Memorial Weekend

Yesterday afternoon, the girls and I went with my parents & my aunt to the cemetery to put flowers on our family members' graves... Mike was supposed to be home by the time we finished, and we were all going to go out to eat together. But that didn't happen because he had to lay down for a nap. Seems like he's always too tired to do anything but sleep when he's at home... it's sort of depressing!

Last night he told me some things that had been said (he didn't even know who had said them--just some things he had heard over the cb radio)--things that really bothered me. I pray protection over him daily, but now I feel even more like it's got to be a constant, consistent prayer. I worry about him anyhow, and now I will probably only worry more. I try to give it to God, but it still seems to stay constantly on my mind.

He has to leave out tonight... he barely gets to be here 24 hours. I really don't like it when the weekends go like this. I would much rather he be home for 3 days since he only gets to be here every other weekend... :(

Feeling very burdened about many things

I don't understand what I'm feeling right now... I am feeling so incredibly burdened in my heart for the Steven Curtis Chapman family who lost their daughter, as well as the family in our town whose father was killed.

My bro & sil are adopting, and she has met the birth mother... they received news this week that birth mom has lost her job, and her best friend (also her roommate) has been diagnosed w/ terminal cancer, and had to move back home to let her parents take care of her... so birth mom is left alone, trying to figure out how to pay the full amount of rent with no job, and she's about 4 weeks from giving birth.

I feel such a burden for these situations that I am actually sick to my stomach. I feel pain in my body--for people I do not even know personally. I do not understand this at all... I've felt it before, but never quite this strong.

Our pastor & wife are on sabbatical, and we have had others filling in in their absence. Sis Kelly preached last night, and she gave a wonderful message about the storms we face in life... it was based on Isaiah 43:1-2. This was actually a verse given to me in prophecy several months back when I was facing my own personal storm.... but I could hardly even concentrate on her message because the family in our town was weighing so heavy on my heart and mind!

What is this that I'm experiencing? I feel like I need some kind of answers, but I don't really know exactly where to go to get them... Can somebody help me? What do I need to do? Is this some sort of spiritual gift I've been given? And if so, what do I do with it? I've been praying for these people, but somehow it doesn't seem enough...

I'm ready for my pastor's wife to come back... I need her advice and insight right now!

Tragedy sometimes makes us realize our own blessings

Earlier this week, a family in our little town lost a husband and father. I really didn't know them except in business dealings, but I thought they seemed like awfully nice people. The man was unloading a bulldozer from his trailer, and it fell on him and killed him. His 17-year-old son was there with him.

I feel so terribly sad for this family, even though I really don't know them. I can't even begin to imagine what the family is feeling--especially the son who was there with him at the time of the accident. I feel like they are going to need a lot of prayers and support to get through this. I don't even know them, and yet I want to do something--anything--to bring them some comfort.

There are just some days I feel like I am terribly blessed to wake up and see the sun in the morning and to play with my kids and talk to my husband. And if I make it alive to the end of the day to be able to put my kids to bed and go to sleep, I am even more blessed. Every day I am able to spend with my two little girls and my husband is such a gift!

I hope that anyone reading this will realize that your life is truly a gift from God--every moment, every breath. We never know when it's our time to go, and I want to know beyond the shadow of a doubt that I will be with my Savior for all eternity! So please don't go another minute unprepared for your last minute.

Ever tasted baby powder?

Blech.

An entire new container of baby powder was emptied in Jenna's room this morning... and the little boy that I babysit (G, age 4) was her little helper. Poor little girl (C, age 18 mos) was totally covered, and so was Jenna--their clothes, shoes, dresses, hair... And Jenna's room.

Two little girls just got a bath, and I shook out theire dresses in the back yard.

Jenna and G (boy) both had a time out to think about it, and both were asked to apologize & both did.

I have vacuumed, swiped, swept and mopped... and I can still see powder. I can still taste it, too. Yuck. All I can say is at least it isn't something stinky.

This is my last week babysitting... I'm kind of glad. Jenna didn't get into quite so many ornery little things on her own!

I'm sure you're probably wondering where I was when all this took place. I was in the kitchen putting dishes in the dishwasher. The kids were back in Jenna's room, and I could hear toys playing (music)... then they all started to giggle a little too much. By the time I got back there, it was too late.

Oh, what a mess. And I got in such a hurry to get it all cleaned up (because I was tasting it!) that I never thought to take a picture until just now. Oh well.

We got a dog!

When I was a little girl, we had a cocker spaniel named Brandy. She died from poisoning, and I was heartbroken! I've wanted another cocker ever since.

Last Saturday, we went with a friend to see a cocker spaniel that a friend of hers was wanting to give away, and we fell in love with her instantly!

Meet Bella...

Isn't she a cutie!! :)

Delaney said that she is my mother's day gift, lol... She's really taken to her, and she feeds her and likes to walk her on the leash. Jenna started off a little timid because Bella was so excited she would jump on her, but she's already started to calm down and play better with Jenna.

I think Mike even likes her. Now THAT's saying something. :p

Last night's storm

Remember that pretty bradford pear tree in my front yard by the corner?

Well... it's gone. At least, three fourths of it is gone. Laying out in the street. It's blocking my driveway, and I'm going to have to drive over the curb by the mailbox to get out. All that's left standing is a sprig... it looks pretty pitiful!

And the beautiful blue tarp on my hubby's lovely pickup blew off, so I get to go fix that. It's sort of necessary to put the tarp back on since the hood and one of the doors are taking up valuable space inside my garage. (Otherwise I would leave the silly thing!) Oh, happy day. lol

I am very grateful this is our only damage from the storm last night. I could not believe how hard the wind was blowing!


School is canceled today due to the weather... and being the curious bird that I am, I want to get out and drive around to survey the damage. If I do get to that, I'll take my camera & post what I find... I have a feeling there must be power lines down in some places or they would not have canceled school.


Where we live there is an electric box right beside the house. They put it in for the casino across the street, to ensure that their electric did not go out for more than a minute. It works because that's about how long ours was out this morning... (Of course, we all probably know that Cherokee Nation decided to use someone else for their electricity AFTER our city spent oodles and gobs of money on that project (and tore the heck out of my front yard all summer last year!), but that's another story altogether!)


I know my parents were out of electricity at 4:20 am... not sure if it's back on yet. My mom said they had trees down all over (of course the dead tree in the front was still standing, the stinker!), and she thought there may have been a power line down on their street, too.


I think maybe I was called to be a reporter. Just thinking about it, I'm really itching to get out and see what's going on everywhere else! lol!