Someone Always Brings You Flowers!

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and family!

I was thinking about how a lot of people get down on this day because they feel they don't have that special someone to celebrate this day of Love. I myself could place myself in this category but when I really got to thinking about it I really couldn't. No, I didn't have a prince charming come galloping up on his horse to whisk me away. I didn't have flowers sent to me from a secret admirer or that special someone. I didn't have someone stand outside of my bedroom window and serenade me a beautiful love song. I didn't have a letter with a love poem filled with all the right words. What I did have, as I stepped outside for a walk, was God. He gave me the gift of life and when this one here on earth ends I will be whisked away to heaven. I had beautiful azaleas in three different colors everywhere I turned. I heard the breeze sing its melody as it blew through the trees. I have the Bible to read all the right words that will guide me as I pass through each day. What a blessed day it has been!
Let me share with you two favorite things I received from some special people in my life.
Tayler gave me a magnet that read,
PEACE...
it does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Cyndi and Tommy gave me a card that read,
May the sun
bring you new energy by day,
May the moon
softly restore you by night.
May the rain
wash away your worries.
May the breeze
blow new strength into your being.
May you walk
gently through the world and know
its beauty all the days of your life.
-apache blessing

Enjoy

Love to all my friends and family!

I'm Getting All Caught Up!

Yes, I have been sitting here during the Super Bowl trying to catch everyone up on what's been going on. If you haven't noticed there are two new blogs before this one that I just posted. I am not much of a football fan. I am more interested in the commercials than the game. Although, Tayler's class will have no homework Monday if the Bears win. So, I guess I am cheering for the Bears, as it would be nice to have a night off from checking over homework. January has come and gone and now February. Time seems to be just flying by. The girls are doing great. They are both doing dance. Tayler just made the softball team at her school and Tori will be starting softball at Shockers Park. We have gone from buying tap shoes and leotards to cleats, gloves and bats. As long as they keep up their grades then I don't mind them being involved. If my head starts spinning around on my shoulders then that will be an indication that we are doing way too much! Anyway, enjoy the misc. pictures. The baby birds were leaving their nest just outside of our house last spring. The baby turtle Wendy found in her garage. And LOVE is to celebrate Valentine's Day!

LOVE to all my friends and family!

Happy Belated New Year!

There is no where else I would rather be, to ring in the New Year, than here at the cabin enjoying a nice hot bon fire with great friends and family. That is exactly what we did and what we do every year. The menu...Hotdogs, marshmellows, graham crackers and Hersey's chocolate! Johnny and Allison (my Miami friends) were introduced to roasting hotdogs and making smores on the fire. Their daughter, Rachael, goes to school with Tori. They were great sports and loved every minute of it!

I hope 2007 is good to all my friends and family!

Chistmas Catch Up!

Time to catch everyone up before 2007 passes me by. The holidays were good. We spent Christmas in Park City, Utah. First time away from home during Christmas and our first white Christmas. We were blessed with safe travels and great weather. My first stop when we got there was Walmart to get some decorations for the condo. We went tubing Christmas Eve and skiing Christmas day and the next four days after that. The hot tub and indoor pool seemed to be the most popular place at the days end! For me a hot shower and a bed!

Love to all my friends and family!

Christmas Card Chaos and the Solution

For those of you who take the annual Christmas Photo there is a stress free solution out there. Although many may not want to admit it (especially you moms), we ALL want to look good in the picture! We will snap pictures over and over until we seek that final and perfect one. You know the one that makes YOU look skinny and YOUR wrinkles and blimishes don't show and YOUR belly rolls aren't peeking out from beneath your shirt and YOUR arm is positioned just right so the jiggle is not noticeable. We drive the kids and some of you husbands crazy because we need to try again. Let's take a few more... Translates into "I don't look good in any of them!!!!!" In the mean time the kids start getting restless and smiles are quickly turning into frowns. You start to turn into the incredible hulk as you scream, "SMILE ONE MORE BLEEPING TIME , WORK WITH ME HERE BLEEP IT!!!" So here is the solution... The pictures above! Those are a guaranteed one time take and there is no stress!!! So, who will be brave enough to try that one next year! To all who give me a response to this blog I will be sure to send you a stress free Christamas card in 2007!
Merry Christmas to all my friends and family!!!

Release and Catch

These are my lastest paintings! They are called Release and Catch. Hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Time to check math papers so no time to blog!

Love to all my friends and family!

Were Did October Go?

Yes, I know it has been awhile. So what happened to October?? Much has happened this month so I will quickly update you. The big thing was that I turned the BIG "40" on the 19th. I had my first mamogram "not nearly as bad as the stories". Followed by a biopsy, on my birthday, which hurt just a bit. Results are back and everything is fine. I didn't think God would put too much more on me right now. I have painted the laundry room and retired the old washer and dryer and bought new. If you didn't know any better you would think you could climb into the thing and travel to the moon! Buzzers are always going off in the house and I can't seem to tell if it is the washer, dryer, cell phone, stove or microwave! I am trying to finish a walkway outside. Yes, another load of rocks to haul. My bruises have just grown out from under my finger nails from the last haul. To close the month down of course is trick or treating with the girls. I dressed up as cat in the hat and the girls went as thing 1 and thing 2. I have begged them to do this for the last two years and they gave in this year. Yes, they humored their old mom and I paid them off with a twenty. What's the world coming too!?
Love to all my friends and family!

Our Daily Bread!

"Give us this day our daily bread." Matthew 6:11

My newest venture... Bread making. If you know me the kitchen isn't exactly my best friend. So when the bosch mixer, and grain mill came UPS and hit my kitchen counter everyone just rolled their eyes a little. But when the 50lb bag of whole grains and gallon of honey hit the counter the girls knew I was serious.

We are staying away from all refined flour products. I am making all of our breads, pancakes, waffles, muffins, rolls etc. from fresh milled flour. The health benefits are huge! Very interesting data out there and if you are interested just email me and I will tell you all about it. I am still learning myself. The girls are loving it and hopefully I am giving them something to pass on to their children. When they complained that they had to cut the cookie dough before putting it on the pan, I knew right then that they need to know how it is really done!

Grandma Thomas would really be proud!

Love to all my friends and family!

Welcome Home Andrew!

Andrew has arrived home and survived boot camp. I knew he would. Andrew in boot camp is like a 5 year old at Disney World! He is truly in his element with the whole Army thing. I must say he has grown up quite a bit. First day home and of course there is no other option but to ski! The girls try their hand at barefooting and Andrew is riding the land lock.

I should have had a picture of Andrew in his fatigues but, I forgot to take one. Poor planning on my part.

That's all for now, seeing that I am feeling

a little fatigued tonight!

Ha! Ha!

Love to all friends and family.

The One That Got Away!

Yeah!!!! Fishing with my brother, finally! Simplicity was the name of the game this morning. We grabbed the poles and strolled down to the canoe and paddled all around Clear Lake. Sunny skies, light breeze, Tommy with his coffee and me with my green tea. Then I landed the big one! Yep, me and the bait caster were reeling in the big one! Now mind you my brother is instructing me the whole time. "Don't reel too fast, take your time." Good instructions because I did get the fish in the boat. I am holding the fish, again with instruction from my brother, "put your thumb way under his jaw, hold on tight because when he starts moving around you will loose him." So, I am holding the fish and handing him my point and shoot digital camera. I need a picture for my blog right?! Well my photographer brother seemed to think there was a problem with the camera. So, I hand him the fish and he hands me the camera and everything was fine with the camera except he wasn't pushing the button hard enough! Did I say this was a point and shoot camera? As I am figuring this all out the fish starts wiggling around in Tommy's hand, just as he had predicted, and he looses it...back into the lake went the big one. Maybe I should have given you a little instruction on how to hold that fish bro! So I guess you want to know just how big this fish was?! Well, seeing we have no proof I guess I can make it as big as I want it to be!!

Girls Just Want To Have Fun!

Sugar and spice and everything nice....so it seems on the outside but on the inside these two can manipulate the above victim AKA "DAD" to do just about anything they want.

You see the slick move above..the smiley face followed by the hug and then the peck on the cheek... these girls are good.

Melts dad like butter every time!

They sure don't have to man those moves when it comes to skiing. Dad is always ready to go. Tori learned to wakeboard and Tayler continued to kneedboard and wakeboard as well.

The ultimate fun is tubing.

Do you think cleaning your room will ever become a sport??

Love to all friends and family

One Rock at a Time!

It took three 10 hour days, two smashed fingers (one of which blood was shed), 1,000 curse words, several bruises all over my arms and legs and a lot of sweat to lay each and every one of those rocks. Maybe I should have titled this "Rocky"! Ha! Ha! Yo, Adrian!

Really it was more like 3 tons of therapy. It was just me, God, and the big back yard. I spent a lot of time reflecting on life and doing a lot of praying. I was amazed at just how all these broken pieces of rock managed to fit together to create a beautiful pathway. With all the broken pieces in my life right now...I know that God will fit them all together to create something even better than before. I just wish I knew what he was up to!!

Love to all friends and family

Back To School!

Oh the joy of that 5:00am alarm clock. That is for me anyway, the girls get an extra 30 minutes then its time, time to open those sleepy little eyes, rise with smiles on their faces and good morning hugs for mom.

Yeah right!

Tayler I must say is good at getting up. Tori on the other hand... well that's a whole different story. Today was good. I had prepared them homemade pancakes from fresh milled wheat flour, (I will share that venture with you later) along with homemade whip cream topped with fresh blueberries.

Hmm... Hmm... Good!!!

They were very excited about getting to see their friends and start the new school year. I'm excited about being on a schedule but I am not looking forward to the homework. First day and I have reviewed basic math, studied the different parts of a cell and signed about 100 papers for one reason or another. (was I suppose to read them all?!)

Love to all family and friends

Thank God For Digital

I bring to you the ocean, sand and sunsets. Our evening ritual at Anna Maria Island is to relax on the beach, feed the seagulls and wait for the sun to sink into the ocean. Thank God for digital. I would go broke trying to develope all the pictures that I took!