THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME.....


I love my pillow, I love my bed, I love my couch, I love my house, I love my nasty garage, I love my car, I love my pumpkin pillow, I love my kitchen, I love my T.V., I love my computer, I love my refrigerator, I love my closet. Hm-m-m-m-m-m.

(: (: (: (:


I loved everyone's blogs. Not being home for Thanksgiving was so hard, but reading everone's blogspots was so incredibly nice. I laughed, I cried, was proud, and every other emotion you can imagine. I felt like I was there!! Thanks, everyone, for sharing all of your thoughts. It was so great. I love you.

YEA!! FOR BLOGSPOTS!!

I havn't been able to talk to my family much. We've been busy and distracted, of course. Missing my children and grandchildren is putting it mildly. It was kind of nice plugging into some blogspots and reading a few thoughts on how Thanksgiving went and some things that were meaningful. This is nice. I love my family.

THANKSGIVING....

I'm really thankful for my husband. The day will surely come when I don't have him, or he doesn't have me. We didn't think about these things when we were young, but now we do. He is kind, considerate, compassionate, funny, loves the Lord, and does desire to serve Him with all his heart. I love him. He's my husband and my friend.
I'm thankful for my daughters.Each one is unique and offers so much. Each one means so much to me in a very special way. I'm thankful for the men in my family. For Marcus...because he's like a son to me, and for Brett...because he's brought such joy to my daughter.
I'm thankful for my most perfect grandchildren. There is no way for a grandparent to describe what this is like. Each grandchild is so special. And to be blessed with eight. Wow...
I'm thankful for Patsy and Frank. They are special people who give of themselves. I've always wanted to be more like my sister.
I'm thankful for my sister-in-law. I'm thankful I've been able to witness an elegant and gracious lady thank God and praise Him through her tears and grief.
I'm thankful that I've been a witness to a church who conducted a funeral service with such dignity and respect that I came away so blessed.
I'm thankful for God's love for me. I don't understand it, I don't see why, and I can only say, "thank you, God."

DISTANCE IS MORE THAN MILES...

I sent my brother a Thanksgiving card. I told him that we love and miss him...and, we do...kind of. I do love him. I don't miss him like you would miss someone you had a lot of good times with, because there were never many good times. I'm sorry for that. I always wanted a relationship with him. We all did. He wanted a relationship with us, too. (meaning sisters) We tried. I just don't think he is capable. I will wonder why, always. I have to say, if he needed me right now, I would go to him. I think, although I'm not really sure anymore, that he would come to me. I think....

THIS IS WHAT'S REAL....
Wednesday night at church we all had an opportunity to share something since we are in our Thanksgiving season. One of my favorite Scriptures in John 14. Thinking of Larry, and how little time he has left with his life as he knows it, this Scripture has been on my heart. I love the whole chapter, but I only shared the first few verses..."Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." I'm thankful this Thanksgiving season, that God is preparing a place for Larry in Heaven. (I'm sure it's ready by now!!) Most people think of death in abstract terms, because the human mind can't really comprehend it. But, for those of us who have dealt with the death of a loved one, it's a little more real. I love John chapter 14. Very comforting. I loved the comfort my sister was able to give her little nursing home lady. Just a touch and a question... yep, this is what's real.

On Being A Grandmother....

I haven't been a Mama and a Grandma all these years for nothing. At nine this morning I got to keep Micha while his Mom went to the dentist. We played and had fun. It came sleepy-time and we didn't want to give in. Nothing was working. No, we didn't want to lay down, no we didn't want to snuggle up with grandma, no, no, no.
So, he's sitting on my lap while we're deciding who's going to win...I start scratching him on the back of his neck. Uh-oh...we get v-e-r-y still. I scratch his little shoulders, then his back. Our eyes are l-o-o-k-i-n-g s-l-e-e-p-y... He's gone. Next thing I know he's laid over on me fast asleep. Oh, yes, I've got lots of those little tricks. Grandmas don't always win...but most of the time we do.

My daughter amazes me...
We took a very rare fun trip to E-Town with no husbands or kids (except Micah)and no rush to get back to wait for the school bus. Time got away, though, so coming home was a little hectic. Micah was screaming, husbands were calling, and kids were waiting. We pulled into my drive, (Micah still screaming), husband waiting, and kids jumping out of his car hollering, Mama! Grandma! Yea!!Going from a calm, laidback day of browsing the shops to a giant explosion frayed my nerves to say the least. I grabbed my stuff, hollered,"see you later!, ran to the door, unlocked it, jumped inside, threw myself against the door, and sighed..Whew!' A few minutes later, the "Mom" of all this calls and says,..."how do you spell Lame'?" I said, "what?" She said, "I'm selling something on E-Bay." We talked for a minute and hung up. I thought..."how does she do this?" In just a few minutes time she's calm, cool, and collected. I'm still breathing hard!

Pacifiers and Silly String....
The other day I looked out my front window and wondered what that pink stuff was hanging there. On closer inspection I discovered it was Silly String...still hanging there from the last time the kids were over. Sunday I reached in my purse for something and pulled out a pacifier. Those days were gone for a while, but apparently they come back when you're a grandmother. Brings back memories. I always thought the stages of motherhood came according to what you pull out of your purse.
Stage 1: paccies and tiny socks
Stage 2: hairbows and Hotwheels
Stage 3: Barbie doll heads and extra underwear. I guess everything comes full circle.

Nursery News....
Babies and children are a big part of my life at church, so when neat things come about, I really enjoy it. For a long time we didn't have babies in our infant room. Now, we have three little guys. All of them are about the same age...6 months. Micah, of course, Spencer and Braden. Adorable!! Full house...to say the least.

Mr. Gatti's was the lunch of choice today. We met Leanne, Marcus and the kids (including Devin this time). Sometimes Leanne and I talk about what it would be like
if we didn't live close to each other. We do a good bit, (but not to many)things together. I would miss that an awful lot.

I miss my out-of-town daughters terribly. (You know who you are!) Just kidding. But, when we do get together, it is ever so nice because it is so appreciated!

We have the most amazing grand-kids ever. Today, eating lunch, out of the clear blue, Devin says..."Papaw, I ate a elephant." We all laughed. We don't get to be with Devin that much, so, when Papaw sees him he always asked Devin if he has eaten any elephants lately. Grandparents always wonder what their grand-kids will remember about them. I can hear Devin now..."My grandfather was always asking me if I ate elephants...."

I said in my profile that I have a pretty cool son-in-law. (With some people it's just never enough):) ...Okay...he's not only pretty cool, but, he's also...pretty...neat.

Maybe there are days when you shouldn't get out of bed. Christy just had one of those from what I understand. ...she got stung by a wasp, swatted at that on..another one stung her...fixing supper she cut her hand on a knife, went to the ER, got 5 stitches and a tetnus shot, went home and got sick and started throwing up. That's just the parts I remember. Bummer.

A new day always looks brighter...thanks for the encourament....
One of the ministries of our Women's Outreach is celebrating birthdays at our Senior Complex here in Campbellsville. Rudy, myself, and Leanne helped yesterday. It was nice and they seemed to appreciate it so much. I could not help but think of Mom, and I told them that.Some of course don't have families and are pretty lonely. Rudy led the singing with some of their old favorite hymns, and did a beautiful song called, "Take Away Jesus." I moderated and Leanne helped serve birthday cake and punch, and Micha was our entertainment. Seniors love babies...babies and pets are some of their favorite things to watch. We passed out a paper with little turkeys on it so could list the things they were thankful for. I was struck by the things they listed. We gave them a chance to read their list out loud. They were't shy about it. They listed things that other people never even think about as their feet hit the floor in the mornings. I'm approaching their time in life, with aches and pains of my own, and so it was easy for me to "hear" what they were saying. I "listened" and I "observed." They were so very grateful for a new day, another holiday to celebrate, and the ability to still function. My point here is not to point out how pitiful they were...they certainly were not....but how very grateful they were. It inspired me to a new level of gratefulness this Thanksgiving season. I told the Seniors "they" were the blessing to "me." We had fun. I especially enjoyed doing this with my husband and my daugher. It's nice to do things like this together..

Well, I was so excited about my new blogspot...but now I'm not. This whole experience of getting it all up was a nightmare and my teacher hurt my feelings. I'm going to bed to reconsider if I really want to do this. I will get a good night's sleep and let you know tomorrow.