PLEASE PRAY FOR MY DAUGHTER

That's Bethany with me in the picture above. She was very sick for a couple of days last week with fever, vomiting, etc. Her hubby Kurt took her to urgent care Friday night, and after X-rays and testing, they found that she has bilateral pneumonia. With a weak immune system, we were very concerned about dehydration, but they gave her a breathing treatment, antibiotics, and other meds to help her breathe. She was to go to the doctor as follow up, but at this writing, I don't know the prognosis.

I ask that you pray for her recuperation. They were planning to come East to be with all of us for the summer, so now that's on hold. We want her well first before they make a trip that far from AZ to GA.

Thank you, doxie lovers!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BETHANY!

Today is our daughter Bethany's 32nd birthday, and I want to wish her a wonderful and fabulous birthday!

She was born at 6:50 p.m. in Greenville, NC, and she was nine days early, due on Christmas Day.  I wasn't feeling too spiffy at this time 32 years ago, because she was such a large baby, weighing 10 lb., 13 oz.!  Her older sister had only weighted 6 lb., 8 oz., so her birth was . . . er . . . difficult.  There were gladly no complications, thankfully.

She grew from a happy baby, a sweet little girl, to the beautiful and talented young woman she is today, with a generous and caring heart.  She loves cats.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BETHANY!  We love you and thank God for you!!  XOX

THAT OKRA (AGAIN)

**See my previous post before reading this one!**

Daughter Bethany arrived from Phoenix safely yesterday, and after dinner she and her dad went to the grocery store to pick up some items she plans to cook for us.  Hooray!  I might also add that they bought two FAMILY-size bags of breaded okra, too.

Last night around ten o'clock, she announced, "I need a snack.  Gonna fry me some okra!"  Well, who is to say what time one is supposed to fry or eat okra, right?  So here is a photo of Bethany doing just that:

She really enjoyed it, too, murmuring "mmmmmmm" and "yum" between bites.

I so love watching someone enjoying good food, and in the South, fried okra is definitely good food!

DUKE THE WATCH DOG

Our youngest daughter Bethany is here from AZ for a visit this week, and it is wonderful to see her again--the last time was when my mother passed away in January.  We had been telling Duke for days that she was coming, but he would look at us, bewildered, as if to say, "I know that name, but I just can't place who it is." 

Her first evening here, he kept staring at her, but soon warmed up to her and wanted to give her his usual greeting:  lots of doggie kisses!  Here he is, sitting on my lap and staring at her:

 

 

Now, all he wants to do is follow her around and jump up in her lap when she sits down.  It doesn't take him long to warm up to anyone.  What a watch dog he's turned out to be :).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, HOLLY!

Today is our oldest daughter Holly's birthday . . . she was born at 6:08 a.m. in VA Baptist Hospital in Lynchburg, VA, 34 years ago.  The delivery room nurse commented, "Oh no!  Not another loud one!"  Even then, Holly was exercising her lungs in preparation (I am certain) for her beautiful singing voice later :).

Life has never been dull since--she began walking at 10 1/2 months, would spend hours sitting perfectly still if I would look at (and later read) books with her, and was a bundle of energy.

She's a busy pastor's wife and mother of three;

 she's a wonderful daughter and big sister;

she loves her family and does so much for them;

and she always "gets into the act" at Halloween and any other time she needs to:  birthday parties, church and school functions, etc.

But above all, she's a committed Christian who lives out her faith by doing for others and using her talents and creativity for Him.  I am proud to be her mother.

HAPPY 34TH BIRTHDAY, HOLLY!  WE LOVE YOU!!

THANKSGIVING FAMILY GATHERING

Our daughter Holly and family came home from Georgia to be with us this year--our daughter Bethany and hubby Kurt will also be joining all of us at Christmas! 

We had a wonderful time together, even though my mom was in the hospital the entire time they were here.  She's now out and doing better :).

"F" IS FOR . . . FAMILY!

Clark and me with
the grandchildren

I know--I know.  Just another boring post about my family, right?  Perhaps . . . but it is not possible for me to avoid telling everyone how truly amazing our three grandchildren are!  Other grandparents can identify with that sentiment, I'm sure.  Apart from God, my family is the best thing that has ever happened to me.

My husband Clark and I have been married for almost 41.5 years, and I thank the Lord daily for his calmness, his steady outlook on life, and his common sense.  One who never calls attention to himself (the total opposite of moi), Clark is steadfast, loving, and is constantly thinking of ways to "do unto others"--a true lighthouse in the storms of life.

Our two married daughters, Holly and Bethany, are no longer merely my daughters--I consider them as my best friends!  We all have that same sarcastic, zany and sometimes dumb sense of humor, and we three females in the family have shared many a laughing fit together over the years.  I do believe our two granddaughters, Annika and Alexa, have picked up that trait, so now there are five of us who can do some powerful laughing when we are all together (which is not often enough, by the way).

Our two sons-in-law, Philip and Kurt, are such fine young men, and we look upon them as sons rather than mere sons-in-law.  We are so blessed that the Lord brought them into our family, and we cherish not only their friendship, but their kind and helpful spirits toward us.  Although they have quite different personalities, both have that sharp-witted streak of their very own brand of humor.  I enjoy it greatly.  

Annika and Alexa are my sweet granddaughters who bring so much joy and just downright fun into my life.  I can act as silly as I want, and they love it.  I don't have to act my age, be mature, or even make any sense to make them laugh.  Following in my late father's footsteps, I turn into a clown when with the grandchildren.  I love it.

Asher, our little grandson, rounds out the family, and he is definitely a ray of sunshine to everyone.  He is a smiling, friendly, and loving little boy, a precursor to the man he will become someday.  He looks so much like Holly did at the age of two, but there are times when he also looks like his father--so he's a composite of both.  He is his own "man," however, but will sit and look at books with me for hours, an enjoyable pastime for both of us. He and I bring new meaning to the term "mutual admiration society."

In conclusion, I am not painting merely a rosy picture of our family--they are really as great as I believe they are!  I am a woman who is blessed beyond measure, and having them all in my life gives it such zest, color, and enjoyment.  It is a pleasure to share my life with them down here.  In eternity, we'll all meet again, a blessing far beyond anything this world has to offer.

GRANDMA STRIKES AGAIN: MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Here are some pictures of our oldest daughter and family, taken a few days ago at their home in Georgia.  Will share more family pics when our other daughter arrives from Arizona next week for Christmas. 

Philip, Holly, Annika,
Alexa, and Asher

FAMILY: WHAT A BLESSING!

 This is not just another post.  This is about my family that I love, and I have been blessed immeasurably by God for allowing me to share this life with such wonderful people.  And, do you realize how difficult it is to condense these beautiful lives into a few sentences each? 

Clark with Asher

My husband Clark:  We've been married for 40 years.  He's a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather with numerous exemplary traits:  for instance, he can fix just about anything.  You wouldn't believe me, anyway, if I listed them all!  He's just that kind of person, and I cannot imagine my life without his presence.

Daughters Holly and Bethany:  These fantastic young women have enriched our lives far more than I could ever describe here.  Both are talented, beautiful inside and out, and are two of my very best friends.  Holly is a dedicated mother who sings beautifully; Bethany is a trained chef who cooks deliciously.  We three share a zany side to our personalities, making us prone to laughing fits.

 

Kurt and Bethany

Holly and Philip

Our sons-in-law, Philip and Kurt:  Total opposites in personality, these two young men are wonderful husbands, and we consider them sons. Philip is also a loving father, a scholar, and a pastor. He's quiet, but beneath that calm exterior lies an extreme sports fanatic! Kurt is a computer genius who can do anything with any item of technology (he would dispute that statement, but it's true). When we first met, I realized I had another early-morning talker with whom I could converse before 6:00 a.m.

Our three grandchildren:
Well, what grandparent does not love his/her grandchildren?? I see some of us in each of them, and it is delightful to "go down memory lane" when they say or do something revelatory of ourselves. Annika, Alexa, and Asher are beautiful, sweet, loving, and God-given enrichment to our family!