I about forget how to use xanga  Facebook has seemed to take over for me, its much easier to manage. I’m not a writer so one reason I don’t use xanga much, but I love keeping up with my friends lives on here and enjoy reading you all’s posts.

  I will try and update our lives a little, I will start with the girlies.

Gwenyth is in second grade and loves school. I miss her help at home. I told Mark sometimes its hard to be a mom to a seven year old, she has fears that I never knew a seven year old can have and it has been very challenging to help her through those fears and to teach her to trust God. I love her dearly but there have been times I’m ashamed to admit it has been trying, sleepless nights and her crying and coming downstairs to see if mamma is still here and alive. This summer it was so good, but with school now and those changes, we are working through it again, Praise God its better then it was a couple years ago, shes older and can talk about whats troubling her. I have failed so often with her, but its only by the grace of God and His forgiveness that we are where we are with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Danika is five and CANNOT wait to start school, and will be six in March. She is a big help since Gwenyth is in school and does well in playing with the twins. I’m amazed at what all she has learned from Gwenyth,  she loves to “read” and color pictures for her cousins and friends. She loves her friends, Kirsten and Alicia are her best friends in church she says and wants a big birthday party, just girls no boys  When its quiet and you don’t hear her, you had better go look cause she will most times be in “trouble.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These two peas in a pod are just so much fun. So thankful to God for blessing us with twins. Its so much fun to see them developing their own personalities. One is like her mamma and the other like her daddy  This picture makes it look like there is a major difference in height but don’t think the ground is level where they are standing. They love to play with their dolls and play mom and dad and be the baby and suck on gross pacifiers  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miranda likes to eat as soon as she’s awake and put her dress on. Likes clothes, sweaters, shoes and knows which dresses she wants to wear, and likes to look in the mirror to make sure it looks pretty  Follows in her older sisters footsteps, likes to play what they are playing and be in all the action. She will not be left out!!!! Loves to help mamma wash dishes, and clean. Its so cute, most mornings when they wake up, they come down holding hands. Her favorite saying is, “Mamma, do you  know what the Bible says? Be kind.” She’s our little singer and their favorite song is J-O-Y, and Only a boy named David, and today its the A-B-C.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mckenzie, our little skinny minnie but Oh so fiesty….. She doesn’t mind playing by herself and likes her doll Sarah Ann (who is lost ) Don’t know where she got too.. Likes to dress the same as Miranda and isn’t so worried about her looks or shoes or sweaters, but likes to color pictures for her mamma and cousin Natasha. She is a Mamma baby. She also loves her Grandma and Grandpa. Gets all excited when she can stay at their house. She likes her little toys, right now its a little ugly doll that has a leg missing, or it will be a little car, or a stuffed animal. Is not a morning person and likes to be held for awhile and then eat. I have learned to watch what I say, next thing you know they will repeat it, the other day I was trying to do something on the computer and it just didn’t want to cooperate so I said, “stupid thing.” Pretty soon Mckenzie walks around saying stupid thing…. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I told Mark I would like a boy now.  Sometimes there is alot of “drama” going on in this house. Those of you  with girls know what I mean. 

The last month or so I have felt like the clay in the “Potters” hands. God has been chipping off the bad and replacing it with Love and Forgiveness and more of Him and less of me.  There have been hurts, dissapointments, and failures and its been hard to sometimes go on but with God’s grace it is possible. When your dreams come crashing its hard to pick up the pieces and to remember that His ways are better then mine and His plans are Perfect…. One night I was so discouraged and knew I needed to share with my husband but didn’t want to. Its easier for me to bottle it inside and work on it myself but it felt good to share with him what was going on inside of my heart, and he held me and let me cry. I’m so thankful to have a husband who loves me even when I fail as a wife and mother. My roll as a mother was becoming a chore instead of blessing and I was beginning to feel like a robot. I’m so glad God doesn’t love us according to how we perform but loves us unconditionally. Isn’t that beautiful??  I want to let God’s love overflow from my life and I want to be happy where He has placed me and even tho sometime life gets “dirty” I will not get bent- out- of- shape, but I will lift up my chin and smile. I want to become more like my Jesus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometime I will share with you our love story   Its amazing how God leads people together and I’m so thankful for my dear husband, he is amazing, and a wonderful daddy to our girlies. I could go on but I’ll stop in case you get bored

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank God for friends. This group of ladies are just amazing and wonderful, I love them dearly and they are such a blessing to my life and thank God for them. This evening was just wonderful, Coffee and friends are the “icing” in my life.

  Can it seriously be Christmas 2010??? Where did this year go? As I reflect back over this year there has been good and sad times. One thing I think about alot was how my health has been so good and all the things I was able to do again by myself and that has felt so good and has been a big stepping stone for me and the twins are older and they are able to do things by themselves and play well together (most times). Gwenyth started school and that is a new phase for us but its good and she loves it. Danika is taking the responsibilty for being the big sister at home and she does good with the twins and is learning to help mamma. Mark is busy at Madison Metals and running around keeping both of the offices running smoothly and roll forming metal which he enjoys,  and we enjoy having him home earlier evenings.

As many of you know my neice Kassandar passed away in August and that has been hard but God has been good. My family was all together at Thanksgiving and that was really hard as she was missed but we still had an enjoyable time. Michael preached here at our church for the first time and that was different to see my brother-in-law at the pulpit, he did good.. About three weeks ago my dear Grandmother passed away after battling with cancer for about a year. Mark and I flew to Missouri for the funeral and it was a fast flying trip but it was soo good to see cousins and friends I haven’t seen in years. Dear Grandmother will be missed but so glad she is free from pain and suffering and enjoying the bliss of heaven. Makes me jealous to know that Kassandra and Grandmother are enjoying heaven and the presence of Jesus, my longing for heaven has been magnified and I am looking forward to that great day!!!!

This first part of November we had a kitchen fire.. Scary but so thankful we still have a house and nobody was hurt. I learned one thing don’t ever put butter on the stove and leave the kitchen to do something else. The microwave was burned and needed to be replaced and the ceiling needs to be repainted and who knows when that will happen:) Lots to be thankful for… Blessings to you and yours this Holiday season~ ~ ~

  

This morning God called my six year old niece Kassandra home to be with Him. She was a twin and loved by many. Tears and more tears have been shed and my heart just breaks for my dear sister Rachel and her husband Mike Weirich and her twin Klarrisa, and sister Lakisha and brother Zachary. Kassandra had not be feeling well the last week and this monday took a turn for the worse so Rach took her the doctor yesterday and he thought it might just be a virus but Rach insisted he do something more cause of sick she was, she complained alot about her stomach and didn’t eat or drink that much so they did blood tests and checked for appendicitus and it came back clear but he also did a chest x-ray and she had pneumonia and so gave her antibiotics and sent her home, she started coughing yesterday and didn’t sleep at all during the night and by this morning was alot worse, so she told she is taking her back to the doctor and left the room to do something and her twin Klarrisa came out and said she isn’t breathing so she called 911 and did CPR the best she knew, she died at the hospital then. They plan to do an autopsy to determine her death, the doctors are suspicious there was something else going on, she was born with a hole in her heart so that might have something to do with it. Please pray for Mike and Rach that they do not blame themselves, they did all they knew to do and it was Gods timing, He wanted her at home to be with Him. It hurts so much and the pain is so raw but so thankful for the prayers of friends it means so much and I feel Gods arm wrapped around us, this is the first death in my family and it so hard. They were going to start school on Monday and their birthdays are Sept 30, the twins were use to doing everything together and Klarrisa will be lonely. The weeks ahead will be painful for the Weirichs so if you think about breathe a prayer for them. If you’re a mother kiss your children and tell them you love them cause tonight there is a mother and father who do not have their daughter to kiss and hug.

  O where do I start?? Two weeks ago we headed for Fl  for a family vacation before Gwenyth starts school and plus we were all ready to go on a vacation by ourselves and just enjoy each other and not have anything planned and we were not disappointed!!! It honestly was the best vacation we have ever taken as a family. There was lots of sleeping in, bike rides, which we all enjoyed esp. the twins, they would cry about everytime we took them out of their carriers and the beach was fantastic, the kiddie pool was awesome for the girls and all the good  food we enjoyed that I didn’t have to cook…. and spending time with Marks grandparents, and Mummy spoiled the girls by giving them candy and letting them come over to her house to play with paper and pens and she gave them each a little something to bring home. She is a dear old lady and we love them dearly. The worse thing was the drive, both times we drove all night, mainly because it was cheaper and the girls slept most of the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We saw some beautiful sunset!!

 

 

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The girls all loved the water, Miranda at first did not like it but Mark was determined she wasn’t going to cry the whole time and so he took her out with him and stayed there until she stopped crying and after that she was fine:)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our last night there we attempted to take family pictures which my dear friends was kinda a joke!!! On most of the pics the girls aren’t looking or they didn’t want to cooperate, don’t ask me how photographers do it!! There were a few I was able to salvage and with alot of editing I think I will call them passable. Then to top the evening off we rode our bikes over to Big Olaf creamery and enjoyed their delicious ice cream.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is what happens when you tell your husband to pose nicely for a pic   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So often I write posts in my head and don’t ever write it  Girls are still sleeping and its about 10:30. The time change was nice. Yesterday we packed up and left for TN and will be here all week and if they don’t get done what they want will stay till the next week. It’s not as easy for me to pack up and leave home for so long, its work and the babies need to get use to sleeping somewhere else and their schedule gets messed up etc. We love staying at Marks parents place. They have a finished basement and a washer and dryer and we can pretty much live downstairs without bothering them, of course the girls love to go upstairs and be with Mommy and hopefully I can help her with meals. Can you believe it, I didn’t bring anything along to do besides schoolwork for Gwenyth. So often I bring either scrapbooking, or sewing and I don’t touch it and my husbands despairs with me, all that dragging along for nothing, so I decided to not do it this time, I did bring four books along to read.

Colds and fever have made their rounds at out house this past week and I’m ready to go south and soak up some sunshine and feel the sand beneath my feet. Oh how I wish. The funny thing is that it’s suppose to be warmer at home then here. I think we should have stayed home. I know spring is coming, I can feel it in the air and see it in the flowerbeds, flowers are poking their heads through. But why do I have this feeling we are going to see some snow yet????? Lets just hope they are wrong.

One day Mark came home from work and gave me a card and I opened it up and here was $150. My mouth fell opened. A birthday, Christmas, Valentines day gift all in one. I still haven’t spend it all and you know when you are so use to spending money on your children and for only things you need, you tend to hang on to it for awhile, cause when do I have time to go shopping for myself and by myself?? I have dreams of going shopping one day b.y.m.y.s.e.l.f. and browse through the stores and just have fun of knowing I have money to buy some things I’ve wanted  I did have one requirement, something I was told too buy. Don’t you wish you knew what it was???  Now I’m dreaming of going away by ourselves for a weekend and just being together and knowing I have my husband all to myself and not having the demands of our children. I love my girlies dearly but sometimes I need a break to clear my head and to be able to connect again with my husbands or to be able to handle the demands of a mother. I think about it alot more since I’ve heart problems, I can’t handle the stress like I use to, I need my rest, I can’t run on five hours of sleep. It gets frustrating, I’m still learning my limits, it has been hard for me, cause I love to have company and party, but my husband has helped me to see this. My children and husband are important and when I’m under stress they suffer. 

Prayer. Oh the power of prayer. Thinking today of the Morris family and all the hurt and pain that has been going on and my heart just aches for them and I wonder how much more they can handle but I know that God is powerful and He will see them through and He does answer prayer if we trust Him. Please pray for them. They need a miracle.

Summer can hardly get here fast enough, reunions, camping, swimming, vacations, barefoot, slurping popsicles, eating homemade ice cream, mowning lawn, burying your toes in the nice soft dirt, eating fresh veggies out of the garden, and the list could go on and on. I miss not blogging and I’m determined to let it go so long again.  May you feel Gods love shining on you today.

We would appreciate your prayers as we travel. Leaving today for SC for the funeral and then on the TN and OH and returning home on sunday. It looks like a big week all the miles that will be traveled and the tears that will be shed.

 I hope and pray the twins will be angels in their carseats. I have enough books and food along they should not be bored. Sounds like we might get into some snowy weather. I do not like driving on snowy roads. Blessings to each and everyone.

Tonight there will be seven children going to bed without Daddy kissing their cheeks and saying I love you, and a wife who doesn’t a husband to kiss her and tell her how beautiful she is and how much he loves her. Please pray for Connie and the seven children. Tinslie is 14 and beautiful teenager and Caroline was her Daddy’s girl. Nate loved his children and he would brag about his girls and how they could run the house without their parents and his boys were his shadow. They loved their daddy. This morning Nate passed away. My heart aches for them and I’ve been teary-eyed all day. We don’t understand God’s ways but His ways are perfect. Nate had heart trouble and there has been a few times we thought he was close to death but God had other plans. Yesterday Nate took his students to a skating rink  and he wasn’t on the ice very long and fell down, he sat up and was mumbling and his students thought he was being funny. (those of us that know Nate, he could be crazy and there was never a dull moment when he was around) but then one of the boys noticed he was really sweating. He had a brain aneurysm. They don’t know if thats why he fell or if the fall caused it. These details are from someone else so if I’m wrong correct me. Nate was my co-teacher at Cross Hill. We had lots of good times and memories. Connie is a beautiful women and has a heart of gold, she would do anything for a person and is a wonderful mother and wife. Please pray that God would be near them and they would feel His arms around them. The youngest is 10 months and the oldest 14.

Ok ladies, sorry it’s taking me so long to come up with some guidelines  I think I thought about it everyday and tried to come up with something that wouldn’t be so rigid so that when you quit you won’t gain it all back. I’ve kinda come to a dead-end, cause how will we be accountable to each other when we don’t even live in the same community, and I guess what I’m going to do is be accountable to my husband and if I do all my excercise, etc, then maybe we can do something special. I don’t know, what do you think????

         “You can fool some of the people all the time, and all of the people some

                of the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

                                                                                              Abraham Lincoln

Who wants to join me doing excersices this year and losing some 2009 fat!!! I’m serious if I could be accountable to someone to help me it would be easier to do!!! If you are interested please let me know and we’ll get some guidelines set up. I’m not interested in doing something dramatic but just being disiplined and making sure you do excersices either everyday or a couple times a week.