Happy Birthday Rachel!!

Rachel is 25 today!!

Happy Birthday!!

Rachel is our son Rich's wife....we are blessed to have her in our family and love her very much!

Rachel is going to have a baby in June and we are all so excited!!

I told our grandson Sammy about it this weekend and his eyes got so big and he said, " a baby?..a little baby?? oohh!!"

Leah is very excited too!

We are all happy!

We can't wait!

Rachel you are a wonderful christian woman and for that I am so grateful.

You love the Lord with your whole mind, soul and spirit.

This little baby is so

blessed to have you for a mommy!

God bless you and keep you safe in his care.

Thanks for being the best wife to our son!

Love and prayers!!

Happy, Happy Birthday Rachel!!

We cry out...

We are on our way home from Virginia and spending time with our son and family...had a wonderful Thanksgiving with them.

We just crossed into Kentucky and the sunset is absolutely breathtaking! In times like these, God's beauty draws you still closer to Him.

This song sung by Kari Jobe reminds us each moment is a gift.


Ephesians 2

Made Alive in Christ

1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.

3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,

5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Giving Thanks..

I heard about this story while listening to Rush the other day..thought I'd post it since the Freedom to worship is something I am very thankful for. After this election we have all come to believe some of our freedoms are in jeopardy....I pray not. Nevertheless, this is an awesome article written by Jennifer James, a freelance writer...it appeared in the LA Times....wow...anyway brave Jennifer called Rush to tell him...Jennifer, you rock! Thanks!

"Freedom From Want," a painting by Norman Rockwell.

It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together.


By Jennifer James November 23, 2008


It was Thanksgiving, and for the first time our whole family was together. Mom and Dad had to drive all night just to get here, but boy was it worth it!

The Grandsters really know how to do it up right. The Grandsters being Grandpa and Grandma. We were all seated at the table, and I couldn't wait to dive into those mashed potatoes and gravy.
And the smell of the turkey -- I thought I was going to faint with happiness.

"What's that, Mindy?" demanded my little cousin Sam.

He can be such a pain. He is 8 years old, two years younger than I am.

"What's what?" I asked.

He pointed to a little paper cup containing just three kernels of corn beside Grandpa's plate.

I opened my mouth to answer and then realized I didn't know. Ugh!

How I hate admitting that I don't know something!Grandma answered, "It is to pay tribute to the Pilgrims."

"But why three kernels?" asked the always curious Sam. Give it a rest, I thought.

Grandpa answered, "It reminds me of what a tough time the Pilgrims had. In the beginning, three kernels of corn was each person's daily food ration." The table got real quiet after he said that.

Grandpa continued, "Against all odds, they made a life for themselves in the wilderness. Let's talk more about it after dinner. "

"Sure enough, dinner was over and Sam wanted to know more." Squanto taught the Pilgrims to grow corn!" Sam exclaimed.

He's never going to forget that -- he played Squanto in the Thanksgiving Day play at school.

"That's right," Grandpa said. "But at first the Pilgrims were terrified of the Indians, as they called them.

Then one day a tribesman named Samoset ventured into their encampment. He was tall and dark and by many accounts quite handsome.

Loudly and plainly he proclaimed, 'Welcome!' in perfect English."

"The Pilgrims must have freaked!" shouted Sam.Grandpa laughed and agreed. "I'm sure you're right. He had learned the language from English fishermen.

For the Pilgrims, life was a constant battle for survival.

Later, Governor William Bradford made a decision.

Instead of the colonists sharing their crops equally, he assigned a parcel of land to each family and told them they could keep whatever they produced for themselves."

"Then what happened?" asked Sam.

"At last the Pilgrims began to prosper. Governor William Bradford wrote in his book 'Of Plymouth Plantation,''

''This had very good success, for it made all hands industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been.'"

"Shoot! If you can keep everything you make, of course you're going to work harder.

"Everybody knows that."Grandpa answered, "The first seed had been planted for the American Revolution. "

People were free to practice their religions as they saw fit and were free to keep the fruits of their labor.

This had never happened before in the history of mankind.

In the words of William Bradford, ''As one small candle may light a thousand, so the light here kindled hath shone unto many, yea in some sort to our whole nation.' "

"That William Bradford sounds like a pretty cool guy," said Sam.

"He was a pretty cool guy," Grandpa said with a chuckle.


Dick and I are on the road to Virginia, we are going to spend Thanksgiving with our son Brad and his wife Cheri, our grandson Sam and Cheri's Mom and family.

Our son's name is William Bradford...very cool person to share a name with!


Dick and I are blessed beyond reason with a wonderful family...we love all of you so very much and thank God for you! Melissa, Shawn, Leah, Rich and Rachel we will miss being with you on Turkey Day, but hold you tight in our hearts!

To all my bloggy friends...so grateful for all of you! Blogging is so relaxing and such a great part of my life, you all enrich my world so much...God bless you all!!

With a grateful heart I want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving!!

Santa

We decided to go ahead and decorate outside because it was 47 degrees yesterday. Thought I'd share my Santa...he's 4 1/2 feet tall...we stuffed him with batting and he's precious. You can get one here. Found a Mr and Mrs Claus too!
You can click the pictures and make all the Santa's bigger.

A few more Santa's taking residence at our house.... Ho,Ho, Ho!!!

Love his mink trim!

The picture next to Santa was painted by Dick's mother Bea. She painted their next door neighbors Scotty...the painting was made into a Christmas card for Kosair Children's Hospital (Shriners) in Louisville KY to use as their annual card...priceless..

Saviour King...

Hillsong's Saviour King sung by Marty Sampson




1 Corinthians 15:55-57

55"Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Bail out Math

This has been floating around e-mails...if you need a laugh ;-)



It made me cringe to hear that the "Big Three" car executives all arrived in Washington DC in private jets....bailout?

From the desk of.....

Okay, it's Dick's desk, I don't have one...since we moved into the condo and downsized and I couldn't part with a love seat I adore.... put the beloved couch in the office where another desk should be....a girl's gotta have some style right?

So anyway, reporting from the borrowed desk of Maree B. on the state of our new lifestyle we started March 05, 2008.......happy, happy, joy, joy!! We are really enjoying loosing the weight and all the good things that come with it. Better health, more energy, less pain and so much more!

Dick loves being in loose 36 inch waist pants...loves the compliments and he also really likes to tell other people how easy it is to eat less and move more. I'm so proud of him, he's lost 35 pounds!

The other night Melissa brought over some size 10 clothes that are way too big for her now....but not me!! I was thrilled!! One pair of black dress pants in particular that she had worn to her brother Rich's wedding a couple of years ago, really excited me. I remember how thin she looked in them.....and how nice she looked. Well, they fit! Now I gotta go some place nice to wear them! Ruth Chris and Actors Theatre maybe!

So far I've lost about 56 pounds and I'm still losing about 1/2 pound a week. I'm almost at a normal BMI which is really my goal.

The main thing I need to say today is, if I can do it...you can do it!! Go for it!! Give fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean meats a try. Find out what a portion is (it's on the side of the box or package!!). You don't have to give up everything you love, just change a few things, make better choices. Try www.livestrong.com, go to A Daily Plate there or, www.sparkpeople.com, get great recipes from Cooking Light http://www.myrecipes.com/ find recipes that have the calorie counts on them ...they are delicious!

Don't wait until January 1st!! Start today!! If you have fallen off the wagon...hop right back on!! We are human we err...!!

Here's my desk....hope he doesn't get too comfortable there!! ;-)

*********************To go back to the "light bulb" day for me go here**********************

Quaker True Delights...

Dick is a cookie boy...loves cookies...he used to, 35 pounds ago, fill a big ole glass with mini chocolate chip cookies and add milk to the top. I'm thinking that was about 500 calories or so of fun.{{{sigh}}} Now, all on his own, he knows what a serving is!!

Dick loves this granola bar....seems decadent...takes a while to eat, has 3 grams of fiber and 140 calories. I believe it is 3 Weight Watcher points.

There's also Chocolate Raspberry Almond, and my favorite,

Honey Roasted Cashew Mixed Berry. That's a mouthful!

I think the best place to find them is Walmart in the cereal/granola bar section.

I get the Fiber One bars there too, since they are always $2.

With a cup of vanilla roast coffee or hot Earl Grey tea....I'm a happy girl!

Note* Dick is still working for the company, what he did for the company was eliminated....they just haven't figured out what he will be doing for them yet. Whatever it is they want him to do...they want him to do it in another city 4 hours away. Clear as mud? I know.

Panera does it again...Low-Fat Chicken Tortilla Soup

Panera you rock!!

Serving Size 12.25 ounces (Bowl)
Calories 220

Serving Size 8.25 ounces (Cup)
Calories 160

Just say NO! To holiday weight gain....

Love my recipes.com!! Thanks to them, Dick and I love eating at home again! These tips are awesome!

Don't skip breakfast. If you starve yourself all day in anticipation of the big meal, you're more likely to overeat and feel uncomfortable. You might want to eat a lighter breakfast than normal, but don't skip it.


• If you're asked to contribute to the meal, bring a low-fat or low-calorie dish that you know you can enjoy without guilt. Fresh veggies and dips, fresh fruit, low-calorie casseroles or low-fat fruit desserts are always good options.

• Drink as much water as you can before and during the meal.

• Replace pre-meal nibbling by sipping water or a low-calorie beverage and munching on fresh veggies and healthy dip.

• Get at the end of the line if the meal is being served buffet-style. That will give you less time to go back for seconds.

• Fill up your plate with low-fat items such as white meat turkey, roasted vegetables, green salads, and either fresh fruit or a fruit dessert.

• Go easy on the veggies covered in cheese and breadcrumbs.

• Select a whole grain roll if they're available and leave off the butter.

• Use a salad plate instead of a large dinner plate to help with portion control.

• Keep healthy proportions in mind as you fill your plate: One half of your plate should be vegetables, one fourth protein, and one fourth carbohydrate.

• Keep up with the calories you drink. One 5-ounce glass of white wine has about 145 calories.

• Finish your meal with a cup of hot tea or coffee. While you're sipping, you'll have time to receive the signal from your body that it's full.

Cravings....

Maybe cake is not your craving..... I saw this cake here on bakerella's blog...

oh dear....cake was definitely an instant craving.

It looks like it might taste like a Sprinkles cupcake.

You can get Sprinkles mix at William Sonoma too.

These are Perfect Endings at William Sonoma...

ooh..delicious

It's not forbidden in a healthy lifestyle

Have a slice, have a cupcake....really have a piece.....take time to really taste and enjoy...drraaag the experience out.

Don't beat yourself up! We are human and that is that.

My beloved big ole Uncle Earl was a diabetic. His wife, my precious Aunt Libby was an excellent cook and baked pies and cakes Uncle Earl couldn't have.....he had

SUGAR FREE ice cream and such.

I stayed with them in the summers when I was a girl, they lived on a farm, and I absolutely adored them. One day Aunt Lib asked me to go get something from the freezer in the pantry...when I opened the door, there was Uncle Earl hiding, with his apron on that Aunt Lib made him wear when he was eating.....and he was eating alright...a huge piece of cake. He put his finger to his mouth to shush me. I felt so sorry for him!! I gently closed the door and told no one.

Don't hide and eat something wonderful!!

enjoy it without quilt.....

one piece is enough to satisfy,

then get back to life a little happier and content!

Craving over!!;-)

Green Chile-Chicken Casserole...Yum!!

Leah's mommy and daddy had a date to go see the new James Bond movie and out to dinner last night, so she came over to visit with us, fun! This casserole is so easy to assemble, taste like comfort food and not the least low fat..but it is!! We had a party ....called Sammy in the middle of it to say hidy to Leah's much loved cousin in Virginia. You can use turkey in this recipe...I bought a colossal roasted chicken from Kroger's ....worked great for a fast dinner.

Yield
12 servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup canned chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup fat-free sour cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (10 1/2-ounce) cans condensed 98% fat-free cream of chicken soup, undiluted (such as Campbell's)
1 garlic clove, minced
Cooking spray
24 (6-inch) corn tortillas
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (about 1 pound)
2 cups (8 ounces) finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 9 ingredients in a large saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
Spread 1 cup soup mixture in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 6 tortillas over the soup mixture, and top with 1 cup chicken and 1/2 cup cheese. Repeat layers, ending with the cheese. Spread remaining soup mixture over cheese. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 335 (29% from fat)
Fat: 10.8g (sat 5.9g,mono 2.7g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 23.9g
Carbohydrate: 34.3g
Fiber: 3.2g
Cholesterol: 66mg
Iron: 1.5mg
Sodium: 693mg
Calcium: 270mg
Theresa Marquez, Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2003

Leah and I loved this casserole!!


For dessert we had pumpkin pie that I posted in October...it is delicious!! I love the brown sugar in it and the fact it's so easy to make. I'd gotten Leah a chocolate cupcake since I didn't think she would go for the pie...wrong!

She loved the pie!!

Leah and Pop getting the party started!

It was fun seeing Leah talk to Sam on the phone last night....we miss you Sam !

See you next week!!

Congratulations Rich!

Our son Rich holding the gold football, took Top Salesman Award, (which included a few new company records), for his division at the company he works for. He's with three of his mentors, the guy with his hands on his shoulders is his boss Brad. We have known Brad for 18 years, he worked with Dick at another company. Brad is the funniest guy you will ever meet....Rich is the next funniest guy you will ever meet....put them together spells fun, fun,fun!!

The cool thing was Dick was able to see Rich get this award since he works for the same company in a different capacity. Sweet moment!

Really proud of our boy!!

Amazing

http://www.lennartnilsson.com/

The Remedy

David Crowder Band

Revelation 19:11-16 (New American Standard Bible)

The Coming of Christ

11 "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.

12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.

13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen,white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.

16And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written,
"KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS."

It's Friday and Sunday's coming!!!

Rejoice!! He has saved us!! Rejoice!!

A very brave girl....

Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor, speaks at Queen's Hall, Parliament House, Victoria. Australia on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria.
Gianna's visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee
Gianna was born during an saline abortion attempt on her life. Her abortionist signed her birth certificate, so she knows who he is. Gianna talks about being hated from birth and identifying with Christ. She is God's girl!

Part Two

Wow! Takes your breath away!

Pearlie's Treasures...

I took care of my Dad the last few years of his life. He lived alone until he was 95 years old in Senior Citizens Housing...a place called Sayre Christian Village. There were 98 apartments in Dad's building. During the years he lived there, I got to know many of the residents and loved talking to them each time I would visit Dad.

One of my favorites was Pearlie.

Pearlie loved to dress up with a pretty flowered dress

hat, gloves and purse.....just to walk the halls of the building.

Oh, and she loved rouge and lipstick.

It went well with her fluffy white hair and crystal sparkling blue eyes.

Pearlie always had a smile and kind word,

but she lived mostly in her own world, if you know what I mean.

Taking care of my dad could be a real challenge, he had dementia. At the same time I was juggling helping my husband run our small business, teaching high school Sunday School , President of a Garden Club and all the other things associated with living life.

One day in particular, Dad was especially difficult during my visit to help him change a Mohs surgery dressing. I finally got him happy and settled, but I was close to tears by the time I closed his apartment door and headed for home. Getting on the elevator I had ridden a hundred times before, walking down the long hall toward the front door... worn out and dragging.

Then it happened..... Pearlie yelled out as I past her door....

"Hey! she hollered from inside her room.

"Hey, come here!' she yelled.

At first I was worried something had happened to her and she needed help.

But when I turned to face her, I saw a big smile.

"Come on in" Pearlie offered. "Come on!" she urged.

"Look here!" grinning at me, as she fell to her knees

and started reaching for a box under her TV set.

Pearlie patted the carpet next to her to have me sit down with her.

She pulled out the large box and opened it revealing....... all her favorite things.

Be still my heart...how very precious!

She carefully and with great joy described every object in the large box.

A tea cup from her grandmother, hankies, pictures and

all sorts of pretty things and treasures she had collected over the years and saved...

all together to be cherished.

It didn't take long to realize Pearlie's box of treasures

had brought her much happiness over the years and was very, very precious to her,

I was honored to spend this time with her.

Pearlie and I laughed and talked about her years growing up and her favorite things.

Then out of the blue she turned to me and spoke perfectly plain..no nonsense.

"You make the Lord happy when you take such good care of your daddy" she said.

Pearlie went on to tell me lovingly, "it makes everyone happy

when you come and check on your dad, it makes us feel good."

Break my heart!

Pearlie you made sense for me!!

My heart soared that day.....

And I knew, God had used Pearlie to let me know He was there with me.

I was not alone.

Lamentations 3

22 "Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed,

for his compassion's never fail.

23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

It's a new day!

Dick and I are both emotional eaters....we have learned the value of portion control, eating healthier, exercise and acknowledging our weakness.

BUT LAST NIGHT WAS VERY,

VERY STRESSFUL!!!!!!!

Abnormally so.

During the afternoon Dick played golf, I took a big old walk.

We went to see a movie "Nights in Rodanthe"...it was a good choice.

Ate at Panera Bread, stopped at a mall to get

Dick's glasses he had previously sat on put back in shape.

We were staying busy

Then we went home.

The good part....

We don't have any "Bad" food in the house"!!

If you fall off the food wagon due to stress at our house

you get low fat Tortillas with black bean salsa

topped off later with hot chocolate with whipped cream.

Here's what we could have done in the old days...

Krisby Kremes, definitely

2 each

maybe.. White Castles

4 each with fries

a milkshake would have been soothing too

or dipped cone, Dairy Queen

It's over.....it's a new day!

We are okay

When I get to where I'm going

Sung by Brad Paisley and sweet Dolly Pardon

Believe

Brooks and Dunn

Sam's Halloween Fun!

This is Sam, our beloved grandson, whom we miss a lot

because he lives in Virginia.

Our son Brad said Sam wanted to wear his

chicken suit again this year...looks warm!
Brad said Sam couldn't believe how everyone was giving him candy!

Sam and his friends taking a break, love Bella's wig!

Stylin!

There's our boy!!
Mommy having fun as usual!!

Hope time flies and it's no time in all, we will be on our way to Virginia for Thanksgiving!!

( and fun with Sam!)

Oh happy Day!! Sara got her LOA!!

God Bless you Sara!!

Sara is my friend that I met thanks to my daughter Melissa, (who is waiting still to be matched with a daughter).....Sara and her family have been waiting over 90 days ( a lifetime!) to receive this LOA!!

An LOA is a adoption term, anyone who has ever adopted yearns to receive their LOA, Letter of Acceptance!! Sara's is from the Chinese Government, and they are requesting Sara and her husband sign it and decide, (*one last time*), "Is this your child?". They must check yes or no... then seal it and deliver it to their adoption agency. Their agency will send it overnight to China. Then they wait for China to "Invite" them. The next document will be called TA, (Travel Approval). They could leave in as early as 5 weeks!!

This is precious, precious Mya....she now has a momma, daddy and two big brothers who will love her forever!! Mya is their forever girl!!

God is so good!

The Three Amigo's!!

We had so much fun with our princess last night!

Her little face just steals our hearts! Gorgeous!!

Leah had on a clouds of pink princess dress,

little white gloves and princess shoes that lit her way

We didn't need candy we had her!

Leah and Pop like to hit heads....go figure!;-)
Leah with Momma and Daddy

Life doesn't get any better than this!!