This is Alan, Kristi and Katie when they were younger. In case you don't know them...they are our (Wayne and me) children. It almost brings tears to my eyes to see this picture. It seems like yesterday that they were this age and yet it's been years. I loved being a mother...not that I'm not now but a mother to this age of child. In this picture they were in my parents barn waiting for a pony to be delieverd...what an exciting day that was!!

I was headed back to the computer with a hand full of fairly healthy pretzels and Wayne called and said I've got something for you if you'd come to the door. He had a little package of Krispy Kreme donut holes. There goes my healthy snack..ha ha!!Of course, I could choose the pretzels but not with the Krispy Kreme in my hand!

I sometimes feel so pathetic but last night was the design team meeting and I get so excited when there's a meeting. It's my chance to get out and be with other women with a similar interest and it sure does my psyche a world of good!

Tyler will be spending the night here tonight. His Mom & Dad have a wedding to attend in Indianapolis and it's a treat to be able to have him here for the night. He told us yesterday that his bed time is 7:30 but on the weekends he gets to stay up really late. We asked him how late that was and he said it's 8:00. I got so tickled by that. I was thinking maybe 11:00 or later...but I think I can make it to 8:00.

I'm going to try to get a different look on my blog and put some music on it. I don't know if I'll be successful with the music...if you dond't hear any it means I need to work on it a little longer:)

For about 2, maybe 3 years we haven't put up a tree. It just seems like a huge ordeal. So, this year I bought a 3 foot tree to put on our little foyer table and decorated it in blue and silver. The lights don't look as blue as they really are but it's such a pretty little tree. I was able to use another function on my camera taking this picture. It's fun finding out new things on it all the time. I've only had a about a year now:)

Wayne and I had a nice day today just relaxing and not going anywhere. I tried to get my layout done that's due this week for the design team. It was using a tool that demonstrated it. I had it all planned on what I would do and what picture I would use. Well, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I asked Wayne if he would do it for me and he had a terrible time and couldn't do it either. So, I gave up my first idea and settled with a much simpler idea. I will post it when I finish the layout. I should get it done tomorrow some time.

Katie and Steve took her boys to cut down their Christmas tree today. Santa Claus was there and Katie said that their 3 year old, Caden, ran right up to Santa and sat on his lap. Katie was kind of embarrassed by his repsonse of what he wants. He said he wants p.j.'s and food.. How halarious!!

That's all for today...except to say that S unday night is my worst time of the week. Wayne's bbeen home all weekend and on Monday I know he will be starting another work week. I also know that tomorrow I will start another work week where I'll be home lonely again. At least this week will be a design team meeting!!

He's 7!!!!!!!!

What a big deal it is to turn from 6 to 7. I remember how slowly time seemed to move when I was that age. So, even more so it's a big deal to have a birthday. It's sure been a fun 7 years getting to know and love and cherish this little boy. We are thankful for his little life and for the chance to live close to him and get to be a part of his life.

So, in your favorite color, Tyler

Happy Birthday and many many more!!!!!!!!!!

After eating my fill of turkey, dressing and sweet potato casserole I always go "play" with the kids. It's fun to watch them play (and referee, if needed) and see what pretend game they are playing. Tonight it was Beca instructing everyone on how to exit in case of a fire...only thing is they all caught on pretend fire on the way out. Before all the fire games started though Caden ran to his Mom & Dad's desk and pulled out his Dad's guitar and started singing a made up song to me. I thought it was so sweet. You can see him singing in the picture.

Tyler had to show me his muscles yesterday and took the shirt off his arms so I could see how his muscles move when he flexes his arms. (so cute!!) Better watch out for that one in a dark alley:)


Our daughter and son-in-law had us over to their house for thanksgiving dinner. We all brought some dishes to help her out a little bit and everything was wonderful!! My Mom does the best turkey and does well keeping it nice and moist. Wayne and I made a salad and sweet potato casserole. It was so nice too that my brother and his wife and son made it here this year. She has been battling breast cancer and is doing much better this year than last.

For being in so much pain all the time I usually am able to stay pretty positive. But, the last 2 days have been difficult for me. I've been crying off and on all evening and don't quite know how to pull myself out of this! Wayne goes to bed so early that I"m here by myself all evening...that alone gets depressing. I would appreciate your prayers:)

I just love these pictures of Bella. They are on her Mom's website trying to help sell the Coach headbands her Mom makes. The baby ought to sell hundreds of them alone:) Isn't she a little doll? She started crawling at 6 months and now at almost 7months she is crawling all over the house. The unusual thing is that her sister came here to the USA from Brazil at 9 months old. She crawled with one knee and the other leg was her foot kind of running along...make sense? Bella crawls just like her big sister did.



I spent the day reorganizing my scrapbook room today. It need it so badly. I just couldn't find anything I was looking for. What a job!! I all ready have a good start towards next years used items sale. I figure if I haven't used it since we moved here that I'n not gonna use it.

I am fighting depression tonight. I don't get this way often. I try to keep my spirits high with continuing to do activities I enjoy. Last night I went with Katie and helped her while the 2 boys got their picture taken. I couldn't believe that poor little Tyler got an upset stomach because he got so nervous about the picture. He ended up really enjoying himself and the pictures we saw this afternoon were wonderful!! I can't wait to get mine (and start scrapbooking:)

Wayne worked another long Monday. He left the house around 6:00 and got home around 6:00. I try not to let his long hours bother me but the lonliness sometimes is overwhelming:(
I don't know quite how to work through this or maybe I can't! Lonliness is lonliness. I usually have Tyler in the afternoons and today his Mom didn't work so I didn't need to pick him up.
Oh well, now I'm rambling.

Wayne stayed home and didn't go to work yesterday. We had a 1:00 appointment and flu shots at 2:00.
After that I did a little Christmas shopping for the grandkids. Wayne couldn't believe that I could stay in WalMart for 2 hours. Well, men just don't understand how long it takes to look, think, put it in your cart, go back and take it out of your cart and then go and check out and wait in line. Anyway, I got a good start on the grandkids Christmas and that is the hardest part. I would like to save shipping if I can and buy it locally.

I've had a couple of unsettling things happen that I have to keep a positive attitude if at all possible. One day last week I drove to WalMart to do some grocery shopping. I was looking at the toys trying to get some ideas while I was there. I kept falling asleep and the toy I had in my had would fall to the floor. I was there by myself and knew I had no business being on the road when I'm like that. It's not fair to other people or to myself. I called Wayne and asked him what to do so he called his parents and they came and picked me up. One of them drove their car to my house and the other drove my car. He is close to 80 and she's a few years younger and it shouldn't be them helping me...I should be helping them. I DO appreciate their help though!

I have more to say but keep falling asleep:)
As usual, please overlook any typos:)

r

Above is a layout I did for the design team. I am applying again to be on the team for the next year and they asked that we do a bio page this was SO hard for me to figure out and for me to do. I hate pictures of myself and I also don't like to talk about myself...but I did it:)

I've been having trouble sleeping. The night before last I took a sleeping pill and I sleep walked. Every time I sleep walk I end up in the kitchen trying to do some kind of cooking. Many times I've gotten out bread or poured some cereal and just left it there. So, even though I take a sleeping pill it is a very restless sleep. I didn't take a sleeping pill last night and slept all night in my chair at the computer. I think every time I think of getting in bed I realize that I might get muscle spasms so I wait and the last few nights I don't end up in bed at all which makes me really tired the next day. Such is the life...the fun life of someone with chronic back/feet pain.

These pictures are Tyler with the webkinz. Someone had a great idea with these webkinz. They come with their own special number that you enter on their website. They come with their own room and enough money to decorate the room. There are lots of choices when it comes to decorations and clothes to dress the webkinz in. You play lots of different games, answer questions and take quizzes to earn more "kinzcash". You have to feed your pet and get it lots of rest. They can get sick and if they do you take them to the doctor. It's a whole world of its own. There is something about this that kind of sucks you in:) You see how many pets we have? I have trouble saying no when the grandkids ask for another pet...and they know how to press my buttons to get one too...like the pouting lip and the disapponted look:(



I got news today that Molly is home. That is good news!! From what I gather when they did her cath. of her heart they accidently punctured an artery. She started bleeding inside and no one figured it out until this young doctor came in her room at 3am and figured it out and applied pressure to that vein and got it to clot and stop bleeding. Molly, if you're reading this...I was really worried about you along with many others. So glad to hear you're home.

My Dad will be going in within the next few days to have his cancerous kidney removed. He will be in the hospital for 5 days. With the short stays anymore that's a long time. I hope and pray that this will take care of the problem and he will be here for many more years. He's an important part of our family...like the firm or strong foundation.

Wayne had an interview with Namco last night in Merrillville. He pretty much has his choice of where we could go. The one that sounded best to both of us is Indianapolis. He would be the regional director of Indianapolis, Terre, Haute and Louisville. He would be gone for 2 nights a week. They would pay for us to move to Indy. It's really a hard choice to make. If I would end up getting disability then we would be better off staying here. So, we have a big decision to make in the next few days.

My latest layout!!

It's been a full week and I'm really tired tonight. That's quite unusual for me because I don't usually get tired till about 2:00 in the morning.

Take a look at Tyler's boots (the pirate) in my previous post. I made those for him. He was so excited about his boots until he saw them. He was totally disappointed with them. I know he was expecting real boots with a sole and he got these strange looking boots that would fit over his shoes. By the time he put them on he saw the look and loved them. That's when a grandma is proud of her work and the 6-8 hours spent making them is worth it!
We have been We've been watching "The Great American Band" because there's a young man on there that we knew from our church. It is especially fun because he came with me to one of my concerts when I was singing and I had him sing a song by himself. He loved it and was a natural. I think he was like a Sophomore in high school at the time he came. He went to a music school in Nashville (I forget the name right now) and started his own band and they are AWESOME. Their name is Denver and the Mile High Orchestra. I hope they continue to do well!!


Every once in a while I hear about someone who thinks they have been healed. They give God the glory claiming him to have have heard prayers on their behalf and to have intervened in their life and healed them. That always brings questions to me ...The first one, of course is why haven't I been healed? I've had prayers on my behalf for years. Along with myself are people like my doctor's first wife, Jane who had 2 young children and another young man with 4 children who has MS, and is unable to function and take care of himself. If anyone was to be healed, it would them and yet Jane passed away and Mike continues to suffer the effects of MS..being no more than a vegetable unable to even communicate with anyone.

I'll step down off my soapbox:) This last week I picked up Tyler from school on Tuesday. It was a really cold day and we were getting some occasional snowflakes coming down. I needed to go to the scrapbook store for a couple items and surprisingly enough he waned to go too. He had an agenda and that was to check out the children's design team that they will be having for children soon. While we were there he was playing in the children's play area when he heard a customer come in and say it's snowing outside. He came over by me and was SO excited. He said...Can I go outside and see if there's enough snow to make a snowball? I told him to stay on the sidewalk and it would be fine. The funny and cute part about it is that it was only spitting snow and with a chilld'a innocence he really thought he thought he could make that snowball!

My cousin Molly who is just in her early 30's went to Northwestern Hospital in Chicago for a heart catheritiztion. (sp?) I found out today that it didn't go well. She started bleeding and they couldn't get it stopped. That was yesterday and she is now in intensive care and has had several blood transfusions. Please pray with me for her to be all right. I guess they found out that it's not her heart that causing trouble but her lung. I don't know if that's good news or bad news...let's hope it's good!!

Forgive any typos today...I've fallen asleep while typing this about 10 times:) Guess it's time to go to to bed.

Sleep well!!!

Happy Halloween!! (and Beca's birthday...I'm 9!)






Each day has it's own challenge. Living life itself brings an adventure of its own and it seems we don't get to pick our challenges. I wish we did cause they'd sure be different than the challenges I've to work with. I get so frustrated with dealing with pain every day...grrr:) When I pictured my life at this stage of life I thought I'd be this "hip" grandma that was active and my grandkids and I would have all kinds of fun adventures. Well, we have adventures but they're of a different nature than what I pictured. Nothing can compare with picking Tyler up from school and seeing the glow in his eyes when he sees that I'm there to pick him up. He always runs to me with a great big hug.

We got the bad news this week that my Dad has kidney cancer. Things look positive so far that it's just contained in the one kidney. He's doing lots of tests this week to try to see just what he's dealing with for sure. He will have surgery soon to have the kidney removed. He may also have to have chemotherapy. Time and tests will tell. We would appreciate your prayers for him.

It's currently 3:10 and I woke up with muscle spasms in my my low back. There's no way I can go back to sleep until the spasms let up. It should be anytime now because I took the muscle relaxer about a half hour ago.