Blogaversary

Well, it has been a year since Pam kept "encouraging" me---of course, lovingly all the way (did I mention we referred to her as the 'gestapo'??) to start a blog.

Unbelievable......at first, would not even publish my thoughts as I was embarrassed, however.....


One of my first posts was regarding some heather that had been planted a few years ago in our flowerbed. Well, guess what? I was walking through the yard a couple of days ago, and, there before my eyes were some patches of heather in the grass---with flowers. I believe the Lord is still reminding me that He has things He is encouraging me to work on!! I guess contentment is one of them, as we have been without A/c for six days (we are awaiting the repairman this AM to install a new one!!)....also, two weeks ago, we had to have a new roof installed. So, it goes left unsaid that times are stressful, and I have whined about the heat, as one cannot sleep well in a house used to being spoiled with A/C which now hails a temp of 84 plus degrees!!

Anyway, the Lord is good, and shows me daily His presence and His work!!

I am not guaranteed tomorrow, so I must make a difference today!!

God bless you as you seek to serve our Lord!!

Culture through the eyes of a kid

Well, the family has returned from Europe. You can check out pics.

www.howards.myphotoalbum.com

Look at the top album: Belgium trip




Grand #1 says" The milk is gross there---it tastes funny and is warm".....
EXPLANANTION- They shop almost daily in Belgium. Everything is FRESH, thus no need for large refrigerators in your home...and freezers are almost non-exixtent. And, since she likes milk COLD, this was not palatable to her kinda warm!

"The chocolate is soooo good"....yep, they are known for their chocolates....there are many family business that make it daily there and you can watch them. Also, the hotel puts boxes fo chocolate out for you twice a day. The first I tasted was weird, but this current kind is creamy...with any flavor you could wish!! DIL says this time the orange one is her fave.

THE ROOMS ARE SMALL....yep, in Europe, all rooms are small...in the hotels, you must look long and hard andd pay a premium to have more that an area to fit a twin bed in.

YOU CANNOT BUY YOUR FAVORITE ITEMS AS IN THE USA....yes, you can, for the most part, but you must be able to read Dutch (half the country is Dutch, and half French)...and you must be prepared to spend about 40% more!! DIL was excited to find formula....but it is like $50 here and $70 there!

YOU HAVE THE SEASONS THERE....Yeppers. six weeks of warm 70 degrees or more and the rest is chilly or cold!!

SMOKNG IS BANNED WORLDWIDE....not quite so....everyone sits outside at the cafes/restaurants and SMOKES....air pollution at its finest! )I was concerned and asked if they smoked outside the entry way of buildings and offices and restaurants...and this was the reply)

KIDS ARE BORED IN RESTAURANTS AND PARENTS HAVE TO LEAVE WITH UNRULY ONES......not so ---they have playgrounds by the cafes/restaurants, and the parents can dine outdoors to "keep an eye on them". (BTW, food costs in a cafe/restaurant costs 40% more, also)

MACDONALDS IS NOT EVERYWHERE...Oh, yes it is alive and well in Europe...I asked if they had weird menu items....(they do in China...like tofu and some other local delicacy items!!)...and to their knowledge, they do not (NOTE: in the regular restaurants, the burgers are not served with buns, just the patty!!)

YOU GAIN WEIGHT BECAUSE OF THE INFLUX OF ITALIAN FOOD EVERYWHERE!!! You must walk or bicycle almost everywhere, so one has the propensity to lose weight!!

And for the fashion saavy: Welsh women are fashionistas (even the young)...all must coordinate (gloves, boots, socks, etc!!) INFANTS INCLUDED!!

Also, the "drains are funny and small round holes"...this from a 4 YO ---mom did not notice, but for a kid who takes regular baths, I believe the observation!! Guess there is no 'screen over the drain'!

This almost makes me sad...we have about ten weeks till they will be gone....

A web cam and plane tickets (three, of course) are on my list for Santa!

Meditate on It

I Cor 15:10
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain;


Have you ever felt insignificant? WEll, except for the Lord and His empowerment to and of us, we are NOTHING!!

God loves us just the way we are, but loves us too much to leave us that way!!

Our Family

Here is the depiction of my family......have not tried addign the DILs and Grands.

Best we can do with the clothing options, etc.

Keenan - Fisherman
Me - Mom
Josh - Buisness man
Derek - Groom
Aaron - Surfer
Miriam - Happy
Rachel - Ballerina ---LOL
This was fun---we did another hilarious one!!! I did need a little assistance to upload it....
one day I will be able to do it myself (kids click too fast for me to understand the semantics of it all!!)

Pray you are blessed with joy and feel the love of our Lord as you worship Him tomorrow!!

PSALM 121

GRANDS

Well, some of you know the joys of having grandchildren, and how cute their sayings are!!

Maddy called a little bit ago. She needs Allison's birthdate...
You see, they are going to Belgium for a visit in a couple of days.....all the beginning of them moving for three years!! Well, Allison is her bear we got for her at Build a Bear the first time we got the privilege of babysitting her while Mom and Dad were away. (She has four hearts...one from Grandma, one from Mimsy, one from Rachy, and hers, of course....and we all kissed them before we put them in and sealed them!!) Anyway, we had to try to find a dated...she losted the birth certificate) and she needs it for her "passaport" so she can travel abroad!! Oh, and she got her picture taken for it and posted....(they sell them at Build A Bear!)

Who knew a four year old could be sooo CRAZY??? Must belong to me!!!

Sayings

Call me demented or crazy or any of that stuff, but I have been thinking.....

There are alot of crazy sayings people grow up hearing/saying.....guess my recent trip to Tennessee brought some to mind...

1. I'll slap you silly
(come on, who gets silly when they get slapped.......MAD or crying but not silly!!)

2. You're gonna poke your eye out
(Kids are careless, but seriously, how many did you know growing up or did you warn as
an adult who REALLY poked an eye out???)

3. Sing before breakfast, cry before supper
(Is everyone supposed to be morose or grouchy when they awake????? So should we
ban all music - including humming or singing????No music in the heart, head or
voice? And as for they crying thing - only the joy of the lord in the morning may
bring tears of joy before dinner!)

4. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!!
(come on....don't repairs cost alot more once something breaks????And shouldn't one use good judgement about the upkeep of something, i.e. oil, etc in a car????)

5. If you drink that too fast, it'll freeze your insides!!
(puh---lease!!! What ones of us has not drank down a cold sweet tea, an icee or even
a milkshake.......maybe our insides have been 'iced over for years!)

6. If a frog pees on your hand, you'll get warts!
(don't they all do that when you pick them up.....are all people who work with frogs
and curious children covered in warts?????)

7.If a spider swings down in front of you, you're gonna get a letter.
(my goodness, what an active arachnid population.......thus the need for the postal
service and ever increasing need for postage increases!!So, keep those eyes pealed
for our little friends, and then run to the mailbox!)

8. If you watch TV too much, your eyeballs turn square!
(wonder what shape computer screens make your eyes?? Wonder what effect flat
screens have....or even high-def.......or now BLUE RAY????)

Stay tuned for more!!

Until then, I am praying for you!
PSALM 121

Mini Catch-up

What do chemistry, piano, math, speaking Spanish, word of the day and beads have in common?

Yep, it's another schoolyear underway in our household.

As a side treat, all are learning permitting processed for business and insurance!! (Life skills) and is beneficial for a lifetime!!

I still am reading your blogs; just a little behind time with posts....Forgive me!!

Oh yes, and I did grow a year older (didn't you spill the beans Pam?)LOL

Tomorrow, I get to go to Grandparents Day at you know who's preschool!! She is keeping the program secret, but I am sure we will have fun together!! The cool addition is that those kids not having grandparents there will be able to "adopt" from the senior citizen's class from the church. BTW, that group is going to sing for us, too!!

Will post an update later......

You ARE in my prayers!!