HAPPY BIRTHDAY, C.J.!!

C.J. had a birthday on Friday, September 25. He was 7 years old. We had a party for him and Jay'von together at the local park.




C.J. at his 7th birthday party.


As you can see, C.J. is kind of shy and backward until he get comfortable around you. But don't mistake that shyness for not being all boy. C.J. is definitely all boy. The messier the mess he loves it. He likes playing outside, riding his bike, hunting with Daddy and he loves playing tennis with Daddy and Uncle George. I guess I should say he loves to do anything with Uncle George.

He still says he is going to grow up to fly a "yellow Cabella's plane". Mom and Neena both don't fly. He has asked Mommy if she will fly with him and she said if he becomes a pilot she will trust him to fly her. He hasn't asked me yet. I'm not sure how I will answer.



C.J. with his best friend Breanna.


C.J. teaching Jay'v how to slide.

We hope you had a Happy Birthday, C.J. We love you bunches. We enjoyed celebrating with you.

SPECIAL DAY!

Every year on the last Saturday of June there is a reunion south of Charleston in a little place known as Mulberry/Robson. I believe it is Mulberry Holler in the community of Robson.

This is a community reunion started about 14 years ago by 3 or 4 men (including my Dad) who wanted to keep the memories alive. This is the community my folks grew up in. There was a one room school house there that the local children attended. A couple of years ago there were four or five elderly people at the reunion that attended this first school.

The picture below is of that school house as it looks today.





They were in a 2 room school house after that. That is the one that most of the people living today remember. I remember this building but am sorry to say that it burned down a number of years ago. For a long time before it burned it was used as a dwelling for a family. It was a beautiful old building. It had the great big tall windows and everything you would think of in an old schoolhouse. I loved it and miss it being there. I have a picture of this building but can't put my hands on it right now.

This little "holler" has so much character and lots of memories for me. My Grandma lived in a little red house about half way up the holler right next to this house.



The man that lived in this house was called "Beehead". I'm not sure why (guess that is another story), but he was somehow related to my Dad. We always went to visit him when we were in the area. I have spent hours upon hours on the swing on that front porch. I was so disappointed to find out that I actually talked to one of his daughters when I took this picture and didn't realize who she was.

To get to this house you have to cross this.




This bridge is know as a "footlog" to the local people. I have never heard that term anywhere else, but have heard it there all my life. This one is new and looks great. I wish I had a picture of the ones that used to be there. I remember crying and refusing to walk across. I would have to be carried. When I got to big someone led me across because I was scared. Usually it was 2 logs (hence the footlog, I assume) with some boards nailed across them. They were usually wobbly and none too steady, but served the purpose.

These footlogs were necessary because in this area there is a creek that flows along all the roads it seems. The road is on one side of the creek and the houses are on the other, so you need the little bridge to get to the houses. I can't imagine what it is like in the winter since I don't ever remember being there in the winter time.

I have really taken a bunny trail from what I really wanted to write about. Charlie and I go to this community reunion just about every year to help my folks. We have done it so many years now that we are just part of it. Some years some of the kids go with us and some years it is just us. Just about every year I say that I would like to ride up the "holler" with my Dad and let him point out some things to me that I'm not real sure of. It has just never been possible since we most times just go down on that morning and come home that evening. But this year we decided to stay down there on Saturday night so we had some extra time at the end of the reunion. I got in the truck with my Dad and we had our ride. I wasn't sure exactly where my grandma's house actually had been since it has been gone for many years. He reminded me of the rock that had been right outside her back door. He said he had not been to that rock in years, so we decided to visit it.




The lower edge of this rock was just a few feet from the back of the house. I think it was a special time for him to go there and I was so happy to be part of it.





This maple tree was in the front yard and he said he used to notch it out and collect sap for syrup. He actually found the marks where the notches were.

It was such a great experience to share with my dad and see how excited he was to be there. It is one of those things that he just doesn't take time to do even though he is down there often.

It made a very special memory for me and I will always be glad we took the time to do it.

Every year I preach that we need to keep our heritage alive and listen to the stories our folks have to tell. Write them down and pass them on to our children. That is what these special days are all about.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE!

Carolyn and George with his cake from Coldstone


Today is my son-in-law Nideep George Cheriyan's birthday.


This post is a little harder to write since I have only known George (Nid to his family) for a few years but here goes.

George's parents are Indian but he grew up in the country of Bahrain. It is an English speaking island country in the Persian Gulf. I think I have that right. George, you will have to correct me if I am wrong. He came to the states about 6 years ago to go to WVU. He graduated in Dec of 2007 with a computer engineering degree.

Being around George has taught me a lot. I tend to live in my little box called life in the USA and don't really venture out much. I'm not saying we all need to travel to a foreign country but we are a country that is now made up of many different cultures so we need to accept that and learn from others. He probably gets tired of us constantly asking questions about his country, "Do you do this....do you have that...?" i think the funniest one was actually asked by Carolyn at Christmas while they were helping put up my tree. She asked him if they put up a real or artificial tree. He so sweetly said, "Honey, we live in the desert, there are no evergreen trees." It was hilarious. He is very understanding and never seems to get tired of it or upset with us.

George seems kind of quiet at first but has a great sense of humor and he is wonderful with the kids. C.J. and Breanna would rather be at Carolyn and George's house then mine. About the first thing they ask when they come in the door is "Are Care Care and George home?" C.J. along with Jay'v think George is their own person playmate, and he doesn't seem to mind. I'm sure if he did they wouldn't feel like that.

George likes sports, but doesn't care for football. (Good for you, George) Soccer is his passion. (His grooms cake was a soccer ball). I've never really watched a soccer game but I don't think it is 300# guys running into each other trying to knock each other down and give a concussion. All over a little pig skin! That right there would make me a soccer fan instead of football. I know there are other sports he likes, but since I am not a sports fan I'm sure to get them wrong, so I won't go there. I will probably hear I should have left well enough alone anyway.

So now you know a little bit about George.

Happy Birthday George. We are so glad you are now part of our family.




Jay'von was asleep when we had George's birthday cake yesterday. Carolyn wanted him to help George blow out candles so she put 2 in a cupcake. This was really funny, he was fascinated with the flames. I think he was still half asleep. He did eventually blow them out.

COURTNEY'S GRADUATION!!

A real nurse?

This was quite an eyeopener for me. I had not seen Courtney in this uniform until we got to graduation and that was my response. "She looks like a real nurse!"

Of course I had seen her in the scrubs they wore for clinical. But this was different. My mom saw Courtney in her scrubs once and said she looked like a kid playing dress up. (And she was right)

I guess that needs some explanation. Courtney is 4'11" tall. (or should I say short). Not very big, huh. Jay'von weighed almost 9 pounds and Courtney gained a lot while she was carrying him. When she started nursing school last June she decided she was going to try to take off the extra pounds while she was in school. I would show you a before and after picture but she would kill me. They ordered their scrubs in April and she needed an extra large. By the time they finished she needed an extra small. I took them in but she kept losing and you can only do that so many times. I think she has lost around 90 pounds and looks great, but being so short she does look like a little kid. And with the scrubs being kind of big she did look "like a kid playing dress up".

Now, back to the subject. The graduation was beautiful and meaningful. I don't think I had ever read the nursing pledge. It is quite a vow. One of their teachers spoke about what they have done in the last year and how much of it is hands on. That makes it possible for them to go right into working without a problem. They are ready. I finally realized, the show is over, she is a REAL nurse. We are not talking about it anymore. She is not a nursing student. She is a nurse and needs respected as such.

I also respect her for getting through a very difficult year to get to this place in her life. Courtney made up her mind that she was going to do this and she did. She lived with us until March of this year so we could help with the baby while she studied. But in March an apartment came available in Clarksburg and she decided to try it on her own since it was close to school. I've already written about how difficult that was for us, but have to admit now it was a good decision. She came up with a routine that worked for her and her little man and she succeeded. She actually graduated with a very good average and we are proud of her accomplishment.

Courtney has not been able to get a job yet. She is scheduled for a hernia repair on Monday, July 6, (I told you Jay'v was big) so she will not be able to work until late summer. But she has started applying and I'm sure she will get the job that is right for her.

Congratulations, Courtney! You have done well and we are hoping the best for your future.

Dad, Daddy, Papa, Pap!!

Sorry this is late. There are lots of excuses, but since this is my blog and probably not read much, I can post whenever. Thanks for being patient if you are reading this. LOL




This is my Dad doing what Pap's do best!



These handsome guys sure don't look like the rough and tough carpenters I write about below!!


Special days, don't you just love them. I know there are people that complain about all the days to observe everything from a food to a people group. (such as fathers) I like them because it give us a reminder, excuse, or whatever you want to call it, to recognize those special people in our lives. We as a nation are to caught up in life to take the time to tell those we love how much we appreciate them. These days give us that reason. Soooooo-------Dad, Charlie, and Chuck, we love you and appreciate all you do for us as a family.

Each of these people are unique in their own way. I'm going to kind of run down some of the unique things about each one.

I just recently posted for Dad and Charlies birthday so some of this might be the same. But that's OK because some of you might not have read those.

My Dad is amazing. He is much older then you would think to look at him. (Especially if he has a hat on. (And if the sun is shining and you don't have your sunglasses on you want him to have a hat on.) It seem like he works more now then before he retired. He does everything from build houses, to remodeling, to driveways. When he is not working his favorite place to be is on the River bank (usually somewhere around the New River) with his friend Carlos Taylor. They grew up together (I think the are somehow related) and have had a friendly competition for years about who will catch the most fish. My Dad usually goes down there a few times a year to spend some time and just relax and fish. As a matter of fact, I did not get to spend Father's Day with my dad this year because he is down south. He told me yesterday that Carlos is one up on him so he has to get busy. He also likes to hunt, but I think fishing is his real love and it has to be more relaxing then chasing a deer through the woods. :0)

Dad, I love you and appreciate all you have done and the example you have been for your family through the years.

Charlie (my husband, my children's Dad) is like the proverbial energizer bunny. While he was off work recently for a few days I posted on facebook that I could not keep up with him and if that is what retirement will be like he had better keep working. Well-----even when he retires he will keep busy, I 'm sure. I hear women say that their husbands retire and sit around the house all day and they can't get anything done. For one thing, I wouldn't mind since he is gone so much now working and I have always enjoyed him being home. For another thing, he won't sit around the house and do nothing. He never stops. He just goes and goes and goes and goes......I think you know what I mean. Most people stop working outside when it gets dark. Not Charlie, he doesn't stop, he just gets out the lights. You know those little headlight things that hunters wear, well, they were invented just for Charlie. I think he has two or three of them. They are wonderful. And he has a light mounted on a pole that he can pull out of the basement when he needs more light. I tell you I think it will light up half the hill. Thankfully we don't have neighbors close enough to bother.

He works hard at his job also. He is very rarely off work. There have been many times when he would finish up a job and make a call as he was leaving and find a job for the next day, even before he called to tell me he as off. I really appreciate how he works so hard to provide for his family. He is one of those people that love their job. He is constantly trying to mentor other carpenters who are just getting started or those trying to decide if that is what they want to do. I just wouldn't be able to say how many carpenters there are out there because Charlie worked with them and directed them to the right resources.

Charlie loves his job and he is good at it and he has passed that along to Chuck. Chuck is a carpenter also, although he learned something else from his dad. Charlie says he is a recovered workaholic who did not spend as much time with his family as he should have when they were young. I think Chuck learned from that and he does spend time with his family. He loves to build, but he really loves to do things with his family. Chuck has a lot of knowledge because he is such an avid reader. It has always been to his detriment because he would rather read the whole book then just do the part he was supposed to at that time, so he was always behind. He still loves to research things and study about anything that takes his fancy, from carpentry to reloading, to checking out something one of us wants to buy and let us know which one is the best but he has learned how to channel that in the right direction most of time.

His love of books probably came from both grandfathers. My dad loves to read and Charlie's dad had an awesome library. We are still stying to sort those books out and decide what to keep and what to give away. Chuck is having a hard time not keeping them all, but none of us has room for that. It is hard to sort them out because he starts reading one and all of a sudden the sorting is on hold. I think that is a trait he got from his mother. He is passing that love of books on to his children, also.

All three of these fathers are trying to lead their family in the right way and take them to heaven with them. Of course they have all made mistakes (we all have because none of us are perfect) but they want to do what is pleasing to God and that is the ultimate goal in life.

Thanks guys, for being such great Dad's! We love you very much. You make life great for your family and we appreciate you for it. Happy Father's Day!!

FRUSTRATION!!

Have you ever done something dumb and knew the chaos it caused was your fault. This is where I am today.

If you follow me of facebook you know that I had a major computer crash this week. It was my fault totally. I wish I could say otherwise. I am a very cautious person when it comes to where I go and what I open on the Internet. I would rather err on the side of caution. I do that with a lot of things. But because I trusted the person that this item was "supposed" to be from and it seemed that she thought I had sent her something inappropriate I decided to open it. Immediately I realized I was in trouble, but thought I was covered with a "good" antivirus software so ultimately should be OK.

Well, I soon found out that I was totally wrong. My first mistake was not just leaving her a message saying I did not send her a video instead of trying to see what she thought I sent. It was a wolf in sheeps clothing. She had not sent the message at all, someone had hacked her account and used her name for bad instead of good. My second mistake was trusting my anti virus software to protect me when I made a bad judgement. (It was not sufficient for the problem) It is just like with our salvation, we need to make sure we are protected, but also need to make right decision to not sin and put ourselves in a wrong position to cause our life to crash like my computer.

Back to my computer. After being in the shop for 2 days and costing $190.00 it is now like new. But (also just like life) I now have to back up and try to put all the stuff on the computer that was there originally. I tried to save pictures and some things that I thought I could not replace. It was kind of like running out of a burning building. What do you try to save in a really short time. They said they could keep it all for a price, but I was trying to be as frugal as possible since it was costing me so much. I realize now that I should have had them keep it all because I have already ran into things that I needed. But looking back does us no good. Just go forward and hope for the best. Again, just like in life. We make mistakes, but have to suffer the consequences and keep going forward. God can fix the problems, we just have to pay the price and go on with our life.

What have I learned through this? As far as my computer of course I have learned the obvious, "Don't open things that you aren't sure about and make sure your protection is up to date." As far as my salvation, "Use good judgement and make sure what is in my heart is up to date and sufficient to carry me through all that life throws me."

Sorry I don't have a any pictures with this post. I would be crying and that is not good. Charlie realized real fast that this is not an incident to tease about. I am still beating myself up about it. Now I just need to put it behind me and get on with more important things. This has been a real "Listen Lesson" (as Sis. Vogt used to say) and hopefully I will heed what I have learned.

Sorry this post has gotten so long. They say most people do not like to read long posts, but that is OK, I just needed to get it all out. I will post something more positive and uplifting soon. Maybe some pictures of Graduation Sunday at church tomorrow. Courtney will be involved since she graduates from nursing school in 2 weeks. YEA!

Have a great weekend and stay safe.

Memorial Day!

We had a great weekend for Memorial Day. Charlie and Chuck finished a job working six 12 hour days on Friday so they were ready to have some relaxing family time. Charlie and I went to French Creek Wildlife Center with Chuck and Danielle and the kids on Saturday morning.

These pictures are from French Creek.


This is Charlie, Breanna and C.J. in front of Jack, the 700 lb. black bear that died a few years ago. He is now mounted and displayed in the gift shop.




This picture is of Charlie, Chuck, Danielle, Breanna and C.J. as French Creek.


We have a tradition on holidays where we have Monday off to build a fire after church on Sunday and roast hot dogs and make smores.

Here are a few pictures of our after church fire this memorial day.




This is Breanna and C.J. with sparklers. Carolyn cannot have a fire without sparklers.




Charlie and Chuck tending the fire.





This is Jay'von ready to go with mommy to the parade.

It was a very relaxing, but busy weekend. We celebrated Charlie's birthday with the family on Sunday. Then on Monday we had a BIG picnic with family and friends at my sisters and celebrated my Dad's birthday. So between our little family doings and the extended family get togethers we were busy but had lots of fun.