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Waving Bye-bye To Oughts!

Soooooo... it's been 10 years since the BIG Millennium change. I've been trying to think back over these ten years. I'm realizing that I'm doing good if I can look back over 6 months and remember what happened! But here is my attempt to bring out some highlights of the minutia I call life... over the decade that is to be known as the "oughts". I "ought" to have taken notes!

2000 - We started the new millennium off right! We brought it in with a HUUUUUUGE party at our house! About 20 ten and twelve year olds congregated here for mayhem and madness and a huge pajama party while their parents thanked me WHOLE heartedly for providing "free" babysitting so that they could go enjoy their own celebrations -- guilt free. I don't like adult parties anyway, so this suited me just fine! It was win-win, and most of all, my kids won! They all had a blast! ... In July of this year, the 3 younger kids and I took an 8 day trip to Disney World. We learned a few things. We learned none of us likes Florida in July. And that if you're GONNA do Disney in July, stick to Blizzard Beach! That was the ONLY attraction/area of the theme park that they all loved! It really IS imperative to stay in or near water in Florida in summer! We won't EVER do that again! ... This was also the year we added Jewl to our family. She was born in June and came to us in September. She is getting to be old and crochety now. Arthritis is settin' in... :(

2001 - Sadly I have no memory and no pictures or diaries or notes of any kind to help me remember this year. I know my kids were 24, 14, 12 & 12 .... but other than that I can only tell you that it must have been one of the years that we had a computer crash and all the pictures were stuck on it. Surely we were too broke to spend money on something like data retrieval. Amanda was living in Colorado. Mathew was in 9th grade and the twins were in 7th... so I was likely teaching between the Middle and the High School that year. Other than that... I'm lost.

2002 & 2003 Were rough years for my family. Mainly for my youngest, Derek. At 12 years old, his very best friend got cancer. (He was actually diagnosed in Oct. 2001) All of '02 was spent worrying, praying, loving, crying, and helping Scott and his family in any way we could. Scott had Ewings Sarcoma, a very invasive cancer. His treatment started with removing a large portion of bone from his leg, followed by weeks and weeks of chemo. My Derek was such a trooper in sticking with Scott, and anxiously going over to play any time Scott was feeling up to having him visit! The boys got into battling WarHammers ( it was something Scott could do sitting in his wheelchair) and I got involved with them! When Scott was having some of his better times, I would take the boys down to the War Hammer store and let them have battles with other enthusiasts. When Scott was granted a wish from the Make A Wish Foundation, his wish was for an astronomical amount of War Hammer merchandise. A limo came and took him, his brothers and 2 friends to the War Hammer store, where Scott actually shared his "wish money" with his friends so they could each get something too! Then they were all taken out to dinner at a restaurant and then home again. That was a big day for our Scott. It wasn't too long after that that the cancer came back with a vengeance. His leg was amputated in an attempt to save his life... but God had plans for Scott in Heaven. Scott went home to Jesus on March 23, 2003. It has taken a very very long time, and I'm not positive, but I think Derek has come to a certain peace with it. He was a very VERY angry young man for a long long time. I won't say it was ALL on account of Scott's death ... Derek had anger management issues before this... but he changed after Scott's death. And it wasn't for the better. .... Oh! And 2003 was the year that Mathew got his driver's license. And the year I started wishing I had made him wait 2 more years!!! LOL!

2004 - More than likely our 2nd computer crash -- after which I finally LEARNED to start having prints made of at least SOME of the pictures! Amanda was 27, Mathew 17, and the twins 15... THEY moved to the new High School to finish their last 2 years... and I stayed at the old one. That was the first time I wasn't in the same school with my kids. It was their choice. When the new school opened I certainly could have moved to it -- and it was much closer to my home so it would have been nice. But I wanted to stay where MY friends were. They each had the option to move on or stay - and they both decided to move on. Derek later changed his mind... but it was too late. Krysti had to remind me of that and I really can't remember another bloomin' thing about this year! I'm sure that one of the kids is going to read this (just cuz they never do, but now they will) and say "MOM! How could you forget that was the year I blah blah blah blah blah! I can't believe you FORGOT that!" LOL! And then I won't be able to believe I forgot it either. But right now, I'm drawing a blank! If they remind me, I will come back and make revisions! I'm now seeing WHY I should at least keep a prayer journal... hmmmm...

2005 - The highlight of this year had to be a 3 week vacation in Texas, where I got to meet my grand nephews for the first time, and my grand niece for 2nd time... EVER! The boys were 3 and Rhi was 4. They were adorable and I spent the first week spoiling them as much as I could! Krysti went to horse camp for the first week and Derek, his friend Jacob, and I stayed with my niece, her hubby and the kids for the first 4 days and then we stayed in a hotel on the River Walk in downtown San Antonio for the last 3 days. The boys, who have grown up entirely in the country just wanted to spend a few days in the BIG CITY! They loved it! Then the boys flew home, Krysti's camp was done, and she and I headed for South Padre' Island for 11 days! It was awesome! A vacation neither of us will EVER forget! Horseback riding on the beach! ParaSailing! Bungee Jumping -- Krysti did! I did a reverse bungee experience! That was exciting enough! LOL! And on the way back, visiting King Ranch! That was an impressive experience too! ... This was also the year my TWINS got their driver's licenses! They EACH had to clock 40 hours of driving time before they could take their driving test and get their real license. Krysti got this pretty much taken care of on the drive from San Antonio to South Padre and back! It was wonderful because the roads long and straight and were wide open with very little traffic! Derek was another story. But let me tell you something... getting through THIS was the hardest thing I ever did as the mother of twins! It's amazing I have a red hair left in my head! God really loves me.

2006 - This was the year of physical change for me. The year that Amanda moved home to get her life together, and I decided to take advantage of her being here to get my health in order! I allowed her to urge me on to a 65 pound weight loss. I never made my goal of 100 pounds that year. But 65 was good and I felt 100% better! How unfortunate that I have allowed all of that weight to creep back on and need to make 2010 another year of physical change! Oh! This was ALSO the year I became a BLOGGER! Is it really possible I didn't know any of you guys before 2006??? Seems like we've been friends forEVER!

2007 - THIS was a big year! And without a doubt the BEST of my "oughts"! In January I returned to church, my mind set on getting reacquainted with my Lord. In May my twins graduated from High School. In June I officially joined the Lutheran church. In September I turned 50! In October we had our first (but hopefully not our last) Blogger Babes Bash -- 8 of us met in Savannah for a week of fun and laughter! And right after Thanksgiving, I became Nana - to an already 3 year old Luz! And in December, MIL moved in with us. Talk about ending the year with a BANG! I "ought" NEVER to forget this year!!! I really didn't realize until just now what a pivotal year this was in my life.

2008 - This was a year of adjustment. Getting used to having Mom living with us and knowing that she needs someone with her 24 hours a day 7 days a week. All. The. Time. It was a difficult adjustment to make. I am a very free spirit, and had JUST gained my freedom from toting kids here there and everywhere. I was really spreading my wings and starting to FLY! I think God decided I might have been trying to fly too far. So he gave me a few extra pounds to carry! It didn't STOP me -- maybe just slowed me down a little lot! I also went through a bit of resentment because I have looked sO forward in my life to being a Nana, and having Mom glued to my side every time I had a chance to be with Luz was NOT the way I had pictured being a Nana! But life is what it is and God has a reason for every single thing. I don't believe his reason was to "ruin" my time with Luz... so it must have been to enhance Mom's time! Orrrrr... to teach me something... like tolerance... obedience... patience... self-control... PICK one! But He also gifted me with opportunities that I might not have otherwise had! I realize now though WHY God called me back to Him in '07! He knew I was going to need His strength to get through this.

2009 - Without a doubt the biggest highlight of my year this year was my trip to Wisconsin and getting to meet Dr. John and Betty and their fabulous family! Not just to MEET them - but to visit with them for an entire week! They just cleared their schedule and made room for me! Every single day for a week! WHO does that??? THEY do that! It was sO awesome! .... Two other highlights were Luz's very FIRST tap/ballet recital - in which she had a solo performance! And her very first soccer game - in which she scored a goal!!!


So. That closes out the past decade... It had it's good and it's bad. But God was with us through it all, and has certainly blessed us more than not. I thank Him for His grace and mercy and praise Him for His never ending goodness. And I ask Him to remain with us in this new decade and to increase my love for Him and to draw my loved ones into His warm embrace. I ask Him to bless your new decade as well.

What do I look forward to in the next ten years? Another son-in-law. Two daughter-in-laws. I hope a whole slew of more grandbabies! I hope! I hope! I hope!!! Health would be nice... but that ball is sort of in MY court. *sigh*

What do you look forward to in the next decade?

posted by Melli at 12:01 AM | 18 comment(s)

Random Dozen... This Year's Finally

Labels: Random Dozen

posted by Melli at 3:07 AM | 10 comment(s)

Christmas Day...

I always knew to expect that Christmas would be "different" once the kids moved out. But I couldn't help but laugh at THIS Christmas! Of course, old Christmas at our house began about 4:30 in the morning... certainly NO later than 6:00... Krysti simply wouldn't allow it! *New* and *Improved* Christmas began at 4:30 also! In the PM side of the day! LOL! Christmas Eve Amanda had stopped by to drop off Hector's TOP SECRET Christmas present -- a new bike. He would not get it at her house Christmas morning - but would be told that his was at my house. I asked Amanda what time they thought they would get here and she said between 1 and 2... I said "Okay! 3 it is" ... knowing that Amanda is always ... ALWAYS late. Derek came over around 1 or 1:30... Krysti finally woke up around 2:00... I asked them if they wanted to open their stockings - but they prefered to wait for the others, and that was fine too. I was finishing up baking some desserts, Dennis would be cooking the steaks on the grill, and I had a lasagne that I had put together the day before but had not baked yet.

Well... 2 arrived ... no Amanda. At 2:30 we got a text that they would be leaving by 3! Okay... Mathew got here about 3:30... and Amanda pulled in shortly later. Then we got a text that Luz had fallen asleep on the way and she was sitting in the car letting her sleep for a bit! LOL! Hector and his mom and sister then arrived and introductions were made and greetings said and I suggested that maybe we should go ahead and eat first and then spend a liesurely evening opening gifts ... but no... the kids were too excited! Luz and Francesca (who is 11) were in great anticipation of their gifts! So... I said okay -- thinking I'll have to remember to come in later and put the lasagne in the oven. Well, of course, you KNOW I forgot to do that! So we finished opening gifts finally at 7:00! And we were all starving! And I walked into the kitchen and there sat the lasagne! OY! I put it in the oven immediately but we decided to go ahead and cook the steaks and eat! BUT... I still had to peel and cook the mashed potatoes! And Irma needed to make the guacamole! (Yea.... this was a much different Christmas!) Irma's guacamole is to DIE for! Sooooo, by the time we got the potatoes peeled and on the stove, and the guacamole made, and Dennis cooked the steaks, the lasagne was done and we didn't eat Christmas dinner until 8:30!!! ROFL!

Some of the funny/disasterous moments?

Luz "accidentally" spilled the beans about Hector's bike while they were still at their house! It was sO sad... She didn't know. She had been told we keep it a secret UNTIL Christmas! She understood that! So when her daddy asked "what did Mommy get me?" ... she thought it was okay to tell! It WAS Christmas! Soooooo Hector was not surprised by the BIG surprise! LOL!
But as soon as Amanda heard the word BIKE she SCREAMED Luz Estrella!!! And Luz burst into tears! And then of course, Amanda felt sooooooo bad! She said that was the loudest she has EVER yelled! Ohhhhhhh I felt so sorry for both of them! It's sO disappointing when you've had a secret and KEPT it and it's all so close to working out -- and then ... it's gone. And Amanda hadn't TOLD her up until 2 days before! She figured 2 days -- she would be able to keep the secret for 2 days! And Luz had been begging and begging to know! Of course she wanted to know! So finally Amanda told her and she PROMISED to keep the secret! She PROMISED she wouldn't tell... UNTIL Christmas! Soooooo sad!

When I bought the steaks for our dinner I could not get 10 of the same kind of steaks. So I got 6 filet mignon and 4 New York Strips. I figured those who wanted a little steak and a little lasagne would choose the filet mignons and people who wanted a LOT of steak (my boys) would choose the New York strips! And I KNEW they didn't know the difference between a filet mignon and chuck roast! So I was sure they would go for big! I had my heart SET on one of those filet mignons! So, being the hostess, and having to fix Mom's plate for her -- and Mom & Luz were sharing a steak -- I was busy and everyone was getting their stuff... and I go to get MY steak and their is ONLY a New York strip left... and Irma had opted no steak and just lasagne... so there should have been TWO steaks left! That meant SOMEbody took TWO filet mignons! So I looked... everyone at the table had only one steak... MATHEW was eating in the family room - he wanted to watch the football game and I said he could. I went out there. I said "Boy! Did you take two steaks?" ... he looked up and said... "they were SMALL!" ROFLMBO!!! I said "BOY! They were filet mignon!" But I knew he didn't know! He said "There was ONE big one or two little ones... I took the two little ones -- I figured I'd save that BIG one for somebody else!" LOL! God tells us ... "do not WORRY about what you will eat"... I think he might have wanted me to GET that lesson! But BOY I wanted one of those filets!

Did you have any funny/disasterous moments at your Christmas celebration?

posted by Melli at 8:02 PM | 16 comment(s)

Thank You and Stuff...

On Christmas Eve a package arrived at my door from Quilly and Thom! It was my prize from their Mele Kalikimaka 12 Days of Christmas Hawaiian Style contest! I thought that was perfect timing!

posted by Melli at 12:58 PM | 9 comment(s)

Feliz Navidad

posted by Melli at 12:32 PM | 5 comment(s)

Are We THERE Yet?

posted by Melli at 3:45 AM | 11 comment(s)

Dear Lord, Save Me from Myself!

I just sat in my kitchen and had the following conversation with Mom...

Mom: (almost giddy with glee!) Isn't it just AMAZING how all that snow fell over there, and NONE of it reached us!

Me: (positively astonished) What do you mean it didn't reach us?

Mom: (happy happy happy!) Look! She points out the window! It only snowed on that little strip over there!

Me: (nearly crosseyed with amazement!) What little strip Mom? (now figuring out that she is confusing the neighbors PLOWED driveway and the absence of snow with the rest of the world's whiteness)

Mom: (getting frustrated with MY stupidity) LOOK! Over THERE! (I look behind me)

Me: Mom... I see snow EVERYwhere... except the neighbors driveway.

Mom: (realizing that she got it backwards) Yea... that's right. But it didn't get US!

Me: How do you figure it didn't get us?

Mom: Because... there ain't none HERE.

Me: Mom, open the back door and look on our porch. (she does) That's OUR porch Mom! The snow got us!

Mom: Well... I wasn't lookin' out back. I was only lookin' out front.

You heard it here first folks! We got 20 inches in the backyard and not a flake out front! There's a HUGE flake in my family room though! She's watching her shows now. Before I kill her! Lord, forgive me....

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And my Derek is STUCK in his house until spring! The new house that he moved into with his friends has (really & truly) about a mile give or take long driveway. And no shovel. Of course, it's a DRIVEWAY so the county is not responsible for plowing it. One of the neighbors TRIED to plow it and got STUCK! So they are stuck. No food... they all eat out ALL. THE. TIME.... and by now they don't even have a beer! OY!

posted by Melli at 2:10 PM | 16 comment(s)

What to DO?

So what do we do to occupy ourselves when it's snowing all day and you can't go ANYwhere... you all know... every woman out there knows the answer to this... we COOK! Of course we do! We started with...

posted by Melli at 12:01 AM | 9 comment(s)

It's Done...

posted by Melli at 9:22 AM | 11 comment(s)

LET it Snow?

posted by Melli at 5:52 AM | 10 comment(s)

O Joy!

We are forecast for 12-24 inches of freshly fallen white flakes between now and Sunday morning... yippee. Y'all know how much I like snow... However... if I HAVE to have snow - I have said it before... Make it LOTS! I went out today and bought boots! I'm ready! LOL!

posted by Melli at 3:42 PM | 9 comment(s)

Friday's Fave Five

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday Fave Five in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. If you would like to play along just post your 5, link back to Susanne and visit her to see who else is playin'! And THANK YOU Susan for doing this!!!




1. The four year olds from my church's pre-school put on their Christmas Pageant this week! It was tooooo adorable! I didn't get pictures of Mary & Joseph coming in, but he was pulling her by a string on a Little Tykes riding horse! It. Was. Hysterical! And then the lambs and the cow and the donkey came crawling in on their hands and knees! I thought I was gonna die laughing! I have never seen such a precious pageant in all my life! OH! And Mary - bless little Mary - she "delivered" Jesus right into the trough! She had him in a wrap around her tummy, and walked straight into the manger, lifted the wrap and PLOPPED that Baby Jesus right in there!!! Ya hadda BE there!


2. This blog post over at A Lady's Life. What caught my eye was the picture at the top of the post - it disturbed me. Seriously! But I read the post and it was very good - not just at Christmas, but all year through.


3. I think I've finished my Christmas shopping! Unless I get things all wrapped and realize I forgot something! I'm almost done wrapping too. I have a week left to bake and I'm feeling good about things. I'm not stressing about this Christmas and that makes me VERY happy! Oh! AND I have almost ALL of my lines memorized -- for all three parts I've been given now!!! LOL! (the last part only has ONE line... I can handle that!) Someone asked if there was any chance of getting it taped so I could share. I don't know... I'm trying to think who I could ask to use my camera. The Cantata is taped - but with a video camera - and I have NO IDEA how to get that changed over to digital and blah blah blah...
So, the answer is ... we'll see. (it would be easy IF any of my family members attended...)

4. A couple of weeks ago Karen (Kcinnova) had a little contest to guess what was SPECIAL about Dec. 6th! I won 2nd prize for guessing it was the day she brought her son Nicholas home from the hospital ... and it arrived yesterday! The REAL answer was that it was St. Nicholas Day! I love these two little note pads... but I absolutely HEART that pen! I've always wanted one like that - but never bought one for myself. Happy DAY! Thank you Karen!!!


5. My super duper very good friend, and "occasional anymore" blog buddy, Lazy Daisy gifted me with a VERY sweet gift this week. The teacup up above! Ya gotta hear... It came with a note that said she got the cup for 50 cents at Good Will! (I soooooo love this!) But that the minute she saw it she thought of ME! LOL! This would be because Daisy and I took a road trip together down to Savannah a couple of years ago to meet up with a bunch of other blog friends -- and one of the things we enjoyed SO much was a Tea Party! Of course, I whined through the whole thing because the ladies wouldn't wear DRESSES and GLOVES ... but at least we did ALL wear HATS! It is a very sweet memory for all of us! And I'll even include the photo below...

posted by Melli at 1:58 AM | 19 comment(s)

Random Dozen #16

1. Gingerbread: For or against? Discuss.
REAL gingerbread? I am for for FOR! Gingerbread cookies? I can take them or leave them - but Luz loves them, therefore they ARE! I have a my grandmother's recipe for Gingersnaps - which don't snap at all -- if baked properly they are just a patty full of chewy goodness! So I guess, over all, I am FOR gingerbread!

2. Is it important to you to always stay (live) close to family? It is important to me to "be there" when my children need me -- whether I am 2 miles, 20 miles, or 2000 miles away. Of course, the closer, the better. (as long as they don't live IN my house!) LOL! I have always said that "my dream" is to own a cul-de-sac with 5 houses. Mine in the middle and 2 kids on each side of me. Then we would all be as close as we need to be but still have our own space! And Luz could just wander in and amongst us all! (as would future grands!) That would just be the BEST!

3. Which holiday pretend character do you wish really existed?
I can't really think of ANY pretend character that I REALLY wish existed -- but I do really LIKE Frosty the Snowman! I would LOVE to see him swirl up in the first winter snow and say "Happy BIRTHDAY!" -- right on my front lawn!

4. Which holiday movie best represents how you feel about Christmas or life? Well... either Miracle on 34th Street -- because I do SO believe in the Spirit of Santa Claus. I believe GOD is Santa Claus... I always have. I mean Jesus WAS BORN and thus Christmas happened! (He's not a fairy tale... read the history books...) And God has taken care of sooooooooo many Christmases for me and my family when no one else could, that I can't NOT believe! And when the movie ends and that little girl gets her HOUSE, I just KNOW God was the mastermind there! (But of course, that IS just a story - and Santa is credited.) But It's a Wonderful Life touches me deeply too. I've had times when I felt worthless and like my loved ones would be better off without me... but then there's God! He reaches down and pulls me up out of my depths, and shows me that I AM important. To Him if not to anyone else... But He also shows me I'm important to others too. (and THAT is REAL... I can feel it!)

5. Is there a particular Christmas song that you're enjoying now? Any that you're tired of? If I never had to hear those stupid Chipmunks sing again I would be EVER so happy! My favorite Christmas songs have been my favorites for as long as I can remember. Away in a Manger, Angels We Have Heard on High, O Come O Come Emmanuel, I'll Be Home For Christmas, Frosty the Snowman (which is really just a winter song), Oh! The Little Drummer Boy! I LOVE it! And one I heard the other night but that we don't hear too often - Children Go Where I Send Thee - I don't really know how that one got to be associated with Christmas either - but when I do hear it I stop everything and listen. And Do You Hear What I Hear? And Silver Bells -- and A Christmas Song! Tooooooooooo many! I love them all!

6. What is your favorite way to remember those less fortunate at Christmastime?
ANY way is my favorite way. Last year we gave up Christmas to help another family and I really really DID enjoy that! But even THAT family has sO much more than the starving little children in developing countries .... and they tear at my heartstrings sO much! I wish I had the funds to send them ALL clean water and a goat and a dozen chickens and a cow and warm clothes and shoes and whatever they need! I just wish people in America would understand that even when they THINK they have NOTHING they have sO much to share with those people! I read not long ago, that if EVERY person (every single solitary one) that calls themselves a Christian (I'm not getting into the variations of whether they ARE or not) ... If every person who calls themselves a Christian would donate ONE DOLLAR ... just one ... (for a family of six Christians that's $6 ... it would SOLVE world hunger! Sooooo... NOW imagine if EVERYONE - not just we who call ourselves Christians -- EVERYONE - The Buddhists and the Muslims and the Jews and alllllllllllll the wee little religions that most of us have never heard of - AND the Athiests and Agnostics too - If EVERY person gave just ONE dollar. WHY can't we get that done??? I don't understand....

7. Does it upset you to see "Xmas" instead of Christmas? How about "Happy Holidays" etc., instead of "Merry Christmas?"
I just told a friend this week that I actually used to SAY Happy Holidays, or Season's Greetings -- but that I was using that term to encompass Christmas and New Years! I always said Happy Chanukkah to my Jewish friends -- and I still DO! I had never heard of Kwaanza or Ramaden up until 10 or at most 15 years ago... But if I had friends who celebrated those holidays as opposed to Christmas I would greet them with their greeting of choice! What AGGRAVATES me is that it has become POLLITICALLY INCORRECT to give proper credit to the REASON we HAVE Christmas! Jesus CHRIST gave us Christmas and without His birth none of those other celebrations would even have a DAY OFF! Our entire WORLD calendar revolves around the birth of Jesus Christ, and yet we are not supposed to say Merry Christmas!!!! I do not deny the others THEIR thoughts, ideas, or beliefs... do NOT deny me MINE!

8. How many Christmas programs are you attending this month?
MANY! Next week is REALLY busy!

9. Are you dreaming of a white Christmas? Any chance of that dream becoming a reality?
I am NOT dreaming of a white Christmas... but I jusssssst heard this afternoon that the weathermen are "playing" with the idea that snow MAY happen late next week... BUT we all know how the MEDIA is... I'm not buyin' it until I see it!

10. Tell me about a Christmas present you received as a child. Pics are always nice. Yea... a pic of my childhood would be nice! I think I have two. The only one I can think of -- I was a fairly OLD child - in my teens I think... but my mother found this GIMONGOUS Stuffed Winnie the Pooh -- I'm sure it was at Sears. It was probably not for sale -- it was probably a promotional display! But somehow she ended up with it and thought it would be a LOVELY Christmas present for ME! Now, my next older sister was the Winnie the Pooh FANATIC -- I simply collected Teddy Bears. But Pooh came to me... and when I moved to Minnesota I took him as carry on luggage - and they made me buy him a seat! YES - he WAS that big! He wouldn't fit in the overhead compartment, that's for sure! (Dr. John is gonna kill me for all these long answers. Sorry Pastor!)

11. How many Christmas parties are you attending this month?
Parties? Just one. And it's not really a Christmas party... it's an Epiphany Party!

12. How do you keep yourself centered on the significance of Christmas?
I keep myself centered in the significance of Christ in my life. If He's here, with me, everyday... then He is naturally with me throughout this season.

Labels: Random Dozen

posted by Melli at 12:45 AM | 9 comment(s)

A New Life...

There are many many moments in our children's lives when we are proud of them. Some of them are times when we are SO proud there are hardly words to explain it. This morning was one of those times. MY baby girl - Krysti - assisted a new mom in delivering her baby BOY safely into the world today! (on the bathroom floor!) Baby Boy delivered straight into Krysti's hands - at 5:28 a.m. - very blue, which they corrected. Baby Boy and his mom are now at the hospital and both are doing well. God has blessed them abundantly ... and He blessed my Krysti too! I wonder if she knows that? I TOLD her! But I wonder if she "saw God today".

Well... I was trying to upload George Straight's song "I Saw God Today" -- but YouTube and Blogger aren't playing well today. If you've never heard it, it's THE most appropriate song for today... Here's the link if you'd like a listen... I Saw God Today.

posted by Melli at 7:09 AM | 18 comment(s)

Ruby Tuesday...

Labels: Ruby Tuesday

posted by Melli at 12:01 AM | 13 comment(s)

Gettin' Busy!

posted by Melli at 11:01 AM | 10 comment(s)

Fun Times and Answered Prayer! (Weekend Reflection included)

Mom & I got to spend the better part of yesterday with Amanda & Luz -- trying to do some fun Christmas things! We sorta botched the first one... we arrived too late for pretty much anything - but that was okay because we ended up down by the docks in Annapolis for the lighting of the BOATS! And it was fun! But it was PACKED! It was coooooold outside and we didn't realize what a BIG DEAL the lighting of the boats IS... and we arrived later than we should have. Parking was at a premium NON-EXISTANT and after driving up and down and all around and every lot was FULL and we had MOM so we couldn't park far far and walk... and we started talking about just heading home and Luz said "no Nana! What are we gonna DO?" And I said, "well, I'll tell ya what... I'm just gonna say a little prayer and if it is God's desire that we SEE these lights tonight, he will provide me with a parking space" -- and I did! So we drove back toward the city docks and I saw a lot that hadn't closed it's chain yet and I pulled in and asked if they had a spot. "No ma'am... I'm sorry. We have NOTHING." I told the kid I would give him 20 bucks if he could find a hole to fit me in! He hemmed and he hawwed and he consulted with his partner and they decided that the place was going to close soon enough that they could MAYBE let me park in this "not a space"... but just then someone came out and got in their truck and LEFT! Tell me it wasn't God! I had a legitimate parking space - and I still gave the kid $20 anyway! (well - they were charging $15 --- but I didn't know that!) LOL! Sooooo... Little Luz is in the back and she pipes up "Thank You God!"... and I said "That is RIGHT Baby Girl! Thank You God!!!" And Amanda said "YOU BRIBED HIM!" I said - it doesn't matter. The spot came open -- it was GOD! I was LOVIN' it!!!

So we walked down to the pier and we had to WAIT in the COLD for about 45 minutes before the boat lighting -- which it turns out is a PARADE of boats! It was very cool! I've uploaded a few VERY short video clips just so you can see a little bit. Anyway... after we had seen enough boat parade we went to get some dinner and get WARM! But on the way we passed some street musicians! I knooooow they were freezing! But bless their souls they were playin' away just the same! You knOw I had to give them some financial love!



It really was a GREAT day!

Labels: Weekend Reflections

posted by Melli at 12:03 AM | 12 comment(s)

A Christmas Meme

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Either or really... I like them both IF I'm in the mood. But I don't drink either one very often.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
You know my house does things a little on the weird side. Santa does NOT wrap the gifts that go under (or around) the tree ... but he wraps every teeny tiny little gift in the stockings!

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
Colored lights! Our tree is one of those jumbled up collections of new and old and nothing matches! I always say that one year I'm going to buy white lights and MATCHY everything and create a magazine cover Chistmas tree. But you know what? That tree would mean NOTHING! And so I never will...

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Nope. Never have. And there's only ONE reason for that! My mother had The. Prettiest. mistletoe ball... it was perfectly shaped and just absolutely gorgeous and it always hung just inside the front door so that coming and going you were under it! Silly ME grew up believing that THAT was what mistletoe was supposed to look like! So when I had my own place and went in search of mistletoe and found scrawny little sprigs of it... well... THAT just wasn't what I had in mind! So I never got any!

5. When do you put your decorations up? When the kids were small I always did it Thanksgiving night after they went to bed! They would wake up to Christmas season the next day! When they got older we started doing it on Black Friday. But the past few years, it just happens whenever I finally get motivated!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish? I've answered this one too many times lately! Stuffing! With gravy!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? I don't really have a favorite memory from my childhood. I don't really have any memory a specific Christmas at all.

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Oh! Except this one! I was 5. My mother swore to her dying day that she NEVER told us there WAS a Santa... but I sure remember finding out that the whole thing was questionable! It was totally by accident. My siblings and I were playing hide & seek and I went and hid in my parents bedroom closet! Well! IN that closet I found some pretty special toys! I asked my mother about them and she (must have been HORRIFIED) told me that they were toys she was donating to the children's orphanage. BUT... on Christmas morning, those were the same toys that were around OUR tree. I wasn't a stupid 5 year old....

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Every year I try to get out of it, but every year they talk me into it. I seriously doubt that we will THIS year.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? Oh! I think I already answered this in #3 - but we do colored lights, and I have silver beads that I drape instead of tinsel or garland, and then our mixed up jumble of ornaments -- some homemade and some store bought and some from my childhood.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Dread it. It IS pretty when it first falls, and I do LOVE to see it. But the minute I have to go somewhere, I wish it would just disappear! And I really don't like all the YUCK that my car wears most of the winter long because of the sand and the salt...

12. Can you ice skate? Hmmm... this is a trick question! I COULD when I was younger! I don't think I could even stand on ice skates today!!!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I do not.

14. What’s the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Well, I LOVE all the festivities at church ... but they would be so much MORE special if my family came and enjoyed (enjoyed being the operative word here) them too. So, as much as I love the church stuff, with praise and worship and fellowship, it always feels like something is lacking. (cuz it is.) So I will have to say that just having everyone together for the day here at home - that's probably the best.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? I do not believe I have a favorite. I guess if I do a cake, that would be it! But I don't have "set" desserts that I do for Christmas! It's not like Thanksgiving where you must must MUST have pumpkin pie... or whatever.

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? I sort of tossed traditions out the window about 10 years ago. I tend to think of the "season" as being the tradition - but what I DO with it doesn't have to be the same every year!

17. What tops your tree? Ooops! Well okay - THIS is a tradition! This might be the only real one I do have! A Teddy Bear tops my tree! And most of you have heard about him at least 4 or 5 times already -- but he is made out of a toilet paper roll and Mathew made him in kindergarten! The angel that I had had since my childhood finally disintegrated into a pile of dust and we had nothing to put on top of the tree that year. Then in walked Mathew from school one day with this darling little bear and it had a green and red plaid bow tie on, and I asked him if we could put it on top of the tree and he said "sure"... and so I did! He's going to be 23 in January - so this must be the 18th year that bear has sat there! I still LOVE it!

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Definitely giving.

19. Candy Canes: Yuck or Yum? That really depends! They come in ALL flavors now - and some - the peppermint ones I have always liked, though I really don't eat them -- but we have tried some others that have been just gross! I really don't buy them at all anymore.

20 Favorite Christmas Show? Merry Christmas Charlie Brown!

21. Saddest Christmas Song? Christmas is HAPPY! But I will say, the years that Amanda was overseas in the Army, I would cry every time I heard "I'll Be Home For Christmas"... cuz I knew she wouldn't. It would be "if only in my dreams"... so I thought that song very sad those years.

22. What is your favorite Christmas Song? I can't choose one. I absolutely LOVE O Come O Come Emanuel, Angels We Have Heard on High, and Away In A Manger... but I also love Silver Bells, A Christmas Song, and The Little Drummer Boy! And the KID in me loves Frosty The Snowman, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas, Sleigh Bells! Sooooo... I think we should just say I LOVE Christmas music!

posted by Melli at 1:27 AM | 12 comment(s)

Friday Fave Five...

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts Friday Fave Five in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. If you would like to play along just post your 5, link back to Susanne and visit her to see who else is playin'! And THANK YOU Susan for doing this!!!


1. Over the weekend I got the house allllll decorated for Christmas! Dennis brought up all the boxes from the basement, and I just stood and looked at them all and said WHEN did we GET all this stuff? He just looked at me, shook his head, and said "That's your department! I did not contribute!" Dang! He DID contribute because SOME of what we have we MADE together! But a long while ago it was true that MOST of our decorations were hand made, by us. That is no longer true. Christmas decorations, I've decided are why people should move about once every 5 years. 22 years in one place has put waaaaaaaaaaay too much stuff in this house! I couldn't even put out my nutcrackers this year -- there are just too many of them and the spot where I used to put them no longer exists. One whole box he had to return to the basement unemptied. That's crazy...

2. We had play practice after service Sunday at church. I stayed. I can't memorize lines to save my soul, (fortunately I don't have to!) but they keep giving me parts anyway! While I was waiting to do my part another gal came over and asked me if I could take the "other" part in HER skit as well! OY VEY! I said I would do it if it was okay with Susan (the director)... Susan said yes -- so now I have TWO parts in the play! I'm not an actress, I can't memorize lines, and I can't sing! But somehow I keep getting blessed with opportunities anyway! I'm really starting to think my whole congregation is just deaf. LOL!

3. Krysti popping in unexpectedly Tuesday night. She's not feeling well and just needed to be home in her own bed. Still... it's nice to see her and have her here!
She'll be going back tomorrow. Hopefully she got enough rest while here to carry her through until Christmas.

4. Muscle relaxers! I have been hopelessly BAD about getting myself to the chiropractor and what started out at a little ache in my back has grown into take your breath away PAIN. So now that the muscle relaxers are doing there job I can move on to #5...

5. Chiropractors! If you live with MY back, a good chiropractor -- or even a not so good one - can be a real life saver! The little pills mentioned above did THEIR job so that I could finally get myself IN to see the good man yesterday! Even with the muscle relaxers doing their thing he said my back is so tied in knots it unbelievable! Ha! Tell me something I DIDN'T know! But he made some adjustments and things are starting to look better! I'll go back another time or two and then I should be good as new!

Labels: Friday Fave 5

posted by Melli at 1:12 AM | 18 comment(s)

Quietude....

posted by Melli at 9:29 AM | 13 comment(s)

Random Dozen #15

1. Which physical trait do you now accept--maybe not love, but accept--and no longer feel extremely self-conscious about?
LOL! I have a mole on my chin that grows whiskers! Why? I dunno. Too much testosterone? I have nO idea! But anyway... I have to shave it, or Nair it every few days. I used to be really REALLY self conscious about it -- and I don't know why I've never had it removed... but anyway... that would be it!

2. This week Meredith Baxter Birney, best known as the mom on the favorite 80s sitcom "Family Ties" came out of the closet, which led me to formulate this question: Who do you think is/was the best TV mom?
I always liked Olivia Walton...

3. Do you speak any foreign languages? Are there any you'd like to learn?
I do not speak any, and yes - I would love to learn spanish especially because so many people in our country speak it now!

4. Who is your personal hero?
My brother, George, was my hero. He was not a perfect man, but he was a good man. He had strong values, and a strong sense of justice. He didn't expect life to always be fair... but he tried to be fair. And most of all, he served God and his country proudly and was a wonderful husband and father. He is greatly missed.

5. What is one holiday food that you find extremely difficult to resist over- indulging in?
Stuffing. I don't care much for turkey - but I could eat the whole bowl of stuffing - with gravy on top! This is one of the reasons that I really don't care for the "traditional" meal. I will eat stuffing until I'm sick ... for days!

6. Tell me about a Christmas decoration that has special meaning or sentimental value.
I guess the most special ones are our stockings. I made quilted stockings for each of us the year we got married and added another with each kid. They are probably the only thing that we have consistently used every year since we were married, and I can remember picking out the materials and sewing each one, and stitching the names on. Mathew was due in January and so I had made one for him the year I was pregnant -- but I never wanted to know if I was having a boy or a girl - so the first year his stocking just had a question mark on it where his name would be!

7. How do you feel about snow?
Oh, it's GORGEOUS! Just beautiful! Absolutely LOVELY! And it smells clean and crisp and wonderful! I just don't want it in MY yard or at MY house or in MY driveway! Unless there's a LOT of it. You always have to keep in mind with me, that I am an EXTREME weather person. I love HARD rain, and hurricanes, and tornadoes, and ICE STORMS. I'm a bit LESS crazy about droughts and HIGH heat. I would have LOVED to have been on the Ark during THE Storm!

8. On average, how many hours of sleep do you get each night? Not that I'm jealous of any number over three or anything.
LOL! That's good -- cuz I lived on 3 hours for many many years! It's actually only been the last 4 or 5 years that I have actually started getting a solid 8 hours of sleep -- and I must say that my body does ENJOY that!

9. Tell me about your first crush.
LOL! My first crush. WOW... I can't remember his name! My youngest older sister was dating this guy Frankie - just picture The Fonz -- that was Frankie -- the hair - black leather, the whole thing. Well Frankie had a friend, and for the LIFE of me I can't remember his name. But he wore skin tight white t-shirts -- and had his cigarettes in his sleeve... he had very short brown hair - just a little longer than a crew cut - and it flipped up in the front - just a little. I thought he was soooooooooooooooooooooo cute! Of course, I was 5 years younger than my sister -- and she was only 14 or 15 -- so I was only 9 or 10 --- I was a major NUISANCE I'm sure! And IF I recall, she always thought my crush was on Frankie -- but it was never Frankie -- it was his friend!

10. You're stuck in a room for 2 hours with only a chalkboard and chalk. What will you write/draw?
LOL! I hope the chalkboard goes all the way around the room... I would probably start at a house in the city or maybe an apartment building, and the city with little shops and TALL sky scrapers and streets congested with traffic, and then move it on out to a town in the suburbs with clusters of houses that all look alike and a school with a flag pole and the flag flying high, and a mall with a huge parking lot, and then stretch it all the way out to the country with some rolling hills with a farm and a barn and an old fashioned silo and cows and sheep and pigs and chickens, and an old farmer with a pitchfork and a haystack and a tractor... and then my two hours would be up! But if I was in a different kind of mood I might just doodle!

11. Do you dress for the current temp or for the day's forecast?
Living the life I'm living now, I dress for the moment. If the temperature changes drastically, then I change too. But when I lived a normal life where I got up and went somewhere each day to use up the hours that God gives me doing something useful, then I dressed for the forecast, and made adjustments. I dressed in layers that could be removed without embarrasment!

12. Favorite Christmas movie is?
I don't like this question. Because for yeeeeeeeeeeeears my answer was always the same and I never had to think twice about it. It was ALWAYS The Miracle on 34th Street - the ORIGINAL version with Burl Ives as Santa. But in the last few years another movie has snuck it's way into my heart... and it seems that each year it moves up a little higher until now I'm not sure if I can actually choose between them. And that would be, of course... It's a Wonderful Life! And it is!

Labels: Random Dozen

posted by Melli at 1:45 AM | 14 comment(s)