Tears and Laughter, Joy and Sorrow, PART II

December 17, 2007 NMMC Women's Center My doctor, husband and I decided to go ahead and have my baby on this day. As you read earlier, my father passed away this very morning, and that evening, came the tears of joy to replace the sorrow. God brought to us our precious baby girl, Sarah Grace (Gracie). She is named after my mom and Jimmy's grandmother. She arrived into this world one month early right at 5 lbs. I have never seen so many doctors and nurses in one room. Because of the medication, it was sort of all a blur. I do remember that one of my very best friends (Rachelle) and my mother in law were able to join us during this precious time. I don't know how my hubby was still standing. He had been running back and forth all day trying to take care of me and my mom. OH, by the way, in case I have never told you all, I have the BEST husband in the world, hands down!!!!! I love him so much!!!

Throughout the course of the day, my nurses and doctors took excellant care of me and were so kind. Actually, that was the most impressed I have ever been with NMMC staff. Everyone was great. Once again I give God the glory!! I could have never made it through saying goodbye to my daddy forever and hello to our new baby girl without His grace sustaining me!!! I was amazingly calm and at peace. Gracie was in NICU for a week, but most of that was to help us out during the funeral. We brought Gracie home right before Christmas. He used Gracie this past year to help my mom through. She always says, "God took away an old life and replaced it with a new one."

Again, right smack in the middle of the busiest season of the year, my friends and family came through for us. My mother in law had taken the other 3 children to Kentucky with her for the weekend before this time. As a matter of fact, they arrived home the day I had Gracie. It was so wonderful to know that they were being taken care of and not have to worry about them. Then they went to Lynn's and stayed and then to Lori's. You ladies will never know how much I appreciate your kindness and service. My family was blessed with so many baby gifts, meals and prayers during this time. I pray that God will make me and my family a blessing to others in the same way.

I feel like I have rambled through these two posts, but I hope my message was clear. God has sustained us!!!! He has blessed us with many wonderful friends, family and acquaintences.

Merry Christmas to All

Tears and Laughter, Joy and Sorrow, PART I

Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Romans 12:15

I must say that the year of 2007 was packed full of events that spanned the range of emotions from Joy to Sorrow and everywhere in between. Christmas time last year was the culmination of all those events. On December 17, 2007, I got an emergency phone call from the nursing home about my daddy. He wasn't breathing well and they sent him to the hospital. By the time we reached the hospital with my mom, they had him on oxygen and said that he couldn't live without it. I left there and went to see my doctor because I was in the beginning stages of toxemia with my 4th child. He said that it was only getting worse and we needed to have a baby, a month early. I went back to the hospital to say goodbye to my daddy and then went to the Women's Center to have my baby girl. It was such a bittersweet day!!!

I say all of this as a background to Praise GOD! Because He has brought us through it all!!! He used new friends, old friends, family and strangers to bless my family during this time and in the previous months. Because of the wonderful husband and friends that He has blessed me with, I was able to spend many days and nights with my daddy in the hospital before he went to be with the Lord. My other 3 children were passed around from one friend to another. It was such a precious time and I loved being able to help take care of him. If I could have only given him some coffee and sausage and biscuits, he would have been happy!!!!! I love you and miss you Daddy!!! God, thank you so much for the blessing of family and friends and for Your love for me!!!

My Oldest Son's Birthday

Wow, this month has flown by with all the activities going on. The first of importance, that I can remember, was Ryan's birthday. He turned 12 on December 16!! He is almost a teenager!! I can remember when he was born. We had waited for several years to have children, so he was our miracle child. Doctors had told us we possibly would not have any and look at us now with 4 beautiful, healthy children. The Christmas holidays have been a little busier since he was born. It is so hard to have a birthday party this time of year.

His day began with his favorite breakfast food, what we call Sausage Stuff. Following is this very simple recipe:

Sausage Stuff

2 cans of crescent rolls

1 lb sausage

1 8oz cream cheese

Fry sausage and drain. Mix with cream cheese. Place one can of crescent rolls in bottom of 9 x 13 dish and work together to make bottom crust. Spread sausage and cream cheese mixture on top of that. Then make top crust with remaining can of crescent rolls. Bake on 350 until crescent rolls are done.

Daddy was off for 11 days in a row and we were so glad to have him here for Ryan's birthday. He enjoyed opening his presents!! He recieved 2 Lego sets, a shirt, Waldo book, and money! He used some of his money to buy the Prince Caspian movie that he has been wanting. We all enjoyed watching that together this past weekend while in Kentucky.

Supper was probably his favorite part of the day. His choice of food was steak, baked potatoes, and salad. Daddy grilled up the best steaks and it was a great meal. I topped it off with a banana cake.

Ryan has been such a blessing to our family and I thank God for him.

But grow in grace and recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

II Peter 3:18a Amplified Version

Who's on the Throne?

We just finished our Advent reading and it was a familiar story from Genesis 22. God told Abraham to take his long awaited son and sacrifice him on the alter. As we know, Abraham obeyed God and headed out for the place. After reading the scriptures, I asked the children some questions. Then, they asked me. They asked me would I be willing to sacrifice my baby, Gracie, on an alter if God told me to. I had to be honest!!! I told them that I would be obedient to a certain point, but I don't think I would have made it to the point that Abraham did. OK, I am seeing even more as I am typing. God rewarded Abraham's total obedience, not partial obedience!! So, what is total obedience? Physical action, but not heart action? What about our mind and all the questions? Can you imagine the questions that Abraham must have had running through his mind that night? He obeyed before he got the answers though. How many times do I say and think that I am actually obeying God, when I am only doing so in part!?! How many times do I tell my children to obey me immediately and fully!?! God is so good!!! I really needed to hear this tonight! I love it when God speaks to me like this!!! Ok, back to the original story. We discussed how God had given the ultimate gift in His Son, Jesus. Then I asked them what they could give back to God. All three of them had the same answer and it seemed to be so easy to say, " I can give my life to Him". As they rattled off those words so nonchalantly, I could see that they didn't comprehend the full extent of what they were saying. So, I made a word picture. Their heart is their castle and they invite Jesus in to stay. But, are they willing to let Him sit on the throne, or do they reserve that privelege for themselves? What about on a daily basis? On pondering these questions, I began singing this praise song taken from Psalm 51:10-12:

Create in me a clean heart,

O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Create in me a clean heart,

O God,

And renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Thy presence

O Lord;

Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of my salvation,

and renew a right spirit within me.

Good night to everyone and God Bless!

Holiday Festivities

The hustle and bustle of the holidays has begun. Last night was the first "Christmas" activity on our calendar. We went to the Shannon Christmas Parade for the first time. We enjoyed seeing several friends that we haven't seen in a while. It was quite cold, but we had Mimi and Gracie bundled up. I have pictures, but I have been trying to figure out how to post pics for a few days now to no avail. As soon as I learn how, there will be pics under mosts of my previous posts. The children had fun gathering candy, although, you would think they have never had a piece of candy in there lives.

What a Week

Whew!!! Last week was like a whirlwind! It started out on Sunday with Aunt Paula coming to stay for the week. Monday morning Gracie has an ear infection, thus she isn't very happy for the week. We celebrated Thanksgiving this past Sunday and that is why Aunt Paula was here. To prepare for the occaision. Her favorite thing to do is cook. She loves to include the children in this process. So she comes out here with big plans!! My big plans include surviving every day.

A side note: This Thanksgiving was a very special one to us all. Especially my Mom! I am going to condense the story. This summer we found out that we had a brother we didn't know about. My mom had a son at 16 and her dad made her put him up for adoption. She had asked Paula to try to find him and she did. Bill and his wife, Diane, came and spent this weekend with us and we celebrated Thanksgiving.

And now, page 2. We had a great time the whole week with Aunt Paula, just really busy. She had the whole menu planned out and ready to cook. Monday morning Ryan and Caroline helped her make homemade cheese biscuits. They were yummy!!! Then Monday afternoon they made some sweet potatoe/cranberry cookies. They were yummy as well!! The next exciting thing was on Thursday night. Our friends the Mims, Hamiltons, and Burlesons and cousins Laila and Chase came over to make pilgrim hat cookies. It was a riot with so many children passing through, but I think they enjoyed it! I know Aunt Paula did and the moms enjoyed visiting.

Things start to become a blur from here. At some point we were ready to brine the turkey. Well, once again Ryan and Caroline were in the kitchen with Aunt Paula, this was to gross for Ben. They got to rub the "bird", as Aunt Paula calls it, with butter and oil and spices. They had to go under the skin and thought this was great fun. I am with Ben, I can't stand raw meat of any kind. Aunt Paula ended up getting tickled and falling in the floor. I know it sounds bad, but she was laughing harder than anyone. The turkey turned out great and so did everything else! We are very thankful for the opportunity to spend time with family, old and new alike!! Welcome to the family Uncle Bill and Aunt Diane! ...and Millie Mae (the puppy)! I am going to sign off for now and I hope that you all have a blessed Thanksgiving as we did.

Kim

Ben's Birthday

Today is the 9th birthday of my "baby" boy. He is such a blessing to me. He loves to snuggle and he is very tenderhearted. As he grows older, I see him struggle with just how to handle that and I pray that he will look to Jesus for the answers. It was a pretty lazy day as the children chose to do today's school work yesterday. We started the morning out opening a present before Dad left for work. Then Ben helped me fix the breakfast of his choice--Monkey Bread. Yummy!!! I had 3 little monkeys bouncing off of the walls, since it was raining outside. They did manage to bounce on the trampoline this afternoon. After breakfast, he finished opening his presents. They played and watched "Little House" all afternoon. Dinner was easy, we had breakfast for supper. I say it was easy, but I suffered through a little pain. As I was frying eggs, grease popped in my eye and burned my eyeball. Now there is a banana pound cake waiting on the stove with a little wax added. With the normal chaos around here, I managed to put the candles in a hot cake. They melted from the bottom up and fell over. I don't think Ben even knows it yet. They are watching the new Star Wars movie that his big brother gave him for his birthday. Well, I am going now since my baby girl is behind me begging for dinner.

Friday Night Football

I know it is a little late, but surely you didn't expect more than that here. Our family went to a high school football game this past Friday night and we really had a good time. We saw lots of friends that we haven't seen in a while. The most fun was watching my little girl and her friends attempt to do a cheer and dance on the field before kickoff. They had attended a mini cheer camp the previous Saturday and this was there time to shine. It was sooooo cute and funny!!! I don't think a single girl was doing the same thing, but they had fun!!

I haven't been to a football game in so long. I told my friend that I wasn't sure if I was feeling young again or really old. Guess it doesn't matter how I felt, we all know that I am pushing the old side. Thank you Lord for the many years I have had and what is left too come!!

Kim

Chicken and Dumplings

Emily wanted to hear about things we ate growing up and this is my all time favorite. My mom made the best homemade chicken and dumplings. Then my sister Paula ran a close second when Mom refused. They are a real pain in the rear end, but they are GREAT!!! We are having chicken and dumplings tonight. Yes, Mom made them because I am ashamed to say that at 42, I still don't know how. Don't know how to make homemade biscuits either. There are some benefits to having your mom live with you. Chicken and dumplings is one of them!!!

Speaking of Mom, she is a blessing most of the time. She either keeps me laughing or in tears. She is becoming more and more like a child. We allowed her to keep this little stray dog that wandered up, in the house none the less. I bathed her and got rid of the fleas and she's a good dog. Mom has named her Baby. I can't tell you how many times she has sang this today:

How much is that doggie in the window,
the one with the waggly tail.
How much is that doggie in the window,
That doggie is not for sale.

Then she looks at Baby and says, "No, your not for sale are you Baby!!" I have laughed and laughed. She even called my brother to tell him that she has a puppy. It is hard watching the roles reverse, but sometimes it is really funny!

Blessings,
Kim

I Love Fall

This weather makes me so happy. I love the cool breeze and hearing the wind in the trees. That sound is so calming to me!! Even though it is the season that things are dying out, the freshness and crispness of the air is refreshing to me. Oh and I am so blessed to live on land with lots of trees, love the colors of fall.

Last night we went and had a bonfire with some friends. We roasted hot dogs and made smores!!! Yummy!! The kids played and played and played. It was such an enjoyable evening. Mom enjoyed it too. For those of you who don't know me, my 75 year old mom lives with me. We just drag her around wherever we go. She usually loves it.

Also, anyone who knows us, knows that we seem to attract stray dogs at our house. We just gained a momma dog this summer that was pregnant. We helped birth the puppies and it was great. Then they kept growing and we couldn't give them away. Finally had to take them to the Humane Society which broke my heart. But, they all had happy homes within a few days. Yet another female dog has wandered up. Well, my mom has become quite attached to it and wants to keep it. As Jimmy said last night, that battle was lost quickly. I guess we are going to keep her for Mom. She sat and held her under her blanket last night in front of the bonfire and just talked and talked to her. This could be a blessing if the dog will listen. She loves to talk and it is usually about the same subjects over and over.

I hope everyone enjoys this weather like I am.

Kim

Our Mini Vacation

Thank you all for welcoming me to the world of blogging. It has taken me a while to get back, only because of my KHAOS. I decided I need to set some goals for blogging if I am going to get anything done. I love the tickers, and have spent way too much time trying to find the perfect one. I want to tell you all about the State Fair. I want to organize the placements of my children with their goats and post them for the season. They will love that. I want to post pictures, and don't have a clue. Maybe my sweet husband can help me. Now, I have told you the things I want to share and I am going to try to get started.



We left last Wednesday and drove to Summit, MS. That is just south of Jackson. One of my dearest friends lives there and we went to visit her. I can remember when I met her, I babysat her toddler and infant. Now the toddler is a freshman in college and the infant is driving. It was so good to see them and how they have grown physically and in the Lord. I am so proud of them!! It was great being able to visit with the whole family.



Then we drove back to Jackson on Friday morning for the MS State Fair and Livestock Show. The resting was over and the work began. Someone had to be continually holding Gracie or she had to be in her stroller. She has started crawling and pulling up, so needless to say she was not too happy about being contained for two days! After only a few hours being there, I twisted my ankle and was pretty much out of commission. The goats had to be washed first. Then we blow their hair dry before we clip it. After the clipping, they get a goat pedicure. Just kidding, we have to trim their hooves. Then we have to get the kids cleaned up and dressed. Ryan and Ben both placed in their classes. I will post the placements later with all of the others. After showing one goat on Friday, they were off to another competition or two. First they did Goat Bowl Quiz. They are on teams of two and they compete against other teams to answer questions correctly. The boys had both studied for this for two weeks. Ben's team came in 3rd place!!!! This was a nice break because it was inside an air conditioned building. Back to the barn for judging competition. This teaches the kids decision making skills and giving reasons to back up their reasons. This is an independent activity. They learned a lot from this, I hope!! We finally got to the hotel about 8:30. Back up and going at 5:30. Ben shows his goat on Saturday.



Saturday afternoon and the children finally get to go to the fair. They spent more time deciding what to ride than they did standing in line!!! This fair is much cleaner and nicer than the one we have in Verona. After a fun afternoon at the fair we head home and arrive in about 9:00 pm. It was great to be home and back in church on Sunday morning.

Catching Up and State Fair

That's pretty funny!!! I never catch up! Does anyone? Come on, make me feel good! I know there is at least one more person out there besides me.

We will be leaving for State Fair in Jackson tomorrow. We are so excited because we get to go a couple of days early and visit with some friends that we don't get to see very often. That kind of catching up is FUN!!

Friday we will be going to show our goats, Pharoah and Cleopatra. Ryan will be showing Cleo on Friday in the Commercial Meat Goat Doe Show. Ben will be showing Pharoah Saturday in the Junior Market Goat Show. This is our first year to be involved in 4-H and we are really enjoying it. It is a lot of hard work, but fun too. The children have all done well in the little county shows, but I am afraid that we will be in for a rude awakening at State Fair. There will be many more goats and more experience also. I will post the results when we return.



Off to try to CATCH UP for now!!

Have a great day!
Kim