Happy New Year

Well after a few difficult days at the end of 2007; we welcome in 2008. Oh Philip and I did not celebrate with any fanfare. It was a simple quiet evening. Today I will go and spend time with my family down at Bill's. We will have our traditional fare of black eyed peas, collard greens ham and cornbread along with a few other delights. Philip has decided to stay home and prepare the yard for the upcoming freeze. We will have our first dose of cold weather the end of this week. He has spent so much time planting he wants to protect them all from the cold.

Well this year will be one much different that others. First, I am now sharing my life with a wonderful man whom I am blessed to call husband. Second, I am learning to be Mom from a distance. All of my children have now flown out of the nest. This is not an easy task for someone like me who loved being a stay at home Mom and took a great deal of pride in raising my children. However I look forward to becoming dear friends to my children and spoiling my grand babies...four now with one more on the way. Life is always changing and we can either change with it or grow bitter in defiance of it.

I am also returning to school this year. I hope to improve my knowledge in my chosen profession of education. Who knows I may even spread my wings a little and see new places. I am excited about what this year holds and I look forward to experiencing it with my love and my friend Philip. To all of my loved ones; may this year be the very best yet and may God bless you and keep you under his loving care. Happy New Year.

A New Chapter

Well sometimes life moves along with nothing spectacular or even different coming in. Then there are times when everything seems to change all at once. I have experienced these times before in my life and to be honest I have not always handled them well. I become moody and weepy. However; this time I feel a bit more prepared for the changes ahead.

I will experience the empty nest, and being a newly wed this is not necessarily a bad thing. Philip and I love our family but look forward to some alone time. I would normally feel a little guilty saying that but now I think my children, each being with the love of their life understand the need for couple time. My oldest left long ago and he spent his first Christmas at home with just his wife and children, and I understood their need for this. My youngest has not been out long but she to has seen the need for time with her little family. Rachael my middle child has been home the longest. She has become a dear friend in her adult years and we being single women developed a bond.

She has graduated college and found her soul mate and will move to Nebraska this week. Rachael will learn so much about herself these next few months and Justin. They will return to Florida in May to be married. I am happy for her and although we all will miss her; we wish her well and will lift her in prayer. Yes, this is a new chapter for us all.

Our college graduate

We are so proud of you Rae!

Our Christmas Greeting

On our first Christmas Philip and I and ofcourse Clay wish you all a Very Merry Christmas!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1314875533

Sea and Sky Spectacular

Philip and I, along with my Dad, Rachael and Sheri and Bill spent Sunday afternoon at the air show down at the beach. It was a spectacular show and the day was just perfect for sitting on the beach. It was cool, crisp and bright blue. We were a little early and the show started relatively slow. I was beginning to wonder if it was worth the drive when the Blue Angels came in with a roar and really put on an excellent performance.

While sitting on the beach we ate a picnic lunch. Rachael somehow lost her balance and fell over in her chair. She kicked up the sand and needless to say that was the end of our "sand"wiches! If that were not enough for the people around us to wonder what was in our water bottles, while watching the show, Philip had dug a small hole at his feet. Upon his standing to leave he took a step in the wrong direction ending up in his hole and on his fanny. He has a good sense of humor and that comes in handy in situations like that. We made our way home and both of which found we should have used the sun screen!

Little Pebbles

I look so cute!

It runs in the family :)
Clay has yummy food.

Happy Halloween

Well whether you are one who celebrates; or whether you are one who chooses not to Halloween is here. I am not into the sinister side of the day, I do however love how it allows children to use their imagination and be anything the wish to be. This jack-o-lantern was carved by myself and my daughter Rachael. It was a fun but very long experience. My grandchildren will dress up and do the traditional Trick or Treating. My oldest grandson will be Thomas the Train and is twin sisters will be 1950 Be Boppers. My youngest granddaughter will sport a Pebbles costume from the Flintstones. It should be a fun day for all. Philip and I plan to sit out front to hand out Candy to the neighbor children. Happy Halloween.

A note to parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles …


Millions of children celebrate Halloween each year with costumes, parties, and hi-jinks. But what are they celebrating? Where did these customs arise?

Some Christians strongly denounce any involvement in this spectacle of ghosts, witches, and evil spirits. Others wonder, "If it's 'All Hallow's Eve,' what in the world is 'holy' about it?"

The truth is that Halloween's deepest roots are decidedly pagan, and unlike Christmas and Easter, it as kept those pagan roots, despite its now Christian name. The controversy surrounding this holiday goes back well over a thousand years to when Christians confronted pagan rites of appeasing the lord of death and evil spirits. But the early Christians didn't simply speak out; they tried to institute a Christian alternative. All Hallow's Day (November 1) was a celebration of all "the holies" - those people who had died faithful to Christ.

Light against darkness. Life against death.

But Halloween in our culture has become an odd mixture of tributes to Draculas and roaming spirits, TV superheroes and comic characters, and participation in innocent harvest festivals and costume parties. Through the centuries, Christians of most persuasions have tried to transform this pagan holiday into a Christian one. How does one take a genuinely Christian stance today?

"Trick or treating" becomes a special problem. Children love the adventure of going out in costumes, but some parents have rejected trick or treating entirely. They argue that no matter how universal and supposedly harmless, "blackmailing neighbors for candy" is hardly appropriate. Instead, some create a wide variety of wholesome parties. Others carefully supervise their children as they canvass the neighborhood, perhaps having them add "God bless you" to their thanks for treats.

Certainly of all people, Christians should be joyful. The challenge is to use the creativity of the Creator to celebrate both the light and life He brought into this world, and His victory over evil - and evil spirits - which extends into the next.

A few more pictures of our trip

North Georgia Visit

We had a glorious day in North Georgia. We took a drive up highway 76 to Young Harris to a beautiful little winery called Crane Creek Vineyards. This was a requested trip by my father, he wanted me to pick up a gift for a friend. We did and it was a very pretty place.
We then traveled up to Hiawassee and the Georgia Mountain Fair. Today was the start of the Fiddlers Compitition and we sat and enjoyed about a half hour of good ole mountian music. I think the fair remains exactly the same as the last time we visited. We had a good time though.
This picture is what has been in the news non stop since we arrived. The drought has really caused lake levels to drop to the point of panic among residents. We are saddened to see the low water levels, but joyful to be in a place of such beauty and peace.

This morning I was sitting on the deck watching the chickadees and tufted titmouse come in for breakfast at the bird feeder. It was so relaxing and enjoyable to just sit and use all of my senses to take in this place that brings me joy. What a blessing to have such dear friends who will invite us to stay in their home and glimpse just a bit of God's glorious creation.

A few days in the Mountains

I am really looking forward to a quick trip to the North Georiga Mountains. Just three days of work, then off to the Georgia Mountain fair. We are hoping the leaves will be at peak, but with the drought we may see less color change. This will be our first trip in a very long time so we are counting the days. I am so very grateful to my dear friends Bill and Anne for their hospitality! You are the best.

What a difference a day makes!

Well we are back to blue skies and not too soon. I am enjoying a lazy morning due to Columbus Day and I am grateful for wonderful weather!

Rain; Rain go away; Come again another day!

This is our normally rainy months in Florida; September and October. We usually have afternoon thunderstorms and then they are gone. The last three weeks have been a deluge of biblical proportions! We wake up to rain, and go to bed to rain. Now, please don't get me wrong. I love rain. I have always enjoyed the sound and the smells after. But we have acceded all sane peoples ability to stand it.

Yesterday I was speaking to my dear friend Anne up in North Georgia and she said they are under watering restrictions due to no rain. I guess you either get feast or famine. All I know is I am ready for our late afternoon showers to return and the rest of the day sunny and clear. I will say the one good thing is I have had to begin walking the dog because he refuses to go out in the yard it is so wet. So maybe that is the entire purpose of this rain; to get me up and moving again. O.k. I will thank God for the blessing of rain!!!

Vanessa is 1!

It is absolutly amazing that Vanessa is already one. I am sure time has begun to fly by. As a young child I remember some days would drag slowly and others would fly; as if it had wings. Time lately appears to be a bullet train on a fast track to who knows where. It seems just a few days ago that my sweet Grace was headed to the hospital to have little Vanessa.

Today we celebrate; but yesterday is the day of her birth. I sang to her via the phone yesterday. She spent her day with her Mom and Dad, pictures....that did not happen (fussy)and a trip to the Zoo. Happy Day my sweet little Vanessa!!

Birds

Well most who know me know I enjoy my coffee. I don't cloud the brew with milk or sugar; black is how I like it. This morning after a leisurely late saturday morning in bed, I got up and brewed a strong pot of coffee and after taking my sweet husband a cup to drink with his morning news; I opted to sit on the patio and watch the birds come in for breakfast.

We have a bird feeder located in the center of my yard and it draws in the Blue jays and Cardinals. I know more will come when word gets out amongst the birds that their is a really nice tall, bald man who fills it with wonderful treats. We added a half of an navel orange this morning for their delight! Clay is of course wanting to be out too, so we are watching the birds and they are watching us, Clay mostly, wondering if this big yellow dog will terrorize them; he is oblivious to them.

I think that Saturday mornings are among my favorite things. They have a pace all their own and we can stop and enjoy this wonderful world God made, if even just for a few minutes. I also think that Philip has made the yard a place you can sit and enjoy both the birds and the beautiful flowers!

The Twins turn 2!

Caitlin and Silvia celebrate their 2nd birthday with a party.

Early Riser

Most days I am like most people, waking at sunrise and starting my day. However, there are days where I wake when it is dark as night and lay in my bed tossing and turning wondering why I have been cursed an early riser. Oh sure there is a lot to be said about starting your day before 5 a.m., but most of it not positive. The worst part is now married I run the risk of waking my sweet husband. So out of bed I crawl making my way to the main room of the house and collecting my laptop and a nice warm blanket. I am very grateful for both right now.

I know that if I did not have this to do I would be forced to climb on the treadmill across the room and actually exercise like I have be saying I would do for nearly the year it has been there. Lest you think it is never used I do occasionally walk in the evenings and Rachael is a regular jogger. On this day, I am content to sit here and reflect on my week, as today is finally Friday.

Each year as school reopens, I find the whirlwind exhausting. We are a small school, but with only two of us on the administrative side and a growing staff and student body I spend a full nine hours a day trying to accomplish all that needs done. I then find myself committed to a plethora of other activities each week; PTP meetings, committee meetings for church, small group bible studies. This list goes on.

Our church is in a 40 days of community campaign and we have many things going on. It is a drive to help the church members to leave the building and minister to those in the community. I was at my dear friends home last evening, John and Pam for the first of six meetings designed to lead us as a group to pick a mission project outside in the community and last nights study was on Love. It focused on all the things in life we might think are important; the things we say, know, believe, give or accomplish that really mean very little with out Love. We also learned that Love is a command. We are commanded to love one another. It is also a choice; not a feeling. It leads to feelings, but we choose to love and when we love it is unconditionally. We also saw that love is conduct that we can say we love, but if we never demonstrate that love, those we claim to love will begin to doubt what we say. Finally, love is a commitment, sometimes we love in spite of how we feel and loving someone and liking someone is not always hand in hand.

Well I guess I have typed my way back to tired. I think I will crawl back into bed for an hour and see if I can sleep. Good night............

Fresh Paint

Well since Philip moved in two weeks ago, we have worked very hard to combine two homes into one. My home had plenty of junk and even though I try to keep from collecting unneeded items, I had my fair share. Philip too has a great many things and we really want to make an effort to have my home become "OUR" home.

Rachael is on a two week break, before she finishes her B.A. in Biology at UNF. She decided that we need to fix our guest room and turn it into the "Livingston Suite". She has removed old wallpaper, patched holes, painted and then today she enlisted Philip and I to help with moving in furniture. We worked very hard and I think Philip was right when he said, "This is the prettiest room in the house!" I agree.

In has only been two weeks since Philip moved in, but we have accomplished so much in this short time. I am so very happy to have him here. It is a blessing and really so much better than I ever imagined. I love my husband and as we sit here on the couch watching TV, I smell fresh paint.

Tiny Lizards

Each morning I rise early and prepare for work, I arrive there around 6:45 to 7:00 a.m.. Upon arrival I park and walk the short distance to the front door. I love as I walk to see the tiny lizards and now toads scatter across the sidewalk making a quick dash for the nearby shrubs. They amaze me how they can avoid my steps as I make my way down the walk. I laugh as I see probably 40 or more little lizards running for their lives from the woman who ruins their morning warming in the sun on the sidewalk.
I have really been busy and let my blog posts lapse, however I really am enjoying married life. For those of you wondering a post on tiny lizards...I just thought I would give you a smile!

Mom, It is your day!

I am sure that many would say they had the greatest Mom in the world. I, however; can say it with the confidence I am right. My Mother, is a smart, classy lady; with a kind, loving heart that blesses all who know her.

She was the "fun" Mom in the neighborhood when we were kids. She became a dear and cherished friend in adulthood. Today she celebrates her birthday and I think that I would like to be the first to say Happy Day Mom, I love you.

My little Angel!

Look at all my teeth!!!