Storm Damage

There is soooo much storm damage around here... you can't help seeing it on the news... but I wanted to share some pics of my ex-in-laws basement (we may be ex but we still love each other as if we weren't!)... there is a creek that runs alone and thru their property... it was too full for the culvert so it made a new path thru their yard... right down the little hill that leads to their basement, shattering one of the glass panes of the sliding glass door and cracking the other... BUT... They still HAVE their HOME... many around here lost everything they had...
The water presser was so great it toppled shelves that had crates of books and other things on them... carring some all the way outside.
we were able to save the Christmas decorations that were given to her by her mom before she passed away... some of them hand painted.... for that we are also VERY thankful!!!! Tomorrow the clean up begins in earnest!

Free Christmas printables

Ten Two Studios has free holiday printables beginning December 1st. Every day from December 1st through Christmas, she'll post a new image on the calendar. the catch is that you must post a link to the countdown on your blog, web site, group or message board before you begin downloading. Just post your link here and just sit back and wait until December 1st. Have fun downloading your free printables!!! http://countdown.tentwostudios.com

Dust If You Must

I got this in my in box... wanted to share it.
How many of us are just existing and not really living?


Dust If You Must
=================

How many countless hours have I spent cleaning? I used to spend
at least 8 to 12 hours every weekend making sure things were
just perfect, "in case someone came over." Then one day I
realized that no one came over; they were all out living life,
having fun!

Now, when people visit, I find no need to explain the
"condition" of my home; they are more interested in hearing
about the things I've been doing while I was away living life
and enjoying it!

If you haven't figured this out yet, please heed this advice:
Life is short - enjoy it while you can!
And people don't care if your house is spotless just as long as
they're welcome.

Dust if you must but wouldn't it be better,
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed,
Ponder the difference between want and need?

Dust if you must but there's not much time,
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb,
Music to hear and books to read,
Friends to cherish and life to lead.

Dust if you must but the world's out there
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair,
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it's not kind.
And when you go and go you must,
You, yourself, will make more dust.

Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write "I love you"
on the furniture!

~Author Unknown~

My new surprise

This is what my daughter found as she walked into my kitchen....
My landlords, who by the way can't afford to put a new roof on my house because he got hurt and can't work, who are on a very tight budget because of it, who has to put their house up for sale in the spring, who have the other rentals on the market because they are hurting so bad financially, are in mexico for their annual vacation. I am soooooo ticked off it isn't even funny!!!!!!!!

so I guess they have just shown me once again that even tho I have been here for almost 10 years, and have never asked for anything, except when my laundry room did the same thing, I guess I still really don't mean shit to them.

BTW... I didn't know they went to Mexico until I called them to tell them about my rof... had to call the cell because there was no answer at their house. Ya know, my bed room was leaking really bad a couple months back... that is when she told me all of the stuff I said above... I actually felt bad for them... not any more.

I Believe

I got this in an email... wanted to share.
The photo I took at Deception Pass Bridge...( in Washington state)


I Believe
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in awhile and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe
That just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to, doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I Believe
That it is taking a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words, it may be the last time you see them.

I Believe
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe
That money is a lousy way to keep score.

I Believe
That sometimes when I am angry I have a right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe
That no matter how bad your heart is broken, the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe
That the people you care about the most are taken from you much too soon.

I Believe
That life is more precious than money will ever be able to be.

For the Moms

Forever in my heart

I was working on word art for the yahoo group and I remembered this layout with the quote that I just had to share with them... (soon ladies)
I am really missing Jose' ... This quote was soooo true in their case... our case... just 8 short years he was in Cassie's life, ten short years in mine... It wasn't long enough... but I am thankful for the time we did have. He may not be here to hold his hand but he will forever be in our hearts.
I miss you my friend.

Oh what a difference a year makes

As I was looking at photos yesterday I found last years Fair pictures....




Oh what a difference a year makes! Just one more reminder to cherish every moment! hmmm a new word art? Maybe!

Our fun week-end!

I kept Cassie out of school today... so she had a 3 1/2 day weekend as I took her out early Friday so we could go to our friends and celebrate the Jewish new year with them... the first one we ever observed... and it was a BLAST!!! But today we did something fun too!!!! After we took my 2nd oldest to her Doctor's appt ( she is pregnant and due in March) we spent the day at the fair together... Shana, Hayley (my SGD), Cassie and I... We had soooo much fun but was pooped by the time we left (at about 9pm)... these are only a few of the pics I took.

I just LOVED the look here!!!!

and here!!!

I can barely tell this is Cassie... LOL... but she wore her flip flops...
notice the bare feet! No, She didn't lose em... I was holding them for her.

The 2nd to last ride of the night. I was tired and cold and didn't take any pics of the actual last ride they took together.Now it is back to the grind... school for her... lol.

pain .... Memories

Here is another LO I did of pics I took during that ocean trip... I still pray that she will learn that she doesn't have to hold on to the pain to hold on to the memories.
I can't remember the font I used for the word art but it is a quote I will be re-doing for the yahoo group.
If you came to see the quote share I sent thru already scroll down to the last post.

My daughter's eyes

I took this picture at Ocean Shores a few eeks after Cassie's Daddy went to Heaven... It was a very difficult time... It really still is especially for her... I finally got insurance and found a counselor for her... I met with him yesterday and she meets with him next Thursday... She has really been hurting the last few weeks and in tears a lot... his death anniversary (august 21) and his birthday just past on the 8th of September.

Credits:
Color Vision Page set by Mona Minnie
Word Art by me.

Oh Taste and See That The Lord Is GOOD

I have to do an update here about the lesson learned from the wood. How ONLY The Father can take one devotional and one small act of obedience to bring more blessings.

My blessing was the wood itself.

After I got all the wood I kept looking at all the pressed board and asked the Lord how I was going to get rid of it... I had someone who said he could take it to the recycle place but I also knew, from experience, that could be a lonnnnnggggg time before it got taken away.

He told me to call my friends across the street to see if they could use it for anything. Her husband is in Cali right now so she said she would get back to me.
After awhile she told me that that wood was EXACTLY the kind of wood her husband had wanted to get to re-do something (she didn't know for sure) So they are taking all of it except the scrap pieces that are too small for anything! They were blessed from my blessing!

As I was sorting and stacking the wood it was almost overwhelming...I had been working on it all day and the day before.... so I was flat out getting tired but I wanted to get it done so if he brought some more then I would be ready..... I ask the Lord for the grace to do it and He gave it to me.... I then asked Him to send someone to help me stack it. He told me to call my son-in-law and offer to pay him to help. It wasn't very much but I couldn't think of how I could pay him... the Lord showed me how so I called him.

They couldn't be here until almost an hour by that time I had it completely sorted and as I looked at the pile I thought "I can do this myself, why did I even call him?" But I was impressed to just let them come and him help me. So I did. Come to find out my daughter had made a mistake when she added up the bills and they really needed the little bit of extra money but she wouldn't have just asked me for it, she is not like that... So...If I didn't have the wood then they wouldn't have that little bit of money.



To sum it up....

The wonderful man who gave me the wood doesn't have to pay to dump it (or have to use the gas to haul it 20 miles)
I have wood to last me about a month,
My friends have the wood to do what they wanted to do,
and my daughter and son-in-law have a little gas money,
One act of obedience, though totally ONLY THROUGH HIM ( I WOULD NOT HAVE LISTENED HAD HE NOT GIVEN ME THE GRACE), brought multiple blessings!!!!!

BTW... The pile was/ is Taken care of except a tiny bit of little pieces I need to find a container for...and a little pile that my neighbor is going to burn in his burn pit... it only took about 30 minutes after they go here.

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is GOOD!!!!

because you prayed, He came with deliverance; because you prayed, He came with provision.

The other day I received an email with a teaching type thing in it... It read in part

"....So many times, we keep crying to God to open the gates of Heaven and send blessings, when we could simply open the gates we have and gather the blessings God's "already" caused to be left at our gates--when we prayed! But this takes action--we need to act, open the gates, step out in faith and believe God!

Nothing will happen that you do not pray for; but many times the blessings you prayed for are already at your gates. Because you prayed, they were sent to you; because you prayed, blessings were stored at your front door; because you prayed, He came with deliverance; because you prayed, He came with provision.

God will never answer a prayer that has not been made. But then again, God will never answer your prayers by sending quail flying into your camp already roasted! ( I LOVED THAT PART!!!!)

Be blessed and be a blessing!

Conrad Lampan
Revival Highway
Email: connect@revivalhighway.org

You can read all of the word given at this place.. It is REALLY GOOD and I saw alot I had never saw before!

http://www.elijahlist.com/words/html/textonly-090207-Lampan.html

Ok... so to get to my point... every winter that I have lived here (this will be my 9th I think) I have stressed over getting wood to burn as I only heat by my wood stove.. long story but the heaters are NOT good... anyway.... I many times have to chose between food etc and wood to keep us warm...
I didn't want to spend another winter living here and going through the stress... I just wanted to move... but without the funds I am facing another winter in this big, old and drafty house.
Yesterday I had to take my daughter to the store... as I was coming home I saw a huge trailer filled with scrap wood in someones yard. The Holy Spirit told me to stop and ask them if they were throwing it away and if I could have some... uuummmm yeah... NOT!!! I argued with Him... knowing I hardly ever ask for help because I have learned many times that if I do then I am either told no or made to feel like 2 inches tall for even asking... or I ask and they say yes but then don't follow through...
anyway... I came home... kept thing about it... but then I pushed it out of my mind... How could the Lord ask me to do something that was totally against everything in me. When I woke up Monday morning The Holy Spirit was at me again... telling me to go to that house... I again argued with Him.... He finally won... I got in the blazer... prayed all the way... said "If that is you Lord You need to give me the grace because I can't just go to some strangers house and ask them for their wood" He said that if I didn't listen I would miss my blessing... then He reminded me of the part of the word I read that
"we could simply open the gates we have and gather the blessings God's "already" caused to be left at our gates--when we prayed! But this takes action--we need to act, open the gates, step out in faith and believe God! "
That really got my attention... Knocking on their door WAS OPENING THE GATE.
After driving past their house a few times I pulled into the driveway... almost trembling, I knocked on the door... A little old lady came to the door... I asked and she said I could take what ever I wanted (her son is a contractor and it was all going to get dumped at a wood recycle place... he had to pay to dump it) ... I could only reach a little but her husband came to me and told me I could have some branches that he had cut up... I took the lumber I had loaded home... then went back for the branches...
The Lord told me to give them my name and address and tell them to tell their son that he could dump it at my house if he wanted... that I could use as much as was there and whatever I couldn't burn I would dispose of... like pressed board...
At any rate... their son came and dumped it my yard today (Tuesday) see pics...He also told me that he gets a trailer full like that about once a week...Of course I told him he could dump a few more here!!!
... After looking at the pile I knew there would be lots of work to do... sorting stacking cutting... I thought about all the work BUT I was NOT about to complain even though the dread started to come over me... Then The Holy Spirit reminded me of another part of the word I read...
"God will never answer a prayer that has not been made. But then again, God will never answer your prayers by sending quail flying into your camp already roasted!"

REMEMBER...
because you prayed, He came with deliverance;(He delivered me, at that moment, from the fear of asking strangers for something.. I may struggle again but for that moment anyway I was delivered) because you prayed, He came with provision. (He provided the wood for me to burn!!!)

I was thankful for the "quail" He had send me... and I am NOT about to complain about having to roast it!!!! HE IS SOOOOOO GOOD!!!!


If You made it this far... Thank you!!!

Daddy IS HOME!!!

I have so many pics I want to get uploaded but since Daddy came home yesterday I want to get them up first.
The plane landed!


I couldn't resist the smile I saw across the tarmac!
Watching them hug brought tears to my eyes. They are so in love and they are finally together again... now more of a family.
He finally got to see his son in the flesh instead of just email pics!
Another tender moment.
He loves his daddy already! He couldn't keep his eyes off of him! And every time baby cried (even when Momma was holding him) all daddy had to do was hold him and he stopped!
That is all for now.

More pics

Blogger isn't really liking me today.. but I wanted to post some more pics... finally got it done.
Wish I could be working on my scrapbooking stuff but she doesn't have the proggies on her pc... soon I hope... she wants me to stay till her hubby gets home the 22nd... I guess we will have to see.
David is such a cutie... and so far he only cries when he is hungry or needs his diaper changed. She is a good Mommy... and very patient.
I miss you all and hope to be back soon.

David Miguel

David Miguel ....
(Spanish form of David)
August 6, 2007
Born at 2:38 PM
(after less than 6 total hours of labor, including 38 minutes pushing.)
8lbs 15.2 oz
21 inches long.
He looks like his Daddy... except he has his momma's ears.

Livingroom Camping

just wanted to show you what my living room looked like last night and this morning. :)
Cassie wanted to sleep in her tent... It has been cold and raining out... this was the next best thing.

just a pic

Just wanted to show you all the people... If you click the pic you will get a large pic and you can see all the people esp on the bridge itself.

Here is the color guard from the naval hospital at Bremerton. They came up behind us when we were crossing over from Gig Harbor.

Just an apology and an update

Before I say anything else I must ask a favor from you... If you believe in the power of prayer please pray for little miss Cassie... it has been almost 2 years (august 21) since her "Daddy" went to be with Jesus and she is REALLY struggling with missing him...The closer it gets the worse her grief is... now she can't even be at her sister's house with out crying for me.... I wish I could type here what she said to me the other day but I can't... lets just say it was a REAL eye opener for me. I need to find a grief counselor for her fast.

Sorry I have been away too long... and sorry to my list for not sending for a few days... thought I would get some rest BUT... spent the last 4 days driving through horrible bridge traffic. IF any of you live near the pudget sound... Tacoma really... you know exactly what I mean... they have been building a new bridge and traffic is horrible!!!
Anyway... Thursday i had to drive to aburn to babysit while my daughter went to an important appt. Left Cassie there to help her, was supposed to be until saturday but she was missing Mom so I had to go pick her up Friday afternoon instead... traffic is beyond horrible on Friday afternoons and evenings.
Saturday I had to drive back to aburn for a birthday party... sorry I can't show the birthday girl but she is one of Brandi's Foster children and it wouldn't be a good idea.

Then this morning we woke up early again and went and "walked" the new bridge. We started out on the Gig Harbor side and it wasn't very crowded.... everyone and their brother started out on the Tacoma side and soon there were tens of thousands of people!
We sure had a lot of fun!
We were just starting out on the Gig Harbor side... not many people.
Here cassie is "cutting the ribbon" Still not many people...
Still heading to the Tacoma side...Now we are on the Tacoma side... you can't tell here but there were thousands of people around us. I took more pics and will post more with the people later.
We FINALLY made it back to the Gig Harbor side and i had to take a few more pics on the bridge....
We watched history being made today and it will be something cassie will remember for the rest of her life.

I scrapped

I finally did a LO with one of my templates.
For those of you on the list this is #63... which will come in a few days...
Kit used is "lilac Garden" by Miss mint http://www.peppermintcreative.com/ it is a freebie right now... IF you want it better hurry!

Grace mail and please pray for Sara

I needed this today and thought I would share... my "grace mail"



"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." Jude 24-25, NASB

"Faithful is He who calls you and He will bring it to pass." 1 Thessalonians 5:24, NASB

Corrie Ten Boom stated this truth so succinctly: "In God's faithfulness lies eternal security." Erwin Lutzer, Pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, has said, "God's investment in us is so great He could not possibly abandon us."

If God can keep the universe going, if God can maintain the fixed order of the sun by day and the moon by night, then He is able to keep you! "The Lord will accomplish what concerns me..." Psalm 138:8a, NASB

Some 350 years ago William Secker wrote these words: "Though Christians be not kept altogether from falling, yet they are kept from falling altogether."


To subscribe to grace mail daily devotionals go here http://www.calvaryphx.com/ subscribe box is on the left side.




ALSO... PLEASE PRAY FOR SARA (and any others you know that suffer with depression)
http://simplysara.typepad.com/lifesimply/2007/05/being_down.html
I have a clue where she is... as I "live" there most of the time... It ISN'T a place I like to call home but I am afraid that is where many of us live.

I find myself in that fog again today after being overwhelmed by everything in my life yesterday. BUT GOD will see me through!

just Sharing some pics

Just wanted to share some pics.... you can see how downright disgusting the floor in that room was once the carpet was removed.... that is what took me so long to scrub :)
I used to always wonder why it was sooooo cold in the back bedroom during the winter....no matter how high we had the heat in there.... I found out.I put a good sized screwdriver straight back into that "crack" ... it went up to past the handle!
The white dripping down is the primer I used last time I painted the room.... I miss that green but it was time for a change.... and Cassie wanted pink. :)


After I removed the 2 sets of carpet tack strips.

The "crack" is now filled with the expandable foam stuff... hopefully it will be warmer in there IF I am still here next winter... or for who ever moves into here after I am gone.