This is my second post for tonight, so keep reading when you finish this one~Stacey sent snapshots of Austin & Alaina today and I just had to share my favorites with you. I miss them bunches and look forward to our life slowing down here so we can travel back over there!
When God opens a door, be prepared to hustle. We have been hustling around here for the last three weeks. From the time the sign went in the yard {less than a month ago!!}, to putting a deposit on a new apartment, to having our home inspected, to meeting the new owners {today!!}, it's been a whirlwind of activity!! And that's putting it mildly. The upswing is that John and I wake up in anticipation each day! We are making so many plans, and I have to share with you that I haven't seen him this excited since each grandchild was born! The apartments we are moving into are brand new and this man of mine can't wait to NOT have yard work or maintenance on things that don't work. He's so funny. It's going to be an adjustment for him, as he has never lived in an apartment and it is definitely a different way of living. There are things we will sorely miss ~ like a garage/carport, a swing, a deck, and having to put his water 'toys' in storage. Luckily, there is a great facility at the top of the hill from the apartment, so he won't have to go far. {hearty chuckle here!!}
However, we love the complex, the area, the idea of taking our time to build another home, and having a pool and fitness center within easy walking distance! Not to mention having less house to dust and keep up. When we decided to make this move, we just didn't think it would happen so quickly. Never, ever underestimate the power of God.
Stacey has sent new snapshots of our Mississippi babies and I'll be posting them a bit later tonight. Have I told you lately how in love with our grandbabies I am?!
Sad news~Jenny called me this morning to tell of the death of an infant, Luke Sponberg. In yesterday's post, I asked that you visit Bring the Rain and become a prayer warrior for Angie and Todd Smith, who lost their daughter seven weeks ago. Earlier in Angie's pregnancy, it was learned that Audrey Caroline would not live long. She died within three hours of birth.
Last night, they received the news that their three month old nephew had died, apparently from SIDS. The family has traveled to Georgia to be with his sister, Nicol, and her husband Greg Sponberg. Angie is asking for specific prayers and lists them on her blog. I ask that you lift them up in your prayers this week and the days to come.
My sweet friends, {and if you're reading this, then yes, I call you friend for why else would you be here if you weren't wondering how we are} Jenny brought to my attention this morning of a blog that brought her to tears. You remember that our Lord wept and I know without a doubt that God weeps as well. He sheds tears for us and how fitting it is that we shed tears for others. I believe in this way we uplift others to His Mercy and Grace, family, friends, and even strangers.
I encourage you to to click and visit Bring the Rain. Not because I want you to cry, although be prepared to, but because this family needs our prayers, our love, and our notes of compassion. I've only read her first post {there is text to the left that directs you to the beginning} for I chose to learn this sweet soul from Day One, and like Jenny I was moved to tears for the cross she is bearing. Surrounded by family, friends, and professionals with faith and love for the Lord, she is still having to walk an extremely hard path. I think you'll be blessed by being, in a small way, a part of it.
He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart;
This is my 200th post!! Whoo Hoo! Okay, that's over {good chuckle} I posted this morning to draw your attention to several new people in the blogging world. My friends are so talented and I learn from each of them. Two have decided to try this media as a means of sharing their works with others. Please visit their sites, leave them a comment or two, and check back regularly with them! The sites are works in progress, which makes it even more interesting!
Raymond Elliott is a powerful writer. A husband, father, and minister, he loves the Lord and has much knowledge of the Scriptures. You'll be blessed reading his works. He also enjoys turkey hunting. Growing up on Sand Mountain in north Alabama, he has many stories that I'm hoping he'll share. I've read them and they always brought chuckles and grins. Raymond has several blogs ~ some are a series of writings ~ but you can begin with Scenes From My Window. From there, you can link to his other blogs, or find them in my Link list to the right.
Lynne Griffies has a talent for photography. I've taken several of her images over the years and have them ready for framing. She has decided to share with us, and you can be assured that as she becomes comfortable with this media, we'll all be blessed with her views of our world. Lynne can be found at Pages From Our Life. Lynne is also a new grandmother and I'm sure we'll be seeing those sweet faces.
Stop by and welcome these two dear friends to the fascinating world of blogging~
It's a movie, The Perfect Day, that is. But it is also what my days are. Okay, so maybe not perfect where everything goes the way it should; maybe not perfect in that everyone treats each other the way they should; and, maybe not perfect in that tears never cloud the sun. I do know there is a place of perfect days, a place that exists just as surely as I am sitting here writing this to you~
I read the book, then rented the movie through Netflix. The book was better. The lesson is a powerful one. Written by Richard Paul Evans, I don't intend to tell you any more because that would spoil it. I'm not even going to provide a link, because that contains spoilers. Just buy the book or check it out ~ but read it. Then watch the movie, if you need faces to go with the names.
But back to the concept of a perfect day. This past Saturday began as a perfect day. Our home was showing at 9:30 to a couple that had seen it once before and were interested in spending more time in it. John and I left, riding around looking at homes and places we wished were for sale. We had a nice breakfast, then sat down the road from our house waiting for it to be vacated. You see, we had a wedding in Ft. Walton to attend! It all went as planned. Except ~
there were moments of sadness, pain, and hurt that took place before we left the wedding. You see when choices are made, there are consequences. It can also be said that when choices are made, a difference takes place in the life of someone. I made a choice three years ago and there were consequences. Consequences that didn't surprise me, it's one of the reasons I never acted on it before. But it was good to change my mind and the consequences were as I expected. Truth is a good thing, but powerful.
While at the wedding, a difference was made. A few, in fact. I'm hopeful that seeds of forgiveness, love, and truth were planted and that from this there might be healing. It all depends on the hearts of those involved. On our ride back to Prattville, there were a few tears, some discussion, and many prayers. And yet there was also laughter, and hope, and dreams.
Sunday afternoon another couple came back to take a second look! Again, we rode around before coming home to spend time, again, on the deck in the swing.
By Monday, we had two offers. By Thursday, it was sold. Thirteen days from the time the sign was put in the yard, we had three couples look at it {all three came back twice!}, two offers, and a contract was signed. Amazing! Amazing? No, not when you believe that He is in charge and will take care of you. At this time, it appears everything is good to go, barring any unforeseen problems. And ~
it's going to be a perfect day. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. With the decision to put a sign in the yard came the consequence of signing a contract. John and I are embarking on a new journey! What an awesome difference in our life together, and we are excited! A couple from Enterprise, a retired teacher like me!, will be moving to Prattville where they have a new grandchild to pamper and spoil. What a difference in the lives of their family!
Perfect days. Every day. They are filled with His goodness, His love, His plans. There's going to be tears, but eyes need to be washed in order to see what He needs us to feel. There's going to be pain, but pain allows us to feel what He needs us to see. Johnny reminded me on our trip home that there was nothing I was feeling, that he was feeling, that Jesus hadn't felt. And he was so right. And I am so thankful I made the trip, that I were there, that I saw, I smiled, that I reached out.
A bit earlier this evening, I sat in my swing and I have to tell you, I'm going to miss this. I'll miss listening to the fountain and the mockingbird. I won't have to wonder what would best planted where the boxwoods used to be or how many azaleas need to go on the master bath wall. That's for someone else to dream about now. Choices. Consequences. Differences. It's all part of a perfect day~
I just had to add this! Be sure to read on and see what the artist has to say about why she drew this. Click here to read more about Doodle 4 Google.
Oh my, sitting outside this morning made me wonder, 'do I really really really want to sell this house we've called home for a bit over seven years? The backyard is so lush and green and we're so protected from neighbors with trees and shrubs. The birds are happy, the breeze was just enough to make me want to draw my legs up under me, and I thought of the places we've looked and nothing, nothing has come close to what we have here. It's still not too late. In fact~
I shared these very thoughts with John when he came in last night. I sat outside after the heat of the day abated yesterday and reveled in how blessed we are to have the backyard view we do. The neighbor across the brick wall got a water fountain for Mother's Day apparently and now I have the sound of water!! It's like having a creek on the back of our lot without the mosquitoes and snakes and frogs and brush!
Then he reminded me, 'Nance, we have dreams yet to make come true and we will find a house that we will love just like He led us to this one'. Is it not a most wonderful thing when the one you love shares your love for the Saviour? I remember that this man brought our daughters up in the nurture and words of God, he has prayed powerful and humbling prayers for them, he continued to praise Him through our trials and he knows we will continue to be led by His gracious Hand and His compassionate love ~ and I thank God for bringing him into my life that Sunday in February. So~
yes, we'll continue to watch for His plan for us to unfold. And until it does, I'll continue to bask in the beauty of my backyard, my swing, and the untold hours of time I've spent in conversations with Him there.
The last two days have been such sweet days with Johnny. There were moments of sadness for me Saturday, and he cried for me. There were moments of pain, and he hurt for me. There were moments of joy, and he laughed with me. I am so in love with this man, and he with me. As we were coming home Saturday, the memory of His garden kept coming to mind. How peaceful it is and that one day I will return. Although another's lies continue to widen the chasm I find myself at the brink of, He pulls me in and comforts me, reminding me of the Garden and the peace there. And it feels so good to know that one day it really won't matter~I am blessed, dear Saviour, to be yours, to call you King and I worship and adore you.
To top off a beautiful day yesterday, the couple that looked at the house Saturday placed an offer! And the ones that looked at it Sunday placed an offer! Two offers in one afternoon!! Both are being contemplated, one a bit more seriously than the other. Both are good offers and we are indeed thankful. Carol is so funny saying "we need to find ya'll a house!" and we've tried assuring her it doesn't matter to us. We can stay here, we can go into an apartment, we might find the right house, or maybe we'll build. It's so much fun just looking, dreaming, and wondering where He will lead next. You can rest assured, when we decide, I'll share it with you!
PS~Did any of you happen to sit outside at dusk this evening? It was so lush and green and serene outside. My wind chimes were making just the slightest bit of music, there's a mockingbird that sings each evening, and the heat had died down. Just a perfect time~
The wedding was nice, the bride beautiful, the groom handsome, the father emotionally charged, most of the guests nice people to be around, the weather windy, windy, windy!!! But then, isn't it always this time of year on the Gulf Coast? I only took two pictures and decided to pack everything up and snuggle closer to John. The wind at 6:30 in the evening became cool and the sky began darkening with storms blowing in. One was already there.
We left afterwards and drove home knowing it would feel good to be on beloved ground and sleeping in our own bed. It feels good to rest today in His arms and hide in Johnny's love.
On another note, the house showed yesterday morning to a couple that had looked at it earlier in the week, and may make an offer! Another couple came this afternoon to take their second look and they are serious, too! Whoo Hoo!! While our house was being shown, we had a delicious lunch at Logan's, then drove around looking at homes and acreage for sale. We can't decide if we want to build or buy. That's the fun of all this. Carol {Carol Lemon Realty} is a good friend and met with us twice to open two homes for us to see. John had as much fun as I looking through the neighborhoods and dreaming~we just hate the packing up! BUT, since I don't plan to take everything with us, it'll be much easier. We hope.
It is so pretty outside and I spent some time in the swing reading today's paper and talking to my Lord. We don't always know why some act the way they do or make the choices they do, but we can rest assured that He is always in charge. My mother used to quote, "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, I will repay." And I remember the garden, its beauty and peacefulness and everything else seems so minute~
We're going to a wedding tomorrow~my brother's daughter is getting married and will be moving to the Mobile area. I spoke with him yesterday and he said things were getting tense around his house and he was trying to stay out of it. It's been a busy time planning a wedding and packing to move at the same time. Weddings are a joyous occassion, but they do tend to bring moments of stress, especially the closer the date gets! I love weddings. This one will be outside and I'm hoping to get some good snapshots to share with you later in the weekend. Until then, though, have a restful day tomorrow and I do hope many moments of laughter come your way~
Since Carol {Carol Lemon Realty} put the For Sale sign in the yard Wednesday evening, we've had realtors in four times. Each time they stay longer~which is a good thing! but there's just so much riding around town I care to do. I have ridden through areas I didn't realize existed and even got lost back in one subdivision that began on Hwy 14 and somehow took me way out on Hwy 31. I still don't know how I got there, but was glad to see a major road I recognized!
As I walk through our home, I miss seeing 'our stuff'. You know, the little family things that make a house a home. Even Johnny is noticing that decorative items are missing, a table is gone, pictures have been tucked away, rugs rolled up for floors to look larger. I didn't even think he missed the wooden spoons and items on the cooking island until he went to cook us some scrambled eggs and I noticed he looked puzzled and had his head cocked to one side. Staging a home to sell is fun, but I hope it sells soon so I can begin nesting once more. However, it is definitely easier to clean!
I have something I can't wait to share with you concerning a dear friend that many of us know and love!! If all goes well, I'll be sharing a new blogger with you and I know it will be a wonderful and uplifting read for all of us. Cross you fingers that it can be up and for sharing by the middle of next week!!
Stacey, Leslie, and Jenny~thank you for helping shape the mother I am today. I love you more and more each and every day.As John would say, I've worked like a rented mule the past three days, so today Noah and I simply enjoyed snuggling, playing, and watching the butterflies outside from the swing. Here are a few snaps from our time together~
This child will go right to sleep when I sit down with him in our rocker~and I love every single tiny quick-fleeting minute of it. Once I've rocked to my hearts content, we get on one of the beds and nap. Today I had to get up to help Jenny's father in law with some of the repair work he's doing for us. When I went back to check up on Noah, he'd stretched out and was snoring quietly~I got a novel I'm reading and crawled into the recliner on the other side. And we whiled away the morning.
These next shots were taken after Jenny and Ian returned from a hard day at school~not really, how hard can school be when you're four and think everyday's a play date. Wait! Sounds like my retirement~
So Ian wants pictures of him jumping from the fireplace. This is one of the results~some of them were so fuzzy they looked like ghostly pictures. He loved that and kept running to the camera to check out the shot.
Noah, like his mother, has a fetish for shoes. The child loves shoes. And they don't have to be his. For instance, Ian took his off and Noah put them on. Jen and I laughed so many times watching him plug around in those way-too-big shoes.
And the child, like his mommy, loves M&M's~which he and Ian both refer to as "mmies". Note his discolored teeth, which led to discolored drool. When Jen was Noah's age, she loved watching Richard Simmons and eating M&M's. Must be an inherited trait. Mmies, that is, not Richard Simmons.
Can you tell I'm in love?
Well, there's nothing like having a realtor call wanting to show your home to get some hurries on to get it ready!! Those 100+ things you've put off doing, now get done!! I love it!! Tonight I have a clean home, and Jen had the grand idea that once we sell and move out what we want, we'll just have a yard sale ONLY people will come in and buy it off the walls, out of the closets and cabinets, and move it out the door! Yay, Jenny! There's very little furniture Johnny and I will be taking and what the girls don't want will be at a great price! Not to mention kitchen items {NOT my Pampered Chef!} and home decor. Some will be sold with the house if the owners choose but so much will go out in the InHome Sale! I'm loving it.
I sat out in a parking lot drinking this huge icy coca cola, reading a US Weekly, waiting for a Century 21 agent to show our home. Came home, the candles were still burning, the lights on, and everything looked sooooo good!! It began to rain, I began to settle in, and thought I'd post this before I kick in a good Netflix movie. There is a ton of snapshots I took when I got in, so check that site out!! There's a link under the header above. If you see something that interests you, leave me a comment. I'm off to relax! Oh, and putting those snapshots took too much time, please leave a comment so I'll know it wasn't in vain~
Some of you have already seen these snapshots Jenny took of Ian and Noah, some haven't. That's what I want to correct. When I saw these two photographs I immediately thought of Charlie Brown and how he was always getting left out or there weren't enough cookies or his party invitation got lost in the mail. Well, here's Noah ~ but think Charlie Brown.
Ian has this battery-powered ride and loves it! Noah wasn't too sure about it. Now that they are settling into the house and the weather is nicer, they've been spending more time outside. Here you see Ian driving down the drive with Noah looking wistfully after him. I can just imagine his thoughts, "Wow, I wish I could go. That looks like fun. I wonder if he's coming back."
Then there's the next shot. "Oh well, I might as well get my little golf bag on wheels and just walk. Doesn't look like I'll be getting to ride. I wish I was big."
Poor soul. I wonder how long it'll take for him to take a golf club and dare Ian to touch the Jeep? Better yet, I wonder how long it'll take Noah to ride off before Ian gets in! For more of their time outside and to learn why Noah has 'Road Rash', check out Jenny's site!! And have a really nice Thursday~You know, it's not as easy as it sounds. I walk through our home and I think 'how in the world can we leave this?!' It's so perfect for us and there is so little that I want to do to change it {I'd like granite countertops in the kitchen and the master shower really needs redoing}. It's our favorite home, thusfar.
Just this afternoon, as we were sitting in my swing that-lets-down-into-a-double-bed on this huge nice deck John added, I asked him, "If we didn't have any other credit account except the house payment would you still want to do this?" And when he looked at me like, "Nance, do you remember what this payment is and what we could do in a cheaper home?" that's all it took. I mean, we're empty nesters. We have no children here. So who needs 2800 sq. feet? {If you looked in each closet, you'd say 'she does!'}
If I step out of my comfort zone and have Johnny retire at 58 instead of 62 or 65 or 67, then that's exactly what I want to do. I was forced into early retirement, but I'm enjoying the time it's given me and I know Johnny will love this way of life. He'll have time to make more dreams come true and I'll love standing beside him watching it happen.
Besides, those of you who know me well, know that I love decorating. It's just the packing and unpacking I hate BUT we're thinking about paying someone to move us! How neat is that. When you get right down to it,
I bet there are other wives out there that would say, "I can live anywhere, in most anything, as long as you're happy and outrageously in love with me".
so! who wants to get in line to buy his first rebuilt classic muscle car?! or some furniture our daughters don't want?!
Live your life is such a way
that when your feet hit the floor in the morning,
Satan shudders and says,
"Oh no . . . she's awake!!"
Thank you, Sherrie Conway, for making me smile this morning!! And for those of you that sent prayers our way, Thank You!! He slept until almost 9 this morning and is feeling almost like himself again!! He even said he may help me run some errands. But I didn't dare ask if we could get a bite to eat while we're out. ha ha
I don't guess I need to tell you that I like these types of blogs. Going through my list of those I love checking in with on a daily basis, I found this on Melissa Lester's. She is a friend I am just waiting to meet! She tagged me, so I'm tagging you!
What was I doing 10 years ago?
Johnny and I were living on the east side of Prattville. Our daughter, Jenny, was living with us and we had the sweetest little Maltese, Maggie. I was a second grade teacher at Holtville Elementary and Johnny was with Union Camp. Jenny was very serious about a young man named Brandon Maddox, and I had a house cleaning service on the side.
5 things on my to-do list tomorrow:
1. Visit Charter Cable and correct an error
2. Rent a storage unit to store items while we stage the house
3. Begin three piles ~ to keep, to sell, to take to Goodwill
4. Call Jenny and see how her weekend went
5. Give the house a breath of fresh air and sweep out the sicky feelings!!
5 snacks I enjoy:
1. a bowl of cereal
2. doughnuts
3. an icy Classic Coke, with crushed ice!!
4. fresh peach slices
5. Jenny's Pampered Chef yummies!
5 things I would do if I were a billionaire:
1. Give to our congregation {They do so much with mission efforts}
2. Set up a college fund for our grandchildren
3. Pay off the homes of all three daughters
4. Build the cottage I've dreamed of, with a fully equipped shop for Johnny
5. Have a second home in Gatlinburg large enough for all
5 bad habits:
1. Staying up late {had to agree with Melissa on this one}
2. Eating sweets {this one, too!}
3. Not keeping my checkbook averaged
4. Spending too much on others
5. Putting off this next surgery
5 places I have lived:
1. Born in Bradenton, FL where my father worked for the State of Florida
2. Palmetto, FL; Jay, FL; Marbury, AL while growing up as the daughter of teachers
3. Palmetto, GA; Carrollton, GA; Memphis, TN; Denver, CO; Memphis, TN; Palmetto, GA; married to my first husband {we covered a lot of ground and lived in a lot apartments and homes in our few short years together!!}
4. Back home to Marbury, AL after the divorce and until Johnny and I married, then to
5. Millbrook, AL; Wadsworth, AL; Prattville, AL {Prattville would be my favorite of them all if I hadn't loved Denver so much. The Rockies are still so vivid in my dreams.}
5 jobs I have had or have:
1. I was the first secretary for a company that came to Jonesboro, GA called National Pride Car Wash. I think I did very well, considering this was my first full time job! I'm good at organizing, however, and remained their secretary until we moved to Carrollton, GA, where Steve became an airplane mechanic for the local airport. I went to West Georgia College, then a branch of The University of Georgia {Go, Dawgs!} to finish my BS degree in Elementary Ed.
2. We moved to Memphis, TN when he hired on with Southern Airways and I worked with Casual Corners. The manager, Susan, became one of our best friends and I truly enjoyed working there. Got to see Priscilla Presley, although Elvis had already died by this time and thought she was pretty, but looked sad. The people around her were trashy looking, including her ex-stepmother that worshipped at the same church we did!
3. I was the Asst Personnel at AESCO Steel in Montgomery for a time and enjoyed the challenges it offered. I love the life of secretaries and personnel offices. You get to meet others and it's a job you can leave when you go home {ie, no papers to grade, no phone calls to make}
4. In the fall of 1986, I was called {just prior to school starting!} and told I had a second grade position at a local elementary school. I was scared to death and lost ten pounds that year and most of my hair. BUT, it became a passion and one that I truly enjoyed. I left in '96 thinking I wasn't being the wife and mother I should be. I found that I missed my classroom and the little ones that walked through the door and into my heart and returned the following year with my families' blessings. Teaching there, with my best friends, will always be my favorite!
5. My most favorite career change began the night of November 13th, in a hospital in Memphis, TN. Jenny was born. Being a mother has never been a job, but I wanted to list it because it's part of how I identify myself. She is the child I dreamed of and because of her I began to believe in miracles.
Let's see, how about Kristen, Heather, Kelly, Jenny, and Susanne?
It's almost 10 this Saturday night, and he's still not feeling good. I'm not feeling good myself, but think it's due to being worried about him. We both slept very late, but then he was doped up and I stayed up half the night listening to see if he was still barfing {sorry, there just isn't a nice word to use}. Stayed on the couch, ate a small baked potato and has been in bed for hours now. I was too, but I've got the hungries! So there are two biscuits in the oven with my name on them, just waiting for cheese to be melted upon their lovel white faces!! A cold glass of iced tea and I'll be in food heaven for about thirty minutes. I hate it when someone is sick!!!
My second post for the day but I ask that you remember my sweet man in your prayers. I took him to the doctor earlier this evening with a severe case of food poisoning! Running a fever, dehydrated~he was one sick puppy. We were there almost three hours, which included waiting for blood tests results. Two shots, two prescriptions. He was also told if he didn't drink as much as possible tonight, I would have to bring him back and they would hook him up to an IV. He promised to drink the Gatorade, and did drink a little before going to bed. Those of you that know what we went through in Birmingham two years ago know that I get scared when confined in a doctor's office. The smells, the sickness, the feeling that you won't be allowed to leave crowded around me tonight. And this is where He showed His compassion~
as Johnny was lying there and I knew I was going to cry, I began to pray. Hard. Have you noticed your prayers are different when you're scared? You're like a child grabbing for comfort and we reach for our Father, the King. I prayed. I felt myself relaxing, the interior of the room began filling up with His Peace and I knew we weren't alone anymore. It was so tangible. I looked at Johnny and he said, "hey, I feel better." I said, "I know". And I could rest. Of course, that was before the nurse popped him in the bohonkus with two large needles filled with medicine! But ~
I was able to bring him home and although he's still sick, we now have medicine. They have made him sleepy, and I pray he'll be more like himself in the morning. He cannot return to work until Monday at the earliest, so he'll miss this midnight shift. No one in this house is crying over that! All the more reason for us to get him retired, so he won't have to concern himself with missing work. Thank you in advance for the prayers, they are greatly appreciated~
For those of you out there that may be in the least bit interested, you can find the answer to the question at this blog. And yes, some of you have already guessed. The action begins Monday!! "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" ~Eleanor Roosevelt {Thank you, Dawn}
On a side note ~ WOW, there are a lot of labrador retrievers out there!! Chad, Johnny says YES, to you being another Border Collie. You guys crack me up, I'm tellin' you!
I am so in love with you, Johnny Hood.
