So, I am typing this blog from a place where I can't add pictures. I know - shocking that I would blog without pictures! :) And trust me, I have plenty of pictures to share! After all, we have had the birth of another grandchild! And Christa is EXCELLENT at sending us constant pictures of the beautiful grandchildren my kids keep tucked FAR AWAY in Florida. No, I am not bitter or upset by that at all! After all, (as David often reminds his parents) WE are the ones who moved away! :)
April 15th is normally a day that strikes fear in our hearts since we have to pay taxes that day. Isn't self-employment just the dreamiest thing???? Or not! Anyway, I digress! :) After more than one hour of labor, little miss Estaley Bronwyn Ruth Wilhelm entered this world at 12:52 pm weighing 8.2 pounds and 21 inches long. A beautiful little girl who has turned her mom and dad into complete mush! :) Mommy, Daddy and baby are all adjusting as normally as possible with proud grandparents close by. She is a good little baby when she decides to let her parents sleep at night but I am pretty sure they wouldn't trade her for anything! Now, the little four legged creature who barks loud on occasion and wakes her up - he might be traded for a little copper penny!!
It appears this post is turning into a sappy "Nana" post! But, want to know something really cool?? I love my iPhone! I love being able to do Facetime with all the kids! What is so neat is when Christa calls and she shows Lil' David my face and I say "Hi" he just instantly smiles! It is pretty neat this technology thing! Listening to Addison chatter away and watching her little mind work is so cool! I can't always understand what she is saying but let me tell you, she works hard to get her point across! Being apart is not easy but our handy, dandy little smart phones help a lot! :) David is not necessarily fond of phones much but it is a neat thing to watch him interact with his kiddos! He and Christa do a pretty awesome job at the parent thing as well!
As for Josh and Carrie, I love being able to call and see them whenever. That is especially easy with them because they aren't often apart - a fact we tease them about a lot! :) They are both finishing up some college courses and working! And yes, so that you all know - I keep asking for more grandkids but man, adult children just don't always listen to their parents! :)
So - once again I am posting about my great kids, wonderful grandchildren which problem draws groans from the few who read here. But, want to know what is really great??? Enjoying this phase of life called the "empty nest" with my best friend ever. We are gone a lot on weekends - it is obvious if you go look inside my house. It suffers greatly from a dust overload. But, dust or no dust, I am thoroughly enjoying spending time with Dave and just "living life" together!
Ok - that is it for now! Who knows, I may go home today and add some pictures to this! :) I guess you will just have to wait and see!
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Saturday, March 9, 2013
Resting
One of my very favorite pictures of me and my Daddy was taken long before my "memory" kicked in. I was a baby - Dad was in a rocking chair with me laying on his shoulder and we both were asleep. Being held by my Dad - that picture is such a treasure for me. My Dad was no weakling let me tell you! Just ask my brothers who often tried to get Dad to play "mercy" with them. Remember that game where you lock hands and see who says "mercy" first? Yea - it was NEVER Dad! :)) Anyway, the older I got the more I enjoyed those times when Dad would wrap his big arms around me. That emotion?? One of rest. I was safe because Daddy was holding me.
April 16th, 1995 - Easter Sunday - my Daddy went to be with Jesus. I can choose to either sit here and smile as I remember him or I could burst into tears. Given my current location - I think I should stick with the smile. :)) There have been some pretty dark times when I longed for a hug. That place of safety and rest that I thought only came from Dad. Fast forward to now - that testimony spoke VOLUMES to me. When the load gets heavy, the path dark, the way unknown, the fears huge - when life becomes unbearable....I picture myself being pulled into the arms of my heavenly Father. Rest. It doesn't change my circumstance at the precise moment. I still "feel" the heaviness of life but.....there is comfort in knowing that I can rest in His arms and trust that all is well because HE loves me so much more than my earthly Father could have.
So - I am resting. Today? Not an easy thing to do. Burden is heavy, life is.......interesting. But, my Father is holding me and that is all I need for now.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
What God Has Been Teaching Me - or at least trying to...
If I could physically see God today, He would be sitting down in His chair with His hands folded gently in front of Him while silently shaking His head in wonder that this one particular child learns more difficult lessons. He has to be wondering how much longer it will be before she learns these lessons He is desperately trying to teach her.
Oh.....that "her" would be me. If I could, I would update my blog on a frequent basis telling of all the things Christ is trying to teach me but I can't stay logged on to the Internet ALLLLLLLLLL day! :) So instead, I just update when I can and in the midst, I learn. Well, at least I TRY to learn. I won't admit to being able to "wow" everyone with great decorating ideas like some friends I have. I surely do not have missionary stories to tell like another friend. No homeschooling ideas or great cooking recipes are coming from me. The one neat thing I have learned recently is that I am free to be me. My identity is not in what others think of me or how I compare to others! We each have our "spot" in this world and I intend to fill my spot by living as Christ would have me to! :)
So - what am I learning???
1) A renewed passion to read the Bible. You may think "Well, shouldn't that be a given?" Yes it should but, be honest - how many of you read out of habit and not because you WANT to? Just a thought. I will confess and say that I still don't read as much as I should or as consistently as I should but when I read, I ENJOY it! And, God is teaching me through that!
2) Prayer is not confined to a particular place, time or style. I am NOT a morning person. Yes, I still get up early every morning but I DON'T like it one little bit! :) But, I have been learning to pray at all kinds of times. Of course, the Lord has a tendency to have a sense of humor where I am concerned so He has been waking me up at about 4 or 4:30 in the morning! And, reminding me often that I can turn the radio off on my 25 minute drive to work. Again - His sense of humor.....it is easy to pray when there is snow and ice on 39 which has to be the worst highway ever during the winter! But, there is power in prayer. Even those short few minutes when I get off the phone with a friend, receive a text from family, read a status on Facebook....there is no limit to prayer and that is a comforting thought!
3) Music is such a powerful tool. I love Pandora - I love being able to choose what "station" I need to listen to for the moment. I am not a person who likes quiet. I know, it is supposed to be good for you but it isn't always for me. I like noise - especially when I am cleaning which is not something I enjoy! Music helps me tolerate cleaning! :)) This morning on the way to work I turned the radio on to catch the latest Odyssey episode (which should shock more than one family member). The song I heard?? "I Know My Redeemer Lives". Yea, music speaks to me!!
4) Reading is so good for me. I love to read! I could spend most of my day reading. I like to read books, blogs, short stories - you name it and I like to read it! However, there is such a thing as filling my mind with just junk. I don't mean stuff that NO Christian should read - I mean junk...or what some people would call "fluff". So, I am on a mission! I am looking for books to read! And yes - Dave......I know our bookshelves are full of them and that is where I am starting! :)) I am sorry - I had to put that in there! Besides, I know for a fact he will be reading this soon! :)
5) The last thing I will write about is how God is teaching me - ever so slowly - that more prayer and less talk is needed in my life. And here, I shall insert a hearty "AMEN" from my children! :)) I think they get tired of Mom's "talking" to them! All Mom's know to stop "telling" our kids what to do is incredibly hard! Funny thing, God is doing such a MUCH better job of leading my kids than I EVER will!!
So - that is what I am learning! And, how blessed I am that God is so patient with His teaching!!
Oh.....that "her" would be me. If I could, I would update my blog on a frequent basis telling of all the things Christ is trying to teach me but I can't stay logged on to the Internet ALLLLLLLLLL day! :) So instead, I just update when I can and in the midst, I learn. Well, at least I TRY to learn. I won't admit to being able to "wow" everyone with great decorating ideas like some friends I have. I surely do not have missionary stories to tell like another friend. No homeschooling ideas or great cooking recipes are coming from me. The one neat thing I have learned recently is that I am free to be me. My identity is not in what others think of me or how I compare to others! We each have our "spot" in this world and I intend to fill my spot by living as Christ would have me to! :)
So - what am I learning???
1) A renewed passion to read the Bible. You may think "Well, shouldn't that be a given?" Yes it should but, be honest - how many of you read out of habit and not because you WANT to? Just a thought. I will confess and say that I still don't read as much as I should or as consistently as I should but when I read, I ENJOY it! And, God is teaching me through that!
2) Prayer is not confined to a particular place, time or style. I am NOT a morning person. Yes, I still get up early every morning but I DON'T like it one little bit! :) But, I have been learning to pray at all kinds of times. Of course, the Lord has a tendency to have a sense of humor where I am concerned so He has been waking me up at about 4 or 4:30 in the morning! And, reminding me often that I can turn the radio off on my 25 minute drive to work. Again - His sense of humor.....it is easy to pray when there is snow and ice on 39 which has to be the worst highway ever during the winter! But, there is power in prayer. Even those short few minutes when I get off the phone with a friend, receive a text from family, read a status on Facebook....there is no limit to prayer and that is a comforting thought!
3) Music is such a powerful tool. I love Pandora - I love being able to choose what "station" I need to listen to for the moment. I am not a person who likes quiet. I know, it is supposed to be good for you but it isn't always for me. I like noise - especially when I am cleaning which is not something I enjoy! Music helps me tolerate cleaning! :)) This morning on the way to work I turned the radio on to catch the latest Odyssey episode (which should shock more than one family member). The song I heard?? "I Know My Redeemer Lives". Yea, music speaks to me!!
4) Reading is so good for me. I love to read! I could spend most of my day reading. I like to read books, blogs, short stories - you name it and I like to read it! However, there is such a thing as filling my mind with just junk. I don't mean stuff that NO Christian should read - I mean junk...or what some people would call "fluff". So, I am on a mission! I am looking for books to read! And yes - Dave......I know our bookshelves are full of them and that is where I am starting! :)) I am sorry - I had to put that in there! Besides, I know for a fact he will be reading this soon! :)
5) The last thing I will write about is how God is teaching me - ever so slowly - that more prayer and less talk is needed in my life. And here, I shall insert a hearty "AMEN" from my children! :)) I think they get tired of Mom's "talking" to them! All Mom's know to stop "telling" our kids what to do is incredibly hard! Funny thing, God is doing such a MUCH better job of leading my kids than I EVER will!!
So - that is what I am learning! And, how blessed I am that God is so patient with His teaching!!
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Lessons Learned
I know that there aren't too many people who read my blog which is completely understandable since I am of the opinion that blogging is somewhat a thing of the past. But, for me - it may become a journal of sorts.
I have learned some tough lessons in life. We all have I am sure. And, some people have learned things by going through much more difficult things that I have even thought about. One area where I have learned a lot is in relationships with people. There are family relationships, friend relationships, work relationships and even closer ones than that such as with my children and husband. Here is a very transparent me saying that for years my life revolved around my relationship with people. I wanted to be around people all the time. I loved the idea of getting together with people, having people over, having parties and get-togethers. I loved being on the phone, talking to people, going shopping, out to eat - you name it and I wanted it to involve people.
But - life happens. Hurts happen. Painful things happen. We grow up. We change. We mature (or we are supposed to). We move. We change churches. Our living situation changes. It is inevitable - change happens. For me, I changed. I developed some well-placed boundaries and some other NOT so well-placed boundaries. I struggled with my identity. I needed to try to learn who I was and who and what really mattered in my life. I can't say that I have "arrived" but I have learned a LOT about what really matters to me. What I did was make a choice. I chose to allow God to teach me about relationships. By no means have I learned everything that I need to. Trust me - this is a work in progress.
My friendships are varied. Some closer than others, some not so close. Some are close on purpose, some are not so close on purpose. I have a variety of friendships that meet a variety of "needs". And you know what? That is okay with me. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I need! I don't have to put myself in a box in my relationships. I am not sure that I did before but I felt like I did. It may have been a preconceived feeling on my part. :)) I'm learning to be content with my friendships.
My relationships with my family are different. I don't think my sister reads this but just in case she does, I will start with this disclaimer - sorry Sandy! :) My sister and I were never really that close growing up. She was 9 years older than me and we were/are VERY different. But, in the last 4 years or so, our relationship has changed and if that is the only thing I moved to Indiana for, then it has been worth it. For the record, she really hasn't changed that much but I sure have! :)) In the past in my family, I always wanted to "fix" everything and everybody. Now, I love my family but I have learned the importance of allowing them to be themselves! :))
The most significant changes have come in my relationships with my children, their spouses and my husband! Let me preface this by saying that NOTHING will change the fact that I am a nosy, worrisome Mom!! :)) But, I have to admit I like the friendships I have developed with my kids! They are very different! With David, he doesn't call home often but when he does, we talk about all kinds of stuff! We argue and debate and have a blast while we do it! He is the one child of mine who has the ability to pull out all my emotion but I love him to death for it! :) And, thank GOD for Christa and the relationship we have with her or we wouldn't know anything about David! :)) With Carrie - there are days when she probably wishes she didn't have to talk to me! :)) I don't know - there is a certain tone to her voice so I just know if there is something right or wrong in her world! :) We just talk about all kinds of stuff and I like that she feels comfortable enough to talk to me! Josh?? He is so fun to talk to and he is usually picking on Carrie when I do talk to him! Then there is Ashley - poor Ashley....she is so much like her Mommy! And the hard part for her is that she is living the closest! But, she is usually the first one to text me wanting to know about my day! I like that! And, Andrew is probably the fastest one of the 6 to come up and give me a hug! That means a lot! I text my kids a lot! :)) They always know when my Mommy Radar is up because they all get a text from me that reminds them to stay close to Jesus and keep HIM first! Our relationships have changed - they aren't home for me to control anymore so I pray! But I so appreciate my relationship with my kids!
The absolute best change of all has happened in my relationship with Dave. We just like this empty nest thing! Well, I do. :)) I am not sure he enjoys all the "honey do list" that I come up with! :) Before, I wanted to be with people, do things with friends, talk to friends on the phone, shop with friends. Now, I just want to do things with Dave. He is my very best friend in the world and I wouldn't trade my "friendship" with him for anything! He leads by his Godly example, keeps my feet firmly planted where they need to be, is fun to be around, can fix anything at the house, reminds me of what is important and loves me in spite of myself.
What does all this rambling mean?? I am so grateful for the changes God is making in me to help me see what matters in my relationships. The reason why this matters is because I started to withdraw and stay away from people because I didn't want to be hurt anymore. I am so thankful that He very gently prods me when I need to make a change in a relationship and helps me to see unhealthy relationships and guides my boundaries for them. He is STILL helping me with my priorities where some relationships are concerned and I am so grateful for His continued leadership. The longer I live the more I see that God's guidelines for my relationships is what matters and I am very thankful He is still teaching me!
I have learned some tough lessons in life. We all have I am sure. And, some people have learned things by going through much more difficult things that I have even thought about. One area where I have learned a lot is in relationships with people. There are family relationships, friend relationships, work relationships and even closer ones than that such as with my children and husband. Here is a very transparent me saying that for years my life revolved around my relationship with people. I wanted to be around people all the time. I loved the idea of getting together with people, having people over, having parties and get-togethers. I loved being on the phone, talking to people, going shopping, out to eat - you name it and I wanted it to involve people.
But - life happens. Hurts happen. Painful things happen. We grow up. We change. We mature (or we are supposed to). We move. We change churches. Our living situation changes. It is inevitable - change happens. For me, I changed. I developed some well-placed boundaries and some other NOT so well-placed boundaries. I struggled with my identity. I needed to try to learn who I was and who and what really mattered in my life. I can't say that I have "arrived" but I have learned a LOT about what really matters to me. What I did was make a choice. I chose to allow God to teach me about relationships. By no means have I learned everything that I need to. Trust me - this is a work in progress.
My friendships are varied. Some closer than others, some not so close. Some are close on purpose, some are not so close on purpose. I have a variety of friendships that meet a variety of "needs". And you know what? That is okay with me. As a matter of fact, that is exactly what I need! I don't have to put myself in a box in my relationships. I am not sure that I did before but I felt like I did. It may have been a preconceived feeling on my part. :)) I'm learning to be content with my friendships.
My relationships with my family are different. I don't think my sister reads this but just in case she does, I will start with this disclaimer - sorry Sandy! :) My sister and I were never really that close growing up. She was 9 years older than me and we were/are VERY different. But, in the last 4 years or so, our relationship has changed and if that is the only thing I moved to Indiana for, then it has been worth it. For the record, she really hasn't changed that much but I sure have! :)) In the past in my family, I always wanted to "fix" everything and everybody. Now, I love my family but I have learned the importance of allowing them to be themselves! :))
The most significant changes have come in my relationships with my children, their spouses and my husband! Let me preface this by saying that NOTHING will change the fact that I am a nosy, worrisome Mom!! :)) But, I have to admit I like the friendships I have developed with my kids! They are very different! With David, he doesn't call home often but when he does, we talk about all kinds of stuff! We argue and debate and have a blast while we do it! He is the one child of mine who has the ability to pull out all my emotion but I love him to death for it! :) And, thank GOD for Christa and the relationship we have with her or we wouldn't know anything about David! :)) With Carrie - there are days when she probably wishes she didn't have to talk to me! :)) I don't know - there is a certain tone to her voice so I just know if there is something right or wrong in her world! :) We just talk about all kinds of stuff and I like that she feels comfortable enough to talk to me! Josh?? He is so fun to talk to and he is usually picking on Carrie when I do talk to him! Then there is Ashley - poor Ashley....she is so much like her Mommy! And the hard part for her is that she is living the closest! But, she is usually the first one to text me wanting to know about my day! I like that! And, Andrew is probably the fastest one of the 6 to come up and give me a hug! That means a lot! I text my kids a lot! :)) They always know when my Mommy Radar is up because they all get a text from me that reminds them to stay close to Jesus and keep HIM first! Our relationships have changed - they aren't home for me to control anymore so I pray! But I so appreciate my relationship with my kids!
The absolute best change of all has happened in my relationship with Dave. We just like this empty nest thing! Well, I do. :)) I am not sure he enjoys all the "honey do list" that I come up with! :) Before, I wanted to be with people, do things with friends, talk to friends on the phone, shop with friends. Now, I just want to do things with Dave. He is my very best friend in the world and I wouldn't trade my "friendship" with him for anything! He leads by his Godly example, keeps my feet firmly planted where they need to be, is fun to be around, can fix anything at the house, reminds me of what is important and loves me in spite of myself.
What does all this rambling mean?? I am so grateful for the changes God is making in me to help me see what matters in my relationships. The reason why this matters is because I started to withdraw and stay away from people because I didn't want to be hurt anymore. I am so thankful that He very gently prods me when I need to make a change in a relationship and helps me to see unhealthy relationships and guides my boundaries for them. He is STILL helping me with my priorities where some relationships are concerned and I am so grateful for His continued leadership. The longer I live the more I see that God's guidelines for my relationships is what matters and I am very thankful He is still teaching me!
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Christmas in NC
This was the year for the kids to all come home for Christmas. We had been planning on it for some time but then we all started doing some thinking and chatting. You know, money has so much to do with these kinds of chats! :) Anyway, Carrie called one day and wondered about the possibilities of us all meeting at a cabin in TN or something like that. I started checking into it but let me tell you, a cabin in TN for Christmas was so far out of our price range I almost got tickled! Notice I said almost!!! Well, I remembered this cabin in NC that we had gone to several years ago with my extended family and so the search was on. It became a little comical in some ways - got in touch with a friend on Facebook who reminded me of someone else who reminded me of the person I needed to talk to about the cabin. I sent a FB message and the response was "Yes, it is available - we just had a cancellation this morning for those exact dates". I shall insert a hearty "Thank you Jesus" right here! A few phone calls back and forth with the kids and many, many FB messages later and the plans were set! In the weeks and days leading up to December 20th, it was pretty much all we could talk about!!
Ashley and Andrew left IN around 3:30 that day and Dave and I left an hour later. The FL kids headed north around 5:30 or so. The drive up the Blue Ridge Parkway was interesting with blowing snow due to high winds but we finally all arrived safe and sound in shifts between 2:00am and 6:00 am. And then, the fun began! Let's see, there was food, games, food, naps, food, pool tournaments, food, sleep here and there, food, Foosball games, food, devotions with Dave, and food! So, can anyone tell what we did the most of??? That would be eating! But we had so much fun! Everyone kept saying over and over "We have to do this again"!!!!
I am not a photographer - wouldn't even pretend to be. And, there are a few members of the family who shall remain nameless that do not care for picture taking......although that is putting it mildly! But, I begged and pleaded for some family pictures! No, they aren't perfect but they are us and that is all that matters!!
This is all of us! Love, love my family! Every single one of them!!
My hubby and I! I love this man - I would not trade him for anything! He is the best husband, dad and Papaw in the world and the laughter going on in this cabin because of him was constant!!
The original 5!
The original 3 - best kids ever! And their spouses are the best as well!!
No we are not proud grandparents or anything! Nope, not at all!!
David, Christa, Addison and David III, or Quimsa, or Buddy, or Little D or any other number of names! The poor baby will be so confused!! :))
Josh and Carrie
Andrew, Ashley and Baby E!
It is very safe to say that a good time was had by all! We truly are blessed with our family and we are so thankful for what Jesus is doing with all of us!
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Daybook for December 1, 2012
No pictures to upload today. I should - but then, if I put pictures anywhere it is Facebook which is really where most people are looking these days anyway. As to why I keep this blog? I don't know - not sure anyone even reads it but I like to write and it tends to be therapeutic for me! :)
Outside the window: It is a cool, overcast day for December 1st. The leaves are all off the trees, the grass is an ugly green/brown, there are Christmas lights here and there, and people are on their merry little way doing all those things we do on Saturdays. I don't care for winter because I do not like being cold but I am learning that winter - where things seem to look dead and dreary...makes me look forward to spring where things seem to come to life so to speak. Kind of like life in general really. Some times "life" looks dead and dreary but then "spring" comes and you feel alive again. Wow - if someone is actually reading this they have got to be shaking their heads at me! :)
Listening to: Believe it or not, Christmas music. I was listening to Pandora this morning and a familiar Christmas Carol came on but I couldn't figure out who was singing it. When I saw the "artist", I must admit to being shocked. That is kind of the bad thing about Christmas music. Some artists do such a great job on the carols and other holiday music that I would buy the album in a heartbeat but then it sets me up for an inner struggle as to whether or not I should be "supporting" that particular genre of music. But so far, nothing makes my heart beat faster than hearing the church sing "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day".
Thankful for: A wonderful answer to prayer in that our little family gets to spend the weekend before Christmas at a wonderful little cabin nestled in the hills of North Carolina. It's hard for the Florida part of our family to make it north here and just as hard for the Indiana part to go south. So we compromised and decided to meet in the middle. Want to know how awesome it is that it worked out? There was a cancellation for the cabin the VERY day I asked if it was available that weekend! Talk about answered prayer before it ever came out of my mouth!!
Around my house: Ahhhhh.....changes are coming. Much to the chagrin of my poor husband. But, hopefully it is time for wall paper to come down in the living room and prayerfully, it will be time for very bad carpet to be replaced. But shhhh.....don't tell him because he doesn't really like to think about moving furniture again. I'm sorry - it is a weakness I have! :) I move it too much! :) In the meantime, I like the Vanilla candle a very dear friend gave me recently. Makes the cold evenings tucked inside our house all comfy like! :))
With my kids: Well now, here we could blog for a long time! But, I won't! :)) As stated before, David and Christa are thoroughly reaping what they have sown in our precious little Addison because the terrible two's are going strong! But, they are doing a great job at just staying on top of it and when she smiles and says "Hi Nana" there just isn't anything terrible about that! :) Oh and hearing her sing is so cute!! Little D will continue to go through a complex since I am pretty sure he has about 10 different names people are calling him! However we are all corrected on a frequent basis by Papaw! If you want to know his name for David III, just ask him because I can't pronounce it! :) Carrie and Josh are enjoying life! I'm grateful that Josh has a different job and doesn't work around chemicals anymore. That is a positive! Carrie is possibly headed back to college in January and I am super proud of her! Andrew and Ashley have discovered their little one will be a girl! Now, just for the record - this little one has her parents (especially her daddy) wrapped around her little finger and she hasn't even been born yet! :) They will be great parents and I am super proud of them already! (You know, I could say whatever I want to here because I am pretty sure my own kids don't read my blog!!)
What I am reading: I have once again picked up the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" and am reading through it. In this world we are living it, it is more necessary than ever to pray for our kids - even if, and especially because they are adults! It is a great tool for me! And here I will say that I love being about to have a Bible program on my computer. I like being able to type notes while I read! And, I like having the Bible on my phone. It is really a blessing to be able to have Scripture at my fingertips!
What I am pondering: Well - this one we shall leave mostly blank. But, the last time I did this I said something about Facebook and how I wish people were more careful about what they post. Guess what, I still feel the same way. But, if anything happens and prayer is needed, Facebook is a wonderful tool to use. Prayer gets lifted instantly and that is such a blessing to people!
My praying: Recently, it has been a lot about me. I had to chuckle as soon as I typed that. I had this mental picture of God looking over my shoulder and then saying "Really?? You think so???" I will be honest and say that I have a hard time praying out loud. If I ever get called on to pray in church, my insides shake. Thankfully that has only happened about twice in the last 20 years or so. But what has been happening recently is that God has been helping me to pray at unique times. For instance, he woke me up this morning a little after 4:00. Now, if you know me at all, you should know that is NOT something I do easily. Mornings are not my cup of tea. But, I am ever so grateful that I can pray whenever I need to. I am so blessed to know that my heavenly Father is listening to me no matter when, no matter what, no matter why, no matter where.
So now that I feel blessed to tears, I shall end this blog. Take a break - stop and thank Jesus for His blessings on You today! :)
Outside the window: It is a cool, overcast day for December 1st. The leaves are all off the trees, the grass is an ugly green/brown, there are Christmas lights here and there, and people are on their merry little way doing all those things we do on Saturdays. I don't care for winter because I do not like being cold but I am learning that winter - where things seem to look dead and dreary...makes me look forward to spring where things seem to come to life so to speak. Kind of like life in general really. Some times "life" looks dead and dreary but then "spring" comes and you feel alive again. Wow - if someone is actually reading this they have got to be shaking their heads at me! :)
Listening to: Believe it or not, Christmas music. I was listening to Pandora this morning and a familiar Christmas Carol came on but I couldn't figure out who was singing it. When I saw the "artist", I must admit to being shocked. That is kind of the bad thing about Christmas music. Some artists do such a great job on the carols and other holiday music that I would buy the album in a heartbeat but then it sets me up for an inner struggle as to whether or not I should be "supporting" that particular genre of music. But so far, nothing makes my heart beat faster than hearing the church sing "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day".
Thankful for: A wonderful answer to prayer in that our little family gets to spend the weekend before Christmas at a wonderful little cabin nestled in the hills of North Carolina. It's hard for the Florida part of our family to make it north here and just as hard for the Indiana part to go south. So we compromised and decided to meet in the middle. Want to know how awesome it is that it worked out? There was a cancellation for the cabin the VERY day I asked if it was available that weekend! Talk about answered prayer before it ever came out of my mouth!!
Around my house: Ahhhhh.....changes are coming. Much to the chagrin of my poor husband. But, hopefully it is time for wall paper to come down in the living room and prayerfully, it will be time for very bad carpet to be replaced. But shhhh.....don't tell him because he doesn't really like to think about moving furniture again. I'm sorry - it is a weakness I have! :) I move it too much! :) In the meantime, I like the Vanilla candle a very dear friend gave me recently. Makes the cold evenings tucked inside our house all comfy like! :))
With my kids: Well now, here we could blog for a long time! But, I won't! :)) As stated before, David and Christa are thoroughly reaping what they have sown in our precious little Addison because the terrible two's are going strong! But, they are doing a great job at just staying on top of it and when she smiles and says "Hi Nana" there just isn't anything terrible about that! :) Oh and hearing her sing is so cute!! Little D will continue to go through a complex since I am pretty sure he has about 10 different names people are calling him! However we are all corrected on a frequent basis by Papaw! If you want to know his name for David III, just ask him because I can't pronounce it! :) Carrie and Josh are enjoying life! I'm grateful that Josh has a different job and doesn't work around chemicals anymore. That is a positive! Carrie is possibly headed back to college in January and I am super proud of her! Andrew and Ashley have discovered their little one will be a girl! Now, just for the record - this little one has her parents (especially her daddy) wrapped around her little finger and she hasn't even been born yet! :) They will be great parents and I am super proud of them already! (You know, I could say whatever I want to here because I am pretty sure my own kids don't read my blog!!)
What I am reading: I have once again picked up the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" and am reading through it. In this world we are living it, it is more necessary than ever to pray for our kids - even if, and especially because they are adults! It is a great tool for me! And here I will say that I love being about to have a Bible program on my computer. I like being able to type notes while I read! And, I like having the Bible on my phone. It is really a blessing to be able to have Scripture at my fingertips!
What I am pondering: Well - this one we shall leave mostly blank. But, the last time I did this I said something about Facebook and how I wish people were more careful about what they post. Guess what, I still feel the same way. But, if anything happens and prayer is needed, Facebook is a wonderful tool to use. Prayer gets lifted instantly and that is such a blessing to people!
My praying: Recently, it has been a lot about me. I had to chuckle as soon as I typed that. I had this mental picture of God looking over my shoulder and then saying "Really?? You think so???" I will be honest and say that I have a hard time praying out loud. If I ever get called on to pray in church, my insides shake. Thankfully that has only happened about twice in the last 20 years or so. But what has been happening recently is that God has been helping me to pray at unique times. For instance, he woke me up this morning a little after 4:00. Now, if you know me at all, you should know that is NOT something I do easily. Mornings are not my cup of tea. But, I am ever so grateful that I can pray whenever I need to. I am so blessed to know that my heavenly Father is listening to me no matter when, no matter what, no matter why, no matter where.
So now that I feel blessed to tears, I shall end this blog. Take a break - stop and thank Jesus for His blessings on You today! :)
Sunday, November 4, 2012
New England Trip
The last of September and first week of October, we took a trip up through the New England states with some of my family. The trip was for my mom - something she has always wanted to do. We left Indiana and drove to New York to Niagara Falls. I actually didn't take any pictures there because we have been there before and although it was still absolutely gorgeous, I didn't get my iPhone out in the rain! :) We left there and drove to Vermont. Along the way, we stopped in Quechee Gorge, VT and it was so beautiful!
Then we drove to Grand Junction to take a train ride back up into the mountains! It was fun but I am pretty sure my sister could have stayed behind. Let's just say it was not the smoothest ride we have ever taken in our lives!
Saturday evening, we drove to Maine where we were going to spend several nights in a cottage that belonged to some friends! It was such a blessing to be able to unload the vehicle and stay in one place for more than one night! On Sunday afternoon, we took a drive up to Kennebunkport, Maine where yours truly spotted the summer home of the Bush family!
Then on Monday, we drove to Boston, MA where we visited the Plymouth Plantation, an Indian village, toured the Mayflower II and then stopped at the Old North Church! I am telling you - that church was awesome and I could have spent an entire day there!
Tuesday, we went to an Outlet Mall that was close by. What is a vacation without shopping?? The best deals of the day were found by my husband in the Haggar store! For those of you who know his main profession, buying suits for the price we did was a huge blessing from the Lord!!
One morning, Dave and I got up early and walked the block and a half to the beach. The sunrise was amazing and I snapped way too many pictures! I thought my poor phone would never recover!!
We left Maine on Wednesday morning and drove down through the corner of Rhode Island and into Connecticut. We ended up staying in CT and taking a train into New York City for the day Thursday. It was one of the best decisions we made. I can't say I was thrilled with the subway ride but, all day it was amazing the people that God put in our pathway! I am sure that I will leave out some details but this next picture had to be one of my very favorite things we did! The Statue of Liberty was still closed due to renovations but we took the ferry ride anyway. It was such a beautiful sight to behold! It reminded me of how blessed we really are!!
While in New York, we also visited the 9/11 Memorial. I couldn't help it - I cried. Remembering that day, remembering the 4 years my own son spent in the Marine Corp, remembering the men and women and children who died that day! What a price for freedom!!
We were privileged to spend a little time in Bird-in-Hand, PA. True Amish country let me tell you! I didn't take a lot of pictures here - actually, I am pretty sure my mom has more on her camera than any of us! But, we really enjoyed our time there as well!
On our way home, we stopped in Ohio to spend Sunday morning with my brother and his family. On our way to church we drove past the church that I first remember going to the altar. It has changed some since way back then and I think they have even built onto the original church building. It was the second church my dad pastored and I believe we were there from the time I was 18 months old until I was about 6. I can still see where I knelt and how I felt that day!
This is only a small portion of the pictures I took on this trip. Dave and I would love to make the trip again sometime! But this time - it was all about this wonderful lady!
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