Friday's Letters

We are on the backside of Issac now and I'm writing my Friday Letters and glad that I have the electricity to do so.  Many across our state are without.

Dear Ann Romney, you were simply stunning at the RNC Tuesday evening.  What a classy lady and I can assure you that if I had been at the convention I would have been standing up cheering you on. And, might I add, you were gorgeous in that red dress!

Dear Issac, you truly have dumped enough rain on us now.  You can stop anytime.  Yes, we needed rain, but my goodness, not for 48 hours.  Thanks for the mild winds that could have been so much worse.  They still caused us to have a huge mess in our yard, but messes can be cleaned up and we're grateful that is all we are dealing with at this time.

Dear Entergy, hats off to you!  Our electricity was restored in such a timely fashion yesterday and we so appreciate your efforts.  There are hundreds of thousands of folks without across our state and many that will not have power for days.  So, that makes us all the more appreciative of ours only be off a couple of hours.

Dear Producers of Honey Boo Boo, I assume that you all created this show to demonstrate ignorance at it's finest.  It is beyond me that folks can really act like that, paid or not.  I happened upon the show while channel surfing and simply could not believe my eyes, so I actually watched about 15 minutes of it and then decided it was NOT for me. ~End of story~ And, it's on TLC, doesn't TLC stand for The Learning Channel? Hummmm......

Dear American Workforce, Monday is for you and I hope that each of you will enjoy your day off to the fullest.  For the rest of the nation it's sort of the last "hurrah" of summer. That means that Fall can't be far away.  Yea!

Dear Fox News,  I am assuming that  one of the requirements of your women reporters is that they be gorgeous blondes.  I mean, really, I have never seen so many pretty blondes on one station in my life.  And, hey, I would have to say that that they certainly do their jobs well.

And, I leave you with this.......

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Oh, Joyce, you stretched my brain with these questions, but hey, that's a good thing. Our brains need a good stretching every now and then. ~laugh~

1. Americans will celebrate Labor Day this coming weekend. Do you know what we're actually celebrating? (without consulting your friends Google or wikipedia, ahem) What's a project you're currently 'laboring' over?

Okay, this isn't fair because I'm about to show my ignorance.  But, since I always play by the rules ~wink~,  I will not Google the answer. I think at some point I knew this but it is not coming to the forefront of my brain right now.  I know, shame on me!  But, it is what it is. ~smile~
I'm really not laboring over anything at the time but I am fretting over my brand new Dell desktop computer. It appears to be having some serious issues with either a virus or malware.  Yea! I'm not happy at all but it is with my very trusty computer guy at the moment and I have all the faith in the world in him. ~hope hope~

2. Labor Day also signals the unofficial end of summer for most of us...what summer food will you miss the most? If you're in the southern hemisphere feel free to substitute winter for summer.

I won't really miss any summer food, I am a winter food kinda gal.  I love soups, stews, chilis and "pots of stuff."  All of these are our winter eating fare.  I do enjoy some grilling in the summer but if I want to grill, it doesn't matter to me what the weather is doing, I still grill. ~smile~

3. A well known proverb states, 'It's easier to seek forgiveness than ask permission.' Your thoughts?

I've heard this all my life and think I've probably operated on this premise a few times but never on anything that really mattered or was that important.  I'm of the opinion that we need permission whether we want to ask for it or not.  But, forgiveness is always a good thing.

4. Food critic, film critic, book critic, art critic....which hat would you most like to wear?

Oh, Joyce, you are killing me today.  I am not a critic period, but of the 4 choices, it would be food, and a pretty pitiful one at that.

5. When you were a kid, who (besides your parents) was your favorite adult? 
The first person that came to my mind when I read this question was my first grade teacher, Mrs. Morton.  She made me feel so, so special and I loved her dearly and we kept up a friendship for many, many years after that.   I could not have had a more positive first year of school experience. 

6. The astronaut, Neil Armstrong, passed away last week. He was regarded as a hero by many generations of people all around the world. Do we still have modern day heroes? What makes someone a hero?

There have always been heroes and I imagine there always will be. A hero is someone (generally a man) that has courage and admirable qualities.  I think there are many heroes that are not  nationally  recognized  and they often fade into the background of those that we hear about on a national level. And, even though she was a woman, my first grade teacher was probably my first hero.

7. I never get tired of __________________.

Facebook, I love being connected with people and especially people that I absolutely would have no connection with if it were not for apps like Facebook.  I have reconnected with friends that I have not heard from in 40 years and it has been such fun.  As in all things, moderation is the key to social media.  When kept in moderation it is the greatest tool for connection that I have ever been a part of and I think the creators were nothing short of a genius. ~smile~

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
Hubby and I went to see 2016 yesterday afternoon.  I did not want to go but went along with Hubby to be nice. ~grin~  Well, in the first 5 minutes I was "in" and my mind never wandered one time while I was there.  Oh, my goodness folks, I really think that every voting American should HAVE to see it.  I am not a fan of documentaries but this was so well done and it is a definite MUST SEE!  And, I pray that it is not too late for America.  I will leave it at that and I will leave you with this.

Miscellany Monday

It's Monday and I've always loved Mondays.  It's the beginning of a new week and new opportunities await.  My first opportunity is sharing Miscellany Monday with you.  I love it!

Fun with my Princess......

This past Friday Hanna Beth spent the day with her CiCi.  We started the day by going to the Dollar Tree.  We both love that store and when I take her it reminds me of when my own Grandmother would take me to what was then known as the "five and dime" store.   We always leave with a helium balloon and few other fun things. 

 When we got home I let her ice a cake that I had baked the day before in preparation of her coming.  I told her that she could decorate and then take it home to share with her Mommy and Daddy.  She had so much fun playing with the icing and sprinkles.  Not sure what it is with sprinkles, but I think every kid in the world does love them.

  The puzzle she is working, in the picture above, belonged to her Daddy when he was a little boy (he's now 35 years old).  I think puzzles are timeless and the wooden puzzles never wear out. 

 Her lunch consisted of fish sticks dipped in ketchup.  Shortly after lunch was naptime and then more play time until her Momma got here.  What sweet memories with a sweet little girl that is growing up before our very eyes.

My World Vision Child......

Privillege Senzi, 10 years old, from Zimbabwe is my sponsored child from World Vision.  I became involved with World Vision about 3 years ago and I am continually impressed with this organization and can not recommend it enough as a way and a means for you to become involved in a ministry such as this.  A mere $35 a month provides more for a child than you or I can ever imagine.  And, throughout the year WV will make you aware of other opportunities to minister to your child.  In the above picture the children in the village that Privillege lives in are enjoying a balloon party that someone provided for them by donating $50.  If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, click here for more information.  You will not regret it!  
  
Pizza, the quick and easy way.........

Okay, we women have to stick together and share tips and such with each other.  Right?  Well, I make a really good homemade pizza and it is so, so easy and quick.  Just had to share it with you. 

 You can see in the above picture the ingredients are Jimmy Dean cooked and ready to use sausage. (I used the turkey sausage and we can't tell the difference and it is soooo much better for us) Even though it is already cooked, I still brown it a little more and mix a bag of Seasoning Blend in with it for flavor. (is that frozen Seasoning Blend not the best thing since sliced bread?)  I cook all of it just long enough for the Seasoning Blend to soften and cook a little. 

 I also use the pre-made crusts.~I told you it was quick and easy~  We happen to like the Thin and Crispy Crusts by Momma Mary. There are several on the market and you can suit yourself on that.   Whenever I make pizza I always make two. One for us to eat and then one for the freezer.  It's just as easy to make two as one and I love having a stash of "ready meals" in the freezer.  I do not add the cheese until I'm ready to cook it but otherwise it is ready to go when I put it in the freezer.  I cover the pizza pan tightly with Saran Wrap two or three times and it "works like a charm."

Of course, you can make any kind of pizza you like.  Sometimes I make pepperoni and sometimes I add things like mushrooms, and black olives to ours.  The sky is the limit on the possibilities but it's all quick and easy and that makes this lady very happy and the fact that it is good just makes it all the better.  Okay, you can thank me later for this little tip. ~chuckle~ 

 And, I leave you with this......

 

Friday's Letters

It's time for Friday's Letters hosted by Ashley.  I do have some letters to write, so let me get started. ~smile~

Dear Chris (of the famed Extreme Weight Loss), Should I ever have a weight issue, I want you to be my weight loss coach.  I can hardly believe what you are able to do with these extremely obese folks on this show.  I am inspired each week when I watch it.  I've never had to lose more than about 5 pounds, so losing 150+ pounds is just unbelievable!  You are amazing!

Dear Post A Notes and Ziplocs , what on earth did we ever do without either of you.  I mean I have every size, shape and description of each of you.  You are as handy as can be! And, why didn't I think of creating you and then I would have been the one laughing all the way to the bank. ~smile~

Dear Creator of Pinterest, you are an absolute genius.  I have found more great ideas, more super recipes, more great quotes and you name it by browsing your creation.  It's plum addicting!

Dear Wal-Mart, I do not like to use your self-checkout when I have a cart full of groceries. But, you give me no other choice because you do not have any real live checkers available.  The management tells me it's "cost cutting measures."  Oh, my goodness, you have got to be kidding me!

Dear Fall, the past few days of lower temps have me thinking about you and longing for you.  I'm ready for leaves, pumpkins and apple cider.  Can you hurry up and grace us with your presence even though it is still August.  Thank you very much!

Dearest Bridget, I think of you daily my dear and pray for God's peace and presence to continually fill your heart and mind.  You have been through such a difficult time and you have been such a testimony through it all.  I know that the Lord has a purpose in all things, but it sure is difficult to understand at times.  I love you my dear daughter!

 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Once again Joyce showed up with questions for us. Thanks Joyce, we appreciate you!

Aloha! On August 21, 1959 Hawaii officially became a US state. 1.Have you ever been? Upon arrival would you prefer an orchid or a hibiscus to tuck behind your ear?

Yes, I am pleased to say that I have been twice. One time, just Hubby and I went and then the next time we took the kiddos with us.  Both times were trips of a lifetime and both times Hubby won the trips through his work.  That was "double good."

Well, I would prefer to have neither an orchid or a hibiscus to tuck behind my ear.  I'm just not a "flower tucked behind my ear" kinda gal.  Now, give me a lieu and I'll wear as many of those as you can give me. ~chuckle~ 

2. Since we're talking tropical...what's your favorite food or beverage made with pineapple?

Oh, a Pina Colada, hands down!  

3. Do you believe in soul mates? Explain.

Well, I did a little research on Google before answering this one and that was most interesting.  There are several definitions of a soul mate and they are all very different.  But, I definitely do believe in soul mates and, in my estimation there are varying degrees of soul mates.  I'll just leave it at that. ~smile~

4. Share a memory about the house you grew up in.

It would be nice to share with you a memory of the house I grew up in, but that is not possible.  I lived in 8 different houses between Arkansas and Virginia in the 18 years I lived at home.  My favorite house was one in Virginia in a little oyster village, it was the first two story house we had ever lived in and I thought I was moving into a palace.  It was a charming older home in a close knit community.  It is one of my fondest of memories.

5. Are you comfortable with silence?

The old saying, "silence is golden" is probably truer than we want to admit.  It is better to have silence than to speak before you think. I am comfortable with silence.  It can give folks a chance to wonder what you are thinking rather than knowing what you are thinking. ~smile~

6. You spot a giant spider on your bedroom wall...what's your next move? (all spiders are giant, right?)

I would immediately start looking for a shoe or something to swat it with.  All the time I would be hollaring for Hubby to come and "kill it."  

7. My idea of fun does NOT include ______________.

YARDWORK!!!!  Now, part of my reason for this is for the past 31 years we have had about a 2 1/2 acre yard.  It is totally overwhelming to me, thus, my yardwork consists of the small flower beds around our patio and the patio plants.  I thoroughly enjoy that small area.  I have hopes that one day we will downsize, have a postage stamp size yard and I think I could actually enjoy yardwork.  Time will tell.......

8. Insert your own random thought here. 
Question #6 reminded me of something that happened about 3 years ago.  I got up one morning (about 5:30AM) and did as I always do, turn the light on over the kitchen sink and head straight to the coffee pot.  That particular morning when I turned on the light I heard a scuttering sound coming from the top of the cabinets.  To make a very long story short, it was a flying squirrel.  Once I realized this I began screaming the most blood curdling scream you have ever heard (like out of an Alfred Hitchcock movie).  All the time I'm screaming I'm chasing the squirrel around the kitchen and family room with a broom.  Hubby "finally" shows up and has a loaded gun with him. (pointed towards the floor).  When he sees me with a broom chasing a squirrel he is so relieved.  He says in a most aggravated tone, "Lea, the way you are screaming I was just sure that I would find someone attacking you when I got up here."  Can I just say that the conversation escalated from there and he did finally catch the critter, I finished my heart attack and he went back to bed. ~I was not a happy gal~   It would have made a wonderful video for sure! 

Happy Hump Day!!! 

Miscellany Monday

Yipee! it's Monday and I'm always excited about sharing my random thoughts.  Thanks Carissa for being our hostess each Monday!  We love ya!

Love a sale.........

I love a SALE and especially when it comes to buying for my Princess.  There's a shop appropriately called "Spoiled Rotten" and they had their big summer sale a couple of weeks ago. Everything in the store was 50% off. ~yea!~  I could not resist these precious dresses.  I love, love the vintage look of them and can I just say that Hanna Beth wears them well!

Pill pouches...........

You know I love things to be organized. ~chuckle~  Well, whoever came up with these little Pill Pouches had people like me in mind.  I found these about 3 years ago hanging with the pill boxes and such in the pharmacy department of Wal-Mart.   They are perfect to put in your purse or a man's pocket.  I use when we travel to carry my daily dose of vitamins, drop all the little pouches down into a larger ziploc and eurecka, I've  got each day's done! And, if you take any medication and need to take it with you and don't want to carry the whole bottle, these are great!  Hey, they aren't even paying me to tell you gals about these.  I just knew that you would want to know if you didn't already.  Thank you very much!

And, added bonus, you can reuse each bag many times.  I'm probably still on my first package of 50 bags 3 years later.

Scripture cards..........

Okay, this is something else you young Moms and you Grandmoms want to know about, if you don't already.  A sweet young friend of mine sent me these  Alphabet Scripture Cards for my birthday.  They are the cutest and such a neat, neat way to teach younger children scripture verses.  They are about 4 X6 and come with a cute wooden easel, all wrapped and tied beautifully in a kraft box.  And, it's neat to find a spot that you can sit it and leave one of the cards sitting out all the time.  It serves as inspiration when my Grans aren't here.  They can be found at lil light o' mine  and they make a great gift too!

Sweet cousins.........  

  Oh, how I wish these sweet cousins were able to spend more time together.  They have so much fun together but with 13 hours separating them, it's difficult to make it happen very often.  The above photo was taken while they were watching the goldfish in the atrium of The Gaylord during my big birthday celebration. There is only 1 year and 5 days difference in their age. Clancy will soon be 4 and Hanna Beth will soon be 3.  Can I just say - precious!

Outside my window.........

   For the past several years I have used a couple of angels as accents in the flower beds around our patio.  It was not intentional but rather I just saw one and thought it would look sweet and then saw another and so it went.  Well, the one pictured above was on One Kings Lane  about a month ago for a really good price and I just had to have it.  She/he is made of a weather resistant  resin and I had the perfect spot for her/him.  She/he arrived and I placed her in the flower bed outside our bedroom window.  I love raising the shade each morning and seeing her/his sweet face (and chubby rolls).   I know, it's silly, but hey, there are things a whole lot sillier.  And, I am 60 years old and I can do silly things if I want to. ~big laugh~ 

And, I leave you with this.........

 

 

The Birthday Adventure

Yea! It is time for me to share my "birthday adventure" with you lovelies and I know you have been waiting with baited breath. It definitely ranks as one of my favorite memories.

On Sunday morning, July 29th (my actual birthday) Hubby and I loaded up the car and were headed to a destination(s) unknown to me.  When we pulled out onto the main highway we were headed west and that gave me a fairly good idea that we might be going to Dallas.  Hubby had told me that we would only be traveling about 5-6 hours that day and that would match up just about right with going to Dallas.  And, I was right!  When we got into Dallas we dropped by The Galleria and shopped a little and I felt sure that we would be staying there at the Westin since it is connected to The Galleria.  But, after a couple of hours of browsing and shopping Hubby informed me it was time to go.  In a few minutes we turned into the Gaylord Resort and I thought that strange since we had just been there for a couple of nights in June.  But, hey, I wasn't in charge, so I just kept my mouth shut and we checked into our room and he informed me that we had dinner reservations for 5:30.  That was about 45 minutes away, so we just "recouped and regrouped" until time to head to dinner.  We were eating at a lovely Mexican Restaurant there in the resort.  You have to go down some stairs to get to it and the hostess greeted us and then took us to our table.  Our table was sort of behind a half wall and when I walked around that half wall there sat our kids and grans shouting Happy Birthday!  As indicated by the photos below, I was TOTALLY surprised!!!!  I had thought how nice it would be to share this "big" birthday with them but they had so much going on and I just knew that wasn't even a possibility.  WOW! was I ever wrong.

The next 3 days were spent enjoying the resort, outlet shopping and cruising down the Lazy River on the resort.  I'm not much of a water person and I'm sure not much on getting "messed up."  But, hey, you only go around once so off we went to the Lazy River.  Everything was going well, we were all in the Lazy River floating along and I decided that I would rather sit in my tube than hang in it.  Well, can I just say that I should have left well enough alone.  We all stopped for me to get situated and in the midst of my trying to sit in the tube, I flipped over and under I went.  I mean, I came up hollaring and my kids have never laughed so hard in their lives.  They said that incident made the whole trip worth it.  What does that tell you?  ~chuckle~ And, I can't even believe that I'm sharing the photo below with you gals. ~big smile~

On our last evening at the resort Hubby had made arrangements for the girls and me to have a massage at the spa there at the resort.  Oh, my goodness, talk about an experience!  Can I just say that I could get use to that kind of treatment.

They treat you like a Queen.  They have these lush robes you put on, take you into this dimly lit room with soothing sounds of nature playing to help you relax and ready yourself for the massage.  Thank goodness we got the latest appointments that they offered and we were able to go up to our rooms and go straight to bed afterwards. 




Wednesday morning we all headed our separate ways after 3 wonderful days of being together.  Our next stop was DesMoines, Iowa (home of my youngest brother and his family).  We drove a little more than halfway on Wednesday and then arrived there Thursday afternoon.  DesMoines is such a lovely, lovely place but we could not believe how the drought had affected the beauty of the city.  

We always enjoy being with Joel, Suzy, Ashley and Warren and had a good time spending about 3 days with them.  One of the high lites was meeting Ashely's (21 and a Senior at UNI) boyfriend, Aaron.  What a fine young man! We were also able to see Warren (16 years old and a Junior) and his high school marching band do sort of a pre-season show.  He plays the saxophone.


We left DesMoines on Sunday headed towards Branson for a night.  We took in a show there and capped off what had been a wonderful 60th birthday trip.


Hubby has never planned much of anything in his life so that made this "mystery trip" all the better.  It just goes to show me that he certainly can and he can do a wonderful job with it. I will relive it many times over and relish in the sweet memories of sharing a very special birthday with some very special people.

I've linked up with the Rachel's today at Finding Joy and Home Sanctuary.

Hodgepodge Wednesday

It's so good to be back with the Hodgepodgers today.  Joyce did a super good job with the questions today and I always marvel at her ability to come up with questions week in and week out.  Way to go Joyce!

1. I included this quote (attributed to William H. Danforth) in my blog post yesterday... "The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb it's routine." When was the last time you 'disturbed your routine' and how'd you do it?  Well, my routine was disturbed for almost two weeks ending this past Saturday.  I won't go into the details again but if you are a regular reader then you know what all has been going on in my life.  If that quote is true, then my mind is anything but sluggish, in fact, it's in "high gear."

2. What's your favorite fried food indulgence?

Oh, I LOVE coconut friend shrimp!!!  I do not indulge in it very often but there are times when I just can't resist and it makes me a "happy gal" for sure!

3. Did you have an allowance as a kid? What did you do with it? Do you give your own kids an allowance?

Yes, I did get an allowance as a child and it was at that time that my parents explained to me the importance of tithing.  My first allowance was $1.00 a week and I didn't really get why .10 of it had to go to my church each Sunday.  But, what a great lesson!  I remember going to what was then known as the "Five and Dime"  and the corner grocery (the quick stops of that day) and spending most of my allowance there.  Our kids did get an allowance and we did teach them the importance of tithing as well, but I'm afraid their allowances were a far cry more than $1 and they too, didn't quite get the whole tithing deal until they were older.

4. What's something you wish you knew more about?

I would like to know more about the inner workings of a computer.  I know how to do a lot on a computer but I do not understand a lot of what makes it work or how to fix a lot of issues that can go wrong. I know more than I did when I got my first computer 18 years ago but I wish I knew more. And, I'd love to understand the whole HTML code stuff.  Oh, well, maybe one day.....

5. Is there anything you feel too old to do anymore? If so, what? Ugh, this is a toughie, especially since I just had a BIG birthday.  But, I no longer play tennis and I played for many years 4-5 times a week and loved every minute of it.  Having had shoulder surgery, some lower back issues and do not tolerate the heat very well, I no longer play.  But, hey, I never mentioned it was an age thing. ~smile~

6. What's a song you think has a great first line?

Amazing Grace - Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.  Yep! that's a great first line and makes my soul smile!
 

7. Who are you writing to/for when you create a blog post? In other words...as you write, who is the audience in your head?

That's a good question! I started out writing my blog for myself and soon a few friends and family began reading and before I knew it, I had a follower or two. I still write for myself but it is now fun to know that there a lot of other folks that actually enjoy my entries and look forward to reading them.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

 My girls, daughter and DIL, both started back to school this week.  Our daughter teaches 5th grade and our DIL is a Special Education teacher at a Middle School.  They are both tops in their field and I pray they will both have a great school year.  They take their jobs very seriously and have their students best interest at heart and I am very proud of them.

Miscellany Monday

Oh, how I have missed MM these past two weeks!  What a roller coaster I have been on and it does my heart good to have a diversion like MM today.  And, just in case there's anyone out there that didn't know it, last Thursday was our sweet Carissa's birthday. ~wink~

Sweet family.......

The first stop that Hubby and I made on my "birthday trip" was The Galleria in Dallas, Texas.  It was my actual birthday and I had made a stop in one of the many stores and was busily looking at something when I heard this loud, "Happy Birthday!"  Of course, I looked up immediately and there was a young family from near our hometown (isn't it funny how you run into people you know almost everywhere you go).  They are my friends on FB and had seen that it was my birthday and when they saw me, could not resist letting everyone else know. ~grin~  It made my heart smile for sure!  This sweet family will soon be a family of five.  They are in the final phases of adopting a precious little girl from China.  They should be able to go get her within the next 90 days.  This is something they have anxiously awaited for a long time and what a blessed little girl she will be.  She will have two big brothers that have already fallen in love with her and a Dad and Mom that will add a dimension to her life that she would not otherwise know.  That makes my heart smile too........... 


Tater.........sweet Tater......

  Folks, I am not a "goo goo ga ga" kind of person about dogs.  Yes, we have two labs and I do like them but I am definitely not silly about them.  But, when it comes to my brother's family dog, I can be just about as silly as anyone about their dog.  I got to see Tater on my "birthday trip" and he struck the most perfect pose for me.  Don't you just love it?  He is a GoldenDoodle and he has no idea that he is not human.  I kid you not!  He feels just like silk and I don't know who enjoys petting him more, the one doing the petting or Tater.  It's soothing either way.  Okay, I know, enough of the silliness............


A "mustache" birthday.........

My "birthday trip" also took us by some dear friends house in Northern Arkansas.  When we stopped by there was "a party going on."  Our friends Granddaughter was enjoying her 12th birthday around her Grandparents pool.  It was a "mustache" themed party and of course, I had no idea what that was all about, but I was quickly informed.  Everything was decked out in mustaches and  it was a party with flair for sure.  I was so glad I was indoctrinated   on the mustache rage because I would surely not want to be "in the dark" about something such as that. ~big laugh~  It was a fun stop on my birthday adventure for sure. 


My heart............

As previously stated, these past two weeks have been such a roller coaster , from the mountain top of celebration to the valley of despair.  Yesterday I felt very weepy and came very close to feeling sorry for myself. ~have you ever had that feeling~  I thought back over the past 3 1/2 years and how I have had more than my share of loss and heartache. My Mom's untimely death, my Dad's sudden life threatening illness, issues too personal to share here, and now the loss of this precious baby.  But, the gentle nudging of my heavenly Father suddenly puts everything back into perspective. HE reminded me of how truly blessed I truly am, that HE is fully aware of my every loss and trial, and in the end it will be worth it all. So, I go forth with the knowledge that the losses and trials are not over and will not be this side of heaven.  But, great is HIS faithfulness and HIS mercies are new every morning.  That fills my despairing heart with joy!  

A new day has dawned...............

This sign was placed on Bridget's hospital door

 At about 5:00PM yesterday afternoon our little angel went to be with the Lord.  It was a long and difficult day for all of us but especially Bridget and Clint.  We had hoped that things would progress quickly, but they did not.  But, once things began to progress, it went smoothly and we were grateful for that.

Bridget's Doctor and the entire hospital staff could not have been more caring and compassionate.  We were more than impressed and so thankful for their sensitivity at such a difficult time.

When I went in to see Bridget following the delivery all I wanted to do was hold and hug her and take away her pain and hurt.  Isn't that what Mother's are suppose to be able to do?  Well, it isn't possible for a Mother to do the work of the Lord, so I knew that all I could do was hug her, encourage her and be here for her.  The Lord will take away her pain and hurt and give her strength and courage in the days ahead as she grieves this loss.  She has been such a testimony to the faithfulness of God during this entire process and I am so proud of her.

As we were driving home from the hospital last night there was the most gorgeous sunset that I had ever seen.  It was as if the Lord had given us a sign that He was still in full control, knew right where we were and a new day was dawning.  What a comfort!

Again, please know that all of you have ministered to me/us through your prayerful support, your sweet comments and words of encouragement.  We shall go forth!

A Quick and Sad Check-in..........

I do not have time for a long post but did want to check in with you and share the latest with you.  As most of you know Hubby and I left on my "birthday mystery trip" on my 60th birthday, July 29th.  I will save all the details of the trip for another entry when I feel more like sharing it with you.  

After a fabulous time in 3 different destinations, we were on our way home yesterday (Monday).  We had been on the road about an hour when we got a phone call that caused us to forget about the fabulous time we had just had.  

Our daughter who is 19 weeks pregnant had just gone for a 3D ultrasound to find out the sex of her baby.  Our SIL, Clancy, her inlaws and her sister in law had all gone with her.  It was at one of the free standing ultrasound centers, not her Drs. office.  When she had the ultrasound done two weeks ago at her Drs. office the baby would not cooperate and they were not able to tell the sex.  So, they were going to be in Oklahoma City visiting her husband's family and decided it would be fun to go and try again to see if they could find out and all could share in the fun.

When the ultrasound tech placed the monitor on Bridget's stomach there was no movement and no heartbeat.  Since this was not a medical facility, the tech is not allowed to say anything but just told her she needed to get to her Dr. immediately.  Of course, Bridget and the entire family knew that the baby had died.

They did go to the ER where she was checked out to confirm their fears and then they headed home to Dodge City so they could see her Dr.  They met with the Dr. this morning and Bridget will be induced in the morning.  The Dr. said that she was past the point that they could do a D and C, so she would have to give birth.

When we got the call, we literally turned around and headed in the direction of Dodge City.  We were about 10 hours away and we drove the entire day and arrived here last night around 9:00 PM to love and support them during this horrible time.

We are so glad that we had the privilege of coming right on.  She wanted her Momma and her Momma wanted to be here for her.  As many of you know, Bridget miscarried last November at 14 weeks and there was no explanation for that one either.  The Dr. will be doing some testing this time to see if they can pinpoint the problem.  

We covet your prayers that she will have a quick delivery and no complications.  And, that she will be filled with peace.  I know all too well that many have walked this path but it does not lessen the hurt that we are all feeling at this time.  But, we know that the Lord walks through this dark valley with us and will restore us, especially Bridget and Clint.

If all goes well and Bridget is doing okay we will likely head towards home at some point this weekend.  We will be here as long as she needs us.

As I said, my birthday trip was wonderful and I do look forward to sharing it with you when my heart is not so heavy. My heartfelt thanks to each of you as you share this burden with us.  I will certainly try to update you in the next couple of days.