Prayers Please

My cousin and his wife had their second baby on the 28th of September, a little boy named Ryan Douglas. The only thing is that he arrived 9.5 weeks early and he needs your prayers. He is in the NICU until his lungs fully develop and until other preemie problems sort themselves out--but any prayers you can offer for him and his parents would surely be appreciated.

This is their second child and their first was a little girl a couple of years ago. Her name is Alyssa and she arrived about 8 weeks early. So, they have survived this once before--but it certainly was not pleasant and it is fraught with known and unknown dangers for the baby along the way. Thanks in advance for your kindness and prayers. Love ya, N.

'Family is the Beating Heart that Keeps the Nation Strong.'

This video is a neat expression of marriage and family and why it's so important to our nation to the traditional family. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1GRQGc5GQ0

Carly does something new!

Night before last Carly started crawling. All of the sudden at about 11 pm she just got into crawling position and instead of tipping over she moved forward. Rob and I were the only ones awake still so we grabbed the video camera and started taping. It was so fun to watch her crawl back and forth after months of trying! Yeah!

I know, I know--now we have to watch her every move. Still it's a fun progression in her development!

Here's What Happens . . .

when you have your wife order her own birthday cake! Hee, hee, hee . . .

CARLY WITH HER FAIRY GODDESS CHAR AND MY FRIEND AMY

This was taken at my friend Shelli's baby shower. Carly had a good time and loved being held by everyone.

WOW! IF THIS ISN'T THE TRUTH--I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS!

This cartoon was created by ALG's young, award-winning cartoonist William Warren. And, I think you'll agree that if ever a picture was worth 1,000 words, this one is.

BOY TROUBLES

Julie has officially discovered boys! Crap! I mean she's had crushes and things all along but tonight I uncovered a secret (although somewhat innocent) plot for her and a friend to meet up with a couple of boys at a volleyball game. It all came tumbling out when Julie got grounded from going to the game for not getting an assignment done on time--and was trying to negotiate any possible way to still be able to go.

Lions and tigers and bears -- OH MY . . . I don't know. I thought I still had a year or two before I had to deal with this stuff with her. We don't let our girls date until they are 16 and then only with a group. Ye-gads . . . this one just smacked me in the face. Well, we had a long talk and I think for the moment things are calm but I have to keep my eyes open my ears tuned to my daughters voice. I'm going to have to be a darn good listener if I'm going to keep up with this teenager!

One of My Favorite Poems

The Mighty Oak

When the great oak is straining in the wind,
the boughs drink in new beauty,
And the trunk sends down a deeper root
on the windward side.
Only the soul that knows the mighty grief
can know the mighty rapture.
Sorrows come to stretch out spaces in the heart for joy.

-Edwin Markham-

So, About the Musical . . .

Unfortunately someone else got the lead in the junior high school musical and there were more than a few tears. Turns out all the parts Julie felt were significant went to others and so it was a pretty hard day. She is a Lady-in-Waiting. We shared a few tears together at her disappointment and then had a long talk about what a terrific Lady-in-Waiting she could be and what a good example she could set for all the others who didn't get the part they wanted either. It's hard to be a teenager. I do remember that. Everything feels huge! I know Julie will have fun with this and end up having some wonderful memories. I'm counting on that!

Mugging for the Camera

Okay, Here's My New Haircut . . .

It seemed a lot shorter to me until I saw it on camera. It is still taking me a bit of getting used to. I'm not used to it being so straight. I think I like it though. Either way--there's no going back at this point!

My Singing Child . . .

Julie tried out for the mini-musical in her junior high choir group puts on and she finds out tomorrow after school what part she got. She really wants the lead role. She has a really good voice and even had voice lessons last year. I don't know who she is competing with or how many other girls her age have really good voices. I'm just worried for her that she may not get the lead and will be disappointed. Not that it's not okay to have some disappointments in childhood but it would be nice to see her get to do something she really wants to do, too. Either way, I'm sure she will be fine. She is my happy kid so I'm pretty sure she will bounce back if she doesn't get the lead. I just hope she gets a part where she gets to sing a lot. That will make her happy!

Yikes! I Did It!

I got brave and went and had my hair cut off tonight! It was bugging me. It's always so damaged and I spend so much time doing it everyday--or NOT doing it depending on the day. I needed something simpler. So, I let the hair stylist have-at-me. I think it's cute but I still have to figure out how to do it myself. She took about two and a half inches off and showed me how to do it with a flat iron. So, I am the brand new owner of a flat iron. We'll see how that works out. It may be a few days before I figure out how to make myself presentable with this new style--but if I can do it I will have someone take a picture and I will post it for you to see.

One of Darwin's Latest Nominee's

Run! No, Run Away! 2008 Darwin Award Nominee Confirmed True by Darwin

(July 16, 2008, Italy) Ivece Plattner, 68, was queued at a traffic light in his Porsche Cayenne sportscar. Before one reaches the light, there is a railroad crossing. As you might imagine, given Murphy's law, a train was coming.
The man did not let the queue progress forward far enough before he crossed the railroad. The safety bars came down, leaving the Porsche trapped on the rails. It took the driver awhile to realize he was stuck, according to witnesses. Finally, he jumped from the car and started to run -- toward the oncoming train, waving his arms in an attempt to save his car!
The attempt was successful. The car received less damage than its owner. He was pushed hard enough to land 30 meters away, and attempts to revive him were unsuccessful.
The moral of the story? Momentum always wins.

Wow, I Just Read a Slew of Articles

on MSNBC about Governor Sarah Palin and you would think she was a she-devil. It looks like those 30 lawyers Obama sent to Alaska to dig up dirt on her are doing good work. It's a good thing I don't believe much of what I see and hear on MSNBC. I just check it out to see what the liberals are up to. Now I know. Geeeeesh. Give it a rest already.

My Baby Doesn't Feel Good

Carly woke up with a cold this morning. It's the first time she has been sick. She definitely does not like having her nose wiped! Nor does she like having it suctioned--poor thing. She has been coughing and sneezing and was a tiny bit warm but no actual fever. She's actually feeling better tonight than she was this morning. I hope that lasts.

Julie had some of the same symptoms yesterday but thought it was allergies. Now, I suspect she actually has a mild cold as well. Guess, I got me a bunch of sickies to take care of.

SISTERS, SISTERS . . .

Look at my gorgeous girls! Aren't they adorable? They have so much fun together, too!

Babbling Baby

Carly is really funny lately. She is babbling and everyone is trying to get her to say Ma Ma. She makes all kinds of noises and sounds and every once in a while she stumbles on to something that kind of sounds something like that. However, it isn't what she is trying to say. I do try to get her to say Da Da--but she hasn't gotten anywhere near the "D" sound yet. It is just fun to hear her making sounds besides laughing and crying. It's almost like she's trying to say words and it's so darn cute!

I'M NOT THAT OLD

Today I took the cradle down Carly has been sleeping in. We are moving her to her own room tonight which I'm not sure I'm ready for. Although, we have already tested the baby monitor and it works great. I'm just the nervous Nellie mom!

Anyway, I was polishing the cradle which is the same one I slept in as a baby and my father slept in as a baby. I'm pretty sure my grandfather and great-grandfather slept in it as well. It's a family heirloom. My fourteen year old, Julie, walked in as I was polishing it and as I happened to find some purple crayon marks on one end of it and was trying to remove them. I remarked that I'm sure my younger sister Sarah had probably put them there! Then I admitted that it could have even been me that marked up the end with the crayon. Julie just looked at me and said, "Did they have crayons back then, Mom?" I didn't dignify it with an answer! Honestly, I'm not that old!

Today's Headlines

I was just looking at the online news and some of the headlines caught my attention. Honestly, what is this world coming to? I didn't even read the stories but just look at the headlines. It's awful out there. This poor generation.

Police: 12-Year-Old Boy Stabs 13-Year-Old Brother in Neck
Pennsylvania Woman With Suspended License Has Son, 13, Drive
Iowa Police: Credit Card Thief Caught After Signing Own Name to Receipts
Mom Runs Over Her 8-Year-Old Child in California Driveway
70-Year-Old Woman Arrested Hiding Cocaine Purchase in Bra
Girl Forced to Marry at Nine Murdered After She Sought Annulment

Here I Am Again!

WELL . . .

I did take the before and after pictures of Julie--you know--for her wisdom teeth surgery like she wanted. I was going to post them here but you really can't tell any difference. She didn't really swell at all--so I thought I would spare her the embarrassment of the yukky "bad hair day-pale face" photos. You know what I mean. They aren't ones she is going to want to keep. Although, she did have me ask the oral surgeon for her wisdom teeth so she could keep them. Ewww! I'm not sure what she plans to do with those-but that's probably another blog! Goodnight.

Julie, my 14 year old is getting her wisdom teeth out in the morning. She is both excited and scared. She wants before and after pictures. Her appointment is way early--so I told her it depends on how sleepy I am. Well, if you think about it--aren't all of her pictures BEFORE pictures! Hee, hee, hee!

Carly With A Real Treasure

I've been meaning to take this picture and post it for awhile now. This is a very special treasure Carly is holding. It's a wooden soldier painted especially for her. Each of my girls have one. The treasure part (that they may never fully understand--although, I will do my best to help them ) is that it was painted by a wonderful, captivating, lovely and whimsical artist who is a dear family friend. Her name is Joyce L. I have known her since I was a little girl. My parents went to school with her and she has remained one of their close friends.

My childhood is filled with the most magical memories of our town square decorated for Christmas and I can still see all the windows of the stores painted brightly with scenes of Christmas stories from Frosty the Snowman to Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer. Joyce brought our entire town joy and made it come alive in the most whimsical, wonderful way. She now does these wonderful wooden pieces in almost any form you can imagine that bring a smile to your heart. Thank you JOYCE for such beautiful memories, for making my childhood seem so magical and for just being you. Carly thanks you, too for her terrific wooden soldier. What a treasure!

My Bear Rug Baby-She's A Keeper!

A NEW RECIPE TO TRY!

I hadn't intended to put a recipe up tonight but my adorable little girl won't go to sleep! So, I don't have much time or many hands. This will have to be quick. I found this recipe online the other day and made it and it was really good. Of course, I took a few liberties with it and only used what I had in the house. I substituted dried chopped onions for the green onions and milk for the half and half and then thickened it with flour and water--and I did boil it just a bit. It was yummy!

It's after 12:30 a.m. so I'd better get back to my chattering baby. Don't know why she's not sleepy. She didn't even have a really long nap today but she sure wants to talk tonight! Hope you enjoy the soup!


CHICKEN AND WILD RICE SOUP RECIPE

3 (10 3/4 oz.) cans condensed chicken broth
2 c. water
1/4 c. uncooked wild rice
1/4 c. long grain rice
1/2 c. finely chopped green onions
1/2 c. butter
3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 c. half & half
1/2 c. cubed cooked chicken or turkey
8 slices bacon (crisply cooked & crumbled)

In a large saucepan combine chicken broth and water. Add wild rice and onions; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Add long grain rice and simmer 20 minutes more or until tender. In a medium saucepan melt butter. Stir in flour, salt, poultry seasoning and pepper. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in half & half. Cook until slightly thickened, stirring constantly. Slowly add half & half mixture into rice mixture, stirring constantly. Add remaining ingredients, stirring frequently. Do Not Boil.

This Is My Favorite Picture

Isn't she adorable? And what a personality--this little one keeps us on our toes pretty much 24/7! Besides being tired we are having a blast with her. She is really smart and knows exactly what she wants. We love her so much!

Rob's Birthday Party

Rob's birthday was last week. I'm a little slow at getting pictures up these days. We had a fun day and a big cake! Happy Birthday honey. I love you!

Aunt Sarah with Carly

MEET JEDEDIAH

I'm so excited to introduce you to Jedediah! My sweet friend Shelli and her husband Bob adopted him at birth and my heart is so full of joy for them. He is so adorable and such a good baby. He looks just like Shelli and Bob, too. I think that's an extra special blessing. I'm so happy for you guys!

This is Sally holding Jed. Shelli has so many people who are thrilled for her. We had a luncheon shower for her and Jed and unfortunately I was the only one who brought a camera and I didn't think to get a picture of Shelli with Jed. That's probably because we all grabbed Jed from her the moment she arrived and didn't give him back until she left--so she never had him in her arms at the shower. Aren't we AWFUL! No, no--we were just excited for her and we wanted to hold him!

This is Janie. She gave Shelli and Jed this gorgeous hand-knit blanket that was a very special heartfelt gift. You had to be there to really understand the depth of this gift, but trust me it was such a precious moment. Janie you are a treasure!

This is Samantha. She's a cutie and had grown up so much since the last time I saw her. She loves babies! She was really cute with Carly, too. Jed looks adorable in everyone's arms. We had such a great time holding and loving on him!

SO, IF A TREE FALLS IN YOUR BACK YARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND NO ONE HEARS IT, DID IT REALLY FALL?

It would appear so. This is what we woke up to this morning. It's actually two trees that came down and we are not sure why. I mean we know there must have been a strong wind but there wasn't a storm or anything. Last week we had some really bad winds so we figure those might have made weakened the trees and then a lesser wind last night brought them down. It's just strange. Rob and one of our neighbors have been out tonight cutting the trees in pieces. It's a big job, too. But, they will make good fire wood for the fire pit. I just hate losing part of our forest.

Mommy's Extra Hands

Hubby had to work some long hours the last couple of days and just let me say Carly and I are grateful for her big sisters. She is teething hard right now--and even though we haven't seen any come through the surface yet she's really hurting and that makes her very cranky! Julie started back to school Monday and Carly misses having her around during the day. But we are always glad to see sisters when they show up at home! Plus, when Daddy came home tonight she got the biggest smile on her face! It was so cute.

Carly loves her family and Mommy is always thankful for extra hands around the house!

Aren't Sundays . . .

supposed to be days of rest? Then how come I don't feel so rested?

I Don't Know About You . . .

but I kind of think Barrack's VP announcement turned out to be a "yawner."

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Rob's birthday was today! We've had a good day together with all but one of the girls here. It's been nice. Nothing big or fancy at all--just a low key celeebration of the birth of our wonderful husband and father. Did I tell you I'm in love with my husband? Happy Birthday Honey! I love you!

Nothing To Blog About

This is kind of weird but I actually can't think of a single thing to blog about. I don't want to talk about the election. I don't want to talk about the Olympics. I'm angered by the Casey Anthony story. I'm sad about the plane wreck in Spain. I'm sorry the Senator in Ohio died of a brain aneurysm and other than those things I really can't think of anything I have on my mind. But even those things I just don't want to talk about! At least for today.

DID YOU KNOW THAT MILK REMOVES CHOCOLATE STAINS FROM FABRIC?

It's true. I never knew this before but apparently there is some chemical in milk that interacts just right with the chocolate to remove it. I have saved several blouses and a few onesies since finding this out. No kidding. All I do is pour a little milk on the stain and then either rub the cloth together or scrub lightly with a tooth brush. Sometimes I have to repeat the process until the stain is gone but it works every time. And yes, I have even gotten old stains out!

I Don't Want To Cause A Stampede . . .

But two nights in a row now the nightly news has had a lead story on Hershey raising their price on chocolate! Tonight's point was that they were raising it quite a bit--like 10%! Does this mean other chocolate companies are going to follow suit? Supposedly, they are doing it to cover supply and shipping costs. Hmmmm. I think I'd better stock up. But the rest of you--don't worry about it. I'm sure it's fine.

I LOVE MY TOES!

IN GOD WE TRUST - MSNBC'S NEW POLL.

This one counts people. The same atheist who sued to have the Pledge of Allegiance removed from schools is now suing to have "In God We Trust" removed from our money. You can find the whole story on MSNBC. I don't want to give his name here because I don't want to make a celebrity out of him. MSNBC is taking a poll to see how Americans feel about it and the sad thing is it's running neck in neck. This is way too important a thing to let slip from our grasp. I don't believe that's how mainstream American's really feel. We need to stand up and be counted. If we don't say something now--it will be way too late! We will lose not just this phrase from our money but eventually our own religious freedom. I am so tired of losing my freedoms and my rights to those who do not believe in God or the divinity of this blessed and God given nation. Take a minute and take this polll. Speak up America!http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10103521/

Wisdom Teeth Take One

Today daughter two got her wisdom teeth out. It went pretty well. Although, she's pretty swollen and a lot sore. I'm sure the next few days are going to be pretty darn uncomfortable. I still remember how it felt to have those holes in my mouth and how long it took for them to fill in. It was so icky. Memories, in the corners of my mouth . . . Ah, forget it! Goodnight.

Just a thought, not that it would work or anything . . .

Julie is doing a basketball camp this week. It's four days, two and a half hours a day. She hasn't really moved her body a lot this summer so she comes home more sore each day and a little surprised by it. She has a volleyball camp next week--same schedule. Seems like we did this same thing last year. I suggested to her that maybe if she wants to do the same thing next year she might want to exercise a little each day all summer instead of trying to shock her body into movement it's not used to with two weeks of intensive training only to have it slap her back with aching soreness and bruises--especially if she's only going to stop again again for another year. Actually, she is' hoping to make one of the teams. But then that was the hope last year, too. I do think my plan is a pretty good one. Remind me again, why is it no one ever listens to the mom? Hmmmmm . . .

When it rains . . . your teeth come out!

It's National Dentistry Month at our house. I have three daughters who need their wisdom teeth out; Rob and I both have to get crowns and the baby is teething. I'd say some in oral health are striking it rich this month but it sure won't be us! Can you believe that? All at once! How crazy is that?

IT HASN'T REALLY BEEN A GREAT DAY

My kids have all been cranky. I didn't get anything I planned to get done today finished and my year old lap top crashed tonight. Hubby has been trying to fix it but so far no luck. I don't really want to talk about it.

On the other hand, I'm very grateful for my cranky kids whom I love very much. I'm lucky to have a fairly new laptop and a loving husband who would spend the last 5 hours trying to fix it--and a desktop computer as a back up! And what I didn't get done today will be there tomorrow. Guess I don't have it bad at all. Maybe I'm the one who is cranky. I'd probably better get somesleep. Turns out I am very blessed and I am actually very grateful to a loving Father in Heaven for all my wonderful blessings. I think tomorrow I will have a better attitude and a better day. :)

Beijing Murder Hits Too Close To Home

I'm kind of a news junkie and there was so much upsetting news this weekend--but one story was just too close to home. The Beijing murder and stabbing of two Americans who ended up being relatives of the American Men's Volleyball Coach was just horrible. But when I heard the name of the coach today I realized there was an even closer connection than I'd known. The coach is a former BYU student and coach and it was his Father-in-law that was killed last weekand his mother-in-law that was stabbed. She was injured and is still in the hospital and is improving.

The way it is close to home for me is that a few years ago after the last summer Olympics, BYU asked all the BYU Olympians to be the Homecoming Grand Marshals and he was one of the Olympians who came back for the events. I was the one in charge of all the hosting. It makes me so sad that people have to suffer such horrendous things in this life and for no understandable cause whatsoever. My heart and my prayers go out to all of the families mourning and in need of comfort, especially our former Olympian and his family.

Our Saturday

We actually got out of the house today and went to see a movie. We saw "Get Smart." It was pretty funny. We are lucky because Carly actually does pretty well at movies. She slept through most of it and then she watched the rest of it. She did that with another movie we went to a few months ago. I think it's something about the big screen and all the colors. Anyway, we didn't do much other than that. Julie babysat for some neighbors. Rob got called in to work for a bit and baby and I just hung out. We are pretty boring. That was our Saturday.

UN-BE-LIEVABLE! WHAT A CAD!

I'm sorry but what kind of a jerk has an affair on his wife while she is dying of cancer?! John Edwards is unbeliveable! And all the while parading his "family values" campaign before the American public "using" his lovely wife Elisabeth to lead the parade. I am stunned! I guess I shouldn't be but I am. That poor woman, as if she hasn't been through enough already. Now to find out she's married to the world's biggest cad who may very well be the father of his lover's baby. Gee, this sounds like a soap opera--not the marriage of a former presidential candidate!

One of My Favorites

What a Cutie Pie!

CARLY AND COCO

This is a picture of Carly with my sister Susan's new Cockapoo Coco. Carly really likes Coco--probably more than Coco likes Carly!

Seen at My Doctor's Office . . .

A cartoon that said:

"YOU CAN CHOOSE TO EXERCISE FOR AN HOUR A DAY OR YOU CAN BE DEAD FOR TWENTY FOUR HOURS A DAY. YOUR CHOICE!"


That's something I'm thinking about taking seriously.

My Favorite Place in the Whole World

This is my favorite place on earth. I can't believe I haven't shared it with you yet. How silly of me! This is the waterfall on my Grandparent's farm. My cousin Darrell actually owns it now since my Grandparents passed away but it is a magical place. I grew up less than five miles from here and my sisters and cousins and I spent many a day here. It's located on 83 acres my grandfather bought when he and grandma married. It's an amazing place. It's located in the midwest. Isn't is wonderful. I just love it!

AMAZING UPDATE

Wow! This is truly amazing. Your prayers must have been good ones! Thank you so much!

We just heard from my cousin Darrell and he told us the doctors verified for him that there was NO Cancer in his kidney. The reason this is so amazing is because his doctor was sure it was one of three kinds of cancer, but turns out either he was wrong or we got a miracle through prayer! I'm leaning toward the latter. Thank Heavens! They doctor did tell him that his kidney needed to come out anyway, but what wonderful news!

The other great thing is that Darrell isn't having bad pain like he expected he might. Thanks so much everyone for you faith and prayers. Miracles do happen.!

A Surprise Visit From A Dear Friend

One of my really dear friends called and surprised me yesterday and was here from Washington so Rob and the girls and I went to spend the evening with her and someof her grown kids and their new babies this evening. It was so fun to see them and to spend some time together. I met LaNae several years ago when I worked for the university and we decided we were long lost sisters. We don't get to see each other very often but we catch up by phone, email and now by blog. Anyway, we had a great time tonight. Three gorgeous babies in the room. Two boys and a girl. Can you believe I didn't get a single picture of the babies together? What a silly I am! Oh well. It was enough to see them and hold them. They were so adorable! Here's a few pictures of our evening together. Love you LaNae!

Twyla (LaNae's daughter) LaNae, Carly and Mommy

Julie, Megan, LaNae, Carly and Nancy


LaNae, Carly and Nancy

Back in Time

Rob and I went to see Kansas in concert tonight. It was a great concert, not only because the group was great but because the audience and the ambience were terrific. It was a beautiful evening. It cooled down nicely after a 100 degree day and was perfect for an outdoor event. The place they held the concert was an outdoor amphitheater where you could bring in your own chairs and food, so that was great, but no drinking or smoking was allowed. It was a major difference from the concert we went to a few weeks ago. Wow, I can't even tell you what a tremendous difference it made in the crowd. People were so polite and kind. They weren't standing up in front of you for the whole concert and they weren't being disruptive and swearing or acting out in any way. With the last concert we went to the crowd was so awful we left before it was over. It just wasn't an atmosphere we wanted to be in. It was just so pleasant to be in a nice area with nice people listening to music from our teen years. Yeah!

Another Couple of Cute Carly Pictures

My Bathing Beauty

Aren't these adorable? She's our little cutie pie and we are so head over heals for her.

Darrell's Surgery Report

Well, my cousin Darrell's surgery went really well. They were able to do it with a laparoscope so that will make the recovery a little quicker. They believe it was kidney cancer but won't know for certain until the pathology comes back in a few weeks. They are hopeful they got it all. Thanks so much for all of your prayers. Please keep them coming. I appreciate all of you.

Largest Extreme Home Makeover Lost to Foreclosure

I just read this story and it is so frustrating. So many people gave so much to make a difference in these peoples lives only to have them misuse and then lose all that was given to them. How very sad.

Three years after more than 1,800 people showed up to help ABC's Extreme Makeover team demolish and replace a familiy's decrepit home and make it into a gorgeous mini mansion in Lake City, Georgia the family has lost it to forclosure.

The Harper family used the two-story home as collateral for a $450,000 and it's set to go to auction on the steps of the Clayton County Courthouse Aug. 5. The couple did not return phone calls Monday, but told a TV reporter they received the loan for a construction business that failed.

The house was built in 2005, after Atlanta-based Beazer Homes USA and ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” demolished their old home and its faulty septic system. Within six days, construction crews and hoards of volunteers had completed work on the largest home that the program had built.

The finished product was a four-bedroom house with decorative rock walls and a three-car garage that towered over ranch and split-level homes in their neighborhood. The home’s door opened into a lobby that featured four fireplaces, a solarium, a music room and a plush new office.

Materials and labor were donated for the home, which would have cost about $450,000 to build. Beazer Homes’ employees and company partners also raised $250,000 in contributions for the family, including scholarships for the couple’s three children and a home maintenance fund.

In a statement, ABC said it advises each family to consult a financial planner after they get their new home.

Some of the volunteers who helped build the home were less than thrilled about the family’s financial decisions.“It’s aggravating. It just makes you mad. You do that much work, and they just squander it,” Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt, who helped vault a massive beam into place in the Harper’s living room, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Prayer Request

My cousin Darrell is having surgery in the morning for kidney cancer. Luckily they found his cancer early. He was originally supposed to have this surgery in May but he had a stroke the day before the scheduled surgery. He has recovered from the stroke enough now to have this surgery. We just need every prayer on his behalf we can get. So if you find yourself reading this today, please say a prayer for Darrell. He's such a great guy and needs all the blessings he can get. Thanks so much. Blessings to you too.

My Cute Baby Girl

Carly had her second professional photo shoot today. It wasn't as impressive as her first one but I think we still got some cute photos from it. I'm really spoiled because one of my best friends is a brilliant photographer and really knows how to capture people in her photos. So I am very picky now about my pictures. I had a free sitting coupon for JC Penney Photo Studio plus a free 8x10 so I figured what the heck. Anyway, Carly was really good during the sitting. We get her photos back in a week. I can't wait to show you how cute she was. It's hard to take a bad picture of such an adorable child. NO, I AM NOT THE LEAST BIT PREJUDICED ABOUT MY DAUGHTER. Hee. Hee. Hee.

Neighboring

We had a nice evening at one of our neighbors homes tonight. They just invited neighbors over for dessert and we sat in their backyard and talked and enjoyed a nice evening together. The weather was great and it nice to just get to know people you live by better. We don't take the time to do that much these days. It was fun and low key.

Guess What I Did Today?

I ordered pictures. Yup, I did. Turns out I had taken over 500 pictures with my digital camera that I had never gotten made into pictures. Yikes! So, I have a whole bunch of pictures coming. I'm going to need a lot of albums. Holy cow. What have I done? Well, too late to ask questions now. I have pictures, pictures and more pictures coming. Yeah!

I Love Learning the Easy Way to Do Things

Thanks to those of you who gave me new hope for actually publishing my digital pictures. I'm going to try it! Here's to me having real photos in my albums soon. In the meantime, here are a couple of cute pictures taken while we were in Arizona. My mom found this cute place near where we stayed that was called the City of Bedrock or something like that. Anyway, it was a throwback to the Flintstones Era. We had to go and see. It was kind of fun!

My sister Sarah and her husband Rich pose as Fred and Wilma Flintstone.


My nephew Alex takes off and leaves my daughter Megan behind in jail.


Cousins riding the Bedrock train.


Mommy and Pebbles, er, Carly hanging out with Bam Bam.

Digital Photos-Aren't They Great!?

Arrrrgggghhh!! I do have to say I am much better at taking pictures now that I have a digital camera and I love that I can post pictures online and that I am totally capable of doing it myself. But just ask me if I have ever gotten even one picture made from a digital camera? The answer to that is a big, fat NOPE! Plus, it just seems like too much trouble. I mean I know I can just take the little doo-hickey and have them quickly run off but if I want nice pictures done I have to transfer the to some other doo-hickey or a CD or send them off to some online service and all that just seems so complicated! Someone help! I just want to hold my cute pictures in my hands or put thm in a scrapbook. Why does it have to be so complicated? Am I making it harder than it is? Ye-Gads. I must be doing something wrong. It just seems too darn hard!

Two Straight Days of Headache

make one big HURT! I really didn't do much at all yesterday or today because my head hurt so much. It's a little better now and hopefully will be even better tomorrow. I hate days like this when nothing seems to fix it. Thank goodness for Julie and Rob to help with Carly. She was really good anyway. She took a long nap when I was napping-so that helped, too. Here's to a better tomorrow!

If I'd Known You Were Coming . . .

Julie and I helped a friend of ours bake a birthday cake for a young woman he's been going out with. It was a double layer chocolate cake with homemade white creme filling and chocolate frosting. It actually looked pretty good when we were through with it. I wish I had taken a picture so I could show you. Anyway, we had fun doing it.

I can't believe we are most of the way through summer. I just got Julie registered for her classes. She will be going back to school soon. It seems like the time has just flown by. Where in the world did summer go?

Well, it's late and baby girl wants my attention. She is getting so big. I can't believe it.

Sounds A Bit Odd To Me

Remember that strange story a few weeks ago from Canada where they had five human feet wash up on several different beaches in close proximity to each other? They were supposedly all right feet, all encased in tennis shoes and none seemed to have been severed. All but one of the feet that had washed up were men's feet. Anyway, the police had no idea whose feet they were and no leads. Today's headlines say they have identified one of the feet. It apparently belonged to a man who had been severely depressed and disappeared a year ago. The article is kind of confusing because it says that one of the five feet found has been identified as this man's but then later it says that two of the feet found were found 25 miles apart and both belonged to this man. They have not released this man's name yet so his family can all be notified.

Authorities say it's possible the ocean's currents could have separated the feet from their bodies. But don't you think it's kind of strange that so many feet would show up so close together at one time. And why wouldn't the currents separate other body parts from the bodies--why feet? And if it's so normal why don't we hear more stories like this more often? Just seems a bit odd to me. I think there has to be some foul play involved somewhere for their to be so many feet. I'm just sayin'!

Do You Ever . . .

Have those times in the summer when it's just too hot to cook and nothing really sounds good anyway? I've been having a lot of those days lately. Last night kind of took the cake, though. Rob came home and it really had been too hot to cook so I said can we just go grab something? He was very agreeable but none of us--me, Julie or Rob could decide on a flavor or something that didn't sound too heavy, too greasy, too spicy, too pricey, too far away, . . . you name it -- there was a reason one of us wasn't in the mood. That is until finally Rob said, "Hey, why don't we just go over to Sam's Club and have one of their salad's and drinks." Now as bad as that sounds as I write it, it actually sounded perfect at that moment. And it was something all three of us agreed on. So, off we went to Sam's diner. Totally wierd. Although, we got there and the salad's were all gone so we had to settle for the polish dog specials. But hey, it was still cheap, light, quick and cool! We are crazy aren't we! Even I think so.

Fun at the Pool

On our way to the Grand Canyon we stopped in Page, Arizona for a night. It happened to be my Dad's birthday and so we all met there and celebrated. We got up the next day and went swimming before heading the rest of the way to the GC. Anyway, this was Carly's first time to go swimming. She actually took to the water really well which was especially surprising because the water was freezing cold. Here are a couple of pictures of her at the pool!


Carly just arriving for the pool party! It's gonna be great!


Swimming with my sisters and cousins! Yeah! Alex, Megan, (Me-Carly), Julie and Caitie.

BEE CAREFUL

Today I was determined we were going to get our side yard cleaned up. We waited until after 5 so it was a little cooler and then Julie and I donned our work gloves and began cleaning up weeds and putting away tools and things. There was a box of sticks we asked the girls to cut into smaller pieces and get into the garbage can about a year ago (yep, you read that right) and it was still sitting out on the back side walk. So, that was one of my main goals today was to get that large box of sticks put into the garbage.

I rolled our large garbage can over to it and started reaching my gloved hands into it and emptying loads of sticks into the garbage can from the box. Julie followed my lead--for a while. Then she slowed down and then she stopped. I urged her on but she didn't move. I kept going and going--that is until we started getting attacked by bees. Not a ton of bees--just 3 or 4. But they were very serious and I think they were calling there friends to come help. We tried to fight them off at first when there was just 1 or 2 but then there was 3 and 4. That is when I screamed, "Run, Julie, Run." We barely made it into the house. Seriously, the bees were dive bombing us. I haven't even told you yet about the baby snakeskin I saw in the bottom of the box or the reason Julie stopped picking sticks up. Turns out she had heard a hissing sound and thought there was a snake in the box. Then she actually thought she saw some baby snake eggs.

What's a mom to do? I fixed dinner and we ate. Then we put long sleeves and pants on and went back out armed with BEE and WASP KILLER SPRAY and finished the job! We threw away the snake eggs--if that's what they were. They were some kind of animal eggs. They will now be hatching at the landfill. Yay. This will teach us to leave a box of sticks laying around for a year. We're lucky we didn't have beavers!

DON'T BANK ON IT!

Ye-Gads! I go on a little vacation and come back to a banking crisis! What's going on? Yesterday, I heard on the news a couple of large banks were failing in another state but the FDIC had them covered. Then the news went on the point out that there were over 100 banks on a list of banks the government was concerned about right now. That's a pretty scary thought. Although they followed it again with the statement that the FDIC backed up all your personal accounts to $100K. I just have one question? Who is backing up the FDIC? (Yah, kind of makes you want to bury your money in the back yard, doesn't it?) :}

P.S. WHERE'S RONALD REAGAN WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

Carly Turns Five Months Old on Tuesday

Wow, that went fast. She is getting so big. She loves standing up and walking across the floor with help. If you put her in a sit up position, she can stay sitting. She laughs and giggles and chatters. She's over 26 inches tall and is such a cutie-pie. We think she is going to be the first basketball player in the family since her Dad and Grandpa. Well enough of the brag sheet--not that I can't go on and on--I just won't. She's a beauty just like her big sis, Julie. Here they are together. I'm in love with them!

More Grand Canyon Photo's

We are all so tired still from our trip I am going to just post some photos for now while we recuperate. Enjoy~


The Whole Family


Carly Chillin' in her stroller.



Waiting for the Grand Canyon bus to take us back to our cars.

Sara and Carly

Sara and Carly having a great time!

Happy Birthday Sara!

On our way to the Grand Canyon we made a stop in Cedar City to see Sara and Katie. We weren't able to see Katie but we did take Sara out for her birthday dinner. Then we all went to see a movie together and watched fireworks afterward. We had a great time! It was so fun to just be together. The next day we stopped and had lunch with Sara at her work just before we left for the Canyon. Here's a photo of the girls together. Aren't they cute?

Sorry For the Lull

We have been on a very special vacation. My parents have been married 50 years this year. The actual wedding anniversary is November 7th but we needed a date when all of us could get together and summer worked best. My parents rented a lovely house at the Grand Canyon and our whole family met there and had a great time. It was really nice to be together as a family and just spend time together. The Grand Canyon is amazing. None of us had ever been there before so it was especially moving to see it. We stayed near the South Rim so that is the side we toured. We did some other fun things, too. It was fun to have all the cousins spend time with each other.

Anyway. we are back--so I will get back to my regular blogging. Here are a couple of pictures to begin with. I will post more.

Apparently Carly Has An Opinion

I turned on the tv while I was feeding Carly the other morning and turned it to msnbc. She grabbed the remote flipped the channels until it landed on Fox TV and then stopped and put it down. Pretty funny, eh. I think she's a conservative. I'm just sayin' . . .

Daddy is the Best Piggyback Ride Giver Ever!

Did I Ever Give You A Peak At My Wedding Day?

Isn't he handsome? I sure think so.

Bathing Beauty Baby and Big Sis

I thought I had her looking at the camera for this and didn't realize she'd looked away. Darn! Anyway, she wanted to show off her new bathing suit. Well, someone wanted to show it off. Ain't it cute. Her favorite stroke is the Butterfly. Okay, just kidding. She's best at the backstroke--and she does that really well in her crib while she's sleeping. Hee hee.

I AM NOT A SCI-FI FAN

But my whole family is--what's a girl to do? They like to watch these yucky sci-fi horror fantasy flicks and they drive me crazy. Arrggh. I just stayed in the kitchen and cooked dinner while the weirdness flickered across the television screen and everyone's (except mine, of course) eyes glued themselves to the screen. I just don't get it. They aren't just yucky--they are dumb. They aren't even written well and they are things that couldn't even happen in your craziest dream. I think a few people around my house need a creative hobby or an outlet where they can explore their vivid imaginations in real time. Hmmm. Then again, maybe I'm better off letting them watch their crazy movies once in a while. Really, what's the harm. Could be worse I guess.

IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY!

Not much of a blog today. I've had a migraine the last couple of days and can't seem to get rid of it. Rob has had to work overtime both yesterday and today. He doesn't usually work Saturdays but it is 10 p.m. and he's not home yet. Poor guy. Anyway, that's about it. We are boring.

Grandma and Grandpa D. (Bob and Mel)

These are Rob's parents. It's a cute photo and I just wanted to introduce them to everyone. They are the parents of four boys and Rob is the oldest.

FITNESS FRIDAY

Hey Everyone,

I got on the scales this morning and was down the 5 pounds I had gained! Yeah! I attribute it the the "thin thinking." When I could finally start my thinking that way again I started eating and snacking less and "Voila." I am so happy. Also, the sugarless gum helps a ton! Go, fight, win!

Carly with Grandma D.

She's just a month old here. I just keep finding pictures I haven't seen in a while. Thought you'd want to see them.

Can You Say Double Trouble?

These two are cousins-Caitlin and Julie. Julie, of course, is mine and Caitlin is my sister Sarah's daughter. Put these two together and all the sudden you've got a couple of tornados! I found this picture tonight and thought it was too cute not to post. They are 13 and 14 respectively. Boy, don't kids look older these days?

A Visit With Aunt Sarah

This is my sister, Sarah with Carly. Boy, did we work hard for each and every smile you see here on baby girl. She is teething at the moment and it sure makes her grouchy! Come to think of it, it would probably make me grouchy, too. Anyway, I took about 25 pictures and these are the only ones that even came close to her having a smile on her face. Hey, maybe it's just you she's cranky for Aunt Sarah--just teasing! Love you~