead of the end of the day. God is SO good--He has blessed me beyond what I could ever imagine. I love my family!!!

Louise Kathern Arrick 1924 - 2008

2008-10-31T00:05:00.006-04:00

Last night after the fun of trick-or-treating with the grandkids, eating dinner with family and friends and just having some fun, we came home only to hear the news that Ralph's mom, Louise had passed away. She had complained of having a stomach virus type thing--vomiting, etc.--but apparently it was something that was going around at the retirement center. Ron called to tell Ralph the news, and was pulling in our driveway at the same time. It still seems so unreal--she was so close to death not 2 months ago, but God wasn't ready for her to come Home yet.

Louise loved her family--her boys, her daughters-in-law, her grandchildren and her great grandchildren. She was such a gentle spirit, never demanding much from anyone, but always thankful for what she had. She's never been the butting in kind of mother-in-law--not in the 30 years I've been her daughter-in-law. She was loving, accepting and always praising. I remember when my kids were young, she was always encouraging and would express that she thought we were doing a good job raising our kids. I'm sure that we can all attest to the fact that she was very generous. I know that my kids are very thankful to her for all the love and help she's given each of them over the years.

Louise will be missed, that's for sure. I praise God that Ralph went out to see her today, he didn't stay long, but she wasn't feeling well. She had been having trouble with her recliner and he was talking to her today about going to get her a new lift chair tomorrow. Little did he know that God was going to lift her to the Heavens, where she will no longer need a lift chair. I was talking to Josh this evening and he said "I've been thinking about how happy Grandpa probably was to see Grandma this evening"........my son--he's got such an insight and wisdom. I know that Louise was very happy to see Ralph Sr., and Grandma Buckle (her mom) and Marie (her granddaughter) and Walter (her brother) and all those who have gone before her--all who had accepted Christ as their Savior and had been waiting there for her. I know that Marie was probably really glad to see Grandma too--it had been quite some time since she had seen her.

So, please pray for the Arrick boys--they are hurting, but not as those who have no hope. They are rejoicing that she is with loved ones and with her Savior. It's still not easy to lose a loved one, especially a parent.

Ralph's brother, Doug and his wife, Sherry came to visit at the end of September. Louise was still in the hospital, but a bunch of us were able to go down and visit with her there. Here she is holding Collin. She loved those great grandkids too! I have another picture I wanted to post on here, but can't find it right now. I'm exhausted and will try to find it tomorrow.

Please pray for our little Mia

2008-10-29T13:54:00.002-04:00

David and Krista had to take Mia back to Children's Hospital in Cincinnati to a urologist on Monday. She had been there a couple weeks ago for a urodynamics test, which was supposed

to be able to tell them whether or not the diagnosis of Tethered Cord was conclusive. The urologist said that the results from this test were not good, but he did not want them to get too upset over the results of one test--she may have been having a bad day, etc. They did an ultrasound on Monday also, where they discovered that her bladder, which is supposed to be smooth, has a lot of scar tissue. Her bladder is having to work extra hard, causing the scar tissue and she has urine which is on her kidney. Her kidney is back flowing, which it's not supposed to do either. He told them that at her age and her size, her bladder should be able to hold 40 ml. of urine, and the test showed that hers will hold 1 ml. He told them that his main concern right now is for her kidney. They are scheduled to go back to him in December for another test and then possibly would schedule surgery after that--for the tethered cord. The way I understand it is that the tethered cord is causing this problem, but the surgery for that may or may not fix the problem. So, please pray for her. Pray for all of us, that God may be glorified in and through each of us--our responses to the tests, surgery, etc. God has blessed our family with this sweet little girl and we do praise Him for her!

Pizza Night Out

2008-10-26T15:18:00.005-04:00

Last night we had a chance to all go out together to have pizza and enjoy the fellowship of the whole family together. We went up to Dick's pizza and enjoyed everyone's favorites--sauerkraut pizza, bbq chicken pizza, BLT pizza and Hot wings pizza. (Yeah, I know--that's a lot of pizza!) The kids were good and it was just a fun time. We even got to have Uncle Josh eat with us before he went back to Huntington to his apartment--he came Friday evening to visit for a day or so. He headed to Huntington and the rest of us went to Josh and Jayme's to watch the OSU football game. (Yeah, I know, they didn't win!) I thought I would share a few pictures, if you will induldge me a little. :)

Bryce and Mia out by some of the Halloween decorations at Dick's Pizza. They loved the ghosts--not scared at all.
Bryce posed in front of the display of Halloween things for me to take his picture. Not sure what this pose was--maybe a "TaDa"...who knows? He's a funny guy.
Mia with some Nunchuks (sp?). Teenage Mutant Ninja Cheerleader? Look out everyone!!! Collin slept clear through dinner, with a blanket part way over his car seat, so I didn't even see him until we got to their house later.
Here he is--wide awake now and smiling for Nana--well, not exactly for Nana--Daddy was above my head getting him to smile. And, last, but not least------
Two of my very favorite fellows.....with the leftovers. God has blessed me with such an awesome family--how can I not be thankful every moment of every day?!?!

Pastor Appreciation Month

2008-10-19T17:13:00.004-04:00

October is Pastor Appreciation Month. In the past, we've had a dinner at church or some kind of fellowship to recognize our pastor. However, this year we are without a pastor at our church--so I want to say how much I appreciate a certain man whom I will probably always call "Pastor". Pastor Scott was called by God to another ministry away from Grace several months ago. He and his family left a void that is still there. It's one thing to have a pastor, it's another to have a pastor/friend. That is how I will continue to think of Scott. He's one of those people you can call and ask a favor of, ask to pray for/with you--just a great man of God. Although I continue to miss him and his family, Josh now has the opportunity to fellowship with them again at their new church. Who knows, Josh may very well be the reason they were called there! Scott has definitely been an answer to prayer in Josh's life. Pastor Scott, you ALL will continue to have a special place in my heart and in my life. Thanks for all you have done in the past and continue to do!!!

Elli Bennett is with Jesus

2008-10-19T15:00:00.005-04:00

I remember clearly the day Diane called me to tell me that Elli had been born. They were all so excited--this was their first grandbaby! And, she was beautiful. Well, within a couple days they discovered that Elli had some very serious heart issues and would have to have surgery. She had at least 2 surgeries before she was a year old--during one heart had quit beating for 30 minutes. Anyway, skip ahead to now--Elli was a happy 8 year old--talking a lot with the help of her dynavox. Some of the complications from one of her surgeries was that she had Cerebral Palsy. This morning, we received another call from Diane though--this one not a joyous one. Elli had experienced an "episode" of some kind and Scott had called his parents to let them know that she was really bad. They had taken her to the hospital, but they didn't think she was going to make it. Diane called back a little while later and said that Elli had indeed gone to Heaven to be with Jesus. No more dynavox will be needed, no more wheelchair, etc. However, her death has left a huge empty place in the whole family, I am certain. Please pray for the Bennett family. Scott and Joy are strong believers in Jesus Christ and I know that throughout this whole painful time, God will be glorified. But, I also know that they have to be hurting also. Elli left behind 3 younger siblings--Sam, who is 6, Anna who is 3 and Luke who is almost 15 months old. Pray for them also.

Princess girl

2008-10-15T14:26:00.004-04:00

I just had to share these pictures of Mia. The tiara came with a Dora and the Snow Princess movie. I stopped over last night for a little bit before the church board meeting and snapped a few pictures of Mia. She is definitely a dramatic little princess diva--not that it's a bad thing. :) She's precious and really is a good baby.

Mia has started "talking" all the time too--not a lot of words that you can understand..although she has a pretty good vocabulary for her age. She has a word she says "sockpoo"....none of us know what that means. Anybody have any ideas? :) But, here she is, the princess of the family--she holds her own pretty well. She and Bryce "have words" sometimes, but they are going to be great buddies someday, I'm sure.

Love all those grandkids!!! They are all so unique and special in their own ways.

The Need to Love

2008-10-14T09:43:00.007-04:00

It's been a couple weeks ago that these pictures were taken, but I thought they were cute and I just needed to put them on here. The day that Gracie Jean went home to be with Jesus, I was driving by Krista and David's to pick up Jayme and the boys. The men folk were at a hog roast and we were going to go to dinner before church. Well, as I drove by, Mia was out in the yard walking around. I had thought about her all day--I guess hurting for the Browns losing Gracie and thinking how blessed I am to still have my baby Mia here with me. I waved, but then couldn't stand not stopping by to just hug Mia a little. I pulled in and rolled my window to talk to Krista a minute. She said "Ever since I heard about Gracie this morning, I have just wanted to hug Mia and hold her". So, I guess we were both feeling about the same way that day. And, Mia was so happy to see me that she obliged with lots of hugs and loving. Sometimes I wonder why I wait until something happens to someone else to properly praise God for the wonderful blessings in my life. He has blessed me beyond belief with so many things. Not possessions particularly, but with moments, memories and a family that is SO special to me. And, more than anything, He has blessed me with my salvation--the assurance of knowing that Jesus has covered my sins with His blood. I am righteous in the eyes of God--He sees me through the blood of Christ. Praise Him!!

So, anyway, here's one more picture of Mia from that day. I love my grandkids SO much--can you tell???

Bryce's haircut

2008-10-14T09:30:00.006-04:00

Bryce got a haircut last night too. He however, did not want his picture taken. He didn't want Nana down there, he wanted Mamaw to be down there. So, his face reflects those feelings. I just went ahead and took a couple pictures of him anyway. Actually, he's had some belly issues for a couple days, so I guess he had a reason to act like that.

Bryce gets a bubble bath at Mamaw's after his haircuts. So, here he is enjoying the bubble bath and the wild play time in the tub. He's a silly boy!!! Before any of the haircuts started, Bryce entertained us with some guitar music. He couldn't get it to play loud enough for him though. He had Daddy turning it up a couple times (adjusting the tuner things).
I'm not sure what the eye closing thing is about--maybe he thinks he's Stevie Wonder or something. He's a funny, funny boy. Thanks, Buddy, for the entertainment--for all of it. :)

Collin's First haircut

2008-10-14T09:17:00.005-04:00

Here's little Collin--getting his first haircut. He had some long hairs on top of his head that bothered his parents, so Josh decided to take the clippers to it. He also still has some dark baby hair left in the back too, that he thinned out a little. This is pretty much the look he had during the whole process. He's a very good baby!

Here's Daddy cutting that long baby hair in the back. Collin has rubbed off a bald spot in the back of his head too--so he helped to make that look not so bad. He looks a little stressed in this picture, doesn't he? (Sorry about the red eyes in all of them!!)
All done! Daddy giving Collin some love after the haircut. Then he got a bath and a before bedtime nap. ;) Thanks for letting us share in the fun of Collin's first haircut. Jayme saved the hair for his baby book.

Gracie Jean Lockyer

2008-10-01T10:14:00.005-04:00

Please pray for the family of little Gracie Jean. God called Gracie home to be with him this morning. She had a rough time following her surgery yesterday. Praise God for His goodness that she no longer has to suffer here on this earth. She is resting now in the loving arms of Jesus--Who called her to Him this morning. However, her family will greatly miss her, so please pray for their healing. Her family has been an awesome testimony to our Lord during this whole time--never giving up, always believing that He would take care of Gracie--and He always did. This time, He just chose to take care of her Himself. We're praying for you Browns and Lockyers. We love you and God loves you too. He's the Rock we can cling to in every storm.

30 Years!!

2008-09-29T15:35:00.002-04:00

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the best day of my life. It was 30 years ago today, on a Friday night, that my husband and I got married. We were very young then and very naive--but we have had many great years to grow together. God blessed us with 3 of the greatest kids, who have proven to be great people and friends in the last few years. Growing older and celebrating 30 years of marriage is sort of bittersweet. I miss the days of the kids being around all the time, running around with them to their different activities, etc. However, having adult children is wonderful too--my kids are some of my very best friends.

Many people told us 30 years ago that we were way too young to get married--we didn't know what we were doing, etc. We were criticized many times for decisions we made, plans that we had, etc. I won't lie and say that every day of the 30 years has been great--but, I will say that over all, God has blessed me with the most wonderful husband who has taken great care of our family financially, spiritually and physically for 30 years. God has now given us the priviledge of seeing 3 granchildren being added to our family, who bring the greatest joy.

Our lives have truly been blessed by the gracious hand of God. I pray that He allows us to have 30 more years of life together here and then praise Him, we will get to spend eternity in Heaven--together and with our Heavenly Father.

So, anyway, here's to you, sweetie. I love you more today that I did 30 years ago, but not nearly as much as I will in the days to come.

Gracie Jean

2008-09-27T10:07:00.004-04:00

***UPDATE***** As of this evening, Monday, Sept. 29, the doctors are planning to do Gracie's surgery about 6:30 a.m. tomorrow. It was scheduled for Thursday, but they say she looks good and they have an opening in the operating room. So, please pray for Gracie--tonight before you go to bed and in the morning--especially for you early risers! May our Loving, Gracious God have His hand on her once again and see her through this surgery. I can guarantee you that He will get all the glory and honor--no matter how well the surgery goes. He is the God of miracles--as Gracie well knows. He has seen her through many miracles. May tomorrow be yet another glimpse of His awesomeness! We're praying for you little princess....may God put His loving hand on you tonight and tomorrow as you have this surgery.

I have posted twice about Gracie Jean Lockyer and her medical issues. She is facing a very serious surgery this coming Thursday, October 2. Please pray that God will place His hand of protection and healing on her that day. Also that His grace will be sufficient for her parents, grandparents and all her family as they are feeling the anxiousness before the surgery. If you haven't visited her site, please do--read about her and her amazing family, then PRAY. Pray for God to work yet another miracle in the life of this beautiful little girl.

The address for her site is: www.caringbridge.org/visit/graciejeanlockyer

Thanks so much! Have a great weekend and a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow.

Bryce's birthday party

2008-09-24T17:57:00.006-04:00

Monday was such an exciting day for Bryce--all that fun with Mommy and Daddy, then he had his party! He had a lot of family and friends there and had a great time. There were 10 kids there and the oldest one was 5....yeah, it was wild. :)

Here's the birthday boy sitting in his bean bag chair from Mamaw. He had a Lightning McQueen (Cars) party. He wore the one badge all day and wondered why people kept saying "Happy Birthday" to him. It says "I'm 4 years old today" (or something like that).

There's a certain way one must sit in a new bean bag chair, you know? Check out the crossed legs! It was so funny. He just automatically sat down in it and did that. He's a funny guy.

Here he is blowing out one of his candles. He didn't want any singing though--he said he remembered when he turned 2 and everyone sang so loud and it made him scared. Hm...he is his mother's son--remembering all that from that long ago.

Anyway, the party was loads of fun...the only bad thing was that Jayme came down with that nasty virus the day after the party. Oh, how I pray that the bug is finished with our family now! We've had enough!!

So, here's to my favorite 4 year old boy. It's amazing how quickly the 4 years has gone--but I've learned to love that little guy more and more each passing year. He's a special little man. I love you Bryce.....you're Nana's precious Big boy.

GRACIE JEAN LOCKYER!!!

2008-09-22T22:09:00.002-04:00

PLEASE GO TO MY ENTRY ON SEPTEMBER 9 ABOUT GRACIE JEAN LOCKYER AND READ THE UPDATE FROM TODAY. THEN FOLLOW THE LINK TO HER CARING BRIDGE JOURNAL AND PRAY, PRAY, PRAY FOR THIS PRECIOUS BABY.

Happy 4th Birthday Precious Boy!!

2008-09-22T15:05:00.011-04:00

Today is Bryce's 4th birthday. It's so hard to believe that it's been 4 years since I first laid eyes on that precious little man. The whole grandparenting thing was so new to us all then--we had no idea how great it was going to be. Then, we meet Bryce and find out that God had given us the best he had to offer. What a wild ride this last 4 years has been. I have told him for quite some time that he is "Nana's Precious Boy"....well, since Collin has arrived, he's Nana's precious big boy (altough I'm pretty sure Collin is going to catch up with him soon!!). The day Bryce was born, Lois and I went down to the hospital with Tom at about 6:00 a.m.--we certainly didn't want to miss anything!! We actually had a great time hanging out, waiting for him to arrive. Of course, we had no way of knowing that it would be a good 18 hours later that he would make his appearance. The last 4 years have gone by so quickly, yet I have so enjoyed the years and the time I've been able to spend with Bryce.

Here is Bryce today after getting home from his special day out with Mommy and Daddy. They took him to Petland to get him an aquarium for his birthday. He got multi-colored rocks for his aquarium and 4 goldfish (because he turned 4). They took him to lunch at Applebee's and to Kroger to pick up balloons for his party and for cupcakes to take to his class tomorrow at school.
Here's Bryce with his aquarium--he can't wait to show it to Papaw tonight when we get there for his party. I'm sure I'll have pictures tomorow to post from his party. So, today, on September 22, 2008----HAPPY 4th BIRTHDAY BRYCE!! I love you so much Buddy. Can't wait for your party tonight.

Nasty Virus Bug

2008-09-20T16:53:00.003-04:00

My family has been plagued with some nasty stomach "bug". Mia had some kind of bug last week, that lasted almost a week. David got it the day after she did, but felt better after a day or so. Then yesterday, Jayme called me while I was having lunch out and said that Bryce had started throwing up. Then, Dawn text messaged me and said that my dad was throwing up and "running". Well, by last night about 9:00 p.m., we added Josh (my Josh) to the group of those whom the bug had bitten. Ralph had something that made him feel really dizzy and kind of bad off and on all day Friday, but we're not sure if it was the same bug or the fact that he has WAY too much on his plate and in the last week or two it has all gotten to him.

Anyway, today was supposed to be Bryce's birthday party, but instead of having a big celebration, we're all having sterilizing parties in each of our separate houses. I've Lysoled our bathroom and adjoining areas several times. Jayme says she was spraying the door knobs, etc. with Lysol--spraying until it was dripping is what I heard. :) Anyway, I'm praying that by Monday (Bryce's actual birthday and the day the party was moved to) everyone will be all better and it won't strike anywhere else.

Whew......I feel better now--getting that off my chest. haha.... :) Have a great Saturday and a blessed Lord's Day tomorrow.

Justification

2008-09-17T11:26:00.003-04:00

Yesterday after I watched Mia in the morning, there was nothing special going on. I knew that my "guys" would be gone until about 7:00 that evening, so feeling a little sorry for myself, I decided to go run some errands that needed to be done. I was alone in the car, so I decided to listen to a sermon on podcast I had on my Ipod. It was by a wonderful preacher in Huntington, WV. He was preaching from Romans 4. Wow....what a reminder to me of what God has done for us all. Just as Abraham was justified by his faith, so we are justified by our faith in Christ. Nothing else--not faith plus wearing the right clothes, not faith plus working 20 hours a week in the church, not faith plus baptism, church membership or anything else!! It is simple faith in Christ that makes us righteous in the sight of God. I hadn't heard this preacher preach for some time and I guess it was the combination of hearing him preach and the message, but it truly did speak to me. I am righteous in the sight of God, because I have placed my complete faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary for my salvation!! Praise God for His provision of His Son, Praise Jesus for His willingness to shed His blood for a filthy sinner like me. This is the most awesome fact in the world!

I ended up rejoicing in the Lord for all He has done for me instead of feeling sorry for myself after listening. So, thanks Pastor for the message. ;) I do miss hearing those challenges as well as encouraging messages from you.

A Morning with Maleigha

2008-09-16T12:59:00.004-04:00

Krista had to go to the doctor this morning for her wrist (which has been bothering her for more than a month!). So, little Miss Mia got to come over and visit with Nana for a while. I really enjoyed having her here. She's been really sick with a virus and I haven't gotten to see her for a few days. She looks like she's lost some weight and is a little whiny, but so sweet all the same! We played with the Noah's Ark animals for awhile, the gumball type toy that's here and she pushed around the Winnie the Pooh riding toy. We went outside for a little while and she enjoyed a couple shows on Nick Jr. and Disney. Here she is watching Little Einsteins....she didn't watch much of any of the shows, but she loved dancing to the song playing while they were on the rocket. She danced and clapped her hands--she's got really good rhythm. Maybe a drum player in the future? :)We went outside for her to push around the Winnie the Pooh toy and the stroller. She's doing really well walking now--even in the grass. I had a lot of fun with Mia. She got really tired by about 11:00 or so, so her mommy took her home to put her down for a nap about 11:30. Hopefully she'll be back soon, so we can play more!!! Glad you're feeling better Mia. Nana loves you so!!!

Find Your Wings, Buddy

2008-09-13T19:32:00.006-04:00

For a long time, I had the ringtone on my cell phone set to Mark Harris's song, Find Your Wings for Josh--when he called that's what would play. Well, I think the time has come that he is ready to get out and find his wings. He signed a lease today on his first solo apartment. He's going to move in gradually over the next couple weeks. The apartment is in Huntington, about an hour and a half away from home. I am really very happy for him--I know he's ready to be out on his own. The other times he has left, I've always known that he would be back for extended periods of time......like Spring break, Christmas break, etc. Well, I'm trying not to be very sad, but instead be happy for him. He's going to have the opportunity to attend and get involved in a great church down there--like 3 minutes from his apartment. So, today, after we looked at the apartment, the song, Find Your Wings kept running through my head. Here are a few pictures of his apartment--it's really a great place.

This is the door leading into his apartment. I like it because this door stays locked and his apartment door locks too--not that I'm nervous about his safety or anything. :)

Josh checking out his kitchen and the gift that the management of the apartment complex left him. It's a nice kitchen--I'm sure he'll be doing a lot of cooking in there....HAHAHA!!!

His back porch--the one on the bottom level. The apartment has 2 bedrooms and a nice big living room and a nice bathroom and dining room. Hopefully we'll still get to see him every now and then. :) So, for those of you who don't now the song Find Your Wings, I'm going to post the lyrics here too. I love you Josh--we'll miss having you here all the time, but I'm happy for you, I think you're going to love your new place.

It's only for a moment you are mine to hold

The plans that heaven has for you

Will all too soon unfold

So many different prayers I'll pray

For all that you might do

But most of all I'll want to know You're walking in the truth

And If I never told you I want you to know

As I watch you grow

Chorus:I pray that God would fill your heart with dreams

And that faith gives you the courage

To dare to do great things

I'm here for you whatever this life brings

So let my love give you roots

And help you find your wings

May passion be the wind

That leads you through your days

And may conviction keep you strong

Guide you on your way

May there be many moments

That make your life so sweet

Oh, but more than memories

It's not living if you don't reach for the sky

I'll have tears as you take off

But I'll cheer as you fly

Love these Kids!!!

2008-09-12T22:26:00.006-04:00

We had a chance today to go to South Point and visit with the Duncans again. I love this family and love that the kids and Bryce like to play together. Here they are outside playing some kind of combo game of Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog and Hannah Montana, I believe. They were so cute together--Ben and Bryce are so much alike that they each couldn't understand why everyone didn't want to play exactly what they wanted to play. :) They did really well together though and we ladies got a chance to visit some. We even got an opportunity to visit some with Pastor Scott--I love the chance to get to catch up with them all!

Here's the beautiful princess Anna Kate. She's such a sweetie. She reminds me of my girls in the way she loves to dress up--she even had a bouquet of flowers there--maybe practicing being a bride? Well, her fiance was coming, you know? :)

Here are the boys, being Ninja turtles (or something!). Ben shared his swords, etc. with Bryce. Bryce loved the light sabre that Ben had and Ben (being the sweetie he is!) wanted to give it to Bryce when we left. No wonder I find this family so special, huh?

Thanks, Duncans, for lunch and the wonderful fellowship. Hope we get to do it again sometime really soon. Love you all.

Celebration

2008-09-11T21:33:00.011-04:00

Well, the day finally arrived! Bryce didn't cry when his mommy dropped him off at school today. So, this evening, we had a celebration at their house complete with celebration brownies, prizes and an evening of fun!! Mamaw, Grandpa, Nana and Uncle Josh all went over and had a celebration with the Greenes. Bryce was so proud of himself. He called me to invite me to the celebration and requested the prize I had for him which was Hungry, Hungry Hippos game. So, we had a fun evening of playing that, eating brownies and enjoying a very happy school boy. He chose the game because his friend, Curbee was excited that he had a chance to get it and he wanted her to get to play it with him this weekend.

Here's Mommy, Daddy, Uncle Josh and Bryce playing a wild game of Hungry, Hungry Hippos. Bryce liked to switch which hippo he played each turn. We all played lots of hippos tonight!

Here's baby Collin while we were there. He had some real smiles for Nana...he's so sweet. He got a little fussy and went to sleep. Aunt Kiki, Uncle David and Mia couldn't come to the celebration because poor little Mia has some kind of "bug"....she's been throwing up all day and had to go to the doctor. :( Feel better soon Mia.

Collin is growing so fast, I'm pretty sure he's going to outgrow both Bryce and Mia soon. But, it doesn't matter--they are all such sweeties, whether they are big of small--I love them all so much. God is so good to me!!!

Gracie Jean Lockyer

2008-09-09T15:43:00.007-04:00

******UPDATE 9-22-08 Please read Amanda's plea for prayer for Gracie from today's date. She is going to leave the update up for 48 hours--they are asking all believers to pray for God's intervention and miraculous grace for little Gracie. She puts it so much better than I can, so please go visit their Caring Bridge page and then PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!

***Update 9-11-08--Our God is THE God of Miracles. Little Gracie actually coded on them, they removed her tubes, etc. so that her mommy could hold her. Her blood pressure dropped, pulse rate dropped down really low. Then, all of a sudden, her pressure went back up, all her numbers went up more in the range they should be. She's still critical, but is doing better. Please continue to pray for this little lady. Oh, and yeah, she has peed and peed.....lots of wet diapers--a real answer to prayer!!

**Update--9-10-08--Gracie's having LOTS of problems with her kidneys. They are giving her diuretics on top of diuretics and getting very little results. Please pray hard for her today--pray for her kidneys to start functioning as they should.

Meet Gracie Jean Lockyer. She is the granddaughter of a former pastor of ours (Pastor Jim and Denise Brown). Gracie Jean was born on March 7, 2008 and has been in the hospital since her birth. After birth they discovered that the left half of her heart had not developed properly. God has blessed this family with the life of this little princess. Her mommy and daddy (Todd and Amanda) have shown such strength and reliance on God during this whole time. (She has a big brother, Haddon, who loves her and prays for her all the time). Gracie has touched so many lives and has been a great witness for her Lord, even at this young age. Today, Gracie is not doing so well--she's got fluid built up and has been unable to pass urine, which is important to help her rid her little body of the fluid. She's had to have her ventilator kicked up again as well as some of her meds. Anyway, please pray for this little lady--her family is very special and loves her so much. They are relying fully on the grace and mercy of our God--who is SO GOOD. If you are interested in reading Gracie's story, you can find it at www.caringbridge.org/visit/graciejeanlockyer . Please join me in flooding the Throne of God in prayer for this baby and her family!!! Our God is able.

She's Off!!!

2008-09-07T21:55:00.007-04:00

About the last week or so, Mia has started getting braver in her attempts to walk independently. She did really well when pushing a laundry basket around the house (or a toy with wheels, etc.) and has done that for quite awhile. But, just the few days, she has decided to take off--take flight! Wednesday night at church she was in the nursery with Aunt Jayme and walked part way across the room. Krista said she had been trying to walk across the rooms at home too. So, yesterday, they were over here and she just walked and walked--went from one room to another. It is adorable. I guess it's been awhile since Bryce first started walking, so I had forgotten how beautiful and special that time is. She's such a sweet baby--I love her so much. She just happens to like me a little too. ;) Here are a few pictures I took of her yesterday. She was trying to walk outside and the ground is just so rough and the grass so dry. She did pretty well though.

Of course, while we had her outside, we took a few posed pictures of her. She's not quick enough with her walking yet to get away!! :)
She looks really sober in this picture--she's not usually like that. She's a happy girl most of the time.
How BIG is Baby Mia? Baby Mia is SO BIG!! One of her favorite "tricks". She also loves to holler for Papaw...although we're not convinced she actually realizes who Papaw is. :) But, she gets excited when she does see him, so maybe she does. She's growing up and is such a sweetie.

Matthew 6:33

2008-09-04T15:57:00.008-04:00

It seems like in the last 9 months to a year that God has been trying to teach me something. I'm either dense or just not getting it. :) But, anyway, I get a daily bible verse of the day to my e-mail inbox. It's been awhile back, but 2 days in a row, I got the same verse--Matthew 6:33. The first one came on a Sunday. While I was getting ready for church that morning (after checking my e-mail) I was watching a preacher on t.v. He referred to Matthew 6:33 in his message. Then on Monday, I check my e-mail--that's right, Matthew 6:33 again. I mentioned this coincidence (o.k., not a coincidence) to my pastor at the time. He gave me some messages pertaining to the Kingdom of God on CD. ( Matthew 6:33 says: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.) So, I listened to the CD's, still not completely getting it. I've now come to the conclusion that God wants me to see that not everyone in the kingdom of God is just like me. God's kingdom, or the dome in which God is King, always looks like Jesus dying on the cross. The kingdom of God is made up of people of every race, nationality, different denominations (yeah, it's hard to believe that Heaven is not going to be made up of Baptists only!! haha!!). God has been showing me that I am not the judge of people, I am here to love those around me--love the unloveable, the dirty, the addicts, the poor, the "religious" (legalists), etc. Do you ever wonder why the "undesirable" in the world don't seek out us Christians? They did seek out Jesus--they wanted to be with Him. He loved them where they were. Is it hard to love those whom we don't really "like"? Uh......YEAH!! I want my little world to be just like me--you know, dress like me, look like me, act like me, talk like me.......etc., however, the Kingdom of God is NOT about me. It's about glorifying God in all that I do--realizing that God loves the guy I see with the mohawk and 15 earrings--He loves him just like he loves me. Actually, I praise God that He is the one who is the King of His dome......I just know that I am SO imperfect and so judgemental at times. God, help me to live my life as a member of YOUR kingdom--loving and caring for those around me.

Oh, yeah, by the way, today, my verse delivered to my e-mail was-----Matthew 6:33. I'm listening Lord, speak more to me.

Photo Shoot

2008-09-01T22:10:00.005-04:00

Jayme wanted me to take some pictures of Bryce this evening for his birthday party invitations. It's always a challenge to get him to be still long enough to get anything and get him to have a decent look on his face. It was fun...although kind of difficult. Here are a few of the attempts.....
Don't worry.......I did get some that were much better than these--I just thought I would share some of the funny ones. He's a cat bird. But, oh, I love that boy so!!

Random Friday pictures

2008-08-29T22:18:00.008-04:00

Today was just a random Friday, but I did take a few pictures, so I thought it was an opportunity to share them on here. It's been a rough week--my mother-in-law is very seriously ill and in ICU. She had 2 major surgeries this week and one exploratory type procedure. She had congestive heart failure this afternoon and a mild heart attack. It's been especially rough on my hubby this week. He's got 2 workers off after some pretty serious surgeries, had a manager gone for a couple days and he's tried to keep up with the hospital too. Please pray for him and for his mom--this is a tough time. There was something so very special that happened today though, I had e-mailed some very dear friends who have moved away, asking them to pray for G'ma. And, today, lo and behold but a man I have always thought SO much of, showed up at the hospital to just encourage my husband. He said he was in the area, and it's not that I don't believe him, but wow.....do I love them all so. (Thanks so much Scott!!)

Anyway, my niece came to surprise her momma this weekend as a birthday surprise, so we were able to get together with them and with the kids for a little while this afternoon. It was nice to see her after several months!

Bryce is being a baby bird--he's in a nest at Aunt Kiki's house. He had a lot of fun being a bird and having everyone come in and see his nest......one at a time, but we all saw the birdie in the nest.

Mia loves playing with her babies. She's trying to get this baby to take it's pacifier. I realize that Mia's nose is a little shiny--she's had the snots for a few days. Sorry I didn't wipe her nose before I took the picture. :)

Here's Sharayah enjoying meeting her newest cousin, Collin. She hasn't been here since Easter, so she had not met him yet. I think she really enjoyed seeing all the kids, seeing them interact with one another, etc. Well, I guess you could call it interacting. :)

This evening, I had the opportunity to keep the boys while Josh and Jayme went out to eat dinner alone. I, of course, took the chance of having them here to snap a few pictures. :) Here's one of Collin and one of his beautiful (almost) smiles. He's starting to be more social and is a very good baby.

My Sweet Grandbabies

2008-08-27T22:17:00.007-04:00

The last couple posts are a little depressing to even me. I needed to get those things off my chest, but now I need to post something nice and sweet. So, what better than my grandbabies??? I have been terrible lately about taking pictures, so these may not be real new. Cute anyway, but not real new.

This is Bryce at the OPGA convention a couple weeks ago. He would pose for this picture because he thinks that pipe in the picture is a sewer--you know, where the Ninja Turtles live?? :) Who knows? He's so cute anyway!

Mia was looking at the ducks on the pond at the lodge. She loves ducks, talking about them and seeing them. She saw this picture on my computer and said "duck"...she remembered what we were looking for. Isn't she adorable? :) Of course, I'm kind of prejudice.

And, here's the tiny (hehe!) little Collin boy. He's hanging out with Papaw before the Presidential banquet in the first picture. He looks excited about going to the banquet, doesn't he? Well, the second picture shows you just how excited he was--he's at the banquet looking so excited in his bouncy seat at the dinner.

I guess these pics were all from the convention--but, they were cute pictures of my cute grandkids and I hadn't shared them yet. :)

**P.S. To those of you who have been praying for my mother-in-law, thanks so much. She made it through the 2nd major surgery of the week and one minor surgery/test. God is able and so good.

Continued:

2008-08-22T22:12:00.005-04:00

Yesterday's post was written out of frustration and hurt I think. We sat around last night and talked about things. We concluded that generally we are a people who care mostly about ourselves while the rest of the world is dying and going to Hell. Anyway, on my way to Cincinnati today, I listened to my new Brandon Heath CD (it's a good one!), the first song on the CD is so cool and speaks of what I'm talking about....It's called Give Me Your Eyes. It's about seeing hurting, lonely people everywhere and not even noticing. Then asking God to give us His eyes so that we might see. Here's the chorus

Give me Your eyes for just one second
Give me Your eyes so I can see
Everything that I keep missing
Give me Your love for humanity
Give me Your arms for the broken hearted
The ones that are far beyond my reach
Give me Your heart for the ones forgotten
Give me Your eyes so I can see

How awesome are those words? They are awesome, but also so convicting....Lord, please give me Your eyes......I need to see.

Why?

2008-08-21T22:36:00.002-04:00

I have been pondering on some very serious thoughts lately. Why is it that we, as Christians allow Satan to get our hearts and minds off of what is important in this life? It seems that some Christians are so busy finding fault with their brothers and sisters in Christ that they fail to see the reason we are all here--to win the lost for Christ and to ourselves, become more like Christ. Would Christ criticize a sister in Christ for wearing what he or she deems to be "not church clothes".......would Christ scoff at someone for reading a different version of His Word than the one of King James from 1611?

When will we be able to see people as people whom God loves so much that He sent His only Son to die for? In our ignorance, we continue to complain about the music we sang on Sunday, the verses the preacher read (did they step on toes?) or what Sister so and so was wearing....were those pants in the church??? When will we see the hurting people out in the world who have never seen the love of Jesus Christ? When will we be the ones to show them what Jesus looks like? He's not a picture on the wall of a Sunday School class--He is you and I, Christians (little Christs), living our lives before the world. We have Christ living in us--that's right, He is in us and we are in Him. Galatians 2:20 says that when we are saved we become new creations--old things are passed away!! What do you say, let's start living like we ARE new creations--IN CHRIST.

God has recently challenged me to pray for those hurting. It's amazing when you are burdened for hurting people how many He brings into your path. I want to say "But, God, I'm too emotional......I can't handle this"....then He reminds me that Jesus left Heaven, shed His blood and rose again that I might have the honor and priviledge to pray for those around me. Right now, I'm hurting for and praying for some people who have been hurt so deeply by other Christians. Let's each examine ourselves and be sure we aren't being so critical of one another that we fail to see the hurting, dying world before us.

Sorry--no cute pictures of my grandbabies tonight. I had to unload my heart here. Tomorrow I go to my doctor in Cincinnati, so I'm sure I'll have plenty of prayer time on the road. "Lord, help me to be an instrument for You--so that I may be acceptable to You--an Audience of One".

OPGA Convention

2008-08-19T21:44:00.009-04:00

This past Sunday we left right after Sunday school to head up to Newark, Ohio for the Ohio Propane Gas Association's annual convention. They have had it for a couple years at The Cherry Valley Lodge, which is a really nice place. The lodge is nice and it has an indoor water park that is attached to the lodge. So, the kids all went along (except David--he had to stay home and preach on Sunday). They all enjoyed the water park--Bryce tried the small slide and checked out a lot of the other water activities. He loved the edge of the little area, where the water shoots up out of the ground. Mia was afraid of nothing at the water park and was crawling in the pool--going further than she was able to crawl in. She was a hand-full, but was lots of fun too. I took her for awhile and she loved playing in the area where the water goes through different tubes, down to different little basin things (it's hard to describe).

Here's what Baby Collin did while at the water park. It was really, really warm (no, wait, it was HOT) in there and he was very, very sleepy, I guess. He's actually had some congestion stuff for a couple weeks and today had to go to the doctor--he has fluid on his ear drum and is on antibiotics (poor baby).

I also got a very rare picture (actually the first one) of all three of my grandchildren together. It's not that they aren't all together much--it's just that I've never been able to get them to all sit down or anything to take one.

I didn't say it was a good picture of them--but it is a picture! :) I think it's beautiful really, they are so special!! I guess the stripes in the chair in the lodge sort of cause it to look pretty busy. But, I'm thankful to have a couple pictures of them all together. I even got a picture of all my kids together--well, all that were there. It was a crazy evening--the Monday evening event is kind of dressy and everyone was tired from the water park. So, not everyone was happy to have to get their picture taken, but they were all there and in the picture.

I've got more cute pictures of the kids. If you see me and want to look at them, just ask. Just give me a few days to get them developed. :)

Maleigha

2008-08-15T16:11:00.006-04:00

Krista loaded some of her pictures of Mia on my computer, and there are a couple that are SO cute that I just had to share them. She wants to walk, and could if she would just let go and try, but she's not quite walking along yet. She loves to entertain though--last night they were over for a little while and she stood in the floor and clapped her hands and then absolutely cracked up when we all clapped and said "yay". She's a dainty little princess with a very BIG voice.

One of her "faces" she does. She does this a lot when she thinks she is in trouble--make Mommy or Daddy laugh, you know, they'll forget why they were correcting you. :)

I got her this little tutu skirt for her birthday. She was so cute in it. I think she knew she looked so cute in it.
Future D.J.? She loves music--listening to it and playing it. She's my sweet, precious girl!! She's such a gift from God.

My Two Precious Boys

2008-08-15T15:50:00.008-04:00

Jayme came over today for awhile to look at some music for youth group. The boys of course came alone and I decided it was a good opportunity to get a few pictures of Collin. For some reason, I haven't taken many pictures of him--life is just busy, I suppose. But, here are a few of him and of his big brother. I tell Bryce that now I have a "Precious big boy" ; a "precious little boy" ; and a "precious girl". God has blessed me with 3 wonderful grandchildren, that's for sure. I love each of them so much.

"Little" Collin is getting to be a very big boy....wouldn't you agree? He's so snuggly and sweet! He still eats about every 2 1/2 to 3 hours and is increasing his intake with those feedings. :) Gotta keep up with that chubby physique.Mommy is over at the side trying to get his to smile. He's smiling a little bit now--not real often, but give him another week and I just know he'll have smiles for everyone!!!

Big Brother wanted to get in on the picture taking action. Anytime you can get him to agree to pictures, you got to snap away! He's a great brother--even if he does from time to time think that Collin is deaf. :)

Bryce is getting sweet, juicy kisses from his baby brother. Is that not adorable? Bryce got a couple kisses from Collin today. He laughed and then wiped off the slobber. :) Wow, do I love these boys.

Meet Hoss....

2008-08-11T23:03:00.003-04:00

Collin has been growing like a bad weed. It's been awhile since I snapped any pictures of him--life has been too busy. I did take one of him at the fair the other night, but I need to take some real pictures of him. Here are a few I snapped this evening while I was up there. He had gone to sleep and I was holding his big brother on my lap, who also went to sleep. Bryce had a bad evening--he and his daddy went down to the church so that Bryce could ride his Gator and he got into a wasp nest and got stung several times. That on top of no nap and a dose of Benadryl made him go to sleep a little after 8:00 p.m. this evening. That's early for him. Anyway, here are a couple pictures of Collin, whom his mommy refers to as "Hoss"....also he's known as "Colly Wolly Doodle"....with a couple songs made up especially for him. He looks like he is pretending to sleep in these pictures, but he really is sleeping. I think the flash bothered him a little. He's a very sweet baby boy. Have I mentioned lately how God has blessed me in so many ways?? I have a tremendous family and I do praise God for them all--every one of them!!!

Jayme said this evening that he looks like he is outgrowing the bouncy seat and the swing--but he's still so young. Isn't he beautiful??? :)

Date with the Duncans

2008-08-08T21:31:00.006-04:00

Today Jayme and the boys and I had a chance to meet up with the Duncans to hang out for awhile in Ashland. The kids played on the play equipment at the mall for awhile, we ate lunch and we shopped a little bit (at the toy store, of course). The kids had so much fun hanging out together and speaking for myself, I had a great time catching up with them a bit. (I still miss them desperately!!) Anna Kate had a birthday on Wednesday, so I took her a little present and took Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle outfits for Bryce and Ben--they are both Michaelangelo now!

Here they are on the play equipment in the mall. It was hard to get a picture of them being still at all, so we had to make them "pose" for a few. Well, except for Anna Kate, bless her heart she's such a little lady--always ready to have her picture taken. She's a beautiful little lady--no wonder she likes to have her picture taken. And, Patty is always happy to oblige. :)

Bryce and Ben had a great time wrestling around and climbing all over the emergency equipment (in the play area). They are such boys though--chasing girls all over the place and climbing on everything. I have one picture of Ben that is priceless--but sorry, I can't really share it on here. Don't worry, Jennifer, I'll e-mail it to you. :) I love these kids so much and am so happy that God brought them into my life.

Oh, yeah, Collin was there too--here's a little picture of him. The Duncan kids both oohed and aahed over him and loved on him a little. Miss Jennifer got a chance to hold him for a little while too. Thanks for the fun day Duncan family. I love you all so and cherish the friendship we have and the time we got to spend together.

The Scioto County Fair--Woo Hoo!!

2008-08-08T07:41:00.008-04:00

The Scioto County Fair is supposed to be one of the nicest fairs in the state. We went out last night to take in the sites and sounds of the fair. Whew! There certainly were sounds! We got in the middle of the area where the rides are and it was deafening! :)

Krista and I took Mia out to the fair and at first she didn't know what to think--there were people everywhere. But, soon, she was getting into all the animals, the kids running around and the carnies booths, with wonderful things like blow-up Dora, Dora princess, etc. Here she is after she had her supper of a peanut butter and banana sandwich and some peas--yes, she is wearing a lot of it.

We met up with Josh, Jayme and the boys later and Bryce and Mia rode a couple of rides. Bryce didn't want to wait in lines very long, and it was really crowded, so they rode some boats and then they rode the carousel with their mommies. Mia loved riding the horse on there and Bryce really got into waving at Nana and Mamaw when they would go around and around. Here they are riding the boats together. I thought they were having fun, but not sure this picture portrays that, huh?

Baby Collin even got to go to the fair--here's a picture of the part he enjoyed the most. Keep in mind, he's 4 weeks old and a big boy.

Gotta keep those arms and legs chubby. :)

A Visit to the zoo

2008-08-06T22:10:00.006-04:00

Bryce and I had the opportunity to have a "Nana and Bryce" day today. We met my cousin and her grandson, Zachary at the Columbus Zoo for a day of fun! Zachary is adorable and quite a little gentleman. He told me that ever since he was a baby he missed me. (Which meant that he had never met me before and was happy to meet me, I think!). He turned 4 years old in May so he and Bryce are pretty close to the same age.

Bryce wanted to see "lions and tigers and bears, oh my". He wanted to see Mamaw's favorite animal (a giraffe) and Uncle Josh's favorite animal (a gorilla). We saw the lions, tigers and bears and some gorillas, however, there were no giraffe's to be found....except in the gift shop--the stuffed variety. The boys were in and out of the strollers to check out different animals. It was a great day, however the weather was kind of hot (I know, it IS August!!) and the animals were pretty lazy.

Bryce and I both liked the flamingos--he was amazed that they could just stand there on one leg. He asked why they had band aids on their legs (the tags they put on the to identify them). There was a baby flamingo that had been very sick and was now doing well.

I asked Zachary to sit down on a sculpture thing with Bryce so I could take a picture of them together. Not sure what he is doing, but we sure got a laugh out of the two of them--especially the look on Bryce's face. Thanks to Susie and Zachary for a fun day at the zoo. I loved spending the time with my favorite big boy too--he's a great little guy. Bryce was especially excited to go to the zoo after VBS last week. They learned a song that said "my cousins are not monkeys, they never lived in a zoo".....well, you can be the judge of that!!! Some of the monkeys sure did look familiar. :)

Happy Birthday, Josh

2008-08-02T22:46:00.009-04:00

My youngest son, my baby boy turned 23 years old today. It seems like he should be about 10 or 11, not 23. He's turned into such a great young man--we are so proud of him. He's just recently started working for Arrick's Propane as Business Development Manager, making the "family business" extend to more of the family. I'm more proud of the fact that he is a young man who is seeking God for direction in his life. He's learned a lot of lessons in the last year or so, but the one that has been the most important is that God is real and the most important part of his life. Like I said, we are very proud of him.

We had a little family get together tonight for his birthday. He had talked about having Chicago style pizza while in Chicago, so Krista found a recipe for it and I made a couple of those for his birthday dinner. We had peanut butter Rice Krispie treats with fudgy icing and homemade ice cream for dessert. The kids had a great time getting together and Bryce was so nice to Mia this evening, I was really proud of him too.

I won the bid recently on e-bay for some vintage Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Now, Josh collected these back in the late 80's early 90's. Bryce has discovered Uncle Josh's treasures and loves the Turtles. So, the collection came today of all times. Jayme suggested that I wrap them up for Josh, just to see Bryce's face when he saw them. He was so excited--made that $4.95 purchase SO worth it. Here's Uncle Josh showing Bryce that they now have April! There were a lot of the figures in that collection that we couldn't find of Josh's, so they were both pretty excited.

Mia went swimming for a little while with Mommy and Daddy, then came in and got her p.j.'s on. Here she is having a snack before going home. She had a lot of fun at Uncle Josh's party too and Bryce even shared some of the new Turtles with her--mostly the ones that he already had, but it's a start. :)
Baby Collin got sleepy and sacked out on the couch for quite awhile. His little outfit says "If you think I'm handsome, you should see my Uncle"....it was in honor of Uncle Josh's birthday. He's a sweet baby, that's for sure.

So, anyway, Happy Birthday Josh. We all love you LOTS.

Bryce and his many faces.....

2008-07-28T08:27:00.008-04:00

One evening we were over at the Greenes and Bryce noticed that Mamaw was drinking coffee out of a Wizard of Oz coffee mug. He remembered being the Scarecrow for Halloween and I whispered to him and asked if he wanted to go put the costume on and surprise everyone. (I didn't get a picture of the scarecrow) So, we started with the scarecrow and then he wanted to put on this lion costume--the one he wore for Halloween the year he was 13 months old, so it was pretty small. Next came the frog, which I didn't get a picture of either. He wore the frog costume when he was just barely 2. So, then Mommy got involved and she found some other fun things for him to wear.

Next was his "soldier" costume that Mason gave him. They were all trying to teach him to salute here--although the "at attention" thing could use some work too, huh? He ran around with this on for a few minutes while we were all talking about sending a picture of him to Uncle John in Iraq. Then he and Mommy disappeared again..........

.... and, out came this wonderful little OSU football player. He took the helmet off and on a couple times and then I convinced him to put it on one more time to let me take a picture with my phone to send Uncle Josh who was gone for the evening. I knew that Uncle Josh would love to see his little buddy all decked out in the uniform of his favorite team.

Bryce has gotten to the point that he doesn't want to "pose" for pictures much anymore and he gets mad sometimes if I try to take a picture of him doing something I think is cute. But he did enjoy dressing up that evening and taking pictures. Thanks for the fun Buddy.

Birthday party

2008-07-27T14:33:00.004-04:00

I thought I would share just a couple pictures from Mia's party yesterday. She had a lot of fun and was very good. She got a lot of nice presents and had a lot of family and friends there to celebrate with her. She had her little 1st Birthday crown hat on--which she left on for a long time (until the cake was everywhere).

She was very timid at first with her cake, but she got into it finally. She had it everywhere and had crawled around all over the garage floor. So, by the end of the evening, it's guaranteed she got a bath. :) Happy Birthday Mia. Your party was great. Here are a couple more pictures I took. Krista made all the cakes and cookies--which were delicious. The picture here doesn't show the little cake she made for Mia--it was already on her high chair tray.

Here she is in the new chair she got with a ballerina bear she got--loving the bear!

Happy Birthday Maleigha!

2008-07-25T09:31:00.006-04:00

Well, today is Maleigha's very first birthday. The first picture is her at 4 days old and the one at the bottom is just about 2 weeks before her birthday. She is such a little princess and such a sweet little lady. The year has gone by so quickly--it seems like it's only been a couple months ago that I was in Louisville, helping Krista with "the new baby". That was a very special time for me--I got to spend a lot of time holding Mia and just loving on her. I remember the day I had to leave to go home though as being one of the worst. It broke my heart to leave her and her mommy there. But, all went well for them and they were there for about 4 months after she was born. We are so blessed to have them live close enough now that we get to see her pretty often. We all love you so much, Mia. Happy Birthday little lady.

Collin

2008-07-22T08:14:00.007-04:00

I realized last night that I haven't posted any pictures of Baby Collin since the hospital one. He's growing and changing every time I see him. He is 13 days old today--and loved very much. He had some trouble with jaundice and was on a bili light, which we affectionately referred to as his "tail". He had to wear it 24/7 for about 5 days. It made it a little more difficult to snuggle with him, change him, etc. The blanket made him look like a little glo-worm.

Collin is a great baby. He is sweet and happy most of the time. He made his first trip to Toro Loco on Saturday evening and went to Walmart on Monday. He's fitting in great! We all praise God for him. God watched over Jayme during her pregnancy and during her long labor and delivery. He protected Collin during his development and his long trip into the world. Our God is SO good. Thank you Lord for this little life.

This picture was taken on Saturday night after we went to Toro Loco. It was his first trip (on the outside) there, but I'm sure it won't be his last. Anyone who reads my blog, I'm sure knows it's our favorite place to eat.

Princess Maleigha

2008-07-21T17:30:00.006-04:00

This is a big week for our family. On Friday, July 25th, Maleigha will be turning one year old. It's hard to believe that a year has passed since her birth. She is a miracle from God and a wonderful gift to the whole family. David and Krista had some trouble getting her, but we are so thankful to God for allowing us all to enjoy her.

I'm not sure how she's going to react, but she's going to have a big family party on Saturday--complete with her own cake and everything. Her mommy is getting things ready for the big event.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MALEIGHA. Nana loves you so much......and is so thankful for your little life. God certainly blessed us all when He sent us you. We give Him all the praise for the wonderful year we've had with you. I can't wait to see what all He has in store for you. :)

Donatello

2008-07-15T10:14:00.009-04:00

I would like to introduce you to my grandson, Donatello! In the last 3 weeks or so, Bryce has become very interested (o.k., obsessed) with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It started out that he and I went to the Family Dollar store while waiting for Uncle Josh and Papaw one evening and found some little Turtles. Uncle Josh told Bryce about having some bigger ones that he had when he was a little boy. So, now, Bryce IS a Ninja Turtle. I've been told (thanks for remembering Stacy) that Josh was all about Ninja Turtles when he was younger. I remember him really liking them, but I guess the extent of it has slipped my mind.

Josh and Jayme had to take baby Collin to get his bilirubin checked on Saturday, and Bryce wore his Donatello costume to the hospital. It ended up taking longer than they thought it would, so Josh took Bryce to Wendy's to get some lunch. I guess a lady there was talking to Bryce and asked his name. Josh said "His name is Bryce"....so she asked the question again to Bryce. He whispered to his daddy "It's Donatello"......so, the lady then addressed him as Donatello. He loves it when he gets Uncle Josh to himself to play Ninja Turtles with him--or beat someone up with the stick that came with the Donatello costume. :)

So, this post is for you, Donatello. Nana loves you precious boy. You are my precious BIG boy now. I am very proud of you and how well you are doing with your baby brother. God gave Collin the best big brother ever. And, He gave Bryce (er, I mean Donatello) a very special baby brother....(whom Bryce has nicknamed Michaelangelo....the party dude!)

Collin Isaiah Greene

2008-07-10T15:43:00.006-04:00

Well, our beautiful new grandson arrived at 4:08 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9. He took his precious time coming and the process was pretty hard on his wonderful mommy, but I'm sure she would say that he was well worth the whole thing. He weighed in at 9 lbs. 3 oz. and was 22 inches long. Yeah, and he was 8 days early. I guess he wanted to try to be as big as his Uncle Josh. It was such a blessing for me to be able to be at the hospital when Collin arrived. So far, I've been able to be at the hospital when each of my 3 grandchildren were born. I'm so appreciative to Aunt Kiki and Uncle Josh for making that possible this time. They were so gracious to volunteer to care for Bryce while we were at the hospital. It's been a fun experience to spend so much time with Bryce the last 3 or 4 days too. He's a sweet boy who truly loves his new baby brother.

Bryce thinks that Collin is "so cute". Josh was videoing him when he was holding him for the first time and he said "he's so cute" and then "Mommy, I love him". Today when I took him home, he hurried up the steps to see his baby Collin--at home!

Krista brought Mia down to the hospital so that they could see Baby Collin and check on Jayme. Mia couldn't get enough of the baby. I'm holding her here along with Collin. I asked her to "give Baby Collin some love" and she laid her head down on him and patted the back of his papoose thing.

God has blessed me so much with such a wonderful family. I am truly not worthy, but am so, so, very thankful. To God be ALL the glory and praise.

Happy Independence Day

2008-07-04T22:49:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share a cute picture of Bryce and Maleigha I took today. We had a family picnic (well, sort of picnic--it rained pretty much all day). It was a good day though--a day spent with family. Next holiday we all get together, there will be another little person here to celebrate with us. Another precious little baby! Woo Hoo. Anyway, here's the picture. I hope everyone had a wonderful Independence Day.

O.k., so the picture isn't that good--I had a hard time getting them to cooperate today. :) They are still cute though!! And, very sweet. But, then I may or may not be prejudice.

Baby Collin

2008-07-04T08:57:00.004-04:00

Although this 4-D ultrasound was taken several weeks ago, it's the only picture I have of little Collin on my computer. However, it will only be a few days now until I will be posting pictures of his beautiful little face on here--real pictures from the outside! That's right, folks.....we have a date. Jayme will be admitted to the hospital late morning on Monday, July 7 and will receive her blood product she needs before delivery. Then, early Tuesday, July 8, the doctor will begin the process of induction. So, please pray for Josh, Jayme, Bryce, Collin, and well, all of us those couple of days. It's an exciting time, but kind of stressful also. I promise that I will post pictures as soon as possible after he's born. God is SO good.

Sweet girl

2008-07-04T08:48:00.003-04:00

Little Miss Maleigha is quickly approaching her first birthday. It's so hard for me to believe that it's been almost a year since she was born. It's true what they say about time going by quickly the older you get. Mia is crawling really well, pulling up to anything that is taller than 6 inches off the ground and walking around things. Yesterday I was over there and she just acted like she wanted to let go of the coffee table and take off. I tried bribing her with her Cabbage Patch baby, but she quickly dropped down and crawled quickly to the baby. She's been such a great baby and I'm sure she will be a wonderful one-year old.......still a baby.

It's so cute and sweet the way that Mia feels about her Uncle Josh too. She gets so excited when she sees him that she yells at him and waves. She especially likes it when he lets her play with the remote--something that's a no-no at home. :)

Growing, Growing

2008-06-29T16:55:00.002-04:00

Baby Collin seems to be in no big hurry to come out and meet his family. He seems to be growing and growing. The plans were for Jayme to be admitted to the hospital on July 6 (next Sunday) and then begin induction on July 7. However, she has made no progress on her own, so her doctor doesn't want to induce until she does something on her own. Please pray for Jayme and for Baby Collin as the date of his delivery comes closer. Jayme has a clotting factor deficiency, so her delivery requires a little extra planning. Her doctor would rather she not go into labor on her own, just progress a little.

Don't be mad at me, Jayme.....but, I had to add this picture of you with your beautiful pregnant belly--can't wait to meet that little guy.

I Am Stuck on Band-Aids

2008-06-25T21:27:00.003-04:00

Bryce has always been afraid of Band-aids. We figure it's because whenever he has to get a shot, they put a Band-aid on it. So, Jayme and I have always thought that he associated them to the shots, therefore was terrified of them. Well......things are now different. He had a little hangnail about a week or so ago and Jayme convinced him that a Band-aid would make it feel better. So, after he saw that it didn't hurt at all. He now adds a new one every few hours. I counted today and he had 7 on him....from head to toe.

While I was there today, helping Jayme around the house a little, I got a little cut on my leg. Well, Bryce came to my rescue with a Ratatouille Band-aid. Then he thought I needed another one for my hand, so the germs didn't get on me. He met me when I got there in his pajamas looking the way he does in the picture below....told me "Nana (prounounced by him with a long "a" sound) you can help Mommy for a little bit and then you can play with me, o.k.?" It was a fun day.

Slumber party

2008-06-21T20:58:00.004-04:00

This past week, on Thursday, I had the privilege of having Maleigha spend the night with us. Her mommy and Daddy had an anniversary on Thursday and decided to go to Cincinnati to celebrate with dinner and some shopping. So, Miss Mia got to spend the day and night with Nana, Papaw and Uncle Josh. God has blessed me so greatly with 2 wonderful grandkids and I am so happy that I get to spend time with each of them. Mia is a great baby and was no trouble at all, except that Nana is getting old and gets worn out easily!! Then today, Krista and David had an opportunity to be a part of a vow renewal of some friends in Athens. So, Mia got to stay with Nana again. She went to a jewelry party with Aunt Jayme and Nana and was the center of attention there.

I tried to get some good pictures of her while she was here. She's a sweetie and pretty good about pictures. Here's one that's pretty cute.

Patiently Waiting for Baby Collin

2008-06-21T20:50:00.005-04:00

I'm a week behind on my blog it seems. But, last Saturday some very sweet ladies at church had a baby shower for Jayme and Baby Collin. He got some great new clothes, lots of diapers to fill up and some useful things for his nursery. We are all anxious to meet this little guy, especially his big brother. Anyway, Jayme didn't know it, but a friend from church and I invited our former pastor's wife to the shower. I snapped a cute picture of Jayme when she saw Jennifer come in at the shower. The Duncans were like family to us and any time we get to see them is automatically special. I am so thankful that God allowed us to get to know them and love them for over 5 years.

Isn't the look of surprise on her face great? The shower was great--the Beckett ladies did a great job. And, as my title said, we are still patiently awaiting the arrival of Baby Collin.

Here's a great picture of Bryce with his future wife, Anna Kate. They had a great time playing together again. I love the look on his face in this picture.

Where the Wild Things Are

2008-06-17T20:47:00.011-04:00

Have you ever seen the children's book "Where the Wild Things Are"? Well, I'm pretty sure I've found the "wild things" the last couple days in my swimming pool. I know that anyone who reads my blog is probably getting tired of seeing pool pictures of the grandkids. However, I promised Bryce last night that I would post the pictures of him going off the diving board--"with nobody to catch him". And, then Mia was here this evening, being absolutely wild too. She wanted Krista to just let go of her and let her go. She's a wiggly, squiggly baby girl. Uncle Josh was just commenting today, too, about how wild Bryce is in the pool--not afraid of anything!! He was everywhere last night. They threw him up and tossed him and pushed him on the jet ski, etc.

The jump and the splash!!! He's good at the diving board now!

Bryce does a cool Doodlebop game with his dad too. I'll have to post pictures of that sometime soon too. He's wild!!

Krista blew in Mia's face to get her to hold her breath. Then it was down under the water she went. She looks a little startled in that second picture, doesn't she?

I will try to post something a little more exciting in the near future. It won't be long before there will be pictures on here of the new baby, Collin. I praise God for my grandkids. They are very special to this Nana. It sounds like I'm going to get to spend quite a bit of time with each of them in the next few weeks. Please pray for the safe arrival of Baby Collin, sometime during the first week or so of July--the dates are still up in the air a little.

Unity in the Body of Christ

2008-06-14T08:58:00.003-04:00

I have been challenged (or maybe convicted) recently by the thought of having "ill" against a brother or sister in Christ. As a Christian, I am part of the body of Christ. Our pastor used to ask the question "Who is the Church?" Well, "the church" is not the building, the pews or the contents of the building, but the people of the congregation--those who are part of the Body of Christ--a Christian. The Bible tells us that we are to forgive those who have done wrong against us. I have read several passages relating to that and prayed for God to help me to forgive those whom have hurt me. But, just in the last couple weeks, I've discovered how hard that is!! Then I think about how much I have or have had in my life that needs God's forgiveness and He has already forgiven those things--past, present and future. All because of Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection. (Can you tell that my poor mind has been having a tremendous wrestling match??)

It's easy to tell others, "You just need to forgive that, forget it and get over it". However, when the hurt involves you or those you dearly love, it gets harder to actually put into practice. We need to pray constantly for one another that we will have a forgiving spirit and remember the things that Christ has done for us. Colossians 3:13 says: "bearing with one another and if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.

So, as I begin a new week, please pray for me that I will be able to forgive the wrongs I have seen done against me and those I love--that I will forgive seven times seven. I pray that I will be able to remember those things that God has forgiven me of--because I am in Christ. As we are at the present time without a pastor, it is even more important that we pray for one another and pray for unity in the body of Christ--in our local body. Praying that each person will perform the duty that he or she is called by God to do.

A Promise Fulfilled

2008-06-11T15:43:00.004-04:00

Today the girls and the kids came over to swim for a little while. Bryce has a new "trick" he does--jumping off the side. I took some pictures of it and promised him that if the pictures turned out good, I would put them on my blog. So, here are the pictures of Bryce's new trick.

Mia did a new trick today too, but I was in the pool at the same time and didn't get pictures of it. Krista blew in her face and put her under water--and she loved it. She spit and sputtered a little, but really liked it. It was a fun day.

Learning Lessons

2008-06-09T15:39:00.003-04:00

Our pastor (whom we dearly loved) resigned and left our church in February. From that time on, we have had a different preacher each Sunday to fill the pulpit. Some have been "potential candidates", while others have been there to preach just for the one Sunday. It's hard sometimes to go from week to week, knowing that there will be someone different there each week. However, there have been some men who have preached whom have truly blessed us with great messages from God's word and presented the Word of God very well.

We had a local pastor who offered to fill the pulpit last night just for the evening. He has been a pastor at his church for 21 years--a great deal of time for a pastor to be at one church. He was very encouraging and yet challenging at the same time. God has brought one certain phrase to my attention about 10 times in the last 6 weeks or so. I heard it again last night. The pastor was preaching about unity in the local church and forgiving those who have wronged us in the church. (That was the challenging part to me!) He then said that we needed to remember that our lives needed to be lived to glorify God--pleasing an "Audience of One" (that's the phrase!!). I have been praying that God will show me how my life needs to be led to be pleasing to Him--with Christ living through me, may I see that I need to be pleasing to that "Audience of One".

God uses people in my life each and every day to teach me a new lesson. Sometimes it's a message I hear, sometimes it's through one of my own kids or grandkids. :) I am thankful that He loves me and wants me to be more like Jesus Christ and that He wants me to learn lessons.