Small Town Girl Thoughts

Busy, busy, busyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!

2011-03-17T22:27:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I posted, but trust me, I have not been sitting on my behind! Tax season is moving right along. Hubby and I have joined the local gym...we are finally working out!! and it feels good...we dont get to go until 9pm, but I am loving it and I hope that soon I will see the results. So sorry I have not posted in awhile..but I am making changes..for the Best!!!

Prayers Answered...

2011-02-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

A very good friend of ours has been sick...he has had issues with his stomach since Thanksgiving...they did all kinds of tests, decided it was not an ulcer or any such thing. He went on a missions trip to Uganda in January and was only there for 1 day and he got sick..very sick..well not sick enough to spend the night in the Uganda hospital, but sick enough to go there, get some iv fluids and antibiotics and then go back to his hotel. He was sick the entire trip and we were worried he would not be able to get home. He got home 10 days later and went straight to the ER here. He was jaundice and very weak. He had lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks..WBC all over the place..they couldn't really find anything, but they did TESTS!! Last Thursday they did surgery and took out his gallbladder...seems it didn't work..at all...Friday he was back in the hospital with a temp of 104, WBC all out of whack..liver counts bad...His wife was at the end of her rope..he was too..
but yesterday, they finally got a doctor who said you are not leaving this hospital until I know that you are good..so we all have been praying..lots..and lots..and lots!!! Today he is going home..they have determine he has gall stones still in the bile duct which caused the infection..the infection is gone and he will have surgery on Tuesday to get the gall stones out..If you are a praying person (and I hope you are!), pray for Mark and Judy..that this procedure on Tuesday will be the last one..that he will be all well...God has big plans for this couple with their mission work, so I am sure that He will get them both back to working in His Kingdom soon...and now that that issue is going better...I am going to work on this research paper that I have put off way too long...please pray for me too!!

Stress, stress, go away!!

2011-02-08T21:47:00.000-05:00

I don't like it when things are not within my control...not that I have to always be in control, but I do not like it when I am no where near in control. That probably didn't make alot of sense, sorry...We have this issue with my husband's youngest son...he is a good kid, but has no direction in his life. No job, no vehicle, not college material..but he has enlisted in the National Guard. I think this is a major plus for him and will give him the self esteem he lacks along with the tools he will need to lead a productive life. BUT...that doesn't start until March 28th...until then, what to do, what to do. He doesn't like his Dad and I right now. We are the enemy because we think he should be accountable for himself and be the adult he keeps telling us he is. So if you read this and you are a praying person, please pray!! We want things to go smoothly until the 28th...
and I have been chewing my nails...down as far as they will go...I usually have acrylic nails, but decided to safe money...I think I will do something else to save money..my fingers look awful and stress doesn't help with that either..and while I'm looking for money for nails, I want to find some for a gym membership..and for some paint for our bedroom and hardwood for the kitchen floors..oh and I so need to finish this research paper for college...Oh my gosh, what have I done??? Prayers accepted all around, thank you very much.

2011-02-05T10:51:00.000-05:00

So the weather guy was right..snow and ice..hubby and I stayed home on Wed..I worked and he did a puzzle? Something not quite right about that..LOL Thursday and Friday ok....today...SNOW!!!! I am so over this stuff..hubby went to church this morning to work on the sidewalks and parking lot for tomrrow..big big job...he stopped long enough to come and get me and brought me to work...right now I'm the only one here...humm..oh well..tax season must go on...
so my sister got me these tennis shoes..reebok tones..if you need shoes, these are great..they really work on your legs and feel good walking in them...
not much else going on in our lives..we have some friends who are sick though..so pray for healing..
I'd better get back to work..stay warm..and inside if you can..the snow looks better that way!

Snow or No Snow?? Ice or ...No Ice

2011-01-31T13:40:00.000-05:00

It drives me crazy when we get these "weather warnings"....people rush to the grocery...everyone tells you to get prepared...HELLOO!!! we live in Indiana...why do these kind of things send everyone for a loop??? and I think it is really funny that people run to the grocery to buy eggs, milk and bread??? french toast? break pudding?? what ya gonna make good with that?? where's the ice cream, pop corn, CHOCOLATE??? I know I'm being cynical here..but it is just too funny...
anywho...whatever we get, we will deal with....I'm gonna just play the odds and NOT go to the grocery..lol

2011-01-29T21:43:00.003-05:00

Today was a nice day...started rather early for a Saturday, but we had things to do and I had to go to work...Mom and my sister came over to watch grandson while I was working. Mom made our supper, baked ziti, so that I just had to pop it in the oven when I got home. Grandson LOVED the supper and ate more than I had ever seen him eat is all of his 1 year!!! He is just so cute and so much fun..Papaw was on youtube and brought up the opening music of Curious George...Grandson ran across the room so excited!! He loves George and knew what the music was...and then when he was ready for bed, Papaw found Old McDonald Had a Farm song with great pics..they sat and watched that until it was time for grandson to go to bed..he went right in and feel asleep...so nice! Hubby got all the things done at church and I was so happy...tomorrow is a busy day again, but I always look forward to church. Our church just finished and is opening for the first Sunday a 4.5 million dollar childrens wing...it is so exciting!! We have a large group of children in our church, and they are going to love the new digs...it is always so exciting when God does things that you think are impossible. and speaking of the impossible...I read a Caring Bridge blog of a 15 yr old girl from Fargo, North Dakota...she found out a year ago that a bump on her thigh was a tumor..she has had a hellish year fighting this disease..it is so sad...she had the tumor removed, has had chemo of a couple different kinds, had part of her lung removed and now they think it has moved to her bones. I just sat and cried at my desk on Thursday when I read that..I am so glad they are Christians and they are leaning on God for support thru this..I dont think it would be possible otherwise..I just dont understand why kids have to get cancer..it just seems so horrible...if you dont mind adding to your prayer list, add Morgan..she really needs a miracle from God...well i should get hubby off the couch where he has fallen asleep and head to bed..it maybe only 10pm, but it has been along time since I've had to get a 16 month old read for church...LOL....wish me luck!!

2011-01-28T13:23:00.004-05:00

I know it has been forever...I love reading other peoples blogs, but just don't seem to take the time to work on my own...
well once again we are in tax season..love my job, so that is good. today I'm working from home..some that is! I woke up with a headache and just decided to stay in bed. got to sleep in till 9am, which is unheard of for me..but now it's almost 1:30pm and i have gotten alot done..several things at work..3 loads of laundry; loaded and turned on the dishwasher..boiled some eggs for hubby (he likes them for breakfast), made the bed and I have a candle lite in every room. I'm glad to get some things done as my Mom, sister and niece are coming to my house tomorrow to babysit for my grandson while I'm at work!! that doesn't seem fair, does it? well son and daughter in law sold their car and are now shopping for a mini van..oh by the way, they are expecting again in August! WOO HOO!!!!...and they are attending an engagement party for some friends on Saturday evening..so grandma was going to babysit anyway..when great-aunt found out, she said we are coming over...even if you have to work..so it will be a fun day for grandson..he will get spoiled alot and his parents can hopefully find a new van. Hubby will be at the church decorating for the Souper Bowl we are head of for the LOTS compassion ministry we chair...we are having a soup drive to provide for the area food pantries. we do this every year, even if our favorite team is not in the game..last year we got 1500 cans of soup..this year we are praying for double that!! we even got the kids involved with a contest..to see which class can collect the most soup...how fun!!
so how's our family been? pretty good actually..my oldest son is getting married (again :0( the first one ended in divorce; age difference and he wants kids she doesn't) June 24th in Florida..we are looking forward to that..hopefully will make into a family vacation with my sister and Mom..youngest son is doing well with new baby coming in august..his wife is working now as a case management person with people who have slight disabilities..she is good at that..grandson is a year old now..into EVERYTHING!! he is the busiest kid I have ever seen..so tiny still and cute as a button! i love being a grandma!..hubby's oldest daughter and her family are good..granddaughter will be 5 next month..gosh where has the time gone?? and grandson is 2...they came to spend the night with us last weekend and they are so much fun..will be very happy when grandson is potty trained :-) ; hubby's 2nd daughter has a great new job in her college education profession..works with abused and homeless women and she is very good at what she does..she got to purchase her first brand new car this month and she was thrilled...it is always so nice to see your kids do well..hubby's oldest son is a junior at IU majoring in arts mgmt with a minor in music...he broke up with his long time girlfriend and we were all sad..but you know how those things go..if it's meant to be, it will.. he loves college..I could see him being a "professional student" LOL...hubby's youngest son is a mess....he has no job; no car and no ambition...he is supposed to ship out for basic training with the national guard in march...we hope this will give him the self esteem he needs and some direction for his life..he has been financially exhausting to us on top of mentally...he can be a total drama king at times...so hopefully he will be headed in the right direction as soon as march gets here...
hubby is doing great, except for the son issues and we have had some car issues..he is great at fixing cars and ours seem to know that since they like to break down..we pray daily that another car does not break down...
our parents are good too..hubby's Mom is working as usual and her hubby is good too..
hubby's Dad had some health issues earlier in the month, but seems to be on the mend and my mom is good too...we find ourselves with 2 sets of people to take care of ..our kids and our parents..guess it's that time in our life...
I have been struggling with weight gain/loss .....loss/gain....gain/loss..you get the picture..i went off my Prozac in October, so that is good...but I also started my college education in October too...doing an online college, Western Governor University..and that has been stressful..but I totally enjoy it..will be glad to get this research project done though...
so..have I updated you all?? I'm not even sure if anyone reads this, but it is good for me to get it all down and gives me an outlet...so any comments are welcome!!
Blessings always..God is sooo good!

Spring....What A Blessing!!!

2009-04-24T08:31:00.002-04:00

Well it is finally over and put away...2009 tax season that is!! We made it through and hubby and I took 2 days off last week to celebrate and recharge. I love my job and enjoy doing taxes, but 4 months of 6 days a week, 9-11 hour days can get to you after awhile. So to celebrate, hubby bought me a gift...only hubby could find the perfect gift for me...a yellow magnolia tree!!! I love it!!! We are redoing some landscaping in the back yard after tearing out some bad bushes last fall. We have a clean slate to work with and have now put in 2 burning bushes and the yellow magnolia! We also bought 2 new bird feeders and a new hummingbird feeder. We both love watching the birds from our deck and especially those crazy hummingbirds!! They fly at such amazing speeds and will fly right by your ears!

Now that we are back to a regular schedule, hubby and I will be riding to work together every morning. It saves on gas for one thing, but it gets me up and going so that I get to work early and therefore, can leave at 5pm. Left to my own, I would get to work around 8:30 or 9am and then have to work until 6pm. Seems like when that happens, we don't get to do as much in the evening as we like. Last year we both got bikes and we have been trying to take rides in the evenings. I have a basket on mine for the dog, but he does not get that excited about going. Could be that the first time I put him in the basket, I ended up dumping him right out!!

I have been doing some great shopping on www.shopgoodwill.com . got some wonderful buys for daughter in law for her every changing shape...baby shape that is..she is due in Sept and needs comfy clothes. I spent $68.78 and got her 2 dresses, 5 tops and a pair of jeans!! Pretty good...

you should check out the site. You get to shop all the goodwills in the country!!!

Hubby and I joined the Partners In Prayer group at church and have been praying for 6 families from our church. It has been very good for us and I hope for the families we have been praying for. We will get a new group each month. It will be interesting to hear how things go after a few months. I hope that everyone will keep to their commitments and that is becomes a fixture in our church.

Well need to get some accounting and payroll tax returns done today. Enjoy the weather this weekend..it was 71 degrees this morning at 6:30am!!!

I CAN SEE THE END!!!!!

2009-04-08T09:38:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe that it has been over a month since I last blogged. I am not very good with this during tax season and I will make sure next year to acknowledge that from the get go! We are down to 1 week left and things are getting kinda hurried, to say the least. We are all tired and ready to take some time off. We all take the day after tax season off, and this year our boss is leaving for vacation on the 16th. I am taking the 17th off also, as husband and I are going to spend some time together. This tax season has been hard on him for some reason. He has not enjoyed his extra time alone like he has in the past, which I suppose is a good thing! I miss spending evenings with him also, so we are going to take 2 days instead of one this year and work on a landscaping project in our yard. Last night before Bible study, we mapped out some plans and hopefully this weekend he can do some actual yard work to prepare. Lots of things have been going on besides tax season, we both had bad colds, our grandson has had pneumonia twice, hubby has built a bridge for a youth organization here in town and step son has had some issues with skipping school!!! But I think as the 15th gets closer, we are getting all our ducks in a row and ready for spring!!
Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love spring flowers, especially tulips and mine are just beginning to get ready to bloom. The ones closest to the house have been munchies for the bunnies and I think I will have to spray them or I wont have any flowers. The weather has not been that good so far, we even had snow on Monday. But my lilac bush is still budding and the day lilies are rapidly growing too.
Hubby and I have been dieting all of tax season and are starting to see real results. He has lost about 15 pounds and I have lost 22, which is amazing in itself!!! We are looking forward to bike riding soon and this year we are going to go camping for the first time. We bought a great tent last fall on Craig's List and cant wait to use it. We will be on vacation in June, so we are hoping to get a few camping nights in then. I found a bike rack at Goodwill and some camping supplies. we still need a few things, but we are ready for the adventure.
I need to get back to my tax returns. I will hope to post more often after next week and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to read my ramblings.
I wish everyone a wonderful, hope filled Easter. I pray that God will fill your hearts with His love and you are able to spend the day with all your loved ones close.

Tax Season....Part 2

2009-03-06T15:49:00.004-05:00

Well as you can see from the date of this post, I was not so good at keeping things updated during tax season. We are into March now, with the 15th coming very fast. That is the 15th of March. That is the deadline for corporate tax returns to be filed. We will then work towards the 15th of April, which is the personal tax deadline. We have been very busy and I have been putting in long hours. Hubby has been very busy also, working 10 hour days for the past 2 weeks. Since he works for a company that does a lot of repair work, they have been busy because most places cannot afford to buy new equipment, they just fix the old stuff. He has been getting up at 3:30am to be at work at 5am. I am not a morning person, I would rather get up at 7am to get to work by 8:30am, then work until 9pm or so. Tonight we are going to celebrate that his overtime at work is over for now and treat ourselves to dinner out. We made a promise to ourselves during this tax season that we would work on our finances and our health. We have not been going out to eat and we have not been cooking at home. We have made our own version of Nutri-system by eating Healthy Choice meals and Lean Cuisines. It has been working very well. Hubby has lost 13 pounds and I have lost 22 pounds!!! It has made life so much easier for hubby since he usually gets the kitchen duties during tax season and he hates to cook. So now we go to the freezer "buffet" and pick our what we would like for supper. We have been eating soup for lunch each day. I have cooked on the weekends some, but we are trying to be very conscience of our portion sizes.

Other than work and church, we have not been doing much. We did get to babysit for the grandkids on Valentine's Day so their parents could have a nice dinner. We love babysitting and dont get to do it often enough. Our grandkids live about an hour away and we are not as able to see them as much when we are both working extra hours. As soon as the 15th of April comes though, we are going to bring them both over to spend the weekend with us. I cant wait!! We will get to babysit more often for the new one coming in September since they only live across town. I will add a new picture I just got today of the grandkids. They are just too cute!

My break is over and I need to get back to this accounting work that I am doing today. I will try to do better with the updates and thanks for those who are following. I have a few that I follow and I enjoy reading how their lives are going.

Tax Season....

2009-01-21T18:48:00.002-05:00

I know I have not posted here in awhile, so I have some catching up to do. As you can see by the title of this blog, this is the season of my life now and until April 15, 2009. This is my job, along with other related duties that being a bookkeeper/accountant does between January 1, 2009 and April 15, 2009. I will not have much of a life during this time and in fact, I am typing this as some documents are printing and it is 7:24am!!

We have had some great things going on in our family, one of which is that we are going to be grandparents again!! I LOVE being a grandma. it is just the best. My youngest son and wife, who just got married in Oct are expecting in September. They were so excited to tell us, which is good, but this is going to be a long pregnancy. This grandchild will be the first Great-Grandchild on both sides of son's family. His Dad's parents have no great-grandkids and my Mom does not either. We are all thrilled.

The other big thing that has happened since Christmas is our office has moved. We had been in the same place for several years and about 3 years ago, we got new landlords. What we thought was a good thing turned out to be not so good. They did not doing any upkeep on the property, no landscaping and the biggest thing was no security. I came to work one morning in early December at 7am and the front door to the building was standing wide open. Hubby was with me, so he went in first (what a guy!). No one had broke in, they just didn't lock the door the night before. so anyhow, now we are in a brand new space, built just for us. Not the whole building was built for us, just the office space. We have new beautiful surroundings and we all love it. I have new furniture that is very nice and has lots of desk space. All of the wall colors and carpet was picked out by our team and we are very happy now. Moving an office is lots of work, but it was all worth it.

Hubby had the flu last weekend and was very sick. He is so much better now. I stayed away from him so I would not get it and so far so good. I have only had the flu, knock on wood, one time in my life. It was terrible!! I try very hard to be healthy during tax season.

well, it is time to get back to the work at hand. I will try to keep up with the blog better and let you in on some of my small thought during this long season of taxes, cold and snow!!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T19:20:00.003-05:00

Well Christmas is finally over. I'm glad and sad at the same time. Since we have a blended family, we have several celebrations. First, we had Christmas with my family on Dec 21st. It was so much fun! We all got together at my youngest son's home and probably had one of the funnest Christmases we have ever had!!! Everyone got along, enjoyed the games we played, exchanged gifts with a new twist and ate too much!!! But even Mom had a great time!! Next was the best gathering, Christmas Eve service at Hazel Dell with our church family. I LOVE Christmas Eve services. Our pastor, all the staff and their families do the service and it is so meaningful. Very spiritual and just makes the whole season come together. My favorite part is the end with the candle light part. Just gives the true meaning to the season. Next we were at step-daughters house with hubby's kids. Sometimes this can be very stressful, but this year was very calm and quiet. Everyone liked their gifts and we enjoyed the granddaughter and grandson so much. Love watching little kids open gifts..miss that once our kids have grown up. Next was mother in laws on the 27th. Most of the siblings were there and a good time was had by all. Enjoyed seeing more extended family, some we had not seen for a few years, and once again, lots of nice presents and good food. Mother in law had started a new family tradition this year by having hubby, who is oldest of her children, read the Christmas story from Luke. The little kids were really interested and listened so well. Hope this is one tradition that continues. Finally, yesterday, the 28th, we had Christmas with my boys and daughter in law. Had a wonderful dinner of prime rib...daughter in law is a fabulous cook!!! Played some games on Wii and had a great time. Oldest son got me a Colts sweatshirt that I love, especially since I didn't have any Colts wear and youngest son and daughter in law got me the coolest blanket/throw/snuggle cover. I have already used it even!!! Hubby got what he likes most, Sears gift card!! He loves shopping for tools...guess they are like shoes, cant have enough!! So now we are done. Had to go back to work today to rest..LOL But not really, because next is tax season. Hard to believe it is here again. First we have to move our office to a new location though. Friday is the moving day and I think things will be very stressful at the office until that is done!! Hopefully things will go smoothly and we will get all moved and ready for work soon. Hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and will look forward to a great New Year!!!

Brookside Youth Center

2008-12-15T21:16:00.002-05:00

This Thursday hubby and I will be spending our day helping members of our church prepare a Christmas dinner for over 200 kids and their parents at Brookside Youth Center. This is the second year that we have done this for the center and let me tell you that the volunteers get a far bigger blessing than the kids!!! These kids come to Brookside every day after school for a meal, mentoring, tutoring and other classes. They live in the highest crime rate and prostitution rate area of Indy. They are bused in and they are also bused home. Most of them only get this meal and the one they get at school. On weekends, God only knows. During the summer, Brookside has a day camp every week day from 9am to 3pm. One of hubby and Is best friends is a member of the board for Brookside. We will start cooking around noon, the kids will arrive around 3:30pm and go to their classes. We will then provide a craft time for them, dinner and each child will receive a blanket, hat and gloves to take home as a gift. We will also have a worship time and singing time. I am looking so forward to doing this and being a part of this great program. These kids need one thing more than even the food, they just need attention. They come from homes that are filled with stress, poverty and parents, usually only one, who just don't have time for kids because they are just trying to make ends meet. It is a very sad story, but one that is growing by leaps and bounds in this time of recession, crime and a Satan filled world. I just hope that we can make a difference, even if only for a short time in each of their lives. We also hope that we can show God's love to their parents. Let them know we are here for them, we are praying for them and that God loves them very much. It will be a very long day, but I already know that I will be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Tis The Season...

2008-12-04T20:20:00.005-05:00

I love all the aspects of Christmas. I love being in church on Christmas Eve and participating in the candle light services. I look forward to driving around neighborhoods looking at the lighting displays and trees that you can see in the windows. Going downtown Indianapolis is tons of fun during the holiday. There are the store windows that are so cute, the lights on the Monument Circle and the really tall toy solders guarding the circle. I have lived here for alittle over 6 years and I have still not made it downtown to see the lighting of the circle. Seems like it is always so cold!! I love the holiday, I don't like the weather..LOL We have gone to Christmas at the Zoo and it is really beautiful. They have lights everywhere and there are ice carvings going on, hot chocolate being served and Santa makes a grand appearance. This year we are taking our 2 yr old granddaughter and I know that I will see things through her eyes that I have not seen before. She has a way of making even the cold fun. We are putting up our tree tomorrow evening and I am really looking forward to that. We have a 7 foot tree that we decorate in traditional red and green lights, lots of glass hearts and plaid ribbon bows. We have been collecting rustic ornaments as a couple for the past 4 years. We both love birds, feeding them all year round and watching them from our deck in the spring, summer and fall. So we have several bird themed ornaments. Before I was married, I always had a frilly tree..(that is what my boys called it), but now that I have someone who wants to share this part of the holiday with me, it's fun to do something we both like. Saturday evening hubby's Mom and Step Dad are coming for dinner and then we are taking them to our church's annual Christmas Choir show. It will be lots of beautiful music and fun skits. But even after all this, the one thing I look forward to more than anything is doing Christmas for people who would have had none otherwise. Last year our church started having a Christmas dinner for the kids at Brookside Youth Center. I am in charge of that this year and I will write more to tell you all about it. It is a very special night for lots of inter-city kids. Stay tuned....Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells!!!

Blessings...and Family

2008-11-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

We are getting ready to have family overload this weekend. Hubby's parents are divorced and have been very a long time, so we usually have 2 dinners with his family. So tomorrow at 8am we are starting off our holiday by serving. Hubby, myself and teenage son are going to a very low income, high crime rate area of town to help prepare Thanksgiving dinner for anyone who shows up. Just to let you know how far out of our comfort zone we will be, we have to call the person who is in charge when we get there so he can unlock the door for us. They have to keep it locked at all times because of the surrounding neighborhood being unsafe. But I know that God will keep us safe and if He decides it is our time, at least we will be doing His work. After we are finished, we will attend an evening meal at Hubby's Mom's house. All of his siblings and extended family will be there. It will be fun and nice to visit. On Saturday we are hosting a dinner at our subdivision clubhouse for his Dad and siblings again. Not sure who all will be there, but it will be a good time. Hubby's Dad suffered a stroke on May 1st and has lost most of his sight since then. He can see some things but not well. We are just glad he is here and able to be with us. Sunday we are traveling to my Mom's house after church. She likes to go to the cemetery to put the flowers on Dad's grave with my sister and I. It has been a long standing tradition that my sister and I give to our Dad each Christmas a box of chocolate covered cherries. We still do that, but now we have to put them on his grave. Believe it or not, when we go back in the spring, usually before Easter, the boxes are still there! We have had beautiful flowers stolen from his grave, but no one ever touches those cherries..I don't get it, but I'm glad they don't. I wont see my kids because youngest son and new bride drove to New Jersey today to be with her family. (They will be with us for Christmas, you know the routine!) Oldest son will be with his Dad, but I am hoping he joins us on Saturday.

I am thinking by Sunday night I will be feeling very blessed. I love being with family, and as ours grows, it is just the best! I also know that helping with the dinner on Thursday will be a tremendous blessing, not nearly as much to those being served as those who are serving. God works like that alot and it is wonderful. So I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope you get to spend time with family and people you love. If you have some time and want to serve, Keystone and 30th, 8am!!!

Birthday Day....

2008-11-17T14:41:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow I will be a 49 year old...how in the world did I get to be so old??? It seems just like yesterday I was 20 years old, having my first son. Now that first son will be 29 next year. I don't really feel old, but I still have some "old" issues that are creeping up on me. I am not as healthy as I would like to be, so that is my goal before I turn 50. I need to lose some weight and get healthier. I have had friends my age who have had major health issues and I would like to avoid those. So for my prayer warriors out there, and you know who you are...please pray for the next year that I am able to stick to my plan.

I didn't think it would bother me to have this birthday, but it is very much so. I wonder if I have done all the things I should have up to this point? I know that there are things I wished I had not done, but God has always had His hand in this life of mine and I need to acknowledge that He is indeed in control. There are things I would still like to do, places I would like to visit. I have not been on the east coast and would love to visit New England in the fall. I want to have more grandkids, of which I have no control over!! I want to go camping with my hubby, I want to spend as much time as possible with my Mom, I want to go on a missions trip somewhere..and I want my personal relationship with God to grow. I should write a list of the things I want to do before I retire and the ones I want to do afterwards..LOL Since I have a few years more to work, the list of what to do before I retire should be very long...

Maybe when I wake up tomorrow I will have a different feeling of being a 49 year old woman. Of course I will wake with damp jammies from the night sweats, puffy eyes and really bad bed hair, but I will wake with the knowledge that God loves me, hubby and kids love me and I can even love this 49 year me!!!

Struggling...Church...Life

2008-11-09T20:21:00.001-05:00

I am in a very strange mood. I love my church and enjoy being involved. But I am struggling with some issues. For some reason I am not interested in attending Sunday School classes (known as ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) at Hazel Dell. I really enjoy the lessons and the teacher, but for some reason I am not interested in attending. I am not sure why this is and I feel bad for not going. I love going to worship service and don't want to miss that. Sometimes it is just life in general that gets in the way of ABF. Our class meets at 8:15am and it is very difficult to get up and going that early. Seems like every weekend we have been busy with family. This weekend we picked up our granddaughter, who is 2 1/2, on Friday night. We spent Saturday playing with dolls and coloring books and watching Handy Mandy!! It was so much fun. Then we took her home and attended a great program and dinner at their church. Which meant we also got to spend some time with new grandson, who is almost 5 weeks!!! He has grown so much and Duane and I both just love holding and cuddling him. So that meant we were late getting home Saturday night. So when the clock said 6:30am this morning, we both turned over to snuggle!!! So this week I am going to have to really pray about this situation. I need to attend, but I WANT to WANT to go...does that make sense? We are very active in our church and have made some great friends. But this issue is really bugging me. I will keep you all posted as to what becomes of this issue. But if you have some extra space for a prayer for me, just pray that I can get back into being interested in our ABF class.

Holidays....

2008-11-04T15:52:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I wish everyone would do thinks like I do and think like I do!!! I know that sounds vain, but it would sure make my world easier to get along with... Like Thanksgiving..that is my husband's FAVORITE holiday. He loves being with family, eating turkey and pecan pie. He is very much into football and loves to watch the games. My family does not do the big dinner thing so much anymore. In fact, both of my boys will be with new daughter in law in New Jersey with her family. We will be at his Mom's house on Thanksgiving Day evening. We are spending the morning at a church on the south side serving dinners to people who have no where to go or food to eat. So I have invited Duane's Dad and step Mom to dinner on Saturday evening, along with his sisters. Step Daughter and family will be there also. But I would really like my Mom to come and spend the weekend with us. She is alone alot and I don't get over there often enough. So I thought it would be fun to have her come stay with us. I don't think she will though because we are having "company" on Saturday and she does not want to intrude? I don't get that. I know having blended families are hard, but how do you get to know them more unless you spend time with them. And besides, the "company" will only be there from 3pm on Saturday until about 9pm that evening. We would still have all day on Friday and Sunday to do things. I am going to have to pray about this alot. I don't want one part of my family keeping another part away. Whatever happened to The Waltons???

Wedding Moments...

2008-10-28T15:06:00.003-04:00

It was just a perfect day...no rain, bright sunshine...beautiful. The wedding went off without a hitch. The bride was so radiant and the groom was very handsome. They had a lovely ceremony and I think the whole thing was enjoyed by all. I didn't cry, but almost did when Joe and I danced our dance. We have a very funny story about the song we danced to, "Blessed" by Elton John. Joe had called and asked me to think of a song we could dance to. So I started looking on line to find songs that mothers of the grooms and the groom dances to and this one came up. I have always liked Elton John's music (NOT his lifestyle though!!) and Duane liked the words too. So just as I was about to call Joe to tell him I had found one, he called me and yes, you guessed it....he had picked the same song!!! is that just amazing? It was a very special moment as we danced to this song and I was so proud to be his Mom.

Too Much To Do....That is being a MOM!!!

2008-10-17T14:30:00.002-04:00

Today is Friday and I was thinking of all the things that have to be done before next Friday. I don't like to wish my life away because I really enjoy my life. But right now I am ready for the next week to be over. Tomorrow I am going to oldest son's house to help him pack. He is moving next Thursday in with his brother and is starting a new job with Duane on the 27th. He needed to make some changes in his life and start again after his divorce this past January. It will be very nice having both boys in the city with me again. Sunday we have church, which I didn't get to attend last week due to the nasty cold I had. I am hoping to get laundry done but I would really like to go visit new grand baby Leighton!! I am having withdrawal from the cuddling baby!! Monday is house cleaning night. Tuesday night we have our small group. Wednesday is hair color and cut for the wedding. Thursday is meeting for Sunday School class party on Sunday. Friday is wedding rehearsal. Saturday is wedding. Sunday is donut duty, Sunday School class party and fixing lunch for Joe and Kim's friends and family to have while watching them open wedding gifts. I just got really tired reading what I just typed!!! I think I should go home tonight and take a long nap, it will be the only one I get!!!

I Know Why God Gave Me Kids When I Was Young!!!!!

2008-10-07T22:07:00.005-04:00

I had my first son when I was 19 and my second when I was 23 and now, being a grandma at 48, I know why I am so glad I had them when I was young!!! We picked Sydney up Friday night and I don't think she stopped talking, moving, asking questions or just being cute until we took her home on Sunday afternoon!!! And during all of this weekend, I had caught a terrible cold that was making me feel terrible. But we still had a wonderful time. We took her to the coolest pumpkin patch on Saturday, and she had a great time. They had baby animals, lots of pumpkins and even a corn box to play in...(which is the same as a sand box, but with corn!!!) She got to pick out some pumpkins just her size, play with other kids and pet the calves. Then on Sunday, since I had a meeting after church, Sydney helped Papaw clean up the coffee area that we were in charge of for this week. She made several new friends and I am sure the coffee area is the cleanest ever!!! After church we went to Chuck E. Cheese!!!! Now 20 years ago when I took my boys there, it had terrible pizza, crowded play areas and it seemed Chuck just didn't show up much. This one in Indy was awesome!! The first thing that was just so neat was that when you walked in, each person in YOUR group got a invisible ink stamp of the same number. I was not sure what that was for, but when we left...they check to make sure you have all the people you brought in and ONLY the people who you brought in!!! Unfortunately now days you have to worry about someone taking your kids, even at a pizza joint. But their system works great. And now at Chuck E. Cheese, the pizza was so good!! They had tons of things for toddlers to play with and on and each game took only 1 token. We got a large pizza, (loaded with good stuff), 4 drinks and 40 tokens for $19.00!!! Of course we had a coupon from www.chuckecheese.com which is a great place to sign up for coupons if you plan on going anytime soon. Sydney played, ate and played some more for 2 hours!! By now my cold is worse, but I was enjoying watching her have a good time, I didn't even notice! When we got ready to leave, I told Papaw that she would be asleep before we got out of Indy and sure enough, right after we went past 116th street on I69, she was out!!! We finally got home around 6pm and we were both so tired!! But having grand kids is so much fun and we are looking forward to when Leighton can come too and when we have more grand kids....we just have to get more of our kids married first!!!

So Blessed...

2008-10-03T16:51:00.002-04:00

Tonight we are picking up our granddaughter so that she can spend the weekend with us. I am very excited to see her and the new brother, but I also know from experience that I am going to be exhausted by Sunday!! It seems I have forgotten how much energy a 2 year old has and this one I think has twice as much as normal. But one thing I do know for sure, is that we are so blessed to have healthy grand kids. I have been keeping up with some blogs of parents who have sick children and I know in my heart that God only gives sick kids to special parents. I don't know what I would do if I had to deal with what some of these parents go through. So this weekend, as we spend time with our granddaughter, I will be continually thanking God for our blessings and I will be praying for those who are struggling with sick children. I will pray for healthy and wellness, comfort and peace to each and everyone of them.

A New Grandson!!! I love being a Memaw!!!

2008-09-29T20:54:00.002-04:00

Friday was the big day!! Leighton Alexander James Hamm was born at 8:11am!!! He entered the world a whopping 9 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long!! He and his Mommy and Daddy are doing so good. There is nothing like seeing a grandchild for the first time. I thought when Sydney was born that it was just the biggest thing yet, but it happened again when Leighton was born. I love our babies...they are so precious and God has blessed us so much with healthy grandkids. And He has blessed our kids with great kids!!!! I am so thankful that Kilyssa and Travis allow me to be a part of all this and to be a Grandma to the kids. I know that things can get complicated at times, but I am just thankful for all of them, that they are in my life!!!

Fall ..... Ya Gotta LOVE It!!!!

2008-09-25T16:46:00.002-04:00

I have finally gotten to the age where my "favorites" are changing. If you asked me 5 years ago what my favorite time of year was, I would, without a doubt day SUMMER!!! I loved the sun, loved tanning by the pool, loved the whole long sunny days of summer. But now, as I ever so slowly creep towards turning 50, I am becoming a Fall type of gal. I'm not into laying in the sun, sweating to death for a great tan. I only went to the pool one time this summer. Having night sweats is enough sweating for me! I really like this 75 ish degree stuff. When you can sit on the deck, enjoy the sunshine and the cool breezes. I didn't think I would ever get to this point, but I am really excited about fall this year. Of course, getting a new grandson and a new daughter in law this fall makes this one really special. But even without those huge events, I love the fall weather. Makes me want to have more than I should have cups of Starbucks Pumpkin Lattes. I even have a craving for apple cider!! So I am going to enjoy all the days of September and October more than I ever have, attend more fall festivals, have more lattes and leave the sweating to the night time!!!

My Amazing Husband

2008-09-23T14:33:00.002-04:00

I am not the bragging kind, but I have to brag some today. I have the most amazing husband!!! I know there are several out there who would say they have a husband more amazing, but I don't think I can agree!! Yesterday I had a very long day and I was very worried all day about my oldest son. I worked late and didn't get home until almost 7pm. Since Duane's son was at work, we were alone for supper. All during the meal he kept asking me if I was OK and I said sure, I'm fine. But he knew better. After dinner, he told me to just go out to the deck and sit. He would take care of the kitchen and would bring us coffee when he was done. That sounded so pleasant to me! So Beau (my puppy) and I went out to watch the birds from the deck. After just a few minutes, here comes my wonderful husband with the small TV from our extra room. He has rabbit ears on it and is setting it up so I can watch TV outside!!! Now I'm not a huge TV fan, but it was nice to just sit there, outside in the beautiful weather and watch jeopardy. In fact, it was so nice, I stayed there until 10pm when Dancing With The Stars was over!!! My husband knew what I needed more than I did and he knew that small jester would be so awesome to me!

Mondays...ugh!!!

2008-09-22T13:25:00.002-04:00

I'm not a fan of Mondays. I quite prefer Sunday evenings. I don't know why, but seems like all my Sundays evenings are quiet and enjoyable and Mondays are a pain. I know today I am not praying enough because I have a terrible case of the worry warts. I'm worried about alot of things and I know that I need to just hand them over to God and be done with it. But being who I am, I will hold on to these things and make my Monday that much worse....until tonight in my prayers, when I will give it all up to Him. Common sense says that I should just do that now. I don't think I have much common sense on Mondays. Maybe that is what I should pray for on Sunday evenings...common sense for Mondays!!

Those Who Have None....and Dont Mind

2008-09-12T12:57:00.003-04:00

Today I had a not so good lunch. I didn't bring my turkey from home like I had been doing all week. I guess I just wasn't hungry for turkey. So when lunch time came, I realized that it was raining, there was not room in the budget for going out to eat and all I had was a can of soup. Vegetable and Noodle Soup. (notice there is no meat!! Zero points on Weight watchers!!!) So, I had soup. As I was eating this soup, I was reading the current book I'm on, Cure for the Common Life by Max Lucado. In it he talks about finding your place in God's Plan. Here is what caught my eye at the end of chapter 13..."Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can." Now I'm sure you are wondering what this has to do with my soup.? As I posted before, one of my current passions is Third Phase and the food pantry box at our church. Husband and I have been working on this box since March and it is done now. As I was reading the book and eating the soup, I realized how very much God has blessed me. I didn't have to go to a food pantry to get my soup, just took it out of my pantry. There were other choices I could have made. God has blessed me with those choices. But what if I didn't have a choice. What if that pantry was empty? How would I feed my family tonight? Even the dog? Where would his food come from? There are so many people out there who struggle everyday just getting food on the table. It's not because they are not working to provide for their family, it is because rent, gas to get to work, utilities etc are consuming their income. So I would like to say to anyone who reads this...do what you can...as much as you can. Maybe you are like me and missing a lunch would not be a health issue and you could put that can of soup in the food pantry box? I don't think any of the people who come to Third Phase would mind a can of soup. In fact, they would truly appreciate it if it meant their kids would have something to go with the bread. God tells us so many times to love our brothers, take care of them and help all those who need it. I want to do more than the food box, so I'm going to post a blog on our church networking site also. We have to do more than what we have done in the past to take care of God's family. There is no reason for anyone to be hungry. Give them food, give them prayer and most of all, give them The Lord....

Third Phase

2008-09-08T09:30:00.002-04:00

We had a wonderful day at church yesterday. Duane and I are part of the LOTS Ministry. LOTS stands for Least Of Those Served. We have been working on a food pantry box since March and it is finally finished! Our church collects non perishable food and takes it to a food pantry for Hamilton County at Third Phase. You always hear how Hamilton County is the fastest growing county and there are so many nice houses and such. But there are also a huge number of people who cannot afford to feed their families. Third Phase has been serving over 40 families per DAY from their food pantry. This is a real passion of mine, to help raise the awareness of the needy, especially families who have kids and need food. I know that there are kids everywhere in our area that only get what they are served at school at lunch each day. I am so glad there are places like Third Phase that are able to help. I just hope we can make a difference from the food we collect at our church. I will pray about this alot.

Continuing....Duane

2008-09-05T16:56:00.004-04:00

When I moved to Indianapolis, it was very scary at first. My friends, Phil, Sherry, Dennis and Eileen moved me here and then they were gone. Shortly after that, I met a new friend, Doug. and would you believe that meeting Doug lead me to a church?? Wow...God is so funny sometimes!! In fact, it lead me to the church that the minister was the brother of a very good friend of mine from my old church!!! Hazel Dell Christian Church has been my church home since August 2002 and I know without a doubt God lead me there.

My new job in Indianapolis is perfect. I work for a small CPA firm and I do bookkeeping and tax preparation. It is easy for me to say that I love my job. The people I work with are a very good group and we all work well with each other. Our office is small, we only have 5 people. I have learned so much from my days at H&R Block! Every day is new and I look forward to being here.

In the fall of 2002, just when things were good, my Dad got sick. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer at Thanksgiving, had surgery to remove a 2 pound tumor from his kidney on December 18th and passed away on May 1, 2003. I miss him so much and still expect him to answer the phone sometimes when I call my Mom. I think losing a parent so young, he was only 66, is devastating. Each and everyday I think of something that has happened in our family, with Mom or one of the grandkids and wonder what would Dad do or think if he were here. My youngest son is getting married in October and it breaks my heart that my Dad wont be there, even after 5 years. But, God is good and he brought someone into my life just at the right time who could give me the security and love my Dad used to.

My husband, Duane. We met because he was bored and was okay with spending $14.95. the whole story of that is rather long, but cutting to the chase...we met, dated and have been married for 4 years now. Duane is an amazing man, who has come to be the best friend I have ever had. Marrying someone with 4 kids and an ex-wife is not easy. We have had some serious issues, but with prayer and lots of it, we are doing good. Everyday with this man is amazing. I understand my past and what I had to go through to get to this point. I count my blessings everyday for someone who completes me like he does. I know he loves The Lord like I do and having someone like him in my life to worship with is just so cool! We have so much fun together doing some of the most ordinary things. We love working on our house, landscaping and other things. We have a huge deck on the back that we sit on daily, drinking coffee and just catching up with each other's day. He has been so good to my boys and has taught them so much. He even gets along with my Mom!!! Not a day goes by that I dont wish my Dad could have met him. I know they would be good friends. He loves college football and I love baseball, so we have attended lots of Indianapolis Indians games and IU football games. In fact, he is so nice, the football and basketball games we attended at IU were both against U of I!!! and he was even ok that I wore my Illini colors and he was dressed from head to toe in Hoosier Red!!

We are now getting into a different time of our lives. We have a 2 yr old granddaughter, Syndey, who is just the best. And on Sept 26th we will welcome new baby Leighton into our family with his Mommy and Daddy and li'sis Sydney. We are so excited to meet him!! Even though I am technically the "step-grandma", I still feel like they are part of me. Kilyssa and Travis have been so nice to let me be MeMaw too!! The other part of our lives that is changing is that we are now taking care of things for our parents. Duane's Mom had breast cancer last year and is doing fine now. His Dad, Robert, had a stroke on May 1, 2008 and is unable to see. The only thing the stroke affected was his sight and it has been so frustrating for him to deal with. My Mom is doing pretty good, just gets bored with no family to take care of anymore. We all try to keep her busy. Our lives are very full and we are blessed...Duane and I!!!

Same Trip, Different Road

2008-09-05T10:03:00.002-04:00

This weekend I am helping my sister move. She has been married for almost 26 years and is getting a divorce. I have been there before, but it was a road I was hoping she would not have to travel. She has two kids who are out of high school and one is in her last year of college. She and her husband have nothing in common any longer. I know she has been unhappy for a long time and I give her credit for staying long enough to raise the kids. As a Christian, I wish she could have made it work. As a sister, I see her pain and understand. So now she is doing something she has never done before, living along. She went straight from our childhood home to being married, so this will be very new for her. Of course the kids will still be around and actually each of them have their own room in her new home. But she will be for the first time a single Mom, living alone. I think she will be surprised that she will actually enjoy it most of the time. But there will be days that she will be lonely. She has a great support group of girlfriends, who I am sure will keep her busy. But I am still very sad. I guess I was hoping she will do what I had not been able to do in the past, stay married to the man she fell in love with first. I know that God has plans for her. I know He is in her life. Now that I have traveled past these roads and am finally with the man God intended me to be with, I can only hope that she will someday have that same opportunity. But for now...I will be there for her..help her decorate her new place and be the best sister I can be.

The Beginning....

2008-09-04T10:45:00.002-04:00

I have often thought of doing a blog but never really considered my life to be so interesting. But I think that this is more for me than anyone else. Just to take a small part of my day to put down my thoughts and where my life is headed.
I am from a very small town in west central Indiana. Raised by very strict parents who believed a goods day work was important for all 4 of their kids. I'm the oldest of 4, 2 boys and 2 girls, which my parents had in 5 years! I think my Mom was a very organized person and managed to keep all of us on track most of time. She once told me that she didnt feel like she had accomplished anything in her life. But when I pointed out that she raised, mostly on her own since my Dad worked alot, 4 great kids who turned out pretty good, she could see that I was right. I know that at one time or another each of us disappointed her, she knows we all love her very much.
I have had lots of ups and downs in my life, 2 divorces, job changes, stress of raising 2 boys alone, but I know that God has been there with me all the time. I didnt realize that in the beginning, but he has shown me time and time again that He was there at all the right times. It wasnt until after my 2nd divorce that I found Him again and began to live life like He wanted. I became friends with some of the most Godly people I have ever known. Even though that group of people are not in my daily life now, God has given me a new group that is just as loving and encouraging as the first. He is like that, ya know? Always gives us just what we need, when we need it.
Just like when He moved me from Danville to Indianapolis. That was the biggest change I had ever made in my life and He was in control the whole way. I was fine at my job of 12 1/2 years in Danville. Had a great church family, great friends, my family was all very close..why would I change all that to move to a city where I had none of those things?? Because God knew where He wanted me and why. So I will leave this and continue my journey tomorrow. If you are reading this, thanks. I would love to hear from you. Especially old friends!!!