Easter weekend

I didn't mean to upload the following two little movies of Charley, but I can't seem to delete them and I don't know if they'll play or not!

What a great after tax vacation we had this year.  We were privileged to go down a few days early to our son and daughter in law's home and kept Charley Thursday and Friday while they worked.  We had a wonderful time, though maybe not restful!  No matter, we loved every hug, kiss, smile and laugh from our youngest grandchild.

Charley is 10 months old and is just delightful.  He almost always has a smile on his face and lately it turns to a grin for the camera!  Here he is saying hello Pappy and Nana!  Or maybe, hello Mikey!  

Charley's showing us how he can pull up and stand.  We are convinced he'll be walking before his birthday.

Pappy had not seen Charley since Christmas due to tax season so he was just especially excited to see his big boy.

Thursday and Friday Tommy and Claudia had to work, so Tommy brought Charley to us at the RV park and we kept him there for a while, then went out and about.  Below, I'm getting my morning hug!

Charley was ready to go on a motorhome trip.  

There are lots of things to turn on the the motorhome and Charley tried them all.

So much to see.....even myself!

We went for walks in the park.

You don't see many babies in an RV park, so Charley got lots of attention from our fellow campers.

Nana ended up carrying one tired little dog while Charley fell sound asleep.  We did try to lay his head back, but he wasn't having any of that!  

Hey, Nana.....are you sure you don't need this turned on?

Obviously, the movies moved, quite on their own I'm sure, so here they are or aren't again!

We rocked.

We shopped! 

We played with the dogs.

But there's just nothing like when mama comes home from work!  Charley was so happy to see his mama.  Aren't they just beautiful??

Friday, Charley got there while Nana was still in her pjs...but he was glad to give her a kiss.

Come on, Pappy, let's go outside!

There's that sweet grin we love

Back at Charley's house, Pappy gave a lesson on putting the balls in the right holes.

We got a bath

I'm soooooo big and happy!!!

Reaching for a lift

Have I ever mentioned what a great guy my husband is?????  Well, he's also the world's greatest Pappy! He's saying let me out Charley!!!

Charley is saying.....No, you let me in, they try to keep me out of there!

Just can't resist that water bowl

We celebrated Christ's resurrection by going to church.....our beautiful children.

Pappy and Nana with Charley

Pappy plays with Charley in the car.

Daddy and Charley even wished the Flat Princess a fond goodbye!

We had a wonderful time visiting the kids for Easter.  We'll see them again this weekend as we celebrate another son's wedding....

Speaking of which, I'd better get busy getting ready for that!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter.

He is risen!  Let us live in that Resurrection power.

I should be....

..... packing the motorhome for our trip!  We leave tomorrow morning and I haven't put one piece of clothing or anything else for that matter in the motorhome.  I did however, put a ham and some twice baked potatoes in the fridge for Easter Sunday.  :)

I'm excited that tax season is over!!  My husband got home at 6:22 pm last night.

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Two of my sweet girls came a few weekends ago for a very short visit.  Actually, they were here for a bridal shower and I got to keep the children along with my friend Carol.

Grady and Anna Cross are sweet cousins.  Oh, they never even missed their mamas!  :)  They watched a little movie.

Played with their Donald Easter bunnies.  Those Donalds are so cute!  My MIL got one for our grandson and it was so neat that I got these two one.

Grady hula hooped and Miss Carol helped and Anna Cross looked on giving directions!

AC and Grady had a snack, then it was on to rearranging the house!  Grady looks like he's saying this basket needs to go!

We had lots more fun before their mommy's came and the visit wasn't long enough at all!  But Anna Cross got sick toward the end of her stay and ended up having to go to the doctor when she got home!

It was so much fun seeing these girls with their children.  Thanks for letting us keep them i.e. trusting us with them!  :)

Hope to see you all again soon.

When things never seem to end.....

Like Tax Season!   This year the season doesn't end until Monday, and Monday can't come fast enough for me.  Don't misunderstand, I am so grateful  that in the economy we live in that God has provided for us!  But toward the end, I am really lonely for my husband.

I miss these strong arms to hold me tight!  

When Monday comes and goes, we will take a little trip to get away and this year we are going someplace very special!  

To see our newest grandson!  AND to be there for his first Easter!

Look how he's grinning thinking of Pappy and Nana coming.  We will even get the privilege of taking care of him two days while Mommy and Daddy work!  

And yes, we're excited to see them too!  :)  

Russell will also start coming home at normal times instead of 9 or 10 o'clock p.m.  

And I'll get to see and hear him do this....

Laugh at something silly I've just said!  I love his laugh, it's unique and if you're in a crowd and hear him laugh, you immediately know where he is!  

I know I say this a lot, but I also know I can't say it enough.....I'm so grateful God gave me this husband!!!

Oh, how He loves you and me......

It has been said to me that I'm very transparent.  Truthfully, I don't mind sharing anything in my life that may help someone who is either going through something that I've been through or who is contemplating some sin I've committed and need warning if it will lift them up and help them, or just let them know they aren't alone in the battle.  Some of the things I've done in my life have been, well, let's just call them really bad decisions for now. 

So, let me say that for the past few months, I've been in a bad place.  Almost despair. Sad, hurt, angry and on and on.  Not because of my decisions, but because of life circumstances that we all face in this fallen world.

But in everything, let me say this, God is good.  He has sent His Word and people into my path to encourage me.  You know who you are and I love you all!

First, during this time, I joined the Blogging the Bible in 90 days team and what a comfort to daily take time and just read His Word.  The right thing at the right time!  

After the Lord, I need to thank my husband.....that rock God gifted me with 15 years ago.   He is a strong, good and Godly man who reminds me that God is in control ......he's also famous for the words......get over it.  :)  During this time, he has also been hurt and disappointed by friends he respects in the Lord.  He is able to walk through these things with the confidence of 1 Corinthians 4:5.

Then my thanks to the people who are closest to me and again, you know who you are!  I thank God every day for you all.  I can call you and you will listen and let me vent and pour out my heart's troubles!

And at a few of my lowest moments things like these......

In the mail.....

Click to read

This is the front of a card I received from a long, long time friend.  Another evidence of how God works.  I got home one day and got the mail from the mailbox.  I thought I saw my friend's return address on a card, but had to run back out and just threw the mail in the car.  On my return home, I couldn't find that card and assumed that I just misread another address on another card.  Then on a particularly down and blue day, I got out of my car and looked down and there in the pocket of the door was a card.  I almost didn't pick it up.....true story.....but I did and there was the card!  I don't want to write what she wrote to me .......but just let me say that I knew it was appointed for me to find it just at that time!


This morning, after asking a friend to pray for me, I got an email from her....I am going to put parts of it here because it will probably help most of you too.

She starts with..

I have been praying you'd have the peace that passes understanding.  THINK THINK THINK, dear sis, on whatsoever things are TRUE (I'm sure the Lord put that first because we are such creatures of doubt, worry and speculation) , HONEST, JUST, PURE, LOVELY of GOOD REPORT, if there be any VIRTUE, if there be any PRAISE, think on these (Phil 4:4-8).


How very comforting these words are.  I don't tend to think on those first....do you?

Another thing she had....

Praise His name, you can calm down, because HE IS YOUR SUFFICIENCY 2 Cor. 3:5, YOUR PEACE Romans 15:33, John 14:27.....YOUR HIDING PLACE Psalm 32:7 YOUR REFUGE, YOUR STRENGTH, YOUR VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE Psalm 46:1.....


The sweet thing about this friend is that she didn't say now stop your crying!  She said instead .....let the tears flow. Cast the care on God HE CARES SO MUCH FOR YOU  1 Peter 5:7  


Bathe in that awesome truth.  Let it wash over your soul until all the things of this earth grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.  


I am so thankful for my friends.

And I cannot leave out my sweet blog friends all over the world who are such prayer warriors and who bind together to pray for one another.

And so I remember this......OH, HOW HE LOVES YOU AND ME!

There's gonna be a wedding....

It's spring time and time for a wedding in the family!  Actually there will be more than one wedding, but my second son David's is this month.  Some of his good friends had a BBQ/bride and groom shower and it was really nice.

My son with his sweet, soon to be bride, Arwen.

After we had our fill of good food, David and Arwen opened their presents.

Someone was very practical.  You can never have enough detergent!

Toasting glasses

Russell and I gave them two books we hope they read a lot....The Power of a Praying Wife and The Power of a Praying Husband.

Group picture at sunset.

Thanks Brian and Tanna for a really nice time!

David and Arwen will be marrying at the end of this month and it's creeping up fast!

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It's been so busy around here lately.  There have been some things that have left me feeling really sad.

Apparently, when I'm sad, I don't write much!

Good week all!

Anniversary and Grandson.....

Can hardly believe that it's been more than a week ago that my MIL and I headed off to spend the weekend taking care of our sweet Charley so Mama and Daddy could celebrate their 5th anniversary.

That's his cute new posed smile!  Little ham!  Charley seems to have a really special bond with his Greatgrandmother, Mema.  We so enjoyed our time with Tommy, Claudia and Charley.

It was late in the day when we got started on our drive down and Lola, our GPS, was programmed to take us straight to the motel, but it got dark and I guess Lola's a lot like me and doesn't drive well at night.  We got a little bit lost, but eventually found out motel which was across the street from Silver Springs.  Silver Springs and Spring Break!  Sounds like young people everywhere doesn't it?  No, we may have actually been the youngest ones there!

After getting in late, we just dropped some things off at the kids' house and went on to the motel and went to bed.  What a great night's sleep after a busy day.

Saturday, we cruised on over and spend the day with Tommy, Claudia and Charley.  What a nice day and sometime during that time we convinced daddy and mama that we could keep Charley overnight so they could have a night away.  We had arranged for them to have our motel room for the night, and we took a few minutes to run back and gather our suitcases.  There was a guy in the lobby with a guitar case slung over his shoulder, but I didn't think anything about it.  Then when I was in the elevator, it stopped on the 2nd floor and two men said going down I hope, to which I replied no, I was going up.

Side note:  They had on the loudest cologne, almost knocked me down.  Soon I was on my way back down to the lobby to get a cart.  As soon as I stepped into the elevator it was very obvious they had already been in and gone down.  Two more people got on the elevator with me and I explained that that WAS NOT my cologne.

Well, as it turns out, there was a festival going on over at Silver Springs and those men were original members of Three Dog Night.   Yes, I was excited to have seen someone famous from my era!

O.K. here's the happy couple ready for a night out all by themselves.

Mema and I settled in for a night of fun.

 We did have to rescue him from a few precarious situations, like pulling this planter over on his head.

Mema read books and Charley listened intently.

He pulled up on the coffee table and look at that look of victory on his face!

We played.......

and played......

Oh, hang on now......Mema brought Charley this Donald Duck dressed as a bunny and he sings.  Charley wasn't real sure about him.

But he loved laughing with Mema and Nana.

And finally......Charley and Curious George were so worn out they had to retire to bed for the night.

Sunday morning, we headed back home and we miss them so and can't wait until next time!

They grow up so quickly.