POST #1000

I should have had a contest.. or something for this momentous occasion. My 1000th post on my blog. It's just over a year old and I've really been chatty for all that time. It's been such fun.
I used to write in a journal by hand, but this is so much easier on the wrists/thumbs. So what shall I blog tonite?

Wendell and I went to see our grandchildren in a play today at the YWCA.. yes, I got pictures and I will be sharing them on the blog on another post.. perhaps tomorrow. We went directly to Sam's Club after lunch and I made hard copies of all the pictures on the camera that I wanted to keep. There were a lot. The next thing is to have John make me a CD with the photos on it so I can delete them from the camera. That's where I am right now.. John has the disk, so I can't upload yet.
The play was short and really cute. It was all about a trip to the zoo, and each of the children was dressed with a paper plate face that represented an animal. Each came forward and talked about that animal. Cute. Paul and Daniel didn't have animal hats- they were the humans who came to the zoo. Joyce was a penguin.. a very sweet penguin, I might add.

My pictures came out fair.. not great, but okay. I did have a couple closeups that were good.

I've been so lazy today.. I even took a nap after coming home. I just can't seem to get myself in gear. It could be that I'm still recuperating from last night at work. I was on the West side- and it's always fairly quiet there- except when I 'm there.. it was a very busy evening and I scarcely had time to breathe between orders. I'll be thankful in 185 days when I can hang up my secretary hat. I'm just biding my time till that day.

Tomorrow I am going to see the allergist. I hope he can offer me something to help with the problem I've been having off and on. It gets so frustrating by times. I got up with red eyes this morning and then when John was mowing the lawn, I walked outside to get in the car and immediately lost my voice for most of the day.. along with other allergy symptoms. I'll be glad to have this under control.

Well, post 1000 hasn't been anything too spectacular- nothing like the woods afire on my birthday with 2 fire companies and 7 firetrucks in the yard.. or Wendell having open heart surgery.. or even 2 new grandbabies..
It's been a beautiful day- 80 degrees and sunny..who could ask for anything more?

-

EMERGENCY WEATHER

I get my weather reports from NOAA. It's accurate to the minute, and I have it on my toolbar as I work. This evening the report is one that I can honestly say I've never seen before.. "EMERGENCY- THUNDER IN VICINITY". Now, I hear the thunder.. no rain, no lightening, just thunder. To me, that's no emergency. I guess they are looking ahead to what it could become? Then the note that said "TEMPERATURE- 78 DEGREES" and underneath it says "FEELS LIKE- 78 DEGREES".. I had to chuckle at that one.. I mean, there is NO wind out there and just thunder.. what would you expect? 'feels like-90 degrees'??

I guess I'm just a tired cookie. The weather report is now becoming absurd. It's correct to the 'enth, but absurd to have to give an emergency warning for the obvious.

It's been a beautiful day. The sun shone and it was just nice outdoors. Wendell and I went to church this morning. We were the only representatives from the family today. Vince had his usual excellent sermon. The oddest thing, though.. Wendell got sick just as it began and wasn't sure he'd be able to make it through. He did, but wanted to go home ASAP.. and that's what we did. We had been talking about going somewhere today- just the 2 of us, after church.. but we came home directly. He's starting to feel a bit better tonite.
He mentioned on the way down about how much his shoulder and elbow were aching.. and I mentioned how my back and thumbs were acting up badly today. Wendell wondered if it was going to rain.. Well.. no.. but we do have thunder!

Enough for now.. perhaps more in the morning..

IMM REUNION 2007

HEY! LISSEN UP!!
THE ANNUAL
IMM REUNION
WILL BE ON
AUGUST 4, 2007
LOGANS FERRY UP CAMPGROUNDS

THE BELL

I received this from my friend Nancy Kneesocks today.. I wanted to share it with you.

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord(1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price(1 Cor. 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God) (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt.5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ(1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation (Rom 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil.3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God(2 Cor.5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God(Rom.8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor.1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8: 28)

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12)I

can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16).

I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1).

I am God's workmanship(Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God

has begun in me will be perfected (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col. 1:14)

I have been adopted as God's child(Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you knowwho you are!?

"The LORD bless you and keep you;

the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn His face toward you and give you peace."

Numbers 6:24-26

SOGGY SATURDAY

Fer sure.. it's a soggy Saturday. It has been drizzling all night apparently. The garden is loving it! We need the water, so it's all good. It's 70 degrees this morning, but there is a promise of about 83 later today.. with more rain.
No complaints here. I can deal with it easily.
I'm not gainfully employed this weekend- HOORAY!! But there is much catching up to do. I'm so behind. I can get most of my routines done daily, but not much else.. so today, rather than play, I'm going to be home and cleaning up again.

Just 188 days left till I can be home for good. It may seem like a long time, but I watch the numbers go down one by one daily, and it is soooooo encouraging to me. That's about 6 months to go. Oh, I am so thrilled!!!!

Have a super day- remember to pray for us and often.

WHERE I CALL HOME

I took another walk tonite.. just needed some exercise.
I spotted the baby bunny we thought the cat had for dinner this week.
Nice.. such a cute little thing.
I couldn't get close to it and right after I took this picture, he ran into the briers.

I simply love living in the country. It's so beautiful here.
My mom had a green thumb and put plants in that continue to bloom every year.
These are day lilies and the picture doesn't do them justice.

I've always grown dill in the garden.
I'm glad Charlie likes it too.
When you walk by, you get the scent of dill pickles.. yummy!
It always makes my mouth water.

These little beauties grow along the driveway.
They are Echinacea Purpurea or Coneflowers.
They are magnificent !!!

My brother Charlie is our resident gardener.
He keeps the flowers going and this is a spot I think is so lovely.
It's a path through some of the most beautiful flowers.

The gladiolias are starting to bloom.
They are vibrant and eye catching.

One of the most beautiful flowers is hidden behind the trailer.
It's a stargazer lily, and it's in bloom right now.
It's numerous flowers are spectacular.

We have an abundance of this little flower.
Wendell and I used to argue senselessly over what it was called.
I told him it was Queen Anne's Lace..
while he insisted it was Wild Carrot.
We are both correct.
No matter, it grows wild here and its lacy blooms are so beautiful.

Where do we find God's presence?
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter; and I will go in and thank the Lord. Those gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there. I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!
Psalm 118:19-21 NLT
The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him sincerely.
Psalm 145:18 NLT
Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of his glad welcome.
Ephesians 3:12 NLT

Prayer brings us to His presence
[Psalm 118] pictures a victorious yet battle-weary king at the helm of a throng of grateful people entering the gates of the temple to thank God for saving them. During those times, the temple represented God's presence—the place where followers would go to pray to the Lord.
Today, we enter into God's presence in a car, at work, or in the aisles of a grocery store—wherever we take time to pray to him.
We can be sure God hears our prayers and answers each one wherever and whenever they are uttered. And by doing so, he gives us even more reasons to pray.
Just like the victorious king in this psalm, we should enter God's presence by thanking him for answering prayers. What answers to prayer are you thankful for today?

Adapted from The One Year Book of Bible Prayers (Tyndale House) entry for November 28

IT'S WEDNESDAY

Though I can't say it's been an earth-shattering WOW day, it has been a good one. I woke up early and refreshed, and the fog seems to have lifted. My back feels solid and together again, and I've been a semi-busy bee today.
The kids came for a visit while mom had other places to attend. I wish I had taken more pictures- the one I took of the boys didn't turn out well, and somehow I missed Joyce altogether. I should have had the camera in my hand when she was cooking lunch today- rotini. Joyce is going to be a wonderful cook some day. She knew why we put the olive oil in the boiling water, and I explained to her why we use salt in the water too. We also had chicken strips for lunch- ooooo good!
The children spent a lot of time outdoors feeding the chickens, and running. David in particular ran a lot. I wouldn't be surprised if he fell asleep on the way home..The older boys took a dip in the pool which really needs cleaned, though it wasn't THAT bad. Joyce opted to play with her frosting in bags- designing flowers and practicing cake decorating. If I'd had just a bit more advance notice, I would have had a cake made for her. I'll maybe do that this weekend and put it in the freezer.
Annabelle is such a sweet little girlie.. and very serious. I tried and tried to get a smile from her, but I think she is afraid I'll try to snatch her from her mom- the times that I do , she fusses and cries for Mama, and then when Mama takes her, she turns back at me and grins. I guess she got what she wanted. I keep telling her it's fun at Gramma's house, but she hasn't accepted that at this point.. but one day..
I took a walk outside today looking for a little wild rabbit that has been so cute and friendly. It has come right up to the porch on occasion. Mandy thinks one of the cats got it. I feel sad about that, even though I know that little bunnies grow up to be big bunnies and eat the veggies in the garden. They don't do near the damage of the groundhogs or the deer. Wendell said that this week he saw a doe with her fawn in the garden. Hmmmmm

This is the window well where a not so pleasant groundhog has dug it's hole. John filled it in once, but it's back again. Groundhogs apparently have long tunnels that can be miles in length.

When David came today, he found a stack of VCR movies that Aunt Nicki sent. He was so thrilled to have some new ones. They watched the Wiggles this afternoon before they went home, and David took it home with him. While I was cleaning in the bedroom, I had found a couple of backpacks I'd bought for 25 cents at the dollar store a year or so ago, and then a Barbie doll. Annabelle was the only one who didn't get a treat of the month, so I bought her a new outfit.. and that left David. He didn't complain about not getting something, so I decided he could take a movie home. He was so excited !

Speaking of Wiggles, this little girlie was dancing while the music played. She apparently has an appreciation for music, though Amy says she wiggles even without the accompaniment. I had just given her back to her mom here, and she was very suspicious of me. One day....

Nature walk time! I was walking around hoping to see the bunny when I spied these Japanese beetles on the rambling roses. Charlie says that when he picks the red raspberries, the chickens come to feast on the beetles. He makes a point of flicking them their way, and they all dive for the beetles.. not MY cup of tea, but to each his own.

I was curious to see if the hornet nest had grown. Yes, it has. It looks rather large now..

For the last few weeks, Mandy's tomatoes have been producing ever so painfully slow. There are about 3 red ones on this plant and the other one has about the same. It's so nice to walk outside and pick a tomato and just pop it in my mouth. The flavor is nothing like the store bought ones.. so sweet and juicy!

These pansies are doing very well. I think they have the cutest faces. I'm almost tempted to walk up to them and start a conversation. Hah!

I'm getting ready to go to bed. I was offered the opportunity to come home early tonite and I took it. I hadn't been feeling quite myself. Odd stuff going on.
After yesterday, I was so exhausted from 2 hours sleep and then going to work till 1pm at the office.. I came home very sore. I could bearly walk- it reminded me of Tim Conway when he did the 'little old man' thing but this time I wasn't laughing.
Today I got up late- 10:30am.. Wendell woke me up knowing I had to be at the hospital today for work. I was so tired when I got up, and worse than that, I felt 'foggy'. I was making those dopey mistakes again. I tried almost successfully to take my Friday meds and stopped. I asked Wendell what day it was. I just couldn't remember. (Glad no one asked me what year it was).. I was putting my makeup on when I realized I was doing it in reverse order of the routine. AAARRRGGHHH!! Had to start over. I had breakfast at almost noon and then was ready for work- the only bread I could find was stale.. so I made myself a stale peanut butter sandwich. I figured I'd be thankful for it later.
On the way to work, there is road construction on Rt 8. I , of course, got in the wrong lane and had to wait for traffic to go by before I could continue. Just another frustration to add to the list. When I got to work I found myself on the West side and that is the smaller unit which is normally much easier - when I'm not there.
Things were out of order in the charts. I finally gave up and decided to not correct every error I found, but let someone else deal with it. I was asked to do a transfer of a patient to another room. I waited for a good 40 minutes before I took on this task. The room number has to be changed on every paper in the chart and the med records and the kardex. At last I finished....just in time to have the charge person tell me they had changed their minds and we were not moving her after all. It's been a frustrating day.
I'm tired. I know that's why all the little things have become mountainous to me. I'll be fine in the morning...really.
Wendell says we had a visitor this afternoon in the front of the house under the picnic table.. a skunk. Oh.. this is getting to be a real wildlife reserve around here. I saw the little creature later in the yard, but he ran before I could get his picture.. Tomorrow I need to go out and check the big hole in the window well to see if there is any more damage there. I think it's time to get rid of the brush pile in front of the house, eh?
I'm off to bed now.
Have a great rest of evening, bloggers...see you tomorrow..

I MISSED A FEW

How about Jeremy, Wendy, and Annsley?

PASSING ON THE CHALLENGE

Okay.. I did my part, now I challenge Jane, Bill, and Sandi, and Nicki for their testimony.

THE CHALLENGE

I've been given a challenge. The challenge is to write my testimony for others to see. I have done the best I can.. what do you think?

IN THE BEGINNING...
I've always blamed my fiery temper and rebelliousness on my flaming red hair. As a child and youngster, I was the scourge of the family. I really had no direction, and though I had loving parents, I'm certain they were dismayed at having a 'problem child'. I had wild dreams and nightmares, and temper tantrums that left me exhausted. A few years ago a mental health social worker commented "You were a child who had something to say, and no one was listening". Mom always said it was from eating pickles before bed, but I knew it was more than that.
Though I can't remember my last tantrum or fit of uncontrolled rage even as an adult, I know it existed and can't say I miss it. I've mellowed and softened, and I've been changed. But I still have my flaming red hair, though there is a bit of gray in it now.
Life has been a struggle from the start, but I'm learning every day how to handle situations that once threw me off balance and into the pool of rage.
When I was 15 yrs old, my family visited a new local church in Upper Burrell. The pastor was very good with the youth- I was among his flock of young people learning about Biblical truths. I'd never really "read" scriptures before that, and didn't understand what I read anyway. I'm afraid I didn't have a startling conversion at that point- sorry to disappoint any who were anticipating that- but simply took the Bible truths to heart and began the long journey of growing as a Christian- a long rough path to walk.
I believed that Jesus was my savior and that he died for me. It seemed simple enough and I lived many years before I would realize what all this meant to me personally. My comfort zone would have to move and my security would have to be shaken violently, and I'd have to plunge to the depths of fear of losing our home and property before I'd be ready to give in.

GIVING IN...
It was several years ago when we were within months of paying off our mortgage. Wendell had lost his job driving truck because of his now insulin dependence, and I only worked part time bringing in a secretary's wages- not a lot, but it was enough to augment Wendell's income while he was working, but not enough to cover the mounting bills. Now it was all we had. Each month I'd ask myself "which bill shall I pay this time?" We struggled with everything we had to pay the mortgage and property taxes, but that one year, the income taxes came due and we were in trouble. For the first time we actually owed the government money and it wasn't just a few dollars. When I went in to have the taxes prepared, I took a deep breath and hoped I wouldn't cry when they told me what we owed. When it was over, I sat in my car in the parking lot and felt totally defeated. This was too much.
"God, where are you when I need you?" "I can't do this alone, you know". "Okay- I give up. You'll have to take care of this problem because I'm out of ideas".
And with a deep feeling of grief knowing that we'd likely lose all our earthly possessions over this, I drove home to tell Wendell the bad news. I felt like I'd hit the gutter.

GOD MUST HAVE BEEN SMILING...
God must have been smiling as He started to really work in my life. I'd been fighting him for so long thinking that I was the one who made things happen. Well, not outright , but subconsciously, I think that is so. The moment I gave up and let him have full rein, things started to happen.
Do you remember the story in the Bible about Moses and the Israelites at the Red Sea with Pharoah's army bearing down on them? The people freaked out and Moses told them to "stand back and watch what God would do", and God opened the Red Sea while the people walked across on dry land.
As I look back, this is what I was doing. Standing back and waiting for God to do something. I was finished trying to do things on my own and open to any suggestions.
Later that week, I walked outside and around the perimeter of the property thinking. None of this REALLY belongs to us. It has belonged to many people through the centuries. It is just ours for a season- God has loaned us this bit of land and the house. What a wonderful thought. As long as it belonged to Him, it would be His choice whether we moved or not. I relaxed. I felt comforted.
I went back to the scriptures and started reading again- this time with more ardor. How I loved Him for taking over my 'problems', and prayed for solutions. Whatever God wanted us to do, even if it meant moving, we would do so happily. He would provide.
We started to tithe no matter how much we made, and He took things from there. A check for a sum of money came and was enough to get us out of some of the major bills,and the pastor came and gave me a crash course on budgeting. I started looking at the blessings that come from being faithful to Him, and I liked what I was seeing.
Wait.. another problem. The car insurance was due to run out on Monday and I didn't have quite enough to pay what was due. I didn't tell anyone my dilemma, but sat down and prayed. I have learned to pray anywhere and everywhere and at any time. I read in the Psalms that 'He who keeps Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps'- so I feel free at any time to present my requests to Him.
Back to my problem- I still needed $125 to have the correct amount to keep the insurance on the car. Monday morning came and went without help arriving. It was in the mail in the early afternoon when we got a letter with a check in it.
"Dear Mom, You have helped us out so many times, we decided to give something back to you"..
It was the exact amount we needed to pay the insurance. My heart leaped with joy, and I ran to the bank and to the insurance office to pay the bill. You can't imagine how awed I was and still am at what happened that day. It left me with a joy and peace knowing that God hears our prayers and answers them too! It's not that I didn't know that, but it had only been a fact to me for a lifetime. Now it was real.
There have been so many examples of God working in our lives. I can't begin to list them all.

PROMISES..PROMISES..
I look for God's promises when I read my Bible. I make all kinds of startling discoveries as I read. Recently, it occurred to me that when one reads "Ask and it shall be given; seek and you shall find; knock and the door shall be opened" it doesn't apply to just anyone. It applies to the Christian only. It's a special relationship that makes this come alive.
He does not promise an easy life, but He does promise to be with me when I fall or when I'm frightened or need help even in my daily activities. I have to but ask.
He promises to have a place prepared for me when I leave this world. I'm comforted by this knowledge.
He promises to put problems in my life to bless me, to make me strong in faith.
He teaches me to trust Him alone for all my needs.
He promises that if I do things in His way in His order, I'll be blessed.

SPINNING A THREAD IN THE TAPESTRY..
God has a plan for me and for His people. He spins a fine golden thread of my life and inserts it into his tapestry. It is not for me to know what the tapestry will look like in this world- for I see only a teensy tiny few threads of it, but I know that I'm a part of the big picture.
Sometimes I've wondered why things happen in my life- things that make no sense. Like why when I wanted to go to college I ended up in nursing. Not something I had any interest in, but was urged to do it to take up some time while I was waiting. It has probably been the greatest blessing to me and to my family. It has provided us with an income over the years and even now. More than I would have earned as a language teacher. It provided us with a home, property, and education for our children.
I work at the local hospital and have met hundreds of people.. some for a brief time, and some for many years. It was by an injury to my back that I met my friend Rick, a PT who now lives far away. The injury wasn't serious, but it led to a friendship that has continued over time. In recent years, I met his wife Sandi who has become my best friend. She fills a need for a Christian woman with whom I can share problems and joys. The blessing of knowing her has been truly awesome. God just keeps spinning that thread.
Each of our children is now happily married. To this we add the joy of grandchildren. The tapestry is a bit larger and more colorful.

DEEP DARK WATER..
There were dark hours in our lives, as when Wendell suddenly had to have open heart surgery, but God was with us all the way leading us through the deep waters and restoring him. Wendell went into surgery with a peace about what would happen to him. He was a little anxious, but not afraid. God was there guiding the surgeon's hands.
And then a few years ago I struggled with phobias.. and finally was able to overcome these with a little help from a mental health social worker and a lot of trust in the Lord who was there with me when I crossed those bridges. Probably the most often repeated words in the scriptures were "fear not".. I had a lot of fear. It's gone and the void where it was is filled with contentment and joy knowing that I am safe with Jesus.

IN THE END...
I belong to the Lord. I'm not good, but I'm His. I know this is true and have hope for the future. In the end, I have a mansion waiting for me- it's being prepared now. I hope your room is next to mine.

this and that

GOOD MORNING
GOOD MORNING
I SLEPT THE WHOLE NIGHT THROUGH
GOOD MORNING
GOOD MORNING
TO YOU !!

Good morning bloggers.. isn't the most beautiful day? It's just too bad I have to be gainfully employed today. It would have been a grand day to go to church and then spend the day outdoors soaking up the beautiful weather. It's gonna be around 80 degrees today.. WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!! And not a sign of snow or ice .. now, that's the best news anyone could give me.

Wendell's eyes are looking better now. Just a little redness and the goopiness (is that a word?) and swelling has gone away. Happy day. He has gentamycin drops to put in his eyes and they worked really fast. So far, I'm safe.. no sign of pinkeye.
Tomorrow I'm going into the office to do my infusions since the doctor will be out of town all week. He's coming in not to see patients, but to be there while I do my thing.. and then he'll be leaving. I don't look to have any problems. It's all good. I'll be off this Thursday .. the one thing that annoys me is that I have to work tonite at the hospital and then get up super early to get to the office on Monday morning.. and back to the hospital on Tuesday.. ugh..

Well, the ground hog who is trying to move into our home is back. It's really a mess where he dug his hole in the window well. We are considering concrete to pour down his hole. I suppose these little beasts are 'protected' creatures. They do so much damage everywhere they go. Bad enough they try to destroy the garden, but now they want to dig holes under the house.

I still seem to be a little 'off center' with doing routine things.. yesterday I HAD to get gas in my car.. went to the local service station and before I got out to pump the gas, I realized that I'd forgotten my purse and wallet. Oh, for joy.. I had left later than usual..but had to go back home to get my wallet at least and then went into Butler to get gas on my way to work. It was fine, but annoying. Like carefully packing a lunch and then leaving without it.
I'll give myself some time.. a few weeks to see if I'm going to continue this disorganization and then if so, I'll likely have to increase the Strattera to 100mg. I really don't want to do that as it causes so much nausea with each increase. I haven't had any nausea for a month or so. Perhaps I can split the dose to 60mg in the morning and 40mg in the afternoon? It's a possibility. Or perhaps 80mg in the morning and 20mg after noon. It's an expensive drug- my insurance doesn't cover it at all.

I'm learning how to 'text message' on my cell phone. So far, I've been able to send 4 garbles and about 2 readable ones.. I don't know how to write the messages...the phone wants to write them for me and when I try to edit them, I hit the "send" button inadvertently, and the message looks like this: "mrbgf".. to which Wendy replies : "Huh?" I want to learn how to send pictures too.. so I'm trying. My phone won't forward photos, which bums me.. but I know there is a way to send pics I've taken.

Gotta get moving here.. looking for a new CPU.. pray I find one suitable for my needs..Keep us in prayer otherwise, and don't forget our national leaders and world leaders. Pray they will have changed hearts and minds and acknowledge the Lord.
Have a super day..

Good morning! It's 8am.. I've been awake since 7:30am and now am enjoying a delicious hot cup of coffee. Mmmmm.. good! It's cloudy this morning and about 58 degrees.. We should get to about 75 degrees today. A perfect day for me to get back on track with my cleaning schedule. There are hot spots everywhere again and these will be "put out" before concentrating on the bathroom today.
I have 2 more packages to get ready to send today.. and the grocery shopping to finish. It's going to be a busy but great day.
Did I hear the news correctly? Congress has now eliminated the "whistle blower" legislation.. which would mean if you see some suspicious activity or someone who looks like they are doing something illegal, YOU and I can be sued if you report this? Did I hear that right? Someone help me here? Does this sound like obstruction of justice? Why do we not have representatives of the PEOPLE in our government? It would seem like criminals now have representation and the people are in the dumpster somewhere.. I thought for a while about what this present congress has accomplished .. and thought "nothing".. but I was wrong in that thought. They have accomplished the biggest taxpayer waste of time and money known to history.. and they have caused our country to be the least safe place to live in the world.. my opinion, of course. My fear is that they will cause a revolution in these United States, making us even more vulnerable to enemies who would love to see us destroy ourselves. Can we fire the lot of them? I'd like to start over with some REAL men who care about our nation.
This past weeks sleepovers in DC were such nonsense and accomplished nothing. What are they thinking?
Who do they work for ?? Who do they represent?
Okay.. I'm getting off my soapbox.. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth anyway.

Despite the news of the day, God reigns and will reign when these folks are gone from this world. That is the best news. Trust in Him rather than foolish men.

I'm off to start my day with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. As soon as I'm dressed, I'm going to get breakfast and then read the gospel of John.. chapters 1-4 today. I started by reading chapter 1 for a while, but the rest of the gospel seemed to be calling my name.. so I'm moving on. Each day adding to the last.. I've also added several chapters of the book of Daniel as a part of my reading.
Lots to do.. pray for us.. for our nation, congress.. for their hearts to be turned to the Lord who reigns eternally supreme.
Pray for safety of our world, for Christians..

*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY
SANDI
!!!!!

I woke up at 4am.. it's office day today so I got up and found Wendell and Mandy both up.. hmmmm. If I had the chance, I'd be back to bed and sleeping till at least 8am. It's raining.. a steady drizzly rain.. soaking the ground with precious water to make the crops grow. It's wonderful.
I suspect it's been raining all night and Lake Blair will be full to overflowing.

Wendell was up because of his weepy eye. I didn't get a really close look, but it would appear that he has pink-eye. Now where did he get that? What a bummer.
Yesterday he was to get all the birthday packages mailed. It didn't happen.. he's supposed to do that today- it may not happen till tomorrow if he has eye problems. Sorry ..to everyone expecting a package.

As for me.. I seem to be coming out of my 'slump'.. thank you Lord for giving me a reprieve. I thought for a while I was losing my mind. I did spend the greater part of yesterday hunting for a specific set of papers that I HAD to have copied and in the mail. I was relieved to know that JJ had a copy and Keith made me an extra for my records. It's in the mail as of last evening. In the mean time, I tore apart the bedroom looking for it.. it should have been in the file cabinet. I found the right file folder there, but the papers I needed were missing.. thus, I figured they were in the bedroom somewhere, and we all know the bedroom is my flaming hot spot for months now. It was good in a way- I pulled out one huge trash bag of just "trash" and one of papers that have to be burned. I found 5 savings bonds among those papers. Wendell put them all in the locked box.
So, there is a lot of junk gone from the bedroom. It's not looking good, but better. I still have a long way to go.

I had better get my breakfast and ready to go.. time is of the essence. Pray for us.. for my patients today too.

UPDATE...

Wendell went to see his PCP yesterday. He had a number of complaints, but his shoulder and arm were really bothering him a lot. The doctor sent him for a venous imaging of that arm and shoulder with the idea that there may be a clot there causing his symptoms. There is not. The report is negative. He also had a series of X-rays done on his arm and shoulder. We shall see later what these reveal. In the mean time, he now has another appointment with the orthopedic surgeon to look at that shoulder.. and perhaps inject it with cortisone to relieve the pain.

My evening at the hospital was the usual, but it was rather slow. At 7pm, the charge nurse asked me if I wanted to go home.. she didn't have to ask me twice. I finished up my work in record time and was out the door by 7:30pm.
I do wish my chair would show up. It is hard to work when the chairs are so uncomfortable. I'm short and my feet don't hit the floor when I sit in them. I feel like Edith Ann. Hahaha

It rained all the way home tonite.. a regular downpour. It was fabulous. I love rain like this.. no thunder and lightening.. just a lot of rain coming down. Lake Blair was quite full.
Though I have been weary all day, I am feeling more human and more like myself. I have some plans for tomorrow.. calling my patients for Thursday.. and then some cleaning in the bathroom that I've put off long enough. The walls need washed. I think I can do this without breaking anything.. like my leg....or my arm...
On Friday I hope to work on another shelf in the bathroom closet.. and in my spare time..the bedroom is still not done.. so that's where I'll be found.

Keep praying for us. We appreciate it always.
*

MONDAY..

After finding out that I'd messed up Gayle's birth date.. I felt so horrible.. How could I be so dumb? I planned to NOT do anything more today that would be negative. I guess I did pretty well, though there were several things that made me wonder.. like the guy who nearly hit me in an intersection- I had the right of way and was going through.. he had to stop, but didn't. I got my car stopped before we collided.
Then I got to work, got a great parking spot and went in to my department. The first thing I always do is hunt for a specific chair that fits me better than others. It actually keeps my back from straining and hurting. I told my boss that when I leave in January, I want to take it with me as everyone else hates that chair and makes no bones about telling me so. It is gone.. I looked in all the usual spots, asked everyone I could find if they'd seen it.. and no one knows what happened to it. Even my boss and her assistant looked.. to no avail. I had to sit in one of the huge bulky uncomfortable chairs all evening. I was bummed. That's 2 chairs that have fit me well and have disappeared mysteriously. The first one was an ergonomically correct chair that I bought for my self and took in with permission from my boss. I had to be off for a while with a stroke, and when I got back, again no one knew what happened to my chair. There was a sale on office furniture - used and old.. I suspect that even though I wrote a note to the guy who was heading the sale, it was among those things sold. It has never resurfaced. It had no hospital identification on it, just my name on a strip of tape on the bottom. It is disturbing.
Well, today wasn't a complete bust- I did get a bonus check from my boss- not big, but nice to get when you aren't expecting it.
Oh.. and when I got ready to go to supper tonite, I decided I just HAD to know what my biorhythm chart revealed.. and as I'd guessed, I am right square in the middle of a triple low.. physically, emotionally, and I forget what the other thing is.. I'm not into biorhythms. I have to laugh at that.. the suggestion for me was to "lay low".. to not try anything new, don't start any projects that need any mental skills.. HAH! funny stuff. No wonder I kept thinking I needed to go back to bed and pull the covers over my head!
Well.. getting late here.. I need to rest my weary eyes and body.. so I'll just finish this now.
Enjoy Tuesday.. it's gotta be better than the last 2 days!

TRIPLE LOW???

Sometimes I wonder if I should just stay in bed and pull the covers up over my head. I've had a couple of days of "triple lows" .. I am tempted to look at a biorhythm to see if this is the case.
Did you ever have a day or two that no matter what you did, it ended in disaster? Well.. that's me. The bull in the china shop personified.
I was amazed that when I took the pictures of the hornets yesterday, that I wasn't attacked. I think God's grace and mercy was working overtime for me. I had a lot of "near disasters"..
It wasn't bad enough we were late for church, but I HAD to use the restroom before I sat down for worship, elsewise I'd have been running to the potty in the middle of a sermon.. something I won't do unless it's an emergency- like having to puke. Well.. the restroom was in use and there were 2 other women waiting their turn, so I decided to run to the basement of the church and use the restroom there.. the door from the social room was propped open, so I didn't see the notice on it which announced the restrooms were 'out of order' as I breezed by.. I got to the basement and found out that little detail... So back up the stairs- this time so much slower- the race down the stairs and the long trip to church had made the SI joint slip out, and the pain was becoming more exquisite. When I got to the top of the stairs I noted that the 2 other women were still waiting their turn- so I did the only thing I could- I used the men's room. I finally got to sit down in the sanctuary during morning announcements. I squirmed in my seat as I sat down, the pain was intense.. I tried moving in odd directions to pull that SI back in place. It finally settled enough that I could listen to the sermon. Then the ?? allergies started. This is not the first time this has happened. The eyes started to sting.. the tears overflowed down my cheeks.. not by drops, but in streams.. the sinuses started to drain down the back of my throat, and I began to cough.
Oh... this is too much. But wait.. it gets better. I wasn't able to sit with Wendell, who always has a cloth hanky in his pocket- and I had NO KLEENEX !! Oh, man.. does it get worse? Well.. yes. I sat there sniffing and coughing.. and squirming.. feeling very embarrassed.
At home, I should have just gone to bed and skipped the day.. it was one thing after another..the little things were mounting up to grand mountains of mistakes, and pretty soon I really was in tears. I sat on the swing and wondered if it was even safe to do that..
I got the pictures of the hornets and decided to take a walk through the garden.. it would be relaxing and refreshing.. really?? I don't think so. I got to the berries and decided to try some.. till the Japanese beetles took offense and flew at me landing on my arms and shirt.. ugh!! I thought maybe I'd get out in the middle of the garden and look at those beautiful sunflowers up close.. Ah.. I got 2 pictures and looked over at the peach trees.. the branches are bowed low with an abundance of beautiful peaches ripening. I decided to take a picture of that, but the batteries in the camera decided at that moment to die.. and so NO pictures of the peaches..
All was not lost.. I walked to the tree and could smell them .. they must be ripe! I reached out and felt one.. ah, it was soft! Hooray! I'd have me a succulent peach.. sweet and juicy.. I picked the one I'd first selected, and because there was a little hole in the top, I opened it up easily... just in time for a nest of earwigs to come racing out at me.. I tossed the peach quickly and the chickens came on the fly to clean it up. Well..at least THEY got a treat.. I decided it was time to go back to the house.
After all, I DID get some good pictures of hornets and sunflowers.. I decided to put it on the blog. I changed the batteries in the camera. My new Lithium batteries were dead. I can't believe all this was happening. Not to worry.. John had some Energizers that would work. They did indeed. Just as I uploaded the pictures to the computer, I moved my hand and knocked a half cup of coffee onto my keyboard. Now, I was feeling like I should really go back to bed... I didn't even want to tell anyone about this one.
It didn't end there.. no, not at all. I went out to the kitchen and got myself a bowl of comfort food.. uh.. ice cream. I decided to eat the ice cream by the computer while I blogged.. boy, you'd think I would learn by my mistakes. I walked to the computer, carefully set the ice cream on the desk, and then turned around to sit down..that was when my left foot got tangled with my right foot and I fell backward grabbing onto whatever was available to stop the fall.. and knocked over the boxes I'd so carefully set in front of the closet while I was cleaning on Saturday. The SI was definitely out of place..and the pain was everywhere.
I managed to blog the pictures.. but then decided that it was time to quit and go to bed where it was hopefully safer than anywhere else in the room.
This morning I was relieved that it was another day and I could start all over. But ........ well.... my face is red as I have to say.. today is not Gaylie's birthday.. it was YESTERDAY!
I can hardly wait to get to work today at the hospital.. I may end up on the psych ward if things don't improve.
I can't say nothing good happened yesterday.. the sermon was very good.. and I talked to Wendy before they had a little family party for the girls.. and she sent me a picture of Eli on the cellphone. Then she sent me a picture of the girls blowing out their candles.. again with the cellphone. I wish I could upload these to the computer.. the pictures were great..but you'll have to take my word for it.
Today , as I said, I'm gainfully employed. I need to get myself ready for that.
I think I need prayer today.. please remember me. Wendell has gone to the doctor for a check up.. I'm hoping it'll be a good one.
Have a wonderful day..

JULY 16

GUESS WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS TODAY?
SHE LIVES IN HALSTEAD, FAR AWAY.
SHE HAS BLOND HAIR AND EYES ARE BLUE
TODAY SHE'S 3 YEARS OLD- IT'S TRUE !!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
GAYLIE
*

THE FRONT YARD

I took a little walk today with the camera.. glad I did.. here's something you don't see EVERY day..
It's a hornet's nest in the little tree in the front yard. Look closely, it's in the center of the photo.

So I stood under the nest and zoomed in.. oh, wow.. you can see the little critters moving around on the nest.

On to the garden.. doesn't this look like a postcard?

and a couple more beauties. I believe all the sunflowers are volunteers this year.
*

201 days

I just noticed my little train has moved again.. right on down the track! In a couple days, the counter will be under 200 days left. I'm so amazed and excited.
It's Sabbath morning. I'll be getting my shower soon and dressed to go to church.

Progress in the bedroom. I can walk through it without stumbling over boxes. I'm packing things up. The room is small and only will hold so much.. but I'm also pitching things that we don't use or need any more. It makes a difference- it's all good.

On to the day.. see you in church.

*

MEANDERING THOUGHTS

I've been working on the bedroom this afternoon. You can't tell yet, but hopefully by bedtime there will be a little difference. I'm a bit slow- that's okay..I'm progressing and that's the name of the game...
So I'm taking a break.. while I was cleaning and hanging things up, I got to thinking about our first computer. It was a HP and a pretty nifty machine. My goal at that time was family history.. The CD ROM became non functional, and it wasn't smart enough to go beyond AOL 4.0.. and I'm told the memory was at the max.. oh, well.. this was back in 1994. The neat little computerized typewriter I bought for the kids for homework assignments while they were in school yet, had stopped functioning and I was in a quandary as to what to buy..
we needed a word processor.. and one of the girls said.."yes, one with a computer attached to it". So we went shopping. Our first computer came from Montgomery Ward. It's no longer there at the mall, but the computer was a good choice. It took us till 1997 to take the big step to the internet. Once there, what does one do? There was only one person I knew with email- my cousin Jeff's wife, Karen. She welcomed me to the internet. I'll never forget that. Not one other person I knew was online then. So I started my crusade to get my family there so we could communicate. The next person I was able to communicate with was my nephew Andrew who was in the USArmy in Hawaii. It was so wonderful to be able to talk..from there, one by one, my family has taken that big step and joined me on the 'net.
There was a bit of family history out there .. some records online, but nothing like there is today.. and no blogs, of course. And.. oh, yes... it was painfully slow going anywhere. I complain about this PC often about how slow it is and how I can't get beyond AOL 8.0.. but back then, it was minutes literally to go from one site to another until I took another big step and went to the 56K modem which is what I now have.
Mandy and I finally got tired of the slowwwwwwnnnnneeeeesssssss of the first computer and the fact that you couldn't put a CD in the poor machine, so we pulled our resources one day and went out to buy a new computer. Oh.. that was so exciting! We got us a HP Millennium Edition- oh for joy.. in 2000. It's now 2007 and I'm still using this archaic little pc.. Pathetic, but functional. I'm thankful to have it. One day I'll have another new one.. the sound card went bad on this one..at least I think that's the problem, and the CD burner is done for as of several years ago.. and the floppy disk slot is shot. It's been erased at least 4 times, and the original programs returned to it. WOW... and I'm still using it. My monitor is a Dell, thank you Paul and Amy. They loaned me their old one when they got their new computer. The mouse is new, as is the keyboard last winter.
The tower is all that is left.
It would be nice to have the sound back. It gets annoying.. but what I'm finding is that one needs to go to at least an XP to be able to access a lot of sites. Maybe one day. For now, I'm going to struggle along with my old faithful (most of the time). Now everyone I know has a computer that is fancy/dancy and wayyyyyy ahead of me. Look what I started!
Hey.. and I'm still on dial up.. not many can say that either. We may go broadband or satellite one day..who knows.? And most of the family now uses the flat screen monitor.. mine fills my desk, but it works, and that's the important thing.
I'm glad to be online and able to go so many places on the 'net.. it sure has changed over the years.

FRIDAY, JULY 13

PRETTY LITTLE GIRLIE
HAPPY AS CAN BE
HER BIRTHDAY IS TODAY
AND I'M SURE YOU WILL AGREE

THAT ESSIE IS A SWEETHEART
A PRINCESS ALL DAY LONG
SO JOIN ME AS I SING TO HER
THIS LITTLE BIRTHDAY SONG

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET ESTHER
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU !!

YESTERDAY A CRAB...

Yesterday I felt so crabby.. It had been a long long day, and when I came home, I was so beat. It happens now and again.

This morning I woke up in a sunny mood.. got my bath.. dressed, and put the insoles back in my old tennies- the ones that had all the water in them from a water balloon contest this past week. It made me remember.. and I had to go back to those pictures on the blog.
I may have been a crab yesterday for a while, but today my mood is definitely in the sunshine. I got through with my AM routines and then started on the kitchen table.. the one that put me in the crabby mood in the first place. So much "stuff" on it. I pulled out my trusty timer and then decided I'd just use the clock and time myself 15' to clean it all off and straighten up the kitchen. I don't even know what is on the agenda today officially, but I did know that I had fires burning everywhere.. so I set out to put them all out.
It's not perfect by any means, and far below where I was a week ago, but then, that is okay.. any improvement is success.. and I'm not going to obsess over it. I'm done.
I did work a little harder on the kitchen.. we had something strange happen here.. I lost my broom. Now, I know I've lost 2 tubes of toothpaste while cleaning... but how in the world does one lose their kitchen broom and the dust pan? I'm in a quandary. On Wednesday I asked Wendell to buy another new one for me.. that's 2 new ones in a month! I asked John if they might be upstairs.. he would know if the missing brooms and dustpans were there.. he said "no".. hadn't seen them. Well.. I'm baffled..
The floor is now swept and washed.. not perfectly, but at least improved. I still have a ton of towels in the bathroom needing washed.. but they are wet and I dare not put them in a hamper.. it's humid, and they'll get musty.
oh.. and I'm proud of me.. I even dusted! WOW! all that in 15' increments.. the porch and walk are swept and the yard still needs policed...perhaps tomorrow.
My smile is still there.. and on one of my breaks, I sat down and read my John 1. I have time.. it's fabulous.
Tonite I'll be working on the bedroom again.. hot spots everywhere! blazing fires to put out. It's not getting better yet.
I thought this morning again about being a perfectionist.. something I'm trying hard not to be. I was thinking about how thankful I am to have daughters who do my laundry for me so I don't have to strain my back trying to do it myself. Thanks girls.. you are a back saver and really really appreciated. I'm grateful for all the things you do to help me. And I no longer refold anything.. I put everything away just as you have folded it. Another big smile.. I'm learning.
I've also learned that washing the kitchen floor doesn't mean I have to put it off because I can't get down on my hands and knees to scrub it .. all the little crevices.. I've learned that to just give it a once over with a sponge mop does the trick fine.. it's clean and looks so much better. Perfectionism is on the wane..
Gotta get moving here.. we are having the pastor here this afternoon.. a real treat for us.
Have a great day..
I'll be back later..

HO HUM...

It's been a sort of quiet day today. I got up early..5am.. though I set my clock for 4am..I don't leave till 7:30, so it really didn't matter. I sure was tired ..and sore. Not from GMC, but that SI joint that is out of place and I don't have any more PT time to have someone slip it back where it belongs. Oh..woe is me...

I really had a very good day for the most part. This afternoon one of my patients said "I think I feel peculiar".. and I called for the doctor and the office manager right then. When they got there, we lowered her to the floor. She didn't go out, but was on her way to a good faint. A little smelling salts and she was pink in her cheeks again and ready to sit up. It wasn't the biologic, but just sitting for a long time in one small room without windows.. and she hadn't eaten much today. We soon helped her to her chair again and she finished the infusion without further incident. Makes the day a little interesting.. eh? And it could be why the SI is out of place.

Not much this evening.. I'm just weary and ready for bed.. I guess that is about it for now.
Have a wonderful evening..

GRANDMA CAMP

GRANDMA CAMP
Day 4

This is the last day of Grandma Camp 2007. We all slept in till 9:30 this morning! I can't believe it. We have been so busy, and then with the threat of rain today, everyone was just plain sleepy.
Already we are making some plans for next year. We will have 7 happy campers and I'm planning on a full week + to carry on this tradition. It was just too much fun this year.
Our last day.. take a look:

David the sleepyhead.. He was the last to arise, and did so with a squeal of delight! He's been a great little camper.

When he got up, it was a little chilly, so he helped himself to one of the bigger boy's Tee shirts and went on to play with his train..
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Perhaps Paul and Amy would like to scroll down past David and the Fruit Loops.. they may not appreciate the next picture and it's story
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At GMC, on the last day, anything goes (within reason).. so when I asked the kids what they wanted for breakfast today, they all said in unison "CHOCOLATE CAKE !!"
And so it was that we started a new breakfast fare.. Chocolate Cake and milk.
Daniel wasn't dressed at this point, but I think he was afraid I'd change my mind if he didn't get to the table and get his share of the treat.

Not all campers wanted chocolate cake for breakfast. David chose Fruit Loops.. and ate every bite.

At our last camp 2006, we made journals of everything we did- I took a lot of pictures and then let each one choose which ones they wanted in their journal. Here's Paul working on his right up to suppertime.

With all the rain, they had to be inside a bit more today than other days.. but they like to play Sorry..

Papa took the boys with him on errands today. They got us Pizza for lunch...yummy! While they were gone, David and Joyce decorated their camper tee shirts..
Tonite the children made supper for their parents.. Roast pork done to perfection in the crock pot.
There was fresh fruit salad.. they cut most everything themselves.. and then corn and mashed potatoes.. Joyce helped make the potatoes. They set the table just perfectly, and we had fresh squeezed lemonade for our drink.
The dessert was left over cake from last night.. but still moist and delicious.

I'm sad to see them go, and can't wait to do it again.. Joyce would like to do this again next week.. Alas.. I'll be back to work then.
They did get in the pool this morning.. splashing and having a great time for the first few minutes, and then they came back into the house in a hurry..
"It's raining !!! And we were getting wet !"
Ah.. I LOVE GMC !
*

I just wanted to add one more thing.. I asked David if he was having fun tonite.. and he told me "YES!". I asked him if he wanted to come to GMC next year with his cousins and he was very excited.
I have really enjoyed having him here this week. He's pretty little to be away for these past few days..but he's done so very well.. he's a trooper.. a happy camper. I'm glad we included him. Of course if he had ever showed any signs of being homesick or wanting to go home, I would have done just that. I don't want any of the kids to feel stress,.. just have fun. I think we are accomplishing just that.

GRANDMA CAMP TUESDAY

GRANDMA CAMP
Day 3

Oh, what a day it has been! I love this GMC! It's been such a hoot..
This morning I woke everyone up with a song..

Good morning Good morning Good morning
It's time to rise and shine
Good morning Good morning Good morning
I hope you're feeling fine
The sun is just above the hill
Another day for us to fill
With all the things you love to do
Oh, can't you hear
It's calling you... dooodly doo doodley do????

Everyone awoke with smiles and ready to start a new day. "What are we doing today, gramma?"
Well.. first breakfast, and then everyone gets clean clothes on to go to class.. they go to the YWCA for a class and in August P3 tells me they will put on a play. I hope I can attend.. Next year for sure.
So we took off at 9:30am and I picked them up at noon. We stopped at KFC for Lapmeals for all .. and headed home. The kids were anxious to help unload the car.. and did so without me even suggesting it. Very impressive.
After lunch they took a dip in the pool...ahhhhhhh How they love the pool.
Then the fun began.. take a look:

This was actually later in the day, but I think this was one of the best things we have done yet. I had bought a package of water balloons and decided we'd have a contest.. to see who could stand the longest and how many tosses they could make before the balloons burst. That's how I got soaked to the gills. I had the job of filling the balloons.. it ran down into my shoes.. it felt fabulous.. trust me.


I don't know how I missed the pictures of P3 in the contest.. he and Joyce seemed to be up most of the time..while Daniel seemed to be the most soaked. No matter, no one lost in this contest.. everyone got wet.

David preferred not to join in this game, though I had made small balloons for him. He loved watching everyone else get soaked however. He has this peculiar sense of humor and a belly laugh when someone got hit with a balloon.

Earlier in the afternoon, I had a class for the children on cake decorating. Joyce had brought her kit with her but mostly we used my stuff. Each child was given a piece of foil and was instructed how to hold the bag of frosting, and then they could make any design or flower they wanted. This one was David's.. pretty good for a guy who just turned 3 yr old a couple weeks ago. He was VERY INTO the frosting..literally. He wanted to taste everything.

Joyce worked hard on flowers with the 'nail', but finally gave it up and just used a piece of foil..she did very well for a first time. She made roses and then little blue flowers with yellow centers and green leaves. Nice job, Joyce !!!

Each of the kids made whatever they wanted..we had lots of frosting.. P3 liked to use the piping tip and write letters rather than making flowers.. but he did it all.

"OK, KIDS.. GET YOUR HANDS WASHED".. and they all run knowing they are going to be helping with something special...
Of course if you are going to have frosting and are going to decorate.. ya gotta have a cake.. so we all made the cake.. chocolate..... what other kind is there anyway?
David really got into this project.. he wanted to stir the "chocolate mud". He is so little, he climbed right up on the table to be able to reach and stir. I was surprised how interested he was in making the cake..
I measured all the ingredients; Joyce poured the cake mix in the bowl, and David added the eggs, water, and the oil ! Good job, David! He never lost a drop.

Everyone stirred the batter..

"Take a picture of my tongue"..
"well..........okay."

It was time to frost the cake.. Joyce had the honors since it was her birthday gift.. the decorating supplies.
I'd promised her a cake to decorate and that I'd show her how.. so here she is..Notice that David was again on the table watching intently. He tried to stand on the chair but kept bumping Joyce's arm..

It was Joyce's idea to put Grandma Camp on the cake.. she is clever, eh?
Notice her beautiful flowers.. mighty good for a first try.

It was right after I took the last picture that David got down off the table and then tripped on the chair and fell down. He cried for just a few moments.. and then Joyce got out the craft kit...a puppet on a stick.. and showed her siblings how they were put together.. cute. David still had the frown on his face at this point.. I think he was just scared when he tripped.. No bruises.. no cuts.. he's okay. It didn't take him long to start laughing again.

I decided it was time for a movie.. I got this one at the dollar store today.. I put it in for David while the others were back in the pool.. but it wasn't what I'd expected. Too serious for David.
Daniel's comment. "oh, boy! The crocodile hunter! Is this the one where he dies?"
Uh..no.. this is one of his first films..

We had our snack.. chocolate cake! and milk.. Time for devotions... each one prayed.. and then I let them choose one more movie for the night. Lights out.. Over the Hedge was the movie they selected.
Well, it is quiet out there in the living room.. they had a really busy day..
Oh.. Daniel wanted to know if he could stay 'just a little longer' after his parents took everyone else home tomorrow night.. Though I'd love to, I have to be at the office on Thursday.. so GMC will come to a close for this year. Tomorrow night the children are planning a really nice meal for their parents. They have made the menu themselves.. and I think they have learned a lot.
Watch for tomorrow's ending ..