Doesn't get any better than this...

My grandson Sam came to visit. His mom and dad brought him to visit Jack in Knoxville and Kate here in Louisville.

Sam is full of life and busy as a bee....extremely animated.
He decided on this visit my name was Gramma Re Re....I like it!

Kate and Leah stopped over to visit ....

Kate loves Pop-Pop .....searches the house for him if he gets busy and retreats to his office.

Beautiful, funny Kate

Pals

Aunt Cheri, Sam and Leah

Our Kate

Jack...we missed you here....

Soon we will all be together!

This gal is 44 years old!!

The National Cycling Masters will be here in Louisville in Cherokee Park for three days....it's a group of over age 30 bike racers. Dick and I went over to watch the race this afternoon and met this amazing lady, Debbie Milne, who won her division, 40-44 year old women. I thought she was about 25 or so.

These were all women..lots of them.


The whole park was blocked off for the race so

I had to map a new walk this morning.

I missed walking these hills....I'm addicted.

On Saturday and Sunday's, I walk alone since Dick plays golf those mornings...we both leave the house around 6:45am-7am

(we go to church on Saturday nights)

I never mind walking by myself....

Walking in Cherokee Park early in the morning is like

walking in heaven and talking to God.

One morning a few weeks ago as I hiked up the first winding hill

there was a morning mist dancing in the air

and then on cue, a deer appeared on the golf course to my right.

One of those times that make you so glad to be alive.

I will never stop thanking God for a second chance.

Just a year and a half ago I was nearly crippled by being overweight.

I truly believe you need to exercise at least 6-7 days a week

if you have weight to lose.

When Dick and I belonged to the Wellness Center and exercised 3 days a week there, I over heard one of the "tough" pros there telling a client she never knew anyone to lose weight that didn't exercise at least 6-7 days a week.

I scoffed at it....I've since become a believer.

Exercising 6-7 days a week and eating right take years off of you...

just look at Debbie!

Our Kate..

She lights up the world with her smile...

I am a promise

I am a possibility

I am a promise with a capital "P"

I am a great big bundle of potentiality

And I am learnin' to hear God's voice

And I am tryin' to make the right choice

I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.

I can go anywhere that He wants me to go

I can be anything

He wants me to be

I can climb the high mountains

I can cross the wide sea

I'm a great big promise you see!

I am a promise

I am a possibility

I am a promise with a capital "P"

I am a great big bundle of potentiality

And I am learnin' to hear God's voice

And I am tryin' to make the right choice

I'm a promise to be anything God wants me to be

Anything God wants me to be!

Be inspired by the story of 8 year old Adam Bender from Lexington, Kentucky.

He too is a promise with a capital "P"

I've gotta add a picture I got today of Jack. He is one week old....

Oh yes we did!

It has been really HOT here for the last few days so Dick and I get up really early and get our 4-5 mile walk done. Even then, by the 1 1/2 half mile mark, I start the beads of sweat thingy.... It's been a couple of months since I added another mile and hills to my walk.

That's going great, so I wanted to add something else...but what? Along comes the American Heart Associations, Better U campaign. I joined and put the widget at the top right of my blog so you could check it out too. The campaign joins lots of women together to share experiences and strive to exercise more, eat better and stay informed about our health...

I love the blogs of these four women.

I've been doing great with staying on track with diet and exercise, however, lately I've wanted to snack around 9pm....salty, sweets or chocolate....not good choices. Perfectly good yummy fruits are waiting in the refrigerator,

bad thing is,

I want to by-pass them and get a chip or half a Hersey's chocolate bar.

"Danger" old habits popping up....

nipping them in the bud is called for ASAP!

After joining the Better U Campaign I made some promises to myself on my Journal entry I set up there. One, to stop the extra snacking and find something else to do instead.

Recognizing I have a problem is the first step to solving it.

Snacking....I'm going to quit you!!!!!!

While waiting for Sis and and the girls the other day at the park I noticed an older couple playing tennis....they weren't particularly good....they were moving around a lot picking up balls they missed. Every once in a while they would get a good volley going....they were having fun!

The main thing was they were moving.

Light bulb moment...that's the ticket! I'd played tennis as a girl, hadn't picked up a racket since I used to play with my dad when Brad and Sissy were little people....

a long time ago.

My car temperature read 91 degrees last night at 8pm....didn't phase us...got our tennis balls and rackets (we bought last night at Play It Again Sports) out of the car and walked boldly to the court and began the game of tennis. We weren't particularly good.....we were moving around a lot picking up balls we missed. Every once in a while we got a good volley going.... we had FUN!!!

And guess what? No snacking last night, mission accomplished!

Join me in the Better U Campaign!

Meet Jackson Wyatt, born June 20th 2009

Mom and Dad getting ready to meet Jack....Rachel was doing so well after many hours of labor...Rich was doing okay too.....hard to watch someone you love go through so much pain.
Rachel's doctor decided Jack was just too big for her little body to deliver. One C-Section later...

Meet Jack!!!!

Dad's hand

Welcome to the world little one....Gramma Re and Pop thank the Lord above for you.
Jack, you are a wonder indeed!

Worshing the car....

We are kids again washing our cars...saving money has turned out to be fun. Our cars have never looked shinier. We use a couple of squirts of Dawn dishing washing detergent...magic!

We get kidded in Kentucky (a lot) because we say WORSH instead of WASH.

I love the rinsing the best..could do this all day!

Dick's turn...I'm glad my car is a lot smaller!

Dick REALLY gets into it....what a good boy! :-)

I walked around to the front yard and got a shot of the front garden...

caladiums, trailing geraniums, begonia's, impatiens, ferns and boxwood's.

Thanks to Home Depot I planted this little garden for cents on the dollar....

can't wait to see it when everything matures.

Backyard yard art.... this little chair has been in four of our gardens. Used to have the cutest little girl sitting on it. Once when she was sitting on the front porch, the paper boy executed her...still looking for her replacement.

We have a shade yard so Dick's tomatoes are in my planters in our sunniest spot

Dick's first strawberries

First tomato!!!

All done!

Note: We added sliced grilled chicken (that I reheated on the panini maker)

to our BLT's yesterday...oh my gosh where they ever good!

I'm making extra grilled chicken from now on!

To grill: we pat the chicken with olive oil,

sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper and grill...yum!

Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwiches....

Really the pictures say enough .....

Bacon......Oscar Mayer Center Cut

Mayo.....Hellman's Light

Lettuce.......Red Leaf

Tomatoes......Tennessee

Bread.....Sour Dough

The Slaw is simple too....

4 cups...coarsely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup.... light Hellman's mayonnaise

2 tbsp....wine vinegar

2 tbsp....sugar or Splenda

2 tbsp....sliced green scallions

1/4 tsp....dry mustard

1/8 tsp....celery seed

Combine and chill...yum.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are really economical. I buy two big bags every week full of tomatoes, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, spinach, green beans, asparagus, cabbage, corn, zucchini, squash, watermelon, grapes, peaches, cantalope, bananas, apples..(little Fuji's are so sweet!), strawberries, blueberries, lemons, limes, and slaw mixes.

It averages about $25-$30. Heaven. ;-)

You have to check out Bakerella's Blog for her Fathers Day Idea..

It rocks!!

Thanks everyone for your concern for baby Jack....

We are all learning about "all in the Lord's good time"....

Keep Rachel and Rich in your prayers...

no one wants to see little Jack more than these two!

Cardboard testimonies...Overcome

Revelation 12:11

"They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death. "


Lyrics to Overcome by the Desperation Band

New Life Church
Verse::1

Seated above, enthroned in the Father's love
Destined to die, poured out for all mankind
God's only son perfect and spotless one
He never sinned, but suffered as if he did

Prechorus
All authority, every victo-ry is Yours
All authority, every victory is Yours

Chorus

Savior, worthy of honor and glory, worthy of all our praise, You overcame
Jesus, awesome in power forever, awesome and great is Your name,

You overcame

Verse::2

Power in hand speaking the Father's plan
You're sending us out, light in this broken land

Bridge
We will overcome by the blood of the Lamb
And the word of our testimony, everyone overcome

The pain relieving powers of cherry juice...

Dick and I have long believed in the power of cherry juice to help with our aches and pains...we have ordered it from northern Michigan ( Brownwood Farms). Walmart carries a cherry juice concentrate too. It's called Riveridge Red Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate, I believe was $8.88 and makes 3 quarts after it is diluted. You just add 2 tablespoons to anything you are drinking or water.


Cherry juice has properties that help fight inflammation in muscles, which helps to reduce pain or stiffness. Dick says it helps with gout too.

Brownwood Farms says some of the reasons we drink cherry juice....
Supports Healthy Joint Function
Supports Healthy Cardiovascular Function
Supports A Healthy Immune System
Naturally Occurring Melatonin - Helps Maintain A Healthy/Or Normal Sleep Cycle

I've found Bolthouse Farms C-Boost has cherry juice in it as well as peaches and apples...it is GOOD! I buy it at Walmart ($3.88). Wholefoods carries it too. Bolthouse carries lots of varieties of smoothies...something for everything and everyone.


Wow! Taste awesome and works for you too...

I copied this from their website....

Blended with Ingredients to Support your Body's Immune System
The ingredients in C-Boost were thoughtfully selected to support your body's Immune System. It all begins with two hand-picked tropical fruits known for their incredible Vitamin C content. In fact, Camu Camu fruit and Acerola cherries are two of the most Vitamin C rich fruits on this earth. Camu Camu and Acerola cherries provide 51 and 32 times more Vitamin C content than an orange, respectively. We also added in the mineral Zinc and Vitamins A and E, micronutrients known for their effects on Immune System health. Finally, we added in Echinacea, Astragulus and Maitake Mushrooms, herbal ingredients that have been used for centuries to promote a healthy Immune System.

If you have some aches and pains or are under a lot of stress...do yourself a favour and try some some Bolthouse Farms C-Boost to get you started on your way to feeling a little better.

I will bring Praise!

Hillsong United Desert Song- This is our God





Psalm 63:1-8
"O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory.

Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me."

Pop and Kate

We made another trip over to Sis's house later in the evening yesterday to deliver some meds for Shawn. I reminded Dick about giving Kate space and letting her come to him. Well...she did! Of course he made funny faces at her and stood on his head from the other side of the room to get noticed. ;-) Dick was in seventh heaven! Kate sits in your lap and then leans back and just enjoys being there.

Thank you all for your good wishes! God is so good and so faithful!

We have our Kate!!

Oh happy day! The travelers are HOME!! My family is back where they belong!
It was like we had always known each other....Kate just walked up to me held up her arms...and I swept her up! I had planned on staying in the background to give Kate some much needed space. She had different ideas!! Dick took these pictures with his cell phone and most of them will be a bit blurry but you can get an idea of this mornings celebration at the airport.

My girls...

Holly, Carolin, Brad and their children gathered to welcome our Kate

Rebecca, Emma (Carolin's angels)and Leah

Rebecca...what a doll!

Itsy Bitsy Spider...the universal language.

Sissy, Shawn, Leah, Kate and Jennie traveled for 2 hard long days to get back home.

They are tired and weary, but oh so happy!!

Thank you dear Lord for your help and protection! We are forever grateful!