May God's Peace and Love be with each one of you, on this Valentine Day.

Poor Sam

This is Valentine's Day. And Sam forgot it.

Sam's wife had a card addressed to him, hidden in her top dresser drawer. Her gift to him was under her dresses in the closet. She waited for him to make the first move, to end this little dodge of his. There he was, sitting down to watch television at 7:30 at night as if he might be camped out there till bedtime... as if he'd actually forgotten what day this is!
Finally, at 10 P.M., when Sam had stumbled upstairs to brush his teeth, he found his wife sitting bolt upright in bed. Somehow the temperature felt noticeably cooler in that room than in the other parts of the house.

"What's the matter? What'd I do?" He did a super-quick scan of his usual offenses. Everything checked out.

"Tomorrow morning," she said through clenched teeth, "I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from zero to two hundred in less than six seconds. And it had better be there!"

With that, she snatched her pillow and blanket and trudged off, presumably to the downstairs sofa, leaving Sam standing there looking very unmanly, totally exposed as a Valentine forgetter. But his pride wasn't about to be threatened so easily.

The next morning his wife found a gift box in the driveway. She tore it open and looked inside.

It was a bathroom scale.

Sam has been missing since Friday

In Honor Of "The Love" Day

Paul gives us some good advice on how to love one another in Romans 12:9-18.
Love must be sincere.
Cling to what is good.
Be devoted to one another.
Honor one another above yourself.
Never be lacking in zeal.
Be joyful in hope.
Be patient in affliction.
Be faithful in prayer.
Share with God's people who are in need.
Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Mourn with those who mourn.
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud.
Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.
If it is possible, a far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

The legend of St. Valentine

The story of Valentine's Day begins in the third century with an oppressive Roman emperor and a humble Christian martyr. The emperor was Claudius II Gothicus. The Christian was Valentinus.

Claudius had ordered all Romans to worship state religion's idols, and he had made it a crime punishable by death to associate with Christians. But Valentinus was dedicated to the ideals of Christ, and not even the threat of death could keep him from practicing his beliefs.

During the last weeks of Valentinus's life a remarkable thing happened. One day a jailer for the Emperor of Rome knocked at Valentinus's door clutching his blind daughter in his arms. He had learned of Valentinus's medical and spiritual healing abilities, and appealed to Valentinus to treat his daughter's blindness. She had been blind since birth. Valentinus knew that her condition would be difficult to treat but he gave the man his word he would do his best. The little girl was examined, given an ointment for her eyes and a series of re-visits were scheduled.

Seeing that he was a man of learning, the jailer asked whether his daughter, Julia, might also be brought to Valentinus for lessons. Julia was a pretty young girl with a quick mind. Valentinus read stories of Rome's history to her. He described the world of nature to her. He taught her arithmetic and told her about GOD. She saw the world through his eyes, trusted in his wisdom, and found comfort in his quiet strength.

"Valentinus, does GOD really hear our prayers?" Julia said one day. "Yes, my child, He hears each one, "he replied.

"Do you know what I pray for every morning and every night? I pray that I might see. I want so much to see everything you've told me about!"

"GOD does what is best for us if we will believe in HIM," Valentinus said.

"Oh, Valentinus, I do believe," Julia said intensely. "I do." She knelt and grasped his hand. They sat quietly together, each praying.

Several weeks passed and the girl's sight was not restored. Yet the man and his daughter never wavered in their faith and returned each week.

Then one day, Valentinus received a visit from Roman soldiers who arrested him, destroyed his medicines and admonished him for his religious beliefs. When the little girl's father learned of his arrest and imprisonment, he wanted to intervene but there was nothing he could do.

On the eve of his death, Valentinus wrote a last note to Julia - knowing his execution was imminent. Valentinus asked the jailer for a paper, pen and ink. He quickly jotted a farewell note and handed it to the jailer to give to his blind daughter. He urged her to stay close to GOD, and he signed it "From Your Valentine." His sentence was carried out the next day, February 14, 270 A.D., near a gate that was later named Porta Valentini in his memory.

When the jailer went home, he was greeted by his little girl. The little girl opened the note and discovered a yellow crocus inside. The message said, "From your Valentine." As the little girl looked down upon the crocus that spilled into her palm she saw brilliant colors for the first time in her life! The girl's eyesight was restored! A miracle!

He was buried at what is now the Church of Praxedes in Rome. It is said that Julia herself planted a pink-blossomed almond tree near his grave. Today, the almond tree remains a symbol of abiding love and friendship. In 496 Pope Gelasius I named February 14 as Saint Valentine's Day. On each Valentine's Day, messages of affection, love and devotion are still exchanged around the world.

http://www.naturalstonesign.com/rocks.htm

This is the website for the stone bench.  It is in Pickaway, we pick it up.

Mornin' All
Michelle, it is so nice that you're keeping in touch via the blog. It's almost like we're just getting to know you. I wish more of the grandkids would get on. Communication is what's going to keep us all close. When that stops, we will drift apart, just like in any relationship. Tell your girls that, I, for one, envy them so much. They are getting to do things and go places most of us will only read about. How exciting.
I read something today that made me think of Mommy. "Prayers outlive the lives of those who uttered them."
It is sunny and cold here but it is a beautiful day. I was watching the birds this morning and it seems that there is always a pair of doves...just one pair. I noticed this in the fall before Daddy died when me and Mommy were watching the birds. This morning they flew in together and sat on the wire...Just sat there, and I thought of Mommy and Daddy being together.

That is a cute picture of Clara. It makes you think how many of us played in Grandma's aprons....
About the bench: how long do they gaurantee the picture on the rock? Is it weather-proofed so it doesn't fade from sun/rain, etc? Or would it have to be re-done every few years? And then does that require shipping it back to them? Just wondered.
The girls go to DoDea schools on the bases, Trish. The same as ambassadors' children, or those who work in NATO positions over here. They are really good. And yes, Tarin will graduate in K-town (Kaiserslautern), which is good. She has only been diagnosed with ADHD for about a year. She is on a low dose of medication once a day. She made A's and B's this last semester, and aced her semester exams. She didn't even have to take some because she aced the class all year. She took her PSAT's and scored higher than about 70% of the sophomores. They are handling her IEP very well, so we want to keep her in the same school system instead of coming back to the states because every state has their own IEP evaluation system, their own plan for people with learning disabilities, etc. It is very frustrating to re-start the process, which was one of our main reasons for Joe getting this job. It took so long to get this diagnosis; it is fairly new to acknowledge ADHD in females. The other main reason was that it is non-deployable and he is awesome at dealing with all the regulations. He is up for Major in about a year to a year and a half, after the deployment. And yes, we will take pictures of everywhere we go! We are planning to go to Italy this summer when he returns. They give those returning from deployment 30 days to take any leave they have saved up. When we are in K-town, we are going to go to England. I want a picture by the "Treadway Street" sign!!! When we purchased our family sword and coat of arms from an English company, they knew the family name and the man at the bazaar had been on Treadway Street. It has one of his favorite little restaurants.
More later! I hope all of you are well. Have a great Sunday. Michelle and gang

Clara pulled grandma's apron out of the drawer and has been wearing it!

Thank you for using Picture and Video Messaging by U.S. Cellular. See www.uscellular.com for info.

Here's another bench idea. I am sure you have all seen the stone at mom and dads that says treadways. We got that for them for Christmas one year. They also do benches out of the rocks. You can also get photos on them in color. I think that would be awesome. The concrete benches do crumble eventually but I don't think the rocks would. The Cadle company got Ruth and Dan a bench with the state wv on it. Some of you may have seen it. Just another thought.

Michelle it sounds like the next three years will be ones that you can break out that camera for. Looks like tarin will be graduating from Germany high school or I guess she goes on base?

Hey, Everyone! Cool about the rock, Dad. The girls blew up the picture and were studying the shine on the egg/rock, the surface texture, the reflection....they really got into it.
That sounds really nice about the bench.
Yes, Rita, Joe would be with us. His deployment is over in less than 100 days. Then we will move to Kaiserslautern between August 24-September 7, it looks like. This job is non-deployable, thank God, because it is at the Headquarters for his career field. He will be overseeing all troop movement in and out of Europe for those moving in/out as well as those deploying to various places. So I will have him home for 3 years. I am glad. We paid our dues, now a little normalcy would be nice :) Not everyone has these kind of positions, only Staff service members, so we do count ourselves lucky.
Hope you are all great and have a good day, the oven just beeped and the pizza is ready and the kids are charging down the stairs...... :)
Michelle and gang

Evenin'~
Mark, if you gotta lose, at least you're in good company =)

I like Monica's idea for the bench and I like Ruth's as well. We may need to put that to a vote. And what kind are we going to place there, wood or stone? It would be nice to place it facing the house, you know, so you would have that beautiful view.

Blain and I went to see the Isaacs and it was awesome, as usual. SONYA IS 4 MONTHS PREGNANT and she is due on my birthday!! I got the chance to talk to her and she remembered doing the flat Grandma and Grandpa pics. I told her they had both gone on to Heaven in the past year. She said she was so sorry. It wasn't like a concert. Becky's husband sang and the Holy Spirit showed up. You can tell they have a Pentecostal background. Their grandpa was a Pentecostal preacher from Kentucky. Did you know that Becky's husband is a preacher as well? I didn't know that. Blain really enjoyed it and I'm going to get us tickets to see Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. He really likes them too.

Michelle, Sorry to hear you are going to be in Germany longer. Is Joe going to be with you or is he going to be away? I could not do Military. I can't be that mobile. God Love ya!

Blain has a rare 3 day weekend, (employee appreciation day) so we are going to work around here. Waiting for the big thaw next week!!

The bench Idea sounds good to me and , I Love the song Go Rest High Up On The Mountain, that would be fitting, since they are on the mountain top , Looking down in the Valley.

The final score on voting for the rock versus egg was 13 correct and 2 incorrect. The rock is the one on the right. Thanks for voting and that was fun. I continue to marvel at how perfect the stone is, especially relative to the size of the egg.
Ruth, I agree with you, "Resting High On the Mountain" would be the perfect message for the bench, it would apply to Mom and Dad and all who have a chance to visit, rest and reflect.
Trish, you are right too. In my trips up there to help Daddy mow the graveyard he wondered aloud if anyone would be around to take care of it after he was gone. Thank you Tanner and Jacob for mowing it with him from time to time and thank you for doing it now when you can.

Hey everyone, I had a few minutes today to check the blog. I didn't have time to read everything but Lonnie and I have been to the babies graves down at the river a long time ago. I think he could tell you or show you if he would go. Someone needs to call him ! Trish! Alright I have to get back to work.

For the bench: Resting High on the Mountain

Those sleeping in their graves and those sitting on the bench would be Resting High on the Mountain.

I had never heard the song "Go Rest High on that Mountain" but I LOVED it!

Tarin says right=rock

Toria says right=rock

Aleya says right=rock

Food For Thought

I have come to the conclusion that many of our problems stem from the fact that we are not prepared to run the race of life. Some people are not even sure what kind of race they are in and wonder where the finish line is or if there really is a finish line. It seems that we are busier than we have ever been but accomplishing less and experiencing fewer successes than ever before. Stephen Wright says, "I think God is going to come down and pull civilization over for speeding." Can you relate? 

Rita

The bench up here has been made by the monument company...out of stone and has engraving on it. It would stand the test of time better. Of course, we would have to have it made and pay for it but I think Daddy would've liked the idea since he had the headstones already made. Course, he probably did that to assure Mommy didn't put him out at the End Of The Trail.
Not that Danny wouldn't do a great job on a bench. I was just thinking that it would last a looooong time.
So would we plan to do this on Saturday? Trish, would you clue Lonnie in and don't forget to tell Marcia. He might forget. LOL

Hello, Everyone! It's been a while since I got on, other than voting on the rock/egg. Your Easter plans sound so nice. Better not wait up, Monica! It will be a while before we are stateside again. We just got orders to Kaiserslautern, a larger city on the western border of Germany. That will be for 2 or 3 years. At least it is only 4 hours to Paris :) The kids are already casting votes to go there for Christmas and I didn't even know there was poll.....LOL
Take pictures of the Easter picnic. Maybe add some deviled eggs....yum, one of the kids' favorites.
They are all doing well. We are now in the double digits until Joe is home for good. Time seems to be passing a little faster now.
Take care! I hope you are all well and blessed.
Michelle and gang.

Bench:

"Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me"

The Waltons picnic wasn't your ordinary PB and J!  It was fried chicken, potato salad, definately no chips!  lemonade, homemade bread!  Basically it was their sunday meal in a basket!  I LOVE fried chicken!  I will put Danny on the bench making.  I think he could put something on the front of the bench like Amazing Grace or in Memory of Mom and DAd!  What do you think should be on it to honor them both.  Give me your thoughts.  Of course it can't be too many letters unless you want a really really really long bench!  LOL  or it could say Treadway? Live, Laugh, Love? Family?  Home Sweet Home?  Depending on when everyone is coming in maybe we could do this on Saturday before Monica has to leave.  If the spring thaw has hit we may have to walk up from the pond.

Monica I really like your idea of going down on the river.  Maybe since Goldie knows where she is going we could take her along.  Goldie what do you think?
Daddy used to tell me very often that I didn't have the sense God Gave a Goose!  apparently if I had that sense I would've been very very smart.  But now that I know what they had, he was right!

I am pretty sure the tomb stone is complete.  Bill Wallace had the same people that finished Daddys to do Mommys.  All they had to put was the date of death.

Monday I am going to start babysitting the twins, Aaron and Andrew, with Emmas help!  Right now just one day a week until I see if I can handle them!  LOL  So remember me when you are praying!

Prayer request

Hey guys I got this from Goldie and am sharing!

 

 

Trish,

I was reading the blog and felt an urge to ask you to post this request.

 

I got a call an hour ago that my second brother had a heart attack and is in the hospital in Okla.City. Have everyone to pray he will make peace with God for his soul then if it's God's will healing.

Please pray for me as well. I'm going for Kidney tests on Tuesday.

 

Also.your info on the babies graves is correct.the cementary is about a mile

up the road from the log church.up on the hill behind uncle Fraiser's house.

 

Love You All,    Goldie

---

I like the idea of going to the cemetery too. Maybe once we get it cleaned up and flowers planted we could do some family pics? I can't remember if anyone has talked about this but is the headstone complete? Mom, Dad and Corey came over for supper this evening and we were talking about the babies graves. I never knew they were on the river. I just assumed they were at the Puckett cemetery with the rest of the family. I've never been "on the river" but I can remember a lot of times when us grand kids would stay a week with Grandma in the summer, Grandpa would be "on the river". I always wondered where exactly that was. I think it would be nice to go there sometime to see where Grandma and Grandpa started out. Is the house they lived in still standing? We are scheduled to go back to work on Easter Sunday. We've put in to get that Sunday and Monday off but I won't know for a few weeks if we got it. If we don't I hope that we can still come up maybe that Thursday and come home Saturday afternoon. We woke up to snow again this morning but most of it was melted by noon. Rita I'm with you, I want to know about the egg and the stone lol!!! Oh Michelle, we're waiting on you guys haha :P

Hey, I guess that's where the saying comes from..."Ain't got sense God gave a goose." I'm reasonably certain that I've never read it in the bible. LOL I believe I heard Daddy say that a time or two. Yes, I remember where the cemetery is down on the river. It was right across the road from where Frazier lived. I believe his son, Greg lives there and I'm sure someone down there could help us find it. Beulah Leslie lives right up that road and she's still living and sharp as a tac. Still drives too! She is 92? I think. I like the idea about the picnic at the cemetery too. What did the Waltons make for the picnic. I think fried chicken would be good. We could plant some spring flowers and I'd like to put some kind of bench up there so if you wanted to go up there, you could have a place to sit. There's one at the cemetery up here on the mountain and I have gone there and sat and It is quite peaceful, actually.
David, is the stone on the left or right? You're killin' us.

Food For Thought

When God closes one door, He opens another, Even though it might be Hell in the Hallway!

Rita

Bobbie , That is some Good lessons about the geese, It would pay us all to have the sense of a goose!!!!!!!!! Don't you think? Yes, the cemetery where the babies are buried is up the road from the old log church, and it's on the left side of the road . And I think there is a little creek to cross, I'm not sure but seems to me there is.And one of the head stones has a little lamb on it I think also.Wow, didn't know i could remember that far back.But I can picture it in my mind, going there with Mommy and Daddy to decorate the graves. But I don't remember the name of the cemetery.The Idea of the picnic at the Puckett , cemetery sounds like a good plan. I like it.Cant let the Walton's get one on us.

When we were up Vonda's way we noticed flocks of geese and I remembered something I read about them. Did you know
A Flock of Lessons
Fact: As geese flap their wings, they create an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community get where they are going quicker and easier when they lift each other up along the way.

Fact: If a goose falls out of formation, it feels the drag and resistance fo flying alone. So it quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go.

Fact: When the head goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.
Lesson: It pays to share leadership and take turns doing the hard work.

Fact: Geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up the pace.
Lesson: It is important that our honking be encouraging. Otherwise it's just --well honking!

Fact: When a goose gets sick, wounded, or shot down, two geese drop out of formation to follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again.
Lesson: When one of us is down, it's up to the others to stand by us in our time of trouble.

I remember going to the babies' graves years ago. Daddy and Mommy would cut peonias out of the front yard and take them. It seems that the cemetery was up from the old log church, but it has been so long ago.

I am not usually one that likes to visit grave sites, but the idea of a celebration like Grandpa Walton's sounds good. I could go for that!

I will look for teacups and saucers also. I do not think I have any broom handles though.

Yes Trish that sounds like a good idea! I will gather what I can from down here. Maybe Steve can find broom handles out in the buildings. I doubt Dad threw any of the broom handles away. And always cleaning off the graves at Easter time is a good idea too. I had talked to Rita about going down on the river to find the babies graves, she said she thought she could find them. I would like to see them also.

Bobbie you look for cups and saucers and I will gather some handles. I have a hot glue gun and tons of glue! That would be a great project for us to do over Easter at Mommy's. Every time we filled that tea cup I can imagine mommy smiling down on us;) daddy will smile too if we plant some flowers around it! I am sure the most of you have seen the waltons after grandpa died. The waltons would always get together in the spring and clean off his grave from the rough winter. I would like to do that for mommy and daddy's grave. I know they aren't really there but it was always so important for daddy to keep his mom and dads graves clean and pretty and I know that he worried, I say that loosely cause I don't imagine he lost sleep over it, that none of us would keep it up. Tanner and Jacob had taken over helping him the last few years and they grew to enjoy that time with grandpa and sometimes grandma. I don't want the grandkids and great grandkids to forget about where they are buried and some of them may want to carry on the tradition as we get older. On the waltons it wasn't a sad time but more of a reunion with grandpa. Picnic lunch and everything! Mommy told me when I was younger,when steve and I helped daddy, that if he died before her she was taking him out to Wallace and Wallace so none of us had to take care of their graves. It was soon after that, daddy got the headstone and put it where he wanted it AND planted flowers LOL. Have any of you been to the cemetery where the babies are buried? It's been years since I have been there but I would like to go back now. Me and the kids had planned a road trip on the river with daddy to be taken over their Christmas break before he died but that didn't pan out. But anyway if no one else would like to do this in the spring me and my family are going to plan on it.
Love to all,

I passed on the bird feeder idea to the lady in charge of the company Cancer Relay for Life Team. She is quite the crafter!

What a precious thought .

I am sure we will all have more traits of Mom and Dad , in us as the years go by, and it's wonderful , that we can see them in one another, that is their legacy to us , and every thing that they taught us . Love it when it all comes to gather, and you can see it don't you ???????????What a wonderful Blessing.

Trish what a neat idea. You will have to make some to see just how cheap you can do it for. It would make a nice church fundraiser for the kids. I love the whole idea. Don't forget my birthday!!! If you get it to me three months late(like I did yours) all the birds will be back, yeah! I'll look around for some tea cups down here.

I'm reminded of the story of the three kinds of givers: the flint, the sponge, and the honeycomb. If you want something from the flint, you have to strike it--hard. If you want something from the sponge, you have to squeeze it. But the honeycomb just overflows with its own sweetness! I don't have to tell you which one our momma was! And since their "crossing over" I find myself looking at you guys for snatches of them. And as the years go by, I am expecting to see more and more of them in you. I just know all their "good" is going to win out! Just wanted to share that!

I love the little tea cup bird feeders, you could go to the thrift store and get all kinds of tea cups and make your self a bunch!!!!!

Trish, I love the bird feeders I also saw them but knew that I could make my own. Steve bought me a bouquet of flowers that were in a tea cup and I am going to use it to make mine. By the way Thymeworn is one of my favorite antique stores, I visit it frequently.

Continue to pray for Kelsey also, she had her exam today and found out it is endometriosis and she has to go back on the 2nd of next month. They are going to try a birth control implant that goes in your arm and is good for 3 years, if that does not work, she will have to have surgery. Hopefully this implant will also take care of the cysts.

Love the bird feeders!

Gracie taking a nap with her stuffed turtle on my bed!

I saw these at a little primitive store in Lewisburg.
They reminded me of Mommy. Tea cups AND bird feeders
all in one. I thought it was a great idea for those old tea cups
and saucers that you are ready to throw out or the ones
that get chipped. They are hot glued together and then
you hot glue them to old broom handles or anything you
have laying around. These three are then inserted to an
old bucket filled with sand.
Isn't this a neat idea. I can imagine Mommy having her
morning cup of tea with the birdies!
Incidently these sell for 14$ a piece. If you want to buy
one instead of make your own, they are at Thymeworn.

Well, so far the score is 10 - 2 for the rock on the right side of the picture. I will wait for a few more to come in and then I'll tell you who is right. Want to give Tarin, Toria and Aleya a chance to vote when they are home from school.

Hey gang, I hope this finds everyone doing well. We woke up this morning to a light dusting of snow, the wind is what makes it seem really cold. My cats were very excited about coming in this morning. I'm excited for spring to be here, I hate cold weather, I was going to go see my mom today but I'll probably try another day. My kids came in this weekend and we had a good time and Addy and Paul came up with a friend to shoot guns and Steve fixed steaks on the grill and me and mom fixed potatoes, green beans, and corn. It was all good, the food and the company.

Tell Colin I'm sorry about the loss. Are we going to be buying Green Bay Packers "stuff" for his Birthday this year?

The one on the right is the stone

I think it's interesting that David asked which one is the rock? And then some of you answered with, which one was the egg.

Egg is left.

My vote is egg on the left.

EGG ON THE LEFT

Egg is on the left

Right=Rock

I will have to say left is rock.

I think the one on the right is the stone :)

Left is the egg

Blain votes for the Right. (Of course) :]

Right=rock.

My vote is for the left.

Hey Gang, I've got a quiz for all of you. Julie had me to put gravel around the front of our porch and to line the sidewalk and that gravel was fashioned by the movement of water along a brook. Well you find stones shaped in a number of ways. One day I found a stone that looked amazingly like an egg, even down to the color. Your job is to pick which one in the picture is the stone. Right or left, that's all you have to say and I'll tally up the score and let everyone know. I'll even give you a running score, just respond on the blog or send me an email. God can fahsion some amazing 'stuff', hey, just look at all of us!!!

Sorry Colin!!!!!! Is Mom taking all of your Steelers stuff to the Goodwill today?
Marleigh is walking all over the place! Honestly she acts like she is double jointed like Monica.
Amy Lambert spoke twice at our church yesterday. I didn't think many would come out being it was Superbowl Sunday night, but they did. She is a little thing and she doesn't have to search for words to say. She is filled with scripture and as fast as she can get it out, she does. I really enjoyed it. Marleigh listened and didn't even seem to mind. We got out at about 12:45. We didn't do a nursery so everyone could be in the sanctuary. She must live in Virginia, she came by herself and got lost with her GPS in the morning service. She got there just as we started. If she is in your area, you would benefit from going to hear her. She was a drug addict when God saved her.

We may need to send condolences to Colin. I imagine he is taking it pretty hard!

GO GREEN BAY PACKERS!!!!!!!!!! :P

Rita, that was funny...two things that don't go together are "mouthy one" and "Bobbie" lol. Mom sneaked in on Marleigh in the living room while she was walking around. When Marleigh saw her she just stopped and grinned so big and finally walked over to her. She loved that little butterfly mom got her. She sat down in the floor with it and clapped away :p Mark had to go to work tonight so I thought I would get on the Wii after Marleigh went to bed. It felt the need to let me know it had been 690 days since I had last been on there (fyi-I hadn't been on it since I found out I was pregnant lol). That did not deter me any. I played some tennis and baseball till my right arm started aching a little. I'm sure I'll be feeling that in the morning lol. I'm glad you girls had a wonderful time. Vonda said that she didn't take any pics of you all, did any of the rest of you take any? Post'em if you got'em :)

Hey Ya'll
I'm home and Bobbie should be around 5:30. We had a really good trip. It was short, but definitely sweet. Bobbie and I didn't realize it was so easy to go to Vonda's. Not like the 12 hour trips we remembered from back in the day. We will definitely do that again. When we got to Ruth's, Dan checked the weather and told us to go up on Monday and back on Tuesday, missing the storm. We did and had no problems, however, it was slick coming back, but we just slowed it down abit and came right on past all those wrecks. I think there were 5 cars and 2 tractor trailers, one on it's side in a ravine. It looked like he had been airborne! Bobbie wasn't even scared. She sat in the back and read her book. God was definitely with us.
It was so good to see David and he hasn't lost his sense of humor. I hugged him and asked him if he knew who I was and he said "Yeah, the mouthy one...Bobbie." Now that right there was funny!!! Just wish the visit could have been longer and yeah...don't let Vonda fool ya...She should drive for Nascar and I ain't even kidding!!
We did alittle shopping at the Thrift Stores while we were there...Okay, we did have Teresa with us...we did alittle more that a little....OKAY...We shopped til we dropped, everyday. We even shopped in Michigan right before we left, but we stayed ahead of the storm.
Marleigh looks so sweet...we told Bobbie that she would probably run to Nana!
I couldn't believe how the snow has melted up here. I didn't even have to put the truck in 4-wheel drive.
Go Packers!! Oh sorry Colin, Go Steelers!

It is 2:30 am and my children refuse to sleep.  I thought I would play on the computer between thier coughs and cries.  I have had a whole fifteen minutes without anyone beckoning me so maybe that is a good sign.  I would go back to bed, but they are both in mine and well...I'll just stay up. 

Kadien got a camo (hunting) Bible for Christmas and he wants to read it at night before bed.  I usually read him a passage before bed.  The other night I was reading the 23rd Psalm and he listened so intently. I told him that Grandma Treadway liked that one.  He talked about grandma for a while and said he wanted her to come over and play.  Then, last night when we went to read, he told me that he wanted to hear grandma's favorite one.  He has a good memory. 

How are you girls doing?  You must be having fun since we aren't hearing from you.  Dad said something about mom coming home today so we'll be praying for safe travel. 

How's the weather up north?  Like we need to ask. 

Love you all and miss reading about your days.

Janet  



 

Trees that Would...

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree, I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" ... and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was not at all what he had prayed for. The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time. Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings as a boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

Vonda~  Glad to hear that all is well.  Good for you for scaring them~ they were probably driving from the backseat anyway!  LOL

Be sure to take pictures of that "historical storm" that you are getting.  Hope the girls enjoyed their snow day.  It was 50 degrees for a while here today.  Much cooler now though!

Love you!   

Well i just got back from the nursing home and , every thing was going ok . David seems to be content that he has to do his therapy every day .but that is a good thing . He was REALLY surprised with his company.But he was Happy that the girls came to see him.But they had to hurry back so they wouldn't get caught in the freezing rain, and they made it back to Ruth's ok.

I forgot to take pictures , I was to busy running. And Janet I did the driving here , so they had to put up with me. But I think I did scare them a few times. you know !!Just for fun.

Glad every one is doing ok .The kids had a snow day today so they were happy about that. Just hope they have school tomorrow.But our weather is supposed to be very cold.and thank you all for all the cards for David he enjoys them , I put them up all over his wall , so he can see them.How is your face doing Addy? hope it doesn't leave any scares.Well Ill hush for now talk to you all later. love you All.

Monica~ I would put this to you, but it looks like we have our own personal blog these days.  Dad "says" he is sticking to weight watchers while mom is gone so that rules out my cooking.  I cook Paula D style- "start with a stick of butter..."  Plus, dad thinks I can't cook, wonder where he got that idea?  I have actually gotten much better at it over the years.  The smoke alarm doesn't sound near as often now.   

I wondered if the storm followed mom or if mom followed the storm.  Do you just have a mental picture of that trip?  Vonda and Ruth yelling directions at mom. Mom yelling back and driving with one arm on the wheel and one arm in the air.  Bobbie sitting on the edge of the seat, praying!  LOL Now that is funny.

I haven't checked the weather for today, but I am pretty sure it is gong to miss us here.  I may actually have to go to work all week. :(    

Love ya!

   

Janet, you should feel blessed :) I think you should make Blain a place to sleep and invite him over for dinner and a movie. I know Olivia and Kaiden would enjoy Grandpa having a sleep over lol. And breakfast would be wonderful the next morning :p Am I going to far with the cooking? LOL I fixed pinto beans, cornbread and opened a can of pickled beets this evening. Dad, the boys and Adam's girlfriend came over for supper. I couldn't get Karly to eat any beans though :{ Maybe she doesn't feel that comfortable around me yet lol. Marleigh did enjoy playing with her though. I talked to mom this evening and she said they made it back safely to Ruth's from Vonda's around 3:30. She said they had to come through a snow squall near Toledo and there were 2 tractor trailers laying on their side and 3 cars that were stuck on the side of the road. Rita navigated her way through the storm though with no problems :) I know living up on the mountain that was probably nothing for her to drive through :) Vonda, I hope you got some pics of yals visit, maybe you can post some of them. I pray everyone stays safe and warm in this storm that's coming in from the west. I think we're supposed to get rain starting tonight sometime through Thursday morning. Love you all :) I hear rain drops :)

Too cute~  Was she shaking her booty at the end or was she a little unstable there?  LOL  The kids are already in bed tonight, but Kaiden will get a kick out of that.

I think my dad is lonely.  I am pretty sure I can count on both hands how many times he has called me my whole life.  This week, he has called everyday.  He wanted to know what time I would be home from church tomorrow so that he could call.  Haha  Makes me feel special!   

Here's little Miss Marleigh walking :) I can't believe she did this while sucking her thumb lol :p I got a few other videos of her walking but she was crying in them. She wanted our camera and when I wouldn't let her have it she got mad lol.

Monica~  Glad you got a minute to "rest your eyes."  Post some pictures of Marleigh takign her big steps.

Trish~  Kaiden was a monster before the 4-wheeler:)  He told dad last night that he was grounded from the 4-wheeler because he bit Olivia.  Dad told him that I should take it.  Kaiden said, "No, it's still mine, but I can't ride it."  He wanted to clear that up for dad, I guess.

Trish~  Are you going ot get to go to Sybil's party? 

Well it looks like we missed an ice storm! We were supposed to get it from last night through today but it missed us. We still have plenty on the ground and our roof.

Marsha did I see you on the blog? You should do it more often:)

Janet I hope you know you have created a monster! Jacob was 3 when he got his first gas powered 4wheeler and look at him now...lol

Monica the fun is just beginning! With marleigh walking now things will never be the same:) she is an early walker. None of my kids walked before they were a year old!

Today is groundhogs day and from the looks of things outside I don't think he will see his shadow. It's hard to believe that daddy has been gone for almost a year now. I imagine he would be getting ready for spring right about now. He would always get several of those seed and flower catalogs and no matter how many he had he always managed to order SOMETHING;)

No, I haven't heard from mom yet :p I thought I'd give her a few days before I called her, if she doesn't call me. Ruth, Rita, Teresa or Vonda, if any of you get on the blog let mom know that Marleigh was calling for her "Nana" this morning lol!! We've had beautiful weather the last two days. It was 62 today for the high. I got to enjoy it coming and going from church. After church this morning Mark went to help a friend put in a pellet stove. I believe Marleigh played with the children during church instead of taking a nap because she took over a two hour nap when we got home so I layed on the couch and "rested my eyes" :) Love you all, talk to you soon :)

Wow- the blog sure is "quiet"~ LOL~  Just kidding girls! 

Blain and Matthew, you guys are having way too much fun! But I guess I can rely on Kaiden to keep you both in line. Mess with his ride and you will both be walking!!!!
You tell 'em Kaiden.

Monica~  Is your mom calling several times a day to check and see if she is walking yet? 

When I catch Matthew riding that little 4-wheeler by himself is when I'll have to post pictures!  Haha

Vonda~  Praying for you.

Love you all! 

Janet, you need to tell Matthew and Blain that they need to get a 4-wheeler their own size so the won't be breaking the children's toys lol!!! They have tractors, hellooooooooooo :) Little Miss Marleigh is trying to walk to her hearts content. The last several days she has been taking 5-10 steps at a time. I think she may not need our help by the end of the week and Nana is afraid she's going to miss that. I pray you all have a safe and blessed week traveling and visiting. Post some pictures for us :) Vonda, tell David we say "hey". Love you all :)

Kaiden got a hand-me-down 4-wheeler for his birthday.  The kid has talked more in two days than he has in three years.  I think he must be a little excited!

Mom~  Didn't want you to miss this!  I laughed so hard. I am not sure who was having more fun here, dad or Kaiden.  I think dad was pretty tired afterwards b/c he ended up doing some pushing.  The 4-wheeler flooded or something minor while dad was here so Kaiden told Matthew that Papaw broke his 4-wheeler.  Matthew said to tell Papaw that if he couldn't play right and not be so rough with his toys, he wasn't going to be allowed to ride anymore.  Kaiden thought that was hilarious that papaw was going to get into trouble. 

The Wooden Bowl

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and a four-year old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered. The family ate together nightly at the dinner table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating rather difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass often milk spilled on the tablecloth. The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess. "We must do something about grandfather," said the son. I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor. So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner at the dinner table. Since grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl. Sometimes when the family glanced in grandfather's direction, he had a tear in his eye as he ate alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?" Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and mama to eat your food from when I grow up." The four-year-old smiled and went back to work. The words so struck the parents that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled. Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day that building blocks are being laid for the child's future.

Let us all be wise builders and role models. Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, and everyday!

Today, I am a hard-boiled egg all the way. And I also don't like coffee. Tomorrow I am praying to be a coffee bean or at least if I'm going to be an egg maybe I won't get so done!

I am a carrot, Trying to be like the coffee bean!!!!!!!!!!

Lorie~I will pray to be a coffee bean,as I'm sure I'm not. I just Thank God that I'm a work in progress and I pretty much stay on the Potter's wheel!!
And YES, Hershey sleeps with us, right between our heads and sometimes it's across our neck. She is so sweet. The only thing that will root her out is another grandbaby....
Michelle, I'm so happy that things are working out like they are for your family. I would LOVE to see a castle in real life...but since I would have to probably FLY to the country where they are, that probably won't happen. Unless I am drugged like they use to drug Mr. T on the A-Team!
Emily, your bread looked so good, I could smell it. You are becoming quite the cook. Now all you need is a Kitchen Aid mixer...Hint...Hint

Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean- Points to ponder

A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...You will never look at a cup of
coffee the same way again.

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up She was tired of
fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me what you see."

"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied. Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to
take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.
The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.
The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean? Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with
a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Addie, your picture for Mary Kay is priceless. Vonda, if you guys need anything just call.

Good morning all

It is cold here today and a light dusting of snow coming down. Mom is over at the nursing home having breakfast with dad. I have the day off today and going to work on laundry. Mom and I are looking for some crockpot recipes due to our schedules now. I would love to try anyones favorites. Just post it here or email it to me. Emily read the article about sleeping with pets..dont think I will quit now or your mom either.Hey Rita doesn't your new pooch sleep with you and Blain? We miss you all terribly!!! Lil Vonda is already asking if her and Vesta can go to Tt's for Easter with Grandma. Shawn took a test at work to be a inspector and passed with a 97 percent. He gets a quarter raise. It was hard so we are proud of him. Dad was in good spirits yesterday. The place he is at is on my way home from work...a blessing. Can run in and visit anytime. He was up most of the day and they were putting him back to bed at 3:30 when I got there. He was tuckered out. He seems to be at peace with his situation and is really trying hard. Please continue to lift him and mom up before the Lord. We don't want dad to feel discourage or depressed. Thank you to all who sent him cards. Mom has them taped next to his bed so he can see them. He got hot wings and cupcakes for his birthday. He was happy. Everyone have a wonderful day and keep warm. Love you all!

It is pouring like crazy here! It started around 10:30 and I'd say we have at least 4 inches. My classes all got cancelled and I'm just hoping the power doesn't go out now. Zac has to work until 7:30 tonight and I've heard that it is taking people 2 hours to drive the road from here to his work (it usually takes 10-15 minutes) so please pray that he will make it home safely!

Michelle and girls, loved your pictures of the castles! And the history! That is so exciting to me! And we get to share these pictures as you travel the country! Yes!
I trust you girls had a great visit with Dad. Memories you will not soon forget. It is snowing here the biggest fattest fluffiest snowflakes right now. Maybe we will get 3''! Yeah!

Some of you keep asking for pictures of castles, so here are two we saw in May, 2010.

This is a castle we drove by when going to Burg Eltz from Trier, Germany. I couldn't find a name or date for this castle. We didn't go in it.

This is our trip to Burg Eltz, which is a castle north of Trier, Germany. We went in May of last year. Burg Etlz is first mentioned in a document dated in 1157 AD, and the document already calls it the old castle. It has been in the same family since it was built, more than 33 documented generations. Documentation is important here in Europe, as lands and houses/castles/palaces changed hands many times in wars/occupations. So 33 generations is amazing, almost unheard of, especially as it is located on the River Eltz, an ancient Roman trade route river. The largest Roman city of Trier, about an hour south, was established by Caesar Augustus Octavian (by 16 AD in an already existing town), who was Julius Caesar's nephew, who fought Mark Anthony, then ruled as emperor of Rome. Amazing history.

This castle still has original furniture, with a painted bed chamber with wooden beam ceilings from the 15th century and stain glass windows showing the coat of arms. They had over 20 working toilets that flushed using rain water collecting in large barrels on the roof. They have the family treasury with jewels, weapons, and suits of armor. There were tapestries, paintings, and murals from the 14-1600's. The kitchen was the most amazing for me (!) with a large slanted cutting board with a drain on the low end. You would pull a chain on the high end and water from a barrel on the roof would rinse it off. Thus, a working sink to wash meat and veggies! The wood burning oven was so huge, Toria and Aleya could stand in it. You can google the castle and see pictures on their website.

Happy Birthday Vonda and David. God Bless You.

Thank you All for the Birthday wishes , I am on my way to see David , so I will give him your wishes too. Love you All and Have a Blessed Day, This is the Day the Lord has made , Let us REJOICE and be Glad. Amen

Happy Birthday Vonda! I love you and wish you many more happy, happy birthdays!

Happy Birthday, David and Vonda!

Happy Birthday Vonda and David! Be Blessed today.

Trish, so glad for your praise blessing, Yes, God Is Awesome, and he is still in the healing business. He has never changed.And we will keep all the prayer request, in prayer. Every thing here is about the same. snowing now , but we are only supposed to get about and in. or 2.

Food for Thought:

God must be God of all, or He is not God at all. He is not the God of some things, but all things.

Way to go, Trish!

Mark 16:17-18 And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Morning all,
Sounds like you have had a wonderful visit Michelle. I know what you mean about leaving the camera at home. I feel like I watched tanners whole football season through the camera! Do you scrapbook? Your girls could have some awesome scrapbooks! I would love to see a picture of a real castle!

I have a couple of prayer requests too. Grace Legg is in the hospital with pneumonia and a urinary tract infection and Homer Cadle is losing his battle with cancer. He has more spots that are cropping up that they can't do anything about. He is getting hospice but they are kind of like mommy and daddy. Vena has Alzheimer's and homer is sharp a a tack!

I am decreasing my medicines for polymyositis so I am in a bit of pain in my joints and muscles but I think most of that is withdrawal from the prednisone and time is the only thing that fixes it. I go back to Cleveland clinic in march so I won't know anything else til then. But I haven't had any side effects from the chemo and I am finished with it for the time being!

Danny was sick yesterday too. He had a terrible stomach pain in his l. Upper quadrant of his
abdomen and vomiting. He couldn't get relief from the pain at all and thought he may have to go to the ER. I laid hands on him and prayed for him and 2 hours later he was hungry and absolutely no pain. The only thing this morning was soreness where he had his pain! God is good!

Happy early birthday Vonda and David, your cards will be a little later in the week. But better late than never. Well it's almost time for Emma so I better get ready.

Hope everyone has a good day!

Hey, everyone!!! It has started snowing again and hasn't stopped all night and this morning........I SERIOUSLY hope we don't get another 38 inches this month!!!! LOL

Hey, Monica! I will try to get the pictures downloaded in the next few days. But I have to tell you, surprisingly, we didn't take very many. I think we were just soaking it all in. Amazing how 336 hours can fly. But with the good news of an earlier return, it isn't so bad. We are under 4 months.

Teresa, I have PCOS where I get cysts. It started when I was 14 years old, and I still get one occasionally. They tried to control the cysts with the BC pills. I hope it isn't endometriosis. I'm praying for her. I know God heals!! Each of my girls has been healed many times, and we know Grandma is praying for her....Grandpa, too.

Much love to all of you, Michelle and girls

I also have a prayer request, I would like everyone to pray for Kelsey. She has had strep for the fourth time in two months and the doctor said she is probably going to have her tonsils taken out.

Also she is having female issues, she has two complex cysts that are probably going to be removed with surgery and she may also have endometriosis. She will probably have to go on short term disability because she has had to miss so much work.

I hope Kaiden gets better, we will be praying for him . We have also been praying for you Vonda and David even though I havent been blogging I have been reading.

Please pray for Kaiden as he has complained about his belly hurting all day and is vomiting like crazy.  (Hope you aren't eating and reading the blog.)  He is still drinking, which is making him vomit more, I think.  I am headed to get some pedia lite.  Say a prayer for him.

Michelle, we've missed you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy to hear you all had a good visit and that Joe will be coming home sooner than planned :) You need to post some pictures for us.

Janet, I agree with you on Emily's bread lol :p

Addy, I loved the Jekyll/Hyde pic. You're face looks like it is healing wonderfully. Are you getting back to feeling like yourself and walking without being dizzy?

Hello, it's been a long time since we've been on!
Janet, I am so sorry about your pregnancy. Much love to you, hang in there.
Addy, WOW! Sorry you had the accident! Hope you are better. And if you tell your kids what happened, you might suddenly find yourself the coolest teacher there!! Especially if you tell them you were airborn :D
Vonda, sorry about David. I hope he is recuperating.
Emily, thanks for the well-wishing.
Trisha, you looked like you were having fun with all those babies in the house! I hope you are doing well on chemo and not getting sick.
Steve, great on the interview. Hope you feel God's guidance about the yes/no on it.
And the bread looked great, like the bread here in our backerai. It made me hungry.
Rita, I liked the story about "I pray you enough". I printed it out to save.
Well, R&R was wonderful. It flew by too quickly. 336 hours was not enough. We had a warm spell that melted all that snow, so we only had to shovel once the whole two weeks! But then the river Vils by our castle flooded, so a lot of people had to drain their basements. I am glad we are too far away to flood.
We got some good news about Joe's deployment. They decided to end it in May instead of July!!! That made his leaving a little easier to bear, since we found out 3 days prior to his leaving. We travelled a little, staying close to home. We went to Nurnberg and Amberg, both walled cities with Castles and ancient churches from over a thousand years ago. It was nice to go to a city bustling with traffic, people, and after-Christmas sales!!! Remember, our little village close to the base has a population of about 6,300 people!!! So 100,000 people seems like a lot.....
LOL, good times. It is unique being here. Our next destination is four hours west, in a large city, only 4 hours from Paris. Can't wait for that. I think the kids are most excited about the Toys R Us, even if most of the toys are German made, with instructions in German, and the electronics have European specs......Me, I am excited about having a mall again!! Now I just need to memorize the conversion charts for clothing sizes :) It is very different. But the trade-offs are good knowing this is only for a spell, take the best of it and go on, yada yada yada. :D
I think I have rambled enough for one day...I hope all of you have a blessed and wonderful day. And no one else has bad news.... :)
Love to you all, Michelle and girls