Fulton Family Funny Farm

Warning - Blubbering Blog to Follow!

2011-11-25T15:41:00.002-05:00

So - the wedding is over and I am sure you are all anxiously awaiting pictures. As soon as the lovely bride lets me, I will post some! :)) I will post all the details of wedding week when I post the pictures but for now, this is a more "personal" blog.

The wedding has caused an awful lot of different thoughts and emotions in this strangely mixed up head of mine. I am working on finding my new normal. I haven't decided if one exists or not but I am attempting to locate it! :)) My house was full to the brim for the better part of 8 days or so and I wouldn't trade one little bit of it! I absolutely LOVED the short amount of time on Saturday where all of my children were in my house! We laughed, we cried, we ate, we played and we laughed and cried some more! Sunday had to be one of the most difficult days I have had in awhile. It began around 3:30am when I got up to say goodbye to David, Christa and Addison. Telling Christa goodbye so she could situate herself in the car for the ride to airport with my eyes full of tears was tough! Holding Addison and hugging her sleepy little body should have lasted a lot longer than it did! :)) Then feeling my big, burly boy hug his momma brought on fresh tears that just didn't want to stop! They headed off and I headed back to bed. For sleep?? Yea, right. That didn't happen! I laid there and wondered why God thought this was something necessary for me to do. Its a good thing He is totally used to my questions at this point! I got back up when Kevin came to get Ashley and Andrew to take them to the airport. And guess what, the tears came again for I knew that life with Ashley would never be the same. She was off on her new life. True - she is here, she lives close but......not in my house where she has been for over 20 years! I survived church and leftovers for dinner. Then we loaded up again and headed for the airport with Josh and Carrie. I was pretty proud of myself until I heard the sniffles from the back seat when we were about 10 minutes from the airport. I hugged Josh and then hugged and held Carrie while we both cried some more. I am pretty sure the airport "cop on wheels" was getting antsy with us being in the way! :) I climbed in the car and we pulled away. I am pretty sure Dave thought the blubbering would never stop.

What have I learned in the last couple of weeks? Thankfully, God and Dave never get tired of my blubbering. They both ever so lovingly assure and remind me that this is something I can handle. I can remember reading those books where people would advise couples to make sure they had a life together that did not involve the children and Dave and I have worked hard at doing that. I am so grateful and feel so blessed by the marriage God has given me. But I am still searching and working on my new normal. Some things in my life have not changed. I am still working full time, still going to school (for ONE MORE semester), still going to church, still doing laundry and dishes. Some things just don't change. And the miracle of that is, God doesn't change either. He is still patient, still teaching, still longing for me to spend more time with Him, still prodding me to change the things that don't please Him, still speaking to me in the quiet times. So much has changed in my life but the important things have stayed the same. Dave being the best hubby ever - I never want to take that for granted! God - you see, even in that one word there is peace for He never changes. I am pretty sure He wishes I would but that doesn't make Him stop loving me.

I can't say this blog will mean anything to anyone but me and I guess that is all that matters. I read something the other day that prompted me to tell myself that there is no true worship in whining. I know that God knows I am not trying to whine. I must learn to worship Him in my life! Why?? I have decided in the last 2 weeks that my kids need me more now than ever. They just don't need me the same. They need me on my knees! So - if my blog is silent here and there, I'm praying for my kids! And yes, David and Carrie - that means I am praying for you to move to Indiana!!! :)))))

I Am Not Dead! Yet!!

2011-10-31T08:22:00.005-04:00

I looked at my blog this morning and realized that I have not updated things for a couple of months. I need to do better at this! There are lots of thoughts and "stuff" going on in my head but I am not sure they are "blog worthy". Anyway - time will tell!

About the only thing going on right now is a lot of wedding planning! We are definitely on the home stretch with the last wedding in this Fulton household! The big day is fast approaching!!

I am pretty confident that the bride-to-be will be super excited for Saturday to get here! You see, that is when the fun begins! Carrie and Josh arrive Saturday! David, Christa and Addison will be here Tuesday as will Briana - THE best friend from Florida! So you see, once Saturday arrives all will be right in the bride's world!

I don't have much time for any more. I will definitely post some pictures here when the big event is over. In the meantime I will leave you with this thought - make the most of every minute you have with those closest to you! Things change very quickly!

Just a tidbit!

2011-08-12T10:47:00.002-04:00

This "old" girl just isn't as dumb as she looks!!! I somehow managed to pull off making the Deans List for this summer semester! How in the world did I do that? Truthfully - I have no idea!!! Typically, a semester is 16 weeks long which isn't too bad but a summer semester is 8 weeks long with 16 weeks of work crammed into it. This summer - I took a speech class on campus on Tuesday evenings which was an interesting event all in itself!! Then I took 2 online classes. If you combine all that in an 8 week period, it makes for some hectic living! But - apparently I did it and did it well!! And - if you think I am tooting my own horn........you are right!!! :))))

There isn't much else that is new in our world! Oh yes - I have a spare room that is jammed to the hilt with wedding stuff! It is everywhere! But - Ashley is doing a fantastic job planning and putting it all together so I am doing what all good Mom's do and following her lead!!! :)))) And - I am doing it without being a "momzilla"!!! At least I think I am, you may want to check with her!!

Right now, the bright spot in my world is coming next week when I get to fly to Colorado with my hubby dearest for a short weekend meeting out there and I am extremely excited about that! Who knows - I may be convinced to actually put a picture or two on here but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you!! We fly back home on Monday and my 2 online classes start that day and my on-campus class starts the next evening! Blogging will not be high on my priority list! Besides that, there is this wedding coming which means my children are coming home and there will pretty much not be anything else on my mind!! :)))

What Happened...........

2011-06-11T10:17:00.003-04:00

.....to my little baby boy who used to wake me up every two hours around the clock for food? And, the little boy who fought forever when I told him to pick up his toys? Oh and the kid who begged to play baseball only to spend most of the time getting hit by the ball when he got up to bat because the kids were afraid of his size? And, the one who started working when he was 13 because he was "bored" and didn't care for school and only went because we made him? Where oh where did the teenage boy go who had to work for weeks to fill a pitcher of rice to get back into his moms good graces?? And, where is that skinny, bald-headed kid I sent off to Marine Corp boot camp? Oh, and the one who came strolling off the bus straight from the "sandbox" and made us all blubbering idiots?? Well, he grew up and got married to WONDERFUL Christa and had a beautiful little girl of his own named Addison and I just can't figure out where time went!!!!

.....to my little "bald as a cue ball" baby girl who rared her head back and stared me straight in the eye before we ever left the hospital??? And, was scared of work boots and beards?? Oh and ran with her back as straight as an arrow? :)) Where did that smart as a cookie girl go to? You know the one, the National Honor Society girl, the piano player who could sit down and play pretty much whatever she wanted, the girl who curled into a ball if her brother tried to pick on her? Yes, the one who left the love of her life to move "half way around the world" in her opinion with her parents?? And, the one who married that TERRIFIC guy named Josh one year later in what everyone thought was the "sweetest" ceremony ever? Well, she grew up, married and moved to what her mom calls "half way around the world" and again, I have no clue where time went!!!!

.....to the little baby who refused to stay where she belonged until it was safe for her to make her appearance in the world? Where is that little girl who had the ability to light up a waiting room full of sick cancer patients with just a smile? Where did that little fighter go who had the rare ability to send her big brother running away? What happened to that girl who couldn't stand to be away from home but managed a 2 week stay in Alaska? Oh and the girl who moved half way through her high school and handled a new school for 2 years and managed to graduate as her class valedictorian? Well, let me tell you.....she is working close to full time, and planning her wedding for this November to one AWESOME guy named Andrew and designing a remodel of a house with him. And for the last time, I have no clue where time went???

So - what is the point of my rambling post?? I don't know really! :))) I just needed to tell you all (well, maybe just myself) that as big as my talk is, I really do miss my kids! BUT - I wouldn't trade where I am right now for anything! The main reason is because Jesus is teaching me some new stuff. Not easy stuff but new and it is making me a better person! I am blessed beyond words at what I have!! My husband loves me - despite my faults, my kids still enjoy being around me which is saying A LOT and God loves me. Maybe the point of my blog is just to somehow put into words just how blessed I am!

A Memory and A Story

2011-02-08T15:28:00.003-05:00

Several years ago when we lived in East Tennessee, we were privileged to have Albert Barr as the evangelist at the church we were attending. As a matter of fact, we moved in on a Friday or Saturday and the revival started that following Monday I think. Talk about perfect timing! During this revival, Bro. Barr preached a message I don't think I will ever forget. He gave his text as Job 1 and he said, "The chapter begins with 'there was a man' and a few verses down it says 'there was a day' and it was a BAD day". He proceeded to preach one of the funniest messages I think I have ever heard. He told us that there were times in our lives when we just needed to laugh and I guess he thought that this was one of those times.

Well, time has passed and I have not forgotten that message. Last week I kept saying, "There was a family and there was a week and it was a BAD week". I tried to keep things in perspective though - there were a lot of people who were having weeks that were a whole lot worse than I mine! We had AWFUL weather! And I do mean AWFUL! We had ice everywhere and then snow - TONS of snow! My lovely place of employment was closed for a half day on Tuesday and all day Wednesday and for a bank, that should say something about the weather.

A family in our church had suffered a loss of their newborn daughter and since our Pastors were both gone, the family had asked Dave to preach the funeral Sunday afternoon. So, he was to preach at church Sunday morning, have the funeral Sunday afternoon and preach at church again on Sunday night. Now - just what do preachers need to do when they are scheduled to preach?? Yes - that would be study!! But no - Saturday was just not a good day! We woke up to - MORE snow! Again - this was no small amount of snow either! I had to work so I headed to the gas station first and guess what? I couldn't get the gas flap open!!!! So, I came on to work and called Dave who very kindly offered to bail me out of trouble and drive to the bank to get the car and put gas in it! Well, on his trip to the bank he discovered that the weather was a lot worse than he had originally thought so he offered to stick around and lead us all back to town so that if there were any problems - he would be able to help us out! Guess who ended up needing the help?? Yea - that would be me! Want to know why???? Well, as we were all creeping along the road through 3 or more inches of snow, this.................person decided to blow through a stop sign and plow into my car and send me spinning across the road where I slammed into a ditch!! My pretty green car!!! I was shaking (from fear of course) and trying to find my phone which had flown off my lap to call Dave who was just in front of me and was already on his way back! The above mentioned..........person came and opened my passenger door and said, "Man - you slid right into me"! EXCUSE ME?!?!?!?! Did I hear you correctly????? No - I didn't say it but I sure thought it!! :))) I pretty much ignored him and just started talking to Dave! A girl I worked with had been right behind me and saw the whole thing and she was quite determined to stick around and make SURE the cops knew that I was NOT a fault! That was kinda funny really! Anyway, the nice cop came and filled out the nice report on the not so nice........person. Then the nice wrecker driver came and got my not so nice car out of the ditch and took it to its potential final resting place. And yes, as of today, it is totaled. My pretty green car is no longer pretty thanks to that........person!! Suffice it to say, my poor husband did not get to spend Saturday like he was planning to! But - as I knew 'twould be - God stepped in and helped Dave through both church services and the funeral! Wow - he did such a good job and I was ever so proud of him!! Oh and for the record, my body hurt like it had been hit by a semi (and still hurts to be frank)!! And so begins the process of car shopping which is not one of my favorite activities but we will do it nonetheless!

Oh and let's brighten the week up by saying that tax time for those who are self-employed is absolutely NOT FUN!!!!

However, on a bright note - there have been some powerful songs going through my mind in recent days as I have survived this week and thought about those around me and close to me that are hurting so deeply. My husband has been going around the house singing a song and the one line that has been standing out to me is this - "For the Potter knows the clay". There is no greater reassurance than that my friend! THE Potter - MY Potter knows how much I can take and while I may think differently, HE knows what is best for me! And that - causes me to rest in Him!

Comfort

2011-02-02T10:34:00.002-05:00

As I sit at the desk today (supposed to be doing school work), I am looking out the window at a very white world. Our little house has been surrounded by snow and not just ordinary snow either. This stuff is a hard mix of snow and sleet and is shoveled away in chunks. There is no work for me today, Dave is out shoveling for his boss and Ashley is still tucked in bed with her computer.

Last week, our church was in revival with John Parker. Needless to say, I was convicted every single night and from that has come some serious soul searching. Bro. Parker's first message was about not "quenching the Spirit" and it spoke volumes to me. Another message he preached was about "be BEING filled with the Spirit". This message helped me so much in this way. Now, this will call for some serious transparency but here goes anyway. For years, I felt that true Holiness was directly tied to how well I kept my house cleaned and perfect, how well I kept the laundry done up, how many delicious, "homemade", well-balanced meals I cooked for my family, how "perfect" my hair was done, how well-behaved and well-mannered and smart my kids were. You get the picture I am sure. Let's just say, I was one messed up in the head female. My dear husband and I have had many conversations on this topic and he has often told me that he loved my messed up female head but that I really needed to FIX my messed up head! Anyway, God spoke to me that night and helped me clear some of these messed up issues in my life. But through all that, I must admit that spiritual growth can be quite painful at times and not a bit comfortable. As God has shown me item after item in my life that He wants changed, it has caused me no small amount of pain as I have tried to commit each and every issue back into His hands. The awesome thing for me is this - I get the privilege of CONTINUING to grow in HIS time. See - BEING filled with the Spirit is an ongoing process and for me, I think I go at a total different pace than anyone else does and according to God, that is ok with Him!

This morning, I started reading a book by Max Lucado called "It's Not About Me". Within the first couple of pages, I ran across this statement and was rather shocked at its application to me right now. He says, "....the world does not revolve around us. Our comfort is not God's priority. If it is, something's gone awry". God does not intend for my life to be a bed of roses. Instead, growing and drawing close to Him can be painful but what I tend to lose sight of is the end result. So, my ongoing growth, while painful, is something I am willing to work through in order to become all about Him and nothing about me.

Jibber Jabber

2011-01-14T12:25:00.003-05:00

After much thought and countless hours in meditation about my blog (yea right - like anyone would believe that), I think I shall have to keep it. I find myself needing the therapy of mindless rambling here and there. So, if for no one else but me, my fingers shall dance across the keyboard in hopes of ....... I don't know, releasing some of the junk from my brain to clear it up for more junk. SOunds promising now, doesn't it? And in case you are looking, this is a picture-less post! Most of them are! :)) If you want to see pictures, find me on Facebook! Better yet, become friends with the other females in my family! Their pictures on FB are much more entertaining!
First of all, I will catch you up on the latest news of the residents and non-residents of the funny farm. Dave - our head honcho - is working, preaching and keeping me in line. A really cool even that is happening is that he is the evangelist at UBC revival next week. Reason for this being cool - its one of our "alma maters". Neat huh?? I thought so!!
David and Christa are doing well in Hobe Sound. Have I mentioned yet that we are extremely happy the 4 years of service are over?? Addison is growing like a weed and is the cutest child bar none! I know - I am prejudiced!
Josh and Carrie are enjoying having more family in Hobe Sound and I know they are not spoiling Addison at all! :)) Yea....right! They are both working on finishing up their degrees which keeps them busy since they both work also.
Ashley - oh my............my youngest child is dreaming of weddings! The official engagement took place while we were in Florida. It is actually a cute funny story and so very much fitting for Andrew and Ashley! At this moment they are planning a November wedding. I will think more about it a little later but for now, I am enjoying the laundry getting done without my help, supper being cooked with no assistance from me and a clean house when I get home from work. Methinks I shall mess the girl!! Anyway, another year of change is coming!! :))
As for the stange and messed up mom, let's see....still working, school started back on Monday and that is the extent of my life. By the way, remember when I complained about Algebra?? Yes well....Biology will rank right up there. Why in the world do I have to take a science class for a business degree is beyond me but Chemistry sure wasn't a choice! It should be a fun semester! Or......maybe not!!!
I have embarked on a new personal journey recently and am anxious to see what the results are. I made some new years resolutions that I am still working on and that is an accomplishment for me. Most of them are private and not for public knowledge but there are two I will share here. One is that I want to do a better job at more consistent devotions. I know....someone as old as me should have that down pat by now. And, I bet if you go back in time you will discover that I have said that before several times. However, God is helping me in this area and I am excited for what I am learning! Secondly, I am working on reading some good, uplifting, soul-searching books. Yep - laying aside those boring textbooks here and there and reading something "better". Someone loaned me a few that I am looking forward to reading. I am sure my husband would say that he has tons of books I could read but commentaries are not exactly up my alley! :)) I guess I have put those in writing for the world to see to ask these questions. 1) What works for you in your devotional life? 2) What good books have you read, are reading or want to read that you would recommend?
Ok - that's it for now! It took me most of the day to get this one done so we should be good for a day or two! But then, you never know - I could do this again before you know it! :))

Merry Christmas from Us!

2010-12-21T08:50:00.004-05:00

A Blog!?!?

2010-10-31T15:54:00.003-04:00

A blog??? I have a blog??? Wow - where in the world have I been? It is actually pretty self-explanatory! Working full time and school and housework leaves little room for much else! However, because I am feeling especially generous today, I will provide my readers (all none of you) with a Fulton Family update!

First of all,

isn't this the cutest University of Tennessee fan you have ever seen in your life?? I mean - really....if UT knew she existed they would actually try harder to win a game this year! :))) Lil' Miss Addison is 7 months old, growing so fast and anxiously awaiting a visit from us in December! Of course, she is also teaching her Mommy and Daddy a thing or two which I happen to find funny but don't tell them I said that! :))
David and Christa are enjoying being back in FL! Christa has now become a Hobe Sound Singing Christmas Tree widow and will be one until the Tree is over! I know that David is thrilled to be back involved with that again! Josh and Carrie are working and back in school trying to finish their degrees and spoiling their niece! Of course one of those things is more important than the others! Ashley is working her way through her first semester of college but most of her time is spent with Mr. Andrew!
As for me, I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow! Dave will be home after 8 straight weeks of revivals! I am thankful he gets to do what God has called him to but man, I sure do miss him when he is gone! He has been in PA, MI, OH, NC, TN, VA and I forget where else! I will be glad to have him home so I don't have to take the trash out anymore! :))
I am now working in a different branch of the bank and am really enjoying it so far! I like the earlier hours but I am not too sure what I think about leaving the house when it is still dark outside! :)) School is going well but I have decided that I do not like Economics or Accounting either one!
So, that is it for now! Nothing great or wonderful! But, I will leave you with this! I was reminded in church this morning of just how blessed I really am! There are so many hurting people and so many situations that seem so far out of my realm of understanding. But then, we sang "Great is thy Faithfulness! Great is thy Faithfulness! Morning by morning new mercies I see! All I have needed Thy hand hath provided! Great is thy faithfulness Lord unto me"!

A Quiet Sunday Afternoon

2010-07-18T14:47:00.002-04:00

I am sure that I should be posting pictures of the many events and people in my life recently but for some reason blogger hates me today. I am imagining it is mad at me for my long extended absences but apparently it doesn't realize I don't care that much! :)))
So, for a quick update - Dave is actually home but that will change soon as a camp and several revivals call him away. And yes, he will leave about the time the tomatoes all turn red! :)) I will miss him and his cooking skills when he leaves! :))) David, Christa and Addison are about to make their journey south back home to Florida as we all do the happy dance that the stint in the Marine Corp is finally over! Thank you Jesus!! Josh and Carrie are thrilled with the prospects of spoiling Addison until such a time as they get their own! :)) Ashley is working close to full time and will soon be starting some college classes - that is if she can spare the time away from Andrew. :)) As for me, have I mentioned on here that I hate Math? Anyway, I work and I go to school and that is pretty much it. Two more weeks and the summer session will end and with it the hopes my grade is high enough that my math classes will end too!!!!!
In the hustle and bustle of life recently, God has stopped me in my tracks with some circumstances that have left me feeling slightly off balance. Have you ever noticed that when something like that happens, your scheduled daily Bible reading is sort of not exactly what you THINK you need? Well, there have been a few days when I just let my Bible fall open to a few places that have apparently been used a lot since the spine of my Bible seems to know exactly where to flop to. And then I stop myself and realize that nothing like that happens by circumstance or chance. If I let Him, God knows what I need to read and when I need to read it. As a matter of fact, things tend to go a little more smoothly in my life if I continue to remember that there is nothing that happens that He doesn't already know about!
So, yes I am rambling but as I sit in a very quiet house this afternoon missing my growing family, I am reminded that God is all I ever need and if I continue to hold to His hand, the rough roads of life tend to be a little easier to handle.

A Catch-Up

2010-06-04T20:53:00.003-04:00

First of all, isn't this the most adorable baby girl EVER????? Without shame, I stole this picture from Christa's Facebook! :))))

Second, this beautiful young lady used to be that tiny and I am pretty sure it was just last week!!!

Ashley graduated as the Valedictorian of her class this past Saturday and we are so proud of her! Through our move here, she has been through some ups and downs but has come out shining! College is on the horizon for her next but as to exactly what and where and when and all those other questions?? I will have to get back with you on that!
Dave is working hard as usual and mostly at keeping his wife sane!! Where I would be without that guy is just simply scary!!
I thought I would update this before Monday. I start back to school after a short break and trust me, I will be buried for the next eight weeks!
I promise I will update when I can!

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T15:58:00.002-04:00

What an awesome privilege to have my family all together today! We serve a risen Savior! From my family to yours, have a wonderful Resurrection Day!

Addison Lynne

2010-03-23T22:21:00.001-04:00

Now that is just one adorable baby!! Nothing else to say!!!

SHE IS HERE!!!!

2010-03-19T19:48:00.002-04:00

Addison Lynne Fulton arrived on March 17th at 6:20pm weighing in at 7 lbs and 7 oz and 20 inches long!!
Pardon me for saying so but she is one ADORABLE cutie pie!!!!!
Daddy, Mommy and baby are all doing well and at home starting on the new family journey!
Papaw Dave, Nana and Aunt Ashley will be heading that direction for Easter weekend and are possibly in need of a U-Haul to get all the "stuff" being bought for the baby to NC! There is a slight possibility that the Mommy and Daddy could get some "stuff" too but time will tell!!
Pictures will be forth coming when I can get my hands on some that are NOT on my cell phone!!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-03-03T08:10:00.002-05:00

At the ripe old age of **, I started back to school. Before registering for classes, I had to take a test to see where I should be placed in Math and English. The English part was a piece of cake so that concerned me NOT at all. Even as I type this, I am more conscious about my "writing"! :)) However, the Math was an entirely different story. Let me preface this by saying that on the night of my first college math class a few weeks back, the instructor had us fill out a student profile sheet. One of the questions she asked was when we had taken our last math class. She walked by me and picked up my paper and said and I quote, "Man, I was 3 when you took your last math class"!! Yep - I knew I was in trouble!

So, in order to explain my relationship with Math, let me go back a "few" years. I grew up going to an ACE school for most of my years so Math was a little interesting. Starting out wasn't so bad. I had a teacher or two who thought I was short and cute and pretty much let me do whatever so I just flew right on through my Paces. Then along about 9th grade, reality slapped me full in the face! I took Algebra and literally failed every single Pace and some of them more than once. The funny thing is that I took this stuff along with my brother and a friend who did somewhat better than me but if you mention Algebra to Jim and I, we both shudder with nightmarish memories! I HATED that stuff with a passion!!! Then our family moved to Indiana about half-way through my 10th grade year and I headed off to Westfield to UBC (at that time UBS) to finish my high school. Imagine my shock when the principal (who eventually became my father-in-law) told me I needed to take a semester of Algebra! Are you kidding me???? I struggled enough with that stuff - why torture me again?? But, I did it. Oh man - my poor teacher tried and tried to help me with that stuff. I had a best friend and room-mate in Carolyn who tried to help me. An "old flame" tried to help me and even my poor friend Dave who eventually won my heart tried to help me! It just was NOT sinking into this brain. One day, I finally "got it" to a point and managed to actually pull off a B in that class.

One step further down the road and I find out that my 11th/12th grade year would be spent in a way that I still want to poke my eyes with a needle when I think about it. Every Tuesday and Thursday found me sitting in a Geometry class with the same poor teacher who tried to teach me Algebra. What a great help it was to have 2 of the smartest guys in our high school and the same dear friend Carolyn in the class along with me! NOT!!!!!!!! I cannot even begin to tell you how much I hated that class. That year, Geometry was all about solving theorems and they all had anywhere from 3 to 5 or 6 steps. I could usually get the first 2 and from there - nope, not happening! Somehow, someway, I managed to survive that class with a C, graduated and shouted happy hallelujah like a mad woman!

Now, fast forward about 23 or so years and imagine me sitting in a Math class happily buzzing along relearning fractions, percents, decimals and completely thinking, "Hey - I can do this"! And then, I turn to chapter 7 and what to my wondering eyes should appear but GEOMETRY!! I wanted to pick up the book and throw it at the tall, beautiful, skinny blond at the front of the room who also happens to be the very patient instructor of the class. I am NOT handling this very well and am praying that God will somehow make NONE of that appear on the two chapter test I have to take this Thursday night!!! But, I am sure I will not be that lucky!

The saga of Leah and Math will continue on for another 2 semesters and I am sure that means there will be more than one blog based on the horrors of Math. So pardon me while I go find some huge piece of chocolate to consume and no, I couldn't care one little bit what its perimeter or area is as long as it starts out by being too big to fit through the door!!!!!

Happy Birthday

2010-02-13T08:55:00.002-05:00

This blog is to say Happy Birthday to my sister! I am sure that she will shoot me when and if she sees this! But if I know my Mom, Sandy will see it!! :)))) (Just kidding Mom!)

Sandy and I have had a rather interesting and unique relationship over the years and it is mainly because she is a little older than me and we are very different in a lot of ways! But - if I start down that path we shall both die! :)))))

What I want to tell you all is that in the last couple of years or so, Sandy has become more than just my sister. She is my friend and a very good one at that! There have been times that I have no idea what I would have done if it weren't for her! And to top it off, my kids think she is TOPS in the aunt department! Every single one of them!!!! But that is really her own fault - she is the one who spoiled them! Wait - I digress!!! :)))

Sandy, thanks for being my sister, my friend and just the person you are! You make the world I live in a better place and I wouldn't trade that for anything! I hope you have a fantastic weekend!! Love ya!!!!

Update

2010-02-10T12:35:00.001-05:00

I am taking ten minutes (or less depending on how fast my fingers move) to update my blog just because my brain is telling me that it can't sit here unchanged!! :)) Weird I know and my co-worker would tell you it is my version of OCD kicking in!
I have earth-shattering news for you all!

I AM SOOOOOOOOOO READY FOR SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OK - got that off my chest!

We have snow and lots of it in certain piles around our lovely town and I must admit that it is kinda pretty! Now - I am not as happy about it as a certain friend of mine named Beth who lives in the middle of nowhere but I will now go as a far as to say that! Shocking revelation I know but when you pick yourself back up off the floor, you can continue reading!

Do you know that in about 5 weeks (or less if at all possible) I will be a "Nana"?!?!?! How cool is that!!!! When the pastor asked how many grandparents were in church Sunday morning, my husband was the very first to raise his hand! We kinda had a discussion about that because I am not sure we are QUITE yet but he firmly believes we are and so that was the end of that discussion! Anyway, that is shaping up to be a pretty cool event in our lives!

Ashley (as our only remaining "slave" at home) is keeping us busy but we usually just get the privilege of sitting and listening to her talk about alllllllll that is going on! But - we would have it no other way!!! She keeps me laughing I will tell you that! Now, if I could just get her to commit to staying at home til she is at least 40, things will be good but the way it looks, I am only dreaming!

I am doing my best to juggle school and work and have no clue what I would do without Ashley but mainly, I would be not surviving if it were not for Dave! That man is incredible and I am so grateful I have him! We are trading spots but I am hoping that it does not take me as long to finish my schooling as it did him or we will be attending graduation in a wheelchair!

My time is up!! See ya!!!!

Confession

2010-01-17T14:35:00.002-05:00

I began a new "life" this past week! I started back to college. Such a hard thing to believe but I did! I cannot believe it but I did. I am taking a Math class for what I call "dummy adults" two online classes.
So - my life is in desperate need of some restructuring. One of the things that will probably take a backseat will be this blog. I kinda hate it actually. I really enjoy my blog and I enjoy writing here but I am not sure how often I will be able to do this! One of the classes I am taking is an English class where I will be doing some writing and maybe it will happen here some but for now, I am not sure I will be updating my blog very often.
The family is all doing well and they are being so wonderfully supportive of me while I go through this new phase of my life. Probably the next time you hear from me will be when I get to tell you my first granddaughter has arrived!!!
Cheerio all!

Praying with Vision

2010-01-09T20:13:00.002-05:00

I started a blog about Christmas complete with pictures and all but it just isn't "working" for me right now! So I am changing plans! And - since it is my blog, I can do that! :))

The other day I was listening to Moody radio and Dennis and Barbara Rainey were talking about praying for our children. I really enjoyed the program but one thing really spoke to me and that was one of their guests saying that when they prayed for their children, they prayed with vision. I have been thinking about this all week. Here is what I think about that - when I think about praying for my kids with vision, the danger is I feel like I am praying for them to "turn out" the way I want them to. Does that make sense? We are all normal when we have ideas as to how we think our kids should live their lives. But I am of the opinion that this needs to go MUCH deeper than that! Its easy for us to say that we want our kids to be "all they can be for God" but is that just an easy way to pray? Maybe I am just making things more difficult than what they really are but I have definitely made some changes in the way I pray for my kids. There are so many things out there that are vying for the attention of our young families. The devil would like nothing more than to have them get their eyes off of serving God completely and living true holy lives. But - is that my vision of a true holy life or is that God's version of a true holy life? Trust me, if I did not believe in the way I live my life, I wouldn't live it this way! What is the point of doing something if you don't believe it with your whole life?? And no, I don't think that my kids have to live just like me in order to be "right". When I take a good look at what is going on in the world around me, I know that the only tool I have is prayer and I had better be putting it to good use!

So - I have been trying to pray for my kids with vision but praying it in alignment with God's vision that I see in His Word! I don't think I can go wrong there! One thing along this line of thought that also really helps me is knowing that Jesus takes the stuttering and messed up prayers I try to pray for my kids and polishes them alllllll up and then tells my Heavenly Father what I really meant to say. That gives me all the hope in the world!

If you care to, tell me how you pray for your kids! And remember, while anyone can respond, I am at the stage in my life where I have two kids that are gone from home and the last one with one foot out the door! So, praying for wisdom in potty training is a little late for me!! :)) Seriously though, I am very interested in what you have to say so feel free to comment!

Recent "Stuff"

2009-12-08T08:47:00.005-05:00

I thought I would shock everyone (all 2 of you) that reads my blog and post some actual pictures from recent events in my life. And so now that you have picked yourselves back up off the floor, here we go!

I was "privileged" to take a road trip to Missouri for a surprise 50th birthday party for my sister-in-law Diane! Now picture this - my brother Jim driving and his faithful navigator, my brother-in-law Paul beside him. The next row we find our mother and my sister Sandy. Then in the back you see - me! The baby of the family! You will have to know that the last time I can remember a road trip of any kind with more than one of my siblings, I was probably a very young child which meant that I was sitting on the lap of one of my brothers. Not real comfortable but back then our road trips lasted at the most for an hour! This one was about 5 to 6 hours. And in case you are wondering - everyone came back in one piece! We had tons of fun and enjoyed Missouri and the beautiful weather and getting to be with Greg and his family!! So without further ado, may I introduce my brother and his wife Diane!

Thanks to a great boss who offered to trade my Saturday to work, I was able to go with Ashley to a volleyball tournament in Bird Lake, Michigan! We all had a blast and were so very proud of our girls for finishing 2nd! Ashley got a trophy for the most valuable player on her team! I was very proud of her! She kinda messed up both ankles and had some swelling and soreness for a couple of days but she survived!! She definitely plays volleyball all out and her brother would like me to insert his "your welcome" here for he thinks that all the praise should go to him!! :)

This past weekend we put up the tree and got all the Christmas decorating done! Thanks to Dave and Ashley it got finished! I was sick and felt like doing nothing! We usually have to move furniture in order to put up the tree and I am not talking about just scooting something over! I am talking about moving something OUT of the living room completely! But we survived and thanks to them, here is the finished product!

My village is something that I love and due to some other stuff I wanted out, it ended up on the floor next to the tree this year. Not sure it is my favorite place for it but it is kinda growing on me!

Christmas will be somewhat different this year. Due to a schedule change with David and his employer - the Marine Corp - they are coming for Christmas early! I am working on the not complaining quite loudly part! :) Anyway, they will be here Saturday for about a week and we are all very excited! Josh and Carrie aren't able to come until the 28th so our family Christmas will be quite spread out!
BUT - at least we can see them all, all are healthy and God has blessed us all beyond measure!

Things I am Thankful For

2009-11-27T20:34:00.002-05:00

1) God's grace - where would we be without it??
2) Diet Mt Dew - where would I be without it sometimes?!
3) My husband - he is just simply the BEST!!
4) Stove Top Stuffing - just positively delicious!
5) David - my FAVORITE Marine and best number 1 son!!
6) Cell phones - mine never leaves my side!
7) Christa - best daughter-in-law and mommy-to-be ever!!
8) Football - just makes me smile!
9) Carrie - my favorite oldest daughter whose giggle makes me crack up!!
10) Black house slippers - nothing more comfortable!
11) Josh - my favorite number 2 son who never fails to make me smile!!
12) Have I mentioned Diet Mt Dew yet?!?!
13) Ashley - my favorite youngest daughter who keeps things VERY interesting!!
14) Teddy bears - have you seen my house lately?!?!
15) Andrew - my favorite number 3 son "one-of-these-days" who is nuts about Ashley!!
16) Chocolate - a necessary evil in my book!!
17) Friends - too many to name but I will anyway at the risk of leaving someone out - Tara (my bestest Florida friend), Donna (my old work buddy I miss lots), Jackie (my full-of-life Florida friend), Angie (my Frankfort cookie buddy), Beth and Kim (my "what do we do with adult children buddies) and many more I am sure I do not have enough room to mention!
18) And of course - Diet Mt Dew. Not sure I have said that yet!!
19) My church - so glad I am attending where I am!!
20) And last - I am just thankful in general that God has blessed me way more than I deserve and I want to learn to do a better job of expressing my thanks to HIM!!

Today - Veterans Day

2009-11-11T09:29:00.004-05:00

The following will be quite transparent so read on with carefulness.

Today is Veterans Day and for some reason, the tears are barely kept away. The bank is closed today and therefore I am at home. I really should be cleaning up my house since I have some company coming for lunch but this is a little more important at the moment!

How did he go from this -

to this??

Here is a part of the story from my point of view and since this is my blog - I can do that!! :))

David has always been a fighter - he kinda started out that way being born 3 1/2 weeks early and barely over 5 pounds! But trust me, he quickly made his presence felt and known in this world! He hasn't stopped if you want the truth! :))

We went on a trip just after his graduation from high school and we knew the thoughts that were going on his head about his future. We were in a church service over the 4th of July and we stood while the National Anthem was played and I looked up at this young man beside me who was fighting tears and I knew. Looking back, I can say - I knew. But that knowledge brought a battle along with it. I was not in agreement with what he wanted to do. My son had to stay around home and marry someone and work in the church and do exactly what I thought he should! I know - not too smart of me huh? We continued on with our trip that summer and the whole time, the battle raged. Not just with me though - the battle going on with David was evident. We came home and he struggled. Finally, he went for his physical for his decision had been made - a pilot he wanted to be for the Marine Corp. I prayed. Not in the right way of course. I mean, I was his mother and I knew best. He came home and laid down on the floor in the living room and was an unhappy boy. He couldn't be a pilot since he was color blind. And so, the battle continued on and was getting worse. One evening, I was already in bed for the night, my husband came into our room and said these words that forever changed our lives as we would know them. "Leah, I am going into David's room and I am telling him that he has our permission and full support to join the Marines". My response?? "No he doesn't". The battle took a different course for a few minutes while I argued my point! But in the end, that is exactly what he did. For David, the inward battle was probably ending but for me, the all-knowing Mom, it was only beginning and getting worse with each second. The dreaded day arrived and we drove him to Ft Pierce and said our goodbyes and my heart was ripped out of my chest. How could this be happening? This was all so wrong. For the next 3 months our communication was through letters about once a week. He was surviving and I lived for those letters. Graduation day was an unbelievable memory! Proud of him???? Oh you had better believe it! But guess what? The battle was still on! We kept on with living - something new now because we had a Marine. Life just kept going and we along with it. Then, it was the "D" word. Deployment. There is absolutely no way in the world I can tell you what that 7 months was like and you simply cannot understand it unless you have lived through it. I remember the comparisons people made between their child going off to college and mine going off to war! Yea right - two things that are exactly alike! NOT!!! Not even close. I lived for the weird phone number on the caller id and no matter where I was - that was a phone call I took! Yes - even in the middle of church!! But - for me, the battle was still on! Then, homecoming day finally arrived and nothing prepared me for the emotions of that day! Wow - I actually felt like I could breathe for the first time in 7 months.

Today - my pudgy little baby is a full grown adult in his last months in the Marine Corp. He is married to the best girl parents could ask for and his baby girl is set to make her appearance in March. Wow - what a man! I am so proud of him!

As for the battle?? Guess what?? It is still ongoing. Want to know why? BECAUSE I AM HIS MOM!!!!!!! God has used some circumstances recently to remind me that I battle because I care and because I am normal! But you want to know what I am really learning?!?! God is faithful - especially when I battle in the place of prayer! The devil is working overtime to destroy my children. I wonder why he has not figured out that God and a Mom make an awesome team!

So - David - I am so incredibly proud of you and thank God every day that you are who you are! YOU are such a hero to me - just below your dad if you want the truth! I love you!

Announcement

2009-11-03T12:35:00.003-05:00

I shall take a couple of minutes on this small thing called a lunch break to give you the latest news! Unless of course you have already heard it which would make it not news at all! Oh well - I am the owner of the blog and will tell it anyway!!! :)

In March we will be the proud grandparents of a baby girl!! Now - how awesome is that?!?! I am super excited as are all the females in our family! Oh and the males are excited also which means we are all pretty much thrilled with the news!!!

Its weird to say that I am going to be a grandparent but its true! So the big question now is........(drum roll please).........what are we going to be called?!?! Grandma and Grandpa? Nana and Papa? Old woman and old man?!?! I mean really!!! The possibilities are endless!! Suggestions from the blog world?!?!

We are thrilled for David and Christa and can't wait to meet the newest member of our family!!!

A Dilemma

2009-11-01T14:48:00.002-05:00

So here is the dilemma that I have had in the back of my mind for quite some time. I am not a writer like some others I know. I have read some blogs where the writer sounds like he/she comes right from a devotional book. I have read some others that absolutely had me in stitches the entire time I was reading it. I have read some where I have to admit that I just "sped read" my way through and went on my way. I have even read some that I kinda felt bad because the writer was bashing their significant other like there was no tomorrow.

One of the reasons that I started a blog in the beginning was because I felt like I needed a way to express myself in my own unique way. Another reason was so that I could just post some pictures and events and happenings in my family for far away family members. But - since my big move a little over a year ago, I have kinda lost my way when it comes to posting pictures of things going on. I really don't like to take pictures that much anyway and so I put myself on a guilt-trip for doing a blog without pictures.

So - the dilemma?? Do I just keep blogging whenever I have the time and if I have pictures I post them and if not, too bad for the readers? Do I blog what I really think about some things or do I just keep my mouth shut (which is pretty hard for me)?? Do I keep this blog going and then start one that is private and just post my "horrible" thoughts there? If I don't have time for this one, how can I do another one? And another thing, I have to be careful what I blog about so as to not be offensive to people. I really have no desire to blog about things that will cause my husband grief since he runs into people all the time while he is out traveling that tell him they read my blog! What to do? Oh what to do??

That is my big dilemma where this blog is concerned. If I really have that many readers out there, maybe you could post your comment and let me know what you think. Which brings me to my request - if you are a private lurker, would you be so kind as to send me an email and tell me who you are? Its just the curious part of me! I look forward to reading your responses!

Guess Who?

2009-10-26T07:49:00.002-04:00

I know - this updating my blog thing has really taken a backseat to pretty much anything and everything else in my world. I never realized how many people actually read this but never commented! I mean.....I was even reminded by my father-in-law some time ago that I had not updated and "when are you going to do that?".

To be honest, I really just don't have the time and I am pretty sure that any small window I have had in the past will be non-existent by the time January rolls around. You see, silly me has decided that I need to find a way to gain back the brain cells my children have been frying for the last 22 years and I am heading back to school. Excited? Yes. Nervous? Most definitely. Scared? A little. Nuts? Without a doubt! But - I am! I am going to go to Ivy Tech and get an Associates Degree in Business and hopefully, go on and get my Bachelors in Human Resources but time will tell. For starters, I have to go back to basic Algebra which literally sends chills up and down my spine! So other than working full time and "sorta" taking care of my house, that will be my world!

Dave has been traveling quite a bit and is home for another week or so and then will be gone for a couple of weeks and then home till the spring! He LOVES evangelistic work and I am so very proud of him! We are blesses that he has such a great boss who lets him come and go as he needs to!

Kids are all well! David and Christa are handling the constant changes the Marine Corp world throws at them quite well. The newest addition to our family fondly referred to as "THING" is doing well and causing the mommy to need sleep, throw up on occasion and declare often that "Your grandkid hates me!!". We hope to find out in the next little while if it is a boy or girl that will appear but the jury is still out on what anyone wants I think!! Josh and Carrie are unfortunately enduring all the nosy questions as to when they will be having a baby! The poor girl can't sneeze without someone asking if she is pregnant! I mean really - can't they survive the first year of marriage first?!?! But - they were raised well and are handling life as it comes with a smile and enjoying married life in general!! Ashley is breezing through her senior year of school, a new job and for some reason, we CANNOT get her to agree to spending her life at home with her parents! Annoying! :)) There just seems to be someone who has attracted her attention and therefore, AGAIN, our last child is growing up FAR TOO FAST!!! But - we like him anyway!!!

So - there you have it! The very latest, up-to-date information regarding the goings on at the funny farm! Who knows? Maybe I WILL update this more often! I feel better all ready and it is only 8am!!!! I have lost my desire for taking pictures so maybe I will work on that too in my spare time! But then that would mean I would have to find the camera and the cord to plug it in and then remember how to upload - oh....forget it, my brain just fried on all that! Maybe I will leave the downloading of pictures up to the hubby!!! GREAT idea Leah!!! When I start talking to myself in my blog, it is a sign to be done!

Happy Fall everyone!

Happy Birthday

2009-09-05T15:52:00.002-04:00

I don't have any pictures on the computer from "way back then" and a lot of my older pictures have been made into a scrapbook by my sister so I don't have any to post here! But - it is once again the time to wish someone a Happy Birthday!!

Early this morning Dave's cell phone rang and it was David. Being the strange and weird mother that I am, sometimes I get a little nervous when he calls. The conversation began like this:

Dave: Hello?
David: Hi, Dad!
David: Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me, Happy birthday to me!

I thought I would crack up!! The kid has such a weird and wacky sense of humor! I do NOT know what I would do without him!!!!

David, Happy birthday! You are the best son in the world and by far my very favorite Marine ever! I am so very proud of you and would not trade one single minute of your life with us! Ok - maybe one or two!!! :)) But I do love you and am extremely proud of you!!!!! Have a grand and glorious day!!!

An Update (and even some pictures)

2009-08-16T15:32:00.013-04:00

Before you go to looking, there are no wedding pictures. For one, I didn't even pick up my camera the day of the wedding - that is what we hired a photographer for! Second, posting pictures of the wedding is Carrie's privilege - not for her very proud mom!! So, the following is just a quick update of the different things that have gone on in our lives over the last couple of months!

First of all, Dave was the evangelist at a camp in NC and David and Christa drove over for a weekend! He was so excited to get to see his kids! I think they all had a blast!

Then my sister (brave soul), Carrie, Ashley and myself made a very fast and very long trip to Florida for a bridal shower for Carrie. Ok - it was a blast and we had a GREAT time but trust me, NONE of us want to do it again!!!! The decorations were beautiful and the food was delicious and getting to stay at Tara's house was an added bonus!!!!

Then this beautiful young lady turned 20. Yes, that is very hard to believe but it is the truth! The girls have 2 years and 8 days between their birthdays so we had a family picnic on Sunday at our house to celebrate for both of them! But, Carrie's comes first! Josh was able to be here for her birthday and that was a great present for her!!

We had a special cake done for the girls that day! There is a long story behind their nicknames that I won't tell right now but they sure did enjoy the names on this cake!!!

Then this beautiful girl turned 18. And just in case you are wondering, yea....it is hard to believe that my youngest child is 18 already!! But - she is my "favorite youngest child" and I wouldn't trade her for anything!!!! We planned a surprise birthday party for her at some friends house (although she probably knew about it anyway) and we had a great time!! Mexican food, volleyball and a homemade bomb that scared a deaf horse!! It was great!!!!

I am pretty sure that she enjoyed the food and the volleyball and the bomb but for some reason, it is the guy beside her that keeps her attention most of her waking moments!!!

So the week of the wedding was one of the busiest I have had in awhile! There was so much that happened that would literally fill a book but I will just hit the highlights! My wonderful friend Angie so graciously opened her home for a bridal luncheon for Carrie and her bridesmaids. It was decorated so beautifully and the food was delicious and it was a relaxing time for everyone!

Carrie had a great group of girls in her wedding! Let me see if I can name them and put then in order starting from left to right!! Ashley (maid of honor), Katie (cousin), Anna and Esther (bridesmaids and sisters to Josh), Christa (matron of honor), Marianne and Kyla (bridesmaids and Carrie's best friends from high school), Bethany (cousin) and Rebecca (bridesmaid and sister to Josh). It was a great time for all of us!!!

The rehearsal dinner was really good and the best part would have been the dessert table! :)) The Kline's had the dinner at the same place where we had the reception so that went well!

We did learn however, that these two should never be trusted if they are off in a corner and whispering! The song (if that is what you want to call it) that came from these two was something that will not soon be forgotten!!!

The rehearsal actually went really well and I was so glad!! What helped the most was having a dad who has a loud voice, a bride that knew exactly what she wanted and people that kept their opinions to themselves!! :)) Carrie and Josh had t-shirts made for everyone in the wedding party and so this is the group all together!! They were all fantastic and we all agreed we had the best Bible Bearer and Flower Girl that EVER were in a wedding!!

So that is it for now! There is plenty more to tell about but that at least gives you some idea of what we have been up to!!!

Apologies

2009-08-10T07:58:00.002-04:00

I realize that I have not updated this in a month but in case you didn't know, things have been a little busy around here! I am promising to do several blogs in the next week or so. About what?? Well, lets see - had a daughter turn 20, had another one turn 18, drove to FL and back for a bridal shower, took a weeks vacation for a wedding.......ummmmm......I think that about covers it! So, once I get my camera and a laptop all together in one piece and the proper permission is obtained, I will get to blogging!

But until then, just know that the Fulton Family Funny Farm is alive and half sane. Well, the last part is seriously questionable!!

New stuff!!

2009-07-07T22:01:00.002-04:00

Ok - so there are no new pictures of the garden to post yet but only because I have not had the time to go take more! But - there is news and plenty of it!

Why do I have to have life-changing events happen to me so close together?!?! In two weeks, my youngest child will turn 18. In four weeks, my middle child will be getting married. In 8 months or so, I will be a grandma! Yes, you read that right! There is just something wrong with that picture!

Now for the disclaimer! For those of you who are blessed to meet my husband when I am not around, please do not judge him by the writer of this blog! The poor man has come home and reminded me on several occasions of people who read this!! Just do not blame him for my craziness!!!!!

Sorry this is so short and so full of meaning (not!!!)!! I may be getting too old to blog but time will tell!!! LOL!!!!

A Fast Update

2009-06-23T09:03:00.003-04:00

Ok - so I have about 5 minutes to do this in before I head off to work. This is a busy hectic time around our house! In case you haven't heard - we have a wedding coming up in about weeks or so. The girls and I and their Aunt Sandy are taking a fast road trip to Florida this weekend so that should be interesting!

We worked in the garden last night and I thought I would post a few pictures. The first one is from up by the house and that is where the first tomato blooms are!

This is the garden at this point! We are really happy with it! Not exactly everything has turned out like we planned but we are still happy!!

There is a lot going on around here and many things to do so the blog will not get updated too frequently but I will do my best!!

My physical and spiritual garden!!

2009-05-24T21:20:00.003-04:00

One of the things that I have looked forward to ever since I first discovered we were moving back to Indiana was getting to have a garden again! Gardening in Florida was too big of a challenge - living a mile from the ocean meant the soil was sand! Anyway, Dave spoke with our landlord a few weeks ago and asked about having a small garden in our backyard and they consented. So - yesterday was planting day! Dave had already plowed up the spot but due to a lot of rain, there was no planting to be done. We got our seeds and plants yesterday, roped off the rows and planted the garden! Dave and I were so excited!
This is the beginning!

My "master" gardener!!

I can't believe I am posting this picture but I am and will see if I can laugh about it at some point!!

All done!! Its not huge but it is ours and that is all the matters!

I forgot to take a picture but up by the house, we planted a few tomato plants and three pepper plants also! I can't wait for fresh tomatoes!!!!!
So - while I was doing all this, I got to thinking about my spiritual garden. I wonder if I am up for the challenge of the thinning out and the weeding as I grow! This probably won't make sense to anyone and I am actually just thinking this out as I type. I think for my sanity - I need to leave this and come back to it when my mind is not so tired. I just have been thinking a lot about spiritual growth ever since Pastor Johnson preached a message about it a few weeks back. One thing I have learned is that growth can be painful but the end result is oh so precious!! I think that I will blog about this again later! Guess you will have to check back now, huh?!?! :))

Life on the Funny Farm

2009-05-08T22:08:00.004-04:00

Oh wow - look.....a new blog, and one with pictures!!!! Where oh where do I start??? Well, how about with Ashley! This girl has given me more grey hair in the last 3 weeks than I deserve!! :)) First of all, she decided to come down with the stomach flu. We got rid of it in time for her to head off to the land of strep throat. Then.........

.....yea...she sorta totaled her sisters car. She was driving along a street here in town and a lady stopped at a stop sign, didn't see Ashley and plowed into her drivers door and spinning her around until.......

.....she hit a telephone pole. She did very well at not going into a state of panic but called her daddy to come and rescue her!! :)) Thankfully, other than a few bruises, she is fine! Well enough in fact, that after a few minutes.......

.....she was on the phone!! Three guesses as to who she was talking to but the first two do not count!!! We are actually very thankful that she was not hurt and reminded her that cars are replaceable but she is not!! Although in the last few weeks, I have considered it!!!! :))

Now on to the next daughter and wedding stuff!! Engagement picture have been taken - below are three of my favorite shots of them! Mind you these are MY favorite, not necessarily those of the future bride and groom!!

What a beautiful couple!!!! Wedding plans are coming along really well and of course, there are still many more to do!! Carrie has such a great handle on things and I am so incredibly proud of her!! She makes bigger and better lists than her mother and trust me, that is saying something!! :))
Well, I think that is enough for now! The body is tired and the mind is weary and the bed is calling!! C-YA!!!!!!

An "anniversary" of sorts

2009-04-22T17:26:00.003-04:00

I was reminded of the significance of this day a little while ago and thought I would blog about it while I wait on Dave to get home from work!
Due to some other events going on right now, this will make me all teary-eyed but maybe that is what I need!

These are three of the most precious things in the world to me! Its not exactly the picture I was looking for but it will do! My family is still growing but these are the original three!

One year ago today was the culmination of a very long and stressful 7 months! David Jr had been deployed to Iraq and I think we had all had ENOUGH!!!! We had made our way to North Carolina for homecoming and what a trip that was! I don't think ANYTHING can ever compare to the emotions of that day! When I looked down the street and saw those buses make the turn I thought I would explode! They turned in, stopped and all of a sudden there were Marines EVERYWHERE and family and friends and wives and moms and dads and grandparents and babies were going bananas!!!!!! Ashley screamed "There he is" and finally my family was whole again! I cannot tell you about the variety of emotions that day!
My family is so very important to me and the older I get the more I realize that God is teaching me about trust! Not just any trust but COMPLETE trust in HIM! I spent 7 months trusting in God to protect David and He did, time and time again! The neat thing is that - HE STILL CAN!! I am so thankful that I can trust in an all-knowing God for my children!
I thank God for those who protect my country - especially my wonderful, handsome and most favorite Marine!!!!!!!

The "have no clue" blog

2009-04-19T13:14:00.004-04:00

So - it has been too long since I have updated my blog.....or so a whole bunch of people told me at IHC this past week! I am sure that I have had a bunch of things happen in my world since I last blogged but since (as the title says) I have no clue what I am doing, I will just blog randomly today!
First of all, the front end of my poor car got crunched by a Ford Explorer! This is what that looked like:

It has now been properly fixed and looks normal once again!
Now, a little "pre-story" to the next topic of conversation. Dave travels here and there on a frequent basis, Carrie spends more time in the airports at Indy and West Palm Beach than she does anywhere else, Ashley has been to Florida and is always busy and mom, well.....I work - either at work or at home! So, through a series of conversations I figured out that my best friend, Tara, from Florida was going to be about 5 hours from me and I planned a road trip!!!!! I got a couple of books on tape and hit the road around 7am on Saturday and went to meet Tara! It was GREAT!!! I met some of her family, got to see Spencer and Cassidy and Betty (Tara's Mom) and then had a nice LOOOOOOOOONG lunch! See how much fun we had?!?!

That was so much fun and I am so glad I took the time to make that trip!!!
Let's see - what else can I tell you about? Ummm.....went to IHC this past week and that was so nice! I really looked forward to having a few days off work and so enjoyed myself. I went over Tuesday morning with my mother-in-law and Ashley and then Dave and his dad came over on Wednesday! I ran into all kinds of people that I knew and really enjoyed the music! If you think that you need a pick-me-up, go to the website for IHC and watch the Thursday afternoon service! The first guy that spoke was amazing and I was reminded AGAIN how blessed I am!
Now for the family! Dave got to take the trip of a lifetime with his dad back to the country of his birth - Bolivia, South America! He had such a great time and came home with tons of pictures and I will probably try to do a blog about that sometime soon! He has been gone quite a bit but is now home for a few weeks! That makes this wife happy!! David and Christa are doing well and keeping busy with Marine life and married life! Carrie is busy working, flying and planning a wedding! We have in our possession THE wedding dress and that has made us all happy! Things are progressing well! They have their first little home and Josh will be moving there soon! Wow - time is flying! Ashley is busy with the last few weeks of school and working part-time at Taco Bell. She survived ACE competition and a trip to Florida for her spring break! Of course there are other "things" and "people" that take a lot of her time and attention but she still manages a second or two here and there for her mom and dad!! :)) I am working and well.....working! Trees are starting to bloom and flowers are coming up and that means that maybe, just maybe it will start to warm up around here!!
So, that is it for now! I am sure that is a whole lot more I am missing but a Sunday afternoon rest is calling my name!!

Happy Belated Birthday

2009-03-17T13:39:00.003-04:00

I would like to take this opportunity to wish LaDonna a happy belated birthday! I know - I should have done this a little while ago but its been a little busy around here!
Happy Birthday LaDonna! I hope you had a fantastic day! I really was going to dig around for pictures but I can't seem to get a handle on which box they are all still in!!! I suppose you could say you are blessed! But then - you really deserve it after those terrible pictures you put up of me! :)) :))
I do hope you had a great day and may I say WELCOME to the 40's?? They aren't all that bad but then we probably already knew that being that wise young people we are!!!!

Happy Anniversary!!

2009-03-13T07:45:00.002-04:00

Wow!! Imagine my surprise to read my blog yesterday and find the sweetest thing ever! I have the best husband in the world!!!! I, however, am not posting pictures of us because he did enough damage with that yesterday!! Man, I used to be skinny!!

So - 22 years ago this evening and yes, on a Friday the 13th, I married my very best friend!! Babe, we were young and not too bright but when I look at where we were and where we could have been and where we are now, I KNOW beyond all doubts that there is a God who loves us both!! I am amazed at all we have been through and yet, our love grows stronger with each day! I am so thankful that we have chosen the life we have and that through our many ups and downs, we have worked them all out together! You have been the best husband in the world and I would not trade you for anything! Thanks so much for making God the priority in our lives and for leading me in a closer relationship with God! You are my hero! You are the one I look up to the most and the one who is my very best friend! Thank you for sticking with me through all the bad spots, for making me laugh, for making me look hard at my inner self, for loving our family, for just being you and there is absolutely nothing in the world I would change about you!!! NOTHING!!! I love you!!!

Happy anniversary to you and I look forward to the next 100 years with you!!!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

2009-03-12T12:15:00.003-04:00

Happy Anniversary!!

This is Dave and I have momentarily taken over my wife’s blog. I guess you could say that I have hijacked it and am about to try something I have never done before. That is to blog. The pictures that you see at the top of the page are pictures of us 23 years ago and 1 year ago. Boy have we changed! But that is ok I still think she is the prettiest girl in the whole world!!! Now you know that Leah is an old pro at this but I am less than a beginner novice at this so please do not judge her great blogging skill by this pathetic blog. I am in a revival in Michigan and will not get to be with her on our anniversary so hope this will help to make it up to her.
I wanted to say Happy Anniversary to my wonderful wife of 22 years. I know that it has been hard some times but we have always made it through. We have shared laughter and tears, heartache and cheers, sickness and health, poverty and wealth, but through it all we have had each other and that is what makes this marriage work. I know that there are times you would like to throw me off of a cliff for the stupid things I did but you have stuck with me. I also know that there are other times I have made you so happy that you cannot even express it. No we do not have a perfect marriage but we do have a perfect God that helps us to keep it together. I want you to know love, that I would never trade you in for 10 million years. I could never get someone else that would stand by me the way you have. I know that there is no one else in this whole wide world that loves me the way that you do. I am so glad that God has sent you into my life and that He is the center of our lives. I could never live without you and never want to try. We have come through 22 years of learning how to love each other and I am looking forward to another 100 years of learning to love you even more. I love you with all my heart Leah.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!

Our Weekend

2009-03-08T15:15:00.007-04:00

This has been a very full and busy weekend! First of all, we got company on Friday!

Crystal came to see us - well.....she came to see Carrie and go dress shopping with us! It has been so nice to have her here! Carrie is blessed with a wonderful future mother-in-law!!!
Then Friday night, we met Christa for dinner. She came for her grandfather's funeral so we met her for supper! It was great to see her!! Made me miss David but at least we got to see her!

Then on Saturday, bright and early, this wonderful group headed out for the dress shopping adventure!! My fantastic sister, Sandy, Carrie, myself, Crystal and Ashley! We had so much fun!

So we went to the first place and we tried on this dress......

....and then we tried on this dress...

....but this place was NOT all it was cracked up to be so we left and went here....

Now THIS was the place to be! The girl there was so helpful to Carrie and we probably wore her out!! And so Carrie found THE dress and so here it is.........

wait a minute - you really did not think I would post that picture here did you?!?!?!?!?!?!? Ok - so that was the really bad ornery part of me showing!! So, this is the future bride signing that all important receipt for the purchase of THE dress!

One small step for Carrie towards her big day and one gigantic leap into the world of debt!!!

A Rather Long Overdue Post

2009-02-23T20:20:00.002-05:00

It has been on my mind to do this blog for awhile but I just have not taken the time to do it. I am used to running behind so I might as well blog "behind" also!! This picture is a little old but its the only one I could get my hands on for now!

I have the best husband! See - the first three months of the year are pretty full with "celebrations" around our house. My birthday and his birthday are both in January. We have Valentine's Day and the anniversary of our first date in February and our anniversary is in March. We don't always get to do expensive and elaborate things but we celebrate anyway. So this blog is for my sweetheart!

Dave, happy belated birthday, happy belated Valentine's Day and a small, early happy anniversary!! My life just would not be complete without you! You continually amaze me every single day! First of all, thank you for being sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives! I appreciate your willingness to do the "right" thing even when it is not the "popular" thing! Thank you for allowing God to use you! Thank you for being the spiritual leader of our home!

Thank you for loving our children and accepting each one of them for who they are! Thank you for teaching them to laugh and have fun! Thank you for being the spiritual leader for them! Thank you so much for leading them by example! They look up to you so much and I am so thankful that they have you!

As for me, I could not ask for a better husband! You are my best friend! I have no one that I can talk to like I do you! I am so glad that I have spent the last 22 years with you! I am simply amazed at what God has done for us! I am so thankful for a husband who loves me enough to pray for me and gently guide me into a closer relationship with God! I cannot believe some of the things we have done in our lives and I cannot believe the laughs we have shared!! We have laughed at ourselves more than anything and I would not trade those laughs for anything!! Thanks for loving me and being my very best friend in the world!!!

I hope that you had a fantastic birthday, a wonderful Valentine's Day and I know that I get the privilege of doing another blog about you in a few weeks for our anniversary!!! I love you!!!

An Overdue Blog

2009-02-16T19:36:00.002-05:00

I know that this is a few days overdue but it is time to blog about a certain event that happened a few weeks ago. It has taken me awhile to work up the courage to do it but here goes. This is pretty earth-shattering news so that is why it has taken me so long to do it.

A few weeks ago, something happened that really bothered me a lot. It has caused me great concern but I feel like I am dealing with it pretty well. You see, I am now officially old!!! I turned 40 and I can say that I have never been the same! I think my eyes are going bad! I now have more than one grey hair! There is no such thing as losing weight! That is an absolute impossibility! I am sleeping - or not. It takes forever to shut my brain off and when it does I finally get to fall asleep!!! I am having pains in my feet that just never used to happen before!! My back gets sore easier than ever!! Things are just not the same!!

Ok the previous paragraph is pretty much a joke!! Although I did have a birthday and I did turn 40, and I do have grey hair - the rest is not really true!! I did not have a party and that is ok! I really didn't do anything to celebrate at all besides work. I received a really pretty bouquet of flowers from my friends in Florida - and no, like a dummy I did not get a picture. I know - not smart!! A few days later, Dave and I went out to the Olive Garden to celebrate both our birthdays since his is a few days after mine! We really had a great time!!

So, I am now 40 and I guess I am supposed to be an adult! Yea - for most people that is supposed to happen shortly after 18 but for me, let's just say that it takes me longer than normal to do things!! I was hoping to be able to accomplish some things before I turned 40! Some of them I have managed to accomplish and some I haven't. For now, I am planning on just enjoying my life and living it to the fullest!

The Family Update

2009-02-15T16:22:00.002-05:00

Well, lets see - what is new at the funny farm? Anyone want to know? Anyone? Anywhere?
Dave has worked steady this week for which we are thankful. This morning he woke up and started getting this nasty cold and junk that is going around here. I am hoping that a day of rest will knock it out pretty quick. By the way, for the record, I had a great Valentine's Day with the best husband in the world!
David made it safely home from his training and wants everyone to know that the desert is not always warm!! I think he got rather cold a time or two!! :)) I know that Christa is really glad to have him home!
Josh is here visiting and so we have been busy planning the wedding. We looked at a place yesterday for the reception so we will see if that works out. We also took advantage of some GREAT sales at Michael's and Hobby Lobby and got some decorations for the wedding. That was pretty exciting! Carrie is pretty sick today so she has spent the day on the couch. She has the next two days off so hopefully that will help her get over hers quickly.
Ashley is surviving school and will be starting her first job this next week. I told her I am looking forward to borrowing money from her in the near future!!! She has started in this afternoon not feeling all that great so there goes number 3 in this family!
Can anyone sense a trend here? Anyone see anything in common? So help me if I get sick I am not going to be a happy patient!!!!!
That's it for now! Who knows? Maybe one of these days I will have something interesting to blog about! For now, sickness is the theme and it is a boring one so I am going to shut up!

A Powerful Word

2009-02-08T20:35:00.002-05:00

I have been doing some thinking recently about a lot of tough spots that different people I know are going through.
A horrible wreck that claimed the lives of a precious mother and her two little children.
A little 17 month old girl that has cancer and is very weak - whose parents and other family members must be devastated.
Another little 7 year old girl who passed away very unexpectedly - whose family must be in complete shock.
The hurt of a relationship not going the way that was planned.
The struggle of not knowing where money is coming from for bills in this tough financial time.
The emotional depression that has some looking for any small ray of hope.
The dark spiritual valley that seems to have no end in sight - God feels very far away in the eyes of the one walking through that valley.

We often find ourselves looking for the right words to say to people when they are going through situations like I have mentioned. I mean - how do you pray for a family who has lost a child? What do you say? You can't say that you understand because you don't - unless you have been there. We say that prayer is all we have but praying the right words seems so hard. Of course, its easy for us to pray if we are NOT in any of those situations!

So - what power is in a word?
A word that brings healing when sickness overtakes us.
A word that brings peace when our heart is troubled.
A word that brings comfort when we are overcome with grief.
A word that brings wisdom when we cannot see the end of the valley.
A word that brings light when the darkness will not go away.

That name would be..........Jesus.

There really isn't much else to say now is there?

A quick update

2009-01-28T21:10:00.002-05:00

I talked to my brother the other night who noticed that I had not updated the blog in awhile! So this is for Jim!!!

I am cold and not really excited about the snow!!! We have boatloads of it and I am not really happy about that!!

The wedding plans have begun and we are busy, busy with that! Just think - that means spring and summer have to be on the way!!!!!!!

There ya go - an update!!!!

I am...........

2009-01-20T08:22:00.002-05:00

wishing my very favorite daughter-in-law a wonderful 21st birthday!!! I hope that she has a fantastic day!!

Christa, I am very thankful that God brought you into our lives and to our family! I know that celebrating today will not be easy with David gone but I hope you have a great day and please know that we love you lots and lots!!!!!

Presenting.........

2009-01-19T19:34:00.002-05:00

........the future Mr. & Mrs. Joshua Kline!!!!!

Carrie and Josh are officially engaged!! More details to follow at a later time!!!

The NEWS

2009-01-11T13:38:00.002-05:00

Ok - the time has come for me to share the news! I know - it has been too long but here it goes anyway!

There is just one thing - the news that I was going to share is no longer news. Are you confused yet?!?! I guess I need to explain myself huh???

A couple of weeks ago, we looked at a house to buy and then put a bid on it. We (actually me) were pretty confident that we would get it and hence, the reason for the big new news announcement in my last blog. However, the Lord decided that it was not the house for us and so our offer was rejected. We are back to looking and waiting for the right place to come our way!

So - I am sitting here laughing because I am sure that was not the news you expected which makes me proud of myself! I know it was rather ornery of me but I can't help it! I should apologize but........I just can't do it!!

Happy New Year (a little late!)

2009-01-03T08:38:00.003-05:00

I am taking advantage of a little quiet time to catch up on reading some blogs and emails and thought I would update my own blog as well. I should really not be doing this and you would understand if you could look around at the house!! OHHHHHHH......what a mess!!!

What an interesting year 2008 was! It definitely had some good points and along the way some rough spots! I had my last birthday in January! I just simply won't have anymore! April was a ton of fun since we got to attend David, Jr's homecoming from Iraq! Dave resigned his position with FEA and so June was spent tying up loose ends there. There were the endless plans and things to accomplish for the big wedding in August. And then two weeks later we moved to IN. The end of September brought the excitement of me beginning a new job at a bank! Then the realization that we still HATE to be cold! We had a great time with family over Thanksgiving and then the Christmas holidays! These are just the highlights but I am amazed at how quickly the time has gone by!

The passing of time makes me think of so many things and my brain usually moves from one to another at a very rapid pace. My kids are all growing and changing and entering new phases in their lives. We just spent almost two weeks with a married child in our house for the first time! That was a bit unusual and I am sure that David and Christa would have other words to describe their time here!! I may very well be "losing" another child in this next year so that is taking some adjusting! And ---- my baby girl has her first official boyfriend! So much change has gone on and there is still more to come!!

BUT - as usual, God is very patiently pointing out to me that HE has not changed and never will! In the ever-changing moments that are all around me, I am so very grateful that the ONE I need the most will always stay the same!!!

Come back again soon - there is bound to be some cool and exciting news in the next month or so, and no.......I am not pregnant and the news is NOT what you are thinking!!!!!!

Family

2008-12-30T21:21:00.005-05:00

To be honest I really am too tired to post much but just wanted to tell you that I have the greatest family in the world! I am so proud of them and the way they handle this grouchy, grumpy mom they have! We have had a great time with them all together and David and Christa will be leaving in the morning! This is our family picture that we took this past Saturday!

This is a picture we took this past Sunday after church since David was in his dress blues! Ashley, her boyfriend Andrew, Carrie, Josh, Christa and David! My favorite kids in the whole wide world!!

And last but not least, the best husband in the entire world!!!!!!

Quick Proof I have Lost My Mind!!!!

2008-12-16T21:23:00.002-05:00

So this news will come as no surprise to those of you who know me well - especially my friends in Florida! I went shopping tonight! I found some good deals at CVS that Carrie paid for - one of the perks of having working children!!! Then it was on to the Dollar Tree for great "gifts" for a family get-together on Saturday! Our next stop was Wal-Mart where the Lord helped me find some great gifts and on sale or clearance to top it off!!!!

Now on to the shocking part!! Well, two shocking parts!!! The first is that I came home with $6 still in my pocket!! That is a miracle let me tell you!!!

Shocking part number two!! I did this in the SNOW AND ICE!!!! It was snowing (I think) and sleeting (I know) and every time I left a store I had to scrape my windows! What in the world is wrong with this picture?!?! In the famous words of my husband a few weeks ago when it snowed the first time........"Something is broken"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I present you this evidence that I have clearly lost my mind and will be completely insane before my next birthday, which by the way......we are NOT discussing!!!!

News From Our House

2008-12-14T15:39:00.003-05:00

There really isn't much going on around here that is new to blog about but we had something new happen this week. The school here where Ashley attends has started a volleyball team this year and this past week was their first game. We drove down to just south of Indianapolis and they played several games. Since this is their first year to play and this was the first game for them, the other school consented to play several games with our girls. They did not win but one game but they had such a good time and did a great job! I was very impressed with their attitudes and they really did well! Here are just a few pictures that I took - with her camera but at least we took them!! In this picture she is in the back row and has her back to the camera!

She is in the middle of the front row.

One of us probably yelled at her and she looked at the camera for this one! There may have been one particular voice in the crowd she heard but I am not sure!!

Other than that, we are just living and getting ready for Christmas. Our church has our Christmas dinner tomorrow night and Tuesday night, we are going to try to go and get some shopping done. Wednesday night is church and Thursday night is something else, although right now I cannot remember what. Friday I do not get off work till late but I will be getting ready for my family Christmas get-together on that Saturday. We are all anxiously awaiting the arrival of David and Christa and Josh and then this little house will be full and running over! Any great ideas on how I can get all 7 of us to share the one bathroom we have???

Blither Blather

2008-12-05T22:15:00.002-05:00

Like my title??? I thought it sounded like something I would say! I am pretty sure they are not even words but hey.....as I have said before - it is my blog I can say what I want!!

I am sitting in my husbands chair with his laptop surfing the "net" and decided to do a blog! On what? Don't really have anything particular - just typing to ..... type! Man I am in some sort of weird mood tonight! I guess its a good thing there is a delete button!!!

So what is new in my world? Um...... job is going well! I have a new supervisor and that is making things much better. Hopefully she will get the position on a permanent basis but time will tell. I am just very thankful that I have a job and glad that it provides good insurance for the family! Dave is at home now and will be for awhile. He is working fairly regularly and we are thankful for that. He is so helpful to me and I am glad that I am married to someone who has no problem doing dishes or laundry or anything else around the house! As far as we know, David and Christa will get to be home for Christmas and we are sooooooo excited about that! It is just about all we talk about around here!!! We are so thankful that David is HOME for the holidays this year! Carrie spent Thanksgiving in Florida and is now looking forward to Josh coming here in the evening of Christmas day! She is really enjoying her job but I think she would rather be in Florida for obvious reasons! Ashley is enjoying life in general! She is really happy that her school started a volleyball team this year and she is so excited to play! She got her uniform the other day and she is thrilled with her last name on the back of her shirt! Of course she also has her "friend" which is pretty much all we hear about!!! I can't figure out why she doesn't talk about her Algebra or Chemistry though!!!!

There really is not that much going on around our house these days! Mainly because we are too cold to go outside! I thought my car was going to have a heart attack when I left the bank tonight to come home! I think it was about 17 degrees outside and my car has never seen anything like it!! Then of course my fingers were so cold that I just about could not work the keys! I think I look like a walking mummy whenever I go outside! Scarf and gloves and a coat and boots and extra socks! You would think I had never been in the cold before! I can honestly say I have NEVER liked being cold! And another thing - climbing into bed around here is an activity that requires sheer guts and will power!!!!!!! I lose my breath every single time I lay down!! I hate coffee so that is not an option but Crystal Kline's hot chocolate has become my favorite drink let me tell you!!

Ok - so I have rambled enough foolishness and whined enough for one blog about the cold but I am sure this is not the last time you will hear that!! Have a good evening and maybe the next time you check back I will have something worthwhile to blog about!!!!!

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto..."

2008-11-30T14:56:00.009-05:00

Remember in the Wizard of Oz when Dorothy looks at Toto and says the above line? Well, it has become quite evident this week that we are now living in a strange land!

First of all, I got off work on Wednesday, came home and made about 10 dozen homemade crescent rolls. I believe it was shortly before 1 am when I dropped my weary body into bed! Thanksgiving dawned bright and early and we headed off to Westfield for the Fulton Family Thanksgiving/Christmas get-together. We opened tons of presents which gives us picture number one! My niece Sarah was trying to help her Uncle Dave appear more festive but the bow would not stick!!

We had one of the biggest Thanksgiving meals I think I have seen in years! I honestly cannot remember when I have seen that much food in one house! There was no possible way that anyone could have walked away from that table hungry!
Then Dave's brother Steve set up the Wii and oh my goodness, the fun we had!! Even Grandpa played and he was better at bowling than anyone in the family!!!

For the record, this little girl TOTALLY gets into the bowling!!

Unfortunately I did not get a picture of the boxing matches but let me tell you it was the funniest thing I have ever seen in my life! Especially watching my niece Whitney beating her Uncle James and ANYONE else she went up against! I am so disappointed that I did not get a picture of that!!
Probably the biggest attraction that day was this:

A baby goat had been born that morning around 4am and her mommy was not taking care of her so my niece Rachel had her in the house keeping her warm and fed. She was the center of attention from just about everyone! We had a wonderful time with the family but I must admit that I sure missed my kids growing up and not being there! It is quite evident that things are changing and that is one of those bitter sweet things we deal with!
So - then yesterday after I got home from work, we began the Christmas decorating process. Dave and the girls had worked hard to get stuff done before I got home and then the "fun" began! After a trip to Wal-Mart, this is the finished product!! This was Ashley's creation that I thought turned out real well!

She also came up with this and I love the way it looks!

For the first time, I took my hands off my village and Carrie took care of it and did a great job!

She was also of the opinion that this corner in the dining room needed some help so her journey through Wal-Mart produced this:

About the only thing I refuse to take my hands off of is my bears so this is the handiwork of yours truly!

The tree is a huge story all of its own but I will spare you the details surrounding the million scratches on my hands and arms and tell you that Carrie and Ashley decorated the tree and I am quite pleased with the outcome!

Then this morning - I realized that I am no where CLOSE to Florida when Ashley's "friend" Andrew called her to let her know he had snow out at his house and she bounded out of bed, threw up her blind and was quite delighted to find...................SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! I took this picture out our front door this morning and realized that some things never change no matter how many years pass!!!!! I still CANNOT STAND SNOW!!! Yea - it is pretty and the novelty lasted about 30 seconds before I remembered that we are not in the warm sunny south anymore!!!

This is a picture of the outside of the house that Carrie took when we got home from church this morning. Snow and some Christmas decorations!

I would say that this has definitely been a week of interesting events!

Some Holiday Thoughts

2008-11-23T16:41:00.003-05:00

This past week my husband has been away in a revival and each evening when he called, he would remind me that I had not updated my blog yet so I thought I would surprise him!

There is really nothing new to blog about right now! Life is just going on! I do not worry about the stock market dropping since they do not have any of my money anyway. I am not panicked about the new President - thankfully he is NOT God so he does not deserve the energy it takes to worry! I am freezing but then everyone already knows that so there is no reason to keep complaining about Indiana's nasty weather!

So - what is this week about anyway? One of my major pet peeves is that we tend to go from Halloween (which I can't stand to begin with) to Christmas and skip right over Thanksgiving. It would be a shame if Christians were actually thankful right? My husbands family is getting together for our Christmas on Thanksgiving day so that should be fun! Family is something I am definitely thankful for!

My thoughts about the holidays are somewhat different this year than normal. I am somewhat conscious about the financial aspect of things as I am sure many others are. I despise spending money at Christmas time unless you are my husband or one of my children. I know - that makes me weird but since this is my blog, I can be that way if I want!! :)) Anyway, the question begs to be asked....just what is too much to do or too much to spend and where is the "line" that we can cross into too much?? First of all, you have to remember that my family has changed. It is not just us 5 anymore - we have added Christa and Josh and now Ashley has a ......... friend. I am completely accepting of this but I think I am being a bad mom and picking a "favorite". Let me explain. Anyone remember where David Jr was last year through the Holiday season? If you know me at all, you were fully aware of where he was since it was my main topic of conversation. Since I am a list person, I already have a list made of gifts I need to buy, the menu for Christmas week and the grocery list to go along with it. I am determined that my favorite son (which is okay to say since he is my only son) will have whatever he wants to eat while he is at home to somehow make up for the fact that last year his holiday meals left much to be desired. However, in my quest for the "perfect" Christmas for him, I am wondering just where is "too much"? I don't believe I have raised spoiled children. They always had pretty decent holiday times between both sets of grandparents and their own parents "gift-giving". But - things are a little different and I am thinking that maybe my kids and "kids" in general of all ages, need to be reminded of what is really important and that is that we are all alive and we are all together and what can be better than that?!?!?!

For now, the lists are still in my notebook and my plans have not changed but I am pondering the thoughts about what is "too much". I love my family - ALL of them and I can't tell you how excited we are about getting to be together for the week of Christmas. My little house will be full and running over but I am sure none of us will care. Why? Because we are all alive, happy, healthy and blessed beyond words!!!!

Memories and "Stuff"

2008-11-12T17:59:00.003-05:00

I am sitting here all tucked into my chair with more than one blanket over me, "borrowing" my husbands laptop and trying desperately to recover from the stomach flu. It has not been a blessed day and a half but I did manage to lose a little over 4 pounds in a very unpleasant manner!! And so --- I blog!
This past Saturday we went and spent the day with my brother, his two girls and other family. We were trying to help Jim become a little more organized and make their house seem a little more like home to him and the girls. They had moved in I think in April and had just not been able to hang curtains or pictures and do those little things that make a house a home. While driving through town, we took a short trip down memory lane for Dave and I.
I was born in Ohio and lived there for the first 15 years of my life. If I tried to go find all the houses I lived in and take pictures of them and blog about them, there would be no memory left at all on either computer!! When I moved to Indiana in December of 84, this is the house we moved into. There was originally Dad, Mom, brother Jim and myself I think but now that I think about it, I am not even sure about that! Anyway, this is the house where we lived! I left there a couple of weeks later to go to Union Bible Academy for the rest of my high school, met Dave and the rest is history!

Right across the street from that house was this little house that became our very first home. If you turned around once, you saw it all!! It was a one bedroom, one bathroom but it was home for us and the house where we brought David Jr home to for the first time!

The first window on the left was in the living room and we eventually had David's dresser and changing table (all in one thanks to the handiwork of Dad and Mom Fulton) right under it! The next window doubled as the hallway and dining room! Yes I said that right!!! The last window was in the kitchen! The bedroom and bathroom was right off where our little table sat! Oh the memories!!

This is the house that my parents moved to some time later. We had already moved away from Bluffton I think. This is the house where they lived up until the time my Dad passed away! It looks a little different now but I just could not seem to stop the flood of memories that came over me!

I cannot believe the time that has passed and all the things we have been through and the places we have been in the last 21+ years! The thought that has stuck with me though is this: "Look what the grace of God has done for my family!"

For the record.....

2008-11-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

THE FULTON FAMILY HAS VOTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Our New Church

2008-11-02T13:25:00.003-05:00

The other day I said I would blog about our new church so here goes but first --- a little history. Moving from Florida was not a decision that we made lightly and we prayed for quite a long time and spent some agonizing moments over the decision. If our girls would have been little, we would not have had near the struggle that we did. Younger kids can handle the change much easier than two girls that were 19 and 17. We prayed and cried and prayed and cried some more. Then it became not about should we move or should we not move but about where should we move to? We have several friends that live here and attend this church and Ashley had met several of the young people at our youth camp and so we began the process of asking questions and searching for answers to whether or not this was the place for us. We would be close to family - Dave's family is about 30 minutes away and mine are all between 1 and 2 hours away. It would be a more central location for Dave to travel to his revivals and not cost so much! There was a church here and a good school for Ashley to attend. Dave spent some time here and talked to Pastor Mowery and then "it" began to happen. God started working things out and opening doors that only HE could do. It still wasn't easy and at times it still has its challenges but God set things in motion that brought our family to this place.

We have a wonderful Pastor in Mark Mowery. I am not sure that I have ever met a more caring, compassionate Pastor since my Dad and trust me, that is saying an awful lot. His compassion shows through in his preaching and the tears he sheds and the care and concern he has for his church! For instance, within 15 minutes of me receiving the news that my sister-in-law had passed away, he was at my front door. My girls were impressed that he arrived so quickly and have related that story more than once in the past few weeks. Then he drove TWO hours to the funeral home for visiting hours "just because that is what Pastors do". His wife has to be one of the most gracious people I have ever met in my life! She is so sweet and kind and compassionate and carries a true burden for the people of her church, especially the ladies! She is one of those people who just wears her relationship with Christ on her face and I LOVE to see it in action! I don't know if they read this blog but several people from the church do and so I am saying for all to hear that we have a wonderful Pastor and wife and I am thrilled to attend this church!

This is Travis and Jody - our Associate Pastor/Youth Pastor. I just can't tell you enough about them! My girls have been so impressed with Travis and his dealings with the young people of our church. They have enjoyed his messages in their Sunday School class and then they have a small group two Wednesday nights a month and they are really enjoying it. The young people are blessed beyond words to have a Pastor who loves them like he does. I think it also helps when his ADHD kicks in! :)) Honestly, we are very blessed. And Jody - oh my - there is so much to be said for this steady, loving, caring Pastors wife! I think she learned so much from her mom and yet she is very much her own individual! By the way, she is the Mowery's daughter! I am really impressed with her and her life and am thrilled that my daughters have someone like her to look up to!

The move was not an easy one for us to make but in the past two months, God has brought about circumstances to let us know that we are in the center of His will and there is no better place to be. I have really enjoyed getting to know the people here. Angie is a great person to bring cookies to cheer me up, Catrena is always ready with a smile and a "how are you?", Kim looks down at this short little person and pays me the highest compliment every by telling me that I have raised "GREAT" kids, Beth is planning on teaching me to enjoy the snow I think (at least she is going to try), Julie just makes me smile for some reason, Jenny has taken my youngest daughter under her wings at school! I knew when I started naming names that I was going to get into trouble! Let me just say that I am blessed beyond words! Now the only thing that would make it better would be if Tara were here!!!!

Just me doing what I do best - TALKING!

2008-10-31T08:24:00.003-04:00

For the record, I have voted! These idiots...er....I mean people that don't like Obama or McCain either one and so have decided to not vote at all need to be shipped to ---- I don't know, maybe CUBA!!!!! Anyway, I think that prayer is the answer and then I think that whatever the outcome is, we have to accept it as the will of our ALL-KNOWING heavenly Father and live RIGHT before Him like we never have before! So, that is my take on politics and I am sure you are all pleased that I am nowhere NEAR that election ticket!!!

My favorite topic to blog about - my husband! I love that man! He is ....... hmmmm....I just went for a loss of words if you can believe that! Being in IN has reminded me of years gone by and I have gotten sappy! I am so incredibly thankful for the man I married and am thrilled that God has taught us to trust HIM in our marriage and to look to HIM for guidance and direction! More than one person thought this marriage would never make it past 6 months and I am THRILLED to no end to have proved them wrong! I am just smart enough to believe that but for the grace of God we would not have made it but learning about true commitment has made it happen! Anyway, I just wanted to brag on him today and tell you all that I married the best man in the world and am thrilled to death to get to spend the rest of my life with him!!

My job - I have thought off and on through my "short" life that I would enjoy working at a bank and the truth is...I DO enjoy it! I like my job, the pay is good, the insurance will be good once it kicks in and I enjoy the people I work with! I have handled more money in the last 4 weeks than I will ever handle in my entire personal life but hey, I can definitely dream!!!

My kids - oh wow! Do I have to go there?!?! Just kidding! David returned home safe and "sound" from his training! I am telling you that sometimes when he calls all I can do is laugh! He is a total nut!! At this moment it looks like he is staying on "home" soil for awhile and we are all glad for that! Probably no one is happier about that than Christa! I have a jewel for a daughter-in-law by the way!!! Carrie is working, learning what it means to spend her money keeping a car running and missing Josh! She is headed to FL for Thanksgiving and the countdown has already begun! I think Josh is a wonderful person to put up with this nutty family like he does!! Ashley has finished her first quarter of school, NOT enjoying Algebra II or Chemistry either one but loving her life OUTSIDE of school! Enough said!

My church - I haven't really blogged about this yet but I am getting ready to! As a matter of fact, that will be my blog tomorrow sometime AFTER I get off work and get back from a wedding and get my house cleaned up for Sunday!!!

Some News, Happenings and Pictures

2008-10-27T22:00:00.003-04:00

I know - it takes me forever to update my blog now and I am very sorry about that! Maybe it will get easier now that I have Internet at the house! Then again - maybe not! With the wacky schedule around here, only time will tell!
So.....we have had company, been freezing, we have been working and freezing, Dave has been traveling and freezing, we have continued settling in and freezing! By the way, have I mentioned that we have been freezing????????
This first picture is of Ashley and her "friend" Andrew. He is a very nice guy and we really like him. He seems to fit in with this wacky family quite well and so far has managed to pass the inspection of the following: sister Carrie, sisters boyfriend Josh, sister-in-law Christa, Mom (pretty important), Dad (VERY important) and she is still holding out hope that the brother will eventually give his approval!!!

This is what my couch looked like the first time that Andrew got to meet Josh and Christa!

Then Ashley got to go to Youth Challenge for the first time and really enjoyed herself! While she was gone, the rest of us decided to go see this guy - Mark Lowry!

He was joined by Stan Whitmire who not only could play the piano very well but also was a pretty good bass singer!

Also joining Mark was Lordsong and they were really good!!

We ended up sitting three rows from the front directly in the center of the stage so we could not have asked for better seats! The concert was really good! Mark Lowry is an absolute hoot but there were also some great songs that spoke to us!
Dave has been traveling and is getting ready to leave again tomorrow. He is doing well and I am so proud of him! I miss him tons when he is gone but I am so thankful that God has given him the desires of his heart!
I am still learning my job and trying to adjust to a different work schedule. It is interesting but so far I am enjoying it!
Carrie is enjoying her job and had a great time with Josh here this past weekend. She is already counting down the days till she goes to Florida for Thanksgiving!
Ashley seems to be having the time of her life in school and out of school! She is trying to keep up with her blog so check in with her for more details on her life!!
David will return home from training tomorrow and Christa is thrilled to no end! She really enjoyed being here for the week and we loved having her here! It was so neat to see how God has been helping her in her life and listening to how God is leading and guiding them in their lives! I had some family up for lunch on Saturday so they could see Josh and Christa. It was tons of fun and I especially enjoyed getting a whole bag of clothes from my wonderful sister!!
I am exhausted and ready for bed so I am done for now! I have not done a great job with the whole picture taking thing but am going to try to work on that!

Oh yes and one more thing.......

2008-10-22T08:48:00.001-04:00

ANGIE - BE AFRAID!!! BE VERY AFRAID!!!!!! You will be repayed quite nicely I am sure for that wonderful picture you posted!!!!!

Exciting News!

2008-10-22T08:46:00.002-04:00

In the 30 seconds I have to post this blog - the news is that we finally have internet at our house and no one is happier about that than me!!!! I actually got to see my wonderful husband last night thanks to Skype!!!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will try to update you on the events of my life later!!

A "Wordy" Post of Thoughts

2008-10-12T14:35:00.005-04:00

This is my family! My mom is in the chair and then from the left is my sister Sandy, my brothers Greg, Jim, Randy and then me. As to the correct birth order, Randy is the oldest and then Sandy, Greg, Jim and me - the "perfect" baby!

We are a "unique" family and I think I am figuring out that we are not the only ones that can claim that! Let me try to tell you about the 5 of us! Randy is married to Chris and they have 3 kids and 2 grandkids. Sandy is married to Paul and their child is their dog! Greg is married to Diane and they have 4 kids and two grandkids. Jim was married to Sherry and they have two girls that are just about the same age as mine. Then of course there is me but if you have been reading this blog for very long, you know all about me!
I am thankful for my family more today than I have ever been. It is completely horrible that it takes death to make us realize what is really important. I remember when my Dad died and I thought that I would never survive that loss. I wondered how my family would ever make it. You see, we all loved dad equally but we all loved him in our own special way. He was something special to each one of us and I cannot tell you how desperately we each needed him in our lives. But God choose to take him to heaven and I still have no idea why!
Sherry was at UBC when my husband came home from the mission field when he was in third grade. They even "liked" each other as kids which we all still laugh about today! Sherry graduated from high school the year before I did and went to college there. She was a fantastic piano player and could sing just as well. Jim came to UBC for a year of college and met Sherry and they married the next summer. I had Carrie in July of 89 and she had Bethany 17 days later. Then I had Ashley in July of 91 and she had Katie the following December. The past several years, Sherry has had more than one physical problem and has struggled in ways that most of us would never understand. This past summer she had a stroke and was in the hospital for several days. She mainly struggled with putting her thoughts into words but was really starting to make some progress. This past Tuesday, Jim came home from work and knew that Sherry had not been feeling too great in the last day or so. She went to lay down while he went to run an errand and when he came back home, she was not responding to him. He called 911 and they worked on her at the house and then at the hospital but she was pronounced dead at 5:35. I had talked to my mom several times during this and Dave was trying to get home so we could get over there. We made the two hour drive to just be there for Jim. We came on back home and then headed back over there on Thursday evening for the calling hours and then spent the night for the funeral on Friday. Jim asked Dave to preach the funeral which he did a FANTASTIC job on!
Sherry is buried pretty close to where my Dad is and so when the committal service was over, we all seemed to migrate to Dads grave! I just had to stand there and wonder what is the meaning of all this pain right now. I am not meaning to question God but in my humanity, it was a real struggle. I tried to make sure that I hugged each one of my siblings and told them I loved them! I think in recent years we are all learning about what really matters in life!
Today my heart is sad that Jim and his girls are in this spot in their lives. Humanly, I just hate it and cannot comprehend it at all. But - I am resting in the knowledge that "Jesus doeth all things well". I love my family and am thankful that God is teaching us to rely on Him and Him alone!

Bloggin' In A Big Ole' Hurry

2008-10-09T14:57:00.002-04:00

I know - again...another blog with huge time constraints! Sorry!! I am of work a little early today and will be headed to my sister-in-law's viewing this evening. Her funeral is tomorrow at 2:00 and Jim called and asked Dave to be in charge! Please pray for him! It will be a huge task for him but I know he is completely capable!

I do not have time for much but at least wanted to let you know of the arrangements and to ask for continued prayer! Please pray that God will supply all the needs - financial, spiritual, emotional....there seem to be many! I am fighting the cold as are Carrie and Ashley! Please pray that God will give the physical touch we need!

It seems that the devil has been fighting our family at every turn this week - each and every one of us! BUT - God has so graciously reminded me that there is really nothing out there that He cannot handle...if I let Him that is! :) I am working on that very hard!

Must go! Dishes need washed with hot bleach water before I can go and there is still laundry to finish that Ashley has worked so hard on for me and still packing to do!

Thanks for the prayers! Please keep them up!

Prayer Please

2008-10-07T18:18:00.002-04:00

I just received word that my sister-in-law passed away just a few minutes ago. I don't have time to go into all the details but please pray for our family, her husband (my youngest brother) and her two daughters that are 19 and 17. Dave and I are headed there in just a few and the girls are staying here. Please pray for them also as they both have colds and one is heading my direction!

I am sorry that I am not making some individual phone calls but this is all I have time for right now!

Thank you!!

A Favor

2008-10-02T11:46:00.002-04:00

I do not have a lot of time and I can't go into any details but I am asking for special prayer for our family! Maybe sometime I will be able to share more but for now, I am asking that you all pray for us! We are all doing our best to trust God for HIS will!!

The chorus that has gone through my mind all week is the following:

I cast all my cares upon You!
I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet!
And any time I don't know just what to do -
I will cast all my cares upon You!

Thanks in advance for your prayers!

Sunday Afternoon Laziness

2008-09-28T17:07:00.002-04:00

I am being lazy! I deserve to be! Yesterday I did some things I have not done in awhile! I baked a double batch of chocolate chip cookies and yes, there are still some left! I baked an Apple Crisp and yes, there is still some left! I baked three, yes I said three loaves of homemade bread and yes, there is still some left! I am also the size of a huge barn but hey, at least I am happy!!!!
The job training is going well and there is more to come starting in the morning bright and early! I am enjoying it so far and have not gotten into trouble yet! Go me!! I am still working on getting into some sort of a schedule with the job and then the housework but we will make it eventually!
Dave is enjoying his work and getting ready to take off for about 5 weeks or so with a week off in the middle! I am happy for him and too proud for words! He keeps us all sane, laughing and living for God!!
Ashley is handling the Algebra II and Chemistry with as much hatred as she can muster! She has a "friend" but that is all I can say about that right now! It sure keeps this house lively though!!
Carrie is currently waiting to board her plane to come back to IN from South Florida! She had a great weekend I am sure but I miss her and am ready for her to come home!
David Jr had to have his wisdom teeth taken out on Friday and is still pretty miserable! He and Christa are doing well although they are facing some pretty tough stuff! I am proud of them and hope to get Christa here in about 3 to 4 weeks or so!!
I have not had our camera out yet and Friday night was one of those times when I should have. We went to a nearby town to meet up with a friend from "way back when"! This town was having what I would call "Bluegrass Night". It was um........ rather interesting - especially watching these two little old ladies dance their jigs! I did my best to not laugh right out loud! However, it was a blast catching up with Nathan and meeting his wife and kids! That was so much fun!!!
So - that is all the news from here for now! I promise I will do my best to get the camera out and post some pictures here and there!!

News

2008-09-22T09:21:00.002-04:00

Well, let's see - it has been a rather busy time here so let me see if I can play catch up!
1) Had company a week ago this past Saturday in the form of my Mom, sister Sandy and brother-in-law Paul. This resulted in lots of pop and food arriving in my house!
2) Went to revival at UBC on a Friday night and on Sunday night! GREAT services and enjoyed meeting up with long, lost friends!
3) Because of number 1, I spent three days this past week doing fall "cleaning" for Sandy! Not sure who benefited the most from that - me or her!!
4) Had an interview on Wednesday for a job at a local bank.
5) Had a second interview on Friday after which I received the call offering me the job! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Start tomorrow!!!
6) Spent this past Saturday with WONDERFUL friends Woody and Ruth! We even got a cream puff cake and homemade cinnamon rolls out of that visit!!!!! We went shopping and had a great Mexican meal and a TERRIFIC day!
7) Yesterday after church we took our dinner and met several families at a park! Gorgeous weather, great company and delicious food!
So - now I am trying to work on my very long list of things to get accomplished today before I join the ranks of the working women again! I will be working full time and learning something new and I am excited about it! If you don't hear from me in awhile, you know why!!
For those of you in Florida, Carrie will be arriving on Friday night and will be in church on Sunday! Don't expect much though - she will be somewhat occupied with Josh but if you can break her away, at least tell her hi!!!

"Lot"

2008-09-18T17:38:00.002-04:00

As most of you have probably figured out by now, our family has recently made a HUGE move to the North Country. This decision was not an easy one to make! There were several reasons this decision was so difficult! 1) How was Ashley going to handle being uprooted from school, an Abeka school at that, and moved to a new school, an ACE one, at the beginning of her 11th grade year? 2) Would Carrie handle this well - I mean we were taking her away from her boyfriend, her college, her job, her friends? 3) Was it smart to leave my really good job with good benefits? I mean - really....what were we thinking?!?! Many, many days of prayer and much discussion went into this decision!
I have been reading through the story of Lot in my devotions recently. It has just greatly disturbed me to realize again that this Dad really had some issues! I do not in any way mean to trivialize the Scripture but this guy was some sort of a nutcase! He HAD to be! First of all, he lived in a wicked city and KNEW exactly where he was going when he headed there in the first place. Secondly, he apparently had grown rather accustomed to the sin that was all around him since he was well-known in the city. Third, what kind of father would offer his daughters to the men of the city for "toys" to protect his guests? I know - it was the custom of that day to protect your guests at all costs but to offer your own daughters??? And furthermore, where in the world was his wife when this was happening? Did she have nothing to say about Lot offering his daughters for such horrific acts? Fourth, when he finally realized that the city was going to be destroyed, he still "lingered" around! What in the world was he thinking? Even his wife struggled with the removal from the city since she could not bear to leave it without a look back and we all know where that got her!! Of course the story does not end there since we read on to discover that his two daughters were messed up enough by the sin they had witnessed while living in Sodom that they proceeded to get their dad drunk TWICE in order to carry on the family name!
In recent weeks, I have been simply amazed at the decisions that parents make without any regard whatsoever to their children. Selfish decisions is what it boils down to! When I look at the agony Dave and I went through while we tried to make this decision, it boggles my mind that parents think their kids can handle the consequences of their idiotic decisions! It can be something as small as being disrespectful to their spouse to something huge like dividing their family! I have so struggled with the thoughts of how people get to the point of making such stupid choices! But then, once again I am taken back to the Scripture (I think I have blogged about this but can't remember) in Psalm 1 where he says, "Blessed is the man that walketh not...nor standeth....nor sitteth..."! See - there is this progression...we don't get from point A to point F without going through points B, C, D, and E. It is a progression and I am amazed at the number of parents who just don't get it! They want their own way and they are determined to have it no matter what it takes! I have asked the Lord, once again, to help me see that every decision I make directly affects my kids one way or another!! Yes, there are still tears in this house and yes, sometimes we wonder what we are doing but I have been reminded that "righteousness will be to your children's children"! The choices Lot made affect us to this very day!! But the choice we make to live according to God's Holy Word will affect us for eternity!
I feel better - I just had to get that off my chest!!!

Jumbled Thoughts

2008-09-11T10:04:00.002-04:00

Today I have a "mess" going on in my head and since it is no secret that my blog is often used for "therapy" for the crazy owner of the blog, I feel the need for "therapy" again!!!
Thought number one - do we remember the significance of this day? It is September 11 you know! I remember the panic I felt that day in the administration building at HSBC and the NEED to find my husband and KNOW where my children were! I could not believe that was happening here of all things! Since then I have developed somewhat of a new perspective on it. It was probably the single event that inspired my son to become a United States Marine. I will NEVER forget the July 4th service we attended the summer before he joined. We were in a small church in Virginia and the pastor sang the National Anthem and I looked at my big, strapping 18 year old who had tears streaming down his face and for some reason, I think I knew what was coming! Part of me wants to scream at those responsible for that attack and say "thanks bunches for taking my son away" but there is a larger part of me that literally stands up full of pride for what my son fights for - freedom - MY freedom and YOURS, thank you very much! Yea - this day holds a lot of significance for lots of reasons!
Which leads me to thought number two - politics! I am NOT a blogger about politics. To be honest, I HATE politics in ALL walks of life. Politics in churches literally makes me sick at my stomach! Politics on a local level makes me wonder about people and politics on a national level makes me want to throw something really hard!!!! For the record, I simply refuse to even think about voting for Obama. Just ain't gonna happen! I know - if I am smart, I will think long and hard about what he says. That being said in a small sing-songy voice! No thank you! As for McCain/Palin - hmmmm....thats a mouthful. Let me tell you something, I would vote for him just from watching him try to raise his arms. There - that is exactly how fickle I am!!!! One of our choices has no CLUE what fighting for freedom is about and the other one lived a literal horror story. I know - there is more to it than that but I am pretty much sold and if you need to know why, back up a paragraph! As for Palin, I refuse to worship the ground she walks on since she is female and human and makes mistakes like every one else but I will tell you this - if one more "Christian" says ONE MORE word to me about what a poor mother she must be if she has a pregnant teenager at home, I am going to blow a gasket. At least we know her family is normal! No - I don't condone it but you don't have to walk far to find a "Christian" home with the very same problem in it! Bottom line on politics - it is my humble opinion that we should be VERY grateful we have the privilege of voting for what we want even if no one agrees with us! Which, by the way, comes compliments of the men and women fighting for THAT VERY FREEDOM! (sorry - random yelling!!)
Thought number three - I am cold, have 3 more loads of laundry to do, a sink full of dishes that think I should wash them and a house that needs cleaned up! Guess I had better stop rambling and get off the blog!!!!!

Our New Humble Abode

2008-09-08T14:06:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not, today I am on the internet from our home but won't exactly tell you how I am doing that!! It's a top level secret!!!! Oh wait a minute, I am blogging - there is NOTHING that is a secret here!!
I thought I would share a picture or two of our new home here in Indiana! This is the front of the house and we are settling in pretty well!

This is the dining room that is to the right as soon as you walk in the front door. As you can tell in the very right hand corner of the picture, the bears are back at home on the shelf! The china has still not been unpacked yet but it just may get done this week!

To the left of the front door is the living room and there is a nice coat closet which is also being used to store some things I can't find a place for yet! I am still trying to remind myself that I WILL need a coat closet one of these days!

My kitchen! Down side? I have to remember how to hand wash dishes! No dishwasher! And yes, I left them on the counter on purpose in this picture! Oh yes, the laptop is sitting there also so that if you read my blog, and I am doing it at home, this is where I am for now!

Behind those lovely doors is the local laundromat and as is recognized by the hampers - it is in full swing!! Down the hall are the three bedrooms and the bathroom that you will just have to leave to your imagination as to their looks because there is more than one member of my house who would wring my neck if I posted pictures of the bedrooms!!

A cool thing about this state of Indiana and moving here in September is the fresh tomatoes. Someone gave Dave a bucket full and I am letting them get a little more red before I EAT THEM!!!

Just a few pics to catch ya up on us! If I remember to, I will take some pictures of the church and where Ashley goes to school and post them soon!

Moving Day

2008-09-05T11:49:00.003-04:00

I am back at the library which is turning out to be my favorite place in Frankfort right now! This has to be the coolest place I have been to in awhile!
So I thought I would take a few minutes to share our moving day experiences with you all!
This is what my dining room looked like right before we started loading. Funny - I had waited soooo long for my dining room to be fixed only to have it used for a loading dock!

The empty truck soon to be full! Faithful Matt Thompson, Nathan Hughes, Mark Budensiek, John Dykes, Bruce Finney, Tara and our family along with Josh when he was not in class took care of the loading!

Carrie's car got to experience the trip in perfect ease! Not so the rest of us!

I don't know if you can see it or not but that radar map looks perfectly clear all except that stupid rain hanging right over Hobe Sound!

So - we loaded off and on in the rain! Soooooo much fun!!!! NOT!!!!!

Headed to hook up Carrie's car and get ready to pull out the next morning! We left on Thursday morning, it was just Dave and I in the big moving truck and the kids followed in our car when Josh got out of school. We drove up to South Carolina and ended up getting to meet David and Christa which was a lot of fun! The kids pulled in around 11:30 and we crashed pretty quick after that. David and Christa got up and took off at 3am and we got on the road around 6am. The moving truck was like riding in a tank but we managed to survive!

When we finally saw this sign around 9pm Friday night, we had all become quite confident that Frankfort was just a figment of our imagination!!!!!!

We spent the night with our new Pastor and his family and started unloading around 9am. There were several men from the church that came to help us unload and we were done by 10:30 at the latest! We had a lot of help settling in and it didn't take long!

Yes you see correctly! That is Ashley behind the wheel of the moving truck! Dave let her drive it and when she climbed down out of the cab, the guys were all standing by to give her a standing ovation! It was pretty cool!
So - that is the moving news and next I will do my best to get some pictures of our new house to post but I am not sure when that will happen! Until next time - all you Hobe Sounders enjoy the wind and rain while I have my windows open enjoying the breeze of fall! I know - trust me - you can rub this in in another month or two!!!!!

A Quick Update

2008-09-03T11:41:00.002-04:00

Ok - so here I sit in the coolest little cafe in the basement of the Frankfort Library since this is the only place I have access to the internet! I thought I would just let you all know that we are alive, doing well and busy as ever! Ashley is on her second day of school, Carrie started her job at 9am this morning and Dave started his at 8am. It was really weird being at home but I think that will change soon!
I have tons of pictures - thanks to Ashley's camera and will eventually share them but for now, I am struggling with the whole internet thing! Hopefully that will change soon!
I may try to come back here tomorrow and spend some time trying to upload the pictures and then share them with you all!
Catch ya later!!

A Break From Wedding Pictures

2008-08-25T13:25:00.003-04:00

It is my most humble opinion that the posts of wedding pictures will be postponed until this long journey we are embarking on to the far north is complete. There are several reasons for this! 1) Our Internet at home is being absolutely wacky and won't allow me to post the pictures. 2) I don't have the time! Now THAT is actually the main reason and I am sure you can figure out why! SO - I am thinking that this will be the last time you hear from me in the blog world for awhile!

Who knows what news I shall have to spew forth in the coming days but when I post again, I am absolutely positive that it will be right along the lines of my blog name!

Wedding Pictures, Part 1

2008-08-23T21:43:00.005-04:00

I will be the first to admit that it is waaay past my bedtime but I am up waiting on my children and decided to post some wedding pictures so if there are tons of mistakes and things get out of order, please - blame them!!
All I can say about this picture is that I am not sure if the new brother-in-laws are that good of an influence on the groom!!

This just shows the general chaos that goes along with any rehearsal and this one was no different!

One of these days I am going to do a blog about the rehearsal dinner but for now, let me tell you that these ladies are THE ABSOLUTE BEST IN THE WORLD!!!!

Christa's Aunt Carole bought this and set it by their places at the table! It is adorable and the dog tags have their names and wedding date on them!

At the last minute, Martha became the brides hairdresser and she did an outstanding job!

Ashley was doing hair....

....and Carrie was doing hair!

This is a picture that you should get used to seeing - David and his favorite little girl in the world - Cassidy!!!

If you saw Cassidy, she was usually surrounded by these boys! It was adorable!

These are two very proud parents and yes, those are real smiles!

That is it for tonight! I am too tired and the computer is being weird! I will post some more tomorrow afternoon!

A Break From the Wedding for Other "Things"

2008-08-22T12:48:00.002-04:00

Yes - the wedding pictures will show up eventually and it will probably be sometime Sunday afternoon when I have time to sit for awhile!
In the meantime, I have something else I want to talk about!!
You all have probably figured out by now that our family is moving away from Florida. Today is my last day to work with my favorite office mate, Donna. I met Donna several years ago when she moved to Hobe Sound with her family. For some reason, there was just a connection between us and we became friends over a period of time. A little over two years ago, I was looking for a job and already knew that Donna worked for this company. One day, I found an ad for the receptionist here and so I called, I interviewed and got the job rather quickly. For the last two years, it has been a complete joy to work with Donna! We have laughed more than any humans should be allowed! We have cried and talked and shared and bounced ideas and thoughts and just all kinds of stuff! Donna has listened to me complain and fuss and cry and whine - mainly because she knew that I did the same for her!! :)
Donna, it has been a privilege and a treat to work with you and I would not trade this past two years for anything in the world!! You are a wonderful, loving, caring friend and I am going to miss you SOOOOOOO much!! Thank you for being so sweet and kind to me and putting up with my quirky ways! I will never forget you and you will ALWAYS be in my prayers!! Love ya, girl!! (Hope you forgive me for stealing the picture!!!!!)

Details Minus the Pictures

2008-08-19T14:52:00.003-04:00

I know - you probably could care a less about my words and only want to see the pictures which will come eventually but for now, you will have to just put up with the words!
So, Ashley, Angela (another bridesmaid) and I set outta here on Tuesday morning for Crandall, Georgia. That trip went well other than some rain here and there. We went straight to Christa's house and enjoyed supper with her family. There had been a death in the family so Christa's sisters were already home. It was so nice to get to meet them officially and spend time with them! Wednesday we just did all kinds of wedding "stuff" which was tons of fun! Thursday morning I did something that I never want to do again which was drive DOWNTOWN ATLANTA to the airport to pick up Dave, Carrie and Josh! I NEVER want to make that drive at 8:00 in the morning EVER again!! As a side note, I have a couple of very ornery children - namely....Carrie and Josh! They got off the plan, came up the escalators and promptly told me they were engaged and I bought it hook, line and sinker! Then they went to get their luggage while I went with Dave to get his and asked Dave if Josh had talked to him about this and he said no which made me mad! We made it to the car and they told me they were just joking so after beating them both :) we went on our merry way! Rotten kids!! Thursday afternoon, David called his Dad and told him he was leaving early and coming to surprise Christa! We tried and tried to get Christa to spend the night with us at the hotel but she didn't fall for it! So - he showed up at her house around 3am and the surprise was pulled off! He got to the hotel in enough time to catch a few winks before the guys got him up to go play racquetball at 5:00 AM! Now THERE is something nutty for ya!! Anyway, Christa's bridal shower was at 8:00 and it turned out very nice! She received lots of nice gifts and I was so happy for her! We got back to the hotel and I, of course, had to do laundry! Some things never change no matter where I am! Then in the afternoon, I took along some help and decorated the fellowship hall for the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal was a usual rehearsal but it sure wasn't the worst one I had ever been too! The dinner went really well and I was so very thankful! The ladies in the church completely outdid themselves for the dinner! It was absolutely wonderful!! We had plenty of food and I was so thankful that it went great! We cleaned up and headed back to the hotel at a fairly decent hour!
Saturday morning dawned bright and clear and the rushing began at a very early hour. The girls were partially getting ready at the hotel and then were to finish at the church! Well, the fun started when Christa called with the news that the hairdresser who was to do her hair and her maid of honor's hair did not write the appointment down and therefore they were not at salon! So she came flying to the hotel for her sister to put hot sticks in her hair and we rushed off to the church! Carrie did the maid of honors hair who had never had an up do before and needless to say she was thrilled with the results! Carrie also did Cassidy's hair and Ashley's hair! Ashley had helped Joyce with hers and Haley with hers and 5 minutes before pictures were to begin, Carrie had about 4 girls surrounding her ready to help at a moments notice! It was kinda funny! Christa's sister Martha did hers and did an excellent job! The pictures went very well and the photographer was really good! He did great with the little kids which is great since Christa has 6 nephews, a nephew on the way and a LONE niece on the way! That was all kinds of fun!!
The ceremony was wonderful! The grandparents were seated, the moms were seated! That was a new and interesting feeling! Anyway, I digress!! Then when it was time for the bridesmaids, she had a couple of her nephews escort the girls down the aisle and the groomsmen came and met them! It was so cute! Cassidy did a great job as the flower girl which I KNEW would happen! That little girl had those little boys completely swooning over her but then the groom was no better!!!!!! Anyway, the bride came and the groom was smiling from ear to ear - which was pretty cool by the way!! She surprised him and sang with her sisters the song "Only God Could Love You More" and they did such a great job! Too bad no one heard the acapella one in the bathroom! Man - it was beautiful!!!! Anyway, he was surprised but in a nice way! Then they wrote their own vows and since confession is good for the soul, I was a little worried about that boy of mine! However those two really did well with that! Then instead of a unity candle, the did the braiding of three cords which was really neat and the only little hiccup of the day! The best man could not get it untied from off the pillow! Kinda funny actually! Instead of the usual prayer by the minister or the even more usual family prayer, David took the mike and prayed a prayer over his new family which was a BEAUTIFUL thing!! Anyway, the ceremony ended and there were one or two remaining pictures and then we headed downstairs for the reception! It went very well and the decorations were very country which suits Christa well! Her parents, his parents and the new couple were the receiving line and then the guests headed off to the food! We all stuck around and helped clean up and believe it or not, I was back in my hotel room by 5:30! We enjoyed pizza for supper with Ralph and Tara and our dear friends from IN, Woody and Ruth, Andrew Palacios and Philip Calderon. It was really nice outside and we enjoyed the evening!
Sunday morning, we went to the Scarbroughs for church and Dave spoke in the service! We really enjoyed being in their little church but I enjoyed hearing my husband even more!! We ate leftovers for dinner with the family and then loaded up a very full car and headed home! By 2am, we were half dead but we had finally made it home!
I have some pictures from a good friend that came for the wedding that I will post soon and then the official pictures will come a little later!

Just Brief Details

2008-08-16T21:58:00.003-04:00

I am finally done for the day other than putting on my pj's which can't happen until I can convince Josh to leave my hotel room!! :)
May I have the privilege of introducing you to Lance Corporal and Mrs. David Fulton, Jr.

I will leave the major details until I can think more clearly which may actually never happen! :) Lets just say that the wedding was beautiful and I am very thankful to God for the wonderful day we had!
Yes, we are all exhausted but it is a wonderful feeling knowing it is done!!

Fast Update!

2008-08-15T06:42:00.002-04:00

It is 6:43 am on Friday morning and the groom surprised his bride-to-be around 3am this morning so all is right with the world! He has arrived in plenty of time for the rehearsal and we are all pleased as peaches!! That is all for now folks!

My New Favorite Quote

2008-08-06T08:18:00.003-04:00

"It's ok to talk about catching firefly's but it is better to actually catch them!"

I know - sounds interesting, huh? This morning I heard that from a man who has 3 small children AND he has MS. It made me do some serious thinking which brings me to this blog!

Recently, I have done the bad deed of allowing myself to get caught up in the struggles and trials and emotional upheavals of my life at this moment that I have bypassed some wonderful opportunities for just fun! Yes I have a child getting married in 10 days and yes, I am moving 1,157 miles away a short 12 days later and yes, that makes me very busy right now. Yes, there are so many emotional issues involved in those 2 events that sometimes I don't know if I am coming or going! HOWEVER, lesson learned this morning - NEVER take life and the small things for granted!

I will take the time to wipe the tears from my hurting girls! I will also take the time to laugh like a hyena at the "sounds" they make from pure stupidity! (Enough said!!!) I will take the time to cry just because I am "marrying off" my oldest child and laugh when he finds the dumbest stuff online while we are all on a "conference call" with Skype! I will take the time to grouch when the "to-do list" left for the above mentioned children does not get done! I will also take the time to watch a silly episode of the "Dick Van Dyke Show" just for the fun of it! I will (more than likely) worry myself sick about the two events and end up exhausted after "sleeping" all night! I will also trust in an ALL-KNOWING, ALL-SEEING God who can do a MUCH better job at handling all this!!

I have usually struggled with letting my emotions get the better of me and every once in awhile I just need a wake-up call to remember that my life is blessed because I have Jesus to walk through my life with me! I am blessed because I have a husband who is just simply the best in the world! I am blessed with a son who is starting his own family and doing what he believes in! I am blessed because my two girls are ........ just the best! I am a blessed person today and believe it or not, all is well in my world!! Want a challenge? Go count your blessings and then take your kids and go catch some fireflies!

Just an Update and Thoughts!

2008-08-01T13:31:00.002-04:00

Well, lets see - I am not sure where to start but here we go! Wedding plans seem to be coming along quite nicely! We are fast approaching the wedding to be held in lovely Georgia in two weeks! It has been neat to see God take care of things that we thought close to impossible! I like hearing from Christa or her Mom, Linda, about the way things are going and how things are falling into place! As a matter of fact, there are actually a few things that we would like to see God answer prayer about and (in the human) do it pretty quick!
1) The house that David and Christa were going to get fell through so it seems he is back to square one where that is concerned and two weeks before the wedding causes us some panic!!
2) The Marine Corp has not made a decision as to when it will allow David to be off so he may very well be absent from his own rehearsal and that we do not want to have! We would love for them to allow him AT LEAST Thursday and Friday off as well as maybe a couple of days after! God knows what they WANT and what they NEED!!
3) The bridesmaid's dresses are all either fixed or being fixed and we are praying that it all comes together well!
So - two weeks from tomorrow the wedding will be on and right now, we are all very, very excited. I am of the opinion that NO ONE is as excited as David and Christa!
Dave is in IN looking for........lots of things! :) I am busy working on...cleaning and sorting and throwing and tossing and cleaning and sorting and ...... I think you get the picture. I can't say that I have accomplished much but I am working on it! You never seem to realize how much you have accumulated until you go to move!
I am anxiously awaiting the return of my youngest daughter on Monday from Indiana! The house is just a little quieter when she is not around so I am ready for the noise level to pick up! Carrie is busy working, taking a class and....oh yes, spending time with Josh! Such a shock I know!
I think that is it and may be it for a few days! Its Friday, I have a wedding to attend tonight and enough to do Saturday to keep me busy from dawn to midnight!

A Special Birthday!

2008-07-29T08:44:00.003-04:00

Today is another special day in our family! The newest "member" of our family is now as old as his girlfriend! :)
A little over a year ago, Carrie went on her second TLC trip to Europe. Without saying too much, Carrie was going through some really tough situations in her life and I was glad that this trip came when it did! Carrie got home and I noticed we had this young man "hanging" around an awful lot. The more he hung around and the more time we spent with him, the more more we liked him! The first thing that impressed me the most was that he was very well-mannered, very polite and respectful. For several months, Carrie had a wonderful friend when she needed it the most and that was the next thing that we were so impressed with! This guy proved himself to be a very, very loyal and trust-worthy friend! For those of you who know me well, you KNOW that I just didn't sit idly by twiddling my thumbs! Oh no - every opportunity that came my way I used to build this "friendship"! Sometimes, we moms can be pretty smart!!
So - November rolled around and Carrie was asked to the Thanksgiving Banquet the College does each year. And so began the "dating"! Valentines Day this past February, after a conversation with "THE DAD", Carrie became the "girlfriend" and we have been rolling along ever since!
Now, for those of you who have daughters, you have this image in your mind of the kind of guy you want your daughter to date! Well, to be honest, Josh has far surpassed my "criteria"!
Josh - I want to wish you a very Happy Birthday! You are an amazing example of what God can do with someone who is completed submitted to Him! Your desire to serve God is your best quality! I cannot tell you how much we appreciate your honesty, your respect of us AND Carrie, your desire to do right no matter WHAT that is! It has been so neat to watch you fit into our family! You "tolerate" Carrie's parents so well!! You have even managed to get the approval of the big, bad brother and THAT is saying soooooo much! The way you treat Ashley is NOT something that goes unnoticed in our family! I have had the privilege to watch your relationship with Carrie over the last year or so and all I can say is that you have impressed us beyond words! While we don't know all that the future holds, I am very confident that God has great things in store for you and Carrie! We are so glad that you are part of our family and we look forward to celebrating many more birthdays to come!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSH!!!!!!

"Well, we're moving on up to....."

2008-07-28T09:01:00.003-04:00

The time has come to share the latest news regarding the family that lives on the Fulton funny farm. Wait for it, wait for it.........we are moving back to Indiana in about 5 weeks.
So - here are the skimpy details. Dave is going to be fulfilling his calling to preach and has several revivals and camp meetings scheduled for the future. In order to be able to do this in the most efficient way, a move back up north is necessary. Many, many hours of prayer and family discussions have preceded this decision! I actually cannot tell you how many - I lost count a long time ago! Financially it is the best decision for our family. We are moving to the Frankfort area where there is a great church for our family and a great school for Ashley to finish up her last two years and someone has offered Dave a job for when he is not in meetings somewhere.
As to the children, David has been very understanding and knows that it doesn't really affect him too much. He will have Christa and that is the most important thing to him. He can just come to IN for his time off and see ALL his family! Carrie will be going with us for several reasons but this is what she feels she should do and yes, her and Josh are doing well but struggling with being apart! By the way, I could NOT ask for a better young man for my daughter to be in love with! Our family wouldn't trade him for anyone and I KNOW Carrie won't give him away!!! She will be pursuing her college education in other ways. Ashley is nervous yet very excited about the move. She is pretty happy to be going back north to be closer to her family and has on more than one occasion mentioned the word "snow" which caused her Dad and I to go into cardiac arrest!!!!!
I really don't have a lot more details right now but I would ask that you pray for us ALL that God will bring the peace each one of our family needs and will give guidance where we need it!

A Day Early Blog

2008-07-24T09:37:00.011-04:00

Sometimes I can't remember what I did yesterday but I would like to tell you very clear memories from 17 years ago.
17 years and 7 months ago (give or take a day or two), we were cruising along in life with a 4 year old and a 2 year old. One day, I discovered I had hives and a serious case of them let me tell you! I was so very miserable and went to the doctor twice with no relief at all! Finally, (leaving out a few details) I went to a doctor and his question was, "Before I treat you, any chance you could be pregnant?" Immediately, I said no but he was smart and tested anyway and gave us the news our third child was on the way! We got to July and went to TN around the 4th to visit Joe and LaDonna. The A/C went out, I swelled up and was completely miserable! We came back home to IN and sat to watch fireworks and lo and behold a contraction hit! I was shocked since we had a good 6 weeks to go before this child was even due! To make a long story short, after many trips to the hospital and many sleepless days and nights for the mom AND the dad - July 25th, after 3 weeks and 17 long hours, our final child arrived! Ashley Nichole! This was a pretty happy baby let me tell you and it is a good thing she was after what I went through to get her here!!!

This is by far my most favorite picture I have of Ashley as a baby! This is her with Grandpa Thacker. I have a picture of me and my dad when I was a baby that is EXACTLY like this! I just LOVE it!!

Before I knew it, it was time for kindergarten!

I turned my back once and she was getting ready for junior high!

8th grade graduation arrived and we were so proud of her!

One of Ashley's very favorite people in the world and her biggest hero next to her dad is her brother! These two are NUTS!!

Sisters and friends - for the most part! I LOVE this picture because it is truly them!

This is Ashley surrounded by her favorite people with - I think!!!!

And this is what she is today!!

Ashley - you are my favorite youngest daughter! I CANNOT believe how you have grown up! What happened to the little "rugrat" I had running around my house?? You have brought so much laughter and joy to our funny farm! You make me proud every time I look at you - well, ok......not every time but you know what I mean! You amaze me and the way you look at life! Your dad and I are so thankful for your desire to serve God! NOTHING you do makes us as proud as that does!! I wish sometimes I had your "organizing" skills! If I want something cleaned and you are in the right mood - NO ONE can do better! You are a lot like your mom when it comes to sports although you surpassed my abilities a LONG, LONG time ago!!! I can't believe I am going to put you on a plane tomorrow morning on your 17 birthday and let you fly away to camp without me! When in the world did you get old enough for that? Remember that your dad and your brother(s) will be looking to "harm" the boys so tell them to watch out!! Ashley, this is my way of telling you that I love you and I am proud of you and I hope you have the best birthday yet!!

A "Newsworthy" Blog

2008-07-21T11:37:00.002-04:00

If you know me very well, you have probably heard me say this before but here I go again!!
As of today, I have been one whole week without pop or soda (whichever you call it)!! GO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
See - here's the story! A long time ago, my dear dad got me hooked on Pepsi! To this very day, there is simply nothing better than Pepsi straight from a glass bottle....that is, IF you can find it! Well, Pepsi was always my drink of choice! It is a good thing I am not a beer or wine drinker or I would be an alcoholic for sure! When I was a kid, in one of the many places I lived, there was a lady who was the Postmistress right across the street from our house and we would take her a quarter at the beginning of summer and she would give us a Pepsi! When we took the bottle back to her empty, she gave us another one - that was back when you got money back for turning in the glass bottles! Anyway, I grew and my love for Pepsi grew right along with me! I had no weight struggles so it was no big deal! I got to the point where the first thing I did in the morning was pop open a can of Pepsi or pour a glass and that was how I started my day! About 3 1/2 years ago, I quit - cold turkey! I just quit! Actually, I think it is the one and only New Years Resolution I have ever kept! My only cheat was while I was in Mexico and found Pepsi in a glass bottle that just SCREAMED my name! Then - the dreaded happened! I switched to Diet Mountain Dew! What a nut I was! Pretty soon, I was doing the same thing with it that I had done with Pepsi! While I now struggle with my weight on a daily basis and am still working on losing it, I finally decided that I needed to quit this whole pop thing! This is actually about the third or fourth time I have quit in the past 7 months!! But - once again, it has been a whole week since I have had any pop! I am very proud of myself! I am trying to drink water - which I HATE - and I drink decaffeinated tea sweetened with Splenda! Everyone says it is easier to lose weight when you don't drink pop which I am having a hard time buying right now but I am determined to keep on! So - no more pop for me and I will work on the whole water thing and if it doesn't help me lose weight, at least I will have money for gas in the car!!!!

A Happy Birthday!

2008-07-17T08:46:00.007-04:00

Nineteen years ago on a Wednesday evening after church, my husband made a bet with me that David, Jr. witnessed. I was HUGELY pregnant, completely miserable and FOUR days overdue with our second child. As we were driving home from church that night, he told me we would be in the hospital before the night was over, I told him he was nuts and we made a bet that whoever won would treat the other to the restaurant of their choice. For the record, at 22 months, I am not too sure how much of a "witness" to that bet our dear David, Jr. actually was!!! Well, not even two hours later, the "process" began and that was a bet I have NEVER regretted losing! So shortly before 5am Thursday morning, July 17th, this little bundle showed up to join our family! I present to you Carrie Jewel!!!

My little bundle turned into a little "princess" rather quickly it seemed!

It wasn't long until the first day of school arrived and thus the beginning of independence!!

Before I could blink twice, she was an 8th grade graduate!

Then came her Senior year of high school and the banquet and I realized that my little girl had "done growed up" on me!!!

Probably the biggest event for her so far happened last November! I think you can figure this one out!

This is my 19 year old daughter and the new "love of her life"! It's just not about mom anymore!! :)

Carrie - I can't tell you how proud I am of you and all that you have become! We tease you endlessly about being the "middle child" and we simply love to watch you go off on your "sugar high"!! I am glad that you have mastered the art of making chili and hope that eventually I can get you to cook other things! Even racquetball is something you are "mastering" although I am sure Josh has more to do with that than the desire to actually play! It is so cool to watch the way you interact so well with your "new" family! It is so wonderful to see the responsible young lady you have become - from buying your first car to working your first job to handling college life! It has been amazing to watch you grow and face challenges and overcome trials! It is a privilege to watch you grow in your relationship with Christ! Your Dad and I are very proud of you! I love you, Carrie!

Quick Update

2008-07-16T09:09:00.002-04:00

Well - let's see.....
1) wedding is on as previously scheduled
2) both mom's have found their wedding outfits
3) Christa is not in a complete panic yet
4) her Mom is doing a FABULOUS job
5) David is keeping us all on pins and needles but he has been doing that for a LOOOONG time! Please pray that the house and the dress blues get done before we need to start planning his quick and painFUL demise!!!
6) THE dress has arrived safely to the Brides home!
7) I am still working on getting the rehearsal decorations put together!
8) Dave is enjoying the cooler weather at a camp in PA!
9) I still LOOOOOOVE my new carpet!
10) Ashley is involved in VBS this week and working hard to earn the money to pay her Momma for a plane ticket to IN!! On her 17th birthday no less!
11) Carrie is working and spending time with Josh - oh wait, that's not news!
12) The oven is fixed so there will be no more half-baked biscuits...probably not any biscuits at all!
13)And finally.......look for a new blog tomorrow! It will be a good one!

Just "Stuff"

2008-07-11T13:38:00.003-04:00

I am, by choice, NOT a baker and I really don't care to cook that much anymore. I do but only on rare occasions according to my youngest child!

One of my responsibilities at work is to take care of the office supplies and the ordering of said items. I usually send out an email on Wednesday's asking that any orders get to me by 10 am on Thursday morning. Well, this past Thursday - what to my wondering eye did appear but an email asking if biscuits and gravy fit in the category of office supplies. Well, I got a brilliant(?) idea and so last night I mixed up biscuits and this morning I got up and mixed up some more and made the gravy and brought them to work. Believe it or not, they actually tasted pretty good! What did NOT please me AT ALL was about half way through the baking process, my oven decided to do something stupid and NOT WORK right! So - I headed off to work with a pan of gravy and 2 sheets of half-cooked biscuits! It was not fun let me tell you! However, the "asker" was pleased and I would gladly tell without any torture AT ALL how much Donna ate!!!!!!

I really had to chuckle to myself last night. I was standing in the kitchen mixing up biscuits like it was Christmas since that is about the ONLY time I actually bake and I thought to myself, "Man - seems like Christmas". Then - I stopped and listened to the random music that Ashley was listening to while she played a computer game. Yes, you guess it - Celine Dion singing Christmas music! Cracked me right up!

My Friend

2008-07-10T09:10:00.003-04:00

There are a lot of unspoken emotions behind this post so I am very glad that no-one can see me typing it! Please excuse the sappiness and remember that as you read, some things just won't make sense because you weren't there but the one who was KNOWS!!

This is my very dearest friend Tara and today is her birthday! A few years ago for her birthday, her mom wanted to know who she wanted to invite for her birthday dinner and she mentioned our mutual friend Sherry, and little (?) ole' me. I had a great Sunday dinner with her and her other friends and family and somehow, shortly thereafter, we started "hanging out" a lot more. As a general rule, we have lunch once a week and it is a GOOD thing we do!! For the record, we are very, very different in a lot of ways but my life is so much better because of her.
Tara, I will forever be grateful for the friendship we have! After my husband, you are the dearest friend I have. If I want to shop, you are the person I call. If I want to eat, you are the one I call. If I want to cry, you are the one I call. If I want to laugh, you are the one I call. If I want to scream, you are the one I call. No matter what I am doing, you are ALWAYS there for me. We have shared more laughs and tears in the past couple of years than most people should be allowed! We will probably never be able to forget our horrible waitress at Applebees. And - the one at Ruby Tuesday's that always knew what we wanted before we sat down! Then of course, there were our trips to Longhorn! Those will go down in history as HILARIOUS! Oh yea - what about the couples at my house after camp that night? And of course, those rare occasions when I have sat "in the back church" and you shared your candy!! I am thrilled beyond words that I was privileged to be around for the big "house building" and the shopping and the decorating and the cleaning! Oh yes - the cleaning!! TWO BIG HOURS BEFORE YOUR HOUSEWARMING PARTY!!!!!!!! I have no idea what I would do without your friendship. You have freely accepted me for who I am and what I am with no questions. We have certainly shared a lot of struggles and I hope no one ever tortures you to get information about me!!!! You are one of the kindest, most gentle, most caring, most compassionate people I know! Your tender spirit can be matched by no-one!
So, one your special day, please have a wonderful day and know that you have a friend who thinks you are the BEST!!!!!

Our July 4th Weekend

2008-07-07T09:39:00.013-04:00

Believe it or not, this will be a long blog with pictures so sit back and enjoy! Angie, make sure you have a whole pot of coffee going!!
I will start off with my thoughts on July 4th as a whole! This picture probably doesn't mean a lot to anyone but me! However, it speaks volumes to me as I look at it almost 3 months later.

I have always considered myself to be a "good ole American" and have loved July 4th and all the things surrounding that holiday. However, almost 2 years ago, my feelings changed somewhat when I became the mother of a United States Marine! I will NEVER be able to hear the National Anthem sung again and still feel like I used to. Then last September, I pulled away from a barracks in North Carolina, knowing that a day or two later, I would have a son heading off to fight in the war in Iraq. I cannot explain to you the sickness in the pit of this Momma's stomach. There are no words to describe it really. Over the next 7 months, the phone calls were sporadic, the emails didn't exist and letters from "over there" never came. We lived from day to day just waiting to hear from him. Oh - and we packed and mailed boxes ALL THE TIME!!! :) I don't think I will EVER forget the day I was able to use Yahoo and IM him and what to our wondering eyes did appear but his face!!! After at least 5 long months of not seeing him, the screams of pure delight were deafening! The picture above was me - just waiting for the bus! I knew that my son was on that bus! We had somehow managed to survive that 7 months and he had, by the grace of God, lived through war. So - now the reasons I celebrate July 4th take on a whole new meaning. Yes, I really and truly am thankful for the ones who died to gives us the freedom "way back when" but to be honest, I am more thankful today for those who STILL fight for the freedoms we enjoy! I am so proud of that boy that sometimes it hurts! Even though we have no idea what the future holds, I for one celebrate this day a little differently than I used to!!
Ok - onward we go! This past Monday was my husbands last day of work and so we were able to get a huge project done this week that has been on my wish list for close to 3 years - which is when we moved into the house!! Thanks to a wonderful, dear friend and her husband who thought of me, I was on the receiving end of a roll of carpet that I just KNEW would go perfectly in my living room! You may need to see this to recall the color of the previous carpet! Doesn't it match my furniture so well?!?! I am sure that Ashley won't be thrilled with the picture but at least you can see what I am talking about with the small corner of the couch and the carpet!

Ok? Got that picture in your mind? Thursday, Dave, along with some help from 2 daughters, one boyfriend and the famous Matthew J. Thompson, moved ALL the furniture out of the living room and out of Carrie's room into the dining room, our bedroom and Ashley's bedroom! It was quite the sight to behold! We thought the carpet would get laid on Thursday night but there were some issues so we were up and anxiously awaiting the carpet layer on Friday morning! And - LOOK!!!!!!!!

Want to talk about excitement!! I am THRILLED beyond words!! We were able to do the living room and Carrie's room with a small piece left over! We were so excited to get it done and we are all very happy to get it all done. It took awhile to get all the stuff put away on Friday but we did and even had time to have a few friends over for some small fireworks in the backyard!
In order to tell you about Saturday, I need to back up a bit! Last Wednesday, a young man walked in the door of the office and wanted to see two different people who were both on vacation. So, I became the recipient of free tickets to the St Lucie Mets ball game for Saturday evening. There were enough for our family and the Kline family minus 1 so that was the plan for the evening with fireworks at the end of the game. I got online Saturday morning to check into some things and saw that the game started at 4 instead of 6 like I thought. I called them to find out for sure and was told that the game from Friday night had been rained out and so there was a double-header and our tickets were good for both games! Our family (which of course included Josh) headed out at about 2. Dave was going to leave from there and head to Summerfield to preach on Sunday and then off to PA on Monday so we took 2 cars! We had an absolute blast!!! This is the scoreboard at Tradition Field, home of the St Lucie Mets, a farm team of the New York Mets.

I am going to safely assume that you all know that this is a batter for the Mets team! If you need any further explanation, find a local 5 year old!!!

This is Doug & Crystal - parents of the now famous "Carrie's boyfriend"!

This is my most favorite little boy in the world! This is Josh's little brother Timmy and man, the things he says would crack you right up!!!! For instance, he has been heard saying that Carrie was his girlfriend before Josh stole her away!!

This is Esther, Josh's youngest sister and such a treat to have around! She is a hoot!!!!

This is Ashley, then Anna Kline, Brandy (a cousin of the Kline's) and then Rebecca Kline.

This is - DUH!!!!! Josh and Carrie!

The coolest thing is that the Mets were getting beat and ended up tying the score on a home run and winning the game on a player sliding safely into home! It was so awesome! When the game was over, they had a great fireworks display which was a fantastic way to end the evening!

Dave left early to head to Summerfield and when the game was over, we ended up at the Kline's for ice cream which was simply wonderful! Sunday was a great day of rest and now, it is Monday and so ends the busy weekend in this house!!

Memories (or forgetfulness!)

2008-07-02T09:02:00.002-04:00

Once upon a time (about 25 years ago) in a land far away (Indiana) some really wonderful people (Bill, Sherry and Jay) introduced my family (mom, sister and dad from the living room) to a game known as Dutch Blitz. Now, for the record, if you have never played this game then your life is just too boring!!! Time passed and I played with other people like Julie Covert (a pretty competitive young lady) and then LaDonna. You need to understand that LaDonna and I got to be pretty good at this game but when you played with her, you took your life (or the life of your hands) down a very scary path! Listen, that girl has absolute daggers for nails - long and strong, VERY strong! If you reached to put a card on the pile, you just hoped with everything that was in you that she was not going to go for the same pile! I am confident that I have a few permanent dents in my hands from her fingernails! Joe & LaDonna and Dave & I played this game on occasion but we girls tried really hard to only play when the guys were dead tired. Otherwise, it just wasn't fun! But - get them tired and then play and the result was just sometimes too funny for words!!! Playing this game with Dave is an absolute hoot since the poor man is somewhat color-blind! He is a little slow at the game which makes winning a little easier than normal! (Sorry, babe!!) Anyway, our kids got old enough and we started teaching them how to play and soon, Dave followed my Dad's example and for the most part, stayed out of it!! Well, last night I decided that my family needed some extra bonding time and something to laugh about and we got out the very worn out Dutch Blitz game. We even allowed Dave to play with us which turned out to be rather interesting! I have this one child who shall remain nameless but she has a boyfriend named Josh, who thinks that she never wins a game, and lo and behold, the turkey starts off by winning more than once!!! As I sat there and played and managed to win once, maybe twice - I learned something. I am old and slow and have taught my kids one skill that they picked up well and that is that those two girls are really good at Dutch Blitz! I have slowed considerably but some things haven't changed. Dave still is color-blind, he is still slow and still tries to "cheat" by throwing all his cards into the center of the table when the game is over!! He still makes random noises and says stupid stuff to make us laugh so we can't play and he can take that time to find a place for his cards!! We laughed, had fun and then went to bed at a decent hour!

2008-07-01T08:59:00.002-04:00

Mary said I would do this so I had better not make her a liar!!
1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Your significant other? Dave
3. Your hair? Brown
4. Your mother? helping
5. Your father? "heaven"ly
6. Your favorite thing? Dave
7. Your dream last night? none??
8. Your favorite drink? Diet-Dew
9. Your dream/goal? THIN
10. The room you’re in? Reception
11. Your church? massive
12. Your fear? death
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? away
14. Where were you last night? racquetball
15. What you’re not? quiet
16. Muffins? chocolate
17. One of your wish list items? vacation
18. Where you grew up? Ohio
19. The last thing you did? Blogging!
20. What are you wearing? clothes!!
21. Your TV? non-existent
22. Your pets? dead
23. Your computer? busy
24. Your life? confusing
25. Your mood? weird
26. Missing someone? Dave
27. Your car? "new"
28. Something you’re not wearing? jewelry
29. Favorite store? Goody's
30. Your summer? weird
31. Like (love) someone? Dave
32. Your favorite color? yellow
33. Last time you laughed? Sunday
34. Last time you cried? bedtime
35. Who will repost this? someone!!!

Ok - that was not that easy and if you need an explanation of my answers, just ask!!

Serious and then Fun!

2008-06-25T08:12:00.004-04:00

First of all, I have a prayer request for you! There is a problem with the Marine Corp and the wedding date so please, please pray for David and Christa. We know that the military changes its mind on a frequent basis but this is a little rough to take so please pray that this all works out. I will try to let you know what happens when I find something out! I know that God knows what is going on but David and Christa are struggling with this so please pray for them!

Now......does anyone know who this child belongs to?!?! I know that this picture is small but I "borrowed" it from someone on Facebook!! This child is so goofy!!! She was at Youth Camp this past week and had a great time and the next picture will tell you why!!!

Let me introduce you to the Senior Camp Queen and her "court jesters"!!!

Now, in case you all get worried....every one of those boys except one is "related" to her in some form even if it is only by marriage or in her mind!!!!! As far as she is concerned, these are all "cousins" to her but it cracks me right up that the majority of pictures I have seen of her at youth camp have all been with her surrounded by boys! Don't get me wrong, I do NOT for ONE second think that Ashley is a flirt AT ALL but she has a TON of "boy friends" just not a "boyfriend"!! Get the difference?!?!
We sat in the living room last night and listened to all the stories from Youth Camp and I can safely say that she had a great time and was very excited that she got to go! I must admit that the house was pretty quiet with her gone! I mean, Carrie was still there with me which means that Josh was there also but those two are pretty quiet in comparison to Ashley!! Ashley - now don't get mad at me! You know it's the truth!!!!!!
So, Dave and Ashley have returned and the house is back to normal! Wait - normal? NOT!!!!!! We don't believe in that word!!!

Age

2008-06-23T10:55:00.003-04:00

You know you are almost 40 when:
1) Eating chocolate adds 5 pound and looking at it 2 1/2!
2) Bread and potatoes are divine even though they make you look like a barn!
3) Climbing out of bed takes a good 10 minute head start!
4) You forget what you went in the laundry room to do even though you are standing there holding the laundry basket and empty hangers!!
5) CLEARLY remembering paying $.89 a gallon for gas!!
6) Playing volleyball for 2 hours makes 3 days of pain that is almost funny!
7) Having NO patience for adults who act 3!!!!!!!!! (Enough said!!)
8) Relishing a Sunday afternoon nap over - well......just about anything!
9) Your recliner is your favorite spot in the whole house!
10) Hearing your pastor talk about prunes makes you laugh and realize the "joy" of eating those things is still several years away!!!!
11) Bending over to dry your hair is getting harder and harder every day!
12) Buying milk at who knows what cost reminds you of the stories your grandparents told of the depression!!
13) Hating the smell of Ben-Gay but thinking you could sure use some on the sore spots!
14) You wonder how much farther away you can scoot the computer screen so you can see better!!
15) and finally - thinking its funny that many of my friends that are almost 40 still have little "rug rats" running around!!!!

I have been thinking about turning 40 although it is still a few months away for me! Yes I am getting old! This weekend proved that! I played more than one game of volleyball on Friday (I have bruises from "diving" which should make my girls proud!) and then cleaned my house on Saturday like a raving lunatic! Come Sunday morning, I thought someone had taken a sledge hammer to my thigh muscles!! Which reminds me - why does the song leader insist on having you stand for singing on Sunday morning when you hurt the most? I mean - really...what is up with that?

I have also been reminded of how fragile life can be at any age. My sister-in-law, Sherry, who will be 40 next month, just had a stroke this past Monday! It has been a rough week for their family! I was talking to my brother Jim and after spending most of the week in the ICU with her, he mentioned how life has taken on a different look in his eyes. So - lest you think that all I did was complain in the first part of my blog, how's this? I am thankful I can speak, sing (although not great!), walk, run, dive for volleyballs, eat whatever I want (even though it shows!), hear, smell, and generally have nothing to complain about!!

Beware - A Blog about Struggles

2008-06-17T13:14:00.002-04:00

My heart hurts today and I am greatly in need of the "therapy" that I tend to gain from blogging. There is very little I can tell you about the particular struggles going on right now. There are two specific situations that are going on that seem to have me at this spot right now. I hurt - plain and simple, I hurt. I am old enough and have been around church long enough that I "know" all the right things to say and the "best" Scriptures to quote. I thank God every day that I have HIS Word to turn to in times like this. The promises can be almost over-whelming at times and it seems that once you start reading them, you can't stop. I know that there are many hurts in the world and that EVERYONE has them. Even the people that always seem to have good attitudes and smile all the time and appear to be upbeat to everyone, they have struggles. Some handle struggles and difficulties in ways that I never could. Some cry, some laugh, some scream, some go into seclusion, some take medicine, some turn to drugs or to alcohol for comfort. Some sit in darkness, some surround themselves with people. Some seek counseling, some turn into hermits. Some seek after God more than ever, some turn their backs on Him completely. Whether we do it in a good way or a bad one, we deal with our struggles. My heart hurts and it is in times like this when I find myself drawn to music. I am not all that talented but I can play the piano a little and will find myself sitting down to play "just because". Today, I have some music playing on my computer here at work for I find that I am in desperate need of a touch from my Father. I simply do not know which way to turn today! I am clinging to the promises like "ALL things work together for good" and "I will NEVER leave thee nor forsake thee" and so many others.
Here is what I am hearing right now:

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word.
Just to rest upon His promise. Just to know thus saith the Lord.
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. How I've proved Him o'er and o'er.
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus. Oh for grace to trust Him more.

Yes tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease.
Just from Jesus simply taking, life and rest and joy and peace.
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. How I've proved Him o'er and o'er.
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus. Oh for grace to trust Him more.

I'm so glad I learned to trust Him. Precious Jesus Savior Friend.
And I know that Thou art with me. Will be with me till the end.
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him. How I've proved Him o'er and o'er.
Jesus, Jesus precious Jesus. Oh for grace to trust Him more.

The next song that came on speaks of the faithfulness of God. The verse that is speaking to me at this moment is:

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth.
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow.
Blessings all mine with ten thousand beside.

Great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

While I simply do not have all the right words and this blog probably seems very disjointed, I can tell you that I have made myself feel better just by typing out the words to those two songs. God IS faithful and He WILL prove Himself to be EXACTLY what I need!

Happy Fathers Day!

2008-06-15T07:23:00.002-04:00

Happy Fathers Day to the best Dad in the world! Things are different now, aren't they? For the last several years due to our schedules and the things that the kids have been involved in, you haven't been with your kids on this day! However, while I was shopping with the girls yesterday, they kept asking me what to get you and what to do for you!!
You are the hero in my life and I am so thankful that my kids have you as their Dad! You were the first thing I thought of when I woke up this morning! There are many things that I can do and so much that I can say and this was one place I was determined to say it! Here on my blog where all the world can see it if they want! You are the greatest Dad! My kids are blessed to have you in their lives! There isn't anyone I can think of that any of them would rather be around! Oh I know - David loves to be with Christa but wonder why he doesn't play "football" with her?!?! I know that Carrie loves to be with Josh but no one can take the place of her Dad! Ashley loves to be with - well, anyone - but NO ONE like her Dad!! There is much to said about your leadership in their lives! They simply do not forget the "discussions" at family devotions or simply reading the Christmas story! They have watched you literally shine in the face of adversity time and time again! You are a true example of what Jesus would be in the eyes of this family! We have watched you cry, deal with hurt, suffer pain - both physical and emotional, yet....through it all, you have shown this family what a true Godly man is like!
Thank you for being a great Dad to our kids! Thank you for taking the time that you do with them! Thank you for being more of a "friend" to David - he won't ever forget it! Thank you for accepting Christa! It's funny - she called you "Dad" before she called me "Mom" I think!!!! Thank you for loving Carrie and for teaching her to approach "adulthood" with her head on straight! Thank you for accepting Josh and treating him like one of ours! Thank you for accepting that Ashley is....well, like her mom waaaaaaaaay too much!!! Thank you for TRYING to help her learn that being alone is not always a bad thing!! :))
Most of all, thank you for your NEVER-ENDING patience in teaching this family the path to true holy living! When we think of Jesus, we just instantly think of YOU!! I love you, Dave!!

My New Dining Room

2008-06-13T08:16:00.004-04:00

Well, here it is!! The much anticipated, very necessary and positively wonderful new dining room! I guess I should tell you the whole story to give you a better idea of why this is so cool!! When we moved into the house, it was discovered that the north wall (the one with the windows) was not attached to the floor. We were very thankful that we discovered this BEFORE hurricane Wilma made her appearance and so we fixed that problem. However, shortly thereafter we saw this "bulge" beginning in the north-west corner. It quickly became a very large bulge! Anyway, our entrance there was a set of french doors and only one would open and that was only about half-way. We finally decided that it had to be done and so a couple of weeks ago the project was started by Dave, Matt and Terry (his two maintenance men). They moved all the furniture from the dining room into one end of the living room which made life very interesting as we ended up sitting on dining room chairs or fought over who got the soft recliners!! It turned into a bit of a bigger project than what was originally thought and I soon lost the whole front wall of the dining room! However, the finished project is absolutely wonderful and after some very hard work by my wonderful husband and his trusty side-kick Matt, you now get to see the finished project!! As a side-note before you head off into the pictures, posting pictures of my decorating skills requires A LOT from me! It used to really bother me and I always felt quite inadequate in this department! However, I have recently figured out that no one lives there but my family and if we are happy, I have succeeded!! Although, I must admit, I doubt that the members of my family are thrilled beyond words at eating their meals surrounded by bears!!! :)
This is a portion of the wall that is brand new. This is where the french doors USED to be. I now only have one door and I like it! You will notice there isn't a picture of the door or a close-up of the window. Why? Well, I don't have the curtains I want because my wallet and husband had heart failure when the cost of what I WANT was made public knowledge!!

This is the corner of the dining room that started all the problems in the first place!

Not your typical use of a bakers rack but another thing you should know about me is that I move stuff around in my house ALL THE TIME! This is the biggest majority of the bears I own!

This is the wall that separates the living room and the dining room! On the china cabinet are the Cherished Teddies I own and they are probably my favorite. I get a new one every year for Christmas and have been known to get them for special occasions through the year! I LOVE my "new" china cabinet that was given to us by a friend!! The roll top desk is also one of my favorites!! I have always wanted one and when this one became available, I was thrilled!!

The next two pictures are just close-ups of what was already described!

This is my new floor and I absolutely love it! Dave did a fantastic job laying it and I am so proud of him!

So, there you have it! The new dining room!! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Update with Pictures

2008-06-11T10:44:00.001-04:00

So I finally have a picture of Carrie's very first car!!

It is a 1990 Nissan Maxima and is all paid for! She is very proud of it! She loves the sunroof and tinted windows which of course makes her think she looks cool! She is also learning all about what it costs to fill a gas tank!
Then there is my car! It is a 1995 Nissan Maxima! I know - we have this thing about Nissan's I guess! The cool thing about this is that it is also paid for! That is a wonderful blessing!

I was told earlier that I needed to update my blog so - there ya go!!! I hope to finish the dining room tonight and so maybe I will post pictures of that when it is done!

Just me talking

2008-06-04T09:47:00.002-04:00

I am not one of those people that has tons of "self-help" books in my house although I used to have a lot more in my possession than I do now. I finally got to the place where they all just made me frustrated at all the things it seemed I was doing wrong in my life and I got rid of almost all that I owned. However, I know "someone" that has tons and tons of books and thinks that everyone should read and read and gain all the knowledge they can and really pushes the whole idea of what I call "self-help" books! I picked one up yesterday written by an author that seems to have every one's attention. No - I won't tell you who since I will reserve that opinion for myself! You may be able to figure it out but that's ok.
I have had a few people tell me at different times in my life that I don't always have the best attitude about things. Sometimes I get too down or too frustrated or too irritated or too - whatever! I have made a few changes in recent months and have removed myself from several situations that I felt caused me to have an attitude that was somewhat questionable. I started reading this book last night and ran across a few things that have sort of stuck with me which is actually saying something! I don't seem to retain a lot in this brain so when I do, it must be big so I thought I would share them with you.
1) Who we are determines how we see others. If I am grumpy, it's easy to see others as grumpy. If I am happy, it's easy to see others happy!
2) Hurting people hurt people and are easily hurt BY them. Now that one really grabbed me. Sometimes when I am hurting, it is easy to take that hurt out on other people. Also, when I am hurting over a situation, it seems easier for me to get hurt in other areas as well.
3) Each person we meet has the potential to teach us something. To take that a step further, it isn't always something good we are being "taught". Some people we come in contact with just do not help us in any good way!
I guess what it all boils down to is our attitude. I am NOT someone who believes that attitude is everything! I DO think that it can play a huge part in our lives and how we see things. It is easy to have a great attitude when everything is going fine and dandy but it only makes a difference when the obstacles and struggles come along! I wish I could say that I always had a good attitude and handled things "well" in my life! I don't - plain and simple. I am learning I think! Please - don't think that I have this all figured out and instantly will become this positive, upbeat, sunshiny person. I actually let those kind of people irritate the life out of me!!!! It makes me want to bop them upside the head and make them feel pain!!! :) In all seriousness, I am keenly aware of the needs I have to change certain areas of my life. In the past, it was easier for me to "hang around" a situation that was not good instead of just removing myself. I never really wanted to hurt someones feelings so I just sort of stuck it out! Recently though, God has been showing me that I CAN control some things and I don't have to feel guilty when I DO control them. I am realizing more and more that I can't control other people but I can control me and the attitudes that I have.
There may be a few more blogs along this line as I read through this book. So, I guess I should say that not all "self-help" books are bad, right?!?! :)

Birthdays and "Bashings"

2008-06-02T10:44:00.002-04:00

My Mom's birthday was yesterday and no, I won't spread her age around for all the world to read! However, she has been my mom for 39 years and she gave birth to me when she was 32! Hmmm....wonder if I will see 40?!?!
My mom is great! I love her to pieces! She is living up north with my sister and brother-in-law so I wasn't with her on her special day but I did call her. I am the worlds worst with cards and she WILL get one but I thought I would give half my blog to celebrating her birthday!
I have often been told that I am a LOT like my mom! I guess I am in a lot of ways! My mom used to work a lot at youth camps and the one we attended growing up gave her the nickname of "Mean Momma". Somewhere along the line, I got the name of "Mean Momma the second". Not sure who started that one but I would sure like to remember because I would put them in their place!! Oh wait.....Charlene has called me the "Mother of Mean Looks" more times than I can count!! Guess I am like my Mom!! On the serious side, hope you had a great day, Mom! You are the best and I love you lots!
For the bashing - I know....you think that is a bad thing right? Well, this one is! I had just sat down in church yesterday morning when my cell phone vibrated and off I went. It was Christa calling to let me know that David had spent several hours in the ER due to a "head bashing"! He had been at a friends house working on his car and was on his way back to base when he stopped to help a lady change a flat tire! He was just finishing up when she shut the trunk of her car and the car fell off the jack and cracked him in the head! He finished the job and then promptly drove himself to the ER - like any good Marine I guess!! Anyway, they kept him for observation for a few hours and then sent him back to the barracks where he had 3 different Corpmen checking on him every little bit! I talked to him a couple of times yesterday and each time he got a little more clear and "with it". Its interesting - I was ready to jump in my car and head off to take care of my boy! I know - time to let the boy grow up, right? Uh huh! Sure! Maybe next time!!

The Latest in News

2008-05-30T15:27:00.002-04:00

First of all, I have to tell you something I find funny! It seems that quite frequently someone will tell me or maybe Dave that they read my blog. It just cracks me right up!! I never knew I was of the popular sect!! Oh wait - I'm not....those people are just bored!! Anyway, I do find it funny and for me right now, I will take whatever laughs I can get!!
The big news of the week is that Carrie is now the proud owner of her very first car! I would post a picture but you will have to wait a few days. My camera and her car are very rarely in the same spot!! We are very happy for her and also very excited that there is no debt for the car! Well, not unless you count the debt to her parents!! But - she has a 1990 White Nissan Maxima with tinted windows, a sunroof, cold air and the completely necessary awesome stereo!! Just one more step down that road of independence! And no, I am not crying about that! Josh may be since he doesn't have to drive her places anymore!!!! Anyway, a very definite answer to prayer this week!
Life is definitely interesting I will say that. There seems to be a lot going on and sometimes I wonder how some things will turn out. I have learned one thing - you never know what some people are going through. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in our own struggles that we forget how others are hurting. Sometimes it looks like people have it all together on the outside but there is another entirely different story going on on the inside. I have been asking God to help me see the hurts people are feeling for I know what it is like to feel "passed by". Sometimes all it takes is to just step out of the box and let someone know we care.
Anyway, that is the latest news from here! I know - profound, huh???

Confession and Compliments

2008-05-27T10:24:00.002-04:00

First - the Confession!
Here's a newsflash for you - I HATE, HATE, HATE car shopping! I am of the opinion that you should be able to just blindfold yourself, throw a dart and bam! the perfect car is ready for you! I can't remember what I said about it before but since David bought his dad's truck, we are getting close to desperate for another vehicle. Not desperate yet but getting close - as in 10 days to total despair!! See - Dave is leaving on June 5th so that is when the car shopping HAS to be done! So this past Saturday we went car shopping. Yuck and double yuck! The only fun part about that was that we went as a family and had free hamburgers at one dealership and a nice meal courtesy of Carrie and Ashley! We thought we had found a car for Carrie but the little turkey's at the dealership thought that car was worth about $1000 more than it actually was so no deal! Then we went again yesterday which wasn't completely useless but we will see what happens today. However, once again, for the record and in case you didn't get it the first time, I HATE car shopping!!
Now for the Compliment!!
Once again - I am so thankful for the husband that I have! I am so glad that this kind of stuff is something he can handle quite well. It didn't phase him one little bit to look at the salesman on Saturday and say, "No thanks!" He just has no struggles whatsoever with telling them what he needed to! Just another reason why I love that man!! I am so very thankful that God has given me the husband he has! For more reasons than one and right now, this is a VERY good reason why I am glad that I have him!!!!! Of course, the hard work he is putting into my dining room is another reason I love him!!!!!