Oh my, how time does get by me now!!! If I thought my days went quickly before, getting this job has just magnified that!!!

Things are going good on the job. I'm quickly learning many things, and can even call many of our patients by name when they walk through the door now!! Thankfully, I'm blessed that I enjoy my co-workers and (most) of my patients....as in anything else, there are just times when personalities clash no matter how hard you try.

One thing I've learned for certain is to make sure that whenever I go to a doctor's office now, I'm incredibly patient and always talk with the person at the front desk in a pleasant manner. While I always tried to live by that rule anyway, it's become even more important now that I'm the one working the front desk.

Yes, things do "happen" that will suddenly put the doctor twenty minutes behind. Yes, people do just walk in expecting to be seen right away and even when they get worked in when there is a lull...it inevitably puts things behind. Yes, people are late and that puts everything behind...including the time I get to walk out the door for the night!! No, I can't devote 100% of my attention to the patient signing in, the patient checking out, the patient needing to go back to an exam room and the patient on the phone at the same time!! Someone will get the short end of the stick... I'm not complaining by no means, just sharing the things I've learned and realized in a very short amount of time!!

On the home front, we have settled into our routine..and it's a routine that is always adjusting!! It puts a new meaning to 'never a dull moment'!!

The biggest and newest news though came last Friday night. Last Friday night DD went on a date with her boyfriend and came home engaged!! Yes, we already knew about it because he came to us and asked our permission and our blessing a week earlier. It made for a long week for this mom since I could hardly look at my baby girl without tearing up!!

She is SO excited...actually that might be a bit of an understatement...the big day?? December 4 of this year!! Doesn't leave a lot of time for me to absorb my beautiful daughter to the uttermost before she moves into her own home. I have to admit mixed emotions. I'm thrilled for her and the fiance` is a wonderful, young, Christian man, but at the same time I will truly be writing "The End" to a chapter of our lives that has been going on for almost 20 years.

However, a wedding puts me much closer to being a grandma now doesn't it??!! :o)

So there we are.. another quick post catching you up on this beautiful, wonderful, ever changing life of mine. Thanks to all of you still trying to keep up with me. I do the best I can to visit all of you still from time to time.

Here is a of pic of the newly engaged!!..


And the engagement ring...


The wonderful thing about the ring is that is was my Mother-in-law's (over 42 years ago). They were passed to my husband and me when we married over 26 years ago and now my daughter is proudly wearing them. What a wonderful legacy!!

An Award and Our Trip to Gatlinburg!

Let me begin today by saying that I'm probably the worst person I know about posting awards that I have been blessed with!!! It's not that I don't appreciate them....as a matter of fact, I'm very humbled by them..but my mind is always going in thirty different directions and I always think about them when I'm not at the computer posting.

My sweet, sweet, patient, encouraging friend Kristen over at Hands, House, and Heart Full gave me this award last Thursday!! It's the "Honest Scrap" award.

I am suppose to list 10 secrets about myself and then pass it on.

Well, now that's something I need to focus on and so......I'll do this post on Thursday and pass it on as well.


Now to tell some more about our trip to Gatlinburg......

We actually stayed in Pigeon Forge. There is a hotel there that has unbelievable rates, is clean (this is HUGE to me!!!) and the staff is always friendly and eager to help! The two night stay only cost $78!! Our room had a balcony over the river which just delighted my sweet Momma.

Momma is a smoker--which I lovingly gripe about regularly--and I have a daughter with a heart condition, so the balcony (which I forgot to ask for when I registered---thank You God for taking care of things!!) was a total blessing. The blessing for me, was hearing Momma squeal when she was able to stand out there and watch ducks and Canadian geese coming and going!

Understand, this is only the second trip that Momma has ever taken other than trips back and forth to West Virginia when her parents were alive. This is the first girl's trip she's ever had and she fully enjoyed it!!

That first night we just did some shopping in Pigeon Forge. Now, bear in mind we had a 19 year old female with us, so the outlet mall was a must! Momma was so cute!! Even in stores like Old Navy and Pac Sun, where she had no interest at all, she could be found looking at and touching the clothes.....then shaking her head at the prices. We went into a kitchen gadget store and, like me, she couldn't help but look at everything!!

A drive through town looking at the lights that were still up from Christmas and a meal at KFC found us heading back to the room for some rest.

I couldn't help but get tickled as Momma got out of the shower, put her pj's on and stretched out on the bed like a teenager. She didn't care what was on tv, she just enjoyed that it was 'girl' stuff.

The next day found us in Gatlinburg on the tram. Now, DD doesn't do heights and gets motion sick, Momma doesn't do heights. But the only other option to Ober Gatlinburg was driving up and DD would never have made it, even with her Ginger Root!!! So up, up we went. Momma actually did quite well, although DD was hanging on for dear life...white knuckles and all!!

At the top we watched those that were snow tubing and the skiers as well as the ice skaters.




We also went to the wildlife habitat and watched the otters being fed and was blessed to actually see a bear! They are suppose to be hibernating right now, and we were warned that we probably wouldn't see one, but I think that seeing that bear was God's way of giving Momma a blessing.



Back down in Gatlinburg, we settled in for a day of shopping. Momma just couldn't seem to take in all the different shops and what they had to offer. We went in store after store and she seemed to pick up some kind of trinket in every store she went in. She even got tickled at her own self, but said that she didn't know when she'd get this kind of chance again and so she was going to make the most of it.

We decided to eat at Cracker Barrel that night. Now, that may not seem like a big deal to you, but to my Momma, it was huge. You see, I didn't learn until just a few days before our trip that she had never been inside a Cracker Barrel!!! Well, being a dumb daughter, the first thing out of my mouth was, "You're kidding!!" But she was serious.

So, into Cracker Barrel we went. We hadn't ate since breakfast and DD and I were pretty hungry. Momma just couldn't quit looking and shopping and DD and I just let her enjoy. It was such a blessing to watch her eyes and see her smile. An hour or so later she was ready to eat and we enjoyed some of the best home cooking!! I love eating at Cracker Barrel, especially when you're traveling. There is only so much fast food you can stomach before your tummy wants the real deal!

All too soon Wednesday came and time to head home. We made one last drive through Pigeon Forge stopping at a few shops we hadn't had a chance to before and then began our trip home.

God blessed us with health and safety and more wonderful memories than I could have ever imagined. I told DH later that night as we lay in bed that he couldn't have given me anything more precious for Christmas.....watching my Momma relax, smile, laugh and have fun...

It's Good to be Home!!...Blogoversary!!...Posting at The Well

What a title for a post, huh??!!

Let me begin by saying thank you, thank you, thank you!

I was so blessed when I got home last week to read all of the sweet comments that you, my friends, left each day. It blessed me to know that even when I was away, you stopped by to say hi!!

We had a fantastic time in the mountains!!

We, of course, spent some time shopping....we had teenagers with money... :o)

We...well DH and DS..spent time in the pool. It was a little too cool for DD and myself so we sat on the sidelines and read books while our guys raced laps and shivered!!

We spent one day hiking up to old homesteads and old graveyards. It was so fascinating for us to just think about the lives that were lived in those mountains, even as early as 75 years ago!
We noticed that many of the graves in the graveyards, were of children 10 years old and younger. There were also many teenagers and 20somethings as well. When we asked why, we learned that dysentery was epidemic at that time among other diseases and if you made it to adulthood, you were indeed blessed. Made me appreciate the times of modern medicine that we live in!

The best thing about the day in the mountains was getting to actually see, up close and personal...well, at least from our car window..a mama bear and her cubs! They were absolutely beautiful out foraging and not worrying about all the people gawking at them.

We've tried for years to see bear in the natural habitat....all the way from Yellowstone to the east coast to no avail, but God finally answered a family prayer last Tuesday!! Yes we did get pictures and I'd love to share one with you, but by the time it hit any of us to take a picture, Mama had already hunkered back down in the brush and all we have is a picture of some black fur among green leaves........ahh...but we have our memories...

We stood on the street to watch a street magician perform. Of course, DS was drawn in immediately and tried to pick apart the tricks while DD kept telling him to hush so everyone else could just enjoy it.

We spent time in a Christian store "singing" country gospel together...please understand how huge this was because me, DS and DD are NOT country gospel fans.....(can we say Skillet, Kutless....you get the picture!!) Anyway, we didn't sound too bad 'singing' with Alan Jackson....

After getting home, it was just hanging out, catching up on some things that we'd like to do, but never take the time to do and all too soon...vacation is a memory..

I'm quite certain there must be some way to pay the bills and do the chores while keeping the feeling of being on vacation....hmmmm......the ultimate in perfect life situations!!!

I must also add that in getting away, I was able to slow down, quiet down and hear God. I truly hadn't realized how frazzled I'd become. Confirmation that when I get to overload....it's time for a sabbatical to recharge and get back in tune with my Father.

If you've noticed, I've got a blogoversary coming up in just 2 short days!!!! Wow!...blogging for one year now. So hard to believe. I've met some awesome people, made some wonderful friends. Been encouraged, prayed for, set straight...blessed.

It's been exciting to see what God has done this year through the cyber-world and I can't wait to see what He has planned for the next year.

Also, I'm guest posting over at The Well today. I'd love it if you'd stop by!! The subject...delegating!!!

BIG HUGS to all of you!!!

Ch..Ch..Changes...

Have I mentioned before that I'm not a creature who embraces change?? Please give me my rut...I'm actually quite happy there, thankyouverymuch!!!

We begin our school year today. We have always "began" the school year the Monday after my birthday....yes, last Friday was my b'day..the big 45!!! hmmmm.....50 didn't seem so real until last Friday.......

Anyway...the changes....

This year, I only have one 'student'. I'm only sitting at the table or on the couch with one child. I only have one grade level to focus on. Since graduating DD in May....it's just me and DS this year.....and if you think I'm being pitiful this year, just wait till next year when I have NO 'students' !!!!!!!!!

Really...this is the oddest thing for me. We have been homeschooling 11 years now--this year begins our 12th--and it's always been the 3 of us with DH stepping in now and then. It's been field trips and adventures. It's been balancing schedules and schoolwork. It's been crazy!!!! And now...it's like, "What am I suppose to do with only one!!" .........

Ahhhh...I guess when he rolls out of the bed, we'll do like always: he'll groan about bookwork (he's a very hands on guy!!) I'll remind him that I'm the best teacher he could ever have, he'll smile that wicked little smile of his and say, "Then I'm in BIG trouble!!". I'll whack him on the behind and we'll get started.

He only has 3 subjects this year: economics, American Lit and Bible....such a light load and not much help will be needed from dear ole' mom.

Am I having a pity party? Am I feeling sorry for myself? Do I want your sympathy? YES!!!!!!!! A resounding YES!!!!!!!!!!! But then I'd love for you to grab up those babies of yours and wrap them up in big hugs and tickle them and laugh and giggle and enjoy every single minute of their growing up.......all too soon you'll be teaching your last student, or sending your baby off to school for the last year and you'll be the one wiping tears over a keyboard and some green tea, thankful that you were SO blessed and wishing you could do it all over again.............

Our Story

It's been several weeks since I've added a chapter to Our Story. If you'd like to read past posts of our story, click on the Our Story link under the Labels button on the left side of my blog!! :o)

His memories are so sporadic. It's one of the things that saddens him. She can recall so many things..he..only a few.

The one thing that makes him smile though, is the fact that he can recall many things since meeting her. His prayer...that God will bless him that he will always be able to do so.

One childhood memory he remembers well though........

It had been snowing for days. No school, couldn't go outside and play because the snow had gotten so deep..he was bored. It was so hard being couped up inside when you're 9 years old and there were so many adventures just waiting outside....

Mark lived next door. He was his best friend and they did everything together. Including getting in deep trouble.

And this time....deep was literal.

After several days of snowing you couldn't even see out of the window in the basement. It was just white. Snow was everywhere. The drifts were taller than his dad and people had given up shoveling more than a tiny path out their front door.

Bummed. He was just plain bummed.

Tired of TV and books, he was wandering around the house when the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey Philip! Mark. Whatcha doin'?"

"Nuthin'. I'm bored. Wish you could come over."

"Me too. I can't get out of the house though. Mom's watchin' me like crazy!"

"Yeah. Mine too."

"Hey, Philip...I got an idea."

"What?"

"When I open my basement door, there's a whole wall of snow starin' back at me. How 'bout you?"

"Haven't tried. Why?"

"Well, we could dig tunnels and try to meet in the middle, between each other's houses. Then we could hang out in the tunnels and play!! Wouldn't that be cool?!"

"Sure! But do you really think our folks will let us do that?"

"Well..........they don't have to know do they"?

Wow! He liked this idea.

"Okay. Let's get started. See ya later!"

Hanging up, he yelled and told his mom he was going to hang out in the basement and play for a while. Glad to have him busy, Mom gave him the okay.

Downstairs he opened the basement door and just like Mark, he, too, was looking at a wall of snow.

Looking around he found a shovel and began to dig.

Man this snow was packed!! What to do with the snow in the shovel???
Got it!! Put it in the bathroom sink.

Shovelful after shovelful he slowly began to see a dent in the snow. By evening he was exhausted, but he had a tunnel dug that was several feet deep. He wondered how far Mark had gotten.

Days later while inside the tunnel, he finally heard Mark yell his name!! He couldn't believe it!! All of this work had finally paid off. A little while later they finally connected their tunnels. The fact that this snow could collapse on them never entered the 9 year old minds..they had built a tunnel and to these young little minds if you could build one tunnel, you could build several.

And they did.

By the time they were able to go back to school they had quite the little underground mine going on...and it was awesome!!!!

Soon the temperatures warmed and the tunnel was but a fun memory.

The story of the snow tunnels would be shared with friends and family for years to come--always with a warning to his own children that crawling around in those snow tunnels was probably one of the most stupid things he'd ever done....but to this man who has few precious memories of his childhood---he was glad he'd taken the chance.....

Making a Memory

After church yesterday morning, we decided to go get a bite to eat. Now, we don't go out to eat after church that often, but it was just one of those days that we all decided we wanted a burger (and I didn't want to cook!)

We drove into town and pulled in at our favorite fast food joint only to find the place packed!! The drive through was backed up and the restaurant was full, but we were so hungry we were going to brave the crowd and just wait.

As we pulled into a parking space, I noticed the car next to us had a Tennessee tag.

Me: "Hey! They're from Tennessee." ( We love Tennessee!!!)

DD: (jokingly) "Since they're eating in Alabama and live in Tennessee, we should drive up to Tennessee for lunch."

At that moment, DH puts the car in reverse and before I knew it, we were on the interstate headed towards Tennessee!!!!!!

While DH loves to surprise his family, spontaneity isn't his strong point...besides, it takes about 2½ hours to get to Tennessee!!!

Our two teenagers start cheering and an afternoon of laughter, smiles and music began.

We did stop quickly at Walgreens for some drinks and chips to eat on the way, but other than that, it was up there to eat and then just driving back home.

We got a chance to talk, sing some praise and worship songs together (even DH joined in on the few contemporary songs he knew). We were able to laugh and now, we have a memory to share.

Maybe some would look at us and say that we wasted over a half tank of gas just to eat out. That driving 150 miles one way to eat a hamburger and french fries is ridiculous....and maybe to some it is.

But to us...it's what memories are made of and those are priceless.

Our Story...

She doesn’t remember how old she was, she just remembers it was Christmas Eve and she was sleeping on the couch.

Her uncle was visiting and he was sleeping in her bed. She didn’t mind because if she slept on the couch, Mommy would leave the lights on on the Christmas tree and it was so beautiful!

The tree was so big! It was almost as big as Daddy, and he was a big man..
The tree was silver and when they were busy putting it together it would scratch her skin. Oh, it didn’t hurt..just felt a little funny.

She doesn’t remember shopping for it, but she does remember how big the box looked sitting in the livingroom floor. Mommy opened the box and took out all the pieces. That tree sure looked funny in the box, but Mommy promised that once they got it put together it would be beautiful….and she was right.

Once it was put together, Mommy began to put the lights on. They were beautiful!! Blue and red, green and orange and the best part was…they blinked!! She wondered how many other little girls had trees that blinked.

Then Mommy brought out this stuff that looked like shiny, red rope. They worked to get it wrapped around the tree, standing back every now and then, tilting their head one way then the next to see if it was even. She really didn’t understand what even meant, but she did understand pretty..and this tree was pretty.

Next, she and Mommy sat on the floor and put hooks on the most pretty ornaments she’d ever seen in her little life!! There were shiny balls and icicles. There were little Santa Clauses and elves! Mommy even had a couple of angels. After getting all of the hooks on, they began to hang them on the tree. She was so excited!! Excited to the point that Mommy had to keep reminding her to be careful!! Oh..she surely didn’t want to break even one of these beautiful trinkets.
For the next few days at school, they would make an ornament to take home and hang on their tree. She wondered if Mommy would let her do that. After all, the tree was so pretty and her handmade ornaments…well..weren’t.

That first day she carried home a piece of white paper cut in the shape of a ball. She’d spent so much time making sure each piece of colored macaroni…and by the way, how did that macaroni get all of those different colors??….was in just the right spot. Then she took paste and pasted each piece carefully to the "ball". Oh, darn!! No matter how many ways she tilted her head, it just didn’t look right, but, it was time to go home and so, with ornament in hand, she began her trip home.

By this time, she was used to the walk and now even Scott waited on her and they walked hand in hand until he had to turn off on his street. He was a little shorter than her, but that was okay..it made it easier to look at that beautiful white hair…..

Once inside her apartment, she carefully laid the ornament on the table. Turning on Captain Kangaroo and sitting on the couch, her eyes would wander from the tree to the ornament. There was no way Mommy would hang that awful thing on their beautiful tree. She even thought about throwing it away before Mommy got home from work, but just maybe there would be a chance…..

She heard the now familiar sound of the locks clicking open and turning, saw a snow covered Mommy walking in the door. As usual, Mommy was tired, but she always had a hug ready and wanted to hear about her little girl’s day.

Sheepishly the little girl showed Mommy the ornament, trying as best she could to hold back the tears. It was truly an awful looking thing….but to her surprise and absolute astonishment, Mommy went and got one of those hooks and put it on her construction paper and macaroni ball and hung it right in front on the tree!!! Not only did Mommy think it was beautiful but she even gave it a place of honor!! She had the best Mommy in the world!!

So laying on the couch on Christmas Eve night, her eyes wandered from the macaroni ball to the Santa Clauses and the angels. The lights were blinking and she knew she needed to be getting to sleep so Santa could come but that tree was just soooo beautiful……

She heard a noise. Like someone was moving the presents under the tree. Peeking through her sleepy eyelids she saw him!!! You know…HIM….Santa Claus!!!! He was bent over putting things under the tree!! Oh no!! What would happen if HE knew she saw him? Should she sit up? No… Should she cough? No…Should she even breathe??? She was so excited…she was actually looking at the real Santa Claus! No one was ever going to believe this…not even Scott!

She decided she would just hold her breath as long as she could and peek out of her eyelashes so that maybe Santa wouldn’t realize that she was awake.
"Oh no!! He’s turning around..he’s looking at me!! Don’t move. Don’t even breath…"

The next thing she knew it was morning. When did she fall back asleep and when did Santa leave? Did she really even see Santa?? No matter. Sitting up she saw all of those presents and knew he’d been there and it was time to wake up Mommy and Daddy. Running through the apartment and jumping on the bed she tried to explain to them it was time to get up. Wake up uncle and let’s get busy opening those presents!! And by the way she saw Santa….Mommy just smiled and told her that she couldn’t have saw Santa, he don’t let people see him. But she knew she saw him…didn’t she??

To this very day when she shares that memory with Mama, Mama just smiles……