THE JESSE TREE

I have decided to do something new for advent this year.  Since Jay'von is with us most of the week I wanted to some kind of Advent Calendar for him but don't like the whole Santa Claus thing you find everywhere.  Just today I read another blog about starting a Jesse Tree with her kids.  It needs to start today (some start on the 28 and some on the first but since I didn't get inspired until today I decided today it is). There are many ways to do it and you could google it if you want info.  Basically it tells the story from creation to Jesus birth in little 2-4 minute devotions each day.  They get to hang a picture (ornament) on the tree each day as you go through the story.  The blog that I read actually started her kids when they were 3 so we are about right.  I think Breanna and C.J. will enjoy it, too.  I actually printed all the stuff for them to make their own.

 Let's face it, it is all about traditions and this seemed like a good one to start. I'll post pictures after I get it started.

If you want to know where I got my info or the places I printed my stuff let me know.  I'd be glad to share. 

May you all know the wonder and excitement of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a little child.  You might want to do this even if there isn't a child in your home. 

God's Been Good

I saw this on someones blog the other day and it just seemed like how I feel these days. God has been good to us. Sometimes I feel like he has been better to me then most. He just keeps blessing and blessing us. Last year someone put out a Facebook challenge to post what you are thankful for every day in the month of November. It was quite interesting to do. I'm not on Facebook this year but have tried to do that each day this month. We do have so much to be thankful for. Our family has pretty good health. Yes, we have our usual aches and pains and Carolyn has had some problems with her gallbladder while pregnant but for the most part we are healthy. When I look at some of the blogs I read daily I realize we are so blessed with good health. God has given me a wonderful family. I have a husband that provides for us so that I am able to stay home and take care of Jay'von. I have three children that now have homes of their own and are doing well. I have three and a half grandchildren that are so precocious (and of course I am not prejudiced at all). I think that was supposed to be precious...lol. I have a beautiful home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have more clothes then we need and all the food we want. Our water is good, we don't have to worry that it will make us sick. We have three vehicles sitting in our driveway that we can depend on to take us where we need.

This is just what I can write as fast as I can right off the top of my head without really thinking about it. We are so blessed and God has been so good to us. I know everybody talks about blessings at this time of year and I don't want to be thankful just because it is Thanksgiving. I want to remember to be thankful every day....all year. Thanksgiving should be a way of life.

Have a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day with family and friends and remember "God's Been Good"!

I LOVE FALL!!

I love fall. The days are crisp and cool. The nights are long and cuddly. The colors are beautiful and the sunshine is nice and warm (not so hot you don't want to be out in it).  I know many people disagree with me but it is so much more comfortable then summer. 

I couple of weeks ago the kids came to spend the day and bake cupcakes and carve pumpkins.  Somehow I failed to get pictures of the cupcakes but got a lot of the pumpkins.  I'm only posting a few so you can get an idea of how much fun they had.  It was a beautiful sunny day and they worked outside so the pics were great.

They found cleaning them out to be "yucky". :0)

I think they all had to have help with the "yucky" stuff.



It takes concentration....



They used patterns that Courtney brought.

No pattern for C.J.....he just "imaginated" it!

Yay! All done.

The finished product



Jay'v, so proud of the pumpkin his Mommy did for him

 Now you see what fun they had carving Pumpkins. They really did come out well.  The patterns they used were very detailed.  They were beautiful when lit. 

Thanks for visiting with us again.  Talk to me...let me know that you think my grandkids are the best because I do....lol.

Festive Fruited White Chip Bars!

Yes, cookies. They are baked and packaged to be delivered to The Post in Morgantown this afternoon.  I did my best but I'm sure you know how it is....it never seems good enough.  This is a picture of the finished product (well, what is left after I had already packaged 2 dozen to go).  I have to say I do feel better about these then I have other years.  Last years cookie was great but I was sick the day I had to do them and they just were not the best I could do.  I should have made another batch but felt so bad I really didn't care.  :)

It is a lot of fun and I look forward to it each year.  Now all I have to do is wait. 

Hope to post some more pics soon of the kids carving pumpkins.  It takes to long to do right now.

Have a great day.

Busy...Busy...Busy!!

Ok...so I did it again.  I set myself up for chaos all the time and I have done it again.  I am in the process of making Breanna a Dorothy costume for their Halloween party at school and of course this would be the week Jay'von decides to get his first ever ear infection. Fun times but he is a sweetheart and seems to be feeling better today.  I also haven't got the cookie recipe decided on and sent to the Post. Then in the midst of all this a friend called needing help with a shower in TWO WEEKS and I volunteered to make the chicken salad and the cake for that. Am I crazy or what.  No not crazy, just my Father's daughter.  He taught me well when it comes to helping people. 

What I am posting about is not all that but the guilt I felt this morning because I didn't have time to run a stethoscope to Breanna for school today.  They were supposed to dress up like something they may want to be when they grow up.  She decided on something in the Medical Field helping people get well.  Danielle went to Goodwill and found her some scrubs and I thought the perfect prop would be a stethoscope but just could not find the time to get it to her.  I actually have a couple of them and she could have used one but it just didn't happen and I feel bad.  Now, tell me I am crazy and I will agree with you...LOL. The reason I couldn't is because I am finishing the outfit for her to wear tomorrow.  Yeah!....I am crazy.  But I also know I love my grandkids and want them to be happy.  But do you know what....she probably didn't even know the difference.  She probably went on to school this morning as happy as a lark because she had her little outfit and was fine.  I think it might be some of the ADD perfectionism coming out in me. Not really a bad thing, I guess, but definitely something I need to deal with.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll post pictures of Breanna in the Dorothy dress next week. 
 

Fall Baking...

I love fall baking.  I am so glad the pumpkin is back on the shelves. (Mine and the grocery store,  but I really stocked up just in case...lol) I have already made pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies and apple dumplings.  I am in the process of trying to decide what cookie to enter in the Dominion Post cookie contest.  I do this every year and all but one year I have been a finalist, which means I have to take cookies in to be tasted.  I've never won but it is a goal that I take very seriously.  I have now gone through all my tried and true recipes and am looking for something new.  Tonight I am baking Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips and cranberries.  They taste really good but I'm not sure the appearance is good enough for the contest.  I'll have to get some other opinions before I call it the "one".  I am really going to have to work on it since it must be turned in by the first of November, but I work well under pressure...lol.  Actually I usually do this, don't think I have ever sent one in early. 

After this last pan comes out I am going to decorate the butter cookies I baked for Kristen and Todd's wedding tomorrow.  I haven't done these in a long time.  Courtney usually does them for me but she has a paper to write tonight and clinicals tomorrow.  So I guess they will have to get what they get from me. 

It has been a wonderful week, weather wise and getting back into the routine of having Charlie home every night.  I'm looking forward to a great weekend.  Hope you all have one, too. 

Don't forget to leave me a message!  Thanks!

A Fun Afternoon!!

Did you ever feel like you had created your own evil.  Well, that is where I am at this afternoon.  I am a rocker.  I rock my babies.  I could have raised hundreds of dollars in my own little rock-a-thon because I love to rock babies.  The only difference here is my babies slept in their beds from day one and Jay'von didn't because of his severe reflux.  He had to be held on your shoulder to sleep.  Soooooo.....do you see where I'm going with this.  Jay'v just turned 3 and although he sleeps in his own little bed once he is asleep he still get rocked to sleep.  I still love rocking him, he is such a little cuddle bug.  But it is time for him to go to sleep on his own in his bed.  Hence the fun afternoon that I created for myself.

Yesterday I put him to bed and he just went right to sleep.  Today was another story. (I decided to start with the naps and then the night time will follow) He didn't get up or cry he just kept asking for another good night kiss or a drink or finally just asked outright to cuddle in the chair. After 2 hours of this I really needed to get some things done so I rocked him and he went right to sleep.  He said tonight he will go to "peep" in his bed.  I kind of feel like I failed this test and tomorrow may be harder because of it but I also know what I needed to accomplish today and it wasn't happening....lol. I really don't remember going through this with my kids so I am a little clueless how to proceed but I guess I will just keep on being patient with him and eventually it will work. 

On a positive note....lovin' the sunshine!!....lovin' having my husband come home by 6:00 every night....lovin' the baking I'm getting to do this week....lovin' having more of a routine again instead of what we have had for the last months.  Life is good and getting better.... :)

Fall!!

I can't believe it has been so long since I posted last. So much for keeping up with things...lol. It has been a busy fall so far but so enjoyable. The weather is absolutely fabulous. I love spring and fall weather. So mild and comfortable. I know most people love the heat but I don't. I can't imagine wanting to go to the beach and fry. Give me a nice cool fall day anytime.

Well, since I posted last we have had a few birthdays in our little family. On September 25 C.J. turned 8 years old. He has grown up so much this year. Still a little ball of energy most of the time but can sit down and have a very mature conversation with you. He loves school and is doing very well (so is his sister, by the way). I always give the birthday person the chance to choose the menu for their birthday dinner. C.J.'s was being celebrated on a Sunday so I asked him to tell me what he wanted most for dinner. He chose hot dogs and pizza with cheesecake for dessert. Since he was having a party with his friends on Saturday evening with pizza Danielle told him he should maybe choose something else. He chose Chicken Parmesan and garlic bread but still wanted cheesecake for dessert. We added a salad and had our "easy" Sunday dinner. Here are a few pictures of C.J.'s celebration.



C.J. with some friends opening gifts.


 
C.J.'s Sunday Birthday dinner.

We're so glad you had such a great birthday, C.J. We love you and hope you continue to have a fun filled year!

On September 29 Jay'von had his 3rd Birthday. Because of a schedule conflict and Courtney having clinicals  we celebrated his birthday on October 3. Since that was after his birthday we had a challenging time of not letting him know it was his birthday because he was so excited about his "birtday humin". I took him to Fairmont after Court was done with class in the evening for her to spend some time with him. She at one point couldn't resist and said "Happy Birthday, Jay'v" and he immediately yelled "Yay, Where's my toys? Where's my cake?" We had to squelch that real quick. He knew what was coming and thought he was missing it. I don't think we will do that again. Kids birthdays MUST be celebrated either before or on the day!


Here are some pictures of Jay'von's birthday party at Courtney's house.

This shows how fascinated he was with this cake.

Before anyone could sing "Happy Birthday", Jay'von sang to himself!!

Jay'von knew what he wanted, a "wick" of that frosting!

He was so excited about his birthday "humin" for weeks and would go look out the window and say "nope, birtday not here yet". We weren't sure what he was looking for but he seemed to think he would see it out the window. Uncle George went over on the day of his party and put balloons in the driveway before Jay'v was awake. When Courtney woke him up and told him to look out the window he said matter of factly "Yep, my birthday's here!" He is such a cutie with a BIG imagination!!

My birthday is the day after Jay'von's. Chuck and Danielle took me to Cracker Barrel since Charlie was working in Pittsburgh afternoon shift. They didn't think I should stay home alone and eat my Weight Watchers meal....lol. Court met us and we had a good time but I missed having Charlie and Care and George there. Maybe next year... :)

We had our annual hayride at Donnie and Carla Scharf's house on October 2. It was a success as always. The weather was beautiful this year. We all remember last year when the drizzle was almost snow and the wind cut like a knife. I'll post some pictures from that also.

This is the 4 girl cousins....(might be 5 in this pic, don't know yet). Jody (Miller) Mayle, Carolyn (Sherron) Cheriyan, Courtney Sherron, and Sarah Mayle.  Maybe at Christmas we will get a girl cousins pic with Jeannie and Kari.

One of three wagons they ran that night....The John Deere driven by Tom Johnson.

There they go....in recent years there are as many people staying to keep the home fires (and hot chocolate) going as there are ride the wagons. 


Charlie has had a week or so off since he finished up a job in Pittsburgh and chose not to go to another night shift job so far from home. He has gotten a lot of things done around here that were neglected while he worked out of town. He started today on a job in Morgantown. I won't know how to act with him working close to home during the day. He has done the night shift 2 hours away for so long.

That pretty much brings us up to date. There's still a lot going on. Kristen Poston's wedding is this Saturday and I am up to my ears in cookies and cake balls this week. But of course you all know I love to bake (only can't eat them) so I am having a great time. We have revival coming up the fist part of November then Thanksgiving and before you know it Christmas....LOL. I love this time of year just not looking forward to what comes afterwards. January, February, and March....Yuck. Except we can look forward to our new little bundle of joy in March! Maybe that will keep us going and make those long, cold, dreary months go fast.

We also enjoyed spending time with Gib and Ellie when they came to visit a couple of weeks ago. It is always such a joy to have them here. Ellie gave me a book I am reading right now. "The Kneeling Christian" by an Anonymous Author. It is a wonderful book. Maybe I will write a bit more about it after I am done. I already know it is powerful and every christian should read it.

Hope you all enjoyed our little review of the last month. Talk to me. Click on the comment button and leave me a message. I know it's not facebook but I miss hearing from you all. Have a wonderful week and hopefully it will be not so long before I post again.



UNSUBSCRIBE!?

I have just spent my morning "unsubscribing" to all the junk emails I acquired while doing facebook. It seems like everything you "like" has some kind of informative email they want to send you. The only problem is I never read them so they just fill up my regular email in box. It is so time consuming because you have to open each one and scroll down to the end of the page and click on unsubscribe. I know, hard stuff, huh! But time consuming, none the less. Why do we set ourselves up for this junk. There are enough junk emails out there and other things to waste our time without adding more. But now facebook is gone and I'm working on that in box. :)

Aren't you glad that God doesn't "unsubscribe" us. We send him junk mail everyday. Probably things he doesn't need to hear (he already knows, anyway)but we can still call on him with all our problems and not worry about being "unsubscribed" or "de-friended". And His messages to us everyday are always interesting and important and worth reading. I'm such a problem child but he has promised to "never leave me nor forsake me" and I can believe that and stand on it daily.

Until next time.....have a relaxing, fun filled Saturday!

Kind of Sad!

I posted about my computer problems a couple of days ago. Wellllll.....I did get my money back and have gotten a computer with a big enough processor to do what I need. That makes me happy.

What makes me sad is that I (through my ignorance) have lost a relationship I had with the computer shop. They have always done great work on my computers and I have had no complaints. I have no complaints now with what they did for me. They very graciously transferred my data from my old computers and had the new one up and running for me when I picked it up. It just wasn't the same size computer I am used to. I realize now that I should have done my homework before I went in and knew exactly what I wanted. They did refund my money, but I could tell they were not happy with me. There is such a thing as a satisfaction guarantee and I was not satisfied so I don't feel bad about asking for my money and I did pay them for the work they did otherwise. The only drawback is because of the attitude shown me when I went in I don't feel like I will be welcome to continue to use their services. That makes me sad. I am a peace maker and don't like to cause problems. But because I goofed, I did and can't fix it any other way. So I go on and chalk it up as a lesson learned. I guess we are never to old for the school of hard knocks.

I am happy so far with my new Dell. I haven't gotten to do much with it yet, but already feel the difference. I'll keep you posted on how it is going.

On another note:
I know I am really behind on posting pictures. I will try to get some up real soon. The kids have grown so much this summer. Breanna is almost as tall as me (I know, that's not saying much. C.J. and Jay'von have changed a lot also. They both have birthdays "homin" as Jay'v says. So do I, but we won't talk about that one...lol.

Until next time....have a great day and leave me a comment so I know you're still out there since I have been so lax in posting. :)

I THOUGHT....

I thought.... all my computer problems were taken care of....I was wrong.

I took the computer in to have the plug repaired. Seemed simple enought to me. They took a couple of days to fix it but I thought they just had a lot of work lined up. I didn't realize they were trying to get this plug to stay soldered to the mother board. I brought it home and it worked for about 6 hours and then nothing again. The only difference was this time I couldn't get it to connect at all. So back to the shop we went. This time they had it for a week. Still no luck. They priced a mother board for me but it was more then I should put into a dying computer. So they told me about one they had for sale. I thought....I was getting a good deal since they transferred my files from the old computers for free since I had paid for repair that didn't work. I thought....I was getting a computer that compared with the one I had (price wise it seemed close). I was so tired of messing with it I didn't call my resident computer geek and check. Now I have a new computer that is so slow it seems I am on dial up. This is the first time I have even been able to get signed on to my blog.

Granted there were about 16,000 (no exaggeration) pictures added from the old computers but I removed those to an external hard drive this evening and it is still slow. I checked the numbers and think I've been took...lol. So now...."I think" they had better have a plan to return my money so I can go get a computer that will work!!!

Talk to you again soon...hopefully on a NEW computer!

What a week!!

Sometimes it is good to just look back over the last little bit and see where you have been. I've just done that and it is exhausting...lol. Both of the girls have moved in the last couple of weeks. My computer quit working (I'm on Courtney's today). Courtney is pretty much settled. Carolyn just moved this past weekend and has to be ready for company this weekend, so we have some work to do there still. Hopefully we will accomplish that this afternoon. I spent the last couple of days in Canton where my brother was having surgery. (more on that later)

My last post was about my ever dying computer. I was so glad to have a voice mail yesterday telling me that it is fixed (better then ever) and the bill is only $90.00. That is a lot but not as much as a new one. I have complained for a long time that the battery was not right because it wouldn't hold a charge for more then 10 to 15 minutes but batteries are expensive and I hated to go there. Now after it totally died I find it was just a loose connection in the plug. Why didn't I have it checked sooner...I'm a Miller...stubborn...it had to totally stop working first.

My brother Rick just had surgery yesterday to clear a blocked carotid artery. He had been having warning signs for a while. Tiredness, numbness in face and arm, slow thinking, etc. But he's a Miller....it had to about get him before he got checked. By then he had already had 2 strokes and was in danger of more. The artery was 98% blocked. Thank God the surgery went well and they think he may come home this evening. But this was an Aw Ha moment for me. Number 1, I really need to get more serious about my weight loss. (I know, I go to weekly meetings and am serious but I mean REALLY serious.) Number 2, I need to remember not to neglect my body and the signs that something is wrong. I can do it for a computer if I wish but we only have one body and need to take better care of it. We Millers need to learn not to be so stubborn and self sufficient. I also learned that we stick together (even after all these years. There were about 30 to 35 people there waiting yesterday. Some came and went, most stayed all day. To some people we might not seem so close but let something happen to one of us and you have all of us to deal with.

While I was in Canton Courtney called to say Jay'von was sick with a stomach bug. Jay'v never gets sick and he wanted Nuna. He didn't understand what all this strange stuff was. After throwing up a couple of times he said "need to go doker later"...then he asked "what gonna happen me?" Of course I took my parents home from our trip, ran in the house for a couple of minutes and left again to drive another hour to Morgantown to spend the night with Courtney and Jay'v. After 1 more episode during the night he has now been sleeping good (along with his Mama who had a bad night the night before). Hopefully it is all done and we can proceed with our plans for the holiday weekend.

This has really been a rambling post. I know, I am good at those (like I said, I'm a Miller). But this kind of shows you where I've been the last few weeks. Our life is still crazy with Charlie working in Pittsburgh and only home on the weekends. We are hoping that is only for a couple of weeks yet.

This weekend is Labor Day and our Homecoming Sunday at Church. It is a very busy day but one we look forward to all year. I don't know if anyone reads this (since I still don't get comments) but if you do and you are in our area we would love to have you come spend the day with us. Rev. Terry Walker from Charleston, WV is our speaker for the day.

I think I have gone on long enough. I get my computer back today so should be on a more normal (lol) schedule after this.

Another computer bites the dust....

Yep, that's the story of my life. My crazy, old, slow, dinasaur Gateway that has worked forever (even with a broken screen) decided on Monday that it was tired of working. I finally took it in to the computer repair shop yesterday but as of today still haven't heard what they think the problem is.

I found it kind of funny that I blog about changing my routine a little to include blogging a little every day and my computer promptly dies...LOL. I am borrowing George's computer tonight to do this. Hopefully by next week when they will be staying in their new apartment in Morgantown I will have worked something out. I really have to have a computer... :0)

We started moving Carolyn and George's stuff today. We hope to have every thing loaded up tomorrow and drive it to Morgantown and unload on Saturday. Their apartment is very nice. They do have some interesting neighbors, though!!

I'll try to update as I get the chance and a computer!

HELLO, AGAIN!

Wow...it sure had been a long time since I updated here. Sorry!

I have decided to try something a little different with this blog. I am going to try to write a little something each day to kind of journal what is going on with us. I have decided to delete my facebook. I did this for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that I spent entirely to much time at it when I should have been doing more important things. There are good things on there but it is also addicting to a people person like me and I just couldn't leave it alone. I tried to set limits but would set down for a few minutes rest and before you know it I had been there an hour. Sooooo....no facebook for me. My blog will definitely benefit.

OK...so what is going on in our life right now. We are expecting our 3rd grandchild in March. Carolyn and George found out while they were spending a month in Bahrain and India (visiting his family for the first time in 5 years) that they are expecting their first child. They were very creative and told me via skype while his Mother was with them so we got the news at the same time. (although I already suspected...lol) She is suffering from some pretty bad "morning sickness" that lasts all day, so if you think of it pray for her as she will start teaching ESL at Fairmont State on Wednesday morning. She really doesn't want to get sick in the classroom.

We are pretty excited about this new addition and the votes are still out concerning the sex of the baby with probably a 50/50 for what it should be. "I" think a girl would be nice since we have 2 boys but there are those that differ with me. God will ultimately choose and we will love it and cherish it whatever it is. Babies are such a blessing from God.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
I read this in a blog this morning. It is from The Message Bible (which I don't read but this was good)
"So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life--your sleeping, eating, going to work and walking-around life--and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for your is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without thinking. Instead,fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out.Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to it's level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you" Romans 12:1-2

CONGRATULATIONS, CAROLYN!!!

YAY!!! This day is finally here. I'm sure Carolyn's was thinking that as she got up this morning. Carolyn graduated (Cum Laude) from WVU this morning with her Masters in Secondary Education/Foreign Studies (Spanish). She also has her ESL (English as Second Language) Certification.





This was a five year Masters Program. She worked hard and we are proud of her. During this last five years she has had quite a few changes in her life. I think she has moved three times. She got married about half way through to George Cheriyan. I have blogged before about George and the fact that he is Indian and was raised in the country of Bahrain. So not only did she get married but had to deal with all the mountains of paperwork that takes months (turning into years) to get his permanent residency. We can thank God that just a few weeks ago he got that letter that said "Welcome to the United States of America".




Carolyn has also worked for a cleaning service for the past few years. (Hence the dream about the missing yellow mop she posted about on FB) So if you put all that together she worked full time, went to school full time, took care of a home and husband (although he helped her a whole lot) and was still able to graduate Cum Laude.

Another thing Carolyn had to deal with these last few years was an as yet undiagnosed problem she has had since the summer before her second year. She studied in Costa Rica the first semester of her sophomore year and as she was getting ready to leave she had a problem with her ankle and leg swelling. She was diagnosed with cellulitis and it seemed to clear up some with treatment. While in Costa Rica it returned and was treated again there. She has had trouble with this ever since. She has been to all kinds of doctors and had all kinds of tests and nothing conclusive shows up. It seems to be stress related (and switches from leg to leg), but all the Doctors say that could not be an issue. But I, being her Mom, know for a fact that any time there is a stressful time in her life her leg swells. It got so bad last winter when they were dealing with the issues with immigration that George literally drove her to Morgantown and took her from class to class so she didn't have to walk around campus...(kudos, George).


So if you wonder why we are so proud of Carolyn for what she has accomplished the last five years, well, maybe this explains it. Congratulations, Carolyn! We love you and pray for God to provide a place for you to use your talent.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

I just want to take this time to say Happy Mothers Day to my Mom. I have a wonderful mother that has always been there for me. She was one of those stay at home mom's that are almost non existent now. Because of that I wanted the same thing for my kids. I did it, too. I didn't work until Courtney was in first grade and then it was at the school they attended. Now I am choosing to stay at home so Jay'von can have that same attention since Courtney isn't able to do it. All that because my Mom chose to stay home with her family.

I also want to pass along kudos to our daughter in law, Danielle and our daughter Courtney. They have given us 3 of the most intelligent, beautiful, well behaved grandchildren. You can't tell I'm prejudiced can you. Thanks, girls for being such great mothers.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day!!

Sorry, I really wanted to post pictures of them all but it is getting late and I am tired. Maybe later because they are beautiful people.

Suprise!!

I got a call yesterday afternoon that rocked my little world. My daughter-in-law called to let me know that Charlie and I were going to IHC next week for our anniversary. My wonderful children had decided we should do this and had already made the arrangements. My first thought was unbelief, then that it wouldn't happen because Charlie wouldn't be able to take off work. But Danielle assured me that she had already called Charlie and he had cleared it with his company. Soooooo.....We are going to IHC for the very first time ever.

I posted this on facebook and was surprised at the response. I guess it is kind of strange to be a conservative holiness person in this area (especially since we lived in OH until 15 years ago) and never have attended IHC. But there is a very valid reason for that. For many years Charlie would be off most of the winter and would just be getting back to work in the spring when convention rolled around. Kind of hard to take 3 days off in the middle of week right then. But now he is rarely off in the winter. As bad as our winter was he didn't miss one day because of the weather. He did have a couple of days off in between jobs but really needed the break. So he wasn't complaining. But my husband doesn't like to take off work for anything. So I didn't even ask. But my daughter-in-law did. And he said yes! (I'm sure he would have for me, too, if I would have asked).

I guess sometimes we just need an extra push to do some things. We could have done this on our own but neither of us thought it was feasible this year. Charlie does have a lot of responsibility with his job and I have Jay'von all week. But they have all of that covered, so we get a much needed break and will get to spend time with some family and friends that we don't get to see enough of.

Thanks kids for giving that push. Hopefully we will come back spiritually and emotionally refreshed. We love you a lot!!

RANDOM!!

Well, Easter in over and in my book that means spring is now really officially here. The weather is beautiful and I am so glad to have the windows open and feel that spring breeze.

This is definitely an unusual Easter. For the first time ever all my kids had other plans and were not here for Easter. Chuck and Danielle spent Easter with her family in PA, Carolyn and George spent Easter in Martinsburg with friends and Courtney was at her house in Morgantown and didn't bring Jay'von until later in the day. We did get to spend time with them but not for church and dinner. I felt kind of "old" and strange. I'm sure some day when they all have families there will be other times this will happen on special occasions but this was the first.

We are a small family. Charlie's parents and aunts and uncles are all gone and he is an only child so aside from some distant cousins that he has never been close to he has no other family. So my family is now his family but my large family (there were 6 children in my family) now has families that are growing up and have plans of their own. We only had 3 children and so far 3 grandchildren so our family is still kind of small.

So this year I have learned that we really need to focus on the holiday and why we observe it and not so much on getting all of the chickens home to roost. We will all be together on Tuesday to celebrate Breanna's Birthday, though, so that will help.

Another thing that came to my mind was to reach out to someone who wouldn't have anyone to spend the day with. My Mom and Dad could have gone a couple of places but decided to spend it with us. We also invited a couple in our church that only has family out of town. They would usually go to Ohio for the holiday but since we were in revival that weekend they stayed home. We really enjoyed having Lonnie and Susan Mayle with us and would love to do it again even when our kids can be there. I hope they enjoyed it as much as we did.

God is still God even in the disappointing times. I'm so glad that God helped me to focus on that and it was an enjoyable day even without the joy of children's laughter and all the Easter basket mess. Maybe next year will be different and we will have all that. Maybe not, but that will be OK because never again will it be the first time.



We dressed Jay'von up in his clothes for pics even though he wasn't there in time for church.



Carolyn helping Jay'v decorate an egg the week before Easter.


C.J. decorating an egg.



Breanna decorating one of her eggs.


We did have the kids over on Thursday (they were on spring break) to color eggs and give them their baskets from Neena. Carolyn even hid some in the yard and they got to hunt them. Jay'v couldn't quite figure it out but with some help he did find some. I had to put these on here so I at least had some Easter pics for 2010. (lol)

Thought for the day!!

Look around you and realize that you have no idea what the other person is going through. I read something like this on a blog recently and it really made me think. All of us have hurts, all of us have problems and concerns. Some of them are heartbreaking. A lot of them no one knows about. But that doesn't make it any less real.

None of us are immune to trouble. No matter how perfect your family may seem outwardly, they still have warts that are hidden. And that doesn't make me think any less of you. Really, it makes me think more because it makes you more real.

God, help me to remember this. As I go through my little troubles, there is someone out there going through the same or worse. Let it make me better, not bitter.

Jay'v quote of the day:
(after seeing a cookie that Carolyn had broken a piece off of)
"C.Shay eat morra" Then he decided to eat it instead!

A SAINT IN HEAVEN

Today marks the second anniversary of the home going of my father-in-law, John Sherron. He made his heavenly landing at 3:30 am on March 30, 2008. I have blogged before about how privileged I felt to be able to take care of him in those last months and I still feel that way. He was a joy to take care of, and we miss him so much, but I wouldn't wish him back to this mess for anything. His eternal reward is so much greater than what we have here.




What has really caught my attention lately is all the ones who post about a loved one who has passed and then put R.I.P. or "rest in peace". That caught my eye the other day and I wondered what do they really mean by that. Do they really know they are resting in peace or is it just wishful thinking. It is such a joy to know that Dad is resting in the peace that we will only know in Heaven. Our earthly bodies will never know that peace until we finally make it there.

Then that brought on a whole new train of thought. What will Heaven be like? What will we see and do there? Who will we see there? WOW! What a thought! It just makes me that much more determined to do all in my power to make it.

I know I will never live up to what my father-in-law did. I know he spent many hours in study and prayer and those are hard shoes to fill. I think some people are called to be prayer warriors and I think he was one of them. Then I think "who is filling those shoes?" Is that why some things have happened since he has been gone? We miss those prayers. God help me to fill even a little bit of the hole left without his prayers.

So, I close with R.I.P. Dad....We really know you are!

SPRING THOUGHTS!

Well, we have made it through a very hard winter. You would all have to agree that it is one of the worst winters we have had in many, many years. It is amazing how the weather has dominated our lives. Weather has always been a conversation starter but this year it has sometimes been the whole conversation. You talk about everything from how many days you were stuck in the house to how many "feet" of snow is on the ground and how many days we have gone without seeing the "ground". No one should be without food for thought or conversation.

I am one of the fortunate ones that did not have to go out and brave the elements to go to work every day. I am thankful for that. The older I get the more of a home body I become. It has now been 2 years since I was a member of the working class. That is actually what the substance of this blog will be about today.

I was a stay at home Mom. My Mom was a stay at home Mom. I believe in women being stay at home Moms. I did not choose to work until my youngest was in school and then for the first five years worked at the school. So I worked when they were in school and had off when they had off. It was a wonderful job. I loved the situation because my kids were still young enough that they would need a sitter or (the dreaded word) "daycare".

I am now a "stay at home Nona". I have chosen this for my life right now and it fits. I love being able to help Courtney since she does not have the option of being a stay at home Mom. But this winter I have had the opportunity to feel stereotyped as I never did when I was home with my kids. I'll say a little more about this after I tell you my story.

The company that Charlie works for now has an appreciation dinner for all it's bosses in January. It was a very nice evening. A nice restaurant and everyone was very "nice". But this "stay at home Nona" felt like a fish out of water. You know how it is at a gathering like that. You are at a table full of people that you don't know and everyone tends to ask questions and find out a little bit about each other. One of the ladies that works in the office for this company asked me if I had to work that day or had I been off. I very politely said I don't work outside the home and immediately felt a hush and about 3 or 4 sets of eyes on me like I was a freak. Charlie had left the table for a moment so I was alone and really felt "alone". Her response was just "Oh!". And for the first time in my life I felt inferior because I choose to not have a "job". I wanted to stand up and shout "I am a certified medical coder. I worked at a hospital for 10 years. If you give me a medical record, I can read it and understand it. I am not a dummy because I do not go to work everyday."

I really had a strange evening after that. I don't remember ever having that feeling when I stayed at home with my kids. I believe there are a couple of reasons for that. The first would be that at that time I did not have a trade. I had office training when I was in school and the only job I had was in classified at the newspaper. Then I started having children and did not work. No problem, that was my life. The second being that I really didn't get out much to places where I would encounter people like that. I really was a different person. More quiet and my kids were my life.

I have now had the the opportunity to live the "other" life. Yes, I did it when my kids were older and able to take care of themselves but I did it non-the-less. I had a job that fulfilled me (at the time). I actually became more confident about myself and able to go out into the world with confidence that I am a person of value. I am a contributing citizen. Lah Te Dah!!

Since that night in January I have had a lot of time to think about this situation. Do you want to know what I have decided? No, I have not decided to send out my resume and get back into the work force. Actually I really don't care if I never have to enter that rat race again. I have decided that I am contributing MORE to society than someone sitting at a desk punching numbers all day. I am training up a child to be an upright citizen who can go out into the world and face the day to day challenges of life. I am training a little mind to get him ready to learn what he will need to do that. What I am doing is as important as that doctor, or lawyer, or even medical coder because one day they were one of those little minds that needed training.

I know this is not always an option. It wouldn't be in Courtney's case if I were not doing this. So if you are a Mom that has to work please don't think I think less of you. I know that is necessary sometimes. I am just saying if you do choose to stay at home with your children you should remember you are as valuable to society as the person who doesn't. As a matter of fact I would go so far as to say maybe more so then some. The training these little minds and hearts are getting right now will shape what kind of person they will be when they grow up and what more important job can you have.

Looking back I am sorry I didn't react differently to the situation. I should not have let it bother me as I did. It was just so new to me at the time. I might react differently now that I have had time to think about it. I should have told her "No I didn't have today off. My job is 24 hours a day. I don't get days off, I have to be on my toes all the time. You mean you actually get days off, WOW!" Of course I am being sarcastic but I think you get the message.

I know if I ever have the opportunity to join the workforce again I will react differently to women choosing to stay at home. I will applaud them and try to uplift them. I would never do anything that would make them feel less then the investor that they are. The entrepreneur might be investing money but they are investing lives and that is so valuable.

2009 IN REVIEW!!

WOW!! It is already January 12, 2010. Already in the second week of 2010 and I am just starting to review 2009. Just shows you how much I am behind. I never did send out Christmas cards or letters or whatever I usually decide to do. I guess that happens when you have a 2 year old to keep you busy.

I just want to look back on 2009 a little and reminisce. We had a lot of things going on and yet it was a rather ordinary year.

Last spring got us through all those "firsts" after the death of a loved one. Marking that first anniversary is so hard yet so freeing. You realize that you will never have to go through that first year again with uncertainty of not knowing how you will feel or react. There are still emotions and sometimes things hit you like you don't expect but it is totally different then the first time. We do miss Charlie's Dad tremendously and life will never be the same without his wisdom and sense of humor but we have many memories to help us through the days until we meet him again in heaven.

Another highlight of spring was our trip to NYC in April. I went very unwillingly but looking back now I really did enjoy it and am glad I went. It was great (all but the subway) and nothing like I expected (all but the subway), and I really think I would probably do it again (all but the subway). Do you get the message that I DID NOT like the subway. I really thought the thing was either going to fly apart as we were moving or hit something and we were going to die a tragic, painful death. I am not exaggerating at all. It was awful! But the city is beautiful with so much history. I just loved Greenwich Village with all the little shops. You can read all about it in my April 20, 2009 post.

Charlie and I in Times Square.


My beautiful daughters in Times Square.

Carolyn and George


Carolyn and George by a stoop in Greenwich village.

We have all had a great year. Charlie and Chuck and Courtney all made changes in their employment (Charlie's little, Chuck's big and Court's obvious).

Charlie has taken a job with a little more responsibility with a company out of PA. They really seem like a good company to work for and at this point at least have been keeping him busy. They are branching out into WV, but the last job he has been on he had to drive to Pittsburgh. He should finish up there in a day or so and hopefully will be closer to home again.

Chuck decided that although he liked carpentry work it really was not what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He has gotten a job with a medical supply company delivering supplies to hospice patients. There are a lot of perks to the job with the biggest being the feeling of fulfillment that you are doing something to help someone in their last days. He does not say he will never go back to carpenter work but for now feels this is what he should do.

Courtney graduated in June from LPN school. She had to have a hernia repair in July so did not go to work until August. She got a job with a company in Clarksburg that does home health. She works midnight shift taking care of a little boy with CP. She has also gone back to school to work on her RN. Right now she has been working on some prerequisites and hopes to actually start RN school in June. She works at night and goes to school during the day, so we have had to be creative with Jay'von's care. I have him from Sunday evening until Friday evening when she gets him for a couple days at "Mama house" (as he calls it).


Court with her flowers after graduation in May 2009.


Court and Jay'von celebrating her birthday.

As you might understand my days are full but fun. We have had to do some adjusting to what is important to accomplish in a day but have developed a routine that works for both Jay'v and myself. I have said this will either make me old or keep me young and have decided it changes from day to day. Some days I feel young and others very old. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to be able to do this. He is such a joy to take care of and most days keeps me laughing.


Chuck and Danielle, Breanna, C.J. and Charlie when we went to French Creek Game Farm for Charlie's birthday.

Chuck and Danielle made some other changes in their household this fall when they decided to send Breanna and C.J. to school. She has homeschooled them up to this point. They have both adapted well and seem to be making new friends and loving it.




Carolyn and George continue to live in Grandpa's house next door to us. She has just completed a semester of student teaching full time. She has one more semester of school then will graduate in May with her Masters in Spanish Education. It has been a long 5 years but will be worth it when she is done. George's citizenship battle is almost done. He should have his papers by the middle of March, so if you know of a job opening in Computer Engineering give him a call. Right now he has been playing househusband and supporting Carolyn in her endeavors.






Breanna, C.J. and Jay'von continue to be the joy of my life (that is the job description of a grandchild, isn't it). They have each passed major milestones this year. Breanna and C.J. going to school for the fist time, Jay'von getting potty trained then un-potty trained and now starting over, and all three of them just getting more "cute" by the day. I am prejudiced I know, but they are the best grandchildren ever.

God has blessed us with a great year of health and prosperity in 2009 and I am looking for more in 2010.

I have a few things I have decided to do in 2010 (not resolutions, just decisions) and one of them is to try to keep up my blog better. It is so much more personal then facebook. So look for more from the Sherrons.

Happy New Year, friends. Please click on comments and let me know you are out there. I am going to write whether you comment or not but it is so much nicer to know you are being read. Thanks!