Hello? Anybody still out there?

Really, another couple of months and it would be a full year since I blogged last.  I'm not sure that's a record to be proud of.

Days, weeks, and months have been full.  Shortly after my last blog, our 19yo daughter became engaged and planned a June 2011 wedding.  Christmas morning, our 22yo daughter became engaged and is planning a September 2011 wedding.  I've been a mother in law for almost a month now.  I've got to say...I kinda like having an honorary son and look forward to the next one.  Both young men are very different, but are exactly what each daughter needs and wants in a spouse.  I look forward to continuing to build relationships with these guys - it's definitely different from raising daughters!

In April we were 'blessed' (not the word we used at the time) with a small kitchen leak...when the circa 1978 wood cabinets didn't dry out, we knew we had a problem.  Homeowner's insurance covered a full kitchen remodel, hence the BLESSING.  Truly this was from God - we would have not had the funds to do this on our own.  The down side was that it was about a 9 week process where we had NO KITCHEN.  As much as I love to eat out, even I grew tired of it (not to mention how hard it is on the budget and diet!).  Kitchen was finished today and I need to photograph and share.  Maybe later this week.

For now, my sole purpose in blogging today was to share something neat a dear friend of mine has been working on.  Jeanette is the type of friend who loves deeply.  She will stick with you through the good, bad, and the ugly, and will only love you all the more.  She and her husband, Joe, have 11 children.  Not a typo - ELEVEN.  Their #11 is named Daniel and he was born in their hearts and joined their family at about one week old.  In an effort to help offset adoption expenses, Jeanette has put together an e-book entitled, "Beekeeping Made Simple."  It is available at a very reasonable cost ($10) and truly does simplify beekeeping.  If you have ever been curious about such a hobby, YOU.NEED.THIS.E-BOOK!  I have it, have read through it twice, and it is an informative, basic, "real life" manual to get anyone started with beekeeping.  If you have no interest whatsoever in the book but would like to bless the Wood family, please feel free to share this information on your own blog, Twitter, Facebook, etc.

http://amomentwithmom.com/beekeeping-made-simple/

Blessings ~
Cheryl

Christmas fun

It's a goofy tradition in our home that ... if you live in our house, you must have your picture taken with Santa annually.  DD#1 no longer lives here, so she's exempt.  Actually, we WANTED her in the pic, but she lives in the mountains and was snowed in and we didn't have another weekend to do this.  So...presenting our annual Santa picture, in all its glory:

Frightening.

I'll preface my pictures by saying this week is Homecoming week at Clovis High.  Today is "80's Day" and the first day DD#2 decided to dress up.  Her favorite 80's look is her dad's practice football shirt, so she asked him to pull it out (yes, I make him keep his 'treasures' boxed up in a cabinet in the laundry room) so she could wear it.  Of course, this meant that Hubby felt the need to try it on.  (We go through this ritual every October - either for Homecoming week or Halloween.)  Because I have nothing else to blog about, I figured I'd share these lovely pictures.  Yes, they are rather frightening.  The resemblance is spooky.  It MUST be October.

Blessings,

Cheryl

Prom(s) 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DD#2 & Daruk, Clovis High Prom ~ April 25, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DD#2 & Philip, Clovis East Prom ~ May 10, 2008

 

14??!!!

My babies are 14 today. FOURTEEN?! I count and re-count and it still adds up to 14. What a blessing they are to me and their dad. These are two young women of strong faith - young women who refuse to go to bed at night until they have spent time reading the Word of God and written in prayer journals. They are young women I look up to every day and thank God for.

I love you girlies!

Mommy

DD #3's drumline performance

That's her on the far left, front row.

And yes, it makes me crazy that "Percussion" is spelled wrong. It's not my work. I'm just glad that it's available.

A whole generation gone.

A week ago today, we received news that Hubby's last remaining grandparent had passed away in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. We were told earlier in the week that he could go at any time, so this was not a surprise. "Grandpa Ralph" was 94 years old, a Christian, and longed to go to his heavenly Home where he would join not one, but two Christian wives who had preceded him in death. There were approximately 100+ family members in attendance at the funeral, as well as many from the community - schoolmates of Hubby's mom, aunt and uncles, etc. What a lovely tribute to a man who had an incredibly strong work ethic his whole life. We learned that Grandpa Ralph worked at Northeastern State University and was responsible for putting leaf imprints in the concrete sidewalks all over the campus. While he is leaving behind an amazing Christian heritage, what a neat thing to think that the labor of his hands will be appreciated for years to come.

It is a strange thing to lose your last grandparent. I lost mine a few years ago. It suddenly makes you feel old. Too old. We have all been bumped up a generational notch. I don't like it. There is something comforting about still having a grandparent living. It's a safety net. It puts us each a step closer to our own demise. While many days I would welcome this, I also selfishly want to continue raising my children, meet grandchildren (in a LONG time!), and spend more years serving the Lord. A dear friend's mother died suddenly yesterday. A coach died suddenly during a game Hubby was refereeing last night. Our days are numbered.

"And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight - if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you have heard." (Colossians 1:21-23a).

Blessings,

Cheryl

Just what California needed: another driver.

Let me introduce California's newest driver, DD#2! I don't know why I'm happy - our auto insurance just went up, and the first thing DD did was drop ME off at home and drive herSELF back to school. Hmm. Why does my stomach hurt all of a sudden?
Blessings,
Cheryl

19 years ago today...

...I gave birth to my firstborn daughter. 19 years?!! Some moments it really seems like we just brought her home from the hospital...other times it's hard to remember all the funny things she said and did as a little one. We really need to slow down and treasure every moment.

Happy Birthday, DD#1! We are proud of the young lady you are and continue to be. May God bless you all the days of your life!

What's 62 years old and contains neroli?

Give up? (And really, what IS neroli?) White Shoulders perfume!

WHITE SHOULDERS perfume by EVYAN was launched in 1945. This fine fragrance contains neroli, tuberose, gardenia and is accented with jasmine, orris and musk. WHITE SHOULDERS is recommended for formal use.

I can still recall the first time I was aware of this scent. I was perhaps 4 years old, with my head in my mother's lap at Preston Road Church of Christ in Dallas, playing with her gold charm bracelet, and listening to her sing "I come to the garden alone..." (of course, without the instruments LOL). She not only sounded like an angel, but her scent was haunting to me. It was sweet, but not like the old ladies who wear rose perfume. It was light, but noticeable. THIS was what moms should smell like.

I received my first bottle at 19 years old. To this day, it is my perfume of choice, though I have dabbled with Jessica McClintock, Paris by YSL, and the Liz Claiborne fragrances, but I always go back to White Shoulders. As I spritzed it on this morning (commitment to loveliness - perfume is lovely!), I thought of my mom and how so many years have passed since those days in the pew. She is still the best mom, leavingthe bar so high for motherhood that if only wearing "her" perfume counted for mommy points. I am blessed to still have my mother around, even if she is 1200 miles away. I shall have a lifetime of memories, but her angelic voice singing praises to God and the scent of White Shoulders will forever be among the best.

Blessings,
Cheryl

Have you ever seen the rain?

As I type this, I think of Rod Stewart's rendition of CCR's song of the same title.

Is it raining here? Not so much in the way you might first think...but yes, it is raining.

And it's raining hard.

Why is it that it seems you go about your days rain-free for so long, but then that little black raincloud bursts and shows no signs of going away. I attribute the rain to SATAN trying to destroy all the lovely sunshine we enjoyed. I refuse to allow him to take hold of my family. We belong to God Almighty!!

In the name of the Lord, I REBUKE YOU, SATAN!

Playing catch-up

While I feel like I've been living at my computer for the last couple of weeks, blogging seems to have gone by the wayside. As I sat here and pondered really WHAT all I have done, it boiled down to: work, attend an amazing birth, more work, play nurse to DD#2 after having all 4 wisdom teeth out, and a little more work.

It disturbs me that I'm a "stay at home mom" on paper, but work a couple of jobs, enough to seemingly take over my life lately. I am blessed to be able to be home for my family and take care of the things that are necessary to run a household and I really need to evaluate how much work is too much. It is easy to get sucked into a project with the promise of a paycheck.

Way more exciting than work is the birth I attended. OK, ALL births are amazing - they are all a witness of God's power and proof that miracles happen daily. This mom, "C," was great. She had an epidural (which is THE way to have a baby) and felt nothing. She wanted to watch TV, so for 3 hours we chatted and watched TV. After a small grimace and the feeling of a little pressure, the nurse checked her and told her she was at a 10 but not to push because they had to call the doctor back. 30 minutes later, baby "B" made his appearance. I still think about how they are doing and wish there was a way to follow-up with the moms and stay in touch. My job is to plant seeds and trust that God will put others in their lives later on.

Then there's DD#2. This poor kid. She has taken pride in the fact that she has not thrown up in 8 years. No kidding. Well, in a short lapse of judgment, I administered her pain pill yesterday right after surgery. All seemed well for almost 3 hours. I thought that maybe she would be fine. WRONG. The following 5-6 hours were spent in the bathroom. She was devastated that she had broken her record. It is so hard to see your own child suffer. Fortunately, today she is much better, albeit a little lopsided due to some uneven swelling, but she is eating, back on the internet, and living on Jamba Juice, so all is well.

And now, predictably, it is time to get back to work.

Be blessed.

The best meal yet...

After driving for 10 hours from AZ, hubby and I walked into the house yesterday to the smell of dinner cooking. Actually it was already cooked and was warming in the oven. Here I was expecting to arrive home to frozen chicken that I would have worked some weary magic on, but instead, four smiling daughters greeted us with a four course meal:

• South of the border chicken (a yummy Spanish-style chicken & rice dish)
• Ranch beans
• Italian pasta salad
• Canned peaches

The love that went into it more than makes up for the unusual pairings (we don't often have Mexican-Italian-BBQ combined!) and it was simply delicious...not to mention being able to skip the whole "I gotta cook dinner" part!

Thanks girls - y'all ROCK!!!

*More about the trip once I can upload pictures from the triathlon!*

Cowardly. Mean. Brazen.

My title indicates just a few of the words that I have for the cowardly, mean, brazen THIEVES who came into our backyard and stole DD#3 & DD#4's bicycles within the last two weeks.

I wonder who these cowards are. I'm guessing kids, as few adults have need for 24" bikes.

I wonder if they know that DD#3 saved her own money and bought this particular bicycle herself. She was so proud of it.

I wonder if they had a more desperate need for these bikes than my daughters did.

I wonder if they were sleepless those first few nights. I hope so. I hope it's still on their minds.

I wonder if they realized the bikes were valued under $100 each. They left another, more expensive bike behind with a flat.

I don't hate much. But I hate the act of theft. A lot.

Meanwhile, I will pray for them. I pray the guilt weighs on their minds and they return the bikes. An apology would be nice, too, but having the bikes back would be even better.

Sunday, Sunday

What a great day!!! Hubby had a meeting in the Bay Area, so DD#2 and I tagged along, having him drop us off at a BART station so we could ride into the city. (Now, hubby HATES the BART and he was convinced we wouldn't make our way back to our designated meeting station later that day.) Who knew kicking around San Francisco for only a few hours could be so much fun?! Driving 3 hours to have lunch here and do some shopping was absolutely worth it! DD#2 happened to be the only daughter with nothing else going on today...thus her luck in being my shopping buddy. She scored well - got a very cool James Dean shirt at the diner, then found an amazing purse at Forever 21. For me? Well, somehow my menu collection grew today. Nuff said. :o)

BART passes, $20
Lunch, $25
T-shirt and amazing handbag, $55

A day in the city with one of my four awesome daughters? Priceless.

Sunday

DDs 3 & 4 were baptized on the church's front lawn on Sunday. I am SO proud of you girls! :o)))

Random shots of the last week...

OK, I don't know who the growling girl is on the left (LOL), but found this pic on the camera after DD#2 borrowed it. This is #2 and her friends before a football game. Yes, the bright red lipstick is mandatory.

Hubby blowing out candles on his favorite - Texas Sheet Cake* - on his birthday 9/11 (yes, 9/11). Decided 3 candles would suffice. Our smoke detector is very sensitive. (*Recipe will be posted this week.)

Hubby & DD#3 before a local race. #3 placed 2nd in her age group!

Tahlequah, OK pix

http://picasaweb.google.com/ciklone/CherokeeNationalHolidayWeekend/photo#s5106783974811105970

The sound of silence

I can't understand why my girls aren't still excited about my "1st day of school" pictures. This is an annual event - not torture I put them through every day or even every week.

Here are DD#3 and DD#4, bearing with me, though DD#3's smile tells it all. Lest you think I am also torturing them and making them dress alike, the t-shirts were required for them to wear as WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) leaders - 7th graders were to easily be able to pick out 8th grade leaders in case they needed help.

DD#2's picture ... well ... she was still about 45 minutes away from being ready, but I was rushed. Maybe I will try again tomorrow when she's actually done hair and make-up! Likewise with the t-shirt, upperclassmen leaders were to go early and do cheers to welcome kids back to school. She said everyone just looked at them like they were crazy. Isn't that what school spirit is all about, anyway?

So now everyone's back in school and seemingly off to a good start. (Hey - the weather's on - it's only going to be 98 on Thursday on Friday. A cold spell!)

So...kids are in school...what do each of you do with your days? I spent my first day running some errands, watching a movie, crocheting, and working. Tomorrow will be more productive. In all fairness, I'm crocheting a baby blanket for a girl in the office I transcribe for and I want to finish it this week, so it was practically like work. ;o)

One last pic for the road - DD#2 finally got her full cheer uniform. Funny - it doesn't look like it cost as much as we paid. Hmm....

Marlyssa's "First day of school" picture from Monday. Yes, I torture my kids with that annually - even for college! :o) First day went well - she has much more confidance than last year, and was thrilled to find that she has one or more friends in each of her classes. She is taking 13 hours and continuing to work around 25-30 hours a week, so she'll be plenty busy. We are grateful that tuition is so low at our community college...books cost two-thirds more than a semester's tuition. Yikes! :o)

Be blessed.