My Grandmommy - Remembrances!!!

I remember the big BBQs in the backyard and Grandpa's Manhattan Clam Chowder. I remember flying kites in the park at the end of 36th Street and going to Singer Island beach. The sand was sooo hot. I remember the picnics that Grandmommy used to pack. I remember Bette and I sitting on the floor in her "office" while she taught us about the Lord's love for us. She taught us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and if we believed that - we would go to heaven. It is because of her that I have a personal relationship with the Lord. She loved the Lord and it was so clear that He loved her. She would teach us children's stories from the Bible. She could make the Bible come to life. She so loved the Lord!!! I'm so thankful to her for taking the time to teach us the truth. I remember wheat germ which she swore we could not taste but we could. I remember wonderful birthday parties and birthday cakes that were not only beautiful but incredibly tasty! I remember chocolate cakes that were absolutely incredible with tables that were set just perfect. I remember salads with apples in it (yummy). I remember her singing church songs in the kitchen while she cooked. She would use every pot and pan in the kitchen for a family dinner. What a mess!!! I remember her sweet voice that would tell me that everything would be OK - "My Beautiful Bonnie". I remember her singing.. My Bonnie lies over the ocean..." I remember her telling the "pea" story over and over again. I remember watching slides of her trips with Grandpa in the living room. I remember waiting at the airport for her and Grandpa to return from Thanksgiving in Jamaica and being so exciting when they walked off the plane! I remember Christmas dinner at her house. I remember her taking us to the Super Slide. I remember Morrison's Cafeteria and brunch at the Breakers. The yellow desk that she had delivered from a furniture store for my 10th or 11th birthday! WHAT A SURPRISE!!!


I remember when we were moving to Orlando (Longwood) and we went to her house before we took the 2 1/2 hour drive to our new home. I remember us all crying and crying - Momma especially. We came back a year later because Momma couldn't stand to be away from Grandmomy! I remember when Beth was to be born - 2/23/77. What a day!!! Of course, Bette and I waited it out at Grandmommy's house and Grandmommy took us to McClaren's Florest where we got the flowers in the snail planter because Beth took sooo long to come, then she took us to Good Samaritan Hospital where the three of us (Grandmommy, Bette and I) counted fingers and toes. We were sooooo happy!!

I lived with her through college up until I married John. She nursed me through my gallbladder issues, cooked all of the right foods and I lost weight. That in itself is a miracle.

I am so thankful that she lead me to the Lord and that I will get to see her agin. I am so thankful that she is with Jesus! She has a perfect body now. Both legs are the same length - her hearing is perfect and she remembers and knows everything.

Grandmommy loved me unconditionally! She loved me with her entire heart. I always felt so special when I was with her.

Beth wanted us to put the following on the card for Grandmommy. The florest couldn't fit it on the card but it is so perfect:

"You taught us the way to be a lady, the way to love unconditionally, and the way to be close to our Lord. We know you are with Him now, watching down upon us with a clear mind and an open heart. We love you, Grandmommy."

I will miss you Grandmommy!!!

The Fair - 2011

I love the fair. Every year I get more excited about going to the fair than just about anything that happens throughout the entire year. We always go at least two times. We go on the very first day it opens with our best friends, Joe and Val. We eat and eat and eat and eat and have a great time walking around. We go to the animal tents and I always think that I am going to get a baby bunny, a baby goat, a baby chicken (some sort of animal that we just don't need). Well, this year was no exception!!!! This year I decided that the baby goats were the cutest things I had ever seen and we really needed a goat (even though Val explained that they ate everything)my goat would be just like a pet, he/she would be the perfectly sweetest goat in the entire world. Who knows what I was thinking but one look at those precious babies, and I had to have one. John always says that God makes all baby animals cute so that they will be taken care of.

Well, John and I went to the fair last Saturday, just the two of us. We walked hand in hand - we laughed, we ate, we had a great date! Toward the end of the night when my feet were killing me and I was moaning and groaning about how I needed to get home, over the loud speaker I hear that there is an auction of the live stock - Oh dear - I am going to get my goat!!! For some reason, my feet, which had been killing me and were preventing me from walking at a normal pace, stopped hurting so that I could pick up the pace and get clear across the fairgrounds to the other side where there was a tent that held the auction. As I was approaching, I could hear the auctioneer - he was talking fast and loud - $1.25 - $1.50 - $1.75 and on and on. My mind was thinking - how can these animals be so cheap? I will actually be able to afford this! How am I going to explain a goat to my family - they will think I am crazy!!! I get into the tent, which is full of guys in cowboy hats and boots, and I see on the stage - a big steer! The lights come on in my head. They are selling that poor steer - per pound!!!! This was not an auction for cute livestock but an auction for meat.

With my hopes of a baby goat gone and my head low, I walked out of that tent. Now I know I don't need a goat - I don't need a rabbit - I don't need any chickens- I don't need anything else to feed but to be completely honest, if I could have - I would now own a steer. I would never have made it on a farm!!!

I still love the fair though! Can't wait until next year.

Happy New Year

Today is the first day of a new decade. Will we call this year twenty eleven or two thousand eleven? Does it matter? Don't know. I am sitting in my family room on my new laptop (John got it for me on my birthday), listening to Sarah snore and Katie complain (apparently I am "horrible" for saying this).

What a change in my past ten years. Ten years ago I had two sweet little girls and a younger husband (the same one). I had a job doing the same thing that I do now, most of the same friends and the same house. Doesn't sound like much change but it has been!!!!

During the past ten years, my grandmother died, my parents house burned down, John's best friend died, we had numerous hurricanes, we joined a church and our beloved pastor died. I now am the mother to two "not so sweet" teens and a middle aged husband (who I love deeply). Life goes on and I can honestly say that life is much better now than it was 10 years ago. Yes, I miss my grandmother (I think of her everyday!!!!), Brad, Pastor Ray and my parents house but knowing these people and dealing with the tragedy of some scum burning down my parents house has helped make me who I am today. My not so sweet teens are healthy, they love us, and I know they will grow up to be the kind of people who will make me proud. My middle aged husband is loving and for some reason, which I really will never understand, adores me. My wonderful parents are healthy and live ten minutes from me. My sisters, their spouses and children are healthy and a big part of my life. My church family accepts and loves us. All in all, I have a great life.

I hope to be able to blog in ten years and have an even happier life. Hopefully in 10 years I will be skinnier, have more money and deal with stress better. Hopefully my girls will be out on their own and be starting their own journey. Hopefully John and I will be enjoying "Lifes Little Moments" in ten years just as lovingly as we enjoy them now.

Happy New Year and Happy New Decade to you all!!!!

First Day of School

Every year it happens - Every year I look forward to it - Every year it does not go the way that I plan it. Yep, today is the first day of school. Katie is in 10th grade and swore that she would NOT go back to Palm Beach Central. Sarah is in 8th grade (the last year of middle school - boo hoo!!!!!). I can remember just like it was yesterday going to Sarah's graduation from kindergarten and crying like a baby!!!!! I don't know where all of the time went.

First thing this morning, we are awakened by Katie telling us it is 6:00 a.m. How can this be when my alarm was supposed to go off at 5:50 a.m???? No way - Katie waking us up????? Well, we had remembered to change the time on the alarm clock but not to turn it on. Hopefully tonight we'll turn it on too!!!! Katie was dressed, looked good, clean and had a great attitude. All summer she swore that she would NOT - NO WAY - ABSOLUTELY CAN'T MAKE HER - go to that school and she was happy and looking forward to her first day of 10th grade.

Sarah on the other hand was quiet and not happy that her summer vacation was over. Who would have guessed this??????

Everytime I think I have figured them out, they surprise me. I hope that they both have a wonderful day and that things are much better this year.

Summer needs to end

I'm at work and my cell phone rings - loudly. Did I mention I no longer have an office - I sit in a cubicle where everyone can hear everything - It is Sarah - Sarah has been told not to call unless it is an emergency. Work is crazy right now!!!! You guys be the judge if this is an emergency - She was calling to let me know that Katie was squirting water all over her and could I make her stop. Well .... I'm at work - How am I going to make her stop squirting water all over my clean house (yes, the house is clean 2 times a month and this is one of the times)? Oh well, school starts on 8/16. I might live through this. I keep thinking that things will get better - Is this one of life's little moments?

The Doctor's Visit

Monday, June 22, 2009 was the date of Katie's first "female" doctor's appointment. Both of us were dreading the day. I was dreading the day so much, I begged my sister to take my place. Of course, she said "no way" and she was right. Katie had a 9:00 a.m. doctor's appointment and I did get John to come with us (for my moral support). After waiting in the lobby for only a few minutes, they called Katie in. I told Katie to go in by herself, get weighed, etc. and if she really needed me, to just ask them to get me. Of course, I was hoping that she would NOT really need me. I don't remember having my mother with me when I was being examined!!! As luck would have it, she asked for me and I had to go into the little room. Walking to the examination room was like walking into the dentist knowing you are going to have a root canal. You can't get out of it and you KNOW it is going to be awful!!!!!!!

Our appointment was with the PA and she was very patient and explained to Katie everything that was going to happen. She showed us all of the equipment and explained that all female parts look the same. It was very informative and to tell you the truth, I learned a lot. After much urging, Katie agreed to let this procedure take place. Then the PA pulled out the stirrups and Katie decided "NO WAY". After much convincing, much yelling, even some crying the examination was over. The poor PA practically ran out of the room!!!

While John was driving us home and asking why I looked so pale and was so quiet, I informed him that Katie had "lost her mind" in the doctor's office. At that, Katie comes to the conclusion that she "might have overreacted just a bit". Who would have thought it!!!!!!????????

Just today, I said to my sister that it will be amazing if I live through all of this and she agreed. As my mother has said a million times, raising children is the hardest thing you will ever do.

Wish me luck that I get through it!!!

Lets Just All Get Along!!!

Just found out that Katie will be moving home. There are so many different feelings associated with this. When Katie is happy, she is really happy but when Katie is unhappy, she is very unhappy! I hope and pray that six weeks has been enough time for all of us to have licked our wounds and now we can go on as a loving family!

I have heard for so many years that raising teens is very hard. I never believed that it would be this hard. I love my girls more than anything or anyone in the entire world. I love my girls more than I ever imagined. When one of them is hurting, I am hurting!!! I realize that all parents feel this way!

Wish that I had a crystal ball and could see that this will all work out. I have been told that one day everything will be fine. Lets hope that "one day" is now. I have told myself through most of this past six weeks that things will work out in God's timing and I just needed to go with the flow and let Him take care of it. I have no doubt that the Lord is watching out for us and this is just another step. Without my faith in Him, I would have definately fallen a part a long time ago!!!!

I appreciate that Beth and Sean let Katie stay with them for the past six weeks. I know that it was a sacrifice and it is a testimony to their love for her and for us. I am sure that Katie has learned alot from Beth and Sean and I also have no doubt that both Beth and Sean have learned a lot from Katie. Maybe these past six weeks will be a time that we all look back on and talk about for years to come.

I have the best family and friends in the world!!!!! Thanks for all being here for me!!!