WHY DO WE LOVE CHILDREN?

Why do  we love children? 1) NUDITY I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, 'Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!' 2) OPINIONS On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, 'The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents.' 3) KETCHUP A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. 'Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle.' 4) MORE NUDITY A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, 'What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?' 5) POLICE # 1 While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, 'Are you a cop? Yes,' I answered and continued writing the report. My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?' 'Yes, that's right,' I told her. 'Well, then,' she said as she extended her foot toward me, 'would you please tie my shoe?' 6) POLICE # 2 It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. 'Is that a dog you got back there?' he asked. 'It sure is,' I replied. Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, 'What'd he do?' 7) ELDERLY While working for an organization that delivers lunches to elderly shut-ins, I used to take my 4-year-old daughter on my afternoon rounds. She was unfailingly intrigued by t he various appliances of old age, particularly the canes, walkers and wheelchairs. One day I found her staring at a pair of false teeth soaking in a glass. As I braced myself for the inevitable barrage of questions, she merely turned and whispered, 'The tooth fairy will never believe this!' 8) DRESS-UP A little girl was watching her parents dress for a party. When she saw her dad donning his tuxedo, she warned, 'Daddy, you shouldn't wear that suit.' 'And why not, darling?' 'You know that it always gives you a headache the next morning.' 9) DEATH While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: 'Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes.' (I want this line used at my funeral!) 10) SCHOOL A little girl had just finished her first week of school. 'I'm just wasting my time,' she said to her mother. 'I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!' 11) BIBLE A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages. 'Mama, look what I found,' the boy called out. 'What have you got there, dear?' With astonishment in the young bo y's voice, he answered, 'I think it's Adam' s underwear!'   NOW IF THIS DIDN'T BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY, GO BACK TO BED AND FORGET IT.

Pink Purses for Joplin

I found some pretty google images of pink purses for Joplin. If you would be so kind, after visiting Beverly and wishing her a happy Pink Saturday please stop by and visit Linda. She is helping out Joplin after the disaster that struck this wonderful community. If you have some sewing talent get Linda's tea bag cozie on the sidebar (free) and make some cozies to send along with a few tea bags in each one. If you want to send any purses for Joplin please contact Linda because she has all the needed info. I am not a sewing crafty gal so I am sending Linda some fabric and also tea bags and some Scripture verses to tuck inside the little cozies for Joplin. If you want to send any purses they don't have to be pink! I just wanted to incorporate all this into my pink post this weekend.
I missed Pink Saturday last weekend. It is the first time since I started with this grand bunch of folks back in January 2010. My personal life has been less than perfect and all I can say is much prayer is needed. Stress is a bad thing so we are trying to recoup from a stressful situation and rely on your prayerful help and kindness and thoughfulness.
I hope you love the pink purses. There is a  pink poodle purse, a Marc Jacobs, a Juicy Couture and an antique evening bag plus a cute animal print purse with pink trim. Enjoy the images and enjoy the weekend.

I NEED TO CATCH UP!

 "The secret to friendship is being a good listener."

I have been away for a few days. It is so hard as I feel bad to miss all the wonderful people I see daily with all the great posts like Pink Saturday, Blue Monday, Spiritual Sunday, Love is...

I have been under the weather and that is what started all this. When Nick was so ill with that strep virus that contaminated his blood I was under lots of stress and then I had a 24 hour bug! I slept for 16 hours and felt so much better but we have a huge cottonwood tree in our front yard and it is killing my sinuses! So my life has been one boring, sickly story!

I appreciate everyone here so much. I know you all are here for me. I feel so badly because Stephanie at http://angelicaccents.blogspot.com/ won my Pink Saturday giveaway and I forgot to post before I sent it out! She received it so I hope she will show it off at her place soon.

Summer is a busy time and I am looking forward to my long weekend for the 4th of July. We will have lots of company as it is Hannah's birthday too but I plan to rest and enjoy!

As always prayer is needed for my phamily. We all have work situations that require much prayer so pray for all the phanily.

I will keep you posted here and thanks for caring so much!

I plan to come back and I am may do some baby steps for a few weeks. Love to all of you and thank you for caring and supporting me.

Happy Father'd Day

Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance.  ~Ruth E. Renkel

I AM THINKING OF SAYING FAREWELL

I am frustrated with blogger. It seems I can not get to where I want to go, leave comments, visit friends. It seems the harder I try the worse blogger is! So I am thinking of saying farewell. I have always been so inspired by those of you that do stop by and leave comments and when you get a comment, if you are lucky, you respond. I think I am feeling sorry for me today but the work day was horrid yesterday! I do not wish to burden anyone but I know you understand. A simple kindness, a bit of respect, that is all a person needs in the work place. I am a very grounded person and it has always been difficult for me to work with people that suffer with serious mental issues and refuse to acknowledge them. When I was young and found out that the special education field was not my best suit I thought of studying psychology and getting a degree. I worked with a wonderful lady named Pam who attended school while she was in a difficult pregnancy and got her Master's degree. I really admire her. But she has all those qualities that make up a terrific person. Harding working, kindhearted, easygoing. I could make a list! If I could have one wish I think it would be to work with people with kinder spirits. Less stress. No hatefulness allowed. I know I am dreaming so I will get back into reality.
I want to mention a few folks here that deserve accolades! I am not sure what I would do if I could not visit Annie because she and her husband Jade who have three terrific kids were blessed by the Lord Himself with beautiful Baby Ollie. She had her heart surgery last week, it seems to be successful and this beautiful family is moving forward with their lives. You have to know them to understand what I am talking about. There is sweet "Iggy" who can make me laugh about silly orange cones we see daily at road construction sites! His granddad passed away June 11th just shy of his 102nd birthday! You really have to meet Iggy to know what I am saying. There is Barb, my life long friend who encouraged me back in 2009 to start blogging. She is a gem and she can sew an apron like a dream! Hee Hee! I love knowing her and Carl ( husband) . They are special folks. Linda.  is a warrior for the Lord. There is no one else like her! She makes me laugh when I want to cry. She can make me cry when I think I should be laughing. She makes me want to serve to the Lord more passionately. You may find her here Linda. She is a delightful lady serving the Lord wholeheartedly. You know all the famous folks like Beverly at Pink Saturday. You might follow Charlotte and Ginger with Spiritual Sunday. They follow through with my every prayer request like I am some sort of special person! I love those ladies. You might hang out with Jenny. A gem of a person with a wicked sense of humor and a penchant for writing like no one else!
I am coming back later to add to this list of notable folks at blog land. I have made some wonderful friendships here. I have not forgotten you. I will finish this later. You see the job world is interrupting my fun time.

YOU'RE A GRAND OLD FLAG

Today I just want to give a reminder to everyone that it is flag day! Fly your American flag proudly and never forget the loss of life for generations in order to preserve our current freedom.
"The red and white ad starry blue
Is freedom's shield and hope." John Phillip Sousa

The Bride of Christ/Love Is..../Blue Monday

I love Pink Saturday and I equally love visiting Stephanie at Angelic Accents. She hosts the June Wedding Party. It is so much fun and I enjoyed putting together  my pink fantasy this weekend.
I had to take a break today because my middle daughter Rebekah turns 23 tomorrow and we hosted a barbeque for her this afternoon. Lots of friends and phamily. It was fun and I will post about it later.
So I thought about this post all day long running in and out of the house and preparing all the yummy food we ate.
So here are my thoughts on Spiritual Sunday today.Weddings can be very expensive and elegant. They can be simple and take months to plan! We recently all watched the royal wedding from London where Prince William married Kate Middleton. But one day we will all participate in the royal wedding of all royal weddings! Christ will be our groom and His church will be the bride. It will be an eternal arrangement that will last forever and ever. Many of us have wonderful earthly marriages and we worked hard preparing for our weddings. But we need to always remember that we need to focus on Christ and spending eternity with Him. I hope you know Him today.
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His wife has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7

Take good care of your heart and your honey! I love this gentle sweet reminder. Kim Caselli created these sweet little inspirational Love is...for her dear husband. They have made us smile for many years.

Welcome to Blue Monday. My middle daughter Rebekah was fortunate to see this group perform in Las Vegas and if you have not seen them she said it is well worth it to visit their show. The shows visual productions are centered on a trio of anonymous mute performers who appear in black clothing wearing blue latex face paint and bald caps on the heads. They play a mixture of idioyncratic, often percussive instruments. The performers must non verbally communicate and must have charisma and openness among other qualities they need to possess to perform. They were founded in the late 1980s.
I thought it would be a great Blue Monday tribute. I hope you will visit Sally and wish her well. She will be recuperating from a recent surgery and she is daily in my thoughts and prayers/
Please visit Charlotte and Ginger and thank them for hosting Spiritual Sunday. Then visit Marydon   and all the ladies at Love Is...
enjoy your week..

My Perfectly Pink Fantasy Wedding

I am joining Stephanie and Beverly today for the Wedding Party blog and Pink Saturday. I am thinking of a pink fantasy wedding. I had a simple affair and would love to be able to do this:
You gotta have the hairdo! I like this elegant but simple do.

The perfect french manicure:

A perfectly pink wedding set:

The shoes, it is always about the shoes!

But then there is comfort, Ah....

The dress:

This dress:
Or
Maybe....
This one

If you love Hello Kitty, isn't this sweet?

Oh, this is beautiful and look at the pink and white flowers! A beautiful bridal bouquet!
Hmmm....
One last dress....

Then the groom:

Or even this one: classic

A pretty pink vest, Aw...he is too sweet!
The cake:

A pink toast:

The dance:

The pink limo

The honeymoon destination:

I hope you will visit Stephanie at her lovely wedding party post and than make sure to thank her and Beverly for hosting our fun times.
Visit lots of wedding and pinkies this weekend!
"Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads, which sew people together through the years. " Simone Signoret

Teenage Daughters and Other Teenagers

If you follow me on Facebook on you have seen this video there. But I get a bit more personal on this end and I want to dedicate this video to my teenage relatives and all of the parents trying to raise them. Heck, I need to dedicate this to all of you who have raised or are raising or will be raising teenagers!
It is an honor and a chore. A big fat headache! It is a pain in your behind! It is a wild roller coaster ride! It is the most rewarding job I have ever had! I know. I know, I am crazy! I lost my individuality while raising kids. Five of 'em! with a wonderful man at my side.  I have gray hair to prove I am a survivor! I wear a badge of honor on my sleeve. I survived it barely! I am bittersweet because my youngest daughter Hannah turns 20 this month. My youngest son Nick is still a teenager! My other three are Noelle (35), Jeremy (25) and Rebekah (22).
I started thinking about my life and how we managed through thick and thin (mostly thin) to raise our phamily. We still have some tough times but we are blessed to be working and to have our health. Then I got a very tragic phone call.
My oldest daughter called to say that my nephew Brian's ex-wife Tammy was killed in a car accident. They have two teenage daughters and recently went to court for the girls to decide where they chose to live. Ali with her dad and Brittany with her mom. Sad, and somewhat bittersweet. Both girls will be reunited living with their dad. It is very sad that they lost their mother. No one wants to lose their mom. But it will be a blessing in this tragedy that they will be together as sisters in the same household. Sister should not be separated! These girls are blessed because they have a big sister who lives in Oregon. They also have a big brother who lives here. They have a little brother and they have twin sisters at their dad's house! I think sometime being fractured can make you strong. I am sure it must be true. I always had the luxury of living with two parents. Today kids have such a mix of lifestyles. I pray these teenage girls will remain balanced and healthy and happy. No one should lose their mom. Some of us have been there, some have not. It is a difficult road to travel. I have often felt like I was walking across broken glass never getting to where I needed to be, with my mom.
I may have told you this dream before but when my big sis Pat passed away in 2001 she passed around the same time my friend Alyn lost her own mother. Dale Evans also passed away too. All in the month of February. Then we lost our home and had to move into a rental. Our black lab Shadow (he had a gypsy soul) got out one evening trying to go to the lake where we lived. He was hit and killed on a busy road one block from our house. It was devastating. My sister and my dog! There was no more grief that I could bear. Then my mother passed away in November 2001. She died on the birthday of her own mother, my BFF grandma S. who passed away when I was in the 6th grade, 1967. I had lost my dad in 1985, 4 months before the birth of my first son and my folks grandson number, I am not certain, you have to ask Noelle, the keeper of the phamily files! I dreamed about seeing my dad after his death but not my mom! It bothered me but one night shortly after her death I dreamed about Shadow. I dreamed he ran from me and into Webster Lake, near my home. When he swam to the center of the lake he jumped up out of the water with a huge splash! He looked directly at me and I felt the Lord tell me in that dream that everything would be alright. Why I dreamed of that silly dog started me then but now I understand. God knew I needed that message to know all was well in my phamily. So tonight pray for Ali and Brittney. That they will be ok. That the loss of their mother will not break their hearts but rather that they may use their hearts to live a wonderful life and leave a legacy for their own children someday that they grew up to be beautiful, confident and kind women. I hope you will share your teenage years with me. Now let me leave you with a little Erma Bombeck. That girl could make you laugh and she would make you weep. But she was a beautiful strong woman and she survived raising those teens!

"Being a child home alone int he summer can be a high- risk occupation. If you call your mother at work thirteen times an hour, she can hurt you."

"Don't confuse fame with success. Madonna is one, Helen Keller the other."

"When the going gets tough, the tough make cookies."

"Enter my first neighbor, a woman who spoke in complete,coherent sentences, who ate with a knife and a fork and who only cried at weddings.I couldn't help myself. In a dramatic gesture, I bolted the door and threw myself across it to prevent her exit. She understood."

"When your mother asks, Do you want a piece of advice, it is a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no, you are going to get it anyway."

"Never lend your car to anyone you have give birth to."

"Laughter rises out of tragedy when you need it the most, and rewards you for your courage. "  

H is For Honey Bees and Hedgehogs

Hello this morning. I am going to put up a quick post and show you two favorites of mine. I am linking today with Jenny and Angela. These two delightful friends each have a wonder meme and I enjoy sharing my thoughts and often google images or my own photos with them both. Come join the fun!

I love tea and I love honey. Unfortunately the honey bee is becoming a rare siting in our land. They are dying out and they can not keep producing honey without our help. I think they are a great H post for Alphabe Thursday today and also a funn remind of Tuesday Show and Tail's! You can find lots of information about honey bees but I think they are the "queens" f the bee industry! The hard working little bees produce honey combs and in turn we produce honey from them. Go find your favorite types of honey out there and then read all about honey bees and see the tremendous amount of work each little working bee does to provide you with a relaxing and satisfying sweetness to add to your tea and other edible delights! If you have ever seen the movie "Fried Green Tomatos" you will see the "Bee Charmer" there. That character could charm bees like a sooth sayer! It is a delightful movie so watch it if you have not caught in through the years!

Then there is the hedgehog. I have a fond memory of my late friend Jacki who succumbs to asthma at the age of 42. She is still so sadly missed but she had a little hedgehog and he has his own website. I learned a great deal about these sweet little critters and you can too. Go to your google search engine and google them! They are cute  critters.
I am sorry to be so vague but work has been an absolute hassle and I am in prayer constantly. Not only the work place trauma but the Lord woke me up this morning at 4:30 to pray for Sally over at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ and Baby Ollie http://thehousethatjadebuilt.vlogspot.com/. They both have their surgery today so  keep them in your prayers that the Lord will guide both of the surgeons and the surgeries will be successful. I am late for my date with Jenny and Angela. Please forgive me but join in the fun.
The Lord put this on my heart this morning so I am sharing it here:
"Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud." Proverbs 16:19

Publish Post

I chatted with my sissy last night for a long time. Always pray for her with her heart and her sudden job loss from the situation she was thrown into. Allow the Lord to give her the benefits she so deserves from many years in the grocery chain industry.
Later I will share some vintage photos she sent me. You will love them!
Gotta run! Love all of you more than you know. I am always thinking about you, each and everyone with your own wonderful hearts and beautiful creative souls. God Bless You!

This Sleepy Head Needs Her Beauty Rest!

Laugh Out Loud! I have to laugh or I will cry today. Nick was starting out great running yesterday for the first time with his cross country team. It was about 60 degrees in in the early A.M. But when I came home for lunch he did not look well. He claimed he was tired. He got really sick at midnight last night and threw up for what seemed an eternity. Of course, being so dehydrated we tried to get him to drink. Finally I checked on him this morning around 10 and he said he was too ill to eat or drink and wanted to see the doctor. Long story short I ended up heading over to the Urgent Care Center with him. They drew labs and did a full work up. We get results in a couple days but he is sick and the doctor wants to know why. I appreciate your prayers. He will be out of commission until we find out what is wrong. I am exhausted having sat in the lukewarm waiting area for 30 minutes and 40 more to see the doctor! He rested a lot when we got home and I called it a day at work.  He has a prescription to take and one over the counter medication to use. So pray until we find out what is going on.
Prayer too for Sweets. He may get extra overtime in the upcoming month but the firm is deciding if they want to keep the scanning in house or send it out. Pray they keep it in house!

Prayers for Sally over at http://smilingsally.blogspot.com/ and Baby Ollie at http:thehousethatjadebuilt.blogspot.com/ and Baby Ellianna at http://prairieflowerfarm.blogspot.com/
I always appreciate your love and support. Also new followers please note that mean ole blogger will and won't let me visit you and leave comments! Just know how much I appreciate you.
Life is complicated.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  But those who wait on the Lord renew their strength." Isaiah 40:28-31

Love is.../Blue Monday and Tennis Anyone?

Good morning! We were up at six on Sunday morning walking the beautiful park behind the Thornton Rec Center a few short miles from our house. So we went to bed very early last night. Now I am up with the birds! Listening to them sing a morning song and finishing a load of laundry!
I love sports, all kinds of sports but tennis! No way! When my friend Dennis tried to teach me the fine art of tennis I fired that ball right at him knocking his contact lens out of his eye! That my friends, is why I do not play tennis. My youngest Hannah was good at it She played 2 years in high school. She is sweet and very quiet but get her on a tennis court and you will see fire in that girls eyes!
As a young teen I admired Chris Evert (Lloyd) and wished I could be like her. But I was better with basketball and baseball. My youngest son Nick admires Serena Williams! There is a girl who can teach you a few tennis things about the game of tennis! Whew! She has a mean back hand!
I decided this early morning to incorporate my Love is.. again  with my Blue Monday. Take a look.

Some blues for your Monday and while you are thinking bout tennis and Love is... why don't you join us?
Smiling Sally
Marydon

Crying for Me

I am a music fan! Anyone who knows me knows that I love music and although I lack the talent for any musical instrument or voice I enjoy a variety of music. Three years ago I had the privilege to see Dave Koz in concert. I won tickets on a local jazz station and my Sweets and I had a blast! Jazz greats Jill Scott and Wayman Tisdale joined Dave with many other jazz greats and put on a Christmas spectacular! I will always treasure that.  memory because Wayman, with his big old Oklahoma smile succumbed to cancer in 2009. He plaed the bass guitar like nobody else! He wrote most of his music and never ceased from smiling that big old broad smile. He drew you into his music.
Today I think Wayman is jammin with the Lord in heaven!But his close friend c/w artist Toby Keith wrote a song and I am sharing the video here today. This song is wonderful and Dave Koz performs on this beautiful piece. It goes to show you that we can all have different ideas about music and yet we can come together.

Pink Abstract Art and Famous Artists

Welcome to Pink Saturday. Hope you enjoyed the third birthday bash last weekend! Goodness, how time flies! I attended to visit all the participates but blogger had other plans for me! So I joined as many as it would let me and left comments, some that disappeared, some that stayed put!
Today I am sharing three abstract art pieces and then a Picasso, R.C. Gorman and a Salvadore Dali art piece that are the lips of famous siren Mae West! Do you like abstract art or what kind of art do you enjoy? I am a huge art fan so I like to look at all sorts of different art! I do truly believe that beauty is in the eye of the beholder!
Stop by Beverly's and check out all the cool pinks surrounding us this weekend!
If you need more pinks you can go back a few posts and find my "French Lullabye" piece and see lots of babies and hear Celine Dion sing a lovely lullabye in French!
Enjoy your weekend and remember to visit some pinkies! I am catching a lot of you from last week into this one! LOL!
"Love isn't an emotion or an instinct, it's an art." Mae West

G is for Grreat!!

I know you all remember Tony the Tiger! His motto was "Frosted Flakes....are grreat!" As a kid I loved Tony and I loved those frosty flakes! Today they are a bit too sweet for me but I will always fondly remember Tony and his cereal commercials! Tony is a bit older but still sticking by his breakfast cereal! Tony was introduced in 1952 and today in 2011 he is still going strong. He is also a popular figure in the UK advertising the sugary sweet breakfast cereal as "Frosties". There was Tony the cereal icon and Tony Jr. He has been popular for nearly 60 years! In the 1970s Tony was given a nationality and became an Italian-American. In early 2000 Tony Jr. replaced his father as the advertising icon!
I hope this brought back a happy memory or two for you tonight!
Now get moving and get over to Jenny's and visit lots of the other participates of this "G" post! I bet Rhonda could write a "G" post about her "G-Man"! Her sweet hubby worked for the government for many years! His pet name is "G-Man" here in blog world!
Now look at Tony the Tiger through the years and tell me if you think he is still Grreat.....

A French Lullabye

With all the new babies coming to our phamily this 2011 I wanted to share this Celine Dion video with you today. My Sweets friend Harold is from French Canada and he gave me this CD. I hope  you enjoy it!