True thanksgiving

Last Sunday, our preacher was out of town, so he asked our music minister to put together a Thanksgiving service. So, Steven had these 2 white boards up front where you could go up and write something you were thankful for. I usually don't participate in that kind of thing just because I feel too self-concious. Ordinarily, I would just make a mental list of some of things I am thankful for. But, after sitting through most of the service Sunday and running through my mental list, I realized that if I wrote everything down, I would be up there all day. However, I really felt compelled to go down and write at least one thing. This was it..."I am thankful for Barrett's successful surgery and the skill and expertise of Dr. Gerald Malkuch and Dr. Mike Wilkerson." Two days before Thanksgiving, Barrett had to have surgery. Not anything earth-shattering, but surgery (w/ full anesthesia) none the less. There is nothing quite like the feeling of watching your child being wheeled away to be anesthetized and cut open. Talk about trust, you are placing your complete trust in several people, that they know what they are doing with your kid. But, I had complete peace of mind this time. (As opposed to the last time he had surgery when he was about 2, that time I was a basket case!) This time, one of the things I prayed for was peace of mind and no fear for Lon & I. Guess what? It worked!! I didn't tell alot of people about the surgery, just due to the personal nature of it, I didn't want to embarrass Barrett any more than necessary. But, I did tell my BSF leaders circle and a few of our close friends and family and I felt so covered in prayer that day. It was the most secure feeling. While we were waiting for him to come out of surgery, our cell phones rang off the hook, with people checking on us and wondering how it was going. The people that God has put in our lives to "stand in the gap" for us is amazing and all I can say is thankyou, thankyou thankyou. Barrett came thru the surgery with flying colors thanks to those 2 amazing doctors with their God-given talents. There are so many things I have to be thankful for that I won't go into here, but suffice it to say, this Thanksgiving Day, I was one thankful girl!

UN-favorite things!

OK the last post was about some of my favorite things. So, this one is about some of my un-favorites. Not that I am in any way complaining about my life, I know I am incredibly blessed. These are kinda just for fun. Please feel free to comment if you have anything to add....

1) Middle school girls who REPEATEDLY "decorate" our yard with enough toilet paper to last our family for a year!! (Not to mention forks, yarn, cut-up straws, silly string, caution tape, styrofoam peanuts) But, last weekend, I must say, they outdid themselves. Not only was our yard a complete white-out with toilet paper, but they covered our sidewalk, from our front door to the street, in maple syrup and dumped Cap'n Crunch in it. Gross would be an understatement! Maizie didn't think so though! She was thinking, "This is the best thing ever! Someone just came and left all this delicious stuff on our sidewalk. I think I'll run through it and get it all over me! Then run back in the house to show Mom what I did!" Leaving her sticky pawprints all over. She was in heaven. I, on the other hand, not too happy. Lon & I had to admit though, it was an impressive job, the best one yet. I just wonder who is paying for this stuff, it had to have cost a fortune, and, like I said, it happens repeatedly, at least once a month (sometimes more) since about April. So....that is one middle school rite of passage that I won't be too sorry to leave behind! Sheesh...outgrow it already!
2) 30+ mph wind....in the fall, that is the one season when we aren't supposed to have that much wind! (why do I even bother with my hair?)
3) Barrett's complete allergic meltdown in reaction to the above mentioned wind
4) teachers who think huge "at-home" projects are a great idea (don't get me wrong, I love teachers, just not the projects)
5) getting hail damage.....in OCTOBER!!! It's crazy.
6) never having time to scrapbook anymore :-(
7) Lon getting a rock chip in the windshield of his new pickup
8) waking up early to take Gracen to early-morning practice
9) Dusting (that is just a never-ending job, isn't it?)
10) Flies! (I know, I know, they're part of the food chain and everything, but boy are they annoying! Come on first freeze!)
11) Printer running out of ink in the middle of Barrett's school project (honestly, you think I could get a little warning here....well OK, maybe I did, but it just kills me to pony up $70 for two measly ink cartridges)
12) Paying $70 for 2 measly ink cartridges!

I simply remember my favorite things.......

Well, I'm kinda in an Oprah mood and thought I would list some of my favorite things. Some are minor and frivolous and others not. Please leave a comment about some of your favorite things. (But who am I kidding, I know that only one person reads this blog, so.....Arlene please list some of your favorites! :-) keeping in mind that Starbuck's coffee is a given!!

1) Burts Bees Lipbalm (the mint kind, not the honey kind)
2) cool crisp fall mornings
3) Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (this stuff keeps your eyeshadow in place all day AND it comes in a really cool little "I Dream of Jeanne" looking bottle.)
4) the new Ulta store, I could stay in there for hours. (thats how i found the eyeshadow primer)
5) Jamaican Me Crazy coffee (blend of Kahlua, Carmel and Vanilla) YUM!
6) Ghiradelli milk chocolate squares w/caramel-heaven!
7) my daughter NOT having a gerbil in her room any more!
8) Maizie's little "I'm so happy to see you!!" circle dance that she does EVERY time I come home, even if I've only been gone a few minutes.
9) the fact that Gracen contemplated baptism all summer and made the decision that it was "time" on Sunday, Sept. 9......the day before my birthday. What a gift!
10)Youth ministers that are totally invested in my kids' spiritual growth.
11)my boss surprising the staff with a trip to Dallas later this month, staying in a "foo-foo" hotel downtown and treating us to "foo-foo" restaurants. very nice.
12) the fact that my kids still act like they know me when I take them lunch @ school, even hugging me goodbye in front of their friends.
13) james avery earrings for my birthday!!!!!
14)my new i-pod, even though not completely sure how to use it yet. :-) (my bro-in-law informed me the other day that Lon & I were the ONLY ones @ the town club that didn't have them, to which I replied "I know, its great, we can discuss anything or anyone, and nobody is the wiser!!")
15)Lon & I working out together @ the town club, just talking about the day.
16)the new sushi place downtown.

Baby Copeland

For the past few weeks I have been following the blog of a family in TN. They found out in June that the baby girl they were expecting had a chromosomal abnormality called Trisomy 18. (T-18 babies usually only live hours or days) http://www.conorbootheandgirls.blogspot.com/ I urge you, if you are willing, to pray for this family. Their courage and absolute faith in God's plan are humbling and awe-inspiring at the same time. The mom, Boothe, is the granddaughter of Everett & Peggy Blanton, who were ministers and elder at our church for many years. I love them dearly and even though I don't know their granddaughter, I have fallen in love with this amazing family, especially, their new baby daughter, Copeland, who was born Sept. 18 and against dr.'s predictions, went home from the hospital yesterday. However, she still has T-18, so her time on earth will be short. But, God is so good and His ways are above our ways, and He is using this precious baby to touch the lives of literally thousands of people, thru the internet. Check it out, you will be blessed.
PS...it kinda puts worries about gerbils and inconsiderate friends into perspective.

Life lessons

There are some things that you go through in life that, though are horrible at the time, mold and shape you into a better, more compassionate person, therefore, more Christlike. Some are huge life-altering lessons and some are just bumps in the road that most everyone experiences at one time or another. Well, Gracen just experienced one of these "bumps", although to her, at 12, it seems huge. And, it breaks my heart, as her Mom, to watch her go through it. For Christmas almost 3yrs ago, she asked for "something alive, something with a beating heart." YIKES, that grossed me out so bad, but Gracie is a major animal lover and she wanted something of her very own, unlike Maizie, who is the "family's" dog. She begged and begged for months for a hamster or gerbil or something along those lines. (I had to draw the line on lizards or snakes! YUK!) It was the only thing she wanted for Christmas. So, finally, I relented, and on Christmas Eve, we went to Petsmart and she picked out the cutest little black gerbil with a little white stripe on his chin. To say Gracen was ecstatic would be an understatement!!! She immediately named him "Pepper". So we brought Pepper and all his "stuff" home. What the people at Petsmart had failed to tell me is that gerbils are nocturnal! He would make the loudest racket at night...eating, running on his wheel, grinding his teeth on the bars of his cage, etc etc and sleep like a baby all day! Pepper wore out his welcome in a hurry, but Gracen still loved him, so he stayed. He actually had a very sweet personality. He would let you scratch him behind the ears, would come up and put his front paws on your finger and he never once made an attempt to bite anyone. I wasn't sure what the lifespan of gerbils was, but he thrived on the tons of love and attention he got from Gracen. We soon found his favorite food was sunflower seeds and he would take them right from your hand. It was so cute. Anyway, 2years went by and Pepper flourished and Gracen loved him...alot. The past few months I noticed he was slowing down some, not near as active at night, not eating as much and getting a little gray around the mouth. ( I could sympathize with old Pepper!) Well, Tuesday night while we were at the Athletic mtg @ school, Pepper passed away. Gracie has been devastated ever since, she just cries and cries. I try to make her feel better by telling her that Pepper led a wonderful, long life being loved and cared for by a precious little girl who has a God-given gift of tenderness and love for all animals. She wasn't buying it, she sobbed uncontrollably. She wanted to stay home from school Wed, but I told her she needed to go to keep her mind off of it. What really touched my heart about the whole thing was her brother, who normally bickers constantly with her and they never have a kind word for each other, was the one who gingerly removed Pepper from his cage and wrapped him up in a paper towel and dug the grave and buried him. It was so sweet, I was so proud of Barrett. What I don't get, however, is how cruel some kids can be. She called all her friends Tuesday night to let them know what had happened, since they were all quite acquainted with Pepper. They were all so kind, offering condolences, except one. When Gracie told her, she just died laughing and said "Get over it! He was just a rat!" I cannot even imagine being that cruel and cold-hearted and I am so glad that she isn't my kid. I'm thankful that my own children are kind and sympathetic, especially to their friends. Anyway, that is what we are dealing with right now. In the grand scheme of things, pretty insignificant, but right now, it is a big deal.

First day of school

The first day of school 07-08 came and went pretty uneventfully. Both Barrett & Gracen seem to be impressed with their teachers. Gracen declared that she didn't think there was a mean one in the bunch! (So, she's got that going for her :-) Even though I dread school starting, it was nice to have the day to try to get my house back in order after the chaos of summer. Both kids are in athletics (Barrett in 8th gr & Gracen in 7th) so I guess our days of Kids Inc. are behind us now. I never thought I would say this, but that makes me a little sad. Gracen was a bundle of nerves for the first day, since it was also the first day of a 2wk process of trying out for the volleyball team. Even though she is great player, her confidence is a little shaky. She was just convinced that there would be tons of transfer students that were all awesome v-ball players and she wouln't make the team. That, thankfully, didn't turn out to be the case. There are quite a few transfers, but I would stack Gracie's v-ball skills against theirs any day. Now her concern is that she will be on the silver team while all her friends will be on the gold. I'm telling you, the kid has no confidence, and I can talk til I'm blue in the face about how great a player she is and it goes in one ear and out the other. Personally, I think it wouldn't be such a bad thing to be on the silver team, she would get more playing time. It will all work out for the best, I'm sure.
Barrett will be on the football team again this year. Last year, he broke his arm the first game and was out until the very end. I'm secretly hoping that this will be his last year to play football. He just doesn't have the size or speed and I'm afraid he is going to get seriously injured. But, I'm just Mom, what do I know? Right now, in middle school, being on the football team is the be all, end all, and if you're not on the team, you're just a total dork. Middle school......gosh, I don't miss that time of life.
BTW, I forgot to mention that as a surprise for Gracen, I bought "Hannah Montana" concert tickets for Dec in OKC. I know, I know, what was I thinking? Right? The things we will go through for our kids. First of all, HM tkts are not that easy to come by. I read on the internet that all the venues were selling out in less than an hr. So, I went online to get tkts for the OKC concert, but, in order to be able to "pre-buy" them before they went on sale to the unwashed masses, you had to become a premium member of "mileyworld.com" for the low, low price of $29.95, then, and ONLY then, you can have the priviledge of paying $55 each for a prized ticket!! What a racket!! I think I will get a cheesy wig and slap it on Gracen and proclaim her "Alexis Texas", add some boots and sequins and see if Disney will give her her own show and then we can go on tour and rake in millions and millions from 'tween girls and their stupid mothers who will shell out hundreds of dollars and travel hundreds of miles for the priviledge of sitting in the nose-bleed section with a pair of binoculars! (but I'm not bitter or anything!! :-) I guess I should consider myself lucky, I've heard on e-bay the tickets are going for as much as $500! I may be stupid, but not THAT stupid! The one consolation I get from all this is that I know Gracen will be thrilled and it will be a great pre-Christmas surprise. Whew!! I feel much better after venting that out!

Time flies!

My "baby" turned 12 on Sunday, August 19th. Can't believe it! In a year, I will have not one, but two, teenagers! On her actual birthday, we were in Dallas, at the Soiree, so my sis-in-law got the cake for me. I had emailed her a pic of Gracen in volleyball camp, it was a great picture. The cake had the picture on it and also all these bright colored flowers, it turned out so cute and she absolutely LOVED it! I remember bringing her home from the hospital, when she was 3 days old, with an IV in her head because she had contracted Group-B strep during labor and finally had to be delivered by C-section. When she was born, she wasn't breathing and was very pale and floppy. Her first Apgar was a 2! They had to resucitate her with a bag and mask. (Thank God I didn't realize any of this at the time) Anyway, she came around pretty quick, but she was still very sick, due to the strep. So, for 7 days after she came home from the hospital, Lon & I had to administer antibiotics to her via the IV in her head. Very upsetting for Mom! I remember the nurse coming to our house right after we got home with her and having to place a new IV, because the old one had blown her vein. In order to put the new IV in, she had to shave her head a little bit, so she asked for Lon's razor and gave her a little reverse mohawk. She said "First haircut Mom!" about as nonchalantly as you please as she shaved my precious new baby's beautiful blond hair! Then she asked me to hold her down and keep her still while she put the new IV in the top of her head. Well, Gracen screamed bloody murder when she poked her, obviously! I was crying, my mom was crying, Lon was crying.....everyone was crying! As I think back on all this, I cannot even believe they expected me, the mom, to put the medicine in her IV and to hold her down while they jabbed her with a needle!! Unbelievable! Well, we all survived and now she is the most beautiful, smart (of course!), loving 12 yr old you would ever want to meet. Every birthday, my mom always says to her "I remember you coming home from the hospital with that needle in your head." and Gracen just grins & giggles. Happy Birthday my precious baby girl. Love, Momma

Random thoughts.

Well, we just watched the final game of the Little League World Series, and the US won again this year!!! The SE team from Warner Robins, GA beat the team from Japan in a walk-off homerun. Yesterday, Warner Robins beat the SW team from Lubbock in the US championship. I think the Lubbock team was trying to "save" their best eligible pitcher for the championship game and got behind early and never were able to catch up. What I thought was really cool, in the championship game, when the kid hit it out to win the game, the SE team was obviously ecstatic, but the Japanese team was crying, really hard, and the American kids and their coach went over to them and started hugging them, very classy. It's kind of sad for me, because the LLWS always signals the end of summer. I was telling my friend, Arlene, this morning that I always dread the start of school because it seems like once school starts, the year just flies by and next year, Barrett will be starting high school. I am soooo not ready for that! I know every parent says this, but, it seems like only yesterday when I was holding his hand and walking him into kindergarten. (He won't let me hold his hand on the 1st day of school anymore!) Our minister wrote an article in a local magazine that really hits home for me. It was entitled "Crying through the Joy" and was about he and his wife crying on their daughter's birthdays, even though they are thrilled she is growing up, they are sad for what is being left behind. He said, "We cry because we are losing what our children were in order to welcome what they are becoming." That was comforting to me because I have always quietly chastised myself for being sad that the kids are growing up so fast. I always told myself that I should be thankful to God that my kids are healthy and I certainly had no reason to cry. (Which, believe me, I AM SO thankful for my healthy kids) But still, with each passing year, I am a little sad, and this article kind of nailed how I feel. He talks about rejoicing over each new development, yet knowing that these things slip through our fingers in the blink of an eye, each new development is also tinged with a little sadness. Yes! that's it! He went on to say-"I think what we are longing for is something the Bible calls eternity. We are trapped in this tyrannical force called time. It grinds down everything and leaves only dust in its wake. For creatures designed to live in God's eternal presence, we find this time-bound existence painful.....We long in our spirits to be set free and live in God's renewed world where time cannot steal from us any joy, blessing, or person." AMEN! Dan.
2007 Soiree has come and gone another year. Lon is the youngest of 7 (yes 7!!) kids and every summer they get together for a reunion called "The Soiree". This year it was held at Lon's sister's house in Dallas. The kids always prefer to go to her house because she has a pool. When Lon & I married, the "little kids" were the children of Lon's sisters and brothers. Now, those "little kids" have kids of their own. My kids are kind of in the middle, with everyone being alot older or quite a bit younger, so when we go to Dallas, they just hang out in the pool and I don't have to listen to whines of "I'm bored." Anyway, this year was sad because Lon's sister, Jean, passed away a few months ago. Everyone seemed more subdued. Usually, we could count on at least one alcohol fueled, heated argument over politics or religion or both. Didn't happen. Oh well, maybe next year.
I need to go and get school supplies organized and get ready to say goodbye to Summer 07, so I better get off the computer. Hopefully, this won't be my last post until January! :-)

Mission Lazarus

In October, 2000, my cousin, Curtis Jones, of Portland OR, passed away of cancer at the age of 45. His oldest child, Meredith, was a senior in high school at the time. Since then, Meredith graduated HS, received her nursing degree from ACU and, as of the last few months, has taken over the directorship of Mission Lazarus clinic in Honduras. She is a young, single woman who is so focused on making a difference and following God's call on her life. I am so proud of her I can't even tell you. I know her father would be also. I am also so honored to be able to support, even in the tiniest way, her mission work. I would ask anyone reading this blog to please add her to your prayer list. You can also read about her work here: http://meredithljones.blogspot.com/

Vegas Vacation

Wow! Where has this summer gone? The last days of summer always make me a little melancholy. I absolutely love the summer and always hate to see it go, but then, school starts and everything gets back into a routine, which is good. The kids & I just got back from our vacation to Las Vegas. We went with my sister and 2 of her kids and also my mom. (Lon didn't get to go, they are very bogged down at work :-( he & I will go later this fall :-) The kids have always begged to go to Las Vegas, since Lon & I go every year, but I wanted to wait until they were a little older and this year, everything just fell into place--we had a free room (lon & i don't gamble that much but we do get our room comped and a few free buffets!) and one free flight, so it wasn't that expensive and it was fun for the kids and I to save money in our "Las Vegas fund" all summer. They kicked in a large portion of their allowance, which was good for them. We had an absolute blast!! The only thing that would have made it better was if Lon could have been there. (and less crowded of course!) I always forget about the crowds, even during the middle of the week! Usually the crowds don't bother me that much because Lon will be in the sports book or at the tables and I will head out on my own to do whatever, either shopping or .....well its always shopping!! But this time we had a group of 7 and it felt like I was dragging a ball and chain around, trying to make sure everyone was with the group. Plus, my mom has sciatic nerve pain in her leg and she always lagged a little behind. It was so sweet though, Gracen and Addie (my neice) always stayed back with her so she wasn't by herself.
First thing on the agenda was to head to the Rio for their seafood buffet! All the crab legs and lobster you can eat! My kids (especially Barrett!) were in heaven. It was hilarious to watch Barrett cracking those crab legs, shells and juice were flying everywhere. Mother said she got a crab juice shower! Anyway, that was fun since lon & i don't usually do buffets (except for breakfast) they are usually pretty crowded and gross and there too many fantastic restaurants in Vegas to waste your time at a buffet. But, this was a whole different trip than what lon & i usually take.
Next, we went to the Coke and the M&M stores, they always have cool t-shirts and souvenirs. (that they are extremely proud of!! Oh well, it was vacation!) And while we were down that way, Barrett & Corbin rode the rollercoaster at NY,NY. It was a full day, we were exhausted, especially Mother!
We were staying at the Mirage, where the dolphin & white tiger habitats are. The dolphins had just had a baby in June, he was soooo cute, his name was Sgt. Pepper, going along with the whole Beatles-LOVE theme of the Mirage right now. Gracen said that was her favorite part of the trip. Also, our room looked right out where we could see the volcano erupting, pretty nice.
There were a few things that we did that, though I'm glad we did them, I don't feel the need to ever do again. One was the Hoover Dam, the traffic and crowds were a nightmare, plus, I'm terrified of heights. As far as I was concerned, we couldn't get out of there fast enough! Although, I gained enormous respect for the men that built it, very scary! Two- was the Stratosphere, the hotel that resembles the Space Needle. Again, like I said, I'm terrified of heights. Barrett & Corbin even rode one of the rides on the top! So scary and I don't EVER want to go back. and 3-the downtown area, that place is skanky and nasty and every casino reeks of cigarette smoke. Yes, all casinos have cig smoke, but the newer ones are much better ventilated. The Fremont Street Experience was not that impressive, no need to ever go back.
We also spent time shopping at an outlet mall, which was typical of EVERY outlet mall I have ever been in, no need to go back there either. But, the Fashion Show Mall is great, I go there every time we go to Vegas. And swimming, the Mirage pool is beautiful, with palm trees and waterfalls. Plus, the pool is always good free entertainment, you would absolutely not believe what people will wear to the pool when they are on vacation! Potbellied old geezers in speedos are a common sight!! Mother, Cristi & I laughed so hard our sides hurt!! And what is a trip to Vegas without going to a show. We went to a magic show on the strip that had white tigers, it was OK, but not as quality of a show as Siegfried & Roy used to be.
It was fun to watch my kids reaction to everything. They have really led a sheltered life and have rarely traveled outside of TX/OK. There are some cultures that have no concept of "personal space" and will run you right over without a second thought or stand really close in an elevator. I hadn't thought to warn the kids about that and it was funny to see their reaction and watch them stare at all the "different" styles of dress! Eye-opening for them.
Overall, it was a fantastic trip. The kids had a blast and really made some good memories with their cousins and Granny. Now, they can quit nagging Lon & I about going. :-) Oh, I almost forgot---I got a PF Changs fix!! We ate there for lunch on Tuesday, it was delicious!! Kung Pao shrimp and Gen. Chang's chicken! But, somehow, not quite the same without Lon. We will definitely have to hit it again when we go back!

Smokin'!!

Father's Day 2007 has come and gone, it was a wonderful day. My own father (and mother) surprised us by showing up at our church and joining us for worship. But, Father's Day is always a little bittersweet as it also includes a trip to the cemetery to visit the grave of Lon's dad, Loren Packard, who died of cancer in November 1993, just about 6wks before our son Barrett was born. But, this year, I had special surprise planned for Lon. For the longest time now, Lon has wanted a Tiernan Son of Brisket smoker, but they are sooo expensive, and Lon always says that isn't something we should spend money on right now. If it was something I wanted, he would not hesitate to get it, but, being the awesome husband and father he is, he always puts himself last. So, I wanted to surprise him with one, by paying for it on my own (no easy task since they cost over $900!) without him realizing why I never had any money the last month or so!! I had it delivered on Fri. afternoon and had them put it on the side of the house, hoping and praying that he wouldn't go over there before Sunday. The kids and I could barely contain our excitement for those 2 days and I was also praying that they would be able to keep our secret! Well, they did. Sun morn rolled around and I wrapped up some babyback ribs, a sauce mop and the ultimate grilling cookbook (according to the people at Tiernan) for him to open, then we led him out, blindfolded, to the smoker. The look on his face was worth every penny of that $900!! He was like a little kid, so excited, he couldn't wait to get to church to tell all his buddies. And it was so gratifying for me to finally do something nice for him like he has done many, many times for me. Did I mention that I absolutely ADORE my husband? He works so hard and like I said, always puts himself last. He loves me and the kids in such a sacrificial way, I still marvel at God's blessing when he sent me Lon Packard. They say that a girl will usually marry a man like her father, and every day i pray that God is grooming a man like Lon for Gracen. Anyway, this weekend we are going to christen the smoker, by smoking those ribs.....yummo! (as rachel would say!)

About worship at Central on Sunday, I have heard many poignant sermons about Mothers on Mother's Day, but Sunday was one of the few poignant sermons I have heard on Fathers, in fact, it was the MOST touching, relevant sermon I have ever heard on Fathers. To hear Dan speak about his own father in such a moving way and relate that to how our Father in Heaven loves us......very emotional. And to cap it off, our worship minister led the most poignant (sorry I keep using that word, but it is the perfect description) heart tugging prayer about fathers I have ever heard, there couldn't have been a dry eye in the house. I would highly recommend listening to both the sermon and the prayer here: http://centralcofc.com

WEINER NATIONALS!!!

For the first time this year, (I've wanted to do it for several years) we entered our dog "Maizie" in the Weiner National Weenie Dog race. Now, if you've never witnessed a weenie dog race, that is something you have GOT to put on your to-do list. That was the funniest thing ever! I've never seen so many weenie dogs in one place! Although, there were a few that I would question their "weenie dog" pedigree. None the less, it was a blast. Maizie was racing in the 8th heat (there were 8 heats with 6-8 dogs per heat). Lon said there was no way she would know what to do and laughed at me for even entering her. Well, let me just say, she didn't know what to do, but she was not alone in that regard!! Most of the dogs ran out of the starting gate and started sniffing each others butts! Some jumped over the rope and ran amok in the crowd. Some, however, were highly trained and knew exactly what to do. There were some owners that were VERY serious about the race. (The winner got a trip to San Diego to compete at the national level during the Holiday Bowl) But, I was so proud of Maizie, she came out of the gate a little slow, doing the butt sniffing thing but then here she came ambling (not running mind you) towards me at the finish line and I thought she was going to win her heat for sure and at the last minute this little long haired weenie came racing past her, so she got second in her heat, not bad for a first try. At the finish line, she went to a total stranger and rolled over on her back at the lady's feet. It was hilarious! Those people are very serious about it though, there was a lady standing next to me at the finish line that was screaming cuss words because she thought the people near the starting line were distracting her dog! Oh well, we'll have to train for next year. "She coulda been a contenda!"

Things with a plug

For probably about the last year, I have been scouring the internet and checking local sales looking for the best deal on a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer. For some reason, I am dying to have one, not that I am a cook or anything, I just think they are really cool. And, I probably really would use one several times a year. So, I've been looking and looking. I was tempted to buy one on Ebay, but chickened out. Anyway, when Mother's Day rolled around, that is what I asked for--a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer in Imperial Yellow. Well, Lon was a little leary about buying me a mixer for Mother's Day. He said he's always heard that you NEVER buy your wife a gift that has a plug or involves work and that he was afraid I might be mad at him later for getting me a kitchen appliance as a gift. But I assured him that was what I wanted, it was what I was asking (more like begging) for. So, a few days before Mother's Day, armed with my 20% off coupon, we went to Bed Bath & Beyond and ordered my mixer in Imperial Yellow. I probably didn't get the best deal, but at least I knew it was a reputable seller. So now I am the proud owner of a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer in Imperial Yellow!!! Yea!!!! I am so excited, I can't wait to whip something up. I haven't had time yet, May is always soooo crazy with end of school events, Wonderland night, teacher apprec., 5th gr. blessing, etc. Send drinks for this, send cookies for that! However, it is a kind of crazy that I love, even though I gripe about it, I know the day is coming soon when the kids will be gone and I will long for the days when May was full of end of school frenzy. Summer is coming though. My favorite time of year. I love everything about summer.......the smell of chlorine, legs sticking to hot seats, baseball games, sleeping late, wearing flip flops every day, grungy camp clothes....everything!!! The kids and I have so much fun. It just goes too fast. But, this year, we have an extra couple of weeks and I am thrilled! Some of my friends don't like it, they say they would rather have the extra time at Christmas, not me, like I said, I LOVE summer!!!

Catching up

Well, once again, it has been a really long time since last I blogged. To be quite honest, I just haven't felt like it lately. It's been a rough month or so. A dear friend's husband was diagnosed with a brain tumor and he died within 5 days. 44yrs old. 4 kids-ages 9 to 15. Just boom, life is normal one day and within a week, everything is turned upside down. I will never forget her words to me in the hospital..."Susan, don't ever forget to kiss your husband goodbye or tell him you love him." Thank goodness she didn't have this regret since she and her husband were very loving to each other. I am just having a hard time wrapping my mind around why this would happen. I know all the pat answers...we live in fallen world, they will be reunited someday in heaven, he was prepared, blah, blah, blah... don't get me wrong, I know all that is true, in fact, I cling to it. It's just that, right now, it's hard. All I know is that she is suddenly a single mom to 4 kids that desperately need their father. 3 of those children are boys. And i just keep thinking, what if that were me, would i be able to be as strong as she is being? Would i be able to sing "How Great is Our God" at my husband's funeral? Not sure
And then, last wednesday at work, i get a call that they have found my husband's sister dead in her home. Even though she has been in very bad health for the last 10 years, it was still shocking to get that call. So.....I haven't felt much like blogging, but I have been faithfully reading all my friends blogs. Also, on a brighter note, my neice and her hubby had a beautiful baby boy -Whitaker Ty Tullos-born March 22 in Baton Rouge, LA-Congratulations-Tyler & Crystal!!!

Colonoscopys REALLY aren't that bad

One more colonoscopy post and I promise never to mention it again. I must say that "they" (the van patton family-only diehard letterman fans will get that reference) were right when "they"(the van patton family) said that getting a colonoscopy wasn't that bad. I don't remember a thing about the actual procedure. Actually, the last thing I DO remember is the dr. saying to the nurse "Ready to give her the medicine?" And what good medicine it was, I wouldn't mind having a little of that stuff to sprinkle in my diet Pepsi on those nights when I can't sleep! Anyway, the biggest "pain in the butt" about the whole thing was the night before and also that stuff they give you to drink is really disgusting. Not to mention the whole checking into the hospital thing. Major pain for a minor procedure. Why can't it be done in the dr's ofc? Also, I was really dreading getting an IV, I'm a big weenie when it comes to needles. So, the nurse comes in to put the IV in and she starts trying to stick it in and I thought "Wow, that REALLY hurts." But I didn't want to say anything because I didn't want her to know I was a weenie. Finally, she says "Gee this needle is really dull, you know, every once in a while we get a bad one. That must have really hurt. I think I'll do it over again because I don't like the way it looks." Well, by this time, I am really getting light headed and am pretty sure I'm going to pass out, so she let me lay back for a while before attempting it again. The second try (with a new, sharp needle) was a success! Yea! After that was over I'm thinking it is gonna be smooth sailing from here on out, which it was. Except....as they(the van patton family) are wheeling me into the operatory there are various "medical looking" people coming in there, one of which was a young nice looking guy in scrubs, I didn't think much about him. Then the dr comes in and says "Mrs. Packard, this is Mr. So & so, he is my catheter rep. Do you mind if he watches?" Was he kidding? No he wasn't. So me, being a weenie, said "I guess." But I was thinking, "Suuuuure, in fact, why stop with him, step out in the hall and see if there are any other salesmen out there who would like to get a look at my colon, bring 'em all in, the more the merrier!" As always, I'm always thinking great stuff to say in my head that I'm too chicken to say out loud. At least I don't THINK I said it out loud, but I'm not sure, that medicine kinda scrambled things up a bit. There that's the last anyone has to hear about my colon. I hope

Things I learned this week

1) Track (the sport) blows goats.

2) Even when a sport blows goats, if your kid is participating in it, you will willingly attend said sport and cheer your fool head off like a maniac. (making a complete "jack-donkey" out of yourself in the process!!)
3) When your kid has success in a sport that you thought blew goats, suddenly, it's not so bad anymore, and the thought of standing out in the weather for hours on end to watch him participate doesn't seem to blow goats as bad as you thought it would.
4) I HATE cigarette smoke! (OK, I already knew this, but it was reaffirmed this week, during a complete allergic meltdown to said smoke) Cigarettes blow goats, but there are quite a few people that I love dearly who smoke. So...., love the people, hate the cigs.
5) Having my daughter get her hair cut into a more updated and sophisticated style that makes her look older than she really is makes me sad, even though she LOVES it.
6) We serve an awesome God (OK, already knew this too, it was just reaffirmed in a couple of ways this week!!)

Obedience and a weight lifted

In the last month or so, our church has been studying "discipleship". What it means to be a disciple, how to equip our members to be disciples etc, etc. It has affected me in a way that I can't quite put into words. I feel that I am just now, at the age of 42, beginning to realize what being a Christian means, and I feel like it is only the tip of the iceberg. I was having lunch with friends the other day, and one of them mentioned that she was trying to figure out how to apply this on a personal level. How was she going to change herself first. Which made me think about the same thing. What specifically could I do in my little sphere of influence to start down the road of discipleship? (Neighbors, school, work etc) Well, the first thing that came to mind was the fact that there is a specific action that the Holy Spirit has been prompting me to do for a couple of years now and I have completely ignored it simply because "I didn't want to". See, we have these neighbors that moved in about 3yrs ago, directly across the street from us. It was apparent from the get-go that they were from a different culture just by the way they kept their yard and the weird little decorations that they put out. Also, right after they moved in, Barrett went over there selling something for his school and when he came back home he said they didn't speak English. (but, he's been known to exaggerate OR they could have been faking so they wouldn't have to buy anything :) I'll have to remember that next time a solicitor comes to the door :) ...kidding) Anyway, it seemed like every time they were out in the yard, if we came out, they would go scuttling into the house. I wanted to say "We don't bite, you know!" All of this to say that, to say the least, there were not good vibes between us and our neighbors. Even so, every year when our church would have "Friends Day" and they would tell everyone to invite their neighbors I would feel the aforementioned Spirit prompting. But, I told myself (and God) there was no way I was going over there, they were mean and unfriendly and probably didn't even speak English. At each and every prompting (and there were many) I said "NO!" Well, then this discipleship thing comes up in addition to my BSF study where I am learning that there is no higher calling on a Christian's life than to bring the gospel to the people that don't know it. So, I finally respond to the Spirit's call and baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and wrote out a note saying that I was sorry for being a bad neighbor, told them our names and said that if they ever needed us to pick up their paper, water their plants or whatever to just let us know and ended the note by saying "I pray God's blessings on your family." Wrapped it all up and started walking over there, the whole time praying, "OK God, is this really what you want me do? because I'm in the street now, I'm in their driveway now...." I don't know why I was so terrified but I was.Well, they weren't home, so I left the little package on the front porch. Within an hour, I kid you not, she called me to thank me for the cookies, told me their names and a little bit about them. As it turns out, she speaks perfect English, but I think they must originally be from India. We actually have quite a bit in common.She works part-time, like me. She has 2 children, like me. One of them is a 3rd grader at Woodlands and the other son is 18, disabled, and attends special ed. It was a great visit, she was so sweet. When I hung up the phone, I just collapsed on the chair crying, ashamed that it taken me so long to be obedient and receive this blessing. I could almost hear God saying "See, I told you they were nice." I felt like a huge weight had been lifted. I guess I didn't realize how much this little conflict was bothering me. I also realized that they probably felt isolated living in a different culture and having a son with a disability. I hope this is the beginning of a friendship.

I know that when you respond to the Spirit's prompting you don't always get to see immediate blessings, but in this case God did bless me immediately. I am still awestruck.

MySpace?

OK, that last post was a little crude. Sorry, I was in a weird mood last night. Although, I am still not looking forward to the "procedure", but now what I am most upset about is that I just figured out that I will be on a clear liquids diet on Wed. nite aka....Valentines Day.....aka Gorge yourself on Dove chocolate Day!! Soooo, bummer. Oh well, I will have to make up for it after I am done with my "procedure" on Thursday. OK, next subject....
I am really in a dilemma, since about November, my kids have been begging me for a myspace page. As a mom, that just scares me to death. I feel like I am in way over my head as far as technology and my kids are concerned. Things are moving way too fast and I am about as computer illiterate as they come. However, I don't think I have the luxury of being ignorant about this. So far, I have put them off by saying I'll think about it and pray about it. But, the more I research, the more I am inclined to say "Absolutely NOT!!!" I feel that is the Holy Spirit leading me in that direction. However, it seems that practically all their friends have one, even the kids from church. I know that does not make it right, in fact, probably just the opposite. However, in seeking guidance from our youth pastor and my niece and her husband (who are middle school youth pastors in a HUGE non-denom church in Baton Rouge) I'm told that it can be a positive tool for Christian influence if used with great discretion and parental involvement. And, our youth minister tells me it can give great insight as to what is going on, not only with my own kids, but with their friends as well. So, what I did was set up my own page on myspace, kindof just to get an idea how it works and what all is available to view. And let me tell you I was shocked, I mean I don't consider myself naive or a prude, but it was shocking to me to see what kids from our own church would put on their pages and how they converse with each other. Apparently, it is very commonplace to use the "n-word" in casual conversation like its nothing! And these are supposed to be the "good kids"!! That kind of language is particularly offensive to me since I have an adopted sister who is black. But, the language is not the only thing, there are extremely inappropriate pictures of young girls that I don't want my kids to see, especially my 13yr old son. So, for now anyway, the answer is a definite NO. They will just have to be the nerds whose mom won't let them have a myspace. My niece ( the youth pastor) thinks I should let them have one, but with a very short leash. Her reasoning is that it would be better to let them have one now when I have some control over it than for them to get one for the first time when they are in college and have no supervision. Valid arguments, yes. But still, my protective "mama bear" gut feeling keeps telling me that it is not a good idea, even if everyone else is doing it, even the kids at church. Even so, I feel like the time is coming very soon that I will have to trust them and let them venture into this new world, but, not yet.

You're gonna put that where?

Well, I have put it off for 2 years now, but , this week, I am going for my first colonoscopy (that word even LOOKS gross!) My dr. recommended I get one when I turned 40 (2yrs ago!) since my dad had colon cancer in 1999. Everyone (including Katie Couric) tells me "Oh, its not that bad, you probably won't even remember it." You mean to tell me that having someone I've never met ram something akin to a garden hose up my butt is "not that bad"? Compared to what?....Well, thank goodness for mind erasing drugs hopefully they are right. I'll see how it goes!

2007?
OK....last post was about Halloween, where did those 2 months of my life go? I'm sure if there ever were any people reading this blog, they have long since given up on me by now, but who am I kidding, I really don't think anyone reads this. Halloween, that seems like ancient history. It seems like the minute I shut the door on the last trick or treater, I jump on board the runaway train that is Nov/Dec and it is all a blur until sometime in January! I do, however, want to talk about a new experience that I had over the holidays, not a pleasant one I might add, but one that almost everyone I know has had and I'm now a member of "the club". That is, hitting a deer with my car. VERY SCARY! Actually, I need to correct that, the deer hit me, NOT the other way around. Honestly, it was after dark and I was going back to Childress, TX from taking my mom and aunt to their uncle's funeral and I happen to look over and make eye contact with this huge deer seconds before he (actually I think it was a "she") rammed into my car. It pretty well crunched in the whole driver's side of my car, as well as completely sheering off my left rear view mirror. That is the sickest feeling, my mind was reeling about what to do. Should I go back? What if the poor thing is still laying there, severely wounded, but not dead. But, as my mother asked me, what were we (an 80yr old, a 66yr old and me-a spry 42) going to do about it if it was. So, I just said a little prayer that the poor animal was killed instantly and tried not to think about it. Thank God I didn't hit it head on, which could have totaled my car or we could have rolled and someone been seriously hurt. Still, a very unnerving experience to say the least, but now when I tell that story, almost everyone says that they have done the same thing. In fact on the way to the funeral that morning, in about the same area, my aunt warned me to be careful because that was where she had hit a deer and her son had also hit one in this area. So.... if there is anyone reading this and you happen to be around Childress, TX, be very careful. What I'm wondering is... why do they do that? Why would they run toward the highway where cars are? It seems like they would shy away from it. If anyone knows, please enlighten.
Speaking of unnerving experiences, our oldest son turned 13 on Sunday! Everyone has warned me about the hazards of having a teenager in the house. But, knock on wood and praise God, he is a great kid and hasn't given us one minutes trouble (other than his incredibly scraggly long hair!) or reason not to trust him. He is turning into this amazing person that I am proud to call my son, but not only that, I really enjoy conversations with him, he is a neat kid. It just seems like the last 13 years have gone by in the blink of an eye and when I think that 13 years from now, he will have been a grown man for some time and will probably have a family of his own, it just blows me away!
Christmas was wonderful. Our family tried a new experience this year. Our church, for the first time, had a Christmas Eve Candlelight service. We loved it. It was so simple yet so very moving. It felt good to take time out and have some reverence for Christ's birth instead of standing around gorging on fudge and playing cards (not that there's anything wrong with that! :-) It was pretty emotional for me to sit there on the pew with our whole family and just focus on Christ and how blessed we are and be so thankful for my salvation. I think standing there in the darkened chapel with all the candles glowing and surrounded by my family, both physical and spiritual, it seemed like a little glimpse of heaven. Steven, if you are reading this, you did an awesome job and I hope it will be the first of many more Christmas Eve Services. God bless you and your family.
Well, on to the new year! I will try to be a better blogger!