May 31, 2010

a couple more photos!


Thank you to all the Men and Women in Uniform, all the Military Spouses, and lastly but not leastly, all the Military Brats for the sacrifices; past, present, and future, that our Armed Forces have suffered. 

Thank you to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms that we Americans enjoy.

May 25, 2010

To Jeremy 38 years later.....

Happy Brithday Son
 I wish Heaven had a phone so I could hear your voice again. I thought of you today but that is nothing new. I thought about you yesterday, and days before that too. I think of you in silence, I often speak your name. All I have are memories and a picture in a frame. Your memory is a keepsake, from which I'll never part.... God has you in his arms. I have you in my heart.
With love, Mom

May 20, 2010

As summer comes along

I have been employed by the Census.  Not a permanent position.  Not a demanding position.  Pretty much another way to waste time but this time I get PAID for it!! LOL  No, seriously, it has been fun to be doing something productive and so necessary.  Unfortunately, the job came just in time to really mess with our (my) summer plans.  So, instead of going to Brett and Maya's wedding in Utah, we sent a check and jellies and instead of going to stay in Oregon for the summer, the newly renovated house will be rented for a few years.  A disappointment (on both fronts) but in staying here for the summer, along with the job that I am actually getting paid for, I have gotten busy helping to set up and organize a 'food pantry' for the Crossing Community Church, where Keith and I attend.

The pantry organization is really going pretty quickly.  We are hoping to be opening for the first time on S'te's birthday... Happy Birthday sweetie!!

Staying busy is one way of staying sane... I think....
Dad's bithday flew by just a couple of days ago - Happy Birthday Dad - glad that your day was made all the better by getting released to go home! 

Soon (in 5 more days) it will be Jeremy's birthday again.  It is so hard to believe this would be his 38th! 
Jeremy, I miss you.  Even with all the good that God has blessed my life with - I miss you so much.  My heart is heavy and the memories of you bring a smile with the tears.  Someday you will lead us to you.  I only hope that day is not to terribly far away.

It seems just like yesterday that you were just a tiny baby, then the grinning toddler, growing into the happy and busy little boy with the infectios smile, and then the much to short  time we had you with us as a young man.  I look at the wonderful woman your sister has become - and I know in my heart you would have been a wonderful man if you'd had the opportunity.

An Update

This was what our little house looked like when we bought it.  That is Keith and Tim trying to figure out what we needed to do first.
This was after our first attempt at getting some sort of drainage syhstem going on.

The back door

and the brown garage is gone.  Boy was it ugly
Then our second try at fixing the drainage issue
Then the deck and shed came along
Then the patio we put in...
and now the new front!
and the new back ... hopefully all cleaned up real soon!

With the all new insides... sure looks nice.

A great tribute to D&R Traditional
thanks Del and Shawn!


May 9, 2010

Jellies

Last summer, while in Coos Bay, I got on a real creative kick.  I was absolutely loving my new kitchen, all of my new counter space, the full garden, the lucious fruits that I grew and others that I picked.

So I made a bumper crop of jams and jellies (among all the other STUFF).

My baby sister, Sharen, told me about some of the guests that will be traveling internationally to attend Brett and Maya's wedding and a few of the customs.  She was brainstorming a local delicacy to offer as token momentos (or something of that sort!) for a few of them.

So anyhow, I thougtht,

why not send some of this bumper crop of sugary sweets to offer up!
I know for a fact they are local to where Brett is local to!
So, the last time I was in Oregon, I boxed up a small (actually very small) sample of my homemade delights and mailed them off to Sharen, who...


put her talented mind and hand to..
decorating with gold lables

Wrapping so prettily
and making rather delightfully appealing, yummy looking gifts.

I hope they are enjoyed!

May 7, 2010

Dining Room Set

The dining room set that we brought out here 6 years ago succumbed to the difference in humidity several years ago - and I gave it away.  Up until now we've had the desk in the 'dining area' as we had bedrooms set up for the foster care we used to do.  Since we've quit doing the foster gig here in Florida - we made one of the bedrooms into a den/office type of thing and the dining room has been empty.

Which was ok -

Then when Sharen and Jack were here - Sharen and I decided to put the kitchen set in the dining room so we wouldn't have to sit all the way at the other end of the house.  And it worked really well.  In fact, I would rather sit in the dining room than in the eat-in kitchen area (I can see more LOL).  But, then I had this bare room in the kitchen....

So...

I got the card table and chairs out of the rv and set them up - for temp.  Uncomfortable, ugly (as only a card table can be), and inadequate but useful to fill a spot for awhile while I looked for something I liked.  Sharen and I did lots of shopping, looking, pricing, and discussing.  Did I want to put another table in there - or a conversation group?  Just what did I want to do with that space?  Well, for all of these months I've done nothing with it.

Our friends, John and Jessie are getting a new dining room set.  I LOVE the one she was selling.  Other than a few dings and nicks from being a hurricane survivor - it is beautiful!  So....
So, of course, the set that Sharen and I moved out to the dining room has been returned to it's rightful place in the morning room!!

And lastly but certainly not leastly,
See that bouquet on the table?
I received that a couple of days early.


Thank you my sweet Baby Girl!