Wednesday, May 31, 2017

Awards Day at NSA


Since this is the triplets first year in high school and their first non home school year, they have not been given  awards like this before. 

Each one is very different from the others in most things. Two of the things they do share is their faith and their quick wit. Those are the things I celebrate and for which I would like to issue them awards.

As I wrote on the layout itself, we are so proud of all three of them. They are triplets, but each one is different. They all have different areas of study. Ashley is in Visual Arts, Mason in Music and Aussie in Literary Arts. Like all of us each one has his/her own strengths. On this Awards Day, all three received recognition in different subjects. 

This reminds me of what Rick Warren said in his Daily Hope on Tuesday, this week.
He started with this verse from the Old Testament:

“Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you” (Jeremiah 1:5a The Message).
If you want to live a life of purpose and meaning, maximize the strengths God has given you. Find ways to do more of what you do well and less of what you don’t. 
One reason for this is because God created you to be unique, and he wired you for a unique purpose. The Bible says, “Before I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you. Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you”(Jeremiah 1:5a The Message).
No matter what, you can rest in the truth that God has holy plans for you. He shaped you in advance for those plans. God’s plans for your life didn’t start the moment you were born. Those plans started before your birth, when the Bible says he shaped you in your mother’s womb.
But here’s the best part. The way God shaped you reveals how he wants to use you. In other words, if you want to know what you’re supposed to do with your life, you’ve got to look intently and deeply at how God wired you.
Your SHAPE — the spiritual gifts, heart, abilities, personality, and experiences God gave you — reveals your purpose. Set aside some time to discover your purpose, based on how God shaped you.





Tuesday, May 30, 2017

New Hairdo


Ava got a new hairdo to  go with her pretty dress. A lovely little dress calls for a girly layout. The kit I used here was just perfect. It is Scrapgirl's Spring Whimsey by Cindy Rohrbough. She does well with the truly feminine accents and papers.

Not so cute is her great grandmother, that would be me. I also got a new hairdo. 




My friend, Sali, hearing that I really want my hair to grow longer, but didn't like the bushiness in it right then, told me I should let her cut it in layers. Well, as you can see, I did it. It is not as full, thankfully; but it can be more unruly with waves doing their own things. 

It has been a long day for this older lady.  About 10 AM I started a little trip down to Bellville, OH to meet 7 other  girls from my high school class.  We seemed to get quite a bit of attention at Der 
Dutchman, with one older lady telling us it was so good to see us all together enjoying ourselves. Another lady came to our table and offered to take  a picture. She ended up taking pictures with four different phones...I take that back. One of us gave her a c a m e r a. Yes, an antique. The lady was a little less familiar with that and had to be told where to look to see what was in the picture.

It was a delightful drive, I generally don't need  to go over 10 miles at a time any more, but  I do enjoy driving. It was quite fun, until a little warning light came up on my dash...I was almost out of gas. I had no idea how much I had left and thought I might run out any minute. I panicked and called Ron, since I had turned off the expressway to find a gas station and was out in the middle of NOWHERE! He  asked me how many more miles I could go. I didn't know. Well, it seems that all these years I was unaware that on my dashboard panel, one of those numbers tells me just how many more miles I can go before getting gas. At the time, it said 10 miles. So I got back on the exway and headed home. I was able to get off at my regular exit and get gas. It said I still had 2 gallons. I'm telling you, it was great getting that tank filled. Next time, if it ever happens again...I will not panic. I'll know what to do. And I will remember to ask Seri to find the nearest gas station and thank you for guiding me home. Love that technology!



Monday, May 29, 2017

Feel the Vibe



Since many of you may be viewing on small screens, I'm copying the text from the layout itself:

Greg and Aussie were walking around down- town, Nashville. Aussie loves the ‘big’ city and would love to live right in the middle of all the action. He feels the energy and the vibe! They are standing on the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge with the Life and Casualty tower in the background. Naturally (?) he has his Rubik’s cube along. I guess that is in case he runs across a competition.
I  told Aussie that if he really wants a penthouse there, or anywhere any time soon, perhaps we 
should start a Go Fund ME page. Of course with his ability to make things happen, maybe I should 
just stand back and watch. Meanwhile I’m reading the Wall Street Journal. I have some things I’d 
like as well.
                                                              May 22, 2017

While I am the grandmother and completely joking, I think he is quite serious. We'll just wait and see.

In the mean time, I'm praying that our country comes to its senses and pulls together to make America great again. I really don't think that is possible without God, so I'm praying for his protection as well.



Sunday, May 28, 2017

Surgery





We are very proud of Caleb. He has been strong and very brave through this.  The top layout shows him waiting to go into surgery. The second one has him after the operation a couple of hours later. lt didn't take long before he awoke with no memory of what had happened. After one night in the hospital, he was ready to go home. The recovery is the hardest part, but he continues to keep a good attitude and is doing well. Caleb has a way to go before he can get back to his sports, but he is well on his way.  Thank you, God.




Friday, May 26, 2017

Cows and Pigs


Yesterday was filled with fun. Amish Country remains one of my favorite places. Such a wonderful place to have nearby. Even though it is off our beaten track, it is just a short distance to enjoy seeing the Amish way of life and all of the shops and eating places they've made so famous, attracting many visitors each year.

We had two places in mind where we would like to eat lunch...we would choose on the way. However, we were in for a BIG surprise. They were both closed. It was Ascension Day, something we were not aware the Amish held sacred. 

Since our little trip was delayed yesterday morning, we were all quite hungry. We, at least I, felt a little panic. Would we need to go back home, at least to Canton to eat? Would we die on the way? (I like to exaggerate occasionally.) Well, it seems that enough places are owned and operated by none Amish or those who were willing to work on the holiday.

We found a place to which we would like to return some day. It was a little bakery/ restaurant, small, but quite good. And the waitresses were very sweet and seemed to enjoy the fact that we were having a lot of fun. They laughed with us and made the four of us feel welcome.

Of course we browsed through some shops. One was so large, it just kept going on and on. We 'girls' could shop until we drop, as we used to say in the old days, before internet shopping.  For the most part, we didn't leave too very much money down there today. I, myself,  came home with only a few small items. But it was a relaxing day. We look forward to doing it again...We'll try not choose a holy day next time.

Oh, and this is an inside joke with no meaning except to us. I must write it, because it gave us so many chuckles.  Cows and pigs differ.

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

A Good Day


It's been a long day, but a really good one. The major reason for that is, our cool 7 year old grandson, Caleb, had surgery and it went really well. I had been a little anxious about it for a while, even though I trust that with Christ as our savior, we win in the end.  Even with that promise, we know that not every detail will go as we want it to go.  

To keep myself calm during his operation, I chose to run errands instead of wringing my hands and praying loudly for everyone involved. 

The big chore for the day was a visit to Sam's Club, where the clerk announced as I checked out that due to a special program, I had saved over $9.00. But in my realistic mode, I reminded him that I had to spend over $170 to save $9. It doesn't sound like big savings to me. If that were all I'd save by shopping Sam's,  I would have to shop closer to home.

Before dinner, our little Maggie went along with us to check out some damage to a ladies house. She is a widow who had asked for help from a men's group to which my husband belongs. That bunch of men, as the Bible instructs, helps the widows of our area. It is a good work and I'm happy he is still able to do his part.

After that, we had lunch at one of Ron's favorites, Boston Market.  

I had started to write more, but realized it was getting more boring by the minute and you all have more important things to do. You have been saved  by that thought.

Praying Caleb and his family will have a comfortable and safe night. And I pray that for you as well.

And Gail, as my editor, you may find some big errors  tonight, because I am already falling asleep as I type.


Monday, May 22, 2017

Water Lilies



Now that I have taken time to look at this layout, I wish I had added some more interest to it. But this is the way it appeared in my last book, so it is too late to change it now.  Well maybe not TOO late, but it is too late tonight if I want to put this on the blog before I fall asleep.

Ava was at her maternal grandmother's house, playing in her little pond with the water lilies.

Though I am in no hurry for this little darling to grow up. I'm hoping she will grow well through the different stages to life. I'm praying that, unlike many children these days, she will have a healthy attitude about work and play. I'd like to see her have a good attitude about her self and grow to love others as she loves herself. I'd like to see her have wings, so that some day at the appropriate time, she will be able to fly off by herself and be a responsible being. I pray she will respect authority.

The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 13:11, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me."

Let's pray for our children  daily that they grow into adults who will be able to take care of themselves.


Sunday, May 21, 2017

The Golden Path



God has blessed us thoroughly this year. Time is going much too fast. The flowers  come and they go. However, since they are all so full of bloom this spring, the yard stays pretty. The courtyard here greeted me with this beautiful golden path as I looked out on May 5th.




Saturday, May 20, 2017

Invitation

  

One very impressive thing about the triplets is their wit.  I had to write  the statement Ashley made on this layout. This is what she said, " I'm going to take Mommy to Logan's for Mommy's Day! Dad bring your wallet.

It worked. 

I would like to see them  go ahead and star in a family TV show. They wouldn't  need a writer. It could be ad libbed every week.  

Meanwhile, they keep me entertained.

As  to my own  wit... I'm losing it. I can not remember where I found the following piece. I want to give credit, but can't remember. I think it may have been written by Max Lucado. Read it and see why you should want to keep it going:



Friday, May 19, 2017

Little Princess


Ava is a little party girl! She is having so much fun and entertaining the rest of us as well. Of course, she is wearing her princess tiara. Pretty girl.

We need to be praying for all the young children. Pray that some how the schools are fixed so that they will begin teaching the right things. Help them to learn to think for themselves, rather than practicing 'group think'. Pray they learn to read and do math problems in a way that is actually meaningful. Help them learn history so that they will not repeat those things that have already happened in this world to its detriment. Pray they learn to place others first instead of insisting that everyone else cater to them.  

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

A Summer Home


We all know about Yankees invading the south in the winter to escape the wicked cold up north. However, there isn't much said about those who go north in the summer. We sold our last house to South Carolinians for a summer home. So some of them do come north to beat the summer heat.

This spring, we have new neighbors. Mom and Dad Duck have made our yard their new home. I am quite happy to have them here. We had a hunting cat for many years and the ducks stayed away. These seem quite content to waddle all over the place. I'm not sure where their nest is, but it has to be close by.  It was fun the morning of a very heavy rain last week, when the drain failed in our drive way and it puddled a small pond. Naturally, the ducks came along to investigate. It was fun shooting a video of them. 






Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Abbs and Apps

I'm copying what I wrote on my layout, in case you are viewing this on a small device.

Years ago, we
talked about  abbs       
now abbs  are  the
rage!  Everything
is done with an abb.
Take, for example
these two selfies of
Chelle. Yes,
these special affects
are the result of an
app and I need
to learn about it.
These are really 
cute photos!

By the way, the pictures themselves are much better on a larger device as well. I especially like the first one.

Well, for pleasant news...we took our first boat ride of the year. It wasn't a very long ride, but it was very pleasant. The weather was perfect. 

Our life group was particularly small tonight. Several had other things come up...important things...to keep them away, so the rest of us went for a ride.
I always enjoy our first few trips each boating season, for we can see all the new additions and other improvements on the houses that line the lakes shores. It is amazing the changes that take place each winter. People pour lots of money into their homes...making for beautiful 'scenery'.




Sunday, May 14, 2017

State Inaugural Ball


Every once in a while, as I work on new books, I find a photo that I've overlooked and therefore neglected getting in a previous book. That is the case here with this picture of our daughter, April and her husband, Tim at the West Virginia State Inaugural Ball early this year. It was held at the iconic Greenbrier resort, not far from where I was born.

I've been very busy today, trying to catch up on my layouts in order  to have another book published tomorrow. It is a big job, but one I enjoy. 

Hope all you mothers out there have had a beautiful Mother's Day and have been regenerated for another year.

Friday, May 12, 2017

Home Owners


We are very happy for our granddaughter, Lauren, and Pat who have bought a house, a very nice first house. There will be plenty of yard work for Lauren. I doubt she would ever need to workout again, but I doubt she will give up Cross Fit. She just enjoys it too much.

It is wonderful to have responsible young adults in the family. I pray God will bless all their decisions.



Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Hartville Kitchen Meet-up


Well my story is all right there on the layout. It was a really fun night with old friends. We need to get together more often.

Big day tomorrow here at our place. Ladies' are coming from our Bible class. It should be a very pleasant day. I am praying for nice weather. Have heard it is supposed to rain, but I know God is in control; so I'm asking him to give us a little break tomorrow around lunch time.

It is so important to me that I'm going to bed a little early to make sure I'm fit for the job tomorrow.

Remember Psalms 127:2b  God grants sleep to those he loves.  Sleep well. 

Monday, May 8, 2017

Making Choices


I'm so very blessed to have so many cool subjects for scrapbooking pages.  Today's pictures tickle me. I remember not too long ago, when Oliver's big brother was going through the same things as Oliver is now. Both seemingly enjoy the contact with those chickens.

As the years go by, we'll expect Oliver and Caleb to like many of the same activities.

I've found the newsletter from Rick Warren especially interesting today...and helpful.  I'm copying  it here and hoping you get something out of it.

“Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come”(2 Corinthians 5:17 GNT).
We learned yesterday that, ultimately, your identity is based on your choices. Here are five winning choices you can make that will help determine your destiny:
1. I can choose to get healthier. Instead of bemoaning the fact that you don’t have an Olympic body, find ways to increase your energy, lower your stress, get more sleep, and have more power. Psalm 119:73 says, “You made me; you created me. Now give me the sense to follow your commands” (NLT). Improving the controllable factors in your life helps you reduce the impact of the uncontrollable factors.
2. I can choose to deepen relationships. The fear of rejection prevents connection, and the only way to get rid of fear is to do the thing you fear the most. Learn communication skills, replace bad relationships, reach out, and risk connecting with someone. “Let love be your highest goal!” (1 Corinthians 14:1a NLT).
3. I can choose to trust God no matter what happens. “I will always thank the Lord; I will never stop praising him” (Psalm 34:1 GNT). When you get to the point in your life where you can say, “I praise the Lord no matter what happens,” that is a confidence that you won’t find anywhere in Hollywood, on Capitol Hill, or on Wall Street. That is a confidence built on a relationship with God!
4. I can choose what I think about. Throughout the 20th century, scientists believed the adult brain could not be changed. When a Nobel Prize winner proved that you can rewire your brain, science finally caught up to the Bible: “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think” (Romans 12:2b NLT). Your self is created by your memories, and your memories are created by your mental habits. Feed your brain with truth: God’s Word.
5. I can choose Jesus as my Savior. I’m not just talking about Jesus saving you from your sins. I’m talking about letting Jesus be your Savior every day. Letting Jesus save you gives you the power to follow through on the choices you make. “Anyone who is joined to Christ is a new being; the old is gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17 GNT).
You get to choose how much God blesses your life; he is just waiting on you to use your wild card. It is never too late to change. When you make these five winning choices, God gives you a winning hand.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Handicapped Photographer


I probably would not have posted this layout here; but since it is the only one I have done in the last three days,  here it is.

It seems completely absurd that I wouldn't have been scrapbooking this weekend, since yesterday was International Scrapbooking Day, but that is how it worked out. Instead I've been overworking my knees and back in preparation for a little fun on Thursday. I've invited my Ladies' Bible class group over to 'Camp McKinney' and I had let things fall behind since mid March, when me knees went crazy. Actually, it has been since last May when I injured my knee running in the airport trying to keep up with Ron. I did want to make that connection. We did, but I've paid for it ever since. Well, I waited until after my favorite time of the year (Independence Day) for the operation. Then came the recuperation. Then winter. But when some nice weather came in March, my knees were both attacked simultaneously with a bad case of arthritis. 

Friday, May 5, 2017

Posing with Simpson Characters


I am going with this layout tonight, because it is the only one I had time to make today. Fast and easy.
These were great photo opportunities. The triplets really got into this theme, loving every minute of posing with those who appeared on the Simpsons show.

One of our friends  passed away peacefully in her sleep last night after a normal day yesterday. She was 102 and 1/2...and dearly loved  by all who knew her. We will miss her very much, but rejoice that she is now with our Father in heaven. Hoping to see her again some day.




Thursday, May 4, 2017

Another Great Win


As you have probably guessed, we are all proud of Aussie's successful wins with his Rubik's Cubes in competitions around the country. Keep it up Aussie!

It has been a very full day with an important lesson by Pricilla Shirer  in Ladies' Bible Class and lunch with good friends at Chic Fil-A. In spite of that, if I write anything more about myself personally tonight, it would most likely be on the negative side. I'd really like to avoid that, asking God, the Father to comfort me with pain free peace for the night. Tomorrow is another day. 

Lamentations 3 22-23 Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Alligator Farm




I'm getting behind in my scrapbooking again. Have been very busy and slow this spring. It surely has been beautiful here.

These photos were taken back at the end of last month while the triplets visited Florida and the alligator farm.


Yesterday I received a very meaningful message from Max Lucado. It really made me think. Perhaps it will have the same affect on you.

He quoted I Corinthians 13:4- 7 and told us to put our name in the place of love throughout these verses. Try it, you will get the message.

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, love does not boast, love is not proud. Love does not dishonor others, love is not self-seeking, Love is not easily angered, love keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
If it makes you a liar, join the crowd. Even Max said it did that  to him.  Looks like we have something to work on here.



Monday, May 1, 2017

Visiting Milhouse Van Houten at Universal Studio


It's been a long day. I'm exhausted, but I still can smile when I think of the kids visiting Universal Studio back in March. So glad they got that opportunity.

Well, this will tell you how very tired I am tonight...