Happy 1 month birthday, my darling niece! Tell Mommy to send me some new pictures! Hope to see you this weekend!
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Little Emma is One (Month) :)
Happy 1 month birthday, my darling niece! Tell Mommy to send me some new pictures! Hope to see you this weekend!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
One of Many Reasons Why it is Dangerous for Me to Go to Wal-Mart
There are just some places I probably should not go, because I am the title holder for World's Most Gullible Woman! I was raised in a very loving, trusting atmosphere, and I came away believing that everything is as it should be and that people do what they say they will do. When I look someone in the eye and ask a direct question, I am apparently horrible at discerning whether they are telling me a bold-face lie or the gospel truth. I have had two situations in two weeks now where two different people have told me something that was just untrue! I am reminded of what Jesus told his disciples..."Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves." (Matt. 10:16) I apparently have the dove part down, but I have some work to do on the serpent side of the equation.
Here is what most recently happened. The kids and I were going to Wal-Mart to grab a few things for dinner, and we passed by the typical "Free Puppy" display set up in a corner of the parking lot. The serpent on my shoulder said, "Keep driving." The dove said, "AWWWWWW, look at the cute puppies. Go back, go back!." The serpent said, "You did this once before with bad results." The dove smacked the serpent off my shoulder and said, "You can't leave a little defenseless, unwanted puppy out here in this 20 degree weather!"
I did a u-turn and went back around.
People were grabbing pups quicker than I could extricate myself from the car. By the time I got there, there was one left, and another lady was on my heels. I asked, "What kind of pups are they?" {Here comes the BIG FAT LIE part} "Oh, they are beagle/bloodhound mixed!" I thought, "Now those are nice, gentle breeds, should be good with kids...." I took pup-pup over to the car full of kids and asked what they thought. What did I expect them to say--no?
So, seeing that the other lady was standing there waiting to see if I was going to leave the puppy so she could take it, I decided to take it. Nearly all puppies are cute, and this one was no exception. She was apparently abused by her bigger brothers and sisters, because she was really introverted for a couple of days. The owners said that was the case. But there was something bugging me.
This puppy did not look like a beagle or a bloodhound.
I started doing research on the internet, and I came across this picture, which is the spitting image of our new pup, Lizzy. Now you tell me, what did I get?
This picture is one I found, but the markings are EXACTLY like our Lizzy's. In fact, these markings are found on every full-blooded pup of this breed. How dog-savy are you? Am I the only one who did not know what this puppy was?
Lizzy's future with the family is yet-to-be-determined. She is precious and well-behaved. It is going to be hard to give her up if it comes to that. In the meantime, I don't think I'll be making any more important decisions alone for a while.
Here is what most recently happened. The kids and I were going to Wal-Mart to grab a few things for dinner, and we passed by the typical "Free Puppy" display set up in a corner of the parking lot. The serpent on my shoulder said, "Keep driving." The dove said, "AWWWWWW, look at the cute puppies. Go back, go back!." The serpent said, "You did this once before with bad results." The dove smacked the serpent off my shoulder and said, "You can't leave a little defenseless, unwanted puppy out here in this 20 degree weather!"
I did a u-turn and went back around.
People were grabbing pups quicker than I could extricate myself from the car. By the time I got there, there was one left, and another lady was on my heels. I asked, "What kind of pups are they?" {Here comes the BIG FAT LIE part} "Oh, they are beagle/bloodhound mixed!" I thought, "Now those are nice, gentle breeds, should be good with kids...." I took pup-pup over to the car full of kids and asked what they thought. What did I expect them to say--no?
So, seeing that the other lady was standing there waiting to see if I was going to leave the puppy so she could take it, I decided to take it. Nearly all puppies are cute, and this one was no exception. She was apparently abused by her bigger brothers and sisters, because she was really introverted for a couple of days. The owners said that was the case. But there was something bugging me.
This puppy did not look like a beagle or a bloodhound.
I started doing research on the internet, and I came across this picture, which is the spitting image of our new pup, Lizzy. Now you tell me, what did I get?
This picture is one I found, but the markings are EXACTLY like our Lizzy's. In fact, these markings are found on every full-blooded pup of this breed. How dog-savy are you? Am I the only one who did not know what this puppy was?
Lizzy's future with the family is yet-to-be-determined. She is precious and well-behaved. It is going to be hard to give her up if it comes to that. In the meantime, I don't think I'll be making any more important decisions alone for a while.
Monday, January 22, 2007
O.K., It's Getting Ridiculous Now!
Is it too much to ask for 3 inches of snow so that your children can see what the stuff looks like before they leave home? Apparently, it is if you live in Tennessee. We are nearly to February, and we have had just a few flakes fall in middle Tennessee...nothing to write home about. It is as though a large barrier wall has been installed at the western and northern borders of our state, and no wintry mix is going to get through! Magically, snow turns to rain when it crosses the border from Kentucky to Tennessee!
Now you may think I am crazy to want snow. I mean, who wants the aggravation of driving in the muck? Well, first of all, that is a silly question, because everyone knows that Tennesseans can't drive in snow. If we get even one inch, there is a run on milk and bread at Krogers, and everyone fills his kerosene heater and waits til the storm passes before hitting the roads again. School is canceled, and all life as we know it pretty much comes to a grinding halt--all for snow. And that is the point. I NEED all "life as we know it" to stop for a day or two at least once a year. It clears the mind and makes you able to face anything. You can go back to laundry a renewed person.
I really don't think I am asking for much. I just like to see the faces of little children when the white stuff starts to fall and accumulate in the front yard, and they are counting the seconds until they can don their never-used snowsuits and boots and go out and play. We have grown through 3 snowsuits that have never been used. I don't know why I even bother to buy them. After all, 3 layers of clothes do just about as well. Ask my mom. She might be able to remember the time when we had snow in the Volunteer State!
It's not like I want to live in Canada or something. If I wanted snow all the time, I would simply move to a northern state. I have always loved four seasons, and up until the last few years, we had them around here. It does not take a real Einstein to figure out that something is different. I don't know if it will stay different or not. To add insult to injury, check out this news story. Even Arizona got snow! Don't people move to Arizona because it is like Florida, except drier?
Oh well, what do you do? I love the warmth of Spring, and I will look forward to it, but I would feel just a little better if we arrived there having had at least one good snow. My little girl is 6, and she does not even remember a good snow. Some people I have talked to about this have said, "Why in the world do you want snow?" Uh....because it is beautiful, we don't get it all the time, it's fun to play in, it's a critical ingredient in snowcream, it's hard to sled down a hill without it, it's a special part of the winter season, and because if we don't get some snow soon, a very special Channel Four Snowbird is going to be out of a job....
Poor Snowbird has been reduced to posing with people in theme parks for a living....Here, he poses with Dan and Jenn last September!
I am having a hard time not coveting the snow in our sister states out west. Some of you have gotten more than enough this year! Want to send some of it this way? Oh, never mind. It would not get past the borders! :)
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
A Neat Illusion
You just HAVE to see THIS
Sarah has watched it over and over and is mesmorized! I'm pretty impressed, too. It's worth your time, and it's family friendly!
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
Newest Niece Photos!
I FINALLY got to meet my newest niece, little Emma Elizabeth on Sunday afternoon! As was reported by her parents, she is indeed a little babydoll! She is sooooo smart, too. She does not require much sleep, and she rarely ever cries. According to her folks, she is talented in doing an imitation of a fountain during diaper changes, too. She has already gotten them at least twice in her short week of life! There were pictures of me with the baby, but since someone has not sent them to me yet, I will just have to post these! Without further adieu, here is the little doll and her kin!
Here, Emma sings opera for us!
In this shot, she is counting to ten!
She cracks her daddy(in tan) and his twin brother, Don, up with her joke-telling!
Emma's Uncle Don was in from Germany, and he is a proud uncle as well! Unfortunately, he has had to return back "across the pond" for a few more months. Hopefully, he will get to come back soon! We miss you, Uncle Don!
Monday, January 08, 2007
Reflecting
It's the start of a new year--the typical time for introspection and reflection. We look at the successes and failures of the past year, pretty much resolve to do better, and mostly go back and do it all over again for another 365 days. Hopefully, there is some growth in there.
I think I learned a lot about myself in 2006 and made it through some life-changing events. Probably the biggest change for me was the change in the dynamics of our home when the oldest child decided to venture out on his own. We have had a couple of other years in our lives when change was pretty big, but I don't think the emotional impact was as huge for me as last year's changes.
I have heard women talk about the Empty Nest Syndrome for years, but I did not understand it until 2006. Now my nest was far from empty with four still at home. Still, when you lose even one of your children, the dynamics do indeed change. I shed a lot of tears in late 2005 and early 2006. I made statements like "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Are you sure you can make it on your own?" It is hard to let go. (Apparently, it is harder for some of us than others! :) )
Somehow, Daniel managed to pry my knuckles off his arms and shake free of us for a time. He did well. He learned how to get himself up and make it to a job on time every day. He overcame adversity, dealt with adult problems, managed his own money and even had a little fun along the way. Of course, I was overjoyed when he decided to move back closer to home, but I just had it affirmed that it really does not matter if your babies are a mile or a million miles away from you--they are still gone, and things are different.
After while, we settled into a new routine--one without Daniel. It was hard at first, but peace and joy came back, and now it is tolerable. We still enjoy it when he comes home, and we have some good times. But we still lock horns from time to time, because, after all, he is a man now with his own ideas of how things should be. I find my lips mouthing the same words that my wise old grandmother spoke to me, many moons ago. "Tis many a slip twixt the cup and the lip." "Experience keeps a dear school, and a fool will learn by no other." Yes, the young have to learn their own life's lessons, including the pains that come from making poor judgments.
I was also given cause for reflection yesterday when we heard, very sadly, that another Tennessee Highway Patrolman was shot and killed during a traffic stop. He was only 25 and had just been married two months. Those stories particularly touch my heart because my father rode those same roads as a Highway Patrolman in the 60's and 70's. Come to find out, some Hispanic teenagers from Texas, reportedly with drug ties, apparently did the deed. He had stopped them, and he asked them if there were drugs in the car. They admitted that there were drugs, and then one pulled a gun and shot him twice in the head. They then pulled his body in front of the car and ran over it as they fled.
I was with Dad late yesterday afternoon, and he reflected on a time when he got himself surrounded out on the highway by six men, and they were about to do him harm. Out of nowhere, a huge, black man appeared. "You need some help, Boss?" he asked my dad. Dad said that not one man dared to take another step towards him with this giant of a man there. My brother said, "Guardian Angel?" We all laughed. Human or not, that day, he saved my father, in all likelihood. I am fully aware that I could have easily been going to my dad's funeral so many times through the years. There were a lot of close calls. We truly don't know what law enforcement officers deal with every day. I ache for the family that has lost a son and husband. We thought it was ironic that the young officer came from the tiny community of Culleoka, the same place where my dad lived and went to school as a boy. He then graduated from the same college my son now attends.
Now it's 2007. Life is still ebbing and flowing. I pray that this will be a good year for us all. I face the year wondering what changes and lessons it will bring. I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to that part. Change is hard, and sometimes the lessons are hard, too. I'm trying to just get my faith to the point that I can handle whatever comes along with calmness and grace. I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.
Pray for the Trooper's family. Services will be Wednesday at 2:00 at Graymere Church of Christ in Columbia, TN.
My dad, Tennessee Highway Patrolman, 1968
I think I learned a lot about myself in 2006 and made it through some life-changing events. Probably the biggest change for me was the change in the dynamics of our home when the oldest child decided to venture out on his own. We have had a couple of other years in our lives when change was pretty big, but I don't think the emotional impact was as huge for me as last year's changes.
I have heard women talk about the Empty Nest Syndrome for years, but I did not understand it until 2006. Now my nest was far from empty with four still at home. Still, when you lose even one of your children, the dynamics do indeed change. I shed a lot of tears in late 2005 and early 2006. I made statements like "Are you sure you want to do this?" "Are you sure you can make it on your own?" It is hard to let go. (Apparently, it is harder for some of us than others! :) )
Somehow, Daniel managed to pry my knuckles off his arms and shake free of us for a time. He did well. He learned how to get himself up and make it to a job on time every day. He overcame adversity, dealt with adult problems, managed his own money and even had a little fun along the way. Of course, I was overjoyed when he decided to move back closer to home, but I just had it affirmed that it really does not matter if your babies are a mile or a million miles away from you--they are still gone, and things are different.
After while, we settled into a new routine--one without Daniel. It was hard at first, but peace and joy came back, and now it is tolerable. We still enjoy it when he comes home, and we have some good times. But we still lock horns from time to time, because, after all, he is a man now with his own ideas of how things should be. I find my lips mouthing the same words that my wise old grandmother spoke to me, many moons ago. "Tis many a slip twixt the cup and the lip." "Experience keeps a dear school, and a fool will learn by no other." Yes, the young have to learn their own life's lessons, including the pains that come from making poor judgments.
I was also given cause for reflection yesterday when we heard, very sadly, that another Tennessee Highway Patrolman was shot and killed during a traffic stop. He was only 25 and had just been married two months. Those stories particularly touch my heart because my father rode those same roads as a Highway Patrolman in the 60's and 70's. Come to find out, some Hispanic teenagers from Texas, reportedly with drug ties, apparently did the deed. He had stopped them, and he asked them if there were drugs in the car. They admitted that there were drugs, and then one pulled a gun and shot him twice in the head. They then pulled his body in front of the car and ran over it as they fled.
I was with Dad late yesterday afternoon, and he reflected on a time when he got himself surrounded out on the highway by six men, and they were about to do him harm. Out of nowhere, a huge, black man appeared. "You need some help, Boss?" he asked my dad. Dad said that not one man dared to take another step towards him with this giant of a man there. My brother said, "Guardian Angel?" We all laughed. Human or not, that day, he saved my father, in all likelihood. I am fully aware that I could have easily been going to my dad's funeral so many times through the years. There were a lot of close calls. We truly don't know what law enforcement officers deal with every day. I ache for the family that has lost a son and husband. We thought it was ironic that the young officer came from the tiny community of Culleoka, the same place where my dad lived and went to school as a boy. He then graduated from the same college my son now attends.
Now it's 2007. Life is still ebbing and flowing. I pray that this will be a good year for us all. I face the year wondering what changes and lessons it will bring. I'd be lying if I said I looked forward to that part. Change is hard, and sometimes the lessons are hard, too. I'm trying to just get my faith to the point that I can handle whatever comes along with calmness and grace. I have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.
Pray for the Trooper's family. Services will be Wednesday at 2:00 at Graymere Church of Christ in Columbia, TN.
My dad, Tennessee Highway Patrolman, 1968
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Another New Year Rolls Around...
Wow! I have been such a blog-slacker lately! Even my husband, who often forgets to read my blog for weeks at a time has been complaining lately at the lack of fresh material.
It's a good thing that I am 44 and "mature" and don't get all bent out of shape when things don't go my way! (Hehe!) This holiday season did not turn out at all like I had envisioned it! When I found out my dad was going to have open-heart surgery, I put everything pretty much on hold until after he was out of the woods. I could not imagine "celebrating" anything if my dear old dad was somehow not able to do it with us!
Fortunately, Dad's surgery went spledidly, and with a few minor bumps in the road, he is rolling right along. He is having to manage diabetes, which he has never really had to worry about before, so that has been a little hard. But hopefully, his body will straighten out soon, and maybe he can give up the daily insulin shots, too.
His saga has inspired me, "Little-Miss-Prediabetic" to get serious about diet and exercise. My hubby has been doing the Atkins diet for about a month and a half now, with no end in sight. He is doing great! I feel kind of bad that he is dieting alone, and I would be better off if I left off the carbs, too. I really don't know how I will do without my three major food groups--bread, desserts, and chocolate, but maybe I will find a way, knowing my problems that will come if I don't get serious. At least I can have coffee! :)
The hard part of the holidays for me was time. I did not have enough of it after the surgery and the week or so afterwards. I did not even put up a big tree this year. I felt really guilty, but I could not find a way to do all I had to do and do my usual decorating job around the house. I knew we would be going to Mom and Dad's for Christmas anyway, so I figured, why stress over something like that? I did most of my shopping online, which I have decided is THE way to go! The one or two times that I did venture out, I hated it and vowed not to do it again. The stores were so poorly stocked, there were no helpful clerks, and prices were nothing to brag about.
I did my best to stay rested and healthy. We had lots of appointments to get in before the end of the year, with dentists and doctors, etc., so I did well to get everyone's Christmas presents bought and wrapped. My sweet boys did all the loading and unloading with nary a complaint. We had to take a pickup truck to move the presents for 18 people down to my parents house.
I told my mom on Christmas Day that I felt like the luckiest gal on the planet. All I asked for for Christmas was to have my dad healthy and with us, to get my brother Don in from Germany safely, and to get my little niece safely into the world. By Christmas Day, I had the first two, and by New Year's Eve, I had the last. Little Emma Elizabeth was born at 1:00 p.m. on the last day of 2006. She weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 inches long.
However, I have yet to see her because the entire family came down with the flu! Yes, all 16 of us who were gathered succombed to the dreadful bug, so none of our family could be with Drew and Brooke when the baby was born or since! I think Drew and Brooke only managed not to get sick because they went elsewhere on Christmas Day and only dropped in for a short time. Fortunately, they did not get sick. You cannot imagine how disappointed I was not to be able to be there and document the whole thing. We have not even seen pictures yet. Hopefully, when they get home, Daddy Drew will upload some pics so that we can finally see our newest dollbaby! I hear she has dark hair and eyes. We wondered if she would be red-headed like her mom! There's still time for that hair to change!
I think I am getting better at rolling with the punches, though. In years past, I would have cried buckets about not being able to be with family and friends for New Year's. I just realized that there was absolutely nothing we could do about our plight, and we just made the best of it. We made some soups, pulled out the frozen shrimp, passed the snack crackers, and watched a bunch of movies. Every so often, we had to stop a movie for a coughing fit or to clean up after one of the little ones, but I have come to realize that real life is often not perfect or pretty, and it is better to just clean up the puke and move on! Why cry over spewed milk, huh? :)
I don't know how long this bug is going to last. I am on day 10, and I just keep getting congested. It is better, but several of the gang are a few days behind me. Doctor visits may be in order for some of the little ones. We'll have to see how everyone is doing when everything opens up again.
I am hoping that by the weekend, I can at least see my new little niece and spend a little time with my brother who is in from Germany. Nobody has felt like doing much. I hope that we will get over this and then not have to deal with any more sickness for a while, but that is probably wishful thinking for such a big family just getting into the worst of winter.
We have not seen too much winter around here. While my old stomping grounds in New Mexico and Colorado have been buried under heaps of snow, we have been basking in Spring-like weather around here. I have a feeling our luck is about to run out.
I have much to get busy with around here. School starts at home here again as soon as we can get going, and the Christmas clean-up (like where to put all the toys we don't have room for) begins. Laundry is piled up, and deep cleaning is much-needed. I am looking forward to the dull days of January to take care of these home tasks.
Daniel will start his second semester of school and living with his grandparents. His attention is still on a certain young lady in Georgia who seems to have captured his heart. Sam and Micah are looking forward to getting back in the rythym of school, and Sarah has never stopped. She does schoolwork every day. She loves it. I printed out 20 more handouts for her tonight. Hannah just loves to play!
What can I say about 2006? It wasn't a great year, but it was not an awful year either. I do appreciate every blessing God gave us the entire year, especially in the wonderful friends and family that we have. There are a lot of unanswered questions from the year that will carry over into '07, especially in health matters. That mammogram that was iffy still has to be dealt with, for example. One day at a time, one crisis at a time, one joy at a time, one tear at a time. That is as far as I can look ahead.
Well, I have made up for lost time. That's the update, faithful two readers of mine! I will try to post pictures of the new niece soon! Everyone have a very good New Year, and remember that there is only one perfect One--and that is why He is up there and we are down here. I hope to strive to become more like Him in the coming year, but I won't reach perfection until I am perfected in Him some day. That's why Tim and I remain---"looking toward Heaven 'til death do us part!" Happy New Year full of new hopes and new dreams!
It's a good thing that I am 44 and "mature" and don't get all bent out of shape when things don't go my way! (Hehe!) This holiday season did not turn out at all like I had envisioned it! When I found out my dad was going to have open-heart surgery, I put everything pretty much on hold until after he was out of the woods. I could not imagine "celebrating" anything if my dear old dad was somehow not able to do it with us!
Fortunately, Dad's surgery went spledidly, and with a few minor bumps in the road, he is rolling right along. He is having to manage diabetes, which he has never really had to worry about before, so that has been a little hard. But hopefully, his body will straighten out soon, and maybe he can give up the daily insulin shots, too.
His saga has inspired me, "Little-Miss-Prediabetic" to get serious about diet and exercise. My hubby has been doing the Atkins diet for about a month and a half now, with no end in sight. He is doing great! I feel kind of bad that he is dieting alone, and I would be better off if I left off the carbs, too. I really don't know how I will do without my three major food groups--bread, desserts, and chocolate, but maybe I will find a way, knowing my problems that will come if I don't get serious. At least I can have coffee! :)
The hard part of the holidays for me was time. I did not have enough of it after the surgery and the week or so afterwards. I did not even put up a big tree this year. I felt really guilty, but I could not find a way to do all I had to do and do my usual decorating job around the house. I knew we would be going to Mom and Dad's for Christmas anyway, so I figured, why stress over something like that? I did most of my shopping online, which I have decided is THE way to go! The one or two times that I did venture out, I hated it and vowed not to do it again. The stores were so poorly stocked, there were no helpful clerks, and prices were nothing to brag about.
I did my best to stay rested and healthy. We had lots of appointments to get in before the end of the year, with dentists and doctors, etc., so I did well to get everyone's Christmas presents bought and wrapped. My sweet boys did all the loading and unloading with nary a complaint. We had to take a pickup truck to move the presents for 18 people down to my parents house.
I told my mom on Christmas Day that I felt like the luckiest gal on the planet. All I asked for for Christmas was to have my dad healthy and with us, to get my brother Don in from Germany safely, and to get my little niece safely into the world. By Christmas Day, I had the first two, and by New Year's Eve, I had the last. Little Emma Elizabeth was born at 1:00 p.m. on the last day of 2006. She weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz. and was 19 inches long.
However, I have yet to see her because the entire family came down with the flu! Yes, all 16 of us who were gathered succombed to the dreadful bug, so none of our family could be with Drew and Brooke when the baby was born or since! I think Drew and Brooke only managed not to get sick because they went elsewhere on Christmas Day and only dropped in for a short time. Fortunately, they did not get sick. You cannot imagine how disappointed I was not to be able to be there and document the whole thing. We have not even seen pictures yet. Hopefully, when they get home, Daddy Drew will upload some pics so that we can finally see our newest dollbaby! I hear she has dark hair and eyes. We wondered if she would be red-headed like her mom! There's still time for that hair to change!
I think I am getting better at rolling with the punches, though. In years past, I would have cried buckets about not being able to be with family and friends for New Year's. I just realized that there was absolutely nothing we could do about our plight, and we just made the best of it. We made some soups, pulled out the frozen shrimp, passed the snack crackers, and watched a bunch of movies. Every so often, we had to stop a movie for a coughing fit or to clean up after one of the little ones, but I have come to realize that real life is often not perfect or pretty, and it is better to just clean up the puke and move on! Why cry over spewed milk, huh? :)
I don't know how long this bug is going to last. I am on day 10, and I just keep getting congested. It is better, but several of the gang are a few days behind me. Doctor visits may be in order for some of the little ones. We'll have to see how everyone is doing when everything opens up again.
I am hoping that by the weekend, I can at least see my new little niece and spend a little time with my brother who is in from Germany. Nobody has felt like doing much. I hope that we will get over this and then not have to deal with any more sickness for a while, but that is probably wishful thinking for such a big family just getting into the worst of winter.
We have not seen too much winter around here. While my old stomping grounds in New Mexico and Colorado have been buried under heaps of snow, we have been basking in Spring-like weather around here. I have a feeling our luck is about to run out.
I have much to get busy with around here. School starts at home here again as soon as we can get going, and the Christmas clean-up (like where to put all the toys we don't have room for) begins. Laundry is piled up, and deep cleaning is much-needed. I am looking forward to the dull days of January to take care of these home tasks.
Daniel will start his second semester of school and living with his grandparents. His attention is still on a certain young lady in Georgia who seems to have captured his heart. Sam and Micah are looking forward to getting back in the rythym of school, and Sarah has never stopped. She does schoolwork every day. She loves it. I printed out 20 more handouts for her tonight. Hannah just loves to play!
What can I say about 2006? It wasn't a great year, but it was not an awful year either. I do appreciate every blessing God gave us the entire year, especially in the wonderful friends and family that we have. There are a lot of unanswered questions from the year that will carry over into '07, especially in health matters. That mammogram that was iffy still has to be dealt with, for example. One day at a time, one crisis at a time, one joy at a time, one tear at a time. That is as far as I can look ahead.
Well, I have made up for lost time. That's the update, faithful two readers of mine! I will try to post pictures of the new niece soon! Everyone have a very good New Year, and remember that there is only one perfect One--and that is why He is up there and we are down here. I hope to strive to become more like Him in the coming year, but I won't reach perfection until I am perfected in Him some day. That's why Tim and I remain---"looking toward Heaven 'til death do us part!" Happy New Year full of new hopes and new dreams!
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