Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ A day I'll never forget

The day we buried my Grandpa was a beautiful sunny Saturday.  Honestly, I don't remember a whole lot about the morning or the rush to get ready.  I do however remember the lovely service.  One of my Grandpa's best friends Brother Ron, came from Mississippi to preach his service.  We had may laughs and tears as well.

On the way to the dinner in the bright sunny sky, we saw a rainbow.  I was just amazed!  Not a cloud in the sky and there was a big rainbow.  God is so good to my family, we were so glad God gave us this little gift on a day that was so sudden and unexpected, unexpected for us, but not God he knew....

The dinner was wonderful, we had country home cooking the kind that was my Grandpa's favorite.  We found ourselves again laughing, and I can tell you we were happy to be together, I know the only reason we could be happy, was very simple, my Grandpa left a legacy, he loved Christ he spend many years working to increase the kingdom and the moment he took his last breath he was in the presence of the Lord.  So for that I am truly happy.  I will always miss him, not a day has past in the last few weeks that I haven't thought about and cried about missing him.

For this weeks Fro Me To You I am sharing some photo's taken after the funeral.  We all have so much fun sharing pictures weekly, just head over to We are THAT family for more fun.

My Grandma and I, at the restaurant.

HD and I.  Not really sure why he has those glasses on or who they belong to...

Bo, outside of the funeral home, he is wearing my Grandpa's hat.

My family.

This is "S" one of my best friends in the whole world!  The day my Grandpa died, she dropped everything and came to help me for 4 days,  She handled my kids while we were planning the funeral, she cooked and cleaned, shopped and listened to me for hours on end.  She is one of a kind, I am so blessed to have her.  

Happy Anniversary!

Today HD and I have been married for 12 years!  It seems like we have been together forever!  I am very thankful for that, I love HD more than anything else in the whole world!

Dear HD~

You are the most wonderful husband in the world, I am not just saying that because you are mine!  I am thankful everyday for how good to me you are.  You are not only a wonderful husband who prays for me daily, leads me spiritually and loving guides me you are my best friend!  You know I have some great girl friends, but you, my love, are the best friend I could ever ask for!  No matter what I need you are always there for me.  No matter what I need to say you always listen, you always care.  You are always my biggest advocate and encourager, thank you.

I knew even before our first date that you and I needed to be together, remember your girlfriend told you, how I felt.  I love that you only dated her for 2 weeks!  I love that your longest girlfriend was 3 weeks until you met me!  I love that I am the only woman you have ever loved!  I knew the very first time you kissed me that I never wanted anyone else in the world to kiss me but you, not then, not now, not ever!

The day you asked me to marry you on the steps of our little home, I was changed forever, I said yes with no hesitation, I didn't have to think, I knew we were created for each other and each other alone.  There has not been one day in the last 12 years that I have ever regretted my decision, I would marry you 1000 times!  You make me a better person!  You are my favorite part of everyday!  

When you made me a mother, again you amazed me, with your big hands you gently took our tiny son holding rocking and speaking softly to him.  I will always remember the joy I felt, how amazing that I instantly loved you even more, I didn't know that was possible to love you more you already had my whole heart, and then each time we had another child our love grew even more, we were no longer just a couple but a family.  I love how you are such an amazing father, our children are blessed beyond measure!

This year when you had a vasectomy reversal to grow our family, I was so grateful for your love to me.  I was grateful that God again gave us the same desire and even though you knew how painful this was going to be you did it.  I loved being by your side during the surgery.  I will never forget the pain you went through that day to have a baby with me again.  I don't know very many men who would do that for their wife, you are one of a kind!  I love when you tell me you want to have a baby with me.  I love how you hold me and pray with me, when I am not pregnant, how you wipe my tears with your thumb and how you are always positive about having more children, knowing and believing God will bless us in his time.

In the last few weeks with my Grandpa dying, I can't even begin to tell you how much your constant devotion has meant to me!  You have kept me strong.  I am so thankful that the night he died you held me all night, and that you have held me every night since.  There were days when I felt like my feet wouldn't carry me and you held me tight and helped me along.  All of the difficult decisions we had to make were easier with you by my side.

Waking up and going to sleep in your arms is the most welcome place in the world.  Thank you for starting and ending each and everyday praying with me.  Thank you for loving me!  Thank you for being you.

I love you always!

Me

Hunting with HD

I have been at a loss for words lately, I like to think if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all!  So with my Grandpa's sudden death and HD's company trying to make us move to a state were people often say you can marry your brother, I haven't had much to say.  So to my readers I am sorry.  I am still here, I am trying to deal with this all and am still a teacher so my days are even longer than usual.  

The weekend before last I informed HD I was going hunting with him, he smiled and said you are!  I had my mom watch the kids and off we went.  The woods is to be a very quite place, that's the hardest part for me, not talking at all.  I went last year too, and in order to remain silent I read.  It is actually very peaceful.  It is bow season as in bow and arrow.  We climb up in a big old tree and we sat in a two man tree stand.  How long have you ever sat with your husband or wife with out talking just enjoying nature, it is very peaceful, from time to time he would touch my leg and smile.  HD's favorite thing in the world besides me and the kids is hunting and I went because I want whats important to him to be important to me.  I don't want to kill anything I just want to watch the action.

I was about 200 pages in to the Memory Keepers Daughter, (it was pretty good) when we heard a doe, she came from behind us and she came into full view HD drew his bow back and waited for the perfect moment.  Unfortunately, he hit a limb of a tree hanging in the path, the deer ran away and we again waited.  HD is an excellent marks man and he was so mad that he hit the branch, it was hanging from a tree a few yards away, he would never take a shot if he thought he might miss and possibly wound an animal.

About 45 minutes later as I continued to read quietly, out of no where it seemed a bobcat came running strait at the tree we were in, I have never seen a bobcat in the woods, they are big!  It was looking all around and it looked right up at us, but with full camo and face masks on it never even noticed us there.  I am pretty sure I was shaking and trying to remember to breath, it was so exciting!  Again HD drew his bow back and this time made the hit perfectly.  It ran only a few hundred feet before it fell.  We got down about 20 minutes later and started to look for it.  I was the lucky one to find the bobcat.

* I know not everyone thinks hunting is a good sport, but we do!  HD provides our family with a lot of food that way.  You might even ask why a bobcat, bobcats cause a lot of damage, killing cats, small dogs and chicken.  This is the first time HD has ever killed one and he has said it would be the last, we will not be eating it so there is no need to kill one again.  We are having it mounted it is beautiful.  So if you disagree with hunting that's fine, to each there own, but please keep your negative comments to yourself on this issue.*

Now for some pictures and if you don't want to see the bobcat click away now....

All I can say is~

Hold your head up!  Wednesday night Bo hurt his foot on our trampoline, yes that making us not only part of THAT family but a national statistic!  We went to the urgent care clinic for xrays yesterday morning, it showed no broken bones but an injury to the growth plate?  I had no idea a kid could injury his growth plate.  But guess what you can, and from what the doctor said it would be better to be broken.

We are living in 5 minutes to see an orthopedic surgeon we will see what they recommend, rest, ace bandage, cast....  We will see.

But I am holding my head up, God will protect my son.  All this transfer stuff will go as God plans, and I will Survive.  (I just broke out in song there can you hear it, I will survive I will survive)

Hope your day is great!

This makes me laugh

I was checking over my emails this morning and a friend who knew I need a good laugh sent me this

You think this will come in handy with packing and moving and all the stuff that goes along with all that?  I think I will order everyone in my family one for Christmas.

Life has become very complicated!

Just when you think things are settling down...

HD's company tells us on Friday, that they are handing out termination letters, but being that he is in the union and works for a major phone company you know the one that says "can you hear me now" they have to first offer us a lateral move.  The move is in a neighboring state but is still hours from where we live.  Hours from where we just buried my Grandpa.  Hours from our friends our church our lives...

So being that HD makes very good money we have to go.  We have always been blessed beyond measure with his jobs and our health care.  We wish we had more time or more of a choice but we have to go.  They are giving us the offer on Nov. 3 and we have 1 week to answer.  From that point I don't know when we will have to report to our new spot.  We had a realtor come this morning to advise us what we need to do to sell quick. 

As much of a shock as this is I am at peace.  God has different plans for us than I knew about.  Pray for us as we are going to be super busy!  We have to paint and trim and we are having new Kitchen floors and counters put in. 

So what I mentioned about moving was only a rumor in the company which came to pass this weekend.  I will keep you all posted!

A Day to Give

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TWICE BLESSED MOMMY!!!!

I am posting this a little late in the morning because I am leaving my house at 5am to go and surprise TBM for her birthday.  It is going to be a long holiday season with the sudden death of my grandpa, her dad.  So to say the least this is going to be a very hard birthday for her! He always called us and sang happy birthday to us.  Our family makes a really big deal about birthdays!  So I want her to be happy today.  I want her to smile even though we want to cry!  I am taking my mom and grandma with me we are only going to stay for a few hours and then we have to drive back home.  It's 6 hours of driving but it is so worth seeing the look on her face when we walk in singing.  But we will get to tell her we love her and we can sing her happy birthday and we can give her presents in person.  I Love you Dana!  So today I am giving time to Dana, because I love her and my Grandpa would have wanted her to be happy, she is one of my favorite people in the whole world, I thank God for her often!  I love her so much I'm not even going to tell you how old she is.

Go to We Are That Family for more Give of yourself goodness!

I also want to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Jess!  Today my wonderful sister in law Jess is 30!  I am so glad you can join me here in the 30's!  Just last month when I turned 30 Jess sent me 30 one dollar bills, she is a funny gal!  Jess is not only a wonderful sister in law who I love dearly she is one of my best friends in the world!  She is the best thing that could have ever happened to my brother in law Zack, she is a great wife and mother!  I wish I could spend today with you, turning 30 on a Friday, we could have some fun girl!  I hope your day is amazing!  I love  you!

Now I want to have a good laugh with you all...

From time to time when I need a good laugh I check my stat counter and see how people ended up here like a keyword analysis.  And by the way I have over 100 readers daily and only about 20 comment, where are you people who are you people just say hello every now and then!  We bloggers call you non commenter's lurkers!  So come out of the closet and say hi!

So on with the keyword analysis~

1. Should I home school if I am not a Happy Mommy?

I would answer that question very simply how unhappy are you?  And do you like to teach it might make you happy...

2. What rhymes with infection?

oh maybe perfection

3. Let me tell you a Story Mr IRS

I have no clue how you got here and am sorry, really because I don't want to know

4. Vasectomy Regret

I totally understand I regret it to!  

5. Funny stories about dogs getting sprayed by a skunk

Laugh laugh it up but let me tell you its much funnier to read than to have happen to your dog!

6. Happy with my car

I am happy that I cleaned my car, but to be honest it's pretty bad again!

7. Walmart cake decorating job

I do love walmart and I enjoy cake decorating but I do not work there

8. Fear of Vinegar

What?  Vinegar is great to cook with and clean with....

Have a great Friday!

Fro Me to You~ For the Love of Hats part 3

I have been sharing my children's love of hats with you the last few weeks.  I have come to realize that Daisy does not posses the same deep love as the boys.  She does however have a deep love for cordanating hair accessories!  She is also all about cute shoes.  Now don't get me wrong she has a few hats of her own she just isn't as deeply in love with the hat as the boys.

This was taken at my girls dedication.  I know it's not really a hat but look how beautiful she is!

Next is the apple orchard with Aunt Dana you know Dana as TBM, Daisy loves her Aunt so much look how happy she is!

Now she is a Flower.

And now she is a pumpkin.

I saved the best picture for last, she is a princess cowgirl, she is wearing a beautiful pink disney princess dress, high heels and a cowgirl hat!

Go to We Are THAT Family for Fro Me To You!

Time flys and not just when you are having fun

It has been a week since my Grandpa died, a very long but fast week.  I find it so hard to believe that he is gone, yet he is.  I guess with a death so sudden it takes awhile to wrap your mind around everything.  I am trying to keep my mind on the tasks ahead and keep myself from becoming to sad or overwhelmed at least for my children's sake.  My Grandpa would not want me to stay in a state of sadness he was a very jovial and fun person.

This morning we have a little school to do and then we go to our home school co op, we are taking Ruby Wife and new baby dinner this evening.  I tell you seeing a new baby makes me very happy!  Have I mentioned how much I love babies?  Oh, only about 18739847198374549 times here on this blog!

A blog friend emailed me yesterday with the news that she is finally pregnant!  I am just thrilled!  I want everyone to know that even though it has not happened yet for HD and I, I love hearing how God is blessing others!  Sometimes I feel like people don't want to tell me because they think I will be sad for myself.  It will be in his time.  I can see now that with the recent events in our life being pregnant would have been a bad thing....  God knows the time and he will bless us.

Tell me if I did a Saturday recipe Swap here would you all like to link up and share?  There used to be one and it stopped, I loved sharing recipes and so I thought I might start one up but only if you all want to play!  I don't like playing alone being a people person and all so let me know if you are interested.

A new day

As much as we have been through in the last week, I have missed blogging.  I am so grateful for all of your kind words during this tough time!  Our friends and family were simply amazing to surround us with love!

One of my closest friends in the world Susan dropped everything and came for four days and watched my children while HD and I made all the arrangements and got everything done.  Susan doesn't like to be thanked for things, but she did so much for me I will always be very thankful for her!

Last friday Ruby Wife had her sweet baby.  I got to meet him on Sunday after everything was over, he is beautiful!

I wanted to let you all know I am still here, I am getting by.  I haven't really had anything to say, so I have been quite.

My kids are handling this all really well, Luke understands that his papaw is in heaven, he is comforted by that.  Bo doesn't understand why we are sad at all, he just says papaw is in heaven why are you sad that is really exciting!  And Daisy is still just to young to understand.

HD had to go back to work today, he has been off since last week.  I have felt a little lost without him today.  It might be that he has made me every cup of coffee, held my hand while I walked, made me sandwiches, cooked dinner, bathed the kids, talked to friends, made arrangements he did everything for me.

Please keep my Grandma in your prayers the up coming days are going to be very long for her.  My Mother  is staying with her right now while we make some decisions about the future, she will be moving in with us at the first of the year if our house doesn't sell before then.

My Grandpa

Yesterday October 8, 2008 my Grandpa went home to be with Jesus.  Although it was so quick it was also not painful for him.  My Grandma, my mom, my Aunt Dana and I all were with him, in his last few minutes we told him how much we loved him, how wonderful he was to us, how thankful we were for him, and to please go home with Jesus.  Every Thursday night for probably 20 years he served on a team at church that did visitation and witnessed to people, my Grandpa lead many many people to the Lord, he truly had a glorious welcome home yesterday.

I am very Thankful for all of your prayers!  It all still seems just so unreal.  He was my Daddy, I will never be the same.  Please continue to pray for my family, this is so hard on Luke, Bo and Daisy are a little to young to realize that we are not going to see him here on earth again.

HD and myself are taking my Grandma to the funeral home this morning to make all the arrangements.  We are going to try and have the funeral on Saturday, that way our out of town family can come. 

Works For Me Wednesday~ Love language

My small group is doing a study on The Five Love Languages, HD (Happy Daddy) and I read this book together before we started having children and let me tell you it is super helpful!  I have learned that HD's love language is Acts of Service.  My love language is Words of Affirmation.  Now let me say it took me years to understand why it was that I would tell HD how much I loved him and he would smile and nod, he never seemed to get it, but if I cleaned the house and organized or if I ran an errand for him he was elated...  HD is the kind of husband who is totally hands on he will jump in and help with the kids, he baths them and he will do any house hold chore I ask, he really felt like he was showing me love but all I ever wanted was to hear how he felt!  All he ever wanted was to see how I felt.

So what we do is very simple, first we understand how each other loves, and even though it might not be our love language we still acknowledge when the other is trying to be loving.  I pack HD's lunch everyday, that is very important to him, he loves that I get up early so that I can feed him which to him is an act of service, he likes hot breakfast which also is an act of service, now I always put a love note in his lunch box, yes everyday.  I show my love that way, I give him words of encouragement or compliment something he has done, it's a win win situation.

HD is very helpful in our home, from the moment he walks in the door at night even though he has worked on his feet all day he is a 50/50 parent which shows his love language and he trys very hard to tell me how he feels, he compliments any extra work I have done as well as the way that I look which means so much to me.

After understanding how our minds work, it has made our already happy marriage even better, we don't let any good intentional deed go unnoticed.  The Five Love Languages has worked for us, you should check it out it will work for you too.  

For more wonderful ideas on what can work for you go to Rocks in my Dryer.

My Life

My life as I know it changed dramatically on Friday morning.  As you all know Daisy had her tonsils out on Thursday and she is still doing well, but because of her surgery I have been unable to attend some of my Grandparents recent appointments.

I mentioned last week that my Grandpa had a spot on is lung and we were checking it out.  See, my Grandpa and Grandma helped raise me, I moved in with them when I was only 5 or 6.  My Father has never been an active roll in my life but my Grandpa has been, he is my Daddy.

My Grandpa's doctor called me on Friday to tell me that he has lung cancer and it has spread to his liver.  He started throwing up on Friday and he is now in the hospital, for dehydration, we have very little time left.  We have made it very clear we want him to come home, we are getting him some IV fluid and we want home health or Hospice to come and be with us.

As of last week my Grandpa was still doing the grocery shopping and has been pretty active, making dinner and taking care of my grandma.

My Mom, Twice Blessed Mommy and myself are all devastated, its one thing to receive a diagnosis of Alzheimer's and go through the lose of my Grandma's mind but now we are losing our Daddy too.

I can't even begin to explain how grateful I am that we moved them here last year that we have had this time with them, I can't even begin to explain the shock of losing him this quickly.

Please pray for some time for us, we don't want him to suffer not even for a minute, but we want at least a few days to be with him.

My Grandpa is a Christian, he loves the Lord, he served as a deacon in his church for at least 40 years and  has helped lead many people to Christ, many friends already waiting for him.  He will finally be able to see his mother again, and he will soon meet Jesus face to face, yet we grieve, we want him with us....

Pray for my Grandma who told me just Saturday that 58 years is not long enough to be with the love of your live...  Pray that this will not completely rob her of her mind.

Pray for our family we need it right now, we need strength and wisdom with all decisions that need to be made.

I was tagged

I was tagged by One more equals four to share 5 things I have learned about blogging.  One more has been one of my longest bloggy friends, she is the first person who I emailed outside of commenting on other peoples blog she is also the first person I told my real name to.  She is my blog friend!  

So let me see what are 5 things I have learned about blogging...

1. I love it!  I was never a diary keeper or even a writer of any kind, but once I started writing I couldn't stop.  This blog has helped me through some really touchy times like our decision to have a reversal and this blog has encouraged me.  

2. I have learned that I might not be famous like Pioneer woman and that's ok...  No I have learned that even though I have put famous bloggers in my blog roll does not mean they will ever read me, and I so ok with that, now!  I have a great group of readers who encourage me and lift me up all the time, I love you guys!

3. I have learned to laugh at myself much more often!  I sometimes sit at my computer and crack up at my life and its just fun to talk about it!  Hey its much better to laugh than to cry, right!

4. I have learned that sharing my life gives me joy, I have had alot of secrets in my life and they bring nothing but pain, sharing my life is freeing!

5. This is a long one...  I have recently learned  that my sister reads my blog, now let me start with the fact that I have said that I am an only child, that is half untrue, I was raised an only child, my mother and father were divorced when I was 3, my father has always struggled to be my dad and that's for another post, so anyway he had another daughter when I was 10, her name is Molly.  Molly and I were not raised in the same house and with my lack of relationship with my father I rarely ever got to see Molly.  She was only 8 when I got married and moved over 12 hours away and so we have never really had any kind of relationship.  

I have always kept my distance not wanting to intrude on her life her family.  About 4 years ago I called my father and let him off the hook one could say, I totally forgave him and have since called him and he has called me, we have spent some holidays together, all the while I have felt like my sister really didn't want a relationship with me, and understandably, I have always thought of our dad as her dad.

Two weeks ago my sister commented on my blog, it rocked my world upside down.  I was totally shocked she was interested in me?!?!?  We very quickly went from commenting back and forth to emailing one another, and to my surprise she has been reading my blog for a long time, but what is even more surprising is she has always considered me her big sister and it has saddened her that we weren't close.  I don't think 2 days have gone by in the last 2 weeks that we haven't emailed each other we have talked on the phone twice as well.  She likes email that's her generation I like the phone but anyway, I can't even tell you all how happy this makes me,  I have a sister and she wants to have a relationship with me, wow!

Amazingly we like and dislike many of the same things we have the same favorite color, same favorite food.  Just tell me how great is that!  So I have also found that blogs can bring family's together.  Molly and I have so many years to make up for, and no better time to start than today!

Now I am supposed to tag 5 people to share the five things they have learned about blogging so I chose

Giovanna diaries

Twice Blessed Mommy

We Are That Family

Little toes and Cheerios

Pioneer Woman (just kidding, see I make myself laugh)

Mandigirl Muses 

Growin with it  ( I wanted 6)

Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ For the love of hats part 2

*UPDATE* We are home from Daisy's surgery, she did really well!  The ear tubes went in with out any problems and she didn't have any infection present today.  She had no bleeding with the tonsil removal, and she actually has eaten 3 Popsicles, and drank 1 cup of  Gatorade.  So for now she is doing very well much better than I expected.  Thank you for your prayers!

Two weeks ago I shared with you all my sweet son Luke's love of hats, and I promised to show you more...  See the love did not die with Luke, no it did not it spread, Luke shared his love for the hat with his baby brother who in turn has a much deeper love for hats than Luke ever had.

And Bo has been so kind as to share his love for hats with his baby sister...  but that's for next week.  And speaking of baby sister, Daisy is have her tonsils removed this morning at 9 am please pray for her!

Now on with the hat party!  This is Bo, and his early love of hats.

Bo likes all hats even if they belong to someone else

Now Bo had a love of this hat more than other hats, he wore this hat everywhere we went for almost a year and he paired it with bright green rubber boots

Bo called this his Night Night hat, he slept in this hat for almost 2 years every night

Bo also like matching hats

He decided to be Woody "boodie" for Halloween  because he couldn't go without the hat

Stay  tuned next week for the continuation of our love for hats, next week.

Go to We Are THAT Family for more fro me to you.

Works For Me Wednesday~ in the kitchen

This weeks addition to works for me Wednesday it is all about organization in the kitchen...

I love to cook, I was born to cook, I love all things to do with cooking, so all that being said I spend alot of time in my kitchen!

I find it very helpful to plan ahead!  I set our coffee pot the night before because it's not like we wake up and are surprised "oh maybe we want a cup of coffee" no its a given we are going to have coffee and so its all set and comes on at 5:55am so that when the clock goes off at 6 we can smell the sweet aroma.

I plan our meals that way too, before we go to be each night I decide what we are going to have for breakfast, sometimes it's a casserole I prepare it before bed, or baked oatmeal or even just eggs, but I always know what we are going to have, in early years of marriage I made a list and crossed off the meals as we ate them, that might work if you don't really like to cook.

I plan our dinners one or two weeks in advance, I write our grocery list according to the meals and then I am prepared.  I start dinner every day at around 3 so that dinner is done when my husband get home from work at 5.  We all know that dinner comes everyday so we need to plan for it, that will not only satisfy the family but you are much more likely to eat healthy if you plan ahead.  I will even take a few minutes to peel veggies or double check a recipe in the morning if time permits.   Planning ahead works for me.  

For more Works for me Wednesday go to Rocks in my Dryer.