Monday, January 31, 2011

a crazy saturday!!


these two pics are at our house but with my phone!




a friend took these 3 pics of Elijah when they were out
riding around on Sunday and he was checking the "hot spots!!"



Wow, what a crazy Saturday, but what else should I expect!!! Haha! It all began mostly normal. Terry was scheduled, willing and ready to do a "wife project." Information gathered from older son of "how to do it," tools, materials and he was off to accomplish putting the back splash up in our kitchen area. I monitored it a bit and he was getting along just fine, not that I could do much as far as helping but it looked like he had it all under control. I had a few errands to town, so off I went and after grabbing some "to go" eggrolls from a little chinese place I headed back to our farm. Traveling along, I checked on Terry and he and the littles were all doing great at home. I asked what everyone else was up and Terry gave me the run down, Elijah was dirtbiking with a friend, Caleb, Daniel, Anna, Bethany, Micah, Andrew were all out at teh guys land working. All was well. As I got off the interstate and headed East to our house I could see smoke in the air, hmmmmm, anytime I see smoke as I am driving straight East, I know its our direction. I am now 2 miles form our road and I give the people a the land a call but of course service is far and few for cell phones, so I call Terry and just say something like, "they were not going to be burning today were they?" He had told them not to but u just never know. Now I am bout a mile from turning off the state highway to go to our house and the smoke is so huge, so East, so like it could right where there land is. I called Terry and said, I'll drive out there and make sure all is ok. Well, I top the next hill bout 2 miles from our road still going east and wow!!!!! Smoke, smoke and more smoke, black and billowing out in the south pasture of somebodies land. Only one firetruck on the side of the road at this time. The wind was coming out of the South. Hmmm, I am thinkning I really hope they keep that contained! Well, since I have already gone this far I might as well pop in at their land and tell them for sure "dont burn anything!!!" They are fixen to come home for some lunch so I head back. I am thinking as I drive back towards home, "wow, the smoke is way worse it seems." I get back to the place I had seen the pasture on the South side on fire but in say 10 minutes, something happened....the fire had jumped the road, it was blocked off now, flames were 40-50 high sweeping trees up and I am sitting on the road watching. Anna in her car comes up behind me as they were heading back home from being at the land, and here we sit watching the flames/fire fixing to take out its first house. The folks living there were all standing around and then suddenly they were all flying trying to get everyone out of the driveway. I yelled out the window and told Anna to back up and turn around and go back to the next mile and turn North. She wasnt too sure bout turning North because the fire was blowing North and we would have to go in front of it now to get home. We went North. Anna drove ahead but I stopped and waited for the guys to see me at the road to signal them to turn here and head home. they saw me but they sat there a while and watched. I went ahead but Anna was no where in sight. Now on a dirt road which in our area every mile is a section road so I was looking for the mile intersection to turn on but it was not distinguishable. And what I thought was the mile, it looked more like a driveway. Sooooo I drive and drive thinking the next mile will be soon, but for your info sometimes contry backroads can turn into other roads and so after driving and turning for at least 7-8 miles, I am lost!!! And!!!!!! ......billowing smoke is on the horizon AND I am very low on gas, like almost on empty!!! AND cell phone service is NOT GOOD!!!! I finally stop at a higher place on the road and try to call everyone in my family but to no avail!!!! I do finally get Terry after what seemed like a lonnngg time, he asks where I am and of course Anna is already home!!! "I have no idea where I am!!!!" He starts asking me about north, south, east and west and I am gently screaming at him that this is not the time for a lesson!!!!!! I tell him I will head back the way I came, or so I thought!!!! Finally I see humans!!!! I ask this old farmer where Luther road is and he says go up there, turn here and turn there!!! Oh, yea, for real!! But I do and ends up it leads me back out to the highway where I really started from!!! Meanwhile when i had talked to Terry he said he was leaving to come find me, I dont know exactly how he thought that was going to happen cuz I didn't know where I was. So he is driving along the dirt road and meets up with a tanker truck, a guy is standing beside it and he pulls down his mask and its Elijah!!! He asks " WHAT ARE YOU DOING??" Terry tells him I am looking for your mother!!!!! Elijah said emphatically, "you need to get outta here!!!" I finally was able to call Terry and tell him I made it back to the highway. He found me and led me home through the back way because the roads were blocked off. So what started as a checking on my children at about 1 pm, ended up having to be rescued and I did not get back home til 3:30 pm! Of course getting home brought on a while new concern for Elijah and what was happening about 2 and 1/2 miles from our house!! A raging fire but it was surely taking out all that was in its path. What we could see from our house was frightening much less being right at the edges of it like Elijah and all the firemen.
The fire was on national news, helicopters were dropping water, it was outta control. Eighteen fire departments came and 3500 acres charred! Elijah did not arrive home til 4:30 am Sunday morning, his face and hands black from smoke. A lot of prayers prayed for that boy as I lay in bed! So you can see it was a crazy Saturday!!!! And Terry even finished the stone backsplash in the kitchen. He did not get the grout in, ran outta time! It makes it look more "kitcheney."

Sunday, Elijah had "hot spot " checks to do. Billy, took our family out to eat after church as a "thank you" for living with us and working for Terry on teh Ada job the 7 months, so we ahd a good lunch and fellowship with him. He is heading back to Mississippi in a week.

So today, Monday, we have a winter snow storm advisery!! 14 inches predicted! I am sad! But others are glad! Thursday it was pushing 75 degrees....PERFECT!!!! So we had a heat wavem raging fires now a blizzard is predicted........i still love oklahoma!!!!

Hope you all have a great week! Gotta get this crew up and going. Micah and Andrew gotta go get wood, I gotta get gas for the generator and some animal food!!! We have some coughs around here so thats no fun.






tumble marble back splash, didnt Terry do a great job!!!!
it looks like rough rock!








Wednesday, January 26, 2011

its wednesday!!!!

granite in the window sills installed!

Made it through another year of not having Joel here, thankful for grace given every step of the way! Was blessed to pass out many copies of Joel's Journey DVD's at church Sunday! And we have had many requests via e-mail, so thank you for asking! As long as I can keep sharing, telling others his story, and just knowing "one" more knows of him, is a comfort for sure!!! Thank you again for praying specifically for the day!! I read a verse this morning. Ps. 28:7, The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him. I like the phrase," my heart trusted in him and I am helped." There was a time in the grieving journey that I did not trust Him, but because of His merciful kindness to not leave me alone, the Holy Spirit worked in my heart and brought me to a place where my heart fell upon his truth and I trusted his plan for Joel and really that is the place and time that my heart "felt" helped. The faith and trust has not healed but it has "helped." So with a song in my heart I can praise Him until.......I see Joel again!!!

Wednesday....means our regular cleaning day! Everyone does their "big" chores on this day and it at least gives a sense of clean for a short time anyway! Its kinda funny, Micah has gotten outta two chores, mopping the kitchen floor and wiping down the "old" white cabinets....neither are there....hahaha!!! At least only a short span of the old cabinets anyway and its not worth it!!! hahah!!!! And since the concrete floor is painted, who sees dirt now??????

I got outta fixen dinner the last two nights, Bethany had Monday and Anna Tuesday. I am on for tonight. And Lucas is coming......I told Bethany to tell him we were having fried green tomato sandwiches and cheetoes!! hahah!!!! Not really!! BBQ beef sand and roasted potatoes!!! Anna is pitching in on the dessert. She made Lucas cookies the other night at 10:30 pm, she is going to be a faithful "sister-in-law!!!!!"

Got our granite in the window sills yesterday, looks neat!! Hopefully next week the island!!! Yipee!! I am hoping I can convince someone to do the back splash this weekend!! hint hint for whoever read this!!!

Hosanna's bd is behind us but if you remember its birthday season for us. Jeremiah 18th of Feb, Mercy is 19th of March and Andrew 21st of March and then Josh April 2nd! Thank you for all teh sweet comments about the party, it was fun but work! Looking on line for ideas is fun. The potatoe head cake pops I found there and the idea for the cake. So make sure you look too and get ideas for your parties!!! Just google a theme!!

Can you believe it, Friday its suppose to be 68 degrees!!!!!!!!!!!!! Am I ever excited!!!! I think I will sit outside ALL day and hope to get sunburned!!!!!!!!!

Have a great evening!!!!!












Monday, January 24, 2011

hosanna's party pictures!!!!

Hosanna had a "Jessie Cowgirl Party." A lot of fun for a special girl! In the movie Jessie says,' we are just the best of friends, don't ya think?" So with that thought we celebrated Joel's life with Hosanna's birthday! They were best of friends!!!








a Jessie and Woody cake, my first time to use
fondant for the cow spots!



I ordered the cupcake toppers on line, they are all
over the place

now these little guys are fun aren't they!?
and I still have a few brain cells left from making them.
they are cake balls, dipped in peanut butter almond bark,
then decorated with all the different candies!!


Jessie cowgirl hat sugar cookies!!

tons of pop for the gang!! I used the cupcake printables and made these

pretzel sticks dipped in white almond bark with sprinkles!

any party needs m&m's

smore pops! marshmellows dipped in choc. almond
bark and sprinkled with graham cracker crumbs!

We played 3 games, one pin the tail on
Bullseye!




another game was shooting the army guys in Toy Story
off a stool with the nerf gun!!! Lucas trying to use his
police eye, but Josiah was the winner
popping off 4 army men!!!!

Mercy shooting the army guys!!

Josiah, the winner!!!!









party goers!!!

Hosanna's friend, Annalee joined us for the party!!!




there's a snake in that boot!!!!


best of friends.....Joel and Hosanna

gifts for the party goers



this is my friend Natalee,(she is amazing!!!) Annalee's mom!!!


party people.....cute!!!!

birthday girl with her mom and dad!!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

happy birthday Hosie, happy heaven day Joel !

Joel Caleb
Sept 13, 2003- Jan.23, 2007


Happy Heaven Day!!

Four years ago today, Joel went to live with Jesus! Seems like its been soo long since I held him. Four years has not changed how much I miss him, how much I still cry, how much I still wonder in my mind what it would be like if he were here. Four years......I love him still!! But thanks be unto the Lord, in the midst of these four years, grace has been given. Grace has not taken the pain, the tears, the hurt away, but it gives me hope that I will see him again!

I try to think of something special "to do" on this day to honor Joel. The first year I wrote this poem. Another year I shared on the blog his slide show. Bethany made the collage one year thats on the sidebar. But this year I just could not come up with anything. But now I know the reason. God was going to give Terry the idea. You see today is also "Sanctity of Life." So Terry had the thought of asking our Pastor if he could pass out Joel's Journey's DVD's to the congregation as a gift to remember Joel, to honor him and share about the sanctity of life which is what the DVD is about, saving, preserving and standing up for life in a world where the medical field wants to "play God." The Pastor was willing for Terry to share briefly at the end of the service today and then offer the DVD's to anyone who would like one. So you see, here is the special idea to remember Joel this year!!! If you would like a Joel's Journey DVD, we would love and feel honored to send you one as a gift too. E-mail us at 13blessings@sbcglobal.net

Here is a verse that I read a few weeks ago and wanted to share it on this day. Its to YOU!!

Ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf. 2 Cor. 1:11.

Your prayers in these four years have been felt, have been received with gratefulness and God has used you to bestow a great gift to us...prayer. Thank you!


Also today is a very special little girls birthday!! Hosanna Frances!! She is 9 years old today!!! What a blessing she is to me and our whole family!!! She is a princess for sure!

Happy Birthday Hosanna!!!!


We celebrated her "Jessie Party" yesterday, remembering her and Joel with the little phrase that Jessie says in the movie," we are just the best of friends, don't ya think?" Her and Joel were best friends, he had alot of "best friends," 12 of em!!

Birthday pictures coming soon......Monday!!!!






Friday, January 21, 2011

my tree!!



Friday again!!! My where does the week go? Well, for me it has been non stop! I have not been a very good "blogger" lately. Really I have found it hard this week to think of something worthy of writing. My thoughts have been all over the place. Joel, Hosanna's birthday, places the older children are going this weekend, life in general, and trying to have hope that the Ada job will soon be over. Two more weeks, says Terry!!

Well, anyway how do you like my Valentines Tree???? I got the white tree off craigslist for only $25 and have been accumulating decorations from Hobby Lobby ! I love to make our home festive with each season! Fun!

Hope you all have a great weekend!









Tuesday, January 18, 2011

new wheels !!!


Remember I said Elijah sold his truck, he went "truckless" for a few days but now the Lord has provided!!!! He thought he was going to get one locally, but it was already sold!! Soooo he found one right near his grandparents in Houston, so he and Terry and Andrew drove down today to get it!! Its a 2004 Dodge cummins diesel. Grateful once again for work provided, a young man who diligently worked and saved and is debt free, praise the Lord!! The picture is at the grandparents, I wish he could bring some of the warmer weather back.....only 20minutes from the coast!!!! (at least can ya throw some sand in the back of the pickup and give me hope!!!)