At It Again-hopefully

I decided to start blogging again! Hmmm. I think I've decided that before & blogged twice in one year & that was it. Hopefully this time I'm serious.
Since I last posted I lost my Dad. He passed away in September. I feel so guilty about not calling him like I should have & not going to visit him. He lived in New Mexico. I miss him so much. I remember going to work with him when we lived in Booker. Mom would make us lunches & I'd go with Dad on the tractor to work for a local farmer. I remember Dad teaching me how to milk a cow & then helping him do the milking. He taught me how to shoot a gun, how to put plastic over the windows to keep the cold out. I loved helping do that. I learned that a couple of nails was 2 & a few nails was 6 or 7, for him anyway. Most of all I miss his hugs. He would hug so tight! My hubby has a laugh like my Dad's which sometimes catches me off guard & I look around for my Dad.
Last year, I think it was November, I was challenged to do written Bible verses. Each day we were given some verses to write down. I found I got a lot more out of the verses if I wrote them down so
here it is April & I'm still doing that. I have also found some good devotionals to use. We have a monthly little magazine called Journey that I get at our church that I LOVE. We have also started a couples devotional in the evening. Love it!
We joined a church here in town last year & we have the most amazing bunch of pastors here! It's amazing how much more we really listen.

This morning

The last several mornings I've gotten up just after 6am! Steve runs the puppies out of the bedroom when he leaves so I can stretch out a bit & get more sleep. For some reason the puppies find any-
thing & everything to bark at if our door is shut! If the door is open there's no problem with them
barking. Anyway, I'm up because of the barking. I've been doing my workout early in the mornings now. I do my Plexus, make a cup of coffee, then head for the elliptical. I'm up to 28 min. per workout! I don't know why but the last couple of days I want to wimp out at 15 min. Today I just didn't want to work out at all :(. I need to work out, my knees don't hurt as much if I work out.
After my workout I take my coffee (& sometimes my computer) out on the back deck & have some quiet time. The back deck is on the west side of the house so it's shady that early in the morning. On weekends Steve & I sit out on the front deck & drink our coffee & watch the hummingbirds & birds.
This morning was emotional too. My oldest grandson posted about his first high school football scrimmage. I love my 3 grandsons to the moon & back but am just not ready for them to be in high school, jr. high, & pre-k! Makes me feel old!
We got a pool! Hopefully it will get set up today! My oldest daughter told me about it. The lady just got it this year & didn't use it that much so it's in excellent shape. We got a REALLY good deal on
it. Maybe I can work a daily swim in with my usual workout! It's a 22'x52" pool so plenty of room!

WOW! It's been a while!

Realized this morning while I was working out that I haven't blogged in a while. Had quite a time remembering passwords to get back on here.
So much has happened since I last blogged. Steve had surgery on his neck & was off work for a while. It was nice having a house-husband, lol! I worked nights so he was a big help. His brother was with us at that time too.
In May of 2013 we bought a home closer to town. Not saying we didn't love our little house, but it was a bit cramped & no storage. We had the privilege  to rent-to-own the little house so when we bought the other house we gave that chance to someone else. Our little house had 900 sq ft & the
new house has almost 2400! Having that much room took some getting used too but we LOVE the big kitchen in the new house!
My grandmother passed away in 2012 at the age of 99! Such a void was left in our lives but we
know she's in a much better place. My Aunt JoAnn & Uncle Floyd passed away too.
Steve's brother moved back to Arizona in 2013 & was doing very well until recently so he is back
with us.
I started taking Plexus in Dec. of last year. Though I have lost weight using it I'm not totally satisfied with the amount of weight I have lost. I totally take the blame for that. I wasn't drinking the amount of water I needed to be drinking. Anyone who knows me knows how much pop I drank so it was
hard to drink water. I have quit drinking pop (tho every now & then I will have a sprite). I bought an elliptical & was working out, tho sporadically!I do seem to have more energy tho. In July of this year I got serious about working out on it. I started out doing a couple of minutes a day. I am now up to 25 min. a day. I was listening to music while working out & loved it. Last week I rigged my Kindle up to the elliptical & now read while I work out. Seems like the workout goes faster when I'm reading as opposed to music. Don't know why that is.
Steve & I tried our hand at recovering some dining room chairs over the weekend & are patting ourselves on the back at how well they turned out!
We enjoy sitting out on the decks on Sat & Sun mornings listening to the birds & watching the hummingbirds while drinking our coffee.
I quit my job with mental health. I know, I know, some people think that was a stupid move. I found one of my consumers dead one evening & realized how short life is. This guy was my age. I now sit with an older gentleman from 2-10 Mon-Fri.
I'm going on an Alaskan cruise in May of next year! My Mom & my best friend Karin are going too.
I'm excited & nervous at the same time!

Blessings

This past year had it's share of ups & downs. For the most part it was ups. I am still working in a mental health facility. Steve was hurt in a semi vs semi accident in Sept. & has been home since.
We've made some FANTASTIC friends! We went to 2 concerts, Aaron Tippin & Rodney Carrington.
Aaron Tippin was by far the best one. We got our pictures taken with him & have lots of pictures of the concert. The Carringon concert didn't allow cameras. We went with Charles & Reyna & Tawna went with us to the Carrington one! We had a blast both times!
The new year has already brought a major blessing! Steve's brother Dennis called us back in Dec.
Steve, my cousin Charles & his wife Reyna loaded up this past weekend & went to Arizona & brought
Dennis to live with us. We are VERY short on help where I work and there's no way I could get off. There's already a MAJOR change in his attitude! There's gonna be some
struggles as with everything but we feel the Lord brought these two brothers together for a reason.
Dennis has throat cancer & has a diabetic pump. He has quite a few other medical issues too & we're
dealing with them the best we can. We already love having him here. Just to hear the guys laughing
is a blessing.

Work & clothesline!

What a beautiful day out! Wish I hadn't spent all day sleeping as we have a clothesline now & I
would loved having those clean sheets with the 'air dry' smell, lol! Loving that clothesline. It
reminds me of G'ma!
My job is getting really hectic too. We have so many staff out for vacations & then a couple out
for medical reasons. I've been working a lot of nights (11:30pm-8am). I don't like that shift but
it's a job & I do love my job. I've now been there a little over a year. 40 hours a week too. Never
thought I'd made it thru hours like that but some of those weeks & had a couple of 16 hr shifts!
We've been blessed with so much! I think people take for granted their jobs & we are so blessed to both have good jobs. GOD IS GOOD!!!!

G'MA

The world lost a wonderful woman yesterday. My G'ma Leecy, 99 years young went to be with
the Lord, her husband & her daughter. I'm sure G'ma is pinching everyone's hiney! It's very hard
losing someone you've known all your life but I rejoice in the fact that G'ma is no longer hurting.
This lady taught us all so very much. She taught us that if you don't have anything good to say about
someone then don't say anything at all. She accepted everyone as if they were family. She was a
strong woman too. I remember her driving the tractor & pulling up mulberry trees. She taught me
how to drive. The car she taught me to drive was a standard on the column & every once in a while
the gear would get stuck. She showed me how to get it unstuck but she only showed me once so I
had to be paying attention. She made the best popcorn balls too. Sorry G'ma but I liked the ones
you made with vinegar in them! So many memories to cherish! I LOVE YOU G'MA!

The Past Year

With the coming of the end of 2010 I'm looking back at what's happened during the year. Moved back to Oklahoma, started a new job & moved into a house. I've also got that one special person in my life. Not many people understand why I've done the things I've done but I can't live my life the way others want me to live it. I make mistakes just like anyone else does & if I've made a mistake renewing a relationship then it's my mistake NOT anyone else's. Some people came into our lives that didn't need to be there some who came into our lives that mean a lot, but that's what life is about.
I also got to spend some wonderful time helping take care of my 99 year old G'ma. She's such
an amazing person!
I'm thankful every day for the blessings in my life too! I'm thankful that I am where I am when
I could just as easily be in the position that the clients where I work are. I'm thankful for the
friend of Mom's who told me about the job I have. I thank the Lord for the abilities I have to
deal with the clients I work with. I never thought I'd be working where I work doing what
I'm doing.
THANK YOU LORD!

HOME & WORK

A lot has changed since my last post. I have that job I applied for I love it! I have moved & I love that too! I now have a new little housemate too. Her name is Mattie & she was a housewarming gift from a co-worker. I am also working on some situations that I hope soon
to be able to post about. I am so thankful that the Lord has opened these doors in my life.

There are other things I am so thankful for too but there's not room on here to post them all.

JOB

I was encouraged by one of Mom's friends to apply for a state job. She wrote down the website & I wrote down what she told me to look for. After looking & looking & LOOKING I finally found it.
I applied online for that job. The Lord had EVERYTHING to do with this as when I finally found
the job it only had 1 day left before they closed it! I then got a letter saying they wanted to set up an interview. So here I go off for an interview for this state job. I wasn't nervous til I got in the interview room & there were 3 people there! NOW I'm nervous. They each had 2 or 3 questions to ask. After the interview I didn't think I had a chance for that job. BUT I got a call & they wanted me to come in for a drug test & to do a background check. I got the call Wed. of this week that I was hired & I start June 7! I'm scared but excited. I've been working 4 nites a week, every other week at an assisted living place. I love that job! Gonna miss the people there. The only thing I hated about that job was that it wasn't every nite. I start on Thurs nite at 10pm & by Fri morning when it's time to go home (6am) I was exhausted & in tears. By Sun nite, Mon morning I'd got it down to where I knew when I could drink coffee to stay awake but not interfere with sleeping when I got home. Thank you Wilma for giving me the opportunity to work for you! God Bless you for what you are doing.

http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/UltimateFreedom.htm

http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/UltimateFreedom.htm

FAITH

You're such a huge God that you can create an ocean, but I don't think you can handle my problems. Help me to know what to do, Lord. Help me to know the best path to take.

I know the Lord will lead me in the right direction. He will help me to heal the hurts. He always has. Thank you Lord for always being there when there seems to be no one else.

Happenings

So much has happened since I last posted. We moved to our own place in Sept. It's a mobile home on 2 acres & we love it!!!!! We are also checking out new churches a little closer to home. Then
to top everything off we got a new little grandson Thurs! McKinley David Douglas, 6 lb, 5 oz, 20 3/4" long, & red hair! We haven't got to see him yet. With the Swine Flu precautions we weren't even allowed on the 4th floor where the kids were! It was really frustrating but we understood. We sat all day Thurs in the main lobby waiting for word. We were just about to leave to come home when Dwayne came down with the news! Such a wonderful blessing this little one is to everyone!!

Softball Games

Went yesterday to a softball tournament. Most of the guys from our church team were on it plus 2 other guys & one lady. The games were at 9am, noon, 3pm & 6pm. The ballpark is a couple of miles out of town so we spent the day in fellowship with some GREAT people! We had a grill there & had some good burgers & dogs. Before our last game it started pouring down rain & we sat in amazement at the other teams still playing while it was raining. Tho we lost all of our games but 1 we had such a wonderful time. There were some who played horseshoes. Brandon wanted to play & did a fantastic job! I think there was even a water fight between Harold & Rachel! I got to sit & visit with some people I know but don't know (know what I mean?). Betty Jones & Melinda Gerbich. Such wonderful women! We headed down for our last game which ended up starting late as the umpire wanted to get the Championship game in before it started raining again. As we were headed down the hill Libby told me to be careful & not fall. I was telling her I ought to be used to walking in the muck like that as I'd worked on 2 dairies, when down I went! She said she turned around when I started telling her that & there I was flat on my back! LOL! I think I had more mud on me than some of the players!!! It started raining again during our game but our players kept on playing too. Had a couple spills on the field that had everyone a little worried but we kept on. Even after the game was called because of the 10 rule run our guys talked the other team into finishing the game. Steve umped the last innings. He used to ump little league back home. We couldn't yell at the ump during the real game but we let this one have an 'earful' during this part of the game. All the fun! Several mentioned that we should do this more often. I agree! What an exhausting but blessed day! Thank you Lord!

McDowell

I had the great opportunity to go on a mission trip with our church to McDowell Co., West Virginia. There was a young lady going & no other women were going so they asked me to go. We left on Sunday morning July 5th at 6am. It's about a 6 hour drive & the 2 youth we had in with us slept most of the way. There were 8 of us going. This is a much smaller group than last year I understand. When we got to the 'Clubhouse' (an old 3 story home) we unloaded the trailer & headed to the grocery store for groceries for the week. That in itself was an experience! We had orientation that evening. The next morning we started roofing a house for a couple. They are both retired teachers. The wife had to have her leg amputated due to diabetes & their 25 yr old son has spinal biffita. What an inspiration the son was! He has a dog, an Irish Sitter, that stays under his wheel chair & very much is his protector. The dog doesn't like adults. I was in the house visiting with the wife & son & Molly (the dog) came up to me & put her paw out for me to shake. The couple was amazed at this.
Amy & I didn't get to do much at that house. We did toss drinks, tools, & sandwiches up to the guys (yes sandwiches! The guys wouldn't come down to even eat). We finished putting a metal roof on that house on Tues. & moved on to the Welch Fire Dept to put siding on their firehouse.
We put vinyl siding over cinder blocks (what a job!). Amy & I got to do quite a bit at this job. I even had time to test drive a pink Wrangler Jeep! LOL!!!
We went to the movies one nite (Ice Age 3) & to the county fair one nite. There isn't a lot of land there for livestock so their county fair was a LOT different than the ones in Oklahoma. There weren't any exhibits either. This is coal mining country & is a poor part of West Virginia, but you couldn't tell it by the spirits of the people living there.
After the movies we stopped by to visit a man that the group worked for last year. Those that were there last year commented on how much change there was in him. He holds several records in football for West Virginia Mountaineers. He also writes a little & I was fortunate to receive a signed poem he'd written.
One of the guys in our group said that he came on the mission trip expecting to be a blessing to those he worked for but found that they were more of a blessing to him than vice versa. I totally agree with that! The week went by way too fast for me. Hope to go again next year.

House-sitting

Steve & I have been house-sitting for some friends while they are on vacation. It's an old farm house & it's beautiful! The first morning we were here I had coffee outside on the deck. There was a gentle breeze & the music of the birds for my quiet time. How relaxing is that? I did a load of laundry & hung clothes on the line for the first time in a long time. While the clothes were on the line Steve called & said there were some pretty bad storms headed this way so I went out to get the clothes. They were almost dry thank goodness.
Today my sister called & we spent part of the day shopping, going out to eat & visiting. She's in Sheperdstown with her husband while he takes some classes. She's from Texas. We had a wonderful time!

The Future

I think You don't know me sometimes, Lord. I try to hide the fears I have & my doubts about the future, thinking all the time that no one knows. But You do. Please help me to trust You with all of me & all of my life.
I really do struggle to trust You at all times, Lord. In those hard times, I turn to You & trust, but for my whole future, it doesn't come so easily.

More frazzled female

Today's lesson was on dealing with frustrating people in your life. The Bible verse is, 'If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.' Romans 12:18
Do you know how hard this is to do? That driver who just cut me off, the telemarketer who calls during dinner, the husband who forgot to stop for milk on the way home & then didn't notice how hard I'd worked on the house all day. How can I live in peace with people like this??? The lesson says to live at peace with everyone, we must stop focusing on ourselves & start focusing on Jesus. It says when you encounter someone who frustrates you, make a point to be especially kind to that person. Perhaps that individual really needs to be shown kindness. Consider such an opportunity a gift from the Father: a chance to put self aside, practice His love, & experience His peace.
I guess I've never really considered how that driver's day has been already, or that the telemarketer has probly been cussed out quite a few times today already & the husband may have had a bad day at work & just wanted to get home to his family. Lord, thank you for opening my eyes & see what others might need instead of just myself.
Dear Father, Thank You for creating us. I'm giving You my people problems. Please help me see people through Your eyes & with Your love. You are the peace in all of my relationships. I love you.

The Frazzled Female

We started the book 'The Frazzled Female' by Cindi Wood in our Sunday School class recently. I have a terrible time getting myself motivated to study the lesson but this past Saturday I sat down & actually studied the lesson! One of the plans for the week is a defrazzler. Write down your to-do list & then pray over each item on that list. We all have those lists don't we? The author got a little notebook to write her to-do lists in. In the front of this book she wrote, Lord, here's my list of details. I'm recording things to do, errands to run, items to pick up, places to be, calls to make ... all the things that can drive me crazy if each one is not committed to You! Thank You for being the Lord of my details!
This book has a little study to do each day & one is 'Turning a Martha Day into a Mary Day' & talks about how Satan will use the 'I don't have time' attack to keep us from Bible study & prayer. I think he's been attacking me quite often on this issue. So, this lesson is a MUST HAVE for me!
Dear Lord, Thank you for being the Lord of my time. Restore my joy, peace, & sanity. Give me insight & persistence to keep my focus on You. Fill me with assurance of Your love & Your desires for me. I love you.

More Blessings!

Easter was fantastic this year! The service at church was great!
Because we were up so early for the service I took a nap that afternoon. Isn't that what Sunday afternoon's are for anyway? I was just waking up when the kids hollered at me to come up front. I was still half asleep when I came up front. I sat down & Dwayne asked me if I would like to be called Meemaw, Grandma or whatever else (at this point I didn't hear much else). I was crying to hard!!! Dwayne said that the baby could call me that (the crying) for the first couple of years!! I had been praying so hard for this moment! God has blessed indeed! Shasta goes today for an ultrasound & I'm going to watch her girls that she nannies. I love watching them!
Went with Steve to the doctor on Monday. They're sending him to an orthopedic surgeon to see if he needs surgery (which to me if ya send someone to a surgeon that itself would say surgery!). He's still fighting with workman's comp. They are getting him his check each week but they're like 2 weeks behind. With trying to quit smoking, no work, & rain he's going stir crazy. So much to do but the rain is keeping him from it.
We found the parts for our Lil Red car & are now just waiting for a DRY day to start taking the old one off & putting the new one on.
A couple of prayer requests: a friend of my sister's mom passed away; a dear friend of mine is battling depression & my unspoken. We know the Lord answers prayers. It may not be the answer we want or when we want it but in due time & for whatever is best for us.

PRAISES

Went to my last physical therapy of the week this morning. Am so ready to be done with this for good. While there this morning my therapist told me that when I started therapy my measurements were like 50's & 60's. Today my measurements are in the 150-160!!!!! I was so excited & so was she. I want to thank my prayer warrior friend in Oklahoma for all of her prayers. This person has been thru some very difficult times but always has a positive attitude & I love her to death! I call her my sister by another mother. We went to school together but she was younger. We connected again on myspace & it's been so wonderful finally having a friend like this!
Another prayer was answered yesterday. We've been praying about a vehicle & had talked with some friends at church about buying one of theirs. Steve forgot about going to look at this car last nite after church. When the kids got home from church they told us that these friends were giving us the car. It does need some work but Steve is mechanically inclined & should be able to fix it. What a wonderful blessing!
It's such a beautiful day out too! I do have an unspoken prayer request & would appreciate the prayers on that. God Bless All & have a wonderful day.
THIS IS A DAY THAT THE LORD HAS MADE, I WILL REJOICE & BE GLAD IN IT!!!