Then and Now

As we posed for this picture, twenty years ago, we thought our family was "complete." Little did we know, we will never be complete.  Our family is constantly growing; we're adding, subtracting, and multiplying. (I should have been a math major)

As each year goes by and we enjoy new additions to our family (whether the additions be big or small) we experience lessons of love, joy, sorrow, laughter, tolerance, tears, and hope. 

Our "completeness" will take all eternity because we will keep changing and growing (more facial hair) and learning...

...and becoming more crazy!  

I love my family!

Bitter Sweet

It has been two months since Grady left us.

This beautiful head stone (a generous gift to his parents) is now in place.

It used to be, after holding Grady for a while, our arms would ache because he was so big!

Now our arms ache to hold him.

Soon, Grady, soon.

Mother's Day is Party Time!

Ahhh, Mother's Day! 

 I love that day!  

I have a wonderful Mother who deserves honor and praise!  We took Mom and Dad out to McGrath's Fish House for dinner Saturday night.  
I'm impressed with my parents' color coordinating outfits.

Me, Andy, Sister Nancy, Steve, Mom, Dad, Cherrie, Brother Gerald

Sunday evening ALL my children (except 2 sons-in-law) and my grandchildren met at Candice and Andy's home for dinner, visiting, gift giving, and a scary pinata! (If you could see the face of that Cinderella, you'd understand the scary part)

If you really want to have some party fun, include a pinata filled with goodies; a group of children hitting the pinata with a stick...

...and a half-naked, bearded man using his kicking skills to break through the pinata! 

I didn't know he had removed his shirt until he got in the camera range!

Thanks, David, for the shock and the fun!

My daughter, Camille, featured mothers every day last week on her blog.  I was featured yesterday. You can go here to read it.  You'll be able to pick out David in our Christmas picture on the blog. 

Ahhh, Mother's Day!

I hope you all had a wonderful day!

Healthy Habits Competition

Who's up to a Healthy Habits Challenge?  

I know I AM!  My daughter, Jill, is hosting this competition.  Go here and check out the fun!  You'll be glad you did! It starts Monday!

We know how important it is to eat healthy, exercise, get enough sleep, drink enough water and have good mental and emotional health.  Sometimes we just get too busy and don't think about taking care of ourselves.  Well, here's the opportunity to be healthy AND join with a group of people AND report our successes AND earn points AND earn prizes!  Want in?  (You know you do)  Check out this site for the rules. 


The last one to 50 points is a couch potato!

Things Worth Tending

I have an elderly friend who grows beautiful African Violets. She told me that African Violets take a lot of tending.  They need the right soil, light, temperature and humidity.  They must have the right amount of water, fertilizer and lots of TLC.  However, she insists that all the tending is worth having beautiful blooms on the plants. 

We have had this African Violet plant for years!  It had flowers when we got it. The flowers eventually died and the plant was neglected. We decided to tend to it with the TLC it needed.   We were excited to find blooms on the plant once again. 

There are things worth tending. 

I need to tend to my relationship with my family. It requires time and effort and lots of TLC but it's well worth it!

(This picture was taken 3 years ago.  We have since added 7 more people to this group)

My relationship with my Heavenly Father needs tending.  Thankfully he's forgiving and understanding.  (We're now in Proverbs!)

Tending to relationships with friends is a blessing and a must, even though many days my friends are just thoughts and not actions.

So now I'm wondering about this blog. 

 Is it worth tending? 

The past couple of weeks this little space on my computer has been sorely neglected, thus neglecting all of you! 

If I own it, I should take care of it. 

I'll try to do better.