Just Catchin' Up...

Since my posting has been so sporadic of late, I thought I'd take a minute just to catch you all up!!...

DH and I had a wonderful time in Gatlinburg!! It was so nice to just have that one on one time with each other. You don't realize how important that time is with your husband until you actually take the time to do it. You don't realize how crazy busy you've gotten...so busy that even meaningful conversation has taken a back seat.

If you don't already, let me encourage you to take regular time with your hubby just to reconnect. You don't have to go away for a few days, you can take a walk together, go out to dinner (or breakfast, or whatever works for your schedule). You can put the kids to bed early...it doesn't matter what you do, just do something to make sure that you and your hubby have some time just strictly for each other.



A story to share..it reminds me that we've got some awesome teens....

DD and DS decided to get a bite to eat at a local restaurant while DH and I were out of town. They enjoyed a great meal and had a wonderful waitress. They paid their bill and when it got time to leave the conversation went like this:

DS: "What about the tip?"

DD: (Lays a $20 bill on the table)

DS: "I'll match it!!" (Lays another $20 bill on the table)

They leave, slowly, watching to make sure that their waitress buses the table. She does. As they walk by the huge window out front, the waitress looks up at them with tears in her eyes. DD and DS move on to the next store (they were in the mall). Just a few minutes later the waitress catches up with them, gives them a hug and tells them, "Thank you so much!!" and she runs back to work. What a wonderful blessing my two gave someone right here at Christmas!! Let me tell you, this Mama heart is proud!!!

Finally...today is an awesome special day...today my baby turns 17!!!! Oh he is such a miracle and such a blessing to me. You see, he shouldn't be alive. Had God not intervened, this would be a day of sadness instead of celebration.

There is no doubt about when we conceived this man child of ours. We were planning our next child and was coming off of birth control, but using other means of protection while we were waiting for the birth control to get out of my system. Well....let me just say that DS is the poster child for the "There is No Such Thing as Safe Sex". About 4½ months into my pregnancy, my doctor told me out of the blue that he felt we needed to do a sonar. Okay. We were curious about whether we had a boy or a girl, so...no big deal.

As we lay their watching the screen and listening to the nurse things were going just great. Then she became very quiet and began getting really serious about her job. After several minutes, she shared that this little boy we were waiting on had no kidneys and no bladder...but she guessed I just wasn't as far along as we thought. She sent this news and DH and I back to my doctor.

My doctor reviewed everything and looked at us with those all-knowing, all too serious eyes and told us what the plan was. In two weeks I would come back for another sonar, if it showed the same, he would send me to a different hospital with some specialists who would do what was needed to prepare our son for a kidney upon birth...should a donor be available. If there were no donor, then upon birth, our son would die.

Needless to say, I fell apart and through his tears and own turmoil, DH tried to be strong. As we prepared to leave the doctor's office, Doc put his arm around me and reminded me that, "We know Someone bigger than this".

Two weeks of praying and waiting found us back in that same sonar room with that same nurse.

Nurse: "Well, let's see now...here's his head, see his eyes? And here's his spine..look at that little heart just beating away..and look!!!!! There are two kidneys and a bladder and they are functioning perfectly!!!!!!!! See, I told you, you weren't as far along as you thought!"

Us: "No mam!!..that's all God!!! Only He can make organs and put them where they belong!!"

Back in my Doctor's office there were tears all over again, but this time tears of shear joy and thankfulness to a God Who has big plans for this child.
So....
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZACHARY!!! I love you SOO much!!!!




By the way, a few months after he was born I learned that Zachary means "Touched by God"...how fitting.....

Happy Anniversary!!!!

Today finds me in Gatlinburg, Tennessee celebrating my 26th wedding anniversary.

26 years ago today I said "I do" to my best friend and I've never regretted it.

Oh, there have been times over the years that have been really tough. There have been times when both have us wondered how we got ourselves in 'this mess'

There was a time when the "d" word was spoken and sought after and only by the grace and mercy of a great God, did in never come to pass.

We've known times of lean and times of plenty. We've known sadness and happiness and total and complete surprise.

We know what it's like to want a baby so badly and not be able to get pregnant easily and we know what it's like to get pregnant with only 1 try.

In 26 years, we've lived a lot....and there were a few times when it wasn't living, but shear survival....but..

I've walked through it all with God on one side and Philip on the other and there is one thing I know for certain....

I wouldn't want it any other way.

Happy Anniversary to my husband, my lover, my best friend....

I Just Want to Celebrate!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOO HOOO!!!!!!! Today brings reason to celebrate!!!

One Single Minute is a year old today!!!!!!!!!!

It is so hard for me to believe that it's been a year since I sat down at this computer and said, "Okay Lord, what do you want me to do with this?"

I've traveled a few roads, but for now, I am just still trying to allow God to direct what gets written here.

So many have give-a-ways to celebrate and I am no different. I want to share a few items that have blessed me over the last year, with others.

Most people usually have this taken care of by their blogoversary and have the actual give-a-way on that day....but if you've followed me for any length of time, you know that I'm not most people!! The ups and downs of the last few weeks combined with our vacation has kept me very busy...and my family is my priority!!

So....with that being said, Monday will bring all the information you'll need about my give-a-way!!

Thanks for celebrating with me and just 'cause....

Share something with me you'd like to see me cover in the next few months, ask some questions, tell me (nicely please) of a direction you'd like to see OSM go. I would love to read your ideas and run them before my Father to get His input as well!!

THANKS, HUGS AND MANY, MANY BLESSINGS TO ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Missing Blogger--Chapter 3

When I felt DH get out of bed, I had this gut feeling that he'd been called as the next landlord for the Stomach Bug. I was right.

His performance in the Throne Room was much like my own. Still being weak and a little nauseated from my own performances, helping him was tougher than usual..but we managed.

This time I led him back to the bed and we settled back in.

As the alarm went off, he confessed he hadn't slept much at all. This was Tuesday..our anniversary.

I turned off the alarm and just continued to lay there. My husband was sick and the only thing important to me, was that he was able to rest like I had been able to on Sunday.

My husband had other plans. I wanted to pet and pamper him, he wanted a cheerleader. Since I wouldn't accept the position, he became his own cheerleader.

"Okay big boy..get up! This is your anniversary! You never had a honeymoon and you're not going to let some pitiful bug keep you down for the count! Man up! Move it! Move it! Move it!" (He has some military in him).... and he did move. He got up and went straight to the Throne Room to bow before the porcelain god, yet again.

After that performance though, he "swore" he "felt SOO much better". "Get dressed. let's go!" By the way, did I mention that he's..."the most stubborn, bullheaded, headstrong, pain in the butt I've ever met.."?? (Where have I heard that before??) Guess that's why we've been married so long!!

This time I conceded. I took my time, but I got dressed and we headed out. My DH was such a trooper. We drove into the mountains and stopped at an information center. There we learned that if we would drive about 24 miles in, we would come upon some old homesteads and churches and such as that. After the 24 miles, there was about 11 miles of those such things then we would need to drive the 24 miles back out. Since we absolutely love looking at old things like that we knew we'd have a blast.

Philip learned that there was a Throne Room at the end of the 24 mile stretch and after checking in at the Throne Room at the information center, he felt we were good to go.

He was truly feeling a bit better by now and we enjoyed the scenic drive into the mountains. We saw a few animals and many beautiful waterfalls and were really enjoying ourselves. Talking, reminiscing, making some future plans, pointing out what the kids would love if they were with us (doesn't everybody talk about their kids when their kids aren't with them????).

Looking down at the odometer we realized we were 3 miles away from our destination and we were talking about how it must have been to live in these mountains 100 years ago when all of a sudden.........flashing lights, backed up traffic. We come to a complete stop.

What's going on? We sit there about 10 minutes and nothing is moving. I make the "funny" remark..."With all of the rain they've had, wouldn't it be something if we've gotten this close and there's been a rock slide?"

Well, there was no rock slide, but there were 2 huge trees laying across the road!!!

Philip went to talk to the ranger that was standing by the trees and found out that as soon as they got a chain saw, they'd have those trees out of the way. Where's the chain saw? Yeah, you guessed it...21 miles back at the information center!! (Shouldn't chain saws be standard equipment in a ranger's truck??)

Anyway....nothing to do but turn around and go 21 miles back to the center. Thankfully God was looking out for DH and he made it back before needing to appear in the Throne Room.

We decided to go back into Gatlinburg and just enjoy the afternoon looking around the shops. We had a really enjoyable afternoon, but I could tell my sweetie was really tired. I finally convinced him that we needed to head back to our room so he could get some rest. He reluctantly gave in.

Back at the room, I curled up under a blanket on the couch while he curled up in the bed and got some much needed rest.

Later we went to McDonalds for chicken nuggets for me and a hamburger for him..he just couldn't stomach a celebratory meal.. then on to Wal Mart to get some sparkling cider. This was still our anniversary after all!

Back at the room we lit candles and toasted 25 years together and prayed for at least 50 more.

Isn't it just like God?

We had made all the plans for a grand and glorious celebration. We knew what we wanted to do and when and where and how. It was going to be great!
But just like over the course of our 25 years, many of our plans never came to pass. God took another direction.

Philip and I are not flashy people. We prefer the simple, slower way of life. We wanted to go and do and spend and "live it up!!" (for us anyway), but God decided the simple was where He wanted us to stay.

Philip and I have leaned on each other for 25 years and God allowed us to lean on each other even on this trip. He showed us that while a dinner theater might have been fun, chicken nuggets at McDonalds can still be a celebration.

He showed us that a wet washcloth and a gentle word is romantic.

He showed us that giving up our plans for the benefit of our spouse is what's made our marriage grow stronger and last these 25 years.

He showed me that no matter where I'm at or what I'm doing, there's no one in this world I'd rather have by my side than my dear husband. He is my best friend on this earth.

The next day found us leaving our beautiful room, headed toward Krispy Kreme and buying a dozen of those warm, soft, melt-in-your-mouth doughnuts..calling our kids and telling them we were headed home.

Many in our shoes may have thought that this trip was a disappointment... but for us it was just the opposite. It was a confirmation of our 25 years...always being there for each other, never leaving the side of the one who loves you and whom you love the most.

Blessings.....

Missing Blogger--Chapter 2

Sunday morning finds the alarm clock going off and I'm anything but able to move. Not going to make it to service. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm absolutely miserable if I have to miss church. I just can't stand missing the opportunity to learn more about God and..honestly..hearing from Him through our pastor.

Anyway, not wanting to risk sharing the love with those at church, I watched through one barely open eye as DH and the kids head off to church.

I must have fell back to sleep for about an hour and woke up needing to make an appearance, yet again, to the porcelain Throne Room.

After my encore, I decided I needed a cheerleader. Seeing as I was home alone (ahhhhhh!!!!!)...sorry...it had to be me.

"Okay, girl...get it together. You've got packing to do. You've got to shake this. You're going to Gatlinburg tomorrow. You and hubby have been looking forward to this for months. You're stronger than any ole' virus. Hop in that shower!! Wash those germs down the drain!!"

And... I did.

And... I felt some better.

Managed to get a load of laundry in the washer and then collapse on the couch. I need just a moment to compose myself...okay.

I put our suitcase on our bed and started packing. Another request for my presence in the Throne Room. Is it hot in here??? Back to the couch.

Everyone's home from church by now and asking how I feel. "Better," I say to them..."Liar", I say to myself.

But I'm tough. Gonna beat this bug and head off to Gatlinburg in the mornin'! <<> here...my husband has told me for 25 years that I'm..and I quote.."...the most stubborn, bullheaded, headstrong, pain in the butt he's ever met!".....Guess that's how we've stayed married so long!! (love you sweetie!!!)>>

After several appearances throughout the day to the Throne Room, it's obvious I'm not getting to church that evening either. I watch everyone leave... again. I called on my inner cheerleader... again..

"Okay girl...you have got to get something to eat inside you. You are just going to get weaker and weaker if you don't. Try some chicken noodle soup. That makes everything better!"

Managed to keep that down and amazingly, felt some better..honestly.

I finished packing and everyone filed in from church again....along with DD's boyfriend and 2 of DS's buddies!!!

Helloooooo.....dying Mom here..does anyone mind?????

Another shower, 2 Tylenol, a good dose of Pepto and I head towards the bed. Set that alarm for 6:30 am, pray with DH and go to sleep. Thankfully the alarm, and not the Throne Room, wakes me up!

I smack it and lay real still.....hmmmm...not hurting. Try moving. Hmmm...so far, so good. I make my way to the bathroom/former Throne Room (yea!!!) and start getting ready.

After hubby's intensive questioning, 5 rounds of hugs and kisses with the kids, going back over the rules twice, I love you's a bajillion times...we're out the door!!! Gatlinburg...here we come!!!

We arrive in Pigeon Forge and decide to stay there instead. We got a BEAUTIFUL room complete with living room, jacuzzi, fireplace and private balcony. Yes, we've led a Motel 6/Super 8 type of life..and that's okay..but with this, we splurged. And it was sooo worth it.
We spent the evening looking around Pigeon Forge and taking in a few sites. I was feeling a little weak and tired, but overall, not too bad.

Back to the room about midnight and finally off to bed only to awaken about 2am by the Throne Room's request of an appearance by....my darling husband......

Missing Blogger--Chapter 1

Did anyone notice that I just kind of....disappeared? I mean, here I am just blogging and posting and "chatting" with you and then all of a sudden....bloop!!!..I'm gone!! What happened? Well..it's going to take more than one post to catch you up, so let's go at this in chapters....

Missing Blogger--Chapter 1

Saturday the 13th, was a good day. Hubby was at home catching up on some things in his shop that he'd been trying to get to for weeks. DD and DS were doing those things that teenage brothers and sisters do and trying to get things done so their boyfriend and girlfriend could come over later that evening. Me, I was doing some laundry and thinking about some errands that I needed to run later that afternoon. The big day was drawing closer and closer..On Monday, DH and I were leaving for Gatlinburg, Tennessee for 3 days in celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary. Oh the anticipation of it all....

It had been so many years since they had taken any real time away...just the two of them...and they were both looking forward to the upcoming time together..

After running some errands, DH and I got back home and the kids arrived soon after, boyfriend and girlfriend in tow. We enjoyed grilled cheese sandwiches...( I made 20 of those things!!!! honestly...20...really...)...and some soup. We enjoyed some M&M cookies and watching some Christmas shows on TV. Oh yes..I needed to be packing, but I pack pretty quickly and I still needed to do some laundry, so I could just pack between church services tomorrow. Oh! That reminded me...I still needed to make some dessert since we were having our "Eatin' Meetin' " after morning service. That was okay, plenty of time...no problem at all....

Boyfriend and girlfriend go home and DH hubby and I go over the rules with our kids about the do's and don't's while we were in Gatlinburg. Now, I must share that this was going to be the first time that we had ever left our teens at home alone for overnight..That had only happened one time before when I was in the hospital. I was a little concerned...not worried....just concerned..okay, a little worried..maybe..just a little...about leaving them, but they're within days away of being 16 & 18..literally...they'll be fine...really they will....

After going over rules and asking questions and being sure everyone understood who was responsible for what and when and where and how and why and by the way, "Can you think of anything that you need to know before we leave???"...DH and I get our showers and it's off to bed.

Each night before going to sleep, Philip and I pray out loud together. It's something we've done for years. I must confess in the beginning I found it a little strange, but it has brought us so much closer together and has strengthened us as a couple before God that I wouldn't trade those times for anything.

I usually pray first, so I begin my prayer. I'm just prayin', talkin' to God and then...oh..something's not right. Ugghhh...not feelin' too good here...Ummm, "...in Jesus' name.." Philip starts his prayer then...


**WARNING---NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH--PROCEED WITH CAUTION!!!**


Ohhhhh...just not feelin' good.Probably too many M&M cookies. That's what happens when you can't control yourself...Ohhhh.....just say amen already. I need to roll over. "In Jesus name, amen." Quick kiss and hubby asks, "Are you okay?"

"My tummy hurts. Probably too many cookies. I'll be fine."

Famous last words, huh..?

About 1:30 in the morning my eyelids fly open. Something is definitely not right and I've got to get up now!!!!

Stay calm. Just go to the bathroom..you'll be fine ole' gal.

Feel like I might need to bow to the porcelain god. NOT going to happen. Nope. Fight it. Fight it.

Hey! I know!! Pray!!! "God. I really don't want to throw up. You know I'd rather do anything. Help me to feel better some other way. You are God and You can fix this and I pray it in Jesus name!"

Not working. "Please, God. We leave day after tomorrow. Please don't let me be sick. I'm sorry I morphed into the Cookie Monster. I won't ever do that again. Please...please...please..."

30 minutes later....."Okay I give. Whatever it takes. Just hurry."

Amazing how when you allow God to do His thing....He does.

After waking the entire household with my ability to do...uhh...sound effects...DH leads me back to bed. At this point I'm pretty sure it's not Cookie Monster syndrome. I'm pretty sure I've taken my shift at housing the infamous "Stomach Bug". The timing couldn't be worse.

A repeat performance 2 hours later confirms it....our anniversary plans are officially in jeopardy..

I...Just Want to Celebrate!!!!!

Something great is happening next Tuesday!! Something so great, that I want to share it with everybody! I want everybody to help me celebrate next Tuesday (even though I will be out of pocket)! Want to know what is so great about next Tuesday?? Okay..here it is..

It is my 25th wedding anniversary!!!

That's right. Me and the love of my life will be celebrating 25 years of marital bliss together..next Tuesday..the 16th.

Wow!! 25 years! It truly seems like just a few days ago I was a giggly, silly 18 year old, just enjoying dating and working and learning (?) to be an adult. I was footloose and fancy free and enjoying it. Then one night at work (I worked on an assembly line at a furniture plant) I'm just doing my job, laughing with my fellow co-workers and then out of the corner of my eye..I see him..a new guy. Now, being 18 years old, I noticed all the new guys, but there was something different about this one. Hmmmm.....might have to check him out during break.

Sure enough when break time came, I went upstairs to get my nightly fix of cheese crackers and Coke. I went to sit down and who should be sitting at my break table?? You betcha!..this new guy. (See, I didn't realize it, but when he saw me, he decided he needed to check me out at break too!)

We begin with the small talk. You know that flirty, giggly stuff that our teenagers now are doing that causes us to roll our eyes....We exchange names and continue talking. All of a sudden he asks me a question:

"If I were to ask you to go out with me, would you go?"

Now, inside myself I'm snickering because this dude doesn't know me very well....at all honestly...and I'm fixing to take a jab at this new guy....

"Depends." says me.

"On what?"

Here we go....."On whether you ask me or not!"

I mean, hey, I had a date for Friday night and if this guy couldn't play along, I had a backup..right??

He sits there for a minute, processing what I just said and I'm sure contemplating in his mind if he even wants to give a smart-aleck the time of day, but he follows up with..

"Will you go out with me Friday night?"

Now, remember I said I already had a date for Friday night, but this guy really intrigued me. He was willing to play along with my smart-aleck attitude. Couldn't be all bad, right? So I said sure. Friday night sounded good. (We were off on Friday nights)

Now, I didn't meet my Savior until I was 27 so don't throw me to the lions just yet. I must confess that I didn't cancel my plans with date #1. I mean, what if this dude didn't show up? I had no intentions of sitting at home on Friday night! So we made plans for him to pick me up at 6. If he didn't show, date #1 would be there at 7. No harm right?? By the way... sorry, date #1.

But, lo and behold, he pulled up in my driveway and off we went with my mom fussing in the background about how she was going to have to explain things to date #1.

We had a great time! Went out to eat at KFC, which still happens to be one of our favorite places to eat! The conversation was great and he was SO cute!!

On our way home I made it very clear that this was not going to be a serious relationship. (go ahead and snicker!) I was having too much fun as a single gal and I just wasn't interested in anything serious. Kapiche???

4½ months later, on December 16, 1983, I married my best friend. The love of my life. My safe place. My strength.

Over our 25 years we've had our share of ups and downs, good and bad. We've laughed and cried, been on the mountain and in the lowest valley, but through it all, we've come through it together. Never quitting at the same time. One was always ready for the fight, which would encourage the other to get back up and keep striving for the goal.

I want to share little snippets of our 25 years in the week to come. Maybe it will encourage you, make you laugh or give you hope. For me though, it will be fun just to spend some time remembering.

Blessings....