I may appear normal.....

.....but it is as though something profound has shifted inside of me since Summer's abduction and murder. I can't quite put my finger on just what it is that has changed, though.

Oh, I'm not thinking about it all so much now, though, still, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't mull over conflicting thoughts about what was done to Summer and by who and what will eventually happen to them.

....and just when I think I am doing alright, I go to church and see her three little ones with their Grandma Debbie (Summer's mother) and Grandpa Mike (Summer's father). Adam, Summer's boyfriend, comes with them most of the time, too. And the children just love him so.

This morning, little Kaylee....she's three.....was all wrapped up in Adam's arms as they sat in the pew toward the back of the sanctuary. I wondered if she longed for her mommy. If she ever wonders where her mommy and daddy are. My heart aches and wrenches inside of me for these little ones.

Little Alex.....he's 4 going on 5....looked so handsome in his new suit. He looks just like his daddy. Does he wonder where his daddy and mommy are?

His daddy will never see the outside of a jail or prison again, unless it is to be taken to court or another jail.

Mike, Summer's father, is in his late 60's and not in good health. You can see all of this taking such a toll on him. How I pray for him and for Debbie, as they care for these precious grandchildren.

I guess I am just grieving for all of them....for Summer, who is gone......for Adam, who had such hopes and dreams for his and Summer's future with these sweet babies.....for Alex, Kaylee and Alanna, wondering what their future will be like, taking comfort in knowing that they are loved and cared for beyond measure.

I've never experienced losing someone I am close to, in such an horrific way. And then for her to be murdered by people that I knew and spent time with. Maybe that is why I am finding it so difficult to move on. I don't know.

I am thankful that Ed let's me talk this out with him when I need to, sometimes at length, sometimes in short bursts, as thoughts come to me that I need to try to reason out, but there just doesn't seem to be any reason to any of it. So I am back to square one.

We went to church with Daniel, Erin and little Jaybug last night. Bro. David Baker opened the service and, oh, how his words ministered to me. He talked of the comfort of the Lord and how he knows every detail of what we are going through, our thoughts, our struggles. He took it all upon Himself at Calvary. The tears just flowed down my face. I really had to control myself so I didn't just turn into a blithering mess right there in the pew, but still the Lord did minister to me so.

I just have to "cast all of my care" upon Him, knowing that He knows all about it. He has all of the answers. He knows the beginning and the ending.

"I am trusting in Christ alone....."
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On a lighter note.......after Summer's funeral, which was a month ago, family and friends gathered back at the church for a wonderful meal. There was so much food!
I made a Pumpkin Torte and it was delicious and so easy to make. It was pictured on the front of a Taste of Home cookbook I have and I had been wanting to fix it and decided to this particular day. It was a hit.
Here is a picture of it I got at the website and also the recipe:

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin, divided
1/2 cup milk
4 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 carton (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 cup pumpkin, milk, eggs, oil and 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans.
Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, and remaining pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice; beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.
Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread with a fourth of the filling. Repeat layers three times. Drizzle with caramel topping; sprinkle with pecans. Store in the refrigerator.
. Yield: 10-12 servings.
Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 slice) equals 528 calories, 28 g fat (14 g saturated fat), 93 mg cholesterol, 378 mg sodium, 61 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 7 g protein.

Oh, and if you go to http://www.tasteofhome.com/ you will see that they are offering $5 subscriptions to four of their magazines through tomorrow, the 26th, for first-time subscribers! I signed up!! :-)
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And lastly.....Little Jaylon is growing by leaps and bounds! He is 2 years and 4 months old now. Of course, I take pictures of him doing anything and everything! :-)
Here is one of the latest AND cutest ones:

AND.......we found out YESTERDAY......on EASTER....that we are going to be grandparents AGAIN!
YES!! Daniel and Erin are having another baby!!! :-) There will be more details forthcoming!

Where to begin......

Most of you who read my blog live in other states, so I am not sure if you know of all that has transpired here in Ohio and the area in which I live, so I will try to tell you and to be brief, including links to where you can read or view more if you wish.

A young mother who attends our church was abducted from her place of work....she cleaned two local banks, after hours.....by two men and a woman with bleached blonde hair.

All of us who knew Summer immediately knew who had taken her, though we didn't want to believe that it was true. Oh, but we didn't want to believe that her husband would do what he had threatened to do.

Our worst fears were to come true in just a few days.

Summer's estranged husband and his parents were apprehended 48 hours later and arrested for kidnapping Summer. They are being held on $1 million dollars bond each at Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville until a grand jury convenes in Hocking County in mid-April where they are sure to face more charges in Summer's kidnapping and murder.

Even after two weeks and knowing that this HAS truly happened, I still find it so hard to comprehend. How could these people do this to this lovely young woman.....to these three little babies.....take their mother from them?

Summer's body was found one week later after her mother-in-law made a plea deal and told where her body was.

Summer's mother heads up our outreach program and her father is head usher at our church. They have handled this terrible, tragic situation with such grace, strength and dignity.

You can read more articles about Summer's abduction, murder and recovery at the Columbus Dispatch website.

I've known Summer since she was born. My husband and I were her youth leaders and I taught Sr. High Class on Sunday mornings, which she always attended and her estranged husband did, too, on occasion, as he went to church in Nelsonville with his parents. They attended an independent pentecostal church for a time.

She and Willie were so happy when they started dating. I did the music for their wedding. Attended her bridal shower. Her first baby shower when she had little Alex, who looks just like his daddy. Summer has two little girls, too. Kaylee who is 3 and Alanna who is 1 1/2.

I have to leave shortly to go to the church where visiting hours are being observed from 2-8 pm today. The family will not be in attendance from 4-6 so I've been asked to be there in their stead.

I'll write more as I am able.

Please remember us in prayer, as I know many of you have been already.

You can also view video about this case by searching "Summer Inman" on YouTube.

A Missing Mother

A young woman, who attends our church, was abducted at approximately 11:15pm last night. Summer is 25 and the mother of three beautiful little children. She has been separated from her husband for several months. She and the little ones have been living with her parents who also attend our church.

Summer cleans a local bank after hours and it is believed that she was abducted while taking out some trash. Eyewitnesses said she was abducted in the alley beside the bank and was forced into a car by two males dressed in dark clothing.

I cannot even imagine this happening to this sweet girl. I've known her since she was born. She was in our youth group. Oh, you just never think something like this will happen so close to you.

Summer has been through some difficult times but always has a smile on her face. You never know when she is going through adversity. She has such a sweet spirit. I remember looking back at her and little Alanna cuddling as they sat in the pew at church just this past Sunday morning as I was playing the keyboard.

Please, please join with us in praying for Summer's safe return to her beautiful babies and family.

You can read more about Summer's abduction at NBC4i.com

Surprise! :-)

Yes, I am still here! And doing well! BUT I just don't seem to have much time to blog or else I'm just not managing my time well or I'm spending too much time on FB instead of blogging! *sigh*

Still waiting to hear about high speed coming to our area and still hoping that it really IS going to get here soon!! Do you have any idea of how much time I spend sitting here just waiting for pages to load? It is so aggravating!

Jaylon is just growing by leaps and bounds but is still not talking much....drat! BUT several people have encouraged us by saying that their children/grandchildren didn't talk till a bit later....especially the boys....but once they did? Oh. shut. up. LOL One grandfather told me that when their little granddaughter stays with them that they inevitably end up telling her gently that they are going to have a "quiet" break and just not talk for awhile. :-)

Oh, but this sweet little guy....who is sleeping still this morning right behind me....is growing by leaps and bounds! See?

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Have you tried the new Philadelpia Cream Cheese cooking sauces yet? Well, I have! A friend was trying a new dish and told me about them, so I used the recipe on the back of the Zesty Garlic container. I don't remember what it is called...:-/....but below is the recipe AND some pictures! It is so yummy AND easy to fix!


3 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1 red pepper cut into slivers and halved
1 package of fresh spinach (I used 2/3 of a 10oz. bag)
2 cups of uncooked penne pasta
1 container of Zesty Garlic Philadelpia Cream Cheese Cooking Sauce

In a large skillet, sautee the chicken and red pepper in a small amount of oil. Add the spinach and cook until it is wilted. (I couldn't believe ALL of that spinach cooked down so much! I've not cooked fresh spinach before.)
Drain the cooked pasta. Add to the other ingredients in the skillet.
Add the cooking sauce, mixing gently but thoroughly and serve! :-)



AND I can't believe I paid $1.98 for a red pepper! BUT I knew it would really make the dish so pretty with the green spinach and all. :-)

Let me know if you give this recipe a try, k?

Well, I hear the boy stirring behind me and Ed is home today as it is a teacher in-service day at school and he is wanting some breakfast! :-)

Oh, but before I go! We made reservations Saturday evening for a 3-day stay in Washington D.C. as we are once again planning to go to the Cherry Blossom Festival at the end of the month!! Yayyyy!!

We had planned to go last year but there was a death in family, so we were unable able to go, of course.

Have a wonderful day and I hope you are having nice weather wherever you may be! :-)

It's Wednesday! Hodgepodge Time!

Here I am....posting at the last minute....again! :-/ I've been working on this here and there throughout the day and am finally finished!!
I apologize for not being able to get around to everyone's blog and commenting but my dial-up has been impossibly slow and I just don't have the time it takes to be on the internet and get anything done!! BUT Frontier (our phone provider) let us know that they will have high-speed capabilities to us in about three weeks!! Yes!! Finally!!! Hopefully, I will be able to get back into my blogging groove once again!! AND visit all of your wonderful blogs and comment and so on!!!
Anywayyyy.....here is my Wednesday Hodgepodge for your viewing pleasure.

If you would like to join in, just go to Joyce's blog at From This Side of the Pond, where you will find out how to do so!


1. The season of Lent begins on March 9th this year...do you participate and if so, in what way?
No.


2. Traditionally pancakes are eaten on the day known as Shrove Tuesday which is the last day before Lent (March 8th this year). So....butter and syrup? Blueberry? Chocolate chip? ewww, no thanks!! What's your pleasure when it comes to eating pancakes?
I am not a big lover of pancakes BUT if I DO have them I prefer plain ones with lots of butter and syrup! :-)


3. Spring is coming. (It is coming, right?) What's your favorite springtime flower and do you suffer from seasonal allergies? Two questions I know, but they're lightweights.
I do love beautiful tulips and lots of them in a myriad of colors, though I don't have a tulip one in my yard!! I know, I know, I need to plant some! :-0
Thankfully, I do not suffer from allergies, though our son Daniel does. He really has a rough time of it but is usually able to find some relief with medicine, though it doesn't always seem to help. My heart really goes out to those who do suffer with allergies!

4. "Our opinion of people depends less upon what we see in them than upon what they make us see in ourselves." Author unknown. Agree or Disagree? Why?
Okay, I'm not sure that I am up to thinking this hard so early in the day. Maybe I'll come back to this one! :-)

5. Since it's "March" and also the season of Mardi Gras....have you ever been in a parade? What's the best parade you've seen?
Yes, I've been in quite a few parades as I was in the marching band in school. Oh, the memories! :-) And our church has had a float/unit in our local Christmas parade several times and I've loved participating in that, too.
I think the BEST parade I've ever seen was the Parade of Hills in Nelsonville, Ohio, several years ago. You see, this is an annual event and we used to go every year....we were younger then. :-) It was an awesome parade with several marching bands, which is my favorite part of a parade, and many other great units! But now there are only TWO bands and the parade is much smaller.


6. You would jump up and down and shout for joy right now if someone told you___________?
That my oldest nephew and his precious boys were together. It's a long story and so heart-wrenching.


7. How clean is your car on the outside? Inside? Is there junk in your trunk?
My car is in pretty good shape on the inside. I just cleaned the inside this past weekend. The outside is not too bad but it usually has some dirt on it because we live on a township road and the weather has been pretty messy around here for weeks. I always keep my trunk cleaned out.


8. Insert your own random thought here.
It has rained all night....again. The creek is almost out of it's banks and it is supposed to rain all day today into tomorrow morning. AND now it is looking like we might be getting some snow! Really?
I am so ready for spring and sunshine and warmer temps, green grass and flowers, leaves on the naked trees. Spring forth, O Spring!!

Italian LOVE Cake? Who knew! :-)

Soooo......we had a time of fellowship after church last night......desserts and coffee for everyone. Welllll....I had made a Mexican Wedding Cake to take. I had gotten my food and coffee, found a seat, when I heard a bunch of laughter and carrying on up at the food table.

Sis. Leatha kind of hollered over to me from her table and said, "I really like your Italian Love Cake, Jewel, ".

"My WHAT?" I asked! "Your husband told me you brought this Italian Love Cake." she replied.

Oh brother....not again! :-)

You see, Ed doesn't always remember things that I tell him, correctly, so he makes stuff up that sounds ALMOST right but not quite, you know? :-)

So when he came and sat down across from me I asked him what he had told them my cake was.

"Well, when they asked me what kind of cake that was that you made I told them that I couldn't remember but that I think you said it was an Italian LOVE Cake. Sis. Margaret just about spit her dentures out laughin'! And Bro. Chuck said to give him two pieces and make sure I slipped his wife a big ol' hunk of it! LOL and poor ol' Bro. George just kinda grinned and said, "Awwww, I better pass on that love cake, Bro. Ed, and, thank goodness, the wife is diabetic.... " :-)

I about died laughing at all of the commotion my "Italian LOVE Cake" stirred up!!! AND on a Sunday night after service, no less!! :-)

AND, though it may actually be called a Mexican Wedding Cake, I'm thinkin' real serious-like about changin' the name of it! Whadaya think? :-)

Marching into Wednesday's Hodgepodge!! :-)

It's Wednesday Hodgepodge time!! Just go over to Joyce's blog at From This Side of the Pond and join in the fun, meet some new people and make some new friends!! And get to know your old friends better!!! :-)

1. March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday so I'm wondering...do you like green eggs and ham? Okay-how about this instead...how do you like your eggs? Or don't you?
Green eggs do NOT sound very appealing to me. Yuck! :-)
I like my eggs over medium, meaning I want the white done and the yolk just a little soft in the middle but done around the edges. And I don't want my egg to be crusty at all. (Am I being too picky?) My dad was the only person, besides moi', that could fix my eggs just the way I liked them! :-)


2. Is March coming in like a lion or something less ferocious where you live?
March is coming in like a lamb in SE Ohio. It was a beautiful, sunny day here with temps in the 50's! Yeehaa! Butttttt....I have a feeling that winter is not through with us yet, though the temperatures are supposed to be moderate all week! Time will tell!
The year that Daniel was born...1987....we had a blizzard on I believe it was the first Saturday in April. I don't know exactly how much snow fell BUT I was determined to get Daniel's 4-month-old picture taken at Ames, so I loaded his cute little self into the car and headed to Ames....in the snow.
Well, when we returned home, I managed to get the car buried stuck in the snow, so I hiked it up to the house and got Ed to help me get unstuck. It was not going to be a quick fix. So, he took Daniel, who was in his little carseat, up to the house and set him in front of the TV with the local cable channel on.
You should have seen him! I wish I had taken a picture! The local cable channel was in bright reds and blues and he just puckered up his little lips and kicked and looked at those bright colors. It was so cute! :-)
Ed and I ran back out and with the help of a neighbor, got the car unburied..er, uh...I mean, unstuck!
We were without power for three days! It was a blizzard, let me tell ya! IN APRIL!!!

3. Do you work better or worse under pressure?
Actually, better. You see, I am a procrastinator. Yes, I admit to this. Can you believe it? BUT, most procrastinators work very well under pressure and are known to be very efficient! :-) (That's my story and I'm stickin' to it! :-p)


4. March Madness-are you a fan? It's college basketball in case you're wondering. And if you're outside the USA tell us-is there any sort of 'madness' taking place during March in your part of the world?
Yes! though I don't watch much college basketball in the regular season. I know that Ohio State is doing great this year, ranked #1 in the nation again! They are 27-2/14-2 and I believe they are playing Penn State even as I type! Go Bucks! I watched all sports more when Daniel was still living at home. Now, I just keep up with the Buckeyes and our town's teams through the internet and local paper.

5. Under what circumstances do you do your best thinking?
You know, at night when I go to bed, I like to just lay there and think. Sometimes Ed will be reading and I just lay there with my eyes open, staring and thinking. Really thinking.

6. What item of clothing from your wardrobe do you wear most often?
Black skirts! I have so many of them and I am thankful that I do! :-)

7. Do you use sarcasm?
Yes, sometimes, though never to anyone's hurt. I usually use it in a humorous way.

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I have most of my spring cleaning done! Not on purpose, mind you. No. Ellie, the kitty of the house, has been dealing with a flea allergy, pulling hair, digging, scratching. From about the middle of her body back, she looks all scraggly and she doesn't have much hair left on her haunches or legs. Poor thing.

So, last Monday and Friday, when I didnt have little Jaylon, I started in the den, washing everything that could be washed. Curtains, rugs, washed down furniture, baseboards, then vacuumed thoroughly....we're talking thoroughly here. Next, I sprayed each room's carpet as I finished cleaning, sprayed around the baseboards. Sprayed the furniture after washing it down, vacuuming it.

I did this in EVERY. room. of. the. house. By Monday evening I was so tired I was on the verge of tears and there was still more to do but I had to wait until Friday when Jaylon would not be here.

You may ask how she could have gotten fleas. Well, we keep her treated with Frontline, so I wondered myself. UNTIL I read online that fleas can become resistant to any flea repellant and it is best if you switch around from Frontline, Advantage and so on. Who knew?!?!

The fleas don't bother us because they are busy bothering Ellie. She is the host. Poor thing.

So, on top of all the cleaning, I have given her two baths...Monday/Friday....talk about fun!....after which, I combed her thoroughly. It has been pretty stressful....and she has now been treated her Advantage. Oh, and you can buy Frontline and Advantage on Ebay for a fraction of the cost that you would pay at a vet. :-)

BUT, lest I thought I had her all taken care of......she now has worms, which she has probably gotten from ingesting fleas! Soooo, I am now in the process of worming her...that has such a lovely ring to it, hm? :-/.....and I can tell that she is feeling better already! :-)

So, I am praying...literally...that I have conquered the fleas AND the worms! I told my dear husband that if this happens again, I am going to have her put to sleep. I don't know if I could really do it or not because I DO love this kitty....alot! BUT I surely don't want to go through all of this again! Nor do I want her to be miserable. Poor thing.

25th Anniversary Pictures!

Here are some pictures of our surprise anniversary party that Daniel and Erin hosted. They were so very pleased with themselves that they managed to surprise us! And surprise us, they did!!
The way they managed to do this, you ask? Welllll....they have been wanting me to give them piano lessons and asked if I could meet them at the church at 5pm and could Ed please come to keep an eye on little Jaylon. Made sense to me! :-) And, though I was pretty weary from a busy day, I didn't want to put them off as they have been wanting to start piano lessons for some time and I want them to so much!

BUT when Ed and I were almost to the church, we noticed that the parking lot was almost full and I told him, "Keep Driving!" He stopped the car just up the road and I called our pastor and asked him what was going on at the church. He said they had been busy and just to get over there! :-)

Well, when we pulled into the parking lot, we saw my brother, Bill, and our friends Pat and Dee and KNEW that something was up!

We walked into the fellowship hall and were so utterly surprised to see so many family and friends who had gathered to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. I was speechless! And if you have rendered me speechless? Well, you have really accomplished something! :-)

We had a wonderful time, needless to say, visiting with friends and family and enjoying the delicious food that some of my family had helped prepare! AND we had plenty to send home with many of those who were there!! :-)

Yes, Ed, I would do it all over again!!! :-)

Thank you, Lord, for keeping your hand upon us through the years. Yes, we have faced difficulties but have always looked to your for strength, wisdom and sustaining grace. You have never failed us as we have endeavored to commit each day to you, asking you to guide our steps as you see fit. Thank you for blessing our efforts and giving us a wonderful son, beautiful daughter-in-law and adorable grandson. Thank you, Lord, that Daniel has married into a godly family that loves him as much as we do. We are blessed beyond measure. We couldn't make it without you by our side. Thank you, Jesus, and help us as we continue serving you and look forward to your coming!

Still celebrating 25 years!

Daniel and Erin treated me and Ed to a night out Friday evening to see:

....which was presented at Ohio University in Athens, just a few blocks from where Erin works. It was an absolutely beautiful evening as we walked through downtown and across the green to the theater.
Jaylon was with us, too, and he was so good and enjoyed himself so much AND entertained everyone around us before the show and during intermission. :-) During the show, he was mesmerized and clapped enthusiastically with the rest of the audience!

Here he is playing a game on his daddy's iPhone before the show started:

AND me and Ed waiting for the show to start! :-)

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BUT, not only did they take us out Friday night, come Saturday evening, we were the guests of honor at a SURPRISE 25th wedding celebration at our church which Daniel and Erin planned and hosted for us! More about that in a later post! :-)

Wednesday's ♥♥♥ Hodgepodge

It's time for Wednesday Hodgepodge which is sponsored by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond! Go on over to her blog to join in the fun!

1. Your favorite chocolate treat?
Well, Snickers is my favortie candy bar, so I might have to say that and I just had one Sunday, but I also like me a luscious piece of chocolate cake on the rare occasion because, as I have said before, I am not a big chocolate lover. I especially like the chocolate cake in a bowl with milk poured over it. The milk kind of soaks up into the cake and it is sooooo yummy!!
Sooooo....I think.....I'll go with.....the Snickers! :-) Because I would be more apt to grab a Snickers than bake a cake if I HAD a chocolate craving!

2. What more than anything else makes you feel loved?
Having read the Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman....more than once....mine is Acts of Service with a little of Words of Affirmation sprinkled in there. I used to think it was Words of Affirmation with a touch of Touch until I really made myself think about it and really observe what made me feel loved.
I finally discovered that it was Acts of Service when Ed had to take on so much of the daily chores here at home when I was so disabled. I never felt so loved. AND, even still, if there is something that needs to be done, I mean something I am just dreading doing....if he goes ahead and does it....well, talk about feeling loved!
So it would be Acts of Service. That is my final answer! :-)


3. Cherries or blueberries?
You know, in all honesty, I am just not fond of either BUT if I have to pick one, I'll go with blueberry because I do like blueberry muffins.

4. What is the one trait you most want the leader of your country to posess?
Integrity

5. Are you a saver or a spender?
A spender. Thankfully, my husband is a saver and we tend to balance each other out nicely. He has taught me to be more thrifty AND a saver and I have taught him how to have a little more fun with the money! :-) Yeehaa!


6. If you gave a party for all of your friends would they already know each other? No, not at all. I am so thankful for my friends. They are all so diverse and truly they have enriched my life beyond measure.


7. Are you interested in antiques?
Does my husband count? He's over 25 years old! :-) and I'm definitely interested in him! I find antiques interesting but not to the point of collecting them. I find them interesting in that they bring back so many memories of my childhood and so on.


8. Insert your own random thought here.
Our 25th wedding anniversary was yesterday, Feb. 15. There was a time when I wasn't too sure if we would ever make it to 25 years, but, with the help of the Lord, some....okay...quite a bit of determination and a double dose of commitment to eachother.....here we are! :-) We went out to Bob Evans last night for dinner and I had my favorite salad....the Heritage Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing. Oh.my.word. It is to die for!!!
We had wanted to get married on Valentine's Day which was on a Friday in the year that we were married, but our pastor was out of town and would not be back till the 15th, so that is when we got married.
I remember that I didn't want a wedding cake. I'm just not that much into cake and couldn't see spending so much money on a cake, so I ordered 14 dozen heart-shaped iced sugar cookies from the bakery and the dear friend that did my reception, (Lyda Kornmiller) arranged them on tiered serving pieces.
Also, at the time, 1986, it still wasn't quite the thing to have anything more than cake, punch, nuts and mints, and perhaps chips at your wedding reception. Well, I wanted food at mine! We're talking a spread here! :-) We had ham and turkey breast, salads, buns and all of the sandwich fixin's, baked beans, fruit trays, veggie trays, cheese trays. It was sooooo wonderful!
My sister Bev fixed Ed and me a box lunch of sorts to take with us when we left the reception to head off on our honeymoon and I'm so glad that she did. That food tasted soooooo wonderful a short while later when we were in the car, on our way and somewhat calmed down from all of the excitement.
Our wedding day was all that I had hoped it would be and it is now a precious memory that we have. I'm so thankful to all of the people that made it possible.
I wish we had had our wedding videoed but I don't think they even had camcorders yet. :-) So, we will just look at our wedding photos together and remember together!

Tuesday Tidbits!

Hmmmm.....that might be a good title for a new meme but I'm not EVEN going to go there! I don't have the time AND my computer/internet just isn't fast enough for me to get much accomplished.

Anywayyyyy.......I am still among the living. Oh yes, I am. I will be honest and say that I do FaceBook and that is, no doubt, taking some time away from my blog, which I hope to remedy somehow. It would help if my internet were faster. :-/ BUT I am able to stay in touch with so many family members and friends through FB! Now, if I could only get them to come to my blog, perhaps I would not be so busy with FB.

Jaylon....remember that cute little grandson of mine?....... is growing by leaps and bounds! See?


He is asleep in his bed this morning. His mommy, Erin, drops him off at about 7:20 and most often, I rock him for awhile and he goes right back to sleep for a couple of hours. BUT he doesn't want to take his hat and coat off. Noooo...he goes back to sleep in his coat and hat. Kinda weird but who am I to argue? :-) We all have our little quirks.

TODAY is Ed's and my 25th wedding anniversary!!!! TADA!!! I can hardly believe it!! TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, people!!! Who would have ever thunk it??

I mean, when we got married....I was 34 and he was 43....my brothers acted like it was the Taming of the Shrew or sumthin'! LOL It wasn't THAT bad, for heaven's sake! :-) So, we will celebrate quietly and go onward with life and marriage and the Lord, for He truly has seen us through good times and bad. I can't imagine my life without Ed and I don't want to even try!

I made Ed and Jaylon heart-shaped pancakes for breakfast yesterday for Valentine's day. :-) AND I am NOT responsible for all of the butter and syrup on Ed's pancakes, k? :-)


AND while I'm on the subject of Valentine's Day.....when did it get to be like a mini-Christmas thing? I could hardly believe all of the space that Walmart and other stores devoted to V-Day! Sheesh! Only in America! AND I remember when I was in high school. I had a boyfriend but you didn't send flowers and balloons and all kinds of stuff to eachother at school. Or at least we didn't at our school. My boyfriend did give me a heart-shaped box of candy when we were alone but I just think it has all gotten out of hand. Actually, what holiday in America hasn't gotten out of hand, except for Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day? Just my opinion. :-)

We've had a Volunteer's of America store in our town for as long as I can remember....forever. Well, they decided to close it this past December and I was just devastated. I'm still getting over it, in fact. We bought so many great things there, like new, for next to nothing. Especially books. Like new, up-to-date books. Books for me and especially for Jaylon. And the most I've paid for any of these books is $1.91 for the Tonka Truck book for Jaylon. Most of them were $ .50 to $ .90 each. Unbelievable, hm?



I've purchased clothes for Ed and me, toys for Jaylon......a Tonka dumptruck for $1.91 (they price things kind of strangely) that was like new and sold in the store for $25.00! A Little Tikes basketball stand with rim for $3.94, which sold new for at least $30.oo or possibly more!

Well, we went to Columbus this past Saturday for the express purpose of going to one of the VOA stores there. AND, once again, we found some GREAT books for Jaylon and for me. We figured it up and found that we purchased over $100.00 worth of books for ten dollars and some change! And they were all like new!! We WILL be going back! :-)
Oh, and one last thing about shopping at VOA.....I was wanting a good radio because I like to listen to Focus on the Family and Family Life Today on christian radio but I dont' get good reception here in the hills with the radio that I have. Well, I found this great GE radio at VOA for $1.91! Talk about great reception! You just touch the dial and there's a station playing. So very thankful that I can once again listen to my two favorite programs!

The sun is supposed to shine "brilliantly" today or so the weatherman has said, so I am going to get off of here, get some things done so Jaylon and I can head outside later! :-) There's nothing like sunshine to help the "winter blues". :-) And I am needing a little assistance in that area...still.

I hope your day is off to a good start wherever you are and that the sun/Son is shining brightly upon you!!!

The best I've got......

Soooo, I was talking to my sister Debbie on the phone yesterday afternoon to see how her weekend was and how she was feeling.

She said her caseworker from Tri-County Mental Health had stopped by earlier to talk with her and see how she is doing.

Debbie has struggled with mental health problems for many years but is doing very well now, though she still counsels and also takes medications.

Anywayyyyy......our brother Johnny stopped by while Kim (Debbie's caseworker) was there. He asked Kim, "So, how's she (Debbie) doin'?"

To which Kim replied, "She's the best I've got!"

Well, it just struck me and Debbie as hilarious and we about died laughing!!! :-)

I said, "Good heavens, then what kind of shape must her other clients be in?" LOL Debbie thought the same thing!

It was just too funny!!! BUT I am so thankful that Debbie is able to laugh about it all because sometimes that just isn't the case, you know?

This was a good day. :-)


My dear sister Debbie shortly after she had her open-heart surgery two years ago. :-)

Groundhog's Day Hodgepodge! :-)

It's that time of the week, once again.....Wednesday! And time for Hodgepodge which is hosted by Joyce at From This Side of the Pond. Go on over to Joyce's blog to join in!!

1. Would you rather be seen as a person who did their duty or forged their own path?
There are times when I do things because they ARE my duty. You know, there are times when, if it wasn't for my sense of duty, I wouldn't do alot of things. So, I am thankful that I have and feel a sense of duty.
While, another part of me does walk to the beat of her own drum and I do believe there is a place for this as long as it doesn't go against what the Lord expects of me, according to His word.

2. This week's Wednesday Hodgepodge happens to fall on Groundhog's Day. In keeping with that theme, if you could have a do-over of any one day out of the last seven, which day would it be and why. If you haven't seen the movie Groundhog Day this question will make absolutely no sense but that's okay....you can answer anyway.
It would be last Saturday. You see, I left the house at 9:00AM so I could be at the church and ready to give a piano lesson at 10:00. I left the church at noon and headed to Walmart. I then went to the library to do some things on the computer. By the time I was ready to leave the library it was almost 4:00PM. Just then my cellphone rang. It was Daniel. He asked if his dad and I could take care of Daniel for 4 or 5 hours so he could finally take Erin out for their anniversary. *sigh* By this time of the day I was soooooo tired and was looking forward to just going home and doing nothing but I didn't have the heart to tell him no or to tell him that he should have planned ahead and given me an advance notice BUT I said, "Sure, that would be fine. I'll be right over."
They just live a couple of blocks from the library. And once I saw the cuteness that IS Jaylon, I didn't mind so much after all. :-) BUT I was still so tired and he had just gotten up from a two hour nap, so I knew it was going to be a long evening.
Sooooo, Jaylon and I arrived home and got all settled in with Papa and, all in all, we had a very good evening, though by ten o'clock, I was definitely wearing down and that is when the kids arrived to get the boy! :-)
Sooooo, if I had know that I was going to have Jaylon that evening for 5 hours, I would definitely have come straight home after the piano lesson and rested!
You thought my question was going to be weather related didn't you?

3. Hot cocoa...yay or nay on the marshmallows?
Nay, on the marshmallows. I just don't care for their gooeyness on top of my creamy hot chocolate. That IS my final answer. :-)

4. Do you wear makeup every day? What are the top two must haves in your daily makeup routine?
No, I don't wear makeup at all. I do wear lip balm, not gloss. In the summer, when it is terribly hot and humid, I use a bit of pressed powder now and again to take care of the shine on my face if I am going to church or somewhere nice.

5. Is it more important to you in a relationship to be loved or understood?
Well, I don't know just how deeply you can be loved if you aren't understood, too, at least to some degree.

6. Parsley sage rosemary or thyme... your favorite?
I don't know what thyme tastes like. I do like rosemary, in small doses. I like parsley, though I don't think it has much flavor to it. It is very subtle. AND I looooove sage! Especially in dressing/stuffing. Oh yum! And I put just a tad in meatloaf.
Soooo, I would have to say SAGE! That is my final answer. :-) (I couldn't resist saying that again! ;-p)

7. What do you do when you feel angry?
Well, my carnal self loves to slam things and throw things. BUT, because I have endeavored to submit myself to the Lord through the years, my spiritual self just has to get away from whatever is causing my anger. Go into another room and shut the door. If the weather is conducive, I go outside. Sometimes, I've even gone for a drive. AND there have been times when I have just found a place and gone to my knees and cried out to the Lord! AND, in all honesty, there are still times, though they are now very rare, that I have been known to slam a cabinet door.....still. :-/

8. Insert your own random thought here.
I have been dealing with a pretty severe case of the blues. *sigh* This is certainly the time of the year for them, hm? :-/ I've been trying, trying really hard to count my blessings, reminding myself that I don't have anything to be blue about. I am so blessed.
It's not been working very well for me.
I've even told myself......you COULD be living in Egypt, be in the midst of all that turmoil. You COULD be living in a third-world country where there is no electricity and so on.....not working. You COULD have just a loved one to illness or sudden death. Counting my blessings. Not working.
Then there was wonderful sunshine this past Monday. That helped some. I made sure to get outside and soak some of it in. Helped a little.
I've been feeling bouts of loneliness and I wonder, "How can this be?". I don't know. I have my dear husband. I have little Jaybug. I have my church family. Sibs. Friends that I talk to. Why in the world am I feeling lonely.....AND blue.
Is it REALLY just the effects of this time of year? REALLY? It would really help if I knew that that is what it REALLY is!
Oh, and we've been in some really wonderful services at church and a couple of other churches during this past week, too, and still......feelin' blue. *sigh*
This, too, shall pass, I keep tellin' myself. *little smile*
Oh, but let me tell you this: This morning, I was telling Ed something while we were sitting at the table eating breakfast with Jaylon sitting in between us. Well, I was being pretty demonstrative, spreading my arms out and all.
Well, that little Jaylon started mimicking me and it was soooo funny!! I started laughing at him and he started laughing at me. We laughed for a good five minutes, maybe a little more!!! :-) He is a dollbaby!!!
Oh and he is FINALLY calling me something! Yes.he.is!!!! Are you reading for this? He is calling me "Beh Beh". Sometimes he says really softly and it is so precious. And he says it with a staccato sound.
I'm thinking that he is really calling me "Baby" BECAUSE I call him "baby" all of the time. For instance: "Come here, baby." "Grandma loves you, baby."
But it really doesn't matter WHY he is calling me Beh-Beh, hm? :-) No sir, it doesn't!
I am BEH-BEH!!!!! Yayyyy!!! LOL

Monday, Monday.....

I'm having computer problems. Somehow I got a virus on my computer and it is not going to be an easy fix, sooooo I am probably going to just look into getting a new computer. *sigh* Thankfully, I have all of my pictures saved on disc.
You know, I heard of this program that saves all of your computer info online and I think it is only about $50/year. I am seriously going to look into because that would surely be easier than saving everything to a disc.
Anywayyyy....I am typing this at the library, so I have to make it quick! :-)

Below are some random pictures I've taken:


This was the view out my kitchen window on several different occasions this month! :-) It's beautiful but I am looking forward to spring!

I looked out the front door Saturday morning and saw the sun peaking over the hill onto the snow and snapped this!


AND here's Jaylon looking all big and grown-up looking through a folder of kitty pictures I made for him. He loves kitties and can go through the pictures by clicking on the right arrow! :-)


AND this is the two watches I told you all about in last week's Hodgepodge. See how similar they are? I bought myself one of them and my sister Debbie bought me the other one! :-)

Hope you all are having a wonderful January!!! God Bless!!

My Wordy Wednesday Hodgepodge!!!

Okay, you have been warned. :-) Some of my answers are a bit lengthy. I can't help myself!!! (You understand this, hm, Joyce?) :-)
Sooooo, here is my Wednesday Hodgepodge! Click on Joyce's blog to join in the fun!!



1. Do you like your name? Were you named after someone? If you have children how did you settle on their names?
Yes, I do. My full name is Jewel Bell (Peters) Cavinee. Now get this: My parents were William and Betty. My sibs, from oldest to my twin are Bill, Bev, Debbie, and Johnny. So my parents get to me and call me Jewel Bell!! Now, I don't mind at all but I just thought it was kind of strange that they all had such common names and it's like they just kind of went cahrazzzzyy when it came to naming me! :-)

Long before I met Ed, I knew that if I ever had a son, I would name him Daniel. You see, my sister Debbie had some dear friends that helped her and her children during some of the worst times of their lives. Debbie struggled with mental illness and she and the kids had very little. Dave and Brenda were a god-send to them during this time.

Well, they had a little boy whose name was Daniel. Daniel was crippled and had to wear leg braces and use crutches but he had the most radiant spirit in spite of his adversities. I just loved that little guy and just always knew that I would name my son after him.

Many, many years later, when I worked at the library, a young man and woman came into the library as I was working the checkout desk. Though I was busy, I noticed that he was on crutches and had a difficult time walking. They smiled and said hello.

When they came to check out their books, I could hardly believe it. It was Daniel!!! THE Daniel! And he still possessed that radiant spirit!! It was quite a reunion right there in the library. Though he barely remembered me, I could tell that he was quite touched when I shared this same story with him and showed him pictures of his namesake.

AND.......the Bible also says that Daniel had an "excellent spirit". (Daniel 6:3)

2. How do you define success?
To finally be comfortable with who I am. To be genuinely me and to be able to be my genuine self with others. To be comfortably confident and to feel that I am making a difference in my small part of the world, with the help of the Lord.

3. Wheel of Fortune or Jeopardy?
Wheel of Fortune because I have more time to think about the answers and I just don't know that much random knowledge to be very good at Jeopardy, PLUS I'm just not crazy about Alex Trebek *sp*. I seldom watch either show but would definitely choose Wheel of Fortune. AND I might add that I AM pretttyyyy good at it BUT as Ed says, everytime I tell him he needs to take me OUT there and put me on the show......"You'd probably bomb!" :-) I've oftened wondered if I would do as well as I do here at home! I'll probably never know! :-) But it's a nice daydream!!


4. If you could own any single object that you don't have now, what would that object be?
I am really thinking about this one and having some difficulty coming up with an answer. Soooooo.......I will say a new Roland keyboard with weighted keys. *sighhhhh*


5. What is something that inspires you?
The Word of the Lord
I never cease to be amazed to find help for every situation that life presents within its pages. Thank you, Lord.

6. Meatloaf-yea or nay? If its a yay how do you make yours?
A definite "yay"! Here is my favorite recipe!

7. Which is more admirable-the ability to organize and be methodical or the ability to adapt and make do?
Well, I think there are admirable qualities to each persona, actually. I mean, if we were all methodical and organized, life would be pretty regimented and boring and t.o.r.t.u.r.e. for someone like ME! :-)
While, on the other hand, if everyone was adaptable and make-do types....like moi'.... we would be living in chaos. Not that I live in chaos. No, no. If you came to my house, you would think it was tidy and neat BUT I know where the disorganization is! Trust me on this. :-)
So, my conclusion of the whole matter is that both are good and we definitely need the two in order to live a balanced existence! :-) Thank you, Jesus. (He knew what He was doing!)


8. Insert your own random thought here.
This was taken from the back of our Sunday church bulletin this past week:
God's creatures can sometimes be illustrations of important truths. If a buzzard is placed in a small pen, it will be totally imprisoned, even though the pen is not covered. For, despite their ability to fly, buzzards always run eight to ten feet before taking off, and without that space to run, they will not even attempt to fly.
]The ordinary bat cannot take off from a level place. If placed on flat ground or on a floor, it ca only shuffle around helplessly until it comes to a slight elevation from which to launch itself into the air, where it is then able to fly with remarkable agility.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, because it cannot see the means of escape at the top. Instead, it will persist in trying to find a way out through the sides near the bottom, seeking a way where none exist.
People are in many ways like the buzzard, the bat and the bumblebee. We struggle along with our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up to the Lord for help.
In Psalm 121, David said: "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." (KJV)
~ by Paul J. Twist

New Year's Eve Day lunch with the Sibs!

Several years ago, I asked my brothers, sisters and their spouses to join me and Ed for lunch on New Year's Eve day. They all agreed and we have been doing so now for at least 10 years, perhaps longer. I'm so thankful that everyone really makes an effort to be there. Though I wish they'd write the date and time down because I got so many calls the week prior and even the day of, wanting to verify the day, time and place! Sheesh!! :-)

We usually meet at two o'clock so as to beat the lunch and dinner crowds. We've always gone to Red Lobster, except for one year when we went to Millstone BBQ here in Logan, which we all enjoyed but Red Lobster just seems to be the place to go for all of us. Go figure. There's really no rhyme or reason for it. :-)

Soooo, once again, this year, we all met up at Red Lobster and had a most enjoyable time of food and talking and sharing and taking pictures.
And it is good to get together without kids and grandkids. Just us old folks. :-) Though we aren't THAT old. Ed, my husband, is the eldest, at 68, and he probably looks the youngest! :-) Below are some pictures of our time together:

This is me and Ed, of course!

This is my oldest sister Bev and her husband Bud! That's Johnny, my twin brother in the background! :-)

And here we have my sister Debbie , my oldest brother Bill and his wife Sandy!

This is my twin brother Johnny and his wife Cheryl!

AND...this is the dessert we all shared! It was yummy but after a delicious meal, none of us wanted a dessert all to ourselves, so this shared one was just right! :-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this new year, I'm going to suggest to Daniel and Erin that they start a tradition similar to ours, of getting together with their cousins on the same day each year, be it at Christmas or Easter or in the summer. It is so important that we stay connected and not let life just kind of run away with us, keeping us from those times spent with family.
I'll let you know how my efforts turn out! :-)

Snowy Hodgepodge! :-)

It's that time of the week again when Joyce at From This Side of the Pond hosts Wednesday Hodgepodge. Just go to her blog and join in, if you like and make some new friends or get better acquainted with some old ones!! Happy Snowy Wednesday!!! :-)

1. Every January 1st since 1976 Lake Superior University has published a list of words they'd like to see banished from the Queen's English. Words may be banished due to mis-use, over-use or just general uselessness and they receive over 1000 nominations. Here are the fourteen words/phrases they'd like to see banished in 2011-viral, epic, fail, wow factor, a-ha moment, back story, BFF, man up, refudiate, Mama Grizzlies, The American People, facebook/google when used as verbs, I'm just sayin', and Live life to the fullest.
What word or phrase would you like to see banished from our everyday vocabulary in 2011? You can choose one from the 'official list' or you can get creative and come up with your own.
PHENOMENAL - I just think it is so overused when you consider that it is meant to describe something highly extraordinary according to dictionary.com and Webster's. I mean, I kind of cringe when I hear people use it! :-) What can I say?

2. Do you consider opportunity something that comes to you or something you create for yourself?

Wellllll......I think the way we live our lives has much to do with opportunities coming our way. So, I would say that it is a bit of both. :-) People do watch us and the way we live our lives on a day-to-day basis. So does the Lord, of course. :-) BUT, having said THAT, we do have a responsibility to take advantage of opportunity when it comes our way, if indeed it is something that we have desired to do.

3. Since we're all eating healthy this month, ahem, what's included in your favorite salad? Is there dressing?
We are? :-0 Oh my. :-) Where do I begin? Lettuce, as in romaine, leaf, a little iceberg, tad of spinach. Tomatoes. Onions. Cucumbers. Radishes. Green Pepper. Carrots. Dill pickle. I also like alfalfa sprouts. Boiled Egg. Crumbled Bacon. I don't care for cheese on my salad. My favorite dressing is Asian Sesame. I love, love, love it! I also like 1000 Island.

Bob Evan's has a luscious hot bacon dressing that is to die for! Oh my! :-)

Oh, and I do like grilled chicken on my salad, too!

I know, I know....I do have to be careful because salad CAN become a not-so-healthy thing! :-/

4. The fourth Monday in January is said to be Blue Monday...aka the most depressing day of the year. The date was calculated using many factors including weather, debt level, time since Christmas, time since we've failed at our new year resolutions, low motivation and feeling a need to take action. Do you get the blues this time of year and if so what is something you do to lift your spirits?
Yessss, I usually do. Believe it or not, having snow on the ground helps me alot. It makes everything so pretty and takes away the drabbiness of winter for me. Also, getting outside, whether the sun is shining or not, and breathing in the fresh air and walking around really helps, too.

My friend Barbara posted a very good article about combatting those winter blues at her blog Stray Thoughts!


5. Do you wear a watch? Any other everyday jewelry essentials?
No, I don't wear a watch, though I have one that I like very much. Actually, I have two. You see, I had just bought myself a watch from Avon that I really liked because it had large numbers on the face of it.

Well, lo and behold if my sister Debbie didn't buy me one almost identical to it! AND I had bought one for her, too!!! :-) Cahrazzzyyy, hm? :-)

Maybe it is because I've not worn one enough to get used to it, but it just kind of bugs me, having it on my wrist. I use my cellphone for checking the time. The only other jewelry I wear is my wedding ring which has been on my finger for 25 years this Feb. 15!!! :-)


6. What is something useful you learned in high school?

Typing and sewing. I use both of these skills all of the time. When I was teaching a computer class at the library, I had quite a few students who wished they had taken typing in school. Not knowing how to type really frustrated them in learning to use the computer but most of them stuck it out and pushed onward! :-)

I learned the basics of pattern reading and sewing in Home Economics, which I am so thankful for. My older sister Bev taught me many, many sewing skills and sewing shortcuts later in life.

7. Do you use an accountant when completing and filing your income tax returns or do you attempt to muddle through all by yourself?
Hmmmm.....I use a friend who is an accountant. :-) NOW, I have done our taxes in years past but I do not like math or numbers so it was a real chore for me. When I work with numbers like that I feel like my brain is being squeezed! Yuck! Sooooo, though I COULD do them, I would much rather PAY my friend to do them. It is also just one less thing I have to do, you know? :-)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Another year I enter,

Its history unknown;

Oh, how my feet would tremble

To tread its paths alone!

But I have heard God's whisper -

I know I shall be blest -

"My presence shall go with you,

And I will give you rest."

What will the New Year bring me?

I may not, must not know.

Will it be love and rapture,

Or loneliness and woe?

Hush! Hush! I hear His whisper -

I surely shall be blest -

"My presence shall go with you,

And I will give you rest."

~author unknown~

Pictures of "You-Know-Who"! :-)

At least once a day, Jaylon goes in on my bed and commences to stacking up the pillows as high as he can get them. :-) Then he jumps on my bed and, most days, I help him! We do have ball!!!

Well, in the picture below, he had gone in for a second round, which I wasn't terribly pleased about, BUT when I saw this cute face and pose....well, how could I resist? :-)


AND, the picture below was taken of Jaylon's FIRST trip ever outside to play in the snow! He wasn't too crazy about the snow, though he loved being outside, of course!

I've not been blogging much these past few weeks during the holidays and I've noticed that some others whose blogs I follow haven't been either, for whatever reason.

But with the coming of the new year, we have begun to come back to our blogs and begin posting again. Yayyyyy!!!

I could hardly believe how good it was to see that this one or that one had posted, as it showed up on my blog reader!!! And I rushed "right over" to read your posts and comment!

Now, the amazing thing about this is that we've never met in "real" life but I have come to love you dear ladies as my friends!!! I have! Amazing, I know, but I'm thinkin' that you all feel the same way, hm? *little smile*

It especially means so much to me because I am at home ALOT, especially now that I am caring for little Jaylon and also because it is winter.

AND though I am a bit reluctant to admit this, I struggle some with the "blues" this time of year. You know, the dreary, cold weeks between January and the first signs of spring in March. The walls can kind of close in a bit sometimes.
AND it hasn't helped that last week I was sick with the stomach flu for a couple of days. I am fine now but thankfully Erin was able to come home and get Jaylon on the worst day. And now the little guy is here this morning and he is sick with vomitting and a low-grade fever but he is sleeping at the present time. Poor little thing......but he doesn't cry or fuss. He just vomits and is kind of limp and just lets grandma (me *smile*) clean him up.

I got all of the Christmas decorations down and stored away last Monday and Tuesday but now the house looks kind of drab...*sigh*......so I am trying to "spruce" it up some.


I've been experimenting with rearranging the living room to make room for a "big boy" bed for Jaylon but I don't like the present arrangement, though the hubs does. :-/

Believe it or not, I had whined to him about not liking the new arrangement and he said that he really did like it. (drat.) *grin* So I thought.......I'll give it a couple of more days to see if it grows on me. :-) But then he turns around and says......"Babe, go ahead and change it back if you want." What's a woman to do? :-)

Sooooo, I got to thinking......:-).......we seldom go into the den anymore. It used to be Daniel's bedroom. We could turn THAT room into Jaylon's room! But then I think of all that that would entail. Am I really ready to do all of this?


One REALLY big positive about doing this is that I could put all of Jaylon's toys and things in one room AND I could reclaim MY room up front which has been overrun by toys. MY room is supposed to be for my keyboard, desk and sewing/craft stuff. Not that I sew or craft much BUT at least I would have a designated place for it if I should choose to do so! :-)

AND what furniture to keep and not to keep. What to put where. Decisions, decisions. A bit overwhelming to even think about this morning. So, I won't, 'cause I have a sick little guy to hold and take care of today and love and hold and take care of.

In closing......we took Jaylon out to Lake Logan a few days ago to see the ducks, geese and swans and found them all gathered around one opening in the ice. Alot of people feed them and we are not exception. :-) They weren't paying much attention to us until I started tossing some pieces of bread out onto the ice and slowly they started making their way to us AND those big geese an swans were not in the least shy, let me tell ya!......as you can see in some of these pictures!

Okayyyyy.....so I will be posting NO pictures as my internet is unbearably slow this morning! I'll post them tonight from the library!

Have a blessed and peaceful Monday!!! We are expecting 3-6"of snow sometime between this evening and tomorrow evening. I love the snow though there are so many who have the chore of having to drive in to work but, for me, it does make winter more bearable and it makes everything look so pretty! :-)