Through Angel Eyes

It's a New Year!

2012-01-11T13:36:00.005-05:00

Happy New Year!!
It promises to be a good year here in Oklahoma. I've started a new job at our local library-which I am loving so far. It's 10 minutes up the road and such a great place to work. I only wish I had more hours. But on the other hand, I am happy to be part time so I have more time to spend with family including a certain 17 month old blonde haired, blue eyed little boy.
I also have time for Bible study which I am so excited about.
Today was Day 5 of week one of "Breaking Free" for me.....the second time around. I did this study several years ago as a new Christian. Since then Beth has updated the study and I have an entirely new outlook. And a new yoke.
Today's lesson really got me thinking about what "freedom" in Christ would be like. Those thoughts caused me to look up the word "freedom" which made me think about blogging too. Blogging has always been more like a journal to me. As you can see, I am not very good at journaling. Maybe someday I will be better.
Back to freedom. I was so inspired by the definition that I wanted to copy and paste it here from Dictionary.com.

Collins
World English Dictionary
freedom (ˈfriːdəm)

— n
1. personal liberty, as from slavery, bondage, serfdom, etc
2. liberation or deliverance, as from confinement or bondage
3. the quality or state of being free, esp to enjoy political and civil liberties
4. ( usually foll by from ) the state of being without something unpleasant or bad; exemption or immunity: freedom from taxation
5. the right or privilege of unrestricted use or access: the freedom of a city
6. autonomy, self-government, or independence
7. the power or liberty to order one's own actions
8. philosophy the quality, esp of the will or the individual, of not being totally constrained; able to choose between alternative actions in identical circumstances
9. ease or frankness of manner; candour: she talked with complete freedom
10. excessive familiarity of manner; boldness
11. ease and grace, as of movement; lack of effort

I want that. Don't you?
From today's lesson, Beth writes "nothing needs the infiltration of God's truth more than the heart. We will find freedom to the degree our hearts accept, rely, and respond to the truth of God's Word."
Isaiah 61:1-4 are key scriptures for this lesson.
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion--to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor."
I love the ending of today' lesson.
Beth writes-
~ Christ came to set the captives free- no matter what kind of yoke may be binding them.
~ He came to bind up the broken hearted- no matter what broke the heart.
~ He came to open up the eyes of the blind- no matter what may have veiled their vision.
At the risk of sounding too churchy........Hallelujah!
Oh, I seriously hope I can "journal" more often!
Much Love & Many Blessings,
Angel
Today is week 2- day 4......I never did publish this post. I meant to add pics, but never did...... So I am posting now and again later with pictures. So come on back.

Motivation

2011-11-12T11:20:00.002-05:00

Trying to get motivated now that I have 50 of these to lose.

Please click the image to make it larger.

Have a great weekend!
Angel

Paisley

2011-11-09T11:54:00.005-05:00

I haven't been here in a while. I am still alive. Lately I have either been busy looking for a job or spending time with a precious little boy. (To be honest, I have also been spending a lot of time on Pinterest.) Today I am sitting on the couch with my heating pad. I overdid it yesterday. So, having nothing better to do (after 4 hours on Pinterest & Facebook), I am posting on my blog.

I will be surprised if I have any followers left, but it's really like a journal for me anyway.
I've been trying to update my Facebook status each day this month with something I am grateful for.

Today's status:

Thankful today for my pupply Paisley. We could not have found a better dog for us.Part blue-grey Beagle, (part terrier of some sort?), she is a valuable member of our family. She's a little OCD but SO smart, has the cutest underbite and even though she sheds(bad)she brings a lot of love and joy into our home. I am so glad we found and rescued her. She's the best thing we ever found on Craig's List.

If you haven't loved a dog, a part of your heart has never been opened.

I saw this cool quote online and added it to a picture of Paisley with Trixie (Jake & Megan's sweet beagle.)I will TRY to come back again before the year is over.
Have a blessed day!

Where Does the Time Go?

2011-06-06T10:15:00.006-04:00

I can hardly believe it has been so long since I posted last! Where do the days go?

My to-do list for today answers that question for me:

Bible Study(check)

Exercise

Do bills

Write out cards

Send Cards & Bills

Call Furniture Company about broken recliner

Clean stamp room; clear out old cabinet and make room for new cabinet

Find out where to take the million cans I have been crushing & saving

Make salsa for Kevin

Finish Laundry

Work on my TOPS program for Thursday

Clean

I sure don't think I will be getting any crafting done today. On the plus side if I get my craft room cleaned today, I might get some projects finished tomorrow. I am currently working on FOUR major projects.
This last weekend I did get some cute little notepads finished for the TOPS girls. I am going to give them out with my program which is also an intervention. Should be interesting!
I just realized that I have not posted any recent pictures of my little punkin! He is growing SO fast. We babysat him last week so mom and dad could go out on a real date. I think it was their first one since Gabe was born. Much deserved. They are such good parents.
Here are a few pics from Tuesday. I wish I had gotten a couple of the bath time in Grandma's sink. And if this post were 4D you would be able to smell that sweet clean baby smell. {{love}}

Gabe has the strongest sturdiest legs I have ever seen on a baby. He squats and bends and stands on his own quite often without even a little unsteadiness. He just hasn't gotten the walking thing yet, but it won't be long! He crawls on all fours- haven't seen the army crawl in a while.

He LOVES his puffs. Goes through a LOT of those things. I always try to have a few containers on hand. In this picture he found them in his diaper bag.

I have a standing date with my little prince. Every Thursday I try to go over to Jake and Megan's house and play with Gabe. I didn't make it last week so I spent Friday with Megan and Gabe instead. I love him so.
Well, off to start on that list. Guess I can cross blogging off! Oh darn... it wasn't even on the list!
Have a great day!
~Angel

HOME! & Happy B-Day, KT!

2011-04-20T13:37:00.003-04:00

Katie and I are home from an impromptu Tennessee trip to visit my aunt and uncle. My uncle Dale had a series of strokes recently and is now home and recovering quicker than we had even hoped. God is good!

We went out to help my aunt get the house ready for him to come home. We had a nice visit, but it is always good to be home!
Incredibly, I took a teenager with me and brought home a 20 year old!Happy Birthday to my sweet Katie!
I love you and I don't know what I would do without you!
Love,

MOM/

Strawberry Shortcake

2011-03-28T14:03:00.006-04:00

WHO KNEW? Bisquick makes amazingly simple and delicious shortcake!
(Sorry for the bad pics. I ate half of it before I decided to blog about it! A whole piece would have made a much better photo shoot!)

It's so easy!
And if you have the box of Bisquick you probably have everything else on hand as well!

But don't be like me and make it 4 times in less than 2 weeks!

Farm Fresh Eggs

2011-03-23T10:30:00.002-04:00

Our neighbors own chickens. And I mean all kinds of chickens! Every now and then she gives us eggs. They are so much better than the store bought eggs.
Look at all of the different colors and sizes.

I'll have to see if I can get some pictures of the chickens one of these days.
They are fun to watch too!
Happy Wednesday!

P.S. Please keep my mom in your prayers. She fell and broke her hip yesterday. She had surgery last night to put in a pin and screws. She'll be in the hospital for 7-10 days.
Thank you!

Coupon Chief Review

2011-03-19T12:18:00.003-04:00

You all know how I love to save money!

Coupons are my friend!
So, of course when COUPON CHIEF-(http://www.couponchief.com) asked me to do a review of their website I was only too willing!
I don't know about you, but whenever I make a purchase on the Internet I do a google search for a code for a discount and/or free shipping! I am all about a sale and I may as well try to find one!

When I browsed the Coupon Chief website I was completely amazed at how many coupon codes they had for HUNDREDS and hundreds of on-line stores! I wish I had known about them before.
I even found AAFES coupons which is the Army Air Force Exchange or the BX for the Air Force. The coupons are submitted by people like you and me. I am definitely going to sign up for their "Pays to Share" program. So if I learn of a new code and submit it to them I will get a kickback every time someone uses it! Easy money I'd say!
The Coupon Chief site will even tell you how reliable the coupon is by showing the success rate.
Another cool feature is their "tags". I did a random search using their Popular Tags and found a 50% off spring dies Sizzix code. That's my kind of code!
If you are looking for an online bargain, check them out!

Happy Birthday, Paisley!

2011-03-17T17:42:00.007-04:00

We aren't exactly sure when Paisley was born, but when we adopted her on August 17th last year they told us she was 4-5 months old. And when we had her neutered they told us that she was at least 5 months old, so we decided to call March 17th her birthday, That way we would have an actual date to celebrate and to keep track of her age. And so today we are celebrating not only St. Patrick's Day, but also our puppy's birthday!

Katie made her a new bed by tying fleece around a bed pillow. Isn't it cute?

We also gave her some new toys.

She is getting wet dog food today instead of the dry stuff.
I love my "puppy girl" as I fondly call her. She completes our family.Here are some pics of Paisley with her birthday presents!

Hopefully I will be back with some zoo pics this weekend!
Have a good one!

Baby Calves

2011-03-10T18:53:00.003-05:00

The cows next door are having babies left and right. Today when Katie and I were outside with Paisley we spotted 4 of the babies all together in the field. I had to go inside and grab my camera.

There were 2 brown ones, one with a white face

and 2 black ones, one with a white face.
Aren't they darling? I think baby animals are so cute!!!!

Excited!!

2011-03-01T18:21:00.002-05:00

I am excited to be doing this Bible study online!
And all the way over in Virginia, so is my BFF Peg!

Anyone else?

A Rose is A Rose

2011-02-16T16:13:00.005-05:00

You can complain because roses have thorns,
or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.
I love that quote!
I usually can't get good close-ups with my camera, but this one wasn't too bad.
Kevin brought me home 10 of these roses on Monday for Valentine's Day. They were labeled "Hot Princess". He also gave me a heart shaped Whitman's Sampler of sugar-free chocolates and a scented jar candle.
My husband ROCKS! And I love him so much!

All Smiles!

2011-02-12T00:31:00.003-05:00

Gabe was so very happy tonight. Smiles and Giggles. I was so glad I remembered my camera for Pizza/Game Night! I took several pictures. Here are a few of Gabe playing with his grandpa!

And here is what Gabe was doing right before we left.
So sweet!

I love him so much!!

Simply Bags – Embroidered Tote Bags

2011-02-10T19:43:00.002-05:00

I had to share my new personalized bag from Simply Bags.
The embroidery work is absolutely flawless and the bag will be perfect for a weekend trip I am planning. And I can just see myself using it for taking my stamping supplies to friends houses' or crops! I just love tote bags and I think the uses for this gorgeous bag are endless. It features great detailing and is incredibly roomy! I am excited to give them the referral!

Check them out!

I love my bag!
~Angel

Snow Day!

2011-02-01T10:34:00.002-05:00

Kevin is home from work today! We are having a blizzard and the base is closed!

I talked him into taking some pictures of the cabin for me. Thankfully we have a wood stove and can stay warm and cozy INSIDE!
The kitty cat is in the laundry room so she'll stay warm too. Paisley won't go off the porch. She is no sled dog that's for sure!
This weather is supposed to effect 29 states! What's your weather like where you are??
Blessings~

Grocery Shopping Part 2

2011-01-26T13:57:00.003-05:00

So, I know you are all anxious to know how my shopping trip went yesterday, huh? Well....maybe not, but I will share anyway!
I didn't get there as soon as I wanted to, so instead of hubby meeting me there after work and helping me at the very end of the shopping, he was there for the whole thing. He likes to mosey around and look at stuff, so our 2 hour trip took over 3 hours!
And he likes to try new things so that added a bit to my total. But,
I shopped for 3 weeks and spent $260.00 with a coupon savings of

Not bad for me, but I think I could have done better.
And then when we got home we found a huge mess that the puppy had made. So it made for a not-so-enjoyable afternoon!
Hope yours was better!!

Grocery Shopping....UGH!

2011-01-25T09:27:00.006-05:00

In an effort to blog more, I may share more of my mundane life than you really want to know......

I don't know about you, but I dislike going to the grocery store.
Probably because it's such a chore for me. I thought maybe
blogging about it might make it "fun".

Here goes nothin'!
I start out by making a menu. Because I don't like grocery shopping, I make a menu for at least 2 weeks and sometimes 3 0r 4. If I am really lucky I can squeeze another week of meals out of what I buy before I even have to go back. Yep, I hate grocery shopping.

I first write the meal ideas down and then add them to the menu calendar. This way I can try to think of things we'll be doing on those dates. Maybe something easy if we have a long day or something in the crockpot if I have to be somewhere else that evening.
Crockpot cooking is my favorite way to cook! I love that I can cook in the morning and when I am tired at the end of the day, dinner is ready!Our menu usually consists of tried and true favorites, but especially when the kids were young, I would get out my recipe books (of which I am not lacking) and search for something new to try out. I would try to have a "new" meal at least once a week.

We found several of our family favorites this way!
Coming up with 14-21 meal ideas is no easy task. And it can take me a while! To make the ideas flow, I will have a "theme" for a certain day. This month I chose Thursday as a hearty soup night! Mexican for Monday, Chicken on Wednesday and Crockpot Tuesday are past ideas! Of course, when the weather is nice, we grill all weekend long!
I've also tasked family members with coming up with ideas and as the children got older, they also cooked one night a week! Usually it was something simple like Hamburger Helper, but hey, I didn't have to cook!
When I am feeling ambitious, I also like to go through the cupboards and freezer and write down what I already have and try and come up with meals that include those ingredients. This is a money saving technique I learned when we were first married.
I always try to have a magnetic list pad on the fridge so I can write down things I need from the store as I discover I'll be needing them such as coffee, paper towels and such. While I am making the menu, I add to this list the ingredients I need for the meals.

Then there are those coupons. What a chore! But so worth the investment of time. I can save anywhere from $30- $50 using those trusty coupons! And, nope, the Commissary doesn't double them, but I sure wish they did.

I subscribe to the Sunday paper for coupons, clip them from product boxes, get them from friends (thank you, Christy & Chrystal!), get them off the store shelf and pick up coupon books from the store. Ideally, I should clip them once a week so they don't stockpile, but this week I found myself cutting so many on Sunday that I had to take several breaks and do something else cuz my back was hurting.

I also sort though my coupons and get rid of all the expired ones so I don't have to worry about that while I am shopping. How I miss having the kids help me cut and sort the coupons. I am sure they don't miss it though!

Well, that is how I do it!

If you've got some time saving tips or money saving tricks up your sleeve, I would love to hear them! I haven't ever tried printing coupons off the web, so if you've done that, I'd love to hear from you on how that works!

Have a blessed day!
~Angel

Kisses for Grandpa!

2011-01-20T14:31:00.007-05:00

The cutest baby in the world was over at our house last night.

He's precious!

I shot these next several photos of Kevin and Gabe in succession.

Can't you just picture them in one of those flip books where you can actually see the photos or drawings in "action"?

Now that is a nice wet kiss!

The last one is my favorite. You can see the joy all over Grandpa's face!

I LOVE it!

And right next to them on the couch was Paisley watching intently. Hehehe

Kevin took some pics of me with the baby too, but it was a bad hair/no makeup kinda day so we won't talk about those.

Empty House

2011-01-18T11:58:00.005-05:00

It's just me and Paisley today.
It feels weird.
It is the opening of a new chapter for Kevin and I. It is the first time it's been just he and I alone in the cabin. I guess they call it "Empty Nest".
Jake, Megan and Gabe are all settled in the parsonage that came with his new position at Wellston Christian Church. They are only a half hour away though so I can get my grand baby fix a few times a week if needed.
Katie went back to school yesterday. She'll be back in May. We're planning on renting a truck to help her move here and move Brian and Alli at the same time. Brian will be taking a position at our home church in Wichita. It will be nice to have them only a couple of hours away as well.
My plans for the next couple months are to
~Get my house in order...spring cleaning is overdue
~Get immersed in the new Bible study I started last night. It's called Faithful, Abundant, True and looks like another great study by my favorite teacher Beth Moore along with a couple of other teachers
~Exercise daily and lose some weight I put on over the holidays (and months preceding the holidays) My loss of 2.5 pounds last week at TOPS was a good start there!
~STAMP! My stamping goals are to maybe join a design team and submit some projects for publication. I also have several projects lined up which include one of those Cookie Sheet Calendars for myself!
~and last but not least I hope to BLOG regularly
That is all from me for now! Hope you've had a great start to an awesome week!

Our 2010 Christmas

2011-01-12T12:30:00.005-05:00

Here are some pics from our family Christmas. We celebrated it on New Year's Day this year since the boys spent their Christmas day with their in-laws as they plan to do every other year. I don't mind so much when we celebrate Christmas as long as we do! :-)

Of course, this year was ALL about the baby!

It was Gabe's first Christmas and we spoiled him (just a little).

I don't even remember doing this much shopping!!!!

It was Paisley's first Christmas too!!!!

I took a few pics of the pretty packages. Wrapping is so fun now thanks to my friend Shelly!

Thanks for stopping by today!
Blessings~

Paisley & Lucky

2011-01-10T11:50:00.010-05:00

Besides the grandbaby, I have to admit I take more pictures of Paisley than anything else. I never knew I could love an animal SO much.

And let me just brag on the puppy a little bit!
She is SO smart! We've taught her how to sit, shake, lay down, roll over and more recently to play dead.

When she wants a treat now, she will just go around the room playing dead. It's very cute and nearly irresistible. She sleeps in her crate all night long and doesn't make a peep until she hears someone is up.

She is very good with the baby too.

She doesn't mind being messed with or if she does, she doesn't growl or make a peep.
She has the cutest little white mark on her butt. We call it her bar code.

She is not very big and doesn't bark unless someone comes to the door.
She is a little OCD I think. If she comes out in the morning and something has changed or something is not where it belongs inside or outside, she will growl and her hair stands up like a mohawk. If she doesn't recognize someone, she will do that as well.
Her best friends are Jake and Megan's dog,
Trixie

and our kitten, Lucky.Lucky is so named due to a 15 minute interstate ride in the wheel well of my car.

Lucky is normally an outdoor cat that we got primarily to keep away the mice. At the moment she is staying in the laundry room because we took her and had her spayed on Friday. She is a very loveable little bundle of lots of fur. She is very pretty and has the same coloring as Paisley.

Thats all about the animals. Aren't they adorable?
I posted on my stamping blog yesterday and this one today. Just call me butter cuz I am on a roll!
Have a great day!
Blessings~

Wild Turkeys

2010-11-29T11:54:00.004-05:00

Look who came strolling by the yard the day after Thanksgiving.

We've seen them before, but there were a lot more this time. Kevin counted 22 of them! They survived Thanksgiving!

The Dogs

2010-11-29T11:27:00.004-05:00

For the longest time I wanted a beagle just like Trixie which is Jake and Megan's dog. So we looked and we found a 3 year old beagle at the local shelter. She was a little bigger than Trixie, but seemed sweet. We brought her home and named her Ruby. She was fine at first, but got sick and she just continued to get sicker and sicker. We spent quite a bit of money at the vet's office trying to get her better, but ended up running out of money before we could get her well. We took her back to the shelter so she could get the care she needed. I felt so guilty and sometimes still do. We waited a little while and then I found a dog on Craig's List.

Her name is Paisley and we brought her home on August 17. She was around 4 months old at the time so we'll celebrate her birthday on St Patrick's Day next year. We got her from a rescue and she is a perfect fit for our family. She's pretty smart too. We've already taught her several tricks which she will perform in succession to get a treat. She is full of character and even has an adorable underbite. We aren't sure exactly what else she is besides beagle.

The above pictures were mostly taken right after we got her.

And then her adult teeth grew in....see the underbite?

The following pic was taken yesterday. Paisley and Trixie have become good friends!

I had to post this picture too!
Trixie LOVES the wood burning stove. She does not like being cold.

That's all for this post. I've got one more too!
Have a good day!!!
Blessings~
Angel

GO CHARGERS!

2010-11-29T10:45:00.005-05:00

I took these pictures over a week ago while the guys were watching football. They're San Diego Chargers fans! Can you tell? Well, Kevin and Jake are anyway. The baby has Chargers onesies and also Kansas City Chiefs sleepers. He roots for the Chargers if daddy dresses him and the Chiefs if mommy dresses him.

Glad to see them win last night!
GO CHARGERS!!!!

Have a good day!
Blessings~
Angel

Little Bear

2010-11-18T16:51:00.003-05:00

Isn't he the cutest little bear you've ever seen?

Gabe and the Bumble Ball Jr

2010-11-16T18:37:00.008-05:00

Jake brought out this little Bumble Ball Jr to show it to Gabe. At first it startled him. But he LOVES to be startled. He jumps and then laughs about it.

I think he may just grow up to be a little daredevil!

By the time I got my camera for a video clip, the newness had worn off a bit, but he still liked it a lot.

Video Clip is not cooperating.....will try again later!

I think he needs a big one of these for Christmas! What do you think?

Gabe and the Green Monkey

2010-11-15T23:23:00.003-05:00

Aunt Alli and Uncle Brian got this green monkey for Gabe before he was even born. But he has just recently discovered it.

I think he loves it!

Just Call Me the Coupon Queen!

2010-11-15T23:04:00.002-05:00

WOW!
I gotta say I use coupons on a regular basis on my trips to the base commissary. But this has got to be my record! No double coupons here either!
Sure makes it worth all of those hours of clipping and sorting.

Hope you're having a blessed day!

~Angel

My Little Punkin'

2010-11-12T14:04:00.003-05:00

I took these pictures on Monday.
I can't believe he's already 3 months old.

Isn't he the cutest?

My Husband Rocks!
Kevin is the best Grandpa.
He holds Gabe and plays with him whenever he gets the chance.

Supporting the Pink!

2010-10-27T12:47:00.003-04:00

My best friend, Peggy is an awesome PINK supporter for breast cancer. She has a contest on her blog right now in support of the cause! Even though I won it last year and am the only entry so far this year... I am blogging to send you over and enter as well!

I just found out that my nephew's mom has a rare form of breast cancer. It saddens me as we had an awesome relationship when our oldest boys were babies. They were always over at our house and we had lots of fun times. Please keep her in your prayers. Her name is Chris.

Thanks so much!

Giggling Gabe

2010-10-20T10:13:00.006-04:00

Gabe has been smiling from ear to ear and I knew it was just a matter of days before he busted out laughing. He started giggling a little bit when I was playing patty cake with him the other day. But on Monday he busted out with the giggles when Grandpa W found his tickle spot. We all crowded around to listen and it was too late when we got the camera out. But Grandpa made him giggle last night and I caught some of that on camera! It's just too cute not to share.

If you don't smile when you hear this...... well....go back to bed and get up on the OTHER side! :-)

Can you see those dimples????

P.S. I have lost weeks worth of pics on my camera when my SD card malfunctioned! I didn't even know THAT could happen and I am so very sad about it. But I learned a lesson on not wiping my card off from time to time. I have some pics from my parents impromptu and welcomed visit this last weekend. Will update again SOON!

Kitty!

2010-09-28T09:34:00.005-04:00

I never ever thought we would have a kitty again!

But here she is!

I bet you want to know how THAT happened!
Well, I have always been a city girl. Grew up in the city and never lived outside the city. Kevin and I got a taste of the country life out in South Carolina and LOVED the quiet seclusion and the scenery. We decided the country life was what we wanted!
BUT, nobody explained to me that the country life comes with bugs and mice and ALL KINDS of unwanted things! Now, I don't really think that would have stopped me from buying the cabin. But, I was still a little naive!
Back to the unwanted critters.....
When I moved in and started cleaning the cupboards I noticed a lot of mouse poison was set up. That was clue #1.
Then this last weekend while we were having a yard sale, the neighbor and I started talking. She was saying how the mice were brave and would take over your house when the weather starts getting cooler. And she told me that even though she herself is extremely allergic to cats, she was getting one. She asked if I wanted one. I talked to Kevin about it and we decided to get a cat.
She is an outside cat. She'll stay outside and keep the mice and bugs at bay.
Right now she is in the garage (stinking it up a bit- I will have to clean it).
Later today I am going to open the garage door and let her run around.
She is a very sweet little thing. She came from a farm down the road that had 5 litters of kittens! She is all skin and bones.... and long fur. She is always kneading her front little paws on the ground. And she loves attention.
And I can not for the life of me come up with a name that I LOVE.
Right now, I am thinking of maybe Calico and calling her Cally for short. That was a suggestion from Megan's mom and I like it, but Cally is so close to Alli (my new daughter-in-law).
Another name that was suggested to me is Sugar because she is so sweet. I like that one too.
And then I also thought of Button. But none of these names seem perfect to me.
I am taking suggestions or votes on the above mentioned names! Let me know what you think!!

Is It REALLY September?????

2010-09-14T10:20:00.009-04:00

I haven't blogged in so very long. I have thought

about it a few times, but so much has happened. I wonder WHERE on earth to start!

When last I posted we were in the hotel room.

After a lot of waiting and waiting, we were finally able to get a closing date. Let me just say that we were totally disappointed in USAA as our mortgage company. Our first representative there actually got fired in the process of our buying our home.
Katie and I took a whirlwind trip to Manhattan, Kansas the day before closing to see my sweet little grandson on his birth-day.

I wouldn't miss it even if I did miss a little sleep!!
I truly know the meaning of "makes my heart melt".

It's a feeling I get each and every time I hold him. I was such a young mom myself that I didn't treasure those feelings. I am now! And let me tell you so is his Grandpa Wilde who holds him EVERY chance he gets!

My lil punkin's full name is Gabrial Elijah Kevin Wilde and he is the most beautiful baby in the world!

The same day I arrived home from meeting my lil punkin, we closed on our log cabin which

has always been a dream of ours!

Our household goods arrived that same week and my patience was sorely tried as the movers unloaded and I began to unpack what was surely the worst packing/moving experience we have ever had! Thankfully it was probably the last!

We also went to the local animal shelter and brought home a 2 yr old beagle we named "Ruby".

She had to stay with a friend for a few days and when she got here she was very sick. I took her to the vet twice and spent over $300 which was money we barely had at the time. She continued to get sicker and sicker. I agonized over it, but it was apparent that Ruby needed to be in a hospital and we didn't have the money to pay for such treatment. We took her back to the shelter to get that care.

Shortly after that, we rented a truck and moved Katie to Manhattan to a little apartment of her own and brought said truck back home filled with Jake and Megan's things. They arrived a few days later with their beagle, Trixie and my lil punkin, Gabe and settled into the guest bedroom.

On the 17th of August I found a 5 month old puppy listed on Craig's List that needed to be

rescued. We went and looked at her and fell in love.

I named her Paisley. We took her and got her spayed as she already had an appointment. She has been with us for almost a month and is mostly confined to the kitchen as we are training her. She is doing pretty good. And she is pretty smart. She can sit, shake and lay down and we are trying to teach her to roll over now.

My sweet friend, Christy who is an awesome amateur photographer (soon to be professional) has taken some awesome pictures. One photo shoot was of Gabe on his one month birthday And the other this past weekend was of our little family when we were ALL here. These are just a few of those awesome pics!

I think that catches you up on the BIG picture. I'll try to be better at posting some of the awesome little things that are happening here in our little corner of Oklahoma!

~Angel

Worth the Wait...

2010-07-24T11:03:00.004-04:00

It is 10:00 in the morning on Saturday, July 24th and I am sitting in our hotel room in Oklahoma City waiting on my water to boil for a chai. I haven't blogged in ages, but maybe it's time! It is therapuetic after all!
We made it through the retirement (bittersweet) and Brian's wedding (BEAUTIFUL) and we found our dream home (LOG CABIN!) here in Oklahoma. Kevin has even started his new job.

And now we wait.

We are waiting for the grandbaby to decide it's time for his birthday

and

we are waiting for a closing date for the cabin.

Katie and I have done a bit of exploring of Oklahoma City. But mostly we've spent the days in our hotel room while Kevin works. I should be taking advantage of the slow pace and just relax. But that is easier said than done. There is only so much to do in the room. And THE ROOM... well, the room is another story. It's awful.

But, it's cheap.

And it's temporary.

I'll add another post for pictures of the cabin and the wedding.
And of course, I'll be adding pictures soon of our new grandbaby!!
Thanks for checking in! I'd love to hear from you in comments!
Blessings~
Angel

The Graduation Trip (long post....)

2010-05-17T09:40:00.006-04:00

I have not TRULY updated my blog for so long! I guess working full time and blogging just don't go together for me. I don't even know where to start.....LOL
The series of events that I have been both looking forward to and dreading at the same time have started to unfold. We really have only a little more than a month before we move from South Carolina to Oklahoma.
The beginning of the chain of events was Brian's graduation which was May 8. We had a very eventful trip back to Kansas to attend Brian's graduation. Katie's car broke down on the interstate just past Boonville, Missouri. We had it towed there. Thank God for the Roadside Assistance Plan which we have through our auto insurance. (I highly recommend AAA or a similiar plan- we have always gotten our money's worth out of those.)
We were delayed in Missouri for a couple of hours and almost missed the baby shower for Megan that Friday at the school Jake and Megan both work at as Paras. But we made it there right at the end. (I forgot to bring in my camera though.)
We went out to dinner with the kids. I love that I now have 5 kids and I love the days when we are all together!
Saturday was the graduation and I am so proud of Brian who graduated Cum Laude! After the graduation, we went to lunch at Old Chicago with some of Alli's family including her mom, Martha and aunt Carol and Uncle John. My parents were also there. (Jake and Megan went to Megan's brothers high school graduation which was the same day. (Congratulations, Ethan!)
That evening we played games at Alli's apartment and had a great time!
Sunday was Mother's Day and I feel so blessed to have spent the morning with my mom and all of the kids when we went out for breakfast. And the kids and Kevin and I ended the day with the hotel swimming pool all to ourselves!
Monday we headed to Salina for Katie to buy a car which Brian found on Craig's List.
We headed home after following Katie to Wichita where she got her tags. We left our Katie back in Kansas and now have an empty nest!. (Sad.)
One blessing which I should not forget to mention is the fact that we were supposed to travel to Oklahoma and have a look around. We were not able to do that as we had to go back up to Missouri to take care of the car there. We KNOW that our detour was perfectly planned by God as we would have been caught in the middle of tornadoes there in OK. Our friends there ARE safe, but really got a scare.
We are back home and today I start a list as the time is REALLY flying by. My last day of work was Friday and I spent the weekend resting as I caught an awful cold. I am thankful that I feel better today!
Here are a few pics of our trip to Kansas. I really wish I had taken more though!!!

I bet you didn't know that Brian had a twin! This is Kenny and Brian who constantly get mistaken for eachother!

Grandma & Grandpa Johnson with Brian. They haven't missed a graduation yet.

Alli and her graduate! We will go to MCC's graduation
next year to see Alli graduate!

Kevin and I are proud of Brian!

The 2010 graduating class of Manhattan Christian College!
Brian and his mom-ME.
After the graduation we celebrated over appetizers and pizza at Old Chicago. It was YUMMY!
Jake and Megan at Alli's apartment that evening.
Three Generations!
Breakfast at Hy-Vee for Mother's Day! Katie and Grandma Johnson!
Jake and Megan AND our grandbaby!
MY FAVORITE MOTHER'S DAY PRESENT WAS FEELING THE BABY KICK!!!

And Brian and Alli!

That's all for now......

I.....

2010-04-22T16:32:00.002-04:00

...made 3 big mistakes yesterday at work and feel like an idiot.
...have NO spare time for anything at home.
...miss blogging!
...am excited to see Beth Moore's simulcast this Saturday!
...colored my hair last weekend. It's dark brown, but some of the greys didn't take...not fair!
...have made 100 wedding invitations so far!
...enjoyed my best friends visits last month!
...will be a grandma in just 3 months!
...have to go to the bathroom but all 3 restrooms are broken here at work!
...am trying not to stress too much about the milestone events which are approaching at warp speed!
...am 1 and 1/2 pounds from my TOPS goal!

...am going to see Taylor Swift with my baby girl next week!

...will miss my baby so much when she moves to KS next month.
...wonder who will read this....

Checking In...

2010-03-13T10:56:00.003-05:00

HELLO!
I am still here! Hard to believe I have been a working woman for a month now! I've settled in to a bit of a routine. Getting up, working out, getting ready, going to work, coming home, making dinner, washing dishes and then watching TV until bedtime. Get up and start all over.
This week was different for me at work though. I actually moved in to my own office and got my computer hooked up. We had been waiting for the computer to come from an office that was closing. And the girl I work with is only there from 9-12 so we shared her office/computer. It worked out okay, but it's nice to have my own space too. I hope to take a pic of my office this week after I get my pictures up.
This week will be a short week! I am working Monday- Wednesday and then Thursday picking up one of my best friends from the airport in Charlotte for her 4 day visit. I will go back to work the next Monday for a week and then my other best friend will be here that Friday along with my sweet Godchildren!
March is Best Friend month!
YIPEEEEE!!!
Well, I've been lazy this morning. Kevin brought home Chik-fil-A for breakfast. I've been blogging. But, now I better get my work out in so I can get to cleaning!
Have a great weekend!
Thanks for stopping by!

It's SNOWING in South Carolina!

2010-02-12T19:29:00.004-05:00

It started snowing lightly at about 3:30. It picked up a little while later. Katie took Paige out and this is a cute picture of her catching a snowflake with her tongue!
We've got a couple of inches already and are expecting between 3-5 inches.
Here is Katie's snowman!
This last picture was right before it got dark outside. We've gotten more snow since then.

I hope it's better tomorrow.
I need a haircut and I need to go shopping for clothes for my new job!!!
Blessings~
Angel

HaPpY BIrtHdAY, BRiAn!

2010-02-12T19:18:00.003-05:00

Brian is 22 YEARS young today!
Happy Birthday, Brian!!!

I Feel Spoiled

2010-02-06T10:58:00.004-05:00

Katie totally spoiled me yesterday.
She finally got some money she was expecting and we went shopping.
Guess what she bought me?
A new purse....

AND

an I-Pod TOUCH!
I LOVE IT!

We got the case on clearance at Staples a while back for $1. I knew someday I'd want one and the butterfly case was cute. :-) It doesn't fit it perfectly, but it works.
Katie loaded some music on it for me and I played with it quite a bit last night downloading a few free Aps.
Can't wait to get some more cool tunes and family pictures downloaded on it.
It's SWEET!
Thank you, Katie!

Silliness

2010-02-06T08:13:00.001-05:00

These are the silly pictures from Christmas time!
We do have F-U-N!!!!!
Hugs~
Angel

LOTS of Holiday Photos! (Finally)

2010-02-04T08:48:00.015-05:00

We had a WONDERFUL time when the kids were here for Christmas.
Brian was the first to arrive. Katie had taken a flight to Wichita to ride back with him in his car. They drove straight through. Jake and Megan and sweet Trixie were not far behind, but they got stuck in traffic from an accident up ahead of them so they ended up spending the night in Tennessee. We had a wonderful Christmas and fabulous quality time. There was food and fun and GAMES, games, games! We played our new Christmas games of Life Twists and Turns, Farkle, Dicecapades, Funglish and Quelf (a very crazy game!).
Jake and Megan headed home and then Brian's fiancee, Alli arrived the next day and we had a little mini Christmas with her. We also welcomed in the new year with them.
It was all over so quickly and I was back to missing the kids and counting the days until I see them again.
I haven't taken the time to put my memory card in the computer and download the photos until now. And I got an external hard drive for Christmas so some of them were already on it and not on my card. But, I think there is enough of a variety on my card to show on my blog.
Here are some of the highlights! (I am saving the silly pics for another post.)

BLOG!

2010-02-03T08:47:00.005-05:00

Hello!
Just checking in so you know I haven't fell off the face of the earth.
I am sorry I haven't even posted my Christmas pictures. I will try to do that this week.
I can hardly believe it is February!
What have I been doing?
~I've been making to-do lists like crazy. But there just aren't enough hours in the day!
~I've been going to TOPS and working out.... I am about 5 pounds from goal. But 10 pounds from where I really want to be.
~I've been going to a new Beth Moore Bible study on the book of Revelations!
~I've been stamping a bit. I've made journals for all of my TOPS friends. I will be posting those on my stamping blog. I love how they are turning out and I love making them so I am going to start selling them. Email me if you'd like one. They are personalized!
(I got a Cuttlebug alphabet for Christmas! One of my favorite presents!)
~I've been a bit addicted to Etsy. I really would love to set up my own Etsy, but that will have to be a future endeavor. Too much on our plates right now. I ordered a stamp for the wedding invitations from Etsy. It should arrive today!
~I've been designing the wedding invitations for Brian and Alli. And I've ordered nearly all of the supplies. I still need the background paper and some adhesive and I'll be all set to make 275 of them!
~I've been babysitting, but infrequently so I am also looking for a job.
~I went to an unemployment agency. Got a background check. I've filled out the paperwork and I'm going to drop that off today!
~I took some things to the thrift shop on base. That is going to be on my weekly to-do list! I can take up to 20 items a week and only 5 of those can be clothing. They take 30% and I keep 70% of the sale. I am hoping this could be equal to a part time job!
~I've been babying my feet a bit. According to the doctor, I have Planter Fasciitis. All I know is that my feet HURT!
That's my life. I hope to blog again soon!

Leave me a comment if you've actually read this!

New Year- New Word!

2010-01-04T20:37:00.005-05:00

It's 2010!
Are you ready? Cuz I know I'm not!
I've been thinking a LOT about this year and what it holds...most of which I don't even know about. But the things I do know are both exciting and scary.
It's at this time of year that I choose a word, one word, to base my year on as a focus of sorts. I don't even remember what my word was last year. But this year's word will be extremely important to me. After much deliberation I've chosen the word "PRAY".
I've decided to take things "one day at a time" this year and of course take it all to God in prayer, knowing that only with God can I get through it all.
The sermon at our church on December 27th really struck home.
And it was based on Matthew 11:28-30
Then Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light."
And a light load is something I could really use!
What does the year hold?
It all starts with a graduation in May as Brian graduates from college. Then a wedding as he and fiancee Alli get married in July. A retirement sometime soon as Kevin plans to retire from the Air Force. Jake and Megan are expecting so our first grand baby is due in July! And one or both of us will start a new job. Then Katie plans to transfer to K State which means Kevin and I will experience an empty nest!
I have to say 2010 scares me, but I know with a lot of prayers I will get through it!
My computer time is going to be limited this year.
Why?
I am going to get a job this month. I have to. Nuff said.

Brian & Alli have asked me to make their wedding invitations. About 200 of them. I'm honored to do it. But, that will take up a lot of my free time I think.

I plan on keeping my blog account active and I may even find time to post from time to time, but I know it won't be on a regular basis.
I will however, be back later this week with some of my Christmas pictures. I really enjoyed having the kids here. I got some good pics. Wish I would have taken more. Oh well....

I'll be back!!!

graphics courtesy of http://bestdesignoptions.com/.

It's Almost Christmas!

2009-12-17T14:05:00.004-05:00

Time sure does fly this time of year. I need to post about it so I learn my lesson and not procrastinate to much next year. I'll never learn though.
I always have such grand plans and they never completely pan out!
I have made some crafts but not as many as I was going to.
I'll post those as soon as I finish givin' em away! :-)
Kevin and I went to the base Christmas party on Saturday. It was semi formal and for the first time ever it wasn't me buying something to wear- it was Kevin. He just didn't have anything "semi formal" to wear. So on Thursday when I was hosting my Bunco bunch, he and Katie went to find him something to wear. He looked so handsome on Saturday evening in his new duds.

I wore a blouse and skirt from 4 Christmas parties ago. But it was new to South Carolina so I didn't mind. We had fun. Another party this Friday night. But first I take Katie to the airport to get on a plane to Kansas so she can help Brian drive here. They'll be here on Monday and Jake and Megan should be here Wednesday. Then Alli flies in on the 29th.
I am SO excited that the kids are coming!! I can hardly wait!!!
I probably won't be back here until the new year so
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Thanks for stopping by!

Turkey Noodle & Wild Rice

2009-11-28T19:59:00.004-05:00

I made this recipe tonight with some of our leftover turkey. It was SO yummy! Creamy and filling. Great for a cold night. It made more than the 3 of us could ever eat. But I am looking forward to having it tomorrow for lunch too!

Turkey Noodle & Wild Rice

1 bag (12 oz) Reames® Homestyle Egg Noodles
10 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 box (6.2 oz.) 5 minute long grain & wild rice mix
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. poultry seasoning
2 cups half and half
2 cups turkey, cooked & diced
1/2 cup green onion, thinly sliced

Preparation:
In a large pan or Dutch oven, combine 9 cups of chicken broth and chopped onion. Bring to a boil. Add Reames Home Style Egg Noodles; return to boiling. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes (or until noodles are desired tenderness). Add rice and seasoning packet; cook for an additional 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl stir together the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth, flour, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning; stir until smooth. Slowly add flour and broth mixture to cooked noodle and rice mixture, stirring constantly. Bring to boiling; cook 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly. Slowly add half and half to cooked noodle mixture; stirring constantly. Add turkey; heat gently, stirring frequently until heated through. Stir in green onion before serving.

Serves 8-10.

I could not find the long grain and wild rice in instant form so I bought a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild Rice and cooked it before starting the rest and so I also cut back the broth by one cup. I omitted the 1/2 cup of chopped onion so Katie would eat it, but I did chop up some green onion for Kevin and I to add to our bowls. It was so good.

Enjoy.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T12:50:00.003-05:00

To all my friends and family!

I hope you are all enjoying the season of counting your blessings!
I am grateful for so much including my husband who is working so hard today to make a wonderful meal for Katie, myself and him. He's smoking a turkey breast on the grill and he is making his signature dressing and some mashed potatoes for Katie. Rolls are rising and I am getting ready to make a green bean casserole and cherry chiffon for dessert. I am sure we will be eating this food for days. I do have a new recipe I plan on trying this weekend with the turkey leftovers. Turkey Noodle and Wild Rice Casserole. Sounds yummy. If it turns out, I will post the recipe!
Kevin went out this morning and bought me a newspaper. I can't believe they are charging $3 for the paper. But, I have been looking at the Black Friday ads to see if it is worth going out and fighting the crowds. I think it might be worth the trip to Columbia. We learned last year that going to WalMart in a small town is NOT a good idea for Black Friday. EVERYONE was there.
I better get in the shower.
Have a blessed day and wonderful weekend too!!!
Blessings~
Angel

"Franklin"

2009-11-15T17:23:00.001-05:00

I have been babysitting a little girl who is almost 3. (I'll call her *P* for privacy purposes). Her mom brings her over a couple of times a week. One day shortly after I started watching her I picked her up at her house because it worked out that it was easier since I was already on my way to pick up Katie from school. *P* was not happy with the routine change and she cried and cried. I think it was just too different for her.
I picked up Katie at school and we headed home with *P* crying.
We were almost home when Katie noticed a turtle in the middle of the road. I stopped and Katie went and got it and we brought it home. And like magic the tears stopped. We set the turtle down in the yard and watched it for a little while. But we worried about the neighborhood animals getting to it. So, after we ate breakfast we went back out and got the turtle which we had named Franklin. He hadn't gotten very far.
Katie and I decided to take him to Swan Lake and let him out with the million other turtles that live there.
We drove out to Swan Lake and put Franklin out near the water and said good-bye. It was a very pretty day so we went to the playground and let *P* play a little while before coming back home. It was a nice little adventure.
After we came home and ate lunch, *P* took a nice long nap that afternoon.
Aren't they so sweet when they're asleep?

Update

2009-11-06T17:56:00.003-05:00

Just a short post to say hi to whoever may be checking into this blog to see how I am doing. I am doing good! I look forward to the first week of November as it is Kevin's and my birthday. I think we have been apart for as many birthdays as we have been together due to Kevin's assignments.
This year we are together.
Last Sunday was Kevin's birthday. We went to church and then came home and made queso and chips, hot wings and brownies. Doesn't sound like a perfect combination, but along with the Grolsch beer Kevin loves, it made him happy. We watched the race with him and it was a nice day.
Tomorrow is my birthday and although I am not counting the years anymore, it's still nice to have a day to call your own. My TOPS girls gave me cards and my friend Amy made these awesome cupcakes made with a spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin... that's all. Replace the eggs, oil and water with a can of pumpkin and they are SO yummy. They don't need frosting either. But adding a dollop of the canned whip topping just makes them yummier!I've gotten several cards this week and a few happy mail days.
I'm a Happy girl.
Tomorrow Kevin is taking me out for dinner. I have been SO good at my diet (until yesterday) and am only about 10 pounds from goal. But I do plan on eating whatever I want that comes into my line of vision. Tomorrow.
Oh, and I have a part time job offer.
Alls well.
Blessings~

I've been tagged...

2009-11-03T10:33:00.003-05:00

I was tagged by Melissa!

Here we go!
RULES: 1. You can only use ONE word!!!
2. Pass this along to 5 of your favorite bloggers!
3. Alert them that you have given them this award!
4. HAVE FUN!!!***************
1. Where is your cell phone? pocket
2. Your hair? short
3. Your mother? Iowa
4. Your father? Iowa
5. Your fave food? PB
6. Your dream last night? foggy
7. Your fave drink? Chai
8. Your dream/goal? Happiness
9. What room are you in? craft
10. Your hobby? Stamping
11. Your fear? loneliness
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Kansas
13. Where you were last night? BEd
14. Something that you aren't? skinny
15. Muffins? pumpkin
16. Wish List Item? paper
17. Where did you grow up? Iowa
18. Last thing you did? emailed
19. What are you wearing? clothes
20. Your TV? off
21. Your Pets? none
22. Friends? awesome
23. Your Life? hold
24. Your Mood? middle
25. Missing Someone? YES
26. Vehicle? Torrent
27. Something you're not wearing? makeup
28. Your fave store? Craft
29. Your fave color? Sky
30. Last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? ?
32. Your best friend? Peg
33. One place that I go to over and over? school
34. One person who emails regularly? mom
35. Fave place to eat? Logans
36. Facebook? Often

I choose Peggy,
Tracy,
Alli,
Megan
and
Kelly.

Thanks, Melissa. That was fun!

Providence

2009-10-28T10:09:00.007-04:00

Doing my Bible study this morning, I had another amazing encounter with God.
Confirmation.
I am doing the Beth Moore study on Esther and just finished the final lesson. We'll watch the last video tonight (sniff).
Beth gave us 3 scriptures with which we put onto a triangle.
Here is mine:

From Esther- "It's Tough Being a Woman"
"God not only promises that He "works out everything" (Eph 1.11) "according to His good purpose" (Phil 2.13). He promises that "in all things God works for [our] good" (Romans 8.28). In other words, every time He shifts us here or moves us there on this earthbound chessboard, He's not just fulfilling His own pleasure regardless of its impact on you. He's also working every detail- even the dreadful ones- to your and my good." -Beth Moore

The P in the middle stands for Providence!
I love this part! The definition of providence?

prov⋅i⋅dence –noun
1. the foreseeing care and guidance of God or nature over the creatures of the earth.
2. God, esp. when conceived as omnisciently directing the universe and the affairs of humankind with wise benevolence.
3. a manifestation of divine care or direction.
4. provident or prudent management of resources; prudence.
5. foresight; provident care.

Blessings!

A Future and a Hope....

2009-10-25T13:35:00.003-04:00

I just have to blog about church this morning. It was so awesome. And to think I almost missed it because I was cold this morning and had a hard time getting going. SO glad I didn't.
The sermon series is called "Tune In" and is all about prayer. We've missed the last couple of weeks, but I hope to get them on CD and listen. Prayer is something I've already been feeling convicted about. I know I don't spend enough time with my God.
This isn't part of my story, but I have to tell you that we had some excitement towards the end of the message. The speakers and microphone started squealing and making some awful racket. They finally had to turn off the sound system altogether. And then someone noticed that one of the speakers on stage was smoking. Crazy. As they carried it off, I thought they were walking towards the baptistery and half expected them to throw it in, but they didn't.
Anyway, after the sermon which was based on 1 Samuel 3, our preacher told everyone to get into a position of prayer and tell God "Speak God, for your servant is listening". He gave us quite a bit of time and as I prayed I was thinking of the burden that has been on my heart a lot lately which is Kevin's retirement. We've been talking about it and I know Kevin has been considering it, but I've been very skeptical about it. FEAR is a better word. I've been the one talking him out of it, pointing out the bad job market. The fact is the very thought of retirement has me sick to my stomach and gripped in FEAR.
But, I sat there in church this morning and I prayed. I prayed for God to speak to me. And I thought of the card in my Bible that I had seen a few seconds before. I had written Jeremiah 29:11 on it in Bible study. (As if to reinforce this thought, the guy 2 seats in front of us was wearing a football jersey with the number 11 on it. God WILL clarify things for you!)
I can quote this verse from memory and I started to do that, but I felt God saying to me to read that verse and what comes after it. I opened my Bible and read and as I read tears came streaming from my eyes.
This is what I read:
"For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land."
Jeremiah 29:11-14
WOW!
God spoke.
I think I see retirement in Kevin's near future.

This & That

2009-10-16T16:09:00.002-04:00

Just to check in before the weekend. I've got a busy couple of weeks coming up.
I am still involved with TOPS and go every Thursday. I hope to be halfway to goal next week!
But, you can read about my weight loss journey at my weight loss blog so I won't go into details about that. EXCEPT to say that I've found something better than a candy bar. I eat it EVERY day and it has about 200 calories! It's an apple with peanut butter! YUM!

I've started babysitting an adorable little girl who is almost 3 years old. I hope to put this money away for Christmas. I'll be asking her mom if I can post pics, but until then I better not even mention her name.
And then I've got a few stamping deadlines right on top of eachother coming up that are going to take up quite a bit of my free time. I'm afraid I won't be blogging much.
Oh...our little base and community made the news today. Did you see? It wasn't good and will probably mean LONG hours for my overworked and underpaid husband. You can read about that here.
Have a blessed weekend!

Quality Family Time

2009-10-10T09:58:00.005-04:00

We had a fabulous time last weekend when our younger son Brian and his adorable girlfriend Alli flew in from Kansas to visit us. It was Kevin's first time meeting Alli and it's unanimous... we ALL love her.
The two of them arrived in Charlotte at about 9:30 Friday evening. It's about a 2 hour drive, so we got home pretty late. The next day, we all slept in a bit and then I made waffles for breakfast. The kids wanted to visit Swan Lake so we hopped in the car and drove over there.
That evening Katie had to babysit, but the rest of us had fun playing games. We taught Alli how to play Pennsylvania Dutch Rummy and Spades!
Sunday morning we woke up and went to church. (Great sermon by the way.) Then we came home, had lunch and drove out to Poinsett State Park for a 3 miles hike. More games for Sunday evening. And then sadly we had to drive back to the airport on Monday afternoon.
It was a great weekend. It just flew by as all good ones do. I kept wishing that Jake and Megan could have been here too. But, I am looking forward to everyone being here for Christmas!!!

Brian posing at Swan Lake.

Brian gives Alli a piggyback ride. Good thing she's tiny!

Katie Alli and Brian at Swan Lake.

Katie and Brian at Poinsett State Park.

The kids making lunch.

(That is bagel bites surrounding a little pizza in case you were wondering.)

Brian and Alli at beautiful Poinsett State Park.

Brian and Alli at the Charlotte Airport as they got ready to go back to cold Kansas!

October Pinkness

2009-10-02T08:23:00.002-04:00

I usually try to turn my blog pink for October. Haven't had time yet this month though.
But, I wanted to let you all know that my friend Peg is offering up some goodies at her blog- Webbmania in order to spread the word about Breast Cancer Awareness.
Coincidentally I have a mammogram scheduled!

Poinsett State Park

2009-09-30T08:10:00.006-04:00

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and Kevin suggested we check out Poinsett State Park. South Carolina has the prettiest parks! I was excited to find out they rent out cabins at this park. Really cool cabins that were built in the 1930s. I hinted to Kevin that it would be a nice birthday weekend retreat. Hopefully he takes the hint.
We went to the park and walked the Coquina trail which was a little over one and a half miles. They have several trails and I can't wait to go try another. This park is only about 10 miles from our house.
There are alligators at this park. I thought I saw one, but can't be sure. That was scary. The funniest thing happened this morning. Kevin and Katie were on their way out the front door. He was taking her to school. They were surprised to see a hummingbird that seemed to be disoriented and kept bouncing off the ceiling of the porch. Kevin tried getting her to go off the porch, but she wouldn't. He was late leaving and had to go, but before he left he gave me a branch and told me to try and get her to land on it and then move her off the porch that way. So, I tried it and it worked Poor little thing. She probably had a pretty good headache after that. I didn't get any pictures, but here is a some pics of one of our little hummingbirds from this week. We also took a pic last week of these 2 hummingbirds on the back deck. THey were acting quite strange. And kept hitting eachother's beaks. And then one seemed to be sitting on the others' head. Kevin actually snapped a pic of it from the back door.
Not sure what that was about. Silly birds!
Brian and Alli are coming to visit in 2 days! I am beyond excited!!!
Blessings!

A La SWIFT

2009-09-05T20:47:00.004-04:00

It's Saturday night. The Nationwide race is on TV. Kevin is trying to clean the carpets in Katie's car (for the 2nd time). And Katie is up in her room. And I've been sitting here looking at the pictures and videos Katie took at the concert last night.
Katie and I drove to Greenville, SC to see Taylor Swift yesterday. Katie had made all of the arrangements for us. She bought the concert tickets and booked us a really nice room at the Holiday Inn not far from the arena.

Katie has been a HUGE Taylor Swift fan since Taylor first came on the country music scene. I was excited for her to be able to actually go see her in person. And we had a great time. The opening acts were "Gloriana"

and

Kellie Pickler.

They were both pretty good too.
And then came Taylor. What a show! She sang all but 2 of the songs from her "Fearless" album and about 5 from her first CD.

She started out in her marching band uniform singing "You Belong with Me" and ended with "Should've Said No" with the rain coming down on her just like she did it at the awards show.
At one point she appeared in the audience and walked down to a small revolving platform and sang my favorite song of the new CD- "Hey Stephen".

Taylor was a great performer and she got emotional a couple of times. She seems to take it all in and not take the applause for granted. She is certainly not a spoiled Diva at this point in her career and I hope she keeps her charming down to earth personality.
Katie and I got up this morning and drove the little over 2 hours back home. Katie says it all feels like a dream.

But I know it's one mother/daughter time neither of us will soon forget.

My Prayer

2009-08-28T10:19:00.003-04:00

Our Wildelife...

2009-08-27T13:44:00.005-04:00

I've had a couple of pretty cool things happen this week I thought I would share.
On Tuesday morning when I woke up there were 5 deer in the backyard. It's very unusual for us to see them in broad daylight and the sun was already out. I took a few pictures from the picture window in the kitchen. They aren't very good because I didn't want to scare them away, so I didn't get too close to the window. You can see they were watching the house pretty closely.

Then yesterday I heard a thump on the window and went to the deck to see which of the birds had the collision. I was surprised to see a little female hummingbird laying flat on her back. We've had all sorts of birds hit the window and sadly, even had one fatality. But, I've never seen it be a hummingbird that ran into the window. They can stop in midair so I didn't expect that at all. I picked her up and placed her in a shoebox so a cat wouldn't happen upon her for his midday meal. I was surprised at how soft she was!!! She was breathing very heavily, but was conscious. I grabbed my camera for a picture. After a few minutes, I went inside to get her a drink. Katie was holding the box and while I was inside, Fiona (as we fondly call her) found the strength to fly away when another hummingbird flew by.

As you can see, I've really been trying to update more lately.
I want to thank you so much for visiting.

Parallel Parking

2009-08-25T14:52:00.006-04:00

When Kevin got home from work last night, he helped Katie practice parallel parking. I toook advantage of the photo op and grabbed my camera and took a few pictures. I love Mondays cuz Kevin wears his BLUES.
Thank you for visiting me.

Blessings to YOU!

ETA- I found this great website with Parallel Parking advice!!!
Here you go!

Busy Week

2009-08-23T13:48:00.006-04:00

It's been a busy week here. On Monday Katie and I went to Georgia to visit my sweet friend Shelley and her family. I feel bad that we went during the week and interrupted their school week. But I've been wanting to go see them for so long and decided to just DO IT! The trip was a little over 4 hours. Not bad. We stayed for 2 nights and came home on Wednesday. While we were there, we had lunch with some friends from church, went shopping and Shelley, Katie and I went to see a movie- "The Time Traveler's Wife"- not a bad movie at all. I brought my camera to GA with me but forgot my good memory card. So I only had room for about 10 pictures on this cheap little card that was in my camera case.
Here are a few.

Shelly and IShelley's little boy Ashton was SO cute. I bent down for the picture and so did he.
Here he poses with Katie. Ashton celebrates his 2nd birthday this week. Happy Birthday, Ashton!Shelley, Shay and I at lunch. Forgot to take a pic before Tori and Brittany left. Thursday was Katie's first day at USC, Sumter. She labeled the day a SUCCESS. I was kinda sad to take my baby to college. Time REALLY flies. It's hard to believe she's already old enough to go to college.
Friday evening was a date night for Kevin and I. He had planned it for a few weeks...just told me to keep my night free for him. We went to the NCO Club at the base where they The Shaw Community Theatre performed a special Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre- Murder at Rutherford House. It was the third time that Kevin and I have been to one. This one was really good too. I wish I had brought my camera! I correctly solved the crime and guessed who the murderers were. But it came down to the tie breaker questions and I got one wrong. I did receive a certificate for Runner-Up. And I had a blast.
Saturday we got tires for Katie's car. Kevin put her plates on and Katie washed it, so now the Grand Am is road ready. Hopefully Katie will be getting her driver's license this week and driving herself to school. Brian also got a car this week. Using the "Cash for Clunkers" program, he is the proud new owner of a Chevrolet Cobalt. We are looking forward to seeing him and his girlfriend Alli in October when they fly in for the weekend!
I'm looking forward to a quieter week this week. Maybe some time to stamp. Gonna go clean now!
Blessings!

Katie's Car!

2009-08-16T15:22:00.003-04:00

Katie will be starting school Thursday and I am going to have to find a job SOON. Which was leading us to a transportation issue. We solved that today by finding a car for Katie! She will be driving this 1996 Pontiac Grand Am. Hopefully she will get her drivers' license this week too.
But, first we will be traveling to Georgia tomorrow to see some friends we've dearly missed. I'm so excited. I'm off to pack.
See you when I get back!
Blessings~

Monday Madness

2009-08-10T16:35:00.004-04:00

Well, it's not really madness. It's just Monday. I started out my day with quite the to-do list- most of which was making calls. I have spent most of the day on the phone. I had to schedule and reschedule... you know those days. We had our phone switched to a new provider last week... they didn't get our phone number "ported" over, so we've had a temporary number now for the last week. Annoying. I've been trying to get that straightened out. I hope I didn't miss many calls. I still have the same cell if you need to reach me.
We got new furniture last week and it's wonderful. Except one of the recliners doesn't work. Had to set up an appointment to get that fixed. Here's a pic of the living room set.

The couch and loveseat both have built-in recliners. Kevin and I are really enjoying putting our feet up in the evenings to watch TV. In 24 years, we've never had a recliner. Now we have 5!
I had to reschedule a dentist appointment. Katie and I are taking a very short road trip. We are going to Georgia for a couple of days next week to visit some dear friends of ours there. I can't wait to see them.
Katie starts back to school next week. We're still looking for a car for her. She's getting pretty good at driving, but she says they make you parallel park to get your license here and she'll need to work on that.
I'm really getting my miles in.

Feels good. And I am drinking lots of water, keeping my calorie intake under 1400. I WILL get some weight off. (I hope.)
If you've read this, leave a comment. I'd love to hear from you!
Blessings~

A Quick Hello

2009-08-05T09:35:00.000-04:00

Just poppin in to say hello.
Katie was in the kitchen this last weekend and Kevin and I were on the deck talking. She snapped a couple of pics of us. I thought I'd share one.We've got the cable/phone guy coming today. We're switching our phone service to the local cable company. I hope that solves the problems we are always having with the line. Half the time we'd pick up the phone, there would be no dial tone. It was so frustrating. Now we'll be saving money too. Gotta love that!
We found some new furniture at Value City that we liked. It's being delivered tomorrow, so I'll hopefully post some pics of it soon. Our current furniture was so uncomfortable.. especially for Kevin. I hope he'll be able to relax now when he gets home from work.
I've been walking like crazy. I started the WAlk at Home "Walk Club" for one month free. I also joined in on one of the monthly challenges and hope to walk 100 miles this month! Sixteen down 84 to go!

Have a great day!

Happy Anniversary Jake and Megan!

2009-08-04T06:39:00.004-04:00

Today is Jake and Megan's 2nd wedding anniversary. I am so very proud of my son and daughter-in-law. We all know that marriage isn't easy, but these 2 make it look like it is.
Congratulations, Jake and Megan!

What's New....

2009-08-01T09:25:00.005-04:00

Not much.
The summer is really flying by.
Katie will soon be starting college.
We are looking for a car for her.
It's the season for animals. I've been doing my bird watching. One of our favorite thing to do on the weekend is to try and spot a bird we've never seen before. We usually do. It's fun to watch the baby birdies at the feeder. The mommy or daddy bird stuffing food in their beaks while their wings are shaking. So cute. Here is a pic of a daddy cardinal feeding his baby. The juvenile cardinals do not have the orange beak yet.

We've seen lots of hummingbirds this season. They'll come up to the picture window and look in at eye level before going up to the feeder. Funny little birds. We did have 2 feeders for them, but one morning we work up and the one in the tree was missing. A hungry raccoon I assume. Kevin found one of the plastic pieces out in the woods near our yard. I doubt we'll replace that one.

We've also had lots of deer in the backyard and even some in the middle of the day. There are even babies with lots of spots. We put a coffee can of corn out every night. They are used to Kevin now and when he goes out to smoke they usually stay out there eating the corn.
We did go visit Peggy and family a couple of weeks ago... a last minute trip since Kevin was on leave and it was Peggy's birthday. It just made sense to go see them and take advantage of living within a day's drive. We were able to go to Busch Gardens thanks to the "Salute to Heroes" program. We got in FREE and had lots of fun. However, we rode the rides, got wet and then the sun went away and it started sprinkling. Go figure.
Our living room furniture is horribly uncomfortable and Kevin has gotten to the point of not being able to stand sitting on it to watch TV at night. It hurts his back so much. So, I think we are planning on looking for furniture this weekend.
Next weekend I'll have a booth at the community yard sale downtown. I hope to sell a lot of my unwanted craft supplies and stamps. Wish me luck.
Have a fabulous weekend and enjoy what's left of your summer. I hope to get back to blogging one of these days!
Blessings!
(Pictures being added as I have time.)

A Month of Catch Up (LONG POST...LOTS OF PICS)

2009-07-14T09:38:00.008-04:00

It's been a while. Unbelievably to me it has been over a month since my last post. I won't go into why, but I decided today would be the day that I would post on both of my blogs! AND try to update them at least weekly. So, here I am. A lot has happened since my last posts. Our sweet daughter (our BABY) graduated. We had a house full of company! And we survived. A good friend loaned me her camper and we set it up in front of the house for more sleeping space. Even though it didn't have A/C, we were able to run an extension cord out to it for lights and fans. I think it stayed cool enough for comfortable sleeping for my parents and my brother and his wife. I wish I had taken a picture.
But, here are a few of the pics from graduation.

Peggy, Zach and the twins with Katie. Brandon and Faith were not exactly cooperative.

Katie with Jake and Megan.

Katie and her Godmother, my Aunt Anna. We missed Dale.

The graduate with my mom and dad- her Grandma and Grandpa Johnson.

Kevin and I with our baby.

At the graduation, Faith wanted to walk and amazingly she even took my dad's hand.
Peggy and I at the graduation- friends since Katie was 2- the twins' age!
My brother, Rob and his wife Kylie were able to make the trip.

Kevin with his mom who flew in from Iowa. We were happy to see her.

Everyone was gone by Sunday. Even Katie who went back to Kansas with her brother and sister-in-law. I picked her up from the airport almost 2 weeks later. Surprisingly, she had changed her "look"- dyed her hair and cut it. I like it though.

As of July 1st, I am no longer on the Our Daily Bread Designs design team. I really miss it. But, I had to start focusing on finding a job. I have sent out a few resumes, but so far nothing. We are going up to Northern Virginia to visit Peg this weekend for her birthday. We are all going to Busch Gardens on the way home. Our summer vacation. LOL
When we get back I am REALLY going to get busy on finding a job.
Employment offices even. Yuck.
I have been stamping and crafting and walking and piddling around. And I am getting ready for a big sale this weekend where I will hopefully unload hundreds of unwanted stamp supplies!
That is about the extent of my summer thus far. I'll show you a couple of pics from yesterday and send you on your way. AND hopefully be back before the week is out to chat some more!

Beautiful Jewelry

2009-06-13T15:31:00.004-04:00

My daughter-in-law makes the most beautiful jewelry. Megan has been beading for over 11 years and her experience and creativity combines to make the most exquisite pieces.
Megan has recently started her own business- Wild[e] Designs. You'll find her at craft shows throughout the Midwest, but also at her etsy shop online- Wild[e] Designs.
Here are a few of her pieces.

She still has several necklaces, bracelets and earrings left in her inventory to photograph and post. So, if there is something you're looking for in particular, let her know!
I am sure she would love the challenge of a custom assignment too!

Youth Center

2009-05-28T15:44:00.007-04:00

When I was in Kansas I was able to finally see the youth center where Jake and Megan spend a lot of their time and effort.
The board members and kids threw a graduation party for Jake and Megan the day they graduated.

It was very nice.
Jake is the director of Ogden Youth Center. He and Megan have been there for a couple of years now and they have really put a lot of their hearts into the place. I was very impressed.
(Brian was also on staff this past school year.)
Here are some pics of the center. The building has housed many different businesses and just prior to the Youth Center it was a rifle range... lots of grey and cement.
But, Megan and Jake added lots of color!
There is a reading room,
Computer center,
arts and crafts tables (where the party guests are at) And more places for the kids to unwind and stay off the streets, out of trouble and most importantly encouraged and motivated.

Here are some of the kids with Megan and Jacob. SADLY, the center has recently lost nearly every single penny of funding just this week. Jake is struggling to find some funding to keep the center open through the summer. It doesn't look as if even that will happen.
Today is Jacob's birthday and I think the best present you could give him would be to offer your prayers for their future, that of Ogden Youth Center and the youth of Ogden.
Thanks for stopping by!

Friends (and Family)

2009-05-26T11:47:00.004-04:00

I took my camera everywhere I went, but unfortunately forgot to use it quite often. Here are a few of the amazing people I got to see though.
I got together with some of my church friends at Abuelos. Here is that group:

(Karen, Kassie, Me, Carole and Anita)
Of course I stayed with Paula (one of my closest friends) and her family.
Here is a picture of her and I:

I had a Chai and a walk with one of my most thoughtful friends, Kristin.

I had dinner with Katie's best friend, Caitlin and her mom, my good friend, Aimee.

And then we stopped in Nashville on the way home so I could spend some time with my friend and Aunt Anna.

Graduation

2009-05-26T11:35:00.003-04:00

Just another quick update. I have really been wanting to get the kids' graduation pics posted here. Jake and Megan both recieved their Associates Degree on Saturday, May 9th!
What a wonderful accomplishment! Sadly, Kevin or Katie were not able to go.
Megan's parents and grandparents and myself and my parents were all there for the event as well as several friends. Afterward we went to one of Jake's favorite restaurants- Famous Daves. And then there was a small party for them at the Youth Center where they both work.
(I'll post those pics in another post!)

Jim the Wonder Dog!

2009-05-26T11:15:00.005-04:00

Has it really been almost one month since I have blogged here? It's really been a busy time I guess.
I was in Kansas for one week of this last month and I had a wonderful trip. Unfortunately I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see, but I did manage to squeeze in a lot of visiting! I drove the many many miles across country. Luckily I had a local friend and driving buddy who also wanted to travel to see family in Kansas this summer, so we took the venture together. Cathy was a great travel partner and we stayed awake and busy throughout the trip with travel bingo, trivia and other games she brought along.

Our first stop was in Marshall, Missouri home to Jim the Wonder Dog and most importantly the home to my sweet friend Lori! Lori showed us her lovely little town which included this adorable little park which was dedicated to what sounds like an amazing dog. You can read more about him at this site should you have the time. He really does sound like a wonder dog! It was Cinco de Mayo so of course we had a great Mexican lunch.

My visit with Lori was way too short, but she was a wonderful hostess and I hope I get back to see her again soon!

I'll try and post more of the trip and the graduation soon!
{baby steps...}

Senior Pics Photo Session

2009-04-30T16:19:00.007-04:00

We found a photographer online and had Katie's senior pictures taken yesterday. She had 3 changes of clothes and looked so pretty. She's VERY photogenic. Her face was hurting from so much smiling!
I took my camera along and took a few pictures while the photographer was snapping hers. I know since mine look pretty good, that hers will probably be great! I swooned when I saw her camera. VERY nice. I was very pleased with the location the photographer chose. We actually had them done at the museum here in town. They had great backdrops for photos.
Here are a few of mine (untouched). I can't wait to see the real photos. We should be able to look at them online this weekend!

Blogging

2009-04-27T09:35:00.004-04:00

I've been a bad blogger! I'm still alive and kicking... just not blogging!
What's going on? Well, as usual, I have procrastinated on so many things and time just keeps flying! I have been getting up earlier and earlier and there still isn't time in the day to do all of the things I need to do! This morning I got up at 4:30! Seriously!
I've got lots of design work due in the next couple of weeks and since I am leaving for Kansas in ONE WEEK, I have only this week to get it all done!
I had planned on doing Katie's senior pictures myself, but my wonderful amazing aunt and uncle (who are also Katie's Godparents) suggested I get them done professionally and they would help out. SO, I've found a very reasonably priced free-lance photographer and we are getting those done this week. I'll be getting those invitations out as soon as the pictures come back!
And I've also been working on my resume! I've been watching the newspaper and haven't seen any job openings in my field, but I figured it was time to polish up the resume and start the ball rolling. I'm hoping to work part-time and still do my design work on the side. It's what I love, but it just doesn't pay the bills!
And then there are the endless to-do list items.... laundry, cleaning, exercising, meetings, making dinner, getting sunshine, checking email, trips to the post office, bank, pharmacy, doctors, meetings, etc!
WHEW.... There's so much to do!
What have you been up to?

This is GREAT!

2009-04-25T14:17:00.001-04:00

Look Who's Coming To Play @ Yahoo! Video

Another Ten Day Motivator

2009-04-20T09:04:00.003-04:00

I'll be starting another 10 Day Motivator tomorrow.
If you have a few pounds to lose, now is the time!
Email me if you want to join. (angel2stampATyahooDOTcom)
I'll send you an encouraging email every day for 10 days.
(You can also check out my weight loss blog for these daily motivations.)
At the end of the 10 days whoever has lost the most weight will receive a prize from me. This time I will be sending a handmade journal and some other goodies to the winner.
What do you have to lose?
(Besides WEIGHT?)

Spring Break

2009-04-17T20:41:00.005-04:00

Katie and I had a great time on our Spring break trip.
I picked a few of my favorite pics to share with you.
We arrived on Saturday. It was only about a 7 hour drive, but it was a long trip for Katie after getting her wisdom teeth pulled on Friday.
Sunday was Easter and we went to Peg's church.

After church was the Easter egg hunt.
The twins were adorable!

Then everyone took a nap except for Zach and I. We took a walk on the path behind Peg's house. It's a very scenic walk and I introduced Zach to one of my favorite hobbies- bird watching!

Monday was Katie's birthday.

We went to dinner at "On the Border" and had a little bit of cake later.

I still can't believe she's 18!
I have more pics to share from the rest of the trip. I'll try and get those posted later!
Thank you, Peg, for letting us spend our spring break with your family!

No More Wisdom Teeth

2009-04-17T18:16:00.001-04:00

Katie had her wisdom teeth pulled one week ago today. Here is a picture of her after we arrived home from the surgery. I think she was still a little loopy. She kept the ice on her face for the first two days and I think it really saved her from swelling up like a chipmunk. The thing on her head was like an open ended tube sock that held the ice packs on her cheeks and velcroed at the top. She has gauze in her mouth that had strings attached so we could easily pull them out.
Katie did so very well and recovered pretty quickly because she listened to all of the doctor's orders.
No more wisdom teeth, but she is still pretty smart!

The Mourning Dove & The Picture Window

2009-04-03T07:21:00.001-04:00

Kevin had a base event to go to last night and Katie and I decided to have a girl's night. We had just settled into watching a chick flick (Made of Honor) when we heard a large thump and looking out the back door saw feathers just a' flying!We both ran to the door and saw this poor little mourning dove just laying on the deck. He was breathing really hard and looked so scared. We went out to check on him and he moved onto his legs more, but he couldn't fly. We got him some food and water and Katie got onto the Internet to see what we could do. We thought at first that he had broken a wing.
I started calling veterinarian offices to see if they could help me and one of them gave me a number to a lady here in town. She was an older lady who used to be a Federal Bird Bander and she was so sweet. She told us to wrap him in a towel and place him in a box for the night and she was going to try and find a place to take him. But, when we went back out to get him, he was able to fly away.
I am so glad our story had a happy ending!
I do love the picture window as I am always taking pictures from inside the house and they turn out pretty good. But I think we're going to have to get some stickers or something to put on the window to stop the birds from trying to fly in! We've had only one fatality so far. We buried a little sparrow a couple of weeks ago. A funny coincidence...it was raining that day too.
Have a great weekend... thanks for visiting!

Creating Motivation!

2009-04-01T12:06:00.002-04:00

I am in desperate need of motivation to lose weight!
I decided to take matters into my own hands and create my own motivation!!!
Anyone is invited to join me!
here are the rules of:
The TEN Day Motivator
The challenge is to lose weight.
Starting today- April 1st! There is no time like the present! Sign up for the challenge!
You will receive an email from me every day on something to try that day to add to your motivation. This is an optional motivator. You can choose to lose the weight any way you want... i.e. Atkins, Slim Fast, Alli, or just plain hard work.
Whoever loses the most weight (on an honor system) will get a $10 gift card from me for your choice of Starbucks, Target, Hobby Lobby or I-Tunes!
End date is April 10th. I will need your results emailed to me on April 11th.
I am including myself in the challenge.
I am hoping of course to be the winner myself and not have to send anyone the $10 gift card.
When this 10 day challenge is over, maybe someone else will step up and do another 10 day challenge with their rules and their choice of prize?
Who's in???
Email me (angel2stampATyahooDOTcom) your starting weight if you want to join me!!

The Chickadee and the Tissue

2009-03-31T07:29:00.004-04:00

Sounds like a good story title, huh?
Kevin bought me a cute little birdhouse for Christmas.
He hung it up for me shortly after.
Recently, we've been watching a pair of Chickadees go in and out.
They are the cutest little birds.
Kevin thought he'd do the little guys a favor by placing some tissues inside for their nest.
The next morning when we woke up there was a tissue hanging from one of the tree branches. Then I noticed the Chickadees working very hard at something. It soon became apparent that they were trying to get another tissue out. They would go inside and bring enough of the tissue to the hole so they could pull and pull to get it out. Kevin let them get it so far and then he went out and pulled it the rest of the way. He then threw the tissues away.

But, now we think just maybe the Chickadee wanted the tissue- just not inside the birdhouse. They still haven't started nesting inside.
On another note... does anyone have any ideas on how to hang my suet feeders so that the raccoon doesn't get it and eat the entire thing? I have to find the suet cage first I guess. He actually ran off with it this time. We had it hanging from a small outside branch where we didn't think he could get to it without breaking the branch. I haven't surveyed the actual damage. This is the 4th suet he has ate.... dirty little rascal.

Enjoying a Beautiful Day!

2009-03-29T15:24:00.006-04:00

I have seriously been neglecting this blog.
I don't really have a good excuse except
LIFE.
Everyone knows how that goes.
We are all doing good. Brian is recovering well from his accident. He and Jared are both okay and we have a lot of reasons to be grateful.
And we are!
(BTW.. The insurance company is being very cooperative now.)
Let's see... what's been going on?
Last night we counted at least 8 deer in our backyard. We also saw a pretty good sized grey fox. Every morning recently our bird feeders have been pretty beat up and/or laying on the ground. Kevin finally saw the culprit- it was a raccoon. Yesterday it rained all day. But today it's beautiful outside. A little on the windy side, but it was a great day for a walk. After church, Kevin and I strolled through the neighborhood. Sadly, my camera died after just these few pictures. We live off Kings Highway near Stateburg, South Carolina. There is a lot of history right here in our area. We've wanted to read these signs that are near the entrance to our little neighborhood and today we finally got the chance. I've got some more pictures and things to share. But, I better not do it all in one day!
Hope you're having a beautiful weekend wherever you are and whatever you're doing!
God Bless!!!

An Eventful Day!

2009-03-20T20:38:00.005-04:00

I picked up our younger son Brian and his best friend from the airport in Charlotte, NC on Tuesday! He was here to see us and pick up the Jeep we found him. He was really liking the Jeep!

(Before pic)
He left this morning and was on his way back to KS to college. Only 2 1/2 hours into his trip, he was rear ended near Augusta, Georgia and his car was totalled! Kevin and I traveled the 2 1/2 hours to where they were waiting at a truck stop with all of their belongings. I was on the telephone the entire trip there trying to get things sorted out.
We helped him get a rental car and got them back on the road to Kansas.
We just got home.
Brian and his best friend both have big bumps on their heads and a few scratches but seem to be fine.
PRAISE God!!
If someone had been in the back seat they would not have faired so well. There was no leg room left. If you are reading this, will you please pray that the rest of their trip is uneventful? And that things get sorted out okay!
We are having insurance issues already. The accident was not Brian's fault. He had to stop on the interstate for an accident in front of him that had just happened when he was rear ended. Brian kept his wits about him and even turned the wheel as he was catapulted several yards so he flew onto the shoulder instead of rear ending the person in front of him. It was a hard impact. Brian finally found his glasses in the back of the jeep after he realized they were not on his face several minutes later. The other driver who was at fault and driving a company truck is in the hospital and apparently told his employer that he was not at fault. Brian didn't exchange insurance info with him so we don't have any way to get assistance with the rental, etc. The only thing he knew was the name of the business by the sticker on the truck door. I have been in contact with the business. Hopefuly we'll get reimbursed the expenses, but the company (a construction company) is not being cooperative at all. We had only liability. The state police at the scene have stated that it is the fault of the driver of the truck who hit Brian. They were the only 2 parties involved.
It's going to be a bit of a headache. I have one already!
We stopped at the salvage yard where they towed it and took a few pics of the jeep.

The car was parked with the back end at the fence of the yard so it was difficult to get a good photo.
Kevin is very impressed with the way the Jeep was built. It could have been a lot worse I think.
Thank you, Lord for protecting my son and his friend.
God is good!!

TOPS Day!

2009-03-13T09:21:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was TOPS day and I am happy to say I was one and one half pounds lighter on the TOPS scales! WooHoo!
Weighing In- MINUS 1.5 pounds!
I went to the doctor after the meeting and was a bit disappointed at the appointment. I don't know what I was expecting. But the doctor is running some tests to make sure my Thyroid is working correctly.
He mentioned the Alli product while I was there and I decided it was worth a shot. I bought it on my way home. I will start taking it on Monday! I'll let you know how it goes!

Feels like you're cheating!

2009-03-06T14:41:00.003-05:00

I have just discovered a new snack. Well, new to me!
It's only 60 calories and sugar free and really tastes dreamy!
It's Sugar Free Jello Pudding Dulce de leche!
Try it and tell me what you think!
~Angel

Thursday is TOPS Day!

2009-03-05T14:48:00.000-05:00

Thursday is my weekly TOPS meeting and I am going to try and post my weekly results after weighing in. After one week in TOPS, I weighed in at the same weight as last week. My group calls it a "Turtle".
I turtled!

Weighing in- No gain, No loss

Sad News

2009-02-28T11:06:00.004-05:00

I just received the news that my cousin, Sharon, passed away in her sleep last night. Sharon was "good people" as some would say. I have many fond memories of her. She was a single mom most of her life and has a son who is close to my age. She was a nurse and cared for many of our family members through various illnesses. She found her true love and married him about 20 years ago I'd say. He couldn't wake her up this morning. I am very sad.

TOPS

2009-02-26T13:40:00.004-05:00

I've been struggling with my weight. I am at least 25 pounds heavier than I want to be. And I would be ever so happy if I lost 35 pounds and could get back into my skinny clothes! I really am doing everything right. I'm exercising, drinking lots of water, eating smaller portions, etc. It's just not coming off.
So, last week I decided what I really needed was motivation and support. I thought about Weight Watchers, but it's just too pricey for those meetings. Then I remembered something my aunt had done several years ago. It was a group called TOPS- Take Off Pounds Sensibly. According to their website: "Programs vary, but all serve to provide members with positive reinforcement and motivation in adhering to their food and exercise plans."
Membership dues are $26.00 annually. Within my budget! They meet weekly and encourage each other. And there are contests for motivation. I called the area captain right away after getting her number from the website. She called me back and told me about a few of the area groups.
This morning I visited one of the groups in my area. There were 5 ladies there and I was definitely younger than any of them by at least 10 years. But, they were SO sweet. Their meeting started in prayer. Knowing that I was planning to visit, 3 of the ladies had written out cards and gave them to me. I placed my membership in their group right away. I felt so comfortable there.
And I have a lot of motivation!
Here I go!
~Angel

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T13:03:00.002-05:00

My honey got me some yellow roses. Aren't they beautiful?

And he knows I've been wanting a puppy so he got me one! A stuffed puppy...OH well! She's adorable though, don't you think? I named her Snowflake.
Have a LOVEly day!

A Valentine List!

2009-02-14T06:43:00.000-05:00

This is kind of like the other lists out there except they are about you and your spouse!
I decided to post the list on V- Day!!!

♥ What are your middle names?
Jay and JoAnn
♥ How long have you been together?
23 wonderful years
♥ How long did you know each other before you started dating?
1 day!
♥ Who asked who out?
I asked him out!
♥ How old are each of you?
44 and 40
♥ Whose siblings do did you see the most?
I guess mine, but sadly we don't see any of them very often.
♥ Do you have any children together?
Three and they are all grown up.
♥ What about pets?
Not yet
♥ Which situation is the hardest on you as a couple?
Pleading the 5th here....
♥ Did you go to the same school?
One- West Jr. High
♥ Are you from the same home town?
Yes- Sioux City, IA
♥ Who is the smartest?
Stealing my BFF's answer...
Everyone has their strengths about different subjects
♥ Who is the most sensitive?
Me
♥ Where do you eat out most as a couple?
Actually, mostly to the base for awards banquets
♥ Where is the furthest you two have traveled together as a couple?
From KS to GA
♥ Who has the craziest exes?
Who knows? We do not keep in contact with exes.
♥ Who has the worst temper?
Kevin
♥ Who does the cooking?
We all cook in this house!
♥ Who is more social?
Me
♥Who is the neat Freak?
Me
♥ Who is the more stubborn?
Kevin says me, I say Kevin!
♥ Who hogs the bed?
That would be me
♥Where was your first date?
One of Kevin's softball games
♥ Who has the bigger family?
Kevin has more brothers and sisters- I have a larger extended family probably
♥ Do you get flowers often?
Once every so often, but it's because I think they are too expensive for something that dies!
♥ How do you spend the holidays?
With each other.
♥ Who is more jealous?
HE IS!
♥ How long did it take to get serious?
Not long
♥ Who eats more?
Kevin
♥ Who does/ did the laundry?
Kevin
♥ Who’s better with the computer?
Me
♥ Who drives when you are together?
Kevin, unless he has been drinking.

Another List...

2009-01-31T08:52:00.003-05:00

This one came to me by email and I've decided to post it on the blog. It's similar to last week, but different. The things in bold are those I have done. Feel free to copy. And let me know you're playing along!

The Bucket List
Things you have done during your lifetime.

Gone on a blind date
Skipped school
Watched someone die
Been to Canada
Been to Mexico
Been to Florida
Been to Hawaii
Been on a plane
Been lost
Gone to Washington , DC
Swam in the ocean
Cried yourself to sleep
Played cops and robbers
Recently colored with crayons
Sang Karaoke
Paid for a meal with coins only
Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
Made prank phone calls
Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
Caught a snowflake on your tongue
Danced in the rain
Written a letter to Santa Claus
Been kissed under the mistletoe
Watched the sunrise with someone
Blown bubbles
Gone ice-skating
Gone to the movies
Been deep sea fishing
Driven across the United States alone
Been in a hot air balloon
Been sky diving
Gone snowmobiling
gone jet skiing
Lived in more than one country
Laid outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
Seen a falling star and made a wish
Enjoyed the beauty of Ole Faithful Geyser
Walked on a Glacier
Sewn a quilt
Seen the Statue of Liberty
Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
Been on a cruise
Traveled by train
Traveled by motorcycle
Been horse back riding
Ridden on a San Francisco Trolley
Been to Disneyland or Disney World
Truly believe in the power of prayer
Been to the top of an active volcano and seen hot lava
Been in a rain forest
Seen whales in the ocean
Been to Niagara Falls
Ridden on an elephant
Swam with dolphins

And 26 questions....

1. Any nickname: yes Angel
2. Mother's name? Wanda
3. Favorite drink? Chai
4. Body piercings? No
5. How much do you love your job? Love it!
6. Birthplace? Omaha, NE
7. Favorite vacation spot? Hawaii
8. Ever been to Africa ? No
9. Ever eaten just cookies for dinner? Yes
10. Ever been on TV? yes
11. Ever steal any traffic signs? no
12. Ever been in a car accident? yes
13. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door
14. Can you drive a standard shift car? no
15. Favorite pie? Apple
16. Favorite number: 7
17.Favorite movie(s)?
18. Favorite holiday? Christmas
19. Favorite dessert? Deep Fried Cheesecake
20. Favorite food? Anything with corn
21.Favorite day of the week? Sunday
22 Favorite brand of body soap? Anything Bath & Body Works (vanilla scented especially)
23.Favorite toothpaste? Colgate
24.Favorite smell? Vanilla!
25. How do you relax? Stamp
26. How do you see yourself in 10 years? In a country home in KS with hubby and a few grandkids running around :-)

2009-01-30T08:08:00.003-05:00

This week, our MHR hostess has offered a prompt for this "My Husband Rocks" Friday. We're to "remember the moment or the circumstances that led to knowing that you were going to marry the man who became your husband."
Whew! THAT was over 23 years ago and I was very young... younger than any of my own children now. But, I do know that Kevin has always been so sweet and kind to me. He has always treated me like a princess and made me feel loved. I don't remember the exact moment I fell in love with him, but it happened very quickly. (We met in July and were married in December.)
I know that I felt protected and safe whenever I was with him. I still do.
Last night after working all day, Kevin came home and went right outdoors and fired up the grill and made dinner for us. He shows me love in so many ways. My husband ROCKS!

A Wordless Wendesday Blue Jay!

2009-01-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

Photo Challenge

2009-01-26T10:12:00.006-05:00

I've been tagged by Becky! This is a photo challenge. We've done this before I know. But this one was a different folder!
You are supposed to go to your 6th folder in your pictures and pick the 6th pic in that folder and post it.
I had to play. It's always exciting to see what photo you'll find.
This one was my younger son Brian about a year ago before he came for a visit. He was trying to be incognito so we wouldn't recognize him. He looks a bit mean here, but I assure you he is the sweetest guy! He's so fun!

I'm supposed to tag 6 friends now!
Peggy, Tracy, Lynn, Linda, Kelly and Jami...
Please play if you have time!

Menu Monday

2009-01-26T08:52:00.002-05:00

Nothing too complicated on this week's menu! We ended up going out one day last week and not eating everything on the menu so you may notice a couple of repeats.

Crockpot Monday
Pizza Rice*

Soup on Tuesday
Taco Soup

Chicken Wednesday
Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

Thursday
Sloppy Joe Pasta

Friday
Chili Dogs
Mac n Cheese

Saturday
Teriyaki Chicken
Teriyaki Pasta

Sunday
Pizza

*Pizza Rice
{a new dish for us so I can't vouch for it}
2 cups white rice (uncooked)
3 cups chunky pizza sauce
(I could not find CHUNKY so I bought cheap pizza sauce and some Italian diced tomatoes)
2 & 1/2 Cups Water
7 oz can mushrooms (undrained)
4 oz pepperoni (we're using seasoned cooked hamburger)
1 cup grated cheese
(I always add more cheese than a recipe calls for!)
Combine rice, sauce, water, mushrooms and meat in slow cooker or crockpot.
Stir. Cover. Cook on low 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Sprinkle with cheese before serving.

100 Things I Have Done (Or Not Done)

2009-01-24T12:52:00.003-05:00

I saw this list of 100 things first at Katy Lin's blog then at my BFF Peggy's blog. I had nothing better to post today so here I am playing along. Everything that is in BOLD I've done.
Play along if you like, but be sure to let me know in a comment so I can see YOUR list!
1. Started your own blog. x3
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower.
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland.
8. Climbed a mountain.
9. Held a praying mantis.
10. Sang a solo.
11. Bungee jumped.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea.
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch.
15. Adopted a child.
16. Had food poisoning.
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty.
18. Grown your own vegetables.
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train.
21. Had a pillow fight.
22. Hitch hiked.
23. Taken a sick day when you're not sick.
24. Builta snow fort.
25. Held a lamb.
26. Gone skinny dipping.
27. Run a marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse.
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset.
31. Hit a home run. Does Wii count?
32. Been on a cruise.
33. Seen Niagra Falls in person.
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors.
35. Seen an Amish community.
36. Taught yourself a new language.
37. Had enough money to truly be satisfied.
38. Seen the leaning tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock climbing.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight.
46. Been transported in an ambulance.
47. Had your portrait painted.
48. Gone deep sea fishing.
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling.
52. Kissed in the rain.
53. Played in the mud.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater.
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business.
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia.
60. Served in a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout cookies.
62. Gone whale watching.
63. Gotten flowers for no reason.
64. Donated blood, platelets, or plasma.
65. Gone sky diving.
66. Visited a Nazi concentration camp.
67. Bounced a check.
68. Flown in a helicopter.
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy.
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial.
71. Eaten caviar.
72. Pieced a quilt.
73. Stood in Times Square.
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the changing of the guards in London.
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle.
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book.
81. Been to the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car.
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the paper.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House.
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had Chicken pox.
89. Saved someone's life.
90. Sat on a jury.
91. Met someone famous.
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one.
94. Had a baby.
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a lawsuit.
98. Owned a cell phone.
99. Been stung by a bee.
100. Read an entire book in one day.

My Husband Rocks!

2009-01-23T09:48:00.003-05:00

My hubby really does rock! He's the best. I feel bad that I haven't posted this meme in a while. It's not because my hubby isn't wonderful. He is!

For the last several weeks our MHR hostess has been offering a prompt which is sometimes a very helpful start to a post! I've read them each week, but haven't been spending very much time blogging so I didn't participate.
I have decided I am not going to follow this week's prompt. Maybe I'll start that next week. [I really doubt anyone reads this blog anymore anyway so I'm just talking to myself here.]
I've been married to Kevin for over 23 years. It doesn't feel like it though. For most of those years I was such a selfish brat. Kevin loved me through it all. He calls me spoiled. And I tell him it's his fault- he spoiled me. I sure wish I could go back in time and truly show my appreciation for this man who does NOT have a selfish bone in his body. He really would give you the shirt off his back. He's THAT kind of guy!
I was married in December of 1985. I started changing in 2001 when I met my Savior, Jesus Christ. That's 16+ years of selfishness. Selfishness and pride is something I work on daily so it's not gone, by any means. But God is in my heart now and hopefully He shines through me more than the selfish me!
I guess what I am trying to say is my husband rocks because he has stayed in love with me even though I have been so unlovable.
Do you know what he does?
Kevin gets up very early to go to work. Even though I always go to bed at the same time as him, I stay in bed sleeping while he gets ready. Our master bath has only a toilet- the sink portion is sort of part of our bedroom...kinda like a hotel room if that makes sense. He uses only the little bit of light from the bathroom to shave and get ready by so he doesn't bother me (selfish me). He always kisses me good-bye before he leaves. He knows I wake up very thirsty so he always leaves me a cold water at my bedside. Isn't he sweet???
I think he's the best!

Thankful Thursday

2009-01-22T06:22:00.003-05:00

I have so many things to be thankful for.
But, today I am feeling humbly blessed that my hubby has a good job and steady income. So many people are struggling, losing their jobs and wondering how they're going to make ends meet in today's economy. Watching the news is scary as you see more and more layoffs and businesses closing. Those are people and families and I pray for those who are being affected.
Lately, Kevin has been thinking of retiring. He has crunched the numbers to see where we stand. Thankfully he doesn't have to retire yet.
For that I am thankful to God from whom ALL blessings flow!

A Wordless Wednesday Junco!

2009-01-21T10:08:00.001-05:00

Tackle it Tuesday

2009-01-20T13:43:00.003-05:00

Starting back to my weekly posts.... and starting SMALL!
My tackle today was to clean off my desk and STAMP! Here I am ready to stamp as soon as I finish my short post!
Here is the said desk
BEFORE

And
AFTER! Yeah for me!
Now for Part 2- to stamp.
Hopefully I will post on my stamping blog this afternoon!
Have a blessed day!

(On a totally unrelated note:
A bird just flew into the window. That happens at least once a day. Poor things!)