This and That and This

Bruce and I ate at Showmar's Friday night. We love their gyro dinners. While we were out, there were little babies everywhere. I mean brand new babies. It made us wish we had another one. Then we went to Wal Mart and saw a bunch of screaming toddlers and whiners and were glad we didn't. LOL OK, THAT WAS A JOKE!!!!!!!

Truth is, we were thinking how nice it would be if there was another little bundle to cuddle and kiss. We decided that even though it was late we would stop and pick up Celine and Carissa if they wanted to come, since Celine is always begging to spend the night. But she was acting all weird about it, wanting to stay with her mama. I think she was afraid her daddy wouldn't pick her up the next morn to take her to grandma's house. Carissa said she wanted to go, which shocked all of us. She ran and got her shoes, grabbed her little bag that her mommy packed for her, kissed her daddy, and then walked to her mother, grabbed her hand and said, "I bwing my mama wif me." We just died laughing. Needless to say, we had no little ones in the house that night. But Hannah and Harrison were glad to stay up and eat ice cream we brought back home while waiting up for their brother to get home from the Melting Pot. He had a great time. Thank you, Mike, Kim, and Taylor. He had a blast with y'all and Madison, Jonathan and Jenn.

This is an old picture of Bruce's mandolin in progress. I haven't taken another picture of it since he finished it Saturday. Honestly, we were both expecting it to have a box sound, seeing it's the first one he's ever made. But it was loud and beautiful! I am so proud of him!! I'll have a picture with a video of him playing it soon.

Celine and Carissa did come over Monday afternoon. It's always fun to have them here. And of course when Bruce came to sit down in the living room, Carissa found her spot on the couch next to him and there she stayed until he got up. I don't know how many pictures I have of Bruce and Carissa in this same spot. Except for different clothes, they're all the same picture.


Justin helped his dad change the bearings on my car the other day. I'm not sure how he got those grease marks on his face, but it cracked me up. I guess Bruce neglected the lesson on never touching your face when your hands are covered in grease.

Justin worked yesterday. I dropped him off and really hated to leave him knowing there was no cool place to rest during his lunch break. But he assured me he would all right. Isn't that just like a mother?



Hannah is dog sitting for her piano teacher this week. Well, she's our church pianist also. Anyway, her name is Trixie. She's a minature Datsun and spoiled rotten. But isn't she cute?

Harley is less impressed with Trixie than the rest of us and has let her know it under no uncertain terms.

As you can see, Yogi is about as big as Trixie. Yogi isn't as long as Trixie, but they weigh about the same, if Yogi doesn't weigh more! They seem to get along all right. Just curious of each other.

Snack Time!

School, Blessings, Pets, and My Book

We got off to another slow start this morning, but was still able to finish school and get lunch cooked before Bruce had to leave for work.

While I was cooking lunch, the Lord lifted a heavy burden off of my dear husband and he had a very happy afternoon. So I must give the Lord praise for that!! Thank you, Lord \o/. More blessings await in 2008!

Every time I would walk by Hannah's room today, Yogi would start squeaking loudly as if to say he wanted someone to pay him attention. So Hannah brought him out with her for a little bit while she did her school work.


He sat on her school books while eating a big piece of green pepper I cut for him. He LOVES green peppers and apples.


I've been meaning to show you, for weeks now, the book my friend, Kellie, gave me for Christmas. I had my Christmas gifts from friends in a corner of my room to be put away and while I was putting them away one day, I flipped through the book reading a paragraph here and a paragraph there. Next thing I know I'm sitting in the floor and I've read 3/4 of the book. I finished it the next day and I have to tell you it is so good and so sweet.
The title of the book is Secrets of Wisdom from Mother's Heart, by Joe Aldrich. He is one of nine children whose mother, Doris Coffin Aldrich, wrote a column called "Out of the Mixing Bowl" for Moody magazine. The book is a collection of articles that were written by her.

Here is an excerpt from the Foreword....

During my senior year of high school, my mother, Doris Coffin Aldrich, was killed in an automobile accident. Mother was an extremely intelligent, highly educated woman. She studied at the University of Washington and graduated from Biola College. Married at thirty-one to Willard Aldrich (the President of Multnomah Bible College and Biblical Seminary for thirty-five years), she bore nine children. Her clearly stated mission was to raise a godly family.
As mom's life so clearly demonstrated, the high and holy calling of motherhood is one of the most challenging assignments on the face of the earth. It is a sacred trust, a commitment to use every means possible to help each child grow up loving Jesus and embracing His agenda for life.

A godly mother counteracts the influences of contemporary culture by structuring an environment where beauty reigns. Our threadbare sofas, sagging springs, and frayed carpets did not deter us from the beauty of God's handiwork that surrounded us. Although well-used, our home was truly that - a home, not a house. Sweaty, sloppy boys fought with glee in it. Oil leaked from the oil-stove, bathtubs overflowed, food frequently ended up on the floor, tricycles clogged doorways or blocked traffic in the kitchen. More often that not, beds were left unmade. Most mornings there were wet sheets and pajamas to attend to, not to mention all the other clothes that needed to be washed and washed and washed again.
But in the midst of what I'm sure seemed like chaos, there was beauty....

Isn't that good? I'll share one of her articles tomorrow.

Our Newest Family Member and a Couple of Funnies

Introducing the newest member of our family.....YOGI!

When Fudge died yesterday, Hannah's Grandpa immediately decided he was buying her another Guinea Pig. So she spent the night with her grandparents after church last night and this morning they had breakfast together at BoJangle's and off to PetSmart. She knew immediately which one she wanted.


She was really happy when they got home with him. She cleaned the cage really good, placed all fresh everything inside for Yogi and he seemed to really enjoy his new home. He's much more active than Fudge, which took me a little by surprise. AND he's a lot louder than Fudge. He chirps ALOT. It was really funny. Brother Randy and Mrs. Kellie, I think he may end up giving Squeaky a run for his money in the chirping when he gets a little older. LOL


He's really sweet and I think he'll be terribly spoiled by Hannah, as all of her other pets are!

Justin has been receiving Boy's Life Magazine for several years and every issue has cute little jokes in them. My favorite ones are always "Books Never Written." So here we go....

Books Never Written:

"April Fools" by Sirius Lee

"Pasta Sauces" by Al Fredo

"How to Build a Fire" by Matt Chess

"Redecorating" by Wallace Pretty

"Big Things" by Hugh Mongus

"Two Kinds of Bread" by Ryan Wheat

"Bicycles in Our Transportation Society" by Carson Trucks

"Peruvian Mammals" by Al Paca

"How to Keep Track of Days" by Cal N. Derr

"Who Likes Picnickers at the Beach" by C. Gull

"Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes" by Jenn Ettics

"Empty Church" by Dusty Pew

"Ancient Walls of the Bible" by Jerry Coe

"Guide to Healthy Gums" by Ginger Vitis

Bruce has taken the children to the park to, hopefully, fly a kite Harrison won in Patch last night,
and then off to walk a nearby nature trail. While they are gone, this is the perfect opportunity to clean the house. Have a great day, y'all!