Royally Frustrated!!

I'm having a terrible time with blogspot. Does anyone out there have these problems:

1. I write what I want you to read and when I post it, it posts totally opposite of what I saved.
2. My pictures take forever to download and I can't just copy and paste.
3. I can't get my pictures in the spot I want them...even though I try to drag and drop, they don't want to move.
4. The spacing of my paragraphs posts differently than the draft.
5. I can't get a picture to post on my heading...it's always way out of porpotion and looks really goofy.

Am I the only one having these problems?? If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I may have to stop posting to this page and I really don't want too. I have so many friends on here.

Any way, I have a new post up on Yahoo. You can access it here.

Thanks for stopping by. God bless and Merry Christmas.

Candle light, good food & great company!!

I posted on Yahoo about the Candle Luminair. If you would like to read it and see the pictures, go to my friends list and click on Yahoo. This should take you to my Yahoo page. I hope you enjoy.

Thanks for stopping by.

Monday was really cool. By evening you had to have a coat. We dropped from hot, humid, muggy 85 degrees to 50 degrees by Monday evening. The temp dropped to about 45 over night.

Katie wanted to be out with the other kids so I put her in her new coat and let her stay outside for a while.

After I got the kids in bed, I made a cup of hot chocolate and grabbed a blanket and went outside to sit on the swing. I really enjoyed the cool, crisp night with just an occasional passerby on a walk or bike ride. It was quiet and peaceful. I went in around 10:00 and had to turn on the heat. It was really cool in the house by then and I worry about the girls getting too cold.

Today is gorgeous!! I have the windows open and the cool breezes are making the house so refreshed. I love this kind of weather.

Hope you are having a great week. We will soon be celebrating Christmas and Christ birth. Let's not forget this wonderful day!!

We had our candle lighting tonight...What a blast!!

WOW!! We have had a wonderful time with the candle lighting. I will have to post pictures later and I'll tell you all about it. Right now I want you to know that it will be in the low 40's tomorrow night. YEAH!! Finally some cooler weather. Look out windows...you will be opened!!

See ya later. Good nite!!

The birthday cake!!

Here is the cake that my friend surprised me with on Sunday for my birthday. It was white/chocolate combined and very good. She and her sister took the Wilton Cake class together and they sure know how to make great cakes. This one was really pretty too.

Birthday Blues!!!

Well, the dreaded day has come and gone. Funny, I don't feel any older today than I did yesterday. I guess I was just dreading leaving the comfort of the 30's and entering into the 40's. UGH!! But I did make it through the day.

I told Tom that I did not want a birthday party. He honored that request for me with a very reluctant promise. But unfortunately, my other "friends" chose to take a different route. I came home from church early last night because of a very restless little girl and watched on the internet. FYI: www.hobesoundbiblechurch.com

Tom came home and within a few minutes that phone rang. My sister: "Come on over to my house for while and eat." Now wonder why she would want me over there?????

When I got there, she had a whole house full of people yelling "Happy Birthday" as soon as I walked in the door. I had pretty well figured out what was going on by the time I got there, but I didn't expect so many people. We had invited some friends for dinner yesterday and she had made me a birthday cake. Tom thought we should take that cake along with us to Sister's house. He knew all along the rat!!

I did get some nice presents. Hubby bought me a watch, the girl's got me some PJ's, one sister got me a hoodie sweater, the other sister got me a crystal dish with a lid, a friend gave me black popcorn (never heard of it but it says it will pop snow white...we'll see) and mom got me a beautiful white blouse to go with my Christmas jumper.

I guess all in all it wasn't too bad having a party. I guess I really wanted to spare the expense of the party, but my friends thought otherwise. Everyone chipped in and brought food and it turned out really nice.

So I enter another year being "older" and wiser and wondering what will be in store for the year.

Thanks for stopping by.

So Cute!!

Yep!! She's a normal girl!!! :):)

Christmas is in the air!!

The Christmas Season is rapidly approaching and with it the hustle and bustle of trying to get everyone that perfect gift, wrap it and get it under the tree, attend all of the parties you are invited too, create a couple of your own and pray for strength to make it through the holidays.

I for one love this season. Here are a few reasons why:

• I love the feeling of excitement in the air and the look of amazement on the faces of my girls when they see a beautiful tree or hear an animated object play and jiggle to Christmas music.
• I love the smells of cinnamon and ginger mixed with candied apples and big juicy oranges.
• I love to walk down our lane and see all of the Christmas lights shining so brightly and I have to stop and ponder, "Does Jesus see all of the lights shining so bright to celebrate His birthday?" I believe He does!!
• I love to see all of the shoppers arrayed in Christmas colors and Santa hats, picking out their special loved one a present.
• I love to sit back with my tree lit and cozy up to Tom and watch a good Christmas movie...Maybe "It's a Wonderful Life" or "Miracle on 34th Street" or many other good movies.
• I love when the weather turns cooler and we can build a fire outside and sit around it talking and laughing while drinking big mugs of hot chocolate.
• Most of all I love the wonderful feeling of love and warmth that each family seems to share at this special time of the year. The beautiful fact the Christ came, not just for the rich and powerful, the beautiful and successful, but He came for me and you. He came with a purpose in mind, to die on the cross and show the ultimate Christmas love. To save the world from their sins and make a home for us in the "the sweet by and by!!"

There are so many other things to list but I just don't have the time. I have so many wonderful Christmas memories that I cherish and family gatherings that are so special to me. I thank God for them all.

Tonight starts the "Singing Christmas Tree" which is a really "BIG HIT" with the community. Hobe Sound Bible Church and College/Academy will give back to the community with a message of the salvation of Jesus Christ. We have thousands who come to the big tabernacle to see what we are going to do new each year and we have the wonderful opportunity of sharing the gospel with each one.

Pray for our singers and the drama team. The weather has cooled down considerably, but the tree still is really warm. If you would like to see the tree click here and go to live streaming at 7:00 p.m. and you can watch it. You will be so blessed and it will get you in the Christmas spirit!!

An Ornamental Night

The holiday season is upon us and with that comes all kinds of fun nights with dinners and games. Last night was no exception. We had what is termed a "WOW" Christmas Dinner...Women of Worth. It was really a nice evening.

Every lady was to bring a wrapped ornament to exchange and an auction item. The cost was $10.00 for a catered dinner. The menu was:

Rotisserie Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Cesar Salad
Fabulous bread with butter
Creamy Cranberry Sauce
Chocolate Cake, some kind of Pumpkin Spice Pie, and I think a Strawberry cake

The deserts were individual servings and were made so delicately. Everything was so good!!

The ladies in charge did a skit about shoppers who were not showing the Christmas spirit along with some Christmas songs by a ladies trio who were sisters. There was a game for everyone to play about Christmas carols and then the exchange of ornaments.

The lady in charge read a story about a boy named Right and every time she said the word "right, left or across" then you passed your ornament in the correct direction. Our table only had 6 ladies and so we were kind of spread out, but we made it work. I was not able to get to the store to pick up an ornament, so my friend Jen picked one up for me. It was already wrapped so I didn't know what it was. At the end of the story I was the only one at the table with the same ornament that I had "brought." I kept it and it was a Mosaic bulb. Very pretty.

Mrs. Duren had a devotional that was inspiring and then they had the auction. I didn't participate in that part, but everyone seemed pleased with what they had bought.

It was a wonderful night and a great way to start off the Christmas season. Tonight there will be a play by the High school kids and tomorrow the Christmas parade. Tomorrow night there is another auction with a Christmas Concert. Things are NEVER dull around here that's for sure!!

Here is a picture of my ornament. I brought it home and Patricia "oohhed and aahhed" over it and then put it on the tree for me. She is such a big helper.

Thanks for stopping by. God bless.

Gale

YUMM YUMM!!

Thanksgiving is Thursday and my menu is all ready for me to start cooking. This year we have about 30 people coming to the house and weather permitting we will have a wonderful outdoor meal just like the pilgrims of old did. I'm excited about the fun and food that we will get to enjoy. The weather does look promising.

Now to bake and cook and clean. Lucky for me I have two bathrooms - one at each entrance to the house. Maybe the traffic will not flow through the rest of the house and I won't have too big a mess to clean up afterwords.

Later on that night plans are to make home made ice cream and start a fire in the outdoor fire place. My sister Sue has one and it will be just cool enough to enjoy the warmth while we eat ice cream. YUMMY!!

I hope everyone of you, my friends, have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day. We have so much to be thankful for. Just the freedom that we all share in America is enough to be thankful for. Here is a video that was sent to me that you might want to see. Be sure to turn on your speakers to hear the music. This is amazing!!

www.youtube.com/v/QZFkZiwMLZ4

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

P.S. I will be sharing the cooking with my family and friends. Didn't want anyone to think that I am super woman or anything...lol.

Thank you Father!!

Have you ever noticed that when Fall hits everyone begins to think about the holidays.

1. What to get the kids for Halloween.
2. What will you wear for trick or treat night.
3. What kind of candy and decorations will you have.

Then we go right into Christmas. Not the really true Christmas but the totally commercial Christmas. People are scurrying around trying to find the best present for each other and see who can outdo the other decorating their homes with lights and blow up decorations. We hunt for Santa Clause and all of his reindeer, we look for Frosty and the Grinch. We start partying and celebrating long before Christmas ever gets here.

Did you ever notice when you go into Walmart that Christmas comes out around September. Even the music is Christmas. We plow on full speed ahead and never stop to think that just maybe we ought to take time out to thank God for our Spiritual freedom that we have in Christ.

You don't see any big advertisements for Thanksgiving. You may find some table decorations for your dinner, but no thanksgiving music. No signs anywhere announcing this holiday. Some people even take away the name "Thanksgiving" and call it "Turkey Day" or whatever disrespectful name they can think of. Do you know why this is?

It's because we have become a thankless nation unless a crisis happens. Let the Twin Towers Fall, or Hurricane Katrina come and tare up New Orleans. Let a plane fall out of the sky with hundreds of people on board, or let a bomb go off in Washington. Then we begin to be thankful.

Shame on us!! We live in America where we are FREE to worship whatever God we choose, FREE to walk our streets without fear, FREE to go to Sunday School with out persecution, FREE to pick the education we think best for our children.

All because some pilgrims who wanted the freedom to serve God as they chose, were brave enough to leave a country that forbid it and make their way across the water to a land where they could be FREE. They suffered all kinds of sickness and death on the treacherous journey and then fought the elements of a strange land when they arrived on these shores. They met strangers they had never seen before who gave them instruction and encouragement to make it through that first horrible year.

Because of their thankfulness for freedom to serve God, they set aside a week for Thanksgiving. Not just a day. They celebrated with "everyone" not just the people they thought were popular or stylish. The were so thankful to be FREE that they were willing to take the time to be thankful.

Now you may think that I do not like the other holidays but your WRONG!! I love all of the holidays that celebrate our country and the freedom we all share. I just have a real problem when Thanksgiving is forgotten.

Please take time out this next week to be Thankful for the FREEDOM we have. Don't wait until Thanksgiving Day to show a thankful spirit. Start today. We are so privileged!! Let's show God and our Country that WE ARE THANKFUL!!

God bless you.

FOR FLOWERS THAT BLOOM ABOUT OUR FEET, FOR TENDER GRASS, SO FRESH, SO SWEET,
FOR SONG OF BIRD, AND HUM OF BEE, FOR ALL THINGS FAIR WE HEAR OR SEE,
FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK THEE.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is to say "Thank You" to all of our military for the dedication and sacrifice you have made for America.

This is the LAND OF THE BRAVE AND THE FREE
because of your sacrifice for us. Words cannot express how much you mean to us.

Our prayer is that God will protect you and keep you safe. That He will guide you and encourage you with strength to keep your Homelands safe from harm.

I salute you!!

I received this link today which allows you to send a thank you to a soldier. Click here and send a thank you for the freedom that we share here in America.

GOD BLESS AMERICA AND OUR SOLDIERS WHO PROTECT US!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!

Today my hubby turned 31. He is not longer "just 30". You know, on the edge, not quite in there. Now he has jumped in and is on his way to 40. I remember turning 31. I was fine with 30. I cried when I turned 31. It was like now I'm in there and there's no turning back to the twenties.

I took him to the airshow today. We had wonderful weather. Not a cloud in the sky and such a nice breeze. I think the temp was around 75. My face is very sunburned but of course Tom tanned. He always does. We saw some really cool planes and of course the Veterans were honored today. It was a nice day and I had fun. I think Tom did too.

Sunday night after church we are having family over for cake and ice cream. Actually, Tom wants a cheese cake with raspberry topping. I am going to make them tomorrow afternoon and add some chips and sandwiches to it. Simple but good.

Hope you had a great day today. Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Keep your fork :):)

This story was sent to me today and I thought it was a wonderful story of encouragement for each of us. When we go through trials and troubles (and we will if we love the Lord) we can remember this story to just hold on "the best is yet to come!" I hope you enjoy this story as much as I have.

Woman and a Fork

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly. 'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply. 'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor. The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement.

In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork.. the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her.

He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either. He was right.

So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Late Night Ramblings

There's never a dull moment at our house. These two girls keep me hopping. I have been reading other blogs and wondering how you mom's who have so many children keep your sanity. Today...

ME: Patricia why did you hit the neighborhood girl over the head with a broom?

TRICIA: Because the other girl was being mean to me.

ME: What does that have to do with you hitting said first girl over the head with a broom?

TRICIA: I don't know! (note to self: Look up "I don't know" in the dictionary)

Ever have days like this????

Katie has started throwing fits. At the age of 10 months mind you. I change her diaper, she rolls over. I roll her back over, she rolls back over. I roll her back over, put diaper under bottom, she rolls back over. I roll her back over, replace diaper back under said bottom, latch one side, she rolls back over. I roll her back over, replace diaper back on said bottom, latch one side, and pray really, really hard she will NOT roll over again. She kicks and throws a tantrum because Mommy says NO NO and starts the process all over again. WHEW!!! Anyone feeling tired or is it just me????

Patricia LOVES horses. I've never seen a child who continually asks if she can have a horse of her very own. We went to the parade last Monday night to see her cousin Misty in the marching band. Somewhere near the end of the parade guess what we saw?? You guessed it - horses.

First words out of this child's mouth:

"Mommy, look!! My horses. Can we feed them? Can we pet them? OH, Mommy!! We have to go find them...I have to see them." I liked to never got her to come home with me!! Aren't they beautiful horses?



I have to remind Patricia that we live in a very close community and I think that the neighbors might have a teeny problem with a horse walking and doing the other things that horses do in their yard. She just doesn't understand. Round 2.

Hubby is out of town for the week. He is working in Lakeland Fl., and will be going to the Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. The Shuttle is going to lift off on Wednesday and Tom's crew is going to clean up the launch pad. Tom has never been there and so this is exciting for him. Even though it's work. I'm happy for him.

I get to "batch-it" for the week. Let's see...Do I cook or do take-out? Take-out wins!!

Good night all...

New Family Pictures

We were so pleased with the results. And they were a gift to us which was even better. Hope you enjoyed.

A little bit of this, A little bit of that....

Fall is here. Well, maybe not according to the calendar, but for me it's here. As I have said in the past I love Fall. I'm so glad that our Heavenly Father had a great love for color. Otherwise, we may not have all of the different colors to enjoy!!

I told you in an earlier blog that I would like to find something I could do that would be different than just blabbering away about crazy stuff. So I think that I will tell you some of the favorite things I like to do and then if you want to take a turn, you can tell some of the favorite things that you like to do. They can be random things or you can stick to a specific theme. It's your choice. So without further ado....

1. I like to shop at Wal-Mart. I think that they have better buys on most stuff so I go to Wal-Mart for most of my shopping.
2. I like to eat ice cream. ALOT!! I mostly like the vanilla with lots of chocolate syrup on it. No crunches or candy. Just CREAMY, sweet ice cream. Edy's brand is the best!!
3. I love to hold Katie in the middle of the night. Most of the time. She is so sweet and I can honestly say there have been very few times I've wished she would go to bed. Now she goes to bed and I hardly ever get to rock her.
4. I love to watch kids shows with Patricia. I get so much enjoyment out of watching her laugh and interact with the characters.
5. I love to take bubble baths at night after everyone has gone to bed. Just to relax and smell the soft scent of the bubbles and feel the warm water on me helping to erase all of the stress of the day is heavenly!!
6. I love my coffee with "International Delights Southern Butter Pecan" creamer in it. MMmmmmm....Delicious!! You have to search for the coffee in the cup!! :D
7. I love a long back rub when my back is tired after sitting at the computer all day long while at work. Sometimes I have to beg for them but I don't mind. Tom is pretty good about massaging my back if I promise to return the favor.
8. I love dogs. We are in a very close neighborhood and so we really don't have anywhere for one. We have had Doxy's, Min-Pin's, Shepherds, Labrador's both black and red, and I'm not sure what others. I hope to one day get another Lab or Retriever for our girls.
9. I absolutely love!! my dish washer. I thank God daily (well almost) for my dishwasher. Nothing bothers the small of my back like standing at a sink full of dirty dishes. I would rather mop the floors than have to wash the dishes. (I do that too...:D)
10. And for the grand finale...I love Florida and the area we live in. When it is so hot in the summer and humid, you can step outside and feel the wonderful ocean breezes blowing the Palm Trees and it makes you feel cooler. The ocean is magnificent!! Only a God who loved varieties could have created the ocean. He truly is a wonderful Creator!!

Well, there you have it. Some of the things I like and love. You can play along if you want to. I would love to read some of the things that you love to do.

I hope every one's enjoying the wonderful weather and the beauty of Fall. Good night.

Mommy, I got a "booboo"!!

Well it happened. I didn't want it to but it did. My little munchkin has a sort of black eye. And we are scheduled to have our pictures taken in one week. I hope it goes away fast!!

Tom and Patricia were in her room playing and wrestling on the bed. The dresser stands right beside her bed and it has sharp corners on the top. Needless to say she starts to screaming and Tom thought she was just playing so she could get away from him. But she wasn't playing. She was really crying. When we got her calmed down enough find out what had happened, she said she hit her eye on the corner of the dresser. I was so thankful that her eyeball was ok. She hit the top of the eye just above the eyeball and any farther down could have put her eye out. This just goes to show us that God watches over us even in the minute moments of our lives.

The second picture is that "powder face girl". Once again she found the powder and proceeded to cover her face with it. I don't know what to do with this child!! She is into everything. She didn't do this when she was 2. She saved all of that for now when she is almost 5. Gggrrrr!! One thing is for sure, she will always be my little "green-eyed" girl. She is very close to me and I want that bond to always remain.

Just a few pictures

I love this picture of Tom and Patricia. She was 3 when this was taken. Actually, she was going to turn 3 real soon. I think she was still 2 here. Now she is almost 5 and getting so big.

This was trick or treat night when she was 2 and a half. She had a blast unless there were scary people handing out candy. She would cry and run to me wanting me to go get her candy for her.
This was her Christmas dress last year. She is still wearing it. She calls this her "princess" dress.
Then came Katie. This was day 2 on Dec. 28. She was such a good baby. I had her C-section and I couldn't lift her too well so Tom took care of her a lot. She had some sugar problems and we had to try to get her to eat as much as she could.
Now my girls are so big. Katie is 9 months old and Tricia is 4 and a half. Time sure flies when you're having fun!! See ya.

Over the hill and through the dale to the doctors we will go...

And we did!! Katie had her 9 month checkup today and the doctor was really pleased. She thought Katie looked great!! Her head is still bigger than normal, but now they don't seem to be worried at all. The soft spot on the front top of her head is just about closed. (I don't remember what that is called)

She weighed in at 20.03 #'s and was 28 and a quarter inches long. Her head was a little over 18" in diameter. She has lots of brains in there. :P She is still a little behind in some of the categories, such as crawling, standing on her own, and picking up food and putting it in her mouth. I'm not one bit worried about that becuase some babies just do things slower than other babies. She isn't on the floor enough to learn to crawl although she is crawling some. She loves to be in her walker and we walk with her a lot, holding on to her hands. She acts very smart and has learned a lot of things in the past 3 months. She says words and knows her name well. She can follow you wherever you go and moves like lightening. I am just so thankful that she is doing as well as she is. I was 39 when I had her and so many times babies with older mothers can have physical problems that can be detrimental. Thank God she is doing great.

In other news, Tom leaves again tomorrow and will be gone until Sunday night. He has been going away a lot lately, but we are praying that there will be no more Sunday's after this one. He has to do some training and the classes are only offered on Sat and Sun because it is at a college with weekly classes. He is really looking forward to getting this over with. Me too!!

I'm trying to think of some special things to write about. I've seen where a lot of people are doing things like "a perfect picture day" and "Tuesday 10". I'm trying to find something unique that I can do that will be fun and uplifting. Maybe I can....Oh. Well, I'll think of something soon.

Take care and God bless. Thanks for stopping by. Good night all!!

No time for blogging today!!

Katie has a doctor appointment and so I must bid the blogging world good day. Katie is 9 months old now. I'm anxious to see what she weighs. I'll let you know. Until then...

Take me out to the ballpark...

This is an awesome movie. I wasn't sure if I would like it as I'm not a big baseball fan and I really don't know a lot about it, but I really enjoyed this movie. The thing that I like the most about it was:

1. No language that my four yr. old would have to hear
2. There was no nudity
3. The father did wrong and then had to pay. In the process a lesson about lying and cheating was taught.
4. And it wasn't boring at all.

So there you have it. A good movie for the whole family to see. Clean, decent, and teaches a good lesson to our children.
Thanks for stopping by. Good night all.

Just a little humor...:):)

A new pastor was visiting the homes of his parishioners. At one house it seemed obvious that someone was at home, but no answer came to his repeated knocks at the door. Therefore, he took out a card and wrote "Revelation 3:20" on the back of it and stuck it in the door. When the offering was processed the following Sunday, he found that his card had been returned. Added to it was this cryptic message, Genesis 3:10." Reaching for his Bible to check out the citation, he broke up in gales of laughter. Revelation 3:20 begins "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." Genesis 3:10 reads, "I heard your voice in the garden and I was afraid, for I was naked."

My Claim to fame!!

I read a friends blog and she was talking about her "claim to fame" so I thought I would blog about my "claim to fame".



When I was in college at Hobe Sound Bible College, I sang in the choir. We sang on Jupiter Island (a very rich community) at their theater. After we finished singing we stood outside and greeted the people. President Bush's grandmother was among those people and I was privilege to shake her hand and speak to her. She was in a wheelchair and her nurse was with her.



After that we were served a formal dinner in the Jupiter Island Clubhouse. I don't remember what I ate because I was so excited that I had met a "then President's" Mother.

My other claim to fame is, when I went home after college, I did some part-time babysitting for a doctor. One night the telephone rang and when I answered it, I heard this low, sultry voice on the other end. It was Raquel Welch. She was calling for the doctors brother. She talk to me for just a minute asking me my name and how was I doing. When I hung up I thought "WOW"!! I JUST TALKED TO SOMEONE FROM HOLLYWOOD!!

Well, that's my "claim to fame". What's yours? Let me know. I would love to read about it. God bless!

Correction!!

I am 9 years older than Tom, not younger. OOOPPSSS!! I STAND CORRECTED...HeeHeeHee.

I have been tagged....

I have been tagged by Jen, so here goes...

• I play the piano and the guitar. I learned when I was a small girl and played in church all of my life. I'm NOT Kim Collingsworth, but I might settle for Dino...lol



• When I was in grade school I thought it would be neat to go by Patty instead of Gale. That only lasted a short time before I realized you couldn't find as many nicknames to go with Gale as you could Patty. (my first name is Patricia)



• I am 9 years younger than Tom. "SHOCK" :):) We met at a youth camp and he pursued me. I said no, but God changed my mind...:):)



• I do not like heights. Roller Coasters make me positively sick. I can fly but I get really nervous the whole flight.



• I am one of two plus five...We are a put together family. My mother and my step father were married after their children were born. We have an interesting history. There is a total of 9 in our family now.



• I absolutely love ice cream! (can you tell) :):) I always have at least 4-5 cartons of ice cream in the freezer at all times. My all-time favorite is "white ice cream" with chocolate syrup. Patricia calls vanilla - white ice cream.



• The greatest love in my life are my girls. They are my sunshine on rainy days, my laughter when things get tough, my bed partners when daddy is away, my comfort when I am sad and I could go on forever. But I won't.
  

Hope you enjoyed my seven tags. Now to tag someone else...I tag Gwen, Carla, Kim, Sharron, Mary Schaffer, Rebecca, Brenda

Have fun ladies...lol...:):)

A Fun Filled Day!!

Today was a wonderful day!! I took the girls out to Jonathan Dickenson Park for a picnic with the Christian Education Department from the college and the Bus Ministry from the Church. Even though I am not teaching right now, I was asked to go and we had a wonderful time. Unfortunately, I do not have pictures because alas, my hubby has the camera. He is in Orlando for the weekend working and was not able to go to the picnic. I was totally in charge!! WOW!! Do I feel special :):)

The weather was great although very warm. We were hoping for cooler weather since the sky was overcast but that was not to be the case. The drinks were gone before we were able to eat. We had a fellow there who smoked a hog and someone else grilled deer burgers. I am not a "wild meat" person but I did eat one of the deer burgers. It was pretty good except maybe a little more mushy than a beef burger would be. There didn't seem to be a wild taste to it. We also had several salads and lots of yummy deserts. I always eat more than I should at social functions but today was just too hot. A friend of mine rode out with me and we left soon after eating.

Pastor Wolf and his family and David Walker were coming to our house this Sunday evening and we had to cancel because of Tom's work. I hope this doesn't happen very often. Tom will be hunting a new job. He doesn't feel that he should be working on Sunday as it is the Lord's day and he won't make a habit of it. One of the other fellows had a car accident and hurt his back pretty bad. He will be off until the 29th. Tom had to fill in for him. We hated to cancel with the pastor. He seems to be quite busy going to other homes, but we had no choice.

Well, the girls are both tired from the park and Patricia is in the bathtub. I still have Katie to bath and myself plus sweep and mop the floors. Maybe the floors can wait....we'll see.

My prayer is that each one who visits my blog will have a wonderful Sunday filled with the Joy of the Lord. Find somewhere to worship tomorrow. You will be amazed at how uplifted and full of peace you will feel.

Goodnight and God bless...

It's Monday!!!

GOOD MONDAY MORNING to you. It's that time of the week again!! I'm moving the office today. UGH!!! GRR!!! But it has to be done. So with that thought in mind, I bid you all a fond farewell and hope you have a great Monday!!

See ya later. So much to do...So little time... :):)

Have you ever felt like killing him????? :D

A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband.Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the! salt. USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'

Stressed Out!!

I found this picture on the Internet but I think that someone else had it on their blog. Sorry if that is the case. I needed something to show you what a "CRAZY AND STRESSED OUT" week I am having!! :(:( It has been so HOT and the air in the new office is not installed. We were there yesterday trying to get ready to move in and I dripped a gallon of sweat in about 1 hour. So much heat when we should be feeling some cooler weather about now.

I didn't have a desk for the new office and so I went to our local thrift store to look for one and found a fairly nice one for $35.00. I called the boss and he came to see it. We decided it would get us by until we could really shop for one. We are in a very small place right now and just need to get moved to have more room. So the desk was a good thing. The nice thing is that when he decides to do some more shopping, I should be able to get the desk for myself. Mine is a little wobbly and my daughter painted it with white-out. :):) She also painted herself with white-out!! Talk about a job. I took off skin from her cheeks trying to get the stuff off. I made sure that I put it up really high out of reach after that incident. It would have never happened if DADDY hadn't fell asleep....that's another story.... :D

I have started a diet!! UGH, DOUBLE UGH!!!! I hate to diet. If there is one thing that I enjoy, it is food. Not just any food, but really well prepared food. I also am the ICECREAM queen!! I usually keep about 5 containers of ice cream plus different kinds on a stick in the freezer. Everyone who visits the Wheatcraft's house knows that their is ALWAYS!! ice cream. But, that will have to change. I have got to lose some #'s and fast!! So a friend of mine, Eileen (whose blog you can access from my page) started an accountability blog of sorts. I told her that I was willing to be accountable and maybe it would help me to stay focused on my goal. I can proudly say that I have lost 2 1/2 #'s this week already. I am SO PROUD!!! I hope to lose even more over the next few weeks before the holiday foods arrive.

I tried to bike ride last night. My husband bought me a gorgeous bike with a "fat butt" seat!! The best kind of seat to have....trust me!! It was so humid and muggy I couldn't go much more than 15 min. I hate when I feel that way. But I did try so I get an A-plus for the effort. Since I have been having so much trouble with my feet, I wanted to start out exercising with my bike first and then maybe work in some walking. Anything is better than what I have been doing.
Enough for now. The girls are doing great. Working on some attitude with Patricia and getting teeth with Katie. I'll save them for the next time.
I pray that all of my on-line friends have a safe and fun weekend. Thanks for stopping by!!

The Ugly Ducklings!!

My daughter has this infatuation with shoes. We can't go into a store but what she has to try on shoes. Big shoes, little shoes, spike shoes,boots - you name it, the child has to try them on. I guess this is a natural desire for her considering she is a girl, but I always cringe inside when we pass the shoe department at Wal-Mart because I know what is going to follow. "Mommy please let me see the shoes!!" and then off we go waiting for each shoe to be tried and discarded. When she finds the pair she likes, and if they are not too expensive, she usually wears them around the store. Someday she is going to be showing me her new shoes in jail where I will be for shoplifting. Maybe not. I just know that I dread going by the shoe department for all of the above reasons.

Lately I have been having some foot problems. My right heel especially has been hurting me on a steady basis. I became concerned and so started a search on the Internet. I thought maybe I have heel spurs, but with out a doctors agreement I really didn't know what was causing me so much pain. My sister Sue was having similar problems and told me about a shoe she found that she thought would help me. I googled them and found these shoes:

I must say these are definitely "UGLY DUCKLINGS"!! They are called Crocks Rx and are made specifically for people who have heel spurs and other similar problems. There are 3 kinds:

1. Relief - These are for the heel spurs and so on.

2. Cloud - These are for diabetics and the pair that I received.

3. Silver Cloud - These are for really bad diabetics.

I'm not real sure what the difference is between the 3, but I know that my feet are not hurting nearly like they were. I'm wearing them continuously. The sales man assured me that I would see a big difference in my feet by wearing them. I was thrilled!! No more sore heels. The sad part is the attitude of my very astute daughter. Patricia Ann informed that these were very "UGLY" and she wanted a pair. So off to Wal-Mart we went (because they are cheaper by $35.00) and we found them in a beautiful pink. Not only did we find them in Patricia's size but in Katie's size too. I'll be posting some pictures to collaborate this story :):)

Now for all of you women out there who say you would never be caught "dead" in a pair of those, let me assure you, I thought the same as you until my heels started aching. I was so thrilled with these shoes I wore them the entire day. Now my heels don't seem to be hurting quite as bad and I'm not limping like I was. While in Wal-Mart, Patricia was showing off her shoes to different children she would see and bragging on how pretty she thought they were. We came to this man and his daughter and once again she showed them her new shoes. She then proceeded to yell at me and said "Hey Mom, do you still have on your ugly shoes?" Oh were is a hole in the floor when you need one... She's still alive and I'm still wearing the "ugly" shoes. Thanks for dropping by!!

New Creations

I am not very computer savvy so my blog probably doesn't look as good as some, but I have had a lot of fun with this blog. I had a friend to come over last night and she showed me how to do a lot more with it. Thank God for friends who are smarter than me :):) So maybe in the future I can have a better page than I had before.

This week has been a little slower in that I have not worked as many hours as I usually do. My boss has moved our office into another building and so I took a couple days off to be with the girls. It is always great to be home and not have to get out of my nightgown unto noon!! :):) Don't tell my husband. He would never let me live that one down. :D Mostly I have been trying to catch up on housework and taking care of the girls. They are the light of my life. I had my children late in life (if you can call 35 late) and so I am going to have them with me into the "golden years"!! What joy!! I am so looking forward to watching them grow and mature into what God wants them to be. I never thought I would be so privileged and yet God saw fit to bestow the honor of "Mother" on me. THANK YOU FATHER FOR YOUR LOVE!!

Fall is just around the corner. I always start feeling nostalgic when the seasons change. Fall is the most wonderful time of the year. I look forward to all of the holidays and family gatherings and I start feeling all relaxed and just want to hug everyone. (If you don't want a hug, stay a safe distance!! :D)

I thought I would include this picture and wet every one's appetite. I hope that it worked. God bless each of you as we enter into the end of the Summer Season and start into a brand new one. I know that I will blessed drinking in all of the beauty God has created around me. Thanks for stopping by.

Summer in a nutshell (a really small one)

We are currently in the "last" days of summer. It has been a fast summer. Thank God it has been a "storm free" summer. Until now. Which incidentally is not unusual. We usually don't have any major storms until Fall gets here. BTW, we now have Dean out there creating havoc for all the folks in the Caribbean. I hope and pray that he stays in the water and doesn't come ashore any where. He is really BIG!! I guess we will just have to wait and see what the Lord has in store for us. "Lord, You know that we don't need this storm."

Well let me see. We have had some adventures this summer. Just to name a few:

1. 
   
   
   We have played with snakes. (a corn snake found in the Barbie Jeep)



2. We have gone swimming and just about drowned...me that is!!



3. We have been to the Lagoon in Jupiter. Patricia really had a blast there.



4. Katie has learned to roll over, sit up, and is starting to crawl, pull hair and pinch...ouch!!



5. Tom has switched positions at work to become a Foreman.


6. My computer crashed and I fixed it (talk about brainy????)


7. And it has been HOT!!!!!

Thank God cooler weather is just around the corner. College classes begin next Thursday, the Academy starts on Monday and things are starting to get really busy again. We always look forward to the kids returning and their participation in the church. It can get a little boring here in the summer. But when Fall gets here, everything gets crazy again. If you want to see what all the church and school do just go to http://hobesoundbiblechurch.com/ or to the college website at http://hsbc.edu/homepg.php. You will find a challenging work going on here in our little community. I can't wait for Patricia to become part of all of the excitement.

Well that has been summer in a nutshell straight from the "nut" herself. Glad you took time to stop by. See you online next time.

Here are some pictures from Easter to date. My girls are growing do fast. On the left Katie had just woke up. Below, Tom and Patricia Easter Sunday.

This was taken at Easter this past year. We were at a friends house for an Easter Egg hunt and Patricia decided to take it easy. Wish it could have been me!! :):)

My sister Brenda recently moved here and this was taken on a Sunday morning about three weeks ago. Katie had a cold and was so congested that I decided not to take her that morning. Brenda stopped by to see the girls and I took this picture. Bren had left an abusive relationship and has since then given her heart to Jesus. She has stopped smoking and is doing wonderful. I'm so proud of her.

Miss Katie just hangin around. She thought this was fun. Tom was getting the full benefit of all the slobbers. HeHeHe!!

This is my little bucket head girl. Patricia is 4 and will be going to preschool this year. She is really excited. She went for part of a year last year and really had a lot of fun. She learned alot of things and I am looking forward to this year. She is 49 pounds and 46 inches tall. Pretty big girl for a 4 yr. old. She is the apple of my eye. We have such a close bond. I enjoy her more each day as she grows and we can share more with each other. My beautiful green eyed girl!!

Me thinks that the baby is growing up too fast!! She is holding her own bottle now and sitting in her high chair like a big girl. She loves to eat anything I can feed her and I have a mesh that I can put fresh fruit in . She can chew to her little hearts content and she doesn't choke on any loose or big peices. Pretty cool invention!!

Katie is ready to swim. She is getting so big. I haven't put her in the pool yet, but I'm sure if she is like her sister she will be a fish. We are having so much fun going to the beach and swimming. Some of my friends have invited us to their pools and we have really enjoyed that. Soon Katie can go. Mommy's too chicken to let her go now.

So hope you enjoyed the pictures. Thanks for stopping by.

The fun days are almost over

We are drawing near to the end of Summer and before you know it we will be singing "Jingle-Bells." I know for some of us that is a morbid thought. You just have to think positive about all of the money you will spend and be glad you will make someone smile!! NOT!! ( I pause here to insert this little message "I DO NOT LIKE TO SHOP!!") There! Do you get my drift?? Which means that when such holidays come around that a gift is due, I cringe inside, bite my nails, pull my hair out, and almost go into spasms!! I would rather clean house than shop!! But as I am a mother of 2, wife of 1, daughter and sibling, I must do my duty no matter how hard the task may seem. :):):)





There, that should have broke the ice. Now we can really get into some great topics. Such as kids!! I have neglected to post pictures due to the fact that 1. I have been really busy 2. I have been really busy (did I say that already??) 3. Well, there really isn't a number three. I have just been LAZY and neglectful with this blog.

So I am just letting you know that I have posted some pictures and you can see how big my girls are getting and how beautiful their parents still are!!:):):) Just kidding. Really....lol... :P

Thanks for stopping by the blog of the insane. May God bless you!!!

I'm a little slow...

Ok, I know it has been a while since I have blogged on this site. I have another blog on Yahoo and I must confess I work with it more than this one. But, I am going to do better. Promise!! Here are some pictures of my girls. We had them taken Saturday (a long overdue job) and I think they look like angels!! Hope you enjoy!!

Mother Daughter Banquet

Saturday we had our annual Mother Daughter Banquet. I decided to go this year and was really thankful that I did. We had a wonderful meal followed by an even better speaker. Patricia, my four yr. old had another pary to attend so little Katie was my companion for the evening. She slept through most of the banquet and what time she was awake she talked to everyone :):) She is such a happy baby. I sat with my sister Sue and her daughter Chasity, along with Jen Shillington and her mother Lyla. We had a wonderful time!!