What a RELIEF!

I DID IT! I got the church directory in the mail today!!!! I had lots of good help putting it together, and I know we are going to be so proud of it. It will probably be a couple months before we get the finished product back, but it will be worth the wait. By the way, my children, I got my personal pictures back this week. Want one? As I'm writing this, I'm sitting downstairs at my office at the receptionist desk answering the phones for her. So, if some of this doesn't make sense, it's because of the many interruptions. However, it's something different to do and I'm kinda enjoying it. I just read Jawan's blog - Piles for Miles - and so wish I could give her some relief. Bless your heart, Wannie, you were just overblessed with talent, which is why you have so many "to do" piles. ha. I'm just thankful you are home with those precious grandbabies of mine and know that they are more important than the piles. Ok, Stuart, it's time to update your blog! Angela, Meredith, Emily and I plan to go to a beauty pageant tomorrow night. Emily will probably spend the night with me as usual (and maybe Meredith and/or Ethan), and I'll spend Saturday with them. Compared to most of my blogs, this one is shorter but will try to get in the habit of doing it more often so they won't have to be so long. Until then...I love you Steve, Angela, Meredith, Ethan, Emily, Mitch, Jawan, Andrew, Luke and Stuart! Mom.

Just Chattin'

Hey, you all (or y'all as we say in the South)! Wow, March has been a fast month, but I'm so-0-0-o ready for Spring!! Thanks to Angela and her three offspring, I got my yards cleaned up this past weekend (also had a God-sent man from my church who came by and mowed for me). I am so blessed!!!!!!!!!! I really haven't done anything much to talk about that would be of interest - just the usual work every day, church three times a week, keeping 1 to 3 of the grands on Friday night, etc. etc. However, yesterday was a wonderful day at church, and I was invited to go to lunch with three couples. We went to the Seminole Wind restaurant in Cairo - just great home cooking like we have at O'Neals, Market Diner, etc. Then last night, we had a covered dish supper after church with more yummy home cooking. I took a casserole I had never fixed before and had just enough left over to bring to work today for lunch. I'm trying to get our draft of the church directory finished by Wednesday of this week so we can mail it off. Oh, I can hardly wait for the finished product! As I said, there's not anything of interest to write about so will cut this short. Until next time, I love you Steve, Angela, Meredith, Ethan, Emily, Mitch, Jawan, Andrew, Luke and Stuart! Mom.

What a Week!

Wow, what a joy it was to have a whole week with all five of my grandchildren and my middle child. I got to experience (after many, many years) the routine of dropping three children off at school each morning to three different schools. That really made me appreciate these mothers and wonder how I did the same thing with my three once upon a time. Guess you just do what you gotta do!! I have the sweetest, kindest, best behaved grandchildren in the world, so we had no problems at all during the week. Thank you to my daughters and sons-in-law for their love and training with their children. Angela and Steve got home late Thursday night from their conference and carried their three home.

Jawan was my program for my Women's Ministry meeting on Tuesday night and did a wonderful job with the devotional and craft. I'm still getting "thank you" from ladies for such an enjoyable time. Thank you, Wannie, for being so willing to share when asked. You are precious. On Saturday morning, Jawan and I went out to New Shiloh and did the craft with Angela's ladies. Just another wonderful time sharing with our sisters in Christ and having fun as we crafted.

I had a wonderful telephone visit last night with Stuart, and he blesses my heart each time we talk. He told me he went to Sunday School and church yesterday and afterwards a group from his SS class went to their teacher's house for a time of fellowship. I'm so glad he took that step and is making some new friends. I can see God's hand on his life and am so thankful. He is going to Jacksonville, FL this week to a golf tournament and plans to come to my house on Saturday morning and spend the night with me before going home on Sunday afternoon. Yippee!! (The race was rained out that he had tickets for; and no date with Shannon as yet. The ball is in her court and he plans to do nothing more unless he hears from her.)

This will be a busy week for me as the ladies at church are giving one of our members a baby shower tonight, the directory committee meets tomorrow night (of which I am the coordinator), church on Wednesday night, etc., etc. But you know what? I love being busy and look forward to each appointment. I'm so thankful to have the health and energy to do these things (just wish I had some left for house work. ha). For now, however, that's about it. Until next time, I love you Steve, Angela, Meredith, Ethan, Emily, Mitch, Jawan, Andrew, Luke and Stuart!!!! Mom.

Marching On

I know, I know, it's been way too long since I updated, but I'm a busy lady and a procrastinator at that. I figured there wasn't enough interesting stuff to write about, but my youngest daughter says do it anyway. She has an inquiring mind and wants to know! So, here I am. Today has been a mixture of emotions. My office manager's funeral was today at 11:00, so the whole office turned out for that. She was a really sweet lady and will be missed greatly. The rest of the day was good - weather was beautiful and I had lots to keep me busy at work. We also began taking our pictures for our church directory today and I have just gotten home from that (10:24 p.m.). I am the coordinator and will have to be there again tomorrow night until the last person is photographed. I'm not complaining - just letting you in on my activities. We had a good turnout, and I'm really excited about the finished product that we will receive in about month. My committee still has to get together to make decisions on the cover, layout, etc. It will be the first directory the church has ever had, and I think everyone will be very proud of it. There are lots of good things happening at our church: we are growing by leaps and bounds and have outgrown our educational building. So, plans are underway to build a new wing. I'm very thankful to have a pastor who has a vision and is so determined to bathe everything we do in prayer before moving forward. New people have joined, and I am getting to know them better and becoming friends. In fact, tonight on the way home from the church, I went by the home of one couple and visited for almost an hour. (She is on my committee and was at the church with me for the picture taking.) Last week, I went by another couple's home to drop off something, and they live in a BEAUTIFUL house. Guess what I had to do when I got home? Repent. Boy was I covetous. I'm thankful that all my needs are met, but I sure wish I could have a pretty house. Is that wrong? I still haven't gotten my new carpet but one of my new friends is also needing carpet so she and I are going shopping together soon. I don't trust myself to pick out something on my own. ha. I'm excited about next week -- Jawan, Andrew and Luke are coming to my house for most of the week and she is going to be my program for our Women's Ministry meeting on Tuesday night. We're going to hear her testimony and then do a craft that she will teach. I can hardly wait to get my hands on those babies, and I know the women will really enjoy the meeting. I'll have the double blessing. ha. Also, Meredith, Ethan and Emily will be staying with me Tuesday through Thursday while Angela and Steve attend a pastor's conference. I'll have to take each of them to school in the mornings and Jawan will pick them up in the afternoons. We'll have a pallet party for three nights!! Ok, I've bored you to tears, so I'm going to quit for now. As soon as I think of anything else, I'll update again. In the meantime, I love you Steve, Angela, Meredith, Ethan, Emily, Mitch, Jawan, Andrew, Luke and Stuart. Mom.