It might be fall.....

There was even a hint of cool in the air today!  I am looking at the coolness from inside because I'm still just not 100% over this bronchitis.  Really, I can't remember when something has just knocked me for a loop, but I am starting to see the other side!   Now I just have coughing fits when my throat gets a "tickle", you know the kind where it starts and you can't seem to stop!  Aggravating!  Plus now with the swine flu everyone looks at you like you're the swine.  I have to say in a choking voice....I promise I don't have the flu, no...I've been to the doctor and I have an antibiotic and cough medicine.  Then I imagine in their silent looks that they are saying to themselves, really, then why don't you take a slug about now?  Then they quickly do a u turn in the aisle and get away to safe air!

Really though, anybody notice I got a new header up??? AND I don't think I destroyed the rest of my blog!  Super exciting for me!

Weekend before last, we went over to Ocala to both visit and for Russell, Tommy and Matt to go to the Florida football game. Here are the boys ready to go.....they just couldn't get there fast enough for Matt, he's our football fanatic!  

Although, Claudia had on a great gator shirt, she had to stay home with mama in law!  It was hard, we were forced to shop. We got home, just in time for me to sleep on the couch  to watch the big game!  I woke up feeling kind of guilty until I realized DIL was playing far*mtown!  SHHHHHH!  Don't tell the guys!

Half of our children are gators and the other half seminoles so I try to remain neutral at all times.  Which isn't all that hard since I don't really like football :)!

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Several years ago when Russell's aunt died, we inherited this beautiful china cabinet....oh, I wish I had a before picture so you could get the full effect!  It was painted antique green......you all remember when we antiqued everything don't you...oh, of course you do!  But this was a real antique, so I'm just not sure who thought it needed more of anything, much less green!

Anyhow, hubby reluctantly took it home and started stripping it.  In fact he stripped it down and then lost interest and it sat in his shop for a few years.  It also needed some glass that had broken out in the doors.

We asked Tommy if he would like to take it and finish refinishing it and he did and here it is!  Is it beautiful or what?  This is the first time we've seen it finished with their dishes and crystal inside.

It originally belonged to Russell's Grandmother so it's a lovely family piece and I love family things.  I hope they enjoy it for years to come then pass it on to one of their children.  :) 

Happy Birthday to two....I mean three!

Happy Birthday to two of these three sisters!  Mary Grace on the left and Katie on the right both have birthdays one yesterday and one today.  Sorry Emily, but you didn't have a birthday!! Well, you did........ oh, you get it.....Oh, my goodness, I don't think I did a birthday post for you Emily,  So here's the revised version of this post.

Happy birthday to three sisters!  From left, Mary Grace, Emily and Katie! 

It has been such a joy watching these girls grow from teens to women. 

Hope you had and have wonderful birthdays and many more to come!  I love you!

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I'm on day 5 of bronchitis and I'm still not well!  I've been on antibiotics for four days, so I'm guessing I have the type that doesn't respond to antibiotics.

Now, I'm not complaining....NO, I'M NOT!  But this also means I've had to put off my shoulder surgery!  Which puts it way nearer to Thanksgiving, when my house MUST be clean so that hordes of family members can come in and dirty it up again.  :)  Just kidding family members!  Sounds a teeny bit like complaining doesn't it?  :(

Maybe nobody else is like this, but when I'm really supposed to be resting and not just resting because I want to.........I notice every little spot of dust in the entire house, even the rooms I don't walk into every day;  I know they have dust because I haven't been in them in a while....you get the picture.

I also start thinking about all the things I wanted to update in the house before Thanksgiving.   I also wanted to sculp a nice piece for the foyer and paint something for the living room.....well, except that I don't sculp or paint......but that's beside the point when you're sick and delusional.

What I really miss today is going to church and worshiping with others that I love and miss when I'm not there.  But I'm thankful that I AM able to go most Sundays because I know people who love much but cannot go due to ongoing medical problems.  I'll get well and be there next week, they might never get to go again. 

I was glad when they said unto me, let us go to the house of the Lord!  Psalm 122:1

I  remember that even though I might be homebound for a few days, I'm thankful for much today.

Have a great Lord's day!

Not to be petty

But my followers section has disappeared and I don't know what I did this time!  Oh, well.....sigh.

Well, would you look at that!  They're back!   Twilight zone!  

Update

This came on our prayer chain this morning. Information from this post.

Brian has been admitted this evening to Sac*red He*art Ho*spital in Pen*sacola.  Prayer is needed as tomorrow (Wednesday) he will have the medi-port put in to use for blood work and chemo.  He will have to be sedated during this procedure.  He will also have an MRI and a Cat Scan tomorrow to determine the extent of the effect the blood disorder has had on his organs and bones.  Please pray that the damage and affect has been limited to his skin.  Please also remember Freddie and Carrie and Brian's siblings: A, W& O.


There is a praise in all of this - it turns out that Brian's pediatric oncologist is Ricky & Julie Le*Fil's (a couple from our church who are now in Pen*sacola)  brother-in-law and therefore Freddie and Carrie have been able to get lots of direct and extra access to him in all of this and feel good knowing the doctor is not a complete stranger.


Depending on the results of the tests tomorrow the chemo could begin as early as the end of this week.  The amount and frequency will also be determined based on the results of the tests tomorrow (Wednesday) as well.


Brian is doing great in all of this but tomorrow is going to potentially be a tough day for him and Freddie & Carrie. 


I always stand amazed at the way God works.  This family has not been living in Pen*sacola long.  But here they are not only with a doctor who has seen other cases of this very rare blood disease, but also have a friend's brother in law as one of their doctors!

Please lift this entire family whenever you think about them.  Thanks!

Please Pray for Brian!

This is Brian, the grandson of one of our pastors.  He has been having lots of tests and has been diagnosed with histiocytosis.  He's 3 years old.

I want to link you to his Aunt Dabney's blog so you can read the details and pray for Brian and his family.  This is a big, loving, faithful to God family and I know they would appreciate each and every prayer.  As we blogger prayers know, our great Physician is listening to our prayers and the blog world includes world wide prayer warriors!

Thank you friends!

Happy Birthday Debbie!

Happy belated birthday to my sister Debbie!  Her birthday was actually yesterday, but we're out of town and this is the first chance to blog, so Happy Birthday and I know it must have been a great day. 

Here Debbie is with our nephew Christopher.

Short post because I'm very low on power and of course forgot my adapter! 

I'm so glad it's today!

Because yesterday I had vertigo!  My friend Sheryl has it a lot, so yesterday she was on my mind.  It's horrible, if you've never had that dizzy feeling, don't be jealous.

I don't know how or why it started.......I have had vertigo a few times, but this was a doozy of a dizzy.  I was just doing laundry like a really good wife, looked up and wham, that was it! I ran to my bed laid flat on my stomach with my head hanging down.  Is that a pretty picture or what.  Thankfully, I have no pictures.

When I was able to get to my meds, take them, lay perfectly still for what seemed like forever, I tried turning over on my back and that was a terrible idea!  That made the throwing up start.  So once I was able to get back in bed I didn't try that again.  I finally slept and woke up somewhat o.k.

Today.....I've been fine, thank you Lord!

Sheryl, you have my daily prayers sister! 

Happy Birthday Mama

For mama's birthday this year, we joined her for lunch at the retirement center.  My youngest brother and his family came over from out of town yesterday to visit since they wouldn't be able to come today and we missed them.
 

We also had two of her best friends sit at our table and were able to bring her older sister too!  

Mama is a very special woman and mama!  She dedicated her life to her six children although I'm sure there were many times she thought I should have been a career woman! 

Enjoy her day in pictures!

Saturday showers and Sunday blessings!

Quick shoulder update.  I have a bone spur that is shaped like a thorn on a rose and is pressing into my rotator cuff.....they'll just go in the shave that off and clean out the bursa.  It's outpatient and shouldn't be a long recovery.  Let's hope not since we will be having Thanksgiving at our house with about 50 people

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Yesterday, friends had a baby shower and I was honored to be invited. I enjoyed meeting lots of her family and friends.  Below are some pictures of the day! 

I had to steal borrow the pictures of the cake table and the presents from her sister's facebook! 

This made twice in a week I've gotten to see this little fella!  Grady had a good time at the shower and was a perfect little gentleman!

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We had a great Sunday of church, eating, resting and church.
Today was communion Sunday and we have a covered dish dinner afterwards....it was sooo good, both church and the food and fellowship afterwards!

Then of course I had my Sunday afternoon nap and back to church for the night service.

Just as I drifted off to dreamland, my phone rang.......it was one of my sons wanting to know if today was father's day!  Very calmly, in my best you've just woken me from my nap voice, this sweet mama said NO!  AND I'm trying to take a nap, love you, bye! 

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On a very sweet note.....many of you know the story of Jack's manlegs, manleg, manhip.....well it finally happened....we lost manlegs!  You may laugh, but this was a major tragedy.  Every night Jack goes across the bed from one night stand to the other waiting to get manlegs.

Being the sweet dog daddy that DH is, he MADE some new manlegs for Jack.  Of course, after they were made, I promptly found the old ones which we are not showing Jack!

Look how much trouble he went to cutting this piece of nylon so it would indeed be manlegs!  He even drew the feet!

This is the same man that when he first saw Jack as a tiny puppy said, and I quote, I wouldn't throw a dog that little at a cow's butt.  Now I'm not sure what that meant except that he didn't like Jack.

Look at the new manlegs below and tell me if you think he's changed his mind!

Two Visits

Does anybody besides me ever just run out of titles??  Well, anyway.....

Thursday, I had an appointment with a doctor in my sister's town, so I drove over to her house and she sweetly went to the doctor with me.  Of course, she knows him well because he operated on my BIL's shoulder a few months ago.  


More about that later, let's just say that after the 30th, I won't be typing a lot! 

An added bonus to the trip was getting to see and visit with Mary Grace and Grady! 

Since I upgraded my template, I'm having a problem with pictures, so rather than try and do something now, I'll just let you enjoy the pictures of handsome Grady and his beautiful mama!

It took Grady a while to warm up to Uncle Dick and his wheelchair, but he finally got comfortable enough to take a ride! 

Remember

For many years, my mama rented a condo at the beach for the month of September, her birthday month.  September 2001, I was in my car with my bag carrying my bathing suit, sunscreen and towel....happily headed out for a day at the beach when my cell phone rang and a friend asked that question, where are you?  Turn on your radio!

That's how I heard.  

Until I actually got into the condo, I thought, like most people, that a terrible accident had taken place in New York.

But once in front of a television, watching with horror the horror,  all America knew that this was no accident.  Our spacious skies had been shattered by terror. 

Our precious country....this country who quickly comes to the aid of other hurting countries had been attacked.

A terrible feeling came over me.....like the feeling I had as a child during the Cuban Crisis, only a thousand times worse.

The feeling of safety evaporated from many Americans.  I was scheduled to go to New York the following December with my MIL and SIL and I just couldn't.

Today, we stop for a moment and pray for our nation and for those who lost family members during that terrible attack.

Friday.....Show Me Your Life....School Pictures.

Kelly is again hosting Friday...Show Me Your Life and this week it's school pictures!   This one sounds fun to me since my husband and I went to mostly the same schools and he was only a year ahead of me!

O.K., now this is my husband in 9th grade.

As you see he was voted  Most Popular.  I mean he was so popular they couldn't even spell his name right!  It's two l's guys!  One of his employees copied this from her Jr. High yearbook and gave it to him on his birthday.  I was surprised, because he was always so shy, that he got Most Popular.  

And then there's me......as you see I was a friend in more than name.  I wasn't shy!  I guess I wasn't popular either! 

Now that I think about it, my husband is still Most Popular in my book and I hope I'm a friend in more than name!  

Another beach trip.....

I'm not posting as many pictures of this trip since we just made the same trip (with the same bathing suit) last month.  

This trip was just as relaxing as the last one!  Praise the Lord for His beautiful creation, it just soothes and comforts!  And just as His mercies are new every morning, so is the beauty of His creation!

The first two days, we stayed at a site that was just fine, but then we got the opportunity to move to the lot below.  It is the most beautiful lot in the park, is very seldom available and we just happened to get 3 empty days!  Of course, with Labor Day weekend coming, there will be NO empty lots.

You can't see it well, but there is a fountain there that makes it really pretty.  Maybe if you click on that picture, you'll be able to see the statue better.  

This was the R.V. across from us.  I'm not exactly sure how they managed to move around inside and maybe you just open the door and get into bed.  That kind of camping isn't for me!  I am claustrophobic and I would be c.r.a.z.y.   er.  :)

As you can see, it was cloudy and threatning to storm most of the time we were on the beach.  Those clouds were breathtakingly beautiful.....I especially like the ones of the rays pushing through the clouds.  Actually, it never rained on us.....we managed to get to the beach, stay as long as we wanted and get back before any rain ever fell!

One night, it did really storm and the next day when we went down to the beach, you could see the surf had eaten away the sand and there was a mini cliff before you got to the water.  

We saw things this trip that we haven't seen before.  One day we kept noticing something reflecting in the surf and when we looked closely, we saw what we think were needle nosed fish. They were blue and green colors, almost seeming neon in the water.

That same day I came on a small sting ray on the bottom and promptly pulled my feet up onto my float.  

Another day, at dusk, we saw big sting rays swimming close to the surface of the Gulf, flapping their bodies making them look like they were flying!  

The last day, we had dolphins swimming close by!  Unfortunately, that day the dog flies were having us for lunch!  We tried putting bug spray on, but they weren't to be stopped!  So we loaded our little wagon and started for the R.V.

Russell was riding ahead of me pulling our wagon while I closely watched to make sure nothing fell off instead of watching the road.....I'm a terrible driver.....rode off into the bushes and got all scratched.  So I rode the rest of the way bleeding!  I laughingly said a land shark got me!  

Not sure if anyone noticed, but my sidebar is back!!!!!  I just had to update my template whatever that means!  I may even get brave enough to attempt putting a new header on the blog.  Maybe........  but I also can't seem to find spell check!  SIGH

Home again!

We're home and the fun has started!  Cleaning the motorhome and washing everything and putting it all back.  I really don't mind because we had a good time!  Even my neighbor who was getting my mail told me I looked relaxed.  I guess I usually don't! 

Picture are coming, but I better get back to cleaning!