Niece Night

Well, through all the ice & snow & power outages - a good thing came out of it - I got to spend time with my nieces. Not that that's unusual - but every chance I get, I love. My brother's home has been without power since Tuesday so they've been staying with my Sister in law's family - they dont have power either, but good ole wood burning stoves. That's good but when it comes to bath times, it jsut a quick wipe off.... so two little twins needed a warm bath & a hair washin' so here they come!

I just had to post the pictures because the best time of the night was for Bruno! He is such a lover of little ones & no exception for these two. Sophia was all over this dog. While Madi & I were playing Connect Four - or coloring in the Princess coloring book - or looking in a Beauty & the Beast Search & Find (sorta like a Waldo book) - Sophia was just content to be in the other room loving & hugging on Bruno.

He's got a new favorite person.... I dont know who was saddest when Sophia left - her or Bruno...

(Must... not... let.... Bruno....get away!!!!)

Zoe

One of the challenges this week was to tell about a stray animal you took in.... Our stray - ZOE Christeen... Yes, I'm one of those people who gives middle names to their pets -& they all mean something. She's so tiny & neurotic - just like my grandmother, Christeen - hence the name... its all out of love.

So how we did come across Zoe. We were out one night at the Winter Jam Christian Concert. Awesome! Tons of great Christian music rocking the night. It was in January of 2005 (is that right? think so) & we came out of the concert & it was snowing. A drive home & our country roads were covered.

We turned down our road & I made the strangest statement that we STILL laugh about - I said "There's a duck in the middle of the road!".... HUH? Even after I said it, I thought I was nuts.... we got up closer & Ricky stopped & opened up his door. Here comes running in our car a tiny puppy that had snow so caked up on her, she was all white!!! See, the look of a white duck! (I wasn't crazy!)

She jumped right in the car into my lap & was FREEZING cold! Once she jumped in my lap, there was nothing else we could do but take her home. I wrapped her up in my coat & it made me shiver..... poor thing - I dont see how she was alive with all the snow on her & she was so tiny! We got her inside & she instantly ran up to the other 3 dogs & started kissing them like she was saying "HI - I'm home!" - they just looked her at like "What is that?"

We couldnt get the snow off of her & had to run a warm bath & put her in that to melt the snow off. She was just so thankful for a warm blanket & a soft bed.

Ricky was determined that we would find her home because "we already have THREE!" - so he put up signs & there were no takers. After a few days - she won him over & he took the signs down afraid someone would call about her. I dont think her previous owner wanted her anyways - she seems to have been abused. You raise your voice - even to watch a game or scream excited about something - she runs! She'll shiver if she thinks you're mad at her too! Plus, her little legs looks like they've been broke & grew back weird... dont want to think what happened to her before she found us.

And since we just came from a great concert - one of the groups - which I love - was ZOEgirl! And we know that Zoe is Greek for "life" - the name just fit her perfectly!

So there is the tale of our "little duck"

Beautiful Danger

First, thanks for all the prayers! I believe that's what got us through the night. We ended up loosing power around 3:00 pm & it stayed off for awhile. Ricky & I got all the dogs, went into one room, shut the door & lit candles & had flashlights & played games. But Ricky was out by 6:00 - so I just read with my flashlight & actually went to bed at 7:30 - isn't that pitiful? But we had 5 comforters on us, 4 dogs snuggled around us - we were good & warm. And then, PRAISE THE LORD - we woke up around 3 am with the heat running - power back on! I made it into work today & saw LOTS of trees still leaning on lines, so hoping our power stays... but we're taking each blessing as it comes!

But driving in, I have to say - it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL! The ice on the trees looks like magic - something you'd see in Disney World at Christmas time or something! It almost doesnt look real. Especially when lights hit it & reflects off of it - I could stare at it all day.

Then you look & see the damage its doing. Trees that have been around for YEARS - sturdy trees, STRONG trees! And now, they are sagging to the ground, pulled down by something so beautiful & something so simple.

I thought as I saw a tree being dragged down - isn't sin like that? We get attracted to it because its fun, it feels good, its beautiful... & then how it drags us down, how it tears us up, how it destroys us.

Just as the SUN will come & warm things up & get rid of the ice dragging these trees down, I'm thankful that we have our Beautiful Redeemer - God's SON - that can take the things that drag us down & lift them up as well.....

Praying to keep our power!

Made it through the night.... very restless though. The ice storm came through & our electricity has been knocked off & on at least 20 times. How do I know - because our house alarm goes off every time it comes back on. But praising God each time it does come back on.... It was off for about 40 minutes this morning & I thought that was it - but it came back on again - hoping that was the final time.

I've heard so many people have lost their electricity since last night ... praying they stay warm.

The snow has come back - another 3-5 inches.

I have to go shovel a path way for my doggies - the doggie door is jammed with snow. And if the two little ones go out - the snow is taller than they are....

Here is a picture of the ice on the trees at about 3 in the morning... can you see how slick the ground looks? And those limbs should NOT be that low... trees are down everywhere around here!

Here is a picture from my front yard after the snow came back too. Notice our pine? The ice has it slammed down.

And here is another tree of ours that the ice has taken down....

Winter

The Winter Storm Warning is still over us... its getting on my nerves now...

I did venture out to work this morning & it was not fun in the least. It took me an hour & a half to make it - & it normally takes 25-30 minutes. And that trip was white-knuckled the whole time too. But had things that had to get done - banks dont normally close for weather so deposits had to be made. My boss came in though & told us to get out of there so I did get to leave early. The trip home didnt take AS long - only about 50 minutes.

I got home & cranked up the heat (sshh, dont tell my husband) & crawled under the blankets... 4 hours later, I woke up... wasn't expecting to nod off that long. Oh well - what else is there to do except stay warm & snuggled....

Waiting to see what happens over night too. If its anywhere as bad as this morning - I think I'll just throw my hands up about work. We already got the call that church is going to be canceled tomorrow so it seems like it'll be another day snuggled up in the house.

I dont mind.... the dogs love it. They can cozy up with me in front of the heater & everyone's happy. Just let me get my knitting needles in my hand & the dogs can surround me & we can sit for hours. Probably is the plan for tomorrow.

We're just praying that the ice doesn't take down the power lines. We already had a blinking of the lights once tonight. Praying everyone keeps power tonight around here - & safety for everyone that has to travel.... times like this makes me really dream of Spring time!

Seriously?

OK - these are what AWESOME wrist warmers look like (I've shown these before - my friend Lynn made these)

And this is what some one else considers wrist warmers.... I found these for sale.....

I'll say nothing........

The Letter "B"

I gave in - I had to join the fun. Jen from Following the Footsteps gave me a letter - & that letter is "B". Now I have to name 10 things that start with that letter that I love.... This should be fun! If you want a letter to play along - leave a comment & I'll give you one too... If you're nice, I wont give you a "Q"!!!!

1. Obviously - I have to start it off saying I love BEAUTY & THE BEAST!!! That's a no brainer! Been collecting B&B stuff for 17 years now... WOW - that long? Yeah, guess so! Gotta love a story where the girl loves the guy for what's on the inside - & the love turns him into a Prince.... aaahh - pure romance at its best! And STILL the only animiated movie to be nominated at the Academy Awards for Best Picture!!! (Oh, a pair of knitted socks snuck in that picture... how'd that happen?)


2. Buffy! My Yellow Lab. She is our second dog we got & she is ALL lab! She is full of fun & wants to play anytime anyone moves. She's the best thing to an electric blanket in the winter too because she loves to snuggle.... love our yellow dog.

3. Luckily - we have another "B" dog - BRUNO! This is my baby. Out of the four dogs - he is my little boy. Maybe because he just wants to be held & Ricky cant hold him while playing X-Box. Me, he can lay just find in between me & the arm rest of the couch while I knit - everyone's happy!


4. BOOKS!!!! Love everything about books - the way they smell, the feel of the pages, the stories that are in them...We even turned our dining room into a "reading room" when we moved in our house because since I dont cook, what the heck use is a dining room? But a reading room - something I can use. My dad made the most beautiful book shelves & now, they're almost all full.... trying to figure out what to do next with the books I have.... hmmm.. Dad? Suggestions?

5. The best book in the world - the BIBLE!!!!!! I love the Bible - for the wisdom that is in it & the guidance that it gives & the hope it offers. I really love all kinds of Bibles too - I love the covers of them - love the different translations - love Study Bibles- love the slim line Bibles to carry along - love OLD Bibles too - to think how long its been around, all the hands its been in - & yet, its still the same words that have always been around & WILL always be around!

6. BIG RED!!! I do love Big Red - even though my heart doctor has taken it away from me... I'll still have one every now & then. I was drinking like a 2 liter a day - GASP! No wonder my heart was pounding out of my chest.... but I still do love it

7. Berets!!! I love Berets & the way they fit on a head. I particularly love my pink one I knitted... I can wear it & it not give me the dreaded "hat hair" & I love that!!! This hat has a life of its own....

8. Bread! Oh my goodness... I LOVE bread!! Everything about it... I could make that my main food group. Fresh bread, French bread, bread sticks, Raisin Bread, Banana Bread, Zuchini Bread (Lynn - are you hearing any of this? hehe!) .... nothing better than bread....Stomach is growling now!

9. Blankets!! I love everything about blankets! I love to knit them & watch them come together! Baby blankets are the best because you dont have to make them as big & you can make cute little patterns in them. After all - I dont think my husband wants to snuggle in a blanket that has baby chicks all over it.... This one in the picture is still my favorite all time blanket I got to make for Ryan.... holds a place in my heart!

10. BLOGS!!! of course I love BLOGS!! All the BUDDIES I have met through them, all the things I've learned, all the thoughts that are shared... its a wonderful world that I am BLESSED to be in.... its a BEAUTIFUL place! (Trying to sneak in more B words - noticed?)

Wanna play?

Clapotis

What is a Clapotis you say? It's my latest knitting project! I really enjoyed this one. I found it on Knitty a long time ago & always wanted to try it. Just had to find some fun yarn & as you knitters know - sometimes it takes a few year for the combo to come together. Well, I found this yarn & wondered for the longest time what to do with it - BINGO - a match!

It is supposed to be fashioned from a French Scarf. Its really cool because it'll row up & you can wear it as a scarf around your neck - or it opens up to a really cool shawl.... (excuse the hair.. it had been a rough day at work... lots of fingers running through the hair day!!!)

Its really fun because you knit at an angle & drop a stitch every so often in a repeat & it just works out... like they say "trust the pattern"... I didn't trust it either. I thought for sure I was going to run out of yarn - found the yarn on line (because it had been so long since I originally bought it) & bought two more skeins.... well... yep, I had enough - so now, I have 2 and 1/2 skeins left over... so what to make with that yarn... hmmmm....

Remember Ike?

Anyone remember that hurricane that went through not too long ago? The one that was headed right for our daughter & her family? Hurricane Ike? Ring a bell?

Sadly, I think people have all forgotten about it. It came through with some major damage - even spanning up with Hurricane winds that hit us up in Indiana that even made our lives miserable. But the sad thing - with the attention of the world, & especially the US being on the political race at the time, attention got taken off QUICK on Texas & how Hurricane Ike affected everyone.

I'm bringing it up now because Julie sent an article from where she works in Galveston - The hospital where she is working, the Shriner's Burn Hospital is closing. (Here is the article if you're interested. ) Hundreds will lose their jobs & the loss of such a speciality hospital is just heart breaking for the community. This hospital was the only one in the state for burned children. After the accident that Julie & Ricky were in - it is an area that touches Julie especially, but all our hearts in the family....

Galveston is still so far from being back to normal.... & I just wanted to pass it along because I know times are tough everywhere but add the set back of the Hurricane that they were hit with & its even more devastating.

So please, lift a prayer up for the people who are still reeling from the after effects of this & how it seems like no one even notices...

And on a side note - yes, we Praise the Lord because Julie's job is OK - she has to move to another campus which will put her further away from completing her degree - but she's still got a job... for that, we are thankful! Especially in a time where so many can not celebrate that.....

Home Workout

I saw this video this morning & busted out laughing... the kids are the cutest!!! Enjoy!

See more funny videos and Funny Videos at Today's Big Thing.

Movies & Lyrics

I love the movie Elf... can quote you some lines from that movie at all times! I also - shockingly - can quote lines from Beauty & the Beast for some life advice .... Mrs. Potts: "Everything will work out in the end - you'll see".... oh, wise Mrs. Potts.

Can you think of movie quotes that everyone knows?

• There's no place like home
• I'll be back
• You complete me .... (I know that's a corny one - but we all know it - don't we?)
• You can't handle the truth
• I see dead people

There's just a few... I bet you all know those quotes - & I bet you know tons more...

Now think of songs. When I was sitting at my desk in high school, I would literally write down ALL the lyrics from a song that I liked. I can specifically remembering writing down the words to Slick Rick's "Teenage Love" & LL Cool J "I need love"..... oh my - there's a flash back for you. If you've never heard those songs - dont worry - you're not missing anything - but they are both rap songs (when rap was decent & clean) so lots of words... I would sit & write each & every word.

Think about all the songs we know - how we can sing all the words in them & not miss a beat! Dang - they even made game shows about how we know the lyrics to all these songs.

And then, I was sitting in church Sunday & it hit me - how many of those things do we know? But how much scripture do we commit to memory? We can hold in our minds so much useless stuff - take the time to memorize it - listen to it over & over again enough that it is embedded in our minds. I mean - after all these year (& I aint saying how many) - I can STILL rap out "Teenage Love"... & I'm not saying I'm proud of that fact .... "don't hurt me again... dont dont dont hurt me again" .... see - sad!

Wouldnt it be cool if we just keep looking at the Bible & Scripture & reading it enough - or even hearing it enough - that we can start writing it down, reciting it, repeating it year after year of some awesome words -better than any movie or song lyric - inspired words from God!

Who God is...

Ryan gave the message in our youth Sunday & it just blew me away. We are in a series on the Ten Commandments & hoping to make it fresh & relevant for these kids. Well Ryan did that! After coming off of Week 1 - with "You shall have no other gods before me".... then to go to "You shall not make for yourself an idol...." Ryan made the point that so many put those as the same commandment but how different they are.

The big thing that really hit home was how he did the research of words in Hebrew & how it really showed that it could mean - that we turn God into an idol... how so? We make Him who WE want HIM to be..... not really remembering who HE really IS!!!

Think about it... how much do we form an opinion of who God is based on our own human instincts. We think that God should hate certain things or love certain things - just because we love or hate those things. Or we think that God can't forgive something because we can't.... or we think that God is OK with the sins that we do - because after all, he's a good God!

Or how about how we base God on how others treat us. We have people who betray our trust - then we're afraid to trust God. Or we have people who break out heart - if God can allow that, then maybe we feel that God too is out to break our heart. People have a bad relationship with their earthly father - then they see their Heavenly Father with the same qualities. A friend or spouse can leave you for the simpliest reasons - then we wonder, can God leave us too?

It really was eye opening... a new way to look at this commandment.

So - do you see God for who He is? The Almighty, the Ruler, the Creator of all, the Forgiver of Sins, Merciful, Love....GOD!!!

PRAY!!!!

I just think its amazing how God works... how so many people were anticipating the birth of this baby... & now, there are even more people aware to pray for Harper as she is struggling... & for comfort for Kelly & Scott. Go here for all the information & updates....

Many prayers being lifted... join in... pray for this family & this baby we have all been praying for all along!

Harmony

I read the coolest statement about a friendship .... it said:

"They were like two keys on a piano - alone they made music, but together they made harmony"

It instantly came to mind on our last Women of Faith trip. Sandi Patty, who is an INCREDIBLE singer in her own right, just belted out the most beautiful songs. But because we were in Indianapolis, her home town, her family was there along with her. And when I saw family - I mean F-A-M-I-L-Y.... her parents, all her children, her brothers & their wives & their kids... & they sang together.

The harmonies that came together made the whole arena break out in tears. There was not even music accompanying them - just the beautiful sound of a combined voice. Different ages, different lives, all singing together making just spine chilling tones.

And that doesn't deduct from a thing from Miss Sandi Patty - how awesome is she!!!! But just the difference a voice combined in harmony with someone elses - how it changed!

Isn't it cool that God gives us our own gifts, but how we combine with friends - or the family of Christ - how beautiful & harmonious the music can be? We can do things - make a noise - that we never even knew we could do... & we couldn't - on our own..... but we can with Christian friends help along the way!

May your life be full of others that you can make harmony with!

Knitted Beard

I got an email from my brother this morning that asked: "Can you knit this?"

I thought it was a joke! Why? Because I knitted this last year for a friend who asked me & sent me the exact same picture!!!! Here's what the one I knitted looked like without the moustache attached:

So yipee! I've got another knitted project to do!!!!!

Maybe I'll make the beard longer this time too!!! Who even thought of this thing? Crazy!

Do you know?

I just started reading the book "Cast of Characters" by Max Lucado & am loving every minute of it.... I want to keep reading straight through but am making myself stop & reflect of each character that he talks about. I've already been through Joseph - which was interesting since we dont know much about him, & I just read about Matthew.

Mr. Lucado spoke upon how Jesus was walking - saw Matthew - said to "follow me" - & he said "Alrighty then"... not those exact terms, but you know.

And at the dinner that Matthew had for Jesus where they invited "other disreputable sinners" - the Pharisees ask "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"... lets look at Jesus' answer:

"Healthy people don't need a doctor - sick people do. Now go & learn the meaning of this Scripture: "I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices". For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners" -Matthew 9:12-13 NLT

Oh snap! Jesus had some good come backs - didn't he? But what hits me the most - those who THINK they are righteous & those who KNOW they are sinners?

Why did that hit me so hard? Because we live in a world where so many people love to point fingers & point out everyone's sin & never looking at their own. Thinking they could never be as bad as that person or do what they've done - THINKING they are righteous?

Believe me - I KNOW I'm a sinner!!! Do you point fingers & think how much better you are than someone else? Or do you know you are a sinner? If so - take heart - Jesus came just for you!

Miss you

I got to spend some time with my friend Ryan Sunday talking....we have some amazing conversations that just center around our awesome Heavenly Father. We normally both have Bibles out & dig into it for advice & insight on things... it was funny because I was looking at Isaiah 59 & next thing I know, Ryan is saying - "Listen to this..." & begins to read the same verse I'm on... he had no idea I was even there!

So after sitting for 3 hours in a parking lot & sharing & laughing & crying I told him "I missed you"... you see, we see each other every Sunday, & every Wednesday. He even laughed & reminded me of that & then I said:

"You can see someone every day of your life & still miss them"

Then it hit me... you can do that - can't you! You can miss someone that you dont see any more - family that has moved away - or a friend that's passed away.... but the ones that you really miss are the people that you do see, but something has changed - something is missing. They are not the person they once were.

Or even yet - you aren't the person YOU were... you can miss something about yourself that has changed. You can miss the youth that you once had - you can miss the innocence that you once held - you can miss a time in your life - you can miss so much about yourself or others......

Do you miss someone?