Is There Such A Thing As A New Year Gift?

I want this. A book made from my 2008 blog posts. The big problem is that the software to import all my posts, does not support Blogger. So, I will have to do ALL of the work manually. There is a way (or two) around this - but they are nearly as time consuming as the first option. Don't worry - I have already started my 2009 book, so I will just put them into the book as I post them and then on December 31st 2009, I can just click "order" and have my beautiful journal in 7-10 days. So, if some kind soul wants to take pity on me and put my book together for me, I would be more than happy to give a big fat hug. I would also say a mighty, "Thank you!" if you felt like gifting me with a gift certificate to purchase the book. Seeing as how I have 244 posts in 2008 and 20 in 2007 that I will include, I am thinking the book will be a wee bit pricey.

The picture above is borrowed from the blurb website, and is linked directly to their blog book page if you want to have a lookee-loo.

One Last Passing In 2008

It is with sadness (and a good deal of Christ's hope) that I announce the passing of my youth (my husband was already old).

In about 10 days our 17 year-old estranged daughter will be giving us the early gift of Grandparenthood.

The good news is - my husband is going to make one hot Grandpa!

It is my sincere prayer that we will be allowed to hold this precious little hand.


More than that, I ask that you pray with us that our Daughter would come to know Christ and choose a saving relationship with Him.

Nothing Much *

*edited to include missing pics

My husband is sad that I, "sold him out" that he doesn't take me on many dates, and also he is bored with my last post and would like me to give him something else to read, and also requests that I post about him. We have been on vacation since the 23rd here at our property in Texas and I haven't posted much because there is not a whole lot to report.
I AM glad to be able to tell you that for Christmas we bought tickets for the entire family - including the Grandparents to go see Bedtime Stories on Christmas day. We all enjoyed it very much.

But before we headed to the movies, we walked our property and of course, planned out our compound homestead. My priorities have changed slightly from; Hubby's shop first, fence second, house third, pool, vegetable/cut flower garden, guest cottages....

to; Fence first, Hubby's shop second, my recording/photography studio third (who cares if we have to live in a trailer for 3 years - only half the kids will be still at home by then) and then whatever else. (By the way - I got a remote control for my camera for Christmas and so I could take a picture of myself while recording a song. I know you agree with my priorities) And think of all the jam sessions when singing friends come to visit! (I will only charge them nominal fees) Maybe then my Chicas will be happier about visiting me here. 'Cause it'll be way cool then.

My hubby showed me this tree he found when he was working on clearing some of the back 40 and he called it the climbing tree. It has a limb growing from one tree into another.



He then exhibited to me how it got its name.



There are lots and lots of trees here. Some of my favorites are the dozen or so Pecan trees which seem to give off a crop every couple of years or so, several Osage Orange trees which are neat but the fruit is really weird looking and makes a giant mess, and then we have a bunch of one of my favorite species of tree - the Honey Locust. Now this bad boy, currently is dormant from the winter - but it does not loose its macabre thorns. Here is a small sampling.



My father-in-law would like to cut them down because they are pretty dangerous when riding around on the tractor, and those thorns have flattened a tractor tire in their day - I am hoping though, that we can just prune them high enough to be able to go under them with the tractor cause I surely do like the looks of them. I'll show you them in bloom when I am here during blooming. The twins took ill night before last and we have been having the on again-off again barf-fest to close out 2008 with a bang. Today I was in Sam's club and there was a family with 9 month old twins buying piles and piles of diapers and piles and piles of formula. *cue cha cha music ~ and dancing ~ my twins are thirtee-een, my twins are thirtee-een* They were really so cute though and I had to work really hard at not staring and making a scene.

Blogger is resisting uploading the rest of my pics, so you have two choices:

1.) Post anyway and follow tomorrow or so with the rest of the pics
or
2.) Save as a draft and post when it can be done in its entirety.

What's your vote?

Seven Pounds

Ugh. My husband rarely takes me on dates. He took me on one tonight only to have us sit through a very un-s4j-pleasing type of movie. SLOWWWW and deep and not even a happy ending to tie it all up. Even most of the acting was weird and creepy to me. I would not recommend spending your dollars or your date night on it.
On a happier note, when we got home (and the kids think we didn't notice them shutting the lights out) I came across a fun post from Jess at Mourning Into Dancing on the subject of Fun Christmas Posts. Thanks for salvaging my evening Jess.
Oh - and thank you honey for taking me to the movies.

Vituperate

I will not vituperate you today.

Reflections

With Great Pride!

It is with great pride and joy that we announce the early graduation of our eldest child from High School!

In Memoriam

In loving memory of my Grandfather's wife Millie Woerner

Shower, Shout Out And A Hamper Scamper For Good Measure

Big day. Lots to do. Having trouble focusing.

Shower:
Have you ever cleaned the shower while taking a shower? Well I did this morning. Cleaned myself first then the shower. Nothing like combining tasks. I could be the queen of multitasking. (How about you? What tasks have you combined for maximum efficiency?)

Shout Out:
Hey Gretchen! *waves* I was thinking about you this morning. (NOT while showering). And I just wanted tell you, "Thank you" for being in my life. You're a treasure to know. virtually.

Good Measure:
Look - I know it's the busiest time of year for many of us, me included - but don't forget that we are celebrating the birth of our Savior, and you still need a clean toilet seat. So.....

Time to clean your shower.... GO!
(You thought I was going to say, "toilet seat" didn't you?)
(No you don't have to be naked)

WHOOPS! I Missed It!

It's my belated bloggerversary! On December 9, 2007 - I posted for the very first time. It's such an indication of my life at this moment that I am 2 days late posting about it. Life is abundantly good and overflowing with busy-ness. School was cancelled today because snow was sighted in the area (okay, that could be a bit over-simplified) and so all of my children are home. This will require a bit of a shift in my schedule. Lord help me to see this as the blessing You would have it be for me. I will leave you with a reprint of my very first (and still one of my favorites) post.


Today was our Christmas cantata - A Celebration of Carols. (Funnily enough, the front of the program said, "Sing for joy") My choir director said to me, "I love to see the joy on your face and in you when you are singing. You are such a blessing." How little she knows about what a gift it is to me to be able to be a part of this most amazing and beautiful choir. I am reminded of the verse from Jeremiah 20:9 which perfectly describes my NEED to sing to the Lord ...."But if I say, 'I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Indeed I cannot. Even if I wanted to. I sometimes am so completely overwhelmed by the need to worship the Lord that it feels like if I don't get it out, the power of it will shatter my bones into pieces. And truly when I am worshiping with this amazing group of people, I feel so full, that there really is nowhere else for the joy to fit and it just runs over. Right over the brim of the cup the Lord has given me. I urge you to find the thing that the Lord has given you to do on this earth and do it with all your heart. Truly, when you are doing the thing that God has created you for, you will be able to do it no other way and you'll be so happy about it to boot.

Bittersweet

My dad received these during a lunch with an old friend the other day. He had taken them in 1976 when we lived in Westminster, CA. He had heard about my brother's passing and dug them out to give to my dad. So thoughtful!

The first two are my dad and my brother, and I bet you can guess who the fashionista is sitting with the cutey little boy and his car....


Yep. JEN-YOU-WINE fur coat baby.

The Moment You've All Been Waiting For

More news about my urethra! The referral for the new specialist to go have that new special test which the super specialist could not do had not yet come through and the neurontin experiment was not working. Well....with the exception of it helping me sleep and make nice to people, and stopped the tremors in my hands. Sadly though, none of these were what the prescription was intended for. So, when I met with the gynecologist who is part of my Primary Care Manager system, and has to approve and submit referrals, I explained to him that I am done. I do not want to see any more doctors, there is nothing medically more that can be done about this situation, and the shot-in-the-dark medication did not help ~ not.even.one.bit. He said that decision was certainly mine to make and should I change my mind at some point, we can certainly revisit. I suggested that I should stop taking the medication (and not because I don't like it) and he agreed that would be wise. I told him my concerns about stopping it cold turkey with the way it had affected me and he said I could taper off however I felt comfortable. I am currently weaning from that and I am down to half of what I was taking. I already am crankier and more prone to irritation, and my hands have begun trembling again. Such is life.

So here is the bottom line. Science is exhausted. Man can do nothing. If healing comes ~ it will be the Great Physician who healed. And you will see me shouting that from the rooftops.