God hears and answers prayers.

A while back our pastor preached about how God answers prayers. Sometimes His answer is "no." Sometimes His answer is "yes." Sometimes His answer is "yes, but not now." I have come to realize this to be true in the various prayers that I have prayed over my lifetime. Sometimes it takes quite a while before the answer is realized and sometimes it is quick. I have experienced all of the three answers listed above. Today I experienced an unmistakable answer to one of my prayers. My prayer was that my daughter would find a church home. She expressed to me recently that she had been attending a local church that made her feel welcome and special. I accepted her answer and support her decision though I knew that I would miss not having her with us on Sundays. I pray daily for her and for her family. This morning as we were sitting in church waiting for the service to begin I could not have been more overwhelmed with joy when I saw her enter the aisle and sit beside me. As we began the praise and worship part of the service my heart was in my throat with thanks to God for hearing me and understanding that I miss my girls when they are not with me. I felt so blessed that she would pick this day to join us in worship. Thank you, Lord, for a joyous and pleasant day.

Grandson Jack has two new teeth.

Grandson Jack has two new teeth in the front on the bottom. He does this thing with his lower lip when he plays with his new teeth. He looks so cute and funny when he does this. Gary and I are sitting on the sofa next to him watching this. Gary is laughing so hard when Jack sees him that Jack starts to laugh too. October 23, 2008

Heartwarming video of Christian the Lion reunion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adYbFQFXG0U

This is such an impressive video of showing how animals know and show affection.

Christmas in September

In mid September I was wondering through our local pet shop looking for things for my freshwater aquarium. I turned the corner and saw it! I salt water tank with SEAHORSES! I love seahorses! I am an avid scuba diver and during each dive I take time out to search for seahorses. I have been able to see a few. I have an amazing story about how I found my first seahorse. That is another whole blog. Anyway, I spoke to the shop owner for about 45 minutes about the tank and seahorses. She assured me that the aquarium industry has taken steps to make salt water tanks very user friendly and that with my experience in freshwater tanks and the chores involved in maintaining them that I could handle the tasks of a salt water tank. The only reason I would have a salt water tank is if I could have seahorses. Gary said he thought it would be fine and it could be my early Christmas present so I bought them and made arrangements to bring them home later that week. There are three seahorses. Two females and one male. This photo is of one of the females. The tank sits in the family room next to the tv. Gary watches tv and I watch the seahorses. We have spent a lot of time in front of the tank watching these remarkable creatures. I found a website on the internet all about them and have spent a few hours scouring for inforamtion. I am so hooked. I don't think I have enjoyed anything as much as these seahorses. I have gotten up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and amazingly find my way to the 'tank' and watch them in the dark. There is a small black light on their tank that gives them a little moonlight effect during the night. Last night they were playing! It was so cool to watch them frolick around each other back and forth in the tank. Swimming back and forth and round and round. After a few minutes of watching them I force myself back to bed. Then when I look at them in the morning they are all asleep during the sun up hours. Between spending time playing with Jack and watching my seahorses I am having a lovely time. I am blessed and know it. These little creatures are just one amazing thing that we have seen while scuba diving. Things on the top side of the ocean are beautiful and amazing and it is a whole new world down under the surface. Things so amazing and unique you have to see it to believe it.

Life Is Good

I have been able to spend some quality time with my first grandson, Jack. He is so much fun. We play and play, laugh and laugh until we both need a nap and fall asleep on the big easy chair. Life is good. A life of leisure is not what I want. I want to play with my kids and grandkids, travel, play and give God thanks for all my blessings. After Jack and I play my arms and back ache from lifting him, bouncing and swinging round and round. Pamela comes to the rescue with massage and keeps me going for the next time. Thanks, Pamela. I love you. ~

Life challenges, but I'm not complaining

It is 100+ degrees outside today and our home a/c is not working. You know, things only break when you try to use them. I am sitting here doing the mundane things of life, like paying bills, balancing my checkbook, updating data on a program that I use. All things I can do while sitting under the fan to try to stay cool.

Today is a day of rest for us. Not just because it is Sunday, but also because we have been trying to stay very active. We have moved it up a notch recently. We have begun to play doubles in tennis 3-4 nights a week. We have converted our mountain bikes to street bikes and have been trying to ride longer distances. Yesterday I went with my daughter on an adventure and we rode about 16 +/- miles. It was on a bike trail with small inclines, nothing so demanding as a 45 degree hill. Today my legs are a bit tight and I feel myself going slowly down the steps. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to complain about the aches and pains of my body after punishing it like that, but it is a new type of soreness I haven't felt since I used to ride horses as a youth. Saddle sore and stiff muscles from sitting here all day working on computer projects. I have tons of pictures I want to edit and get printed, but between family activities, babysitting little Jack and working I am a little tight on time. I have no adventures planned at the moment which is a little odd for me. I usually have at least one adventure in the making at any given moment. This coming February we are celebrating 35 years of marriage together and we have yet to come up with a single plan for how to acknowledge it. Lots of ideas and suggestions but not one selected yet. I like the idea of having several adventures to do, not just one on the actual date. When plans solidify I will keep you posted.

There is so much joy in my life with little Jack to share life with. I pray for him all the time. I pray for his dad and mom too that they will find the strength to do the day to day parenting when I know they are tired from working and getting little sleep. Jack still doesn't like to go to bed early.

I saw a white standard poodle the other day when riding my bike. It was a pretty dog and I got all misty eyed thinking about my legacy of the four standard poodles we raised. They were wonderful companions. Andy was a little quirky, but a great friend for many years. I miss him as he was before he became old and frail. His beautiful brown eyes and wet drippy nose.

I love summer. I am not complaining about the heat because I recall the terrible ice storm in December and the 4+ days of no electricity that we endured. I can handle sitting by a fan waiting for Monday when the plumbers can be called. Sleeping in the ice cold house was no fun.

I have the greatest family I could ask for. My kids are wonderul, sweet and perfect for me. I love them more than life itself. They are all unique and have their own specialness that is perfect. I pray for them every day. I have seen God's hand working in each of their lives whether they realize it or not, God is answering my prayers. That is exciting to see.

I am tired and hungry and beginning to ramble so I am going to go eat something and go to bed.

Until we meet again...be sure to eat your 9-13 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily.

Head over heels in love

March 28, 2008 at 12:10 PM Jack Ryan Winchester arrived. 7 lbs 6 oz and 19.5 inches long, blond hair and strong lungs. He is a beautiful, perfect baby boy. He looks a lot like his daddy, Micah. I have no words to describe the roller coaster emotions that went through me this day. My daughter was working hard to deliver her first baby. I went back to that day in my life when I was laboring to bring her into the world. The reward for your hard laboring is looking at the face of your baby, holding it in your arms and promising to do everything in your power to protect, love and cherish that little child. If daughter Leslie has even 1/2 of the joy from her son Jack that I got from her then she will be truly blessed. I learned more about God from my children than all the Bible studies and reading that I did. God taught me about him through my children. He uses my problems and challenges with my kids to teach me about Him.
* How he could offer his Son, Jesus, as a sacrifice to open the door up to Him is impossible for me to comprehend. How He loved the world (me) so much that He would willingly do it for me. That is a true definition of love.

* I just want to hold Jack and squeeze him and hear the sweet baby noises he makes when he is awake. I look forward to all the newness of life that Jack discovers as he grows up. I am 100% head over heels in love with him. I hope I don't begin to act too silly like my friends who already have grandchildren say that I will.

* I am very excited about taking Jack to Disney World and playing with him. Of course, his mom and dad can come too. We always have a great time together.

Uncharted terriroty

Grandchildren. That is a big word. Grandparents. That is also a big word. It is a step up from parents. One generation up to be specific. I am contemplating how my life is about to change. I am going to have a grandson in the near future. Today was ultrasound day just before the regular weekly OB visit. We were running a few minutes later than I wanted to but we arrived at the ultrasound place in time to see most of the procedure. I don't know how they can make sense of all the 'stuff' they see on the monitor, but the technician told us what we were looking at. Jack definately is a little baby boy, so she pointed out. We saw his heart, kidneys, bladder, stomach, head, hands, legs and a bunch of stuff I have no idea what it was. But it was all Jack. I have never been in this position...about to become a grandmother to someone so special. Friends tell us our lives will never be the same. I don't know how to translate that, but I am ready for the task. Whatever Jack calls me will be my title for him. How he refers to me. Living in the 'house of Mouse' I am positive he and I will have lots of fun playing on days when he comes over to see me.
There are only a few weeks, days really, until his arrival. I am limiting my appointments and travel until after his arrival. I want to be available for when he decides to make his appearance. This is a very exciting time for me. I have never experienced this before. I am looking forward to this. Words are inadequate to apply to this event.

I am sick and tired...

I am sick and tired of being sick and tired. This is the second cold I have had since late November. Why? I have to confess, I ate chocolate. That is right, I ate chocolate. Now my body is out of balance, all messed up and I am paying for it. Ugh! But it was so good. I love chocolate. The way it slowly coats your tongue and then your entire mouth. Coating it with the slick, sweet taste of chocolate. There is no aftertaste. There is only love at first bite.
Oh, to bathe in chocolate.
Sugar is believed to be one thing that turns off your immune system. And of course chocolate has tons of sugar in it. You couldn't eat it otherwise. So, now I am paying for having indulged in chocolate. I shut down my immune system just long enough to contract the bug that was going around. I can be in a villa full of barfing people for 5 days and not get the stomach bug, but then I did not eat sugar that week. I am not saying I will forever stop eating chocolate, in fact I know I won't stop eating chocolate. I may just be more careful who I am around if I choose to eat it. I will avoid sickos for a few days after eating it.