Happy New Year!

It's another year and another time to figure out finances and where we want to spend our money. It's also time to pull the tax documents out and start putting everything into Turbo Tax. We always get back something and we always have to have the conversation of what to do with it. It's doesn't stick around or even buy us anything fun. It's usually a "which bill do you want to pay first" kind of conversation. All this is to say, we have been blessed that every year I have surgery or something major has caused us to get behind, God has always been generous to allow us to get caught up, or close to, with a tax return. This year is nothing different. With my two major surgery's so close together, that has a stack of bills I can't even look at without tearing up. But God will sustain us and we will pull through. He always allows us to have more than we deserve.

So count your blessings and let's look forward to a great and healthy new year!

For we NEED a little Christmas!

Well, this holiday season started out kind of sad. We lost Ryan's grandmother November 19th, so we traveled to Wichita early to have her funeral before Thanksgiving. I didn't feel like taking pictures, so since we are back home and decorating, I thought I would try to now get in the spirit and decorate the tree. I'm missing the lights and garland for another tree, so one is all I have done today. It's been a stay in your jammies all day kind of day. And tonight, we have been outside roasting hotdogs for dinner. Nice and easy and family time. Just what we needed!

Brrr...

Well, it's finally cold enough outside to put on a fire. Day before yesterday, I fired up the fireplace. The smell and the warmth spell winter to me. Last night, we blew up the king size air mattress and curled up in front of the fire. That is, Morgan, Katie and I. There is something about doing that, made me realize it is time to slow down. Thanksgiving is just a week away and then follows Christmas. With all the hustle and bustle of shopping, decorating and cooking, I feel like I overlook just spending time together. This season, I am going to try to work on that. I am cutting back the gifts for my kids and we are going to focus on the real meaning of Christmas and just enjoy each others company. Isn't that what Jesus did? He spent his time here on earth and just wants our time in return.

Happy Holidays and take some time to cuddle by the fire!

My gardener!

I have this great gardener that is going to grow me a garden this summer. He is really reasonable (free) and very handsome. Okay, he's my hubby. Ryan has built a garden box this year and is trying his hand at gardening. We are both hoping for the best but I am one of those, "I'll believe it when I see it" kind of gals. So far he has growing corn, tomatoes, peppers (red, orange, yellow and jalapenio) squash, green beans, peas, and carrots. Like I said, we'll see how it goes. He has done all his research but I think he's got it packed in too close. I'm sure we will have something to show though for all his efforts. I love salsa, so I will be canning if all the tomato plants produce.

Anyway, this was a really good picture of him with a real smile (not one of those get it over with ones) so I thought I would share.

Have a happy week!

So busy, but not too much for some fun.

Life has just been flying by lately. I've packed a lot into April with a project for work and now I am ready to slow down for the rest of May. Just an update, my friend's baby has made it through surgery and is starting to be fed with a tube. I can't imagine going over a week without eating. But this little guy has just been holding on and making progress so fast. It's amazing how the body works and how something so small can survive. I am still praying though for they are not out of the woods yet. He is still in intensive care for a couple more days.

On another note, I took a trip to Texas last weekend to catch up with some old friends. I miss my friends from Texas but life just gets busy and it's hard to get together. Still though, we manage to coordinate a trip here and there and catch up on each others lives. This trip was to celebrate my friend Tammys 40th birthday. It was so funny to see how un-exciting we probably were compared to years past. We sat at home most of the time and watched movies, talked and danced. Yes, we bebopped around like we were all that and laughed so hard at ourselves that we decided to capture it on video. We also decided that it would be a good idea to get dance lessons because our moves were ancient! Other than to get out for food and a trip to Sam Moon and the mall, we were very low-key and we like it that way. No make-up and good company!

Pray for Kole!

Please pray for my girlfriend from college, Virginia's, little boy. His name is Kole August Miller and he was born on Tuesday, April 21st. He is 7lbs and 3oz. After he was born and they took him to do the clean up and measurements, he was not returned to his mommy like she was expecting. After her husband repeatedly went down and they started working on him, they discovered he had the two main arteries that come off the heart switched. The plumbing wasn't filtering oxygen into the blood as it is supposed to. They flew him to Las Vegas to a Childrens Hospital and he is currently stable. Virginia and her husband are now at the Ronald McDonald house there and waiting till his surgery which is scheduled for Tuesday. They are Christians and have the best spirits as possible in this situation. Please pray for the doctors and for little Kole to pull through. They are keeping the hole in the heart open to allow as much blood through and keep him alive till surgery. Also pray for Virginia and her husband Derek. They are away from there other two boys which have yet to see their little brother and now are away from mommy an daddy.

Thank you, thank you!

Here is a picture of Virginia from several years ago. She's holding her oldest Drew and my little girl, Katie.

Long Time No Talk!

This post rings true of several things. One, as you can tell, I haven't talked on my blog since before Thanksgiving. Lots has been going on and it is probably more than one day in a blog can handle. The brief run down is that before Christmas, my parents had there 50th Wedding Anniversary, we had Christmas, Katie's birthday was the 31st of Dec. and we surprised her with a couple of friends and took off to Tulsa to the Aquarium and Incredible Pizza. Next I went to Denver to the MOPS home office for my yearly training and then the twins turned 1 in February. I'll add a few pics to update. The most recent event, if you call it that, was reconnecting with my best friend from junior high and high school. Rebecca and I lost touch 9 years ago after the busyness in both of our lives. I'll post later the long reunion in coming, but you know the kind of friends that you might not talk to daily but you can pick up where you left off? That's what happened to us. And to me, that was a great day in my life.

Till later, enjoy the pics of recent events. I think they are actually in reverse order. I'm still learning this blog stuff!