It's Outta Here

Cindy's kids @ Halloween, Samuel, Mary and Elizabeth

The tree that is. I was just ready to get it gone and all the food that goes with it. I'm ready for cleaning eating and no cookie temptations. I am ready for the New Year. New opportunities, new adventures, just the hope that a new day can bring. Come on 2010!!

Had a wonderful surprise visitor last night. You know when your cleaning up all the Christmas stuff and the vacuum is still out and stuff needs put up? Did I mention I was bra less and in my jammies? That's when you want to have guests?? I didn't care because it was my friend Cindy from Houston !! I maybe get to see her once a year. She is an awesome friend and I miss not getting to see her and her kids. She has 3 beautiful kids that are growing like weeds. I fed them the go to dinner of chicken nuggets. It was such a good visit and I am so glad they stopped by.

Ashley starts chemo today and has such a great attitude ! I do have to tell you that God blessed her Christmas Eve . It was her bone marrow test and by no accident she had a gentlemen that was retiring and she would be his last patient. Isn't God amazing? That was no accident. She did awesome and it was perfect! She was a little sore but that was it. Thank you for all the prayers and if you can keep them up I know she appreciates them.

Hope your Holidays have been wonderful and you are excited about what God has in store for you this year. Remember to be thinking of a theme song. I haven't settled on mine yet.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Stuff, Lots of Stuff

She found the hubcap

The present

The circle..cold but so festive

Irene and Emilee the Dental Assistants (Fun)

Jen and Crazy Dr Jay

Had another birthday yesterday. Worked all day and got home by 7 but I came home to a nice warm fire and loving people. I love my people and aren't homemade cards the best? I also got a slide show, with music!! Got some special gifts and even made myself an oreo cheesecake. This was my first attempt and not bad. My friend Julie made me one last year, I kind of know why she didn't volunteer this year...they are a lot of work!! A lot of people forget my birthday and trust me I am very use to it. I think that's why God made me a giver. But then their are people that suprise me and remember. I am very Blessed!!

Had a wonderful dinner Friday night. The dentist I sub for included me this year and he took us to MO's Steakhouse. Oh my was it yummy. I'm including a few pictures of our evening. It was great being downtown and we even walked around the circle. I use to love doing that. I love working for him and his staff's the greatest.

My girl gave her bubs the sweetest present and I am including some pictures. She re-did their bathroom and made it a guys bathroom. The boys love cars and took some pictures this summer at a car show. She did a little editing and enlarged some prints. Voila, instance affordable wall art, some new accessories(shower curtain, towel, deep cleaning) and a note that read ...Merry Christmas! Love Sis(since I don't live here anymore) They love it.

I do have an update on sweet Ashley. She has a bone marrow tomorrow (yes on Christmas Eve) and starts chemo on Monday. She has stage 2? Hodgkin's lymphoma. Everything we've read this is very treatable. So we have tons of hope. She is in good spirits and is ready to kick it. Please remember her during the next 12 weeks. I will keep you posted.

I do hope you are having a wonderful week and enjoying this holiday season(it's almost over)

Girlfriends

Present time

This is who greets you inside Amy's door. Isn't he cute?

See how she treats us?

Her hubby came home and took our picture. This is one terrific trio!!

This has been a fun week. I got to do a cookie dough exchange with my friends Melissa and Julie. We went to lunch and had a great visit. They make yummy dough and what I love about exchanging dough is you can bake it when you want.

Had a wonderful breakfast with Amy and Holly. Holly came up with the idea last year to give one of your favorite things. This was so fun. Amy always spoils us with a wonderful breakfast and the table is set beautifully. She makes you feel very special. It starts as breakfast but before long it's lunch and to be honest it could go till dinner. Loved all my special gifts and can hardly wait for our 2010 Fripp Island Trip. That's Holly's favorite thing...aren't we lucky?

I want to thank you all for the prayers and scriptures about Ashley. Today she is meeting with the oncologist and we find out what stage and what type exactly. I will keep you posted.

Sad News

Before I even begin with this story please know that God is amazing and has his hands in all things. I had mentioned that Emm's sweet ex boyfriend is still a dear friend to us and that we had even met his new girlfriend (sweet girl). They even stopped by this past Sunday. We had been praying about this lump on her neck and yesterday was biopsy day. I hugged her Sunday evening and told her not to worry. Ashley is 19 1/2, just finished her medical asst program, started her internship yesterday and has this amazing new boyfriend. Life is good. Last night I got the call from Cory's mom that just was like a punch in the gut...Tina it's Cancer!! That's all this sweet women could get out. She will call me today with more details but in the mean time could you all be in prayer for this sweet young woman and Cory. Remember Cory is a two time cancer survivor and this family has been down this road. If a word of scripture comes to you please share it with me.
Again, God has a plan.

Delivery Day

Emme's Goodie Bags

My Cute little baker

The filled box

The empty Box

Ready for delivery

Wanted to share a project I have been working on for the Dentist I work for. Today is delivery day. He wanted to support local business and give some "tastes" of Indiana. There is fresh pasta, pinwheel cookies from a local baker, a chocolate peanut butter pretzel brownie from another and then yummy chocolates from a family owned candy maker. I found the boxes at hobby lobby and I love how they look. I wanted to do something different from a basket. These boxes weigh a lot!!

Emm and I also got some baking done. She is quite the little baker. She made goodie bags for a lot of college friends. We used a muffin cup as the base and it turned out to be a cute little accessory. She has finals this week and then it's Christmas break!!

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season and you've had a few cookies. My goal is to not gain during this season and to not eat a whole cookie!! I'm still working out and feeling great!

New Club Member

Happy 40th Birthday Melissa ! I love the forties, there fun, funky and fabulous!!

So welcome to the club and enjoy the ride!

Celebrating

We had to have dirt pudding for his "cake" and with worms of course.

He was so thrilled with this picture from Bill Dance

I call this "Redneck Elegance"

A few weeks ago Emm's ex boyfriend (I hate putting ex) Cory turned 21 and we had a little celebration for him. This was a very exciting birthday because we also got to celebrate him being cancer free for 5 years !! Cory loves the outdoors and fishing is like his favorite thing. He had always told us Bill Dance was his favorite fishing celebrity. So, several months ago I wrote Bill and asked him if he could sign something for Cory and he sure did. He sent him a picture with a very sweet message. Bill Dance YOU ROCK! I am showing you a few pictures from the dinner. He and his folks came up and we had the best time. We enjoy spending time with his folks and we have all become good friends. Our sweet girl says Cory is one of the nicest guys she has ever dated and she will always be his friend but he just wasn't the boy for her. (Please be praying for an awesome guy..we know God has a Boaz out there for her but man she's been dating a bunch of jerks!!)

Didn't mean to but I did make this sweet boy cry. He loves us and we so love him. We recently got to meet his new new girlfriend and she is very sweet. Who knows why God places people in our lives but we are thankful for Cory and his family.

Music Monday

A Little Christmas

I always hang the kids old pictures with Santa on the Bannister
Made this for the door this year. I love snowmen.
Dining Table with stockings hung on the chairs.
Mantle, Emme wanted stockings on on it this year!!
A few of my special snowmen and Christmas books.

Here are a few pictures of what Christmas is looking like at our house. To be honest I am just glad I took the time to get some things up.

Conference

Just returned from a wonderful conference> You know how sometimes you go and you're hoping to get some great information to help you in your work? Well, I got some awesome information about life and perseverance. I got to meet and hear Liz Murray speak and her story is truly amazing. Not that she was homeless and went to Harvard but how she lives. To hear her speak was a gift.
I'll share more later but take a quick listen and be inspired!!

Music Monday

Thanksgiving Pictures

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Here are a few photos from our day. I have been working on Christmas decorating ALL day!! I can't beleive it will be here before we know it.

And yes, I love the Gators...or should I say #15!!

Must See

This movie was amazing. We have been waiting for it to come out for months. It did not disappoint. So, if you have some time this week go see it. It proves what a little potential and someone believing in you can do!!

Musice Monday

Sadness

Please pray for my hubby's family. His Uncle Rodney passed away this Friday and he was only 56. He and his wife have been sweethearts since high school. We are also worried about my father in law because it was his baby brother and my father in law suffers from Alzheimer's. He is in Kentucky so the trip alone will be hard for him to make.
It made me just get up even earlier to work out today!
Thank you for your prayers.

Wisdom

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary,they will walk and not be faint.

Aren't these words amazing? Written so long ago but bring such hope and encouragement today.
I am attacking my weight loss journey with God's encouragement and these words just speak to me about what I can do. I was an athlete growing up and very active. Like so many women I made everything else a priority and gave into stress and let food comfort me. No longer. So this blog may take a new direction and I may use it as a tool to monitor my weight loss progress. I'm sharing my story to say it out loud that I want to lose this weight!! Please pray for my journey.

I'm Back!!

I am home and I feel great. I worked out everyday, ate well, rested, no stress it was truly a retreat. Here are a few pictures of my trip.

Word to cling to

Behold I am doing a new thing. Can you not perceive it? Isaiah 43:19

Blessings, Thoughts and Stuff

So I have been blessed with feeling much better and have been working a lot!! I recently was able to meet a wonderful friend for breakfast and it was so nice to visit and catch up. I miss that. I also got to see my dear friend Michal. You all have been praying for her to win her battle with cancer. It was so great to see her , man she looked so good. But looks can deceive us. Time going by can too. Talking to her I realized that I had put her on a back burner, because treatments where going okay and things seemed to be moving as they should be. Can I just say that people do what they have to do. She shared with me how scared she is and prays that she hasn't had her last camp out or made her last smore. She awakes at night frightened. Her children are frightened and don't like leaving her side. Can you join me in not just praying for her recovery but for her to have some peace.
I also found out my dear friend Carrie that lost her young husband this summer is finally hit the grieving process and is struggling. Her sweet 4 yr old cries for his daddy and misses he desperately. The holidays are ahead and that is a lot of firsts without him. So can she make a way into your prayers too.
I am going on a little trip. After being so sick and having a good check up with my Dr, she is recommending some Tina time for me. I am not good at this at all and I am struggling leaving my family but I need to make myself a priority !! So I will hopefully come back renewed and rested and ready to focus on my personal goals. Please pray for my journey.

Our sweet girl was blessed with a wonderful job. She had been praying that something would come her way and the Lord showed up with an amazing opportunity. The biology geek got the photographer job for school. Those are her words. He is such a giving God and she knows it truly came from him!!


I do hope your lives are full of great stuff and you feel God's presence.