Country drivers, Updates, Pictures and Inspiration

As I was kindly
informed by Deb today, “It’s the 14th and you haven’t blogged since
the 3rd??? What the heck???” lol So, Deb!! This BLOGS for YOU!!! bahahaha

I actually thought about this subject the other day and would have “facebooked” it if I were
currently “facebooking,” I’m sure. When Gary and I first started dating and we
began making trips to my mom and dad’s he was COMPLETELY BAFFLED by an act that
I never gave any thought to: WAVING! I took the rural, country road wave for
granted, never even gave any thought to the fact that city people don’t do it.
You know what I’m talking about, you local people!! We would be driving out to
mom’s on a country road and every car/truck (80% more trucks than cars usually)
we passed the driver would wave, right?? The men tend to drive with one hand at
the top of the wheel so all they have to do is flick a few fingers up (not THAT
finger, that would be a whole other post) in passing. So the first few trips
(years??) coming to visit my parents, every vehicle we passed would wave and G
would say, “Who was that?” or “Do you know them??” hahahaha to which I would
reply, “Noooo……. Everyone just waves….” This totally confused him!! He couldn’t
grasp why you would wave at people you didn’t know. And my rural upbringing
kicked in when I realized HE WASN’T WAVING BACK!!!

You HAVE to wave back!!! How RUDE!?!?! I
explained it as best I could. So this began several months of him OVER-ENTHUSIASTICALLY
waving at anyone we met! I’m sure they thought I was dating either the
friendliest person they had ever seen or a strange “city boy.” LoL But when I
lived in Bossier I never found myself randomly waving at people on Airline
Drive…. I’m guessing the abundance of traffic automatically turns the wave instinct off.

Well, I am proud to
announce that after living here 3 years I have recently noticed that G is now a
full fledged, country roads, WAVER!! Hand at the top of the steering wheel,
ready to wave at a moment’s notice!! 0 to WAVE in 1.8 seconds!! He’s got the
wave down pat people!! So proud of my man!!

Ok, moving on…. In my
last post I told you guys about Lou’s ankle injury and our circus experience
trying to get to the bottom of it, right?? Well we finally received the MRI
results yesterday (Day 16) and learned that she has torn ligaments. Not
completely TORN requiring any surgery or such but she is looking at 6 months to
be totally healed and 4 more weeks before she can get back to full activity. We
are to expect that activity will induce more swelling/bruising as she heals and
increases her activity level.

Grreeaaaatttttt……..

Have I mentioned that Lou on crutches and

INactive is like a horse at the starting gate?? Oh yeah!!
Quivering, stomping, blowing, neighing……. Not pleasant, for her or any of us
trying to keep her on the crutches and “taking it easy.” She is such a CHAMP
though. It’s still SO GREEN!!! With bruising 5” up her leg and the ankle is
still swollen but she Quasimodo walks without the
crutches and tries so hard to get back to “normal.” She is missing lots of ball
(games and practices) though she attends both. And uses that mouth of hers to
CHEER for her team, as it’s all she can do to try and help.

Coming home from practice yesterday she said,

“Mom, you know how I always stress myself out over
thinking everything?? (school grades and ball and tkd) Pushing myself to do
better and forgetting to enjoy it too? Or taking everything so personally
without thinking it thru… I think God had a plan for me with this injury. I
think He knew exactly what he was doing. I have learned in the last two weeks
to take a deep breath and just observe. To watch and learn. How to relax a
little. I think that it will help make me better in the long run.”


How amazing is that???

I love that my 14 year old took the time to analyze the situation and
find the good in it!! And she is SO right!! All experiences God helps us
through serve a purpose, they help build us, they serve HIS purpose for us.
I wish I had it as together as my kids do at
such a young age!! I had to learn things the hard way 9 times out of 10 and
they have the ability to step back see the right way and just DO IT! They are
so far ahead of me; sweet, smart, tough kids!!

Well….. It has happened;
Magpie has turned the big 1-3!!! I have TWO, count them, TWO teenage
daughters!!!! Lovely teenage daughters!!! Stead fast in their values and
beliefs. I am amazed daily! 6 weeks ago Magpie was 2 and came up to my knees
and then suddenly overnight she is ALMOST an inch taller than ME and THIRTEEN
YEARS OLD!!! I am telling you she is PHENOMINAL. She is the Dalai Lama of our
household. SO very ZEN!! She is laid back and knows just what to say when you
need to hear it!! And as with all the kids, provides comic relief when you
least expect it! She has also discovered her own style. Lou has always been
sort of a mix between glam and athletic (yes, you can combine the two) and
Magpie never gravitated to any particular style, UNTIL RECENTLY. It makes me
smile to see her come out of her room with her funky little glasses on, hair in
a messy bun, Converse and a Papaw cardigan, with a slouchy messenger bag thrown
over her shoulder. Magpie is EMERGING you guys, the world better watch out!!

Little Man has been hilarious as ever. He came into this world thinking

it was his job to entertain us all and he has never failed to do so. He has taken to saying,

“Yeah, I know, right??” in his young, little voice, exactly as his teenage sisters do and it cracks
me up!! He is too cool for school, he couldn’t help it!! Being the youngest in this
trio has it’s advantages!! lol Those girls love their little bro something
fierce!! As we all do. I am so proud of how they take their role as big sisters
so seriously, being good influences and role models. And little as he is, he is
ALWAYS their first defender!! Makes my heart warm!!

And now for a few

pictures, as they show a little more about what the family and I have been up
to (and a couple of them CRACK me UP!)

We kept my dog-in-laws for a couple of days
while G’s brother and his wife were out of town… they have three inside dogs,
actually the schnauzer’s are the parents of our Louie and Willie. So that made 5 dogs inside my house but you would have NEVER known!! They were all so good and well behaved!

Here Gary was trying
to get them to stand at attention (sit??) while “lining up” to go outside. Lol they
were looking at him like, “Huh??”

This is Sadie, she
was my favorite, though I don’t like to claim favs…. You can’t help it with
her!! She is such a LOVER and CUDDLE BUG!! Sweetest brown eyes!! I heart her!

Don’t hate!! Not
everyone can pull this look off! And most wouldn’t care to try! Lol

Of course, I have
made a few things over the last few days…..

(the ones that I can share anyway, some are still under wraps)

I made this for a
local baseball coach, it isn’t finished yet but you can get the idea. I love
this! I actually used a “dead” ball from his field to make the cross. I think
we are also doing these for the seniors before the end of the year.

This is a corsage for
a house wares bridal shower. Rather than flowers they requested something whimsical
that would reflect the theme of the shower and the wedding colors. So WAH-LAH!
I clipped the handle on a fork, spoon and whisk, built it and added an “I DO”
tag! These are also available to buy made to order. I can make a corsage to fit
almost any theme.

And LAST but NOT LEAST….

I have been doing
lots with my prior facebook time; devotional time, creative/work time,
supporting the kids school and athletics, reading the Bible (not from the
beginning) but let’s face it sometimes reading the Bible can be HARD (as in I
need a preacher on speed dial to help me dissect the meaning of a particular verse,
chapter, book) It is something I, myself, can only do in small amounts at a
time. So I have also been reading other books as well. In keeping with my goal
of spiritual growth and discovery I have searched out inspirational books too.

Here are two:

(click images for links)

You may remember the author of this book from Full House.

Candace Cameron Bure is the author of

Reshaping it All, which is her story of a struggle with food issues early on
and how she manages food for both she and her
family now in a healthy way, based on her learning and knowledge of the Bible.
It really just makes sense!! Basically the theme is moderation and exercise but
it is so much deeper than that, with stories, quotes and biblical passages, she
encourages you about eating, exercising, parenting, being a wife, (and even touches
on fashion) through her understanding a of the bible and love of the Lord. This
book really broaches on most of the concerns of women today.

She doesn’t attempt to say her way is THE way to
success but she shares what has worked for her and encourages you try different
things until you find your “fit.” I liked it, wrote in it, folded pages, went
back to favorite pages. It’s like a pep talk from a really good role model!

She also has a blog....

Oh this….. this is
awe inspiring. I am still thinking about this book, two days after finishing it
and hope to always stayed enthralled with Katie and her life’s work. At 18
years old, this high school senior from an upper middle class family was drawn
to Uganda over Christmas break…. And that started it all. She returned home and
graduated from high school but Uganda and it’s people never stopped pulling her
back… the Lord had work for her to do!! Her story is captivating and
inspirational. What this young woman has accomplished through His Grace by the
age of 24, all that she gave up, and endures…. yet with a heart FULL of LOVE.
She is now the mother of 13 girls (YES!! 13!!) and helps hundreds more daily!
She is the most eloquent speaker, her love for the Lord and all of his people
is RAW and UNHAMPERED, she knows no bounds.

She is a modern day Mother Theresa,
though she is no nun, but the Lord is using her in much the same way!

Her blog will give
you a taste for her story telling abilities, as well as her life and what it
entails. But mostly it shows you how we should all aspire to LOVE. (the cover
photo on her blog speaks volumes of Katie and who she is)

This is her foundation, which she established early on to help her

care for the orphans of Uganda.
Her family in Tennessee, though not initially thrilled with her life choices,
now run her foundation and help with what they can from here in the States.

"People tell me I am brave. People tell me I am strong. People tell me good job. Well here is the
truth of it. I am really not that brave, I am not really that strong, and I am
not doing anything spectacular. I am just doing what God called me to do as a
follower of Him. Feed His sheep, do unto the least of His people."

Katie Davis

May we all answer His call
to help “the least of these” even from right where we are….




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