A Few Pictures from Our Bowling Adventure

Yes, I said bowling alley but my girls tend to dance where ever they find an open space and you guessed it--they found some open space while they were waiting their turn to bowl. Good thing we don't embarrass easily!

Family Outing

Today we went bowling. I'm not much of a bowler but I always manage a few strikes along with my gutter balls. I believe in balance. Still out of 5 of us I came in second in both games. Not too shabby, eh?

No News is . . . Less Stress

There's that old saying that "No News is Good News" but I think I've decided that for me no news is less stress. Usually I am a news junkie and have one of the every thirty minute news shows on during the day just to keep updated on what's happening in the world. I also flip to news websites during the day and listen to newsradio while I'm driving. I'm especially that way during a presidential election. But, the last few days--maybe even a week, I've hardly turned the television or radio on at all or even checked for news on the web. There is probably a lot I don't know right now--but I am also not feeling any stress from not knowing it either and it feels pretty good. I think I'm going to have to do this more often. Maybe in today's world No News is Good News after all.

I Am Thankful

For good parents and a good upbringing; for a wonderful and loving husband who takes great care of me; I am thankful to have had four of my five daughters home for this weekend and to have had laughter and fun throughout our home; for our home and employment; for our country and our freedom; for those who are willing to fight for that freedom--to sacrifice everything to allow us to have it. I am thankful for the blessing of worshipping God and his Son Jesus Christ in this free land simply because we are free to do so. I am thankful for health and strength and all the blessings that have been given to me and to those I love. May our Gracious Father in Heaven bless you this Thanksgiving Day!

Tackling The Big Bad Stairs

With three of her sisters encouraging her Carly started at the bottom and began to climb the basement stairs tonight. Luckily for them--they called Mom -- and I got to decide whether to let her or not. Well, I decided if she was really that curious I might as well let her learn now. She actually did pretty well. She went up about 5 stairs before she decided she'd had enough. I had one of the girls go grab the video camera and I stayed right with her while her other sisters were above her clamering for her to come to them. Wow. She really is growing up so fast!

Judge Me Not!

I have been dreading traffic court for weeks now. I got a ticket in a school zone. (There were no kids in sight and it was like 5 minutes before ending time.) Everyone told me I would get a good scolding from the judge so I really did not want to go. I just did not want to be humiliated in public. Call me crazy. Anyway, I show up this morning and turns out it's just me and my cute baby, the court recorder, and the judge. No one else in the court room. No one else at all anywhere in the courtroom. No kidding. The judge said "Are you on my docket or are you here for something else?" I said, "I'm really sorry to be on your docket." And off started a very lighthearted chat--yes, I said "Chat" with the judge and his court recorter--mostly about my adorable baby. There was no scolding. Thank you very kindly to everyone who scared the daylights out of me for absolutely no reason! He was a very nice judge who could tell I was sorry. Anyway, I am going to traffic school where you learn not to get yourself in predicaments like this in the first place--you know, the kind where your friends try to frighten the life out of you with spooky stories about the judicial system.

For Those Who Use Water Piks or Their Equivalent . . .

Every once in a while you should run some vinegar or alcohol or a bleach/water mixture through them to clean out not just the water storage container but the tiny hose that pumps water through the pik into your mouth. Yah, mine had been tasting weird for a bit and I kept cleaning out the water storage tank but it still tasted funny. Finally, I took my suggestion above and GROSS, it was filled with mold or mildew. Who knew?! Yuk! I can't even think about it now--but wanted to pass it on so no one else has to go through that. Good luck.

Look, I Can Clap, too.

Strike That Pose

We have no idea where she got this pose from but it cracks us up every time she does it. She just started doing it a couple of days ago and she gets this really innocent look on her face. Pretty funny stuff! That's my girl.

Carly's Airplane Ride

Carly totally surprised us on the airplane. She was really good with the exception of one of the flights where she got a little cranky. We had two flights each way so that was pretty darn good. Anyway, she loved the take-offs and landings and insisted on looking out the window to see what was happening. I would have loved to know what she was thinking. She would just watch with such interest and then look at me for some kind of clarification and then look back again. We would do this same thing over and over again until she seemed like she was okay with what was going on. It was really interesting to watch her. I expected her to have a harder time than she did but she actually enjoyed most of the flights. Anyway, here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

It's Been A Long Journey . . .

But we are finally done. Carly's adoption is finalized and we are so thrilled we can't stand it--not to mention a little jet-lagged. Carly, too. All of us slept for hours when we got home. I have a few cute photos that I will post in the next few days. But for tonight I'm going to sleep off the last of the jetlag!

I Have a New Favorite!

My new favorite is SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. I thought all airlines had gone to the darkside when gas prices went up and one by one they started charging fees for everything from your extra bags to snacks. In fact, several are charging for both bags now. (Gee, since gas prices are at a new low have you seen any of those fees go away?) Anyway, my point is that I didn't realize there was one airline who never charged those fees in the first place--it's true, SOUTHWEST! They never joined the crowd! I love them--plus they are a lot of fun to fly! I love the humor and the service. Go Southwest. Way to not bully the customers with high prices just because you can.

AT LAST

We are so happy, relieved, excited, overjoyed and deeply in love! Oh yes, and exhausted--we are all going to bed. Good night all, Love you.

Perspective Is Everything

I got a phone call today from a close friend who told me another close friend had lost her battle with breast cancer. Again, it is all too sudden. She was doing fine just a few months ago--and hanging in there for what looked like a recovery. I am regretting not taking my own advice of just a few short days ago. I wish I had called her. The truth is I love her and she knows it. I just wish I had told her more recently.

I take comfort from a church leader who spoke at the funeral of another dear friend. I am going to paraphrase what he said, but it was something like this: Our loved ones would not want us to be sad. We have to remember the plan. We didn't come here to stay. This life is only a short minute when compared to all of eternity. We come here for a certain number of years and when our time here is done we go back to our Father in Heaven which was the plan all along. This is just a short stop along the way. We did not come here to stay and we will see them again!

Goodbye my sweet Beverly, I love you. Thanks so much for all the laughter. I'm so glad I got to be a part of your world. See you later . . .

Have You Ever Had One of Those Days?

When you absolutely had to leave your house by a certain time or you were going to be late for a very important date only to not have your alarm go off? Well, today was one of those days. Rob and I were supposed to leave the house no later than 6:30 a.m. so I had the alarm set for 5:00 a.m.. We went to bed pretty late realizing we were going to get very little sleep but knew we would just have to tough it out. I rolled over this morning to see how much time I had left before the alarm went off (I always wake up several times before it goes off) and the clock said 6:30 a.m.. I screamed Rob's name and you have never seen us move so fast! Well, we made it--but just barely. YIKES! Turns out the alarm has a "weekend cancel" button. Arrgh!

I AM NOT HAPPY!

I caught Megan trying to teach Carly how to walk tonight. Worse yet, Carly was trying to learn. Not that she's far from getting there on her own but I had to look at them both sternly and tell them "No, No!" This is very serious. My little baby is growing up way too fast! HMMMMMPPPPHHH!!!

Carly Gets Piano Lesson from Big Sister

The Garbage Truck Rule

(I got this in my email today and liked it enough to pass it on.)

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport. We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.

My taxi driver slammed on his breaks, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches! The driver of the other car whipped his head around and started yelling at us. My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And I mean, he was really friendly.

So I asked, 'Why did you just do that? This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital!' This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, 'The Law of the Garbage Truck.'

He explained that many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they'll dump it on you. Don't take it personally. Just smile , wave, wish them well, and move on. Don't take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home , or on the streets.
The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day. Life's too short to wake up in the morning with regrets, so... 'Love the people who treat you right. Pray for the ones who don't.' Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it!

What a great philosophy!

Quote for the Day

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
Charles R. Swindoll quotes

Mourning and Stuff . . .

Tonight Rob and I went to the visitation for our friend who passed away. We felt such sorrow for her husband and her two sons. You could just see the tremendous loss they were feeling. She was definitely the hub of her family and so dynamic. I feel her loss deeply and I was simply a friend. Her family is both shocked and grieving. What a tremendous loss.

They know they will see her again. It's the emptiness they will feel between now and then that will be so hard and that makes me hurt for them. I do think they now have an angel smiling down on them. :)

Lazy Daze

Carly just laid down on Sadie last night. Sadie is such a gentle puppy and she also watches over Carly so she just laid there and let us take this picture. We only had my camera phone. If we had moved to get the other camera they both would have gotten up and followed us. Cute, huh?

I JUST FOUND SOME FUN PHOTOS

These are not great quality pictures because they were taken with my cell phone. I'd forgotten they even existed until I found them by accident tonight.

I call this first one "Carly Feet". My only worry is that if she grows into her feet the way my puppies grew into theirs--she is going to be one big girl!



This one I just love because it is so "Carly". It tells you her personality. This is who she is and she is just so fun!



I'll post some more of these pictures later. She's so tiny in some of the ones I took with my phone and they are really cute. Anyway, it's late. So, Later . . .

Call Someone You Love and Tell Them

I got an email from one of my friend's husbands last night. It was a little bit unusal for me to get an email from him but I have gotten them from time to time. He started out by telling me of a trip he and his wife had taken recently and went on telling me some of the details of the trip. As the paragraph continued I started to wonder why he was telling me the things he was telling me. It wasn't making sense to me that he would write and just chat up a vacation they took--so my brain was trying to figure it out and started searching through the e-mail for a clue or an explanation. Suddenly my eye landed on it--and my heart fell. I felt tears running down my cheeks and heard myself sobbing. His whole email was an explanation leading up to these few words "my wife had passed away."

I was stunned. I couldn't believe it. She had just brought me some new dresses for Carly a few weeks ago. This was a wonderful, amazing woman Rob and I met and made friends with last year. Then we met her husband and made friends with him. They were a terrific couple. We became good friends. I helped her and she helped me. She had the best heart and was so good to people. I would like to be more like her.

She and her husband had gone out of the country on a trip and her husband had to come back early for work. She continued the trip with one of her sons. As they were out to eat one evening she felt weak and passed out. After a few minutes of trying to help her, she passed away in her son's arms. My friend was only 58 years old and in good health. The only thing she had wrong was diabetes that was under control. They don't know yet why she died. Her husband is on his way to bring her back now.

I'm telling you all of this for only one reason. You don't ever know when you will lose someone you love. This poor family is overwhelmed by her loss as are her friends. If there is someone out there you love and it's been awhile since you've told them, pick up the phone, put down the paper--tell them. Don't wait.

I think we all come here with a certain amount of days--but we don't know how many we have. Only the Lord knows that. So let's not waste one moment of them to thoughtlessness, anger, or forgetfulness. Let's not have any regrets. Tell your loved ones you love them before it's too late!

A 50th ANNIVERSARY TRIBUTE TO MY PARENTS

Happy 50th Anniversary Mom and Dad

I'm so proud of you. This is a truly momentous occasion and most couples only dream of making it this far. You did it and your children, family and friends are all all excited and happy for you.

As a special tribute I want to tell you a little about my Dad and Mom. They met in high school and got engaged and married the year after graduation. They raised three daughters. They are both people of great character and integrity. I am proud to be their daughter.

My dad taught me to value a person's name. Remember it, say it and spell it correctly. It's one of the most important things a person has. He also taught me compassion. Many times, as a child, we would go to a store and buy groceries or shoes or something of value. I would always believe it was something we were taking home. Sometimes it was, but many times we would stop on the way home and drop our purchase off at the home of someone who needed it more. My Dad taught me to always leave things better than I found them and that if I borrowed something from someone I needed to return it cleaner, better or fuller than when I received it. He taught me a lot of good, honest lessons like these and he gave me a love for people. My Dad is a wonderful man with a giant heart. He's a man I respect deeply and he's a man who when he gives you his word you can count on him. I love you Dad.

My Mom is an amazing woman who is truly the wind beneath my father's wings. It would appear she has spent her life and their life together more in the background--but that's never where she actually was. She has been an equal partner in my father's life and in their marriage. My mom is a very intelligent woman who has given her all to my dad and her girls. My mother taught me never to judge how another person grieves--to understand that we all grieve in our own way. She gave me a love for reading and surrounded me with books. She taught me compassion by making sure when I was upset with another person that I always considered what it was like to walk in their shoes. She showed me by example what it was like to be a good wife and a loving mother. She showed how to be a good sister, daughter and friend. My mother is a kind, beautiful woman who has blessed her family in so many ways and I'm proud to say she is one of my best friends.

I am so grateful to have parents who have loved me so well and loved each other even better. Thank you for not only staying together but for loving each other for fifty years. Happy Anniversary Dad and Mom! I love you, Your Favorite :)

Love Birds . . .


Just Married . . .


Thirty Something . . .

The Golden Years . . .

GREAT QUOTE

"Your talk talks and your walk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks." -John Maxwell

Carly and Sadie

Sadie is Carly's shadow. She's also her guard dog. She goes wherever Carly goes; sleeps by her crib, lays by whomever is holding her. She is her protector and has been from the day we brought her home. They are good buddies. Carly can even pull Sadie's hair and Sadie won't growl at her. Good dog, Sadie!

Carly On the Move!

This one is full of it! I love her toothless grin. She was so happy all day today. I love days like this. Yay!