Thanksgiving

Well, Thursday was Thanksgiving! A wonderfully deliciously relaxing yummy day it was! I was at church in the morning. We had Stanley Fox from Pleasant Valley as our speaker. I had not heard him for a long time, maybe never. I had heard him talk at Christian Aid Ministries as he is involved in that big time but I don't know that I ever heard him actually speak at a church. He is good! He is charismatic for a Mennonite and I LOVE that! :) He gets loud and paces around and is very expressive with his hands and face as he talks! Gets your attention and keeps you from sleeping!:) LOL! And he doesn't apologize for the Word and he says he didn't come to be nice but to preach the unwatered down WORD! And, you know the Word is not always nice, but it is ALWAYS truth! So anyway, he challenged us how being thankful is not not an option or suggestion, it is actually a commandment from God! "IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS FOR THIS IS THE WILL OF CHRIST JESUS CONCERNING YOU!" So, there we have it, no excuses! He also asked how can a Christian go around perpetually grumpy when they have Jesus inside them? Surely it's next to impossible! For if you have Jesus inside you, the joy is gonna HAVE to come bubbling out! So he said if you're one of those normally grumpy people, you had better figure out if you even have Jesus inside you and if not, then do something about that!:)

After church, I went to a family gathering. My dad's side always gets together at Hahnstown School on Thanksgiving Day for lunch, and often the leftovers for supper. Not quite everyone was there this year, but most of em were. Turkey, fillling, noodles, gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce, pickles, and then a table of all kinds of sinful desserts! YUMMY! But, I was a good girl and didn't eat any desserts, just a few pieces of candy. Well, here's the rest of the story.....I was too full from all the hot stuff I ate, so there's a reason I didn't eat dessert! LOL! So, I hung around there til 3:30pm or 4pm. I looked at the fliers for Black Friday to see what I would want to shop for! I always keep my tradition of shopping on Black Friday! Seems there is always something I think I need! And, somehow I always end up with things I don't need! Sigh!

After I left the family gathering, went home to change clothes. I had actually left that early because I had planned to pick up my friend Junise and hang out with her. I was going to pick her up and go visit and old lady that I haven't seen in a long time and then take her over to a friend's house to give a backrub. Junise is really good at backrubs. But, alas! She forgot about me and when I called her to tell her I'm ready to come get her.......she didn't answer.:( So I had to cancel my other plans and tell them we're not coming. Oh, I wasn't bored though! I don't know how to get bored when I'm home! It was perfect timing for me to change the house over into Christmas! So I spent a few hours doing that! Now my house is pleasantly festive! Nativity scene is out and Christmas greenery and snowmen and lights and candles and fake snow and my little winter village and little people figurines! Looks nice, if I do say so myself! And, I was going to go to bed in a decent time since I was to get up at 3AM to shop on Black Friday. But do you think I could sleep? ARGH! Of COURSE not! So very annoying! Whenever I know I gotta get up early, I can't sleep early! So I tossed and turned and finally went to sleep at 11 or so.

4 hours of sleep is not very cool! I was not very smiley when the alarm clock went off! It's good I live alone so when I wake up at that hour, I don't hurt anybody! LOL! NO ONE dares cross over me when I am up THAT early! LOL! So I was ready by 3:30AM to shop but I had to wait on my sibs as they came 10 min. late! Late people are my pet peeve! Oh well, we got to the mall in time. My main goal, first and foremost was to get a vacuum sweeper that was normally $459 or something like that...it was on sale for $219. I love the Dyson Vacuum. I think Rainbow is superior to anything but since I can't afford that, Dyson is next best. My roomy Sharon has one and I loved hers. But since she is getting married, I will need my own in a few months! So Sears opened up at 4AM and I marched back to the vaccums and bought one! There were only 4 and they told me later they had all 4 sold in the first 2 hours they were open! So it pays to be an early bird! It is the same model as what we have as far as I know. Same number but a little different coloring, which I'm okay with. I didn't take it out of the box, didn't think I have to til I have my own place, but perhaps I should just to make sure it's okay! So after that, I paraded after my sis while she looked for specific items. That was new for me, as usually Dad and I are the ones who need things. But after my sweeper, I didn't need anything big, just a few small things I wanted to check out but didn't have to be in a hurry! Suddenly it was time to head to Staples as they open at 6AM and Dad wanted like 3 things there. I tried to persuade Jeremy since he has his license to go there with my car while I stayed at the mall. Hey, it was a privilege that he never had before, to be trusted to drive my car! Never thought I would offer that to him but I did! And.....he didn't take it! Argh! I thought he would be thrilled but he refused to go alone. So, I had to let Sarah at the mall since she was in a long line with some stuff she wanted. I didn't want anything at Staples, it was all stuff for Dad and Jeremy is good at picking that stuff up. Men are pathetic at finding stuff but he is better than me when it comes to Dad's things cause he knows what it looks like and approx. where to look for it. Me, I have no idea what category it comes into or what it's even for so it's hard for me to look for that stuff. I actually got something then while we were waiting in line. Jeremy had a number keypad for Dad that you hook up to laptops that don't have that extra number keypad on the right hand side. I always regretted mine didn't have one. So, now I will have one! Then we went back to the mall after a long wait in line. I felt more free this time though, cause most times I'm so worried we won't get all the things we wish to get because of wasting so much time in line. This time I didn't need as many things so it was alot more relaxing for me and I felt not so pinched but like I could mosey along and not get really mad at all the people. After we got back to the mall we ate breakfast, which was 7:30 or 8ish. I ate Chinese, but they must have been low on veggies....I love crunching on their half soft onions and peas in their fried rice but....alas! There was like only 2 pieces in my rice and maybe 4 onion pieces. Hearbroken!:( And, I never try anything breaded because I don't eat skins or fat/gristle as it is too fattening and not worth the calories. But, this time I tried their orange chicken because the sample she gave me was so good. Alas! My plate had mostly gristle/fat and hardly any meat so I ended up eating mostly rice and nothing else. I figured that wasn't the healthiest so in pentitance I skipped lunch completely then. But I ate a hamball and sourcream mashed potatoes and peas for supper, so I should probably do penance today again! LOL! But, I think I will eat the leftovers from that today!

So, I got some Candles and some wallflowers from Bath & Body and a VIP bag of goodies that was valued at $115 for only $20. Technically it was only $10 though because it came with a $10 gift certificate to use up until Dec. 24. And, I got some more Christmas shopping done. I spent 8 hours shopping. Whew! Was I tired of it all when I was done! LOL! Every year I ask myself, "Why did I do this, was it worth it?" But then I look at my bargains and I know it was worth it to me! I was miserably tired. I tried to sleep from 1::30-3 and maybe I dozed off but I'm not aware of it! Grrr! Miserably tired but can't sleep! What's up with that? So finally at 3 I got up as I had promised to hang out with a friend late afternoon (before I had realized I would be shopping that long, I should not have promised til I knew how I'd feel from all the shopping). I knew she'd be disappointed if I didn't come. So I called her but then we decided I would come after supper so I could be there longer. So I went after supper. She is getting married so she was telling me all about her trip to FLORIDA to get married and swim with the dolphins and have her honeymoon there and all. She wants me to come but I don't know if I can swing that plane ticket for just a weekend! It'd be over July 4 so I could maybe have Monday off....I think I usually have that day off. So it would be a 3 day trip...well I just don't know if I could swing it. But it sure is tempting!

Today, Saturday, I was supposed to work from 10-3 but my boss didn't have any cases so I got to have off! Yay! God is soooo good! I feel like I have alot of odds & ends to do so this is wonderful. So, why am I blogging if I have lots to do? Well, blogging is one of the things, after all, I have not written for almost a whole month and I use my blog for letters often, and I needa get a letter written today so this is a good thing where I can kill two birds in one!

So today I will wrap my mountain of Christmas gifts and maybe write my Christmas letters and stamp my Christmas cards and cut a dress maybe. All kinds of fun odds & ends to do!

Well, that's all for now. Bye til next time!

Going Away Party....my Testimony

Going Away Party
(Bruce Hains)
Born in 1900, she had her share of hard times.
And at the age of 15, she met the love of her life.
And how she adored Him! Loved Him til her dying day;
So we celebrated when we put her in the grave.

Chorus: We threw a going away party, the event of the year;
The day that she lived for is finally here!
The One that she loves, He wants her by His side,
So strike up the band, it’s party time!

For many years, she served her community well
And, on occasion she’d stumble, but this saint of God never fell
She was in love with Jesus, He always stayed on her mind
And now they’re together, having one heavenly time!

Birthday and a Question and Vacation

I have a question. Someone told me that King James did not translate a few things correctly when he made the King James Version of the Bible from the original Greek & Hebrew. Isn't that scary? I know for a fact that there was no James in Bible times. All the places that James is in the Bible, it should be translated as Yaacov (Jacob). King James wanted his name in the Bible so he put it in. But that is just a mere trivial thing that really doesn't matter! However, some things are more important than that. Some people say the whole divorce and remarriage thing was translated wrong. That is not my interest currently. What I want to know is: Is it true that the part where it says it is a shame for a man to have long hair (doesn't nature itself teach that) is that translated wrong like some people say? First, define "long". Some people say men's hair down to the tops of their shoulders is not considered long but half way down the waist and longer would be considered long. Also, there was the Nazarite law that some people followed and that required men to NEVER cut their hair. It was affirmed by the Lord apparently because he asked Samson to take the Nazarite vowel. So why would God ask men to have short hair and say that even nature itself teaches that it is a shame for them to have long hair and yet affirm the Nazarite law? Or did something change in the New Testament that men were to have short hair after Jesus was on earth? It's not like this is a salvation issue, it's perhaps a bit trivial but I wish to know. I'm fine with thinking that men must have short hair, it looks better on some men that way anyway. But if it's not God that says that, then I want to know! Somebody tell me what they think on that! Oh, and another thing, it seems very wrong to question anything the Bible says because God obviously preserved His WORD for us to read and never let it die out. So wouldn't He make sure that there would be one version on this planet at least that would have everything translated correctly. But then I guess the Greek/Hebrew is the correct....but you know English is widespread so you would think that the first popular translated Bible which is KJV would be correct because God would make sure we have it to study as He wrote it. And, not for five seconds do I question the validity or authority of the Bible. It is the first and final word. I would be the last to argue with it. But I wish I could read the Greek/Hebrew so I would know if King James did make some translation errors.

I had a birthday on Monday the 11th. It was a good birthday. I was at the beach for a few hours and lazing around and reading. We left for a family vacation on the 10th. We stayed at Angola by the Bay in DE, where we always stay when we go. We always drive to Assateague Island to enjoy the beach. Not sure why we like that beach best but we do! We often go in May and then it's so miserably cold and we only last like half an hour of that torturous bitter wind. But this time since it was October, we had beautiful sunny weather and the wind was not annoyingly cold and the water was not as freezing as it is in May. My sis and brother and my sis's bf got wet up to their necks but I only got wet up to my knees. The waves were not big enough to be conducive to good boogie boarding so I was fine just getting a little wet. We did alot of shopping on this vacation. My family loves thrift stores and each year we go down we visit the Salvation Army. Well, this time it was gone! I have no idea if it went up the spout or just merely moved to a new location. We asked somewhere and found out that there are 5 different thrift stores in the area. We got them all! I found alot of cheap goodies, including some children's books and records and Christmas decor and just a bunch of this and that. Oh, and for my birthday we ended the day with a meal from Cracker Barrel. They were slower than molasses in January but once we got the food, it was good! When I asked for loaded potatoes, the waitress looked at me as though I was speaking a foreign language. So I explained in detail what I meant and she stammered around and then said she could do them but it would be 99 cents for each topping (bacon, creamcheese, and cheese). I don't know what the deal was with her, I always get those potatoes at Cracker Barrel, they are the highlight! And good grief, it never costs them half of 99 cents for each of those extra toppings! Duh, I guess they make big money off of those potatoes!

My boss just got a baby grand piano for their son who is in first grade. He will be taking piano lessons starting next week. It has a very beautiful sound! I love it! I love to caress the ivory keys and play a song on it. The kids like when I play it. But they want to play too and I'm trying to teach them that we must all take turns playing, we do NOT play simultaneously! Try playing a beautiful song with little fingers from a 3 year old and a 22 month old banging down here and there! LOL! Doesn't work so well! The "beautiful" adjective is replaced with "discordant"!

Another thing I experienced that it is pretty hard to swallow when you gain ground in teaching a child something in accordance with the Bible and you know they understand and believe it and then someone else that they trust and love more than you tells them the opposite. And, to boot, tells them that I lied about it. That is hard to accept because lying is one of the sins that I hate most! And to be called a liar is once of the worst things someone could call me. I don't lie and even if I do say a "white lie" my conscience will not let me rest til I make it right! The Bible is so strong about offending a little one, that it is better that a millstone is hung about your neck and that you are drowned in the sea than for you to offend a little one. And the Bible speaks of how the angels of children are always beholding the face of Jesus. That's powerful if you think of it. Oh, how dare any of us offend a little one????? When someone teaches a child a lie, I call that offending, I think that is what the Word is talking about and I cringe to think about how many children are being taught lies! God be merciful to those teachers in public schools and to parents that teach children to question the authority of the Bible, etc.! I guess it hurts me most because I love and care and about the child I am referring to and I can't stand that it is being taught a lie. I told the child that it does not have to take the opinion that is handed down but is going to have to decide what to believe on its own. The children of today are tomorrow's church! At the rate of today, of how many are being taught lies and accepting them eventually, how many are going to be true born again Christians in tomorrow's church? God help us!

Well, I am pretty hungry, I made myself write before lunch and now it's 1pm. Past time for lunch so this will have to be all I write. Please if you have any encouragement or opinions on these things I wrote about, feel free to comment or message me on FB or email me.

Wait

Here's a beautiful poem I recently got ahold of:

WAIT
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried.
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and wept for a clue to my fate.
And the Master so gently said, "Child you must wait."
"Wait, you say, wait," my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
By faith I have asked and am claiming your Word.
My future and all to which I can relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me WAIT?
I'm needing a 'Yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'No', to which I can resign
And Lord, You promised that if we believe
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord, I've been asking and this is my cry.
I'm weary of asking, I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
As my Master replied once again,
"You must wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut
And grumbled to God, "So I'm waiting, for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes wept with mine,
And He tenderly said,
"I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead, cause the mountains to run.
All you seek I could give, and pleased you would be.
You would have what you want, but you wouldn't know me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through the clouds of despair.
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in me
When darkness and silence were all you could see.
You would never experience that fullness of love
As the peace of the Spirit descends like a dove.
You would not know the depth of the beat of my heart,
The glow of my comfort, late in the night,
The faith that I give, when you walk without sight,
The depth that's beyond getting just what you asked
Of an infinite God who makes what you have lost.
You never would know, would your pain quickly flee,
What it means that "My grace is sufficient for thee."
Yes, your dreams for your heart's cry,
overnight could come true,
But Oh, the loss, if I lost what I am doing in you.
So be silent my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to get to know Me.
And tho' oft my answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still - WAIT."

Autumn is almost here!

Here’s part of a circle letter I wrote. Usually I write my blog first and then build my letters off of my blog but this time I did it the other way around!
Nothing really new is happening in my life at the moment. I’m still enjoying being a nanny to three children. Things are much calmer and enjoyable now that the 6 year old went to school. Is that rude of me to say that? I hope not, but it’s the truth! He was the cause of 75% of any & all trouble! He has the attitude and rebellious and mean spirit and all manner of rudeness. The 3 year old boy Evan and almost 2 year old Lyla are so sweet tempered and listen very well most of the time. They don’t fight much at all. But when 6 year old Reece is home, you can forget about any kind of sweet peace you had earlier! He’s very bright for his age and he is the nicest boy when he wants to be….just wish he wanted to be more often! Now that he goes to school he is acting more respectful to me, hope it lasts. It is helping that he has been having a drawn out punishment of no tv and it keeps getting longer from things he does. His parents put that law down and I’m glad because he is definitely a different boy when he doesn’t watch tv. Suddenly I’m not getting a battering ram (his head) in my stomach anymore! Suddenly I’m not being punched. It’s amazing how children try to act like the ugly characters they see on tv. I have grown to despise tv so badly. The things they call children’s shows…some of them are not fit for grownups to watch! Anyway, for schooI I get him up at 6:30 and have him out by the bus stop by 7:15. I don’t see him til 4pm then. Three mornings in a row this week I could not awaken him. Have you ever heard of such a thing? But how do you awaken someone who will not get up? I thought it was stubbornness at first because last year in kindergarten he refused to get out and I had to bribe and /or threaten him each time. But, this year he had been hopping out of bed when I called him….until this week. I realized it must be the cold medicine they gave him for night because he was so knocked out! I took his covers off and his pillow away and his head flopped facedown on the bed and he didn’t budge. I grabbed his arm and shook him back and forth pretty forcibly. I tickled his feet. I poked his side. Finally at long last I slapped his legs hard enough to make them sting, like 6 different times! I had to get his dad to get him up. I was so thankful he hadn’t gone out the door yet. I didn’t know what I was going to try next! 
This next week my church has revivals so I will be busy all week. Also, I am going to a woman’s seminar. They say it’s usually really good, I hope they are right. I was never at revivals before so I hate to miss out on some of my church’s revivals but when I signed up for the seminars I had no idea they were over the same time.
I am looking forward so much to meeting my new cousin. My aunt & uncle have adopted 2 adorable Chinese girls over the last several years and now they are supposed to come back from China tonight with a 10 year old boy. He is going to need surgeries on his feet. He was burned with boiling water, I can’t remember if it was abuse or if it was an accident. But I am hoping they aren’t too tired from jetlag and can come to church on Sunday. He doesn’t speak English, only Mandarin. He has some kind of electronic gadget that translates. My aunt is going to homeschool him this school term because he’ll be in and out of the hospital. Not to mention, I don’t think he’d understand all the English!
In August I was at a Bible conference for a week. It’s called Harvey Cedars and it’s on Long Beach Island. I was there last year too. It’s right on the shoreline so pretty much everyone goes to the beach over the afternoon where there’s free time. It’s such an awesome atmosphere…..most of the people there are from the conference and it makes a whole different atmosphere than other beaches. People dress more modestly too. We went over homeschool week so there are a lot of folks from Holiness churches and they dress modestly….they look like Mennonites except without the coverings. I really enjoyed the speakers. One was a scientist, he did really amazing things and was able to bring God into everything. He built his first computer when he was 9! Imagine! We also had the chancellor from a Bible College as well as a guy who tells stories word for word from the Bible and he is on TV on some high falluting show in NY. I bought some of his KJV stories on cd. He reads them with such expression that you don’t even notice the “thee’s and thou’s” of it! It is hard to believe it is straight from the Bible.
This year I was in Cancun Mexico for a whole week at a resort as well as in Florida for a whole week. My boss took me along on their trips so I could take care of the children. I don’t know if they are doing any next year or not. I hope to do a mission trip with my sister but I’m not sure where yet. Nothing so far was falling into place. I guess if God wants us to go somewhere then he will orchestrate the details. It is my only chance to do it with my only sister bccause I’m quite sure she will be getting married in the near future.

Harvey Cedars

I see it's been awhile since I've written! Where do I begin? I had a very very VERY delightful time this week. I had 9 days off, including both weekends and of course the 5 work days in between. It was delicious! Where do I start? Harvey Cedars is a Bible Conference place right along the beach. Well, within walking distance it is! On Monday Merci, Sharon M, Johann, and Yitzhak & I went to Harvey Cedars which is on Long Beach Island, NJ. Todd had to teach Mon-Wed. so he came with my car on Wednesday.

Last year I was also at Harvey Cedars and I remember the speakers were not fantastic. I don't know if it was just me, that I did not pray for them or that somehow my ears were closed but I know I did not look forward to chapel times, it was rather boring. However, this time it was 100% better! The speakers were dynamic! We had a guy there that does very fun science and weaves the Bible in his science experiments. I mean, he had really neat stuff to show us! I am not a science person, that was the one subject in school that I did not enjoy. That was probably due to the fact that we had those ugly Rod & Staff science books, with only black & white pictures. (I am a picture person, I have photographic memory.) One year we did have A BEKA science, in 6th grade to be exact and I enjoyed science then because those books have pictures on every page and they are very colorful and beautiful and they make science fun. Oh, and in high school we did a few science experiments so that made it interesting....we dissected a shark and found and labeled the different organs! But anyway, I got off on a bunny trail. All this to say I really enjoyed this man's science so that means he was REALLY good if even I enjoyed it! He had a person come up and put on a pair of glasses/goggles type of thing that turns everything upside down. He said they experimented with it and he wore it for like 3 consecutive days (even though he got lots of stares!) and your brain adjusts to something like that so after the 3 days everything was right side up. However, then when he took them off, everything was upside down again and his brain had to take a few days to readjust again. The brain is an amazing thing. He had alot of different illusions and other neat things, I'm just too lazy to write them all down, plus I don't know all the technical wording for exactly what he was doing so instead of mis-informing anyone, I'll just let it at that. Oh, and this guy is on tv so he was a pretty important guy and he had I'm not sure how many degrees but it was a list of em! Also, he built his own computer at age 9. That tells you what kind of genius he is....and he doesn't even look geeky! LOL!

We had another speaker who is the chancelor at CIU (Columbia International University). George Murray. He reminds me alot of Nelson Coblentz from Gospel Express. His build, and his preaching, and his looks, everything. He gets loud, like REALLY LOUD and quiet like Nelson....he could pass for a brother! I really learned alot from his preaching. I got alot out of every single sermon he preached.

Then there was a man who looked no more than 32 and he has 8 children....so he's probably older and anyway, he too was really good. He talked more on homeschooling and raising children so that was not something I could apply presently to my life but hopefully I stacked it away in my brain for future use if it is needed someday.

Oh, and there was a guy who did drama presentations. He too is on tv and he does drama from the KJV and NIV word for word. He does some of the key Bible stories and makes it so interesting and I think it's so cool that he does it word for word from the Bible. That's alot of memorizing. His voice is easy to listen to so I bought his cds of the KJV. I will let my little charges listen to it at work and maybe let some other friends borrow them.

So, the speakers were WONDERFUL and I loved chapel time and I got so fed spiritually. I wish I was going again soon. God really spoke to me this time around. And, today I made a commitment that was really huge for me. I do not make commitments unless I am absolutely willing to go through with them. Especially not with God....because I think it's pretty useless to pretend around Him. Plus I think it's very serious to make a vow to Him and then break it. So I just don't make them. But today I made a commitment. It was huge for me....George Murray had whoever wanted to make the commitment come up to the altar and I went up. I bet almost half the audience did. I don't know if it was huge to anyone else but it sure was for me!

This time at Harvey Cedars has been such a refreshment and I know it was where God wanted me. At present, I cannot disclose some of the reasons but there are several and it's ALL GOOD! There are endless possibilities and I'm excited at what God can do with a person like me. We were taught to live dangerously on edge for God, and that is one thing I hope to learn to do! That will build trust and help me to grow.

Sharon and I watched the sunrise 4 mornings out of the 6. Two of them were cloudy/rainy so we didn't go out then. That was an awesome time of walking the beach, hearing the waves crash, hearing the gulls, looking for seashells, talking to God, listening for Him to speak, reading His Word, and just being still.

The food was great every day. It was so wonderful not to have to cook and to get to eat 3 square meals every day! I loved it! It tasted better than last year or maybe I was just more grateful this year to have food without cooking it myself!

We hit the beach right after lunch most days. One day we went to Barnegate Light. We spent hours on the beach most days. I did boogie boarding most of the time. I just love the thrill and the challenge to get the wave right. I don't need to pay to go to Hershey Park for a thrill when I can boogie board for a thrill! The last day the waves were brutal! The tide was so strong that when it washed ashore you got knocked over sometimes and then as it went back out to the ocean, it took you out with it unless you were bracing yourself with all your might! I saw kids going back and forth like pendulums and I saw grown men falling, that is how strong it was. And, planted my feet in the sand at least 12 inches and I still got sucked up and drug with the tide sometimes! I was a bit scared to boogie board in those waves but I just didn't go out very far, I stayed in towards the shore. But, another day there was a guy who was kind enough to teach me how to catch the waves out farther. It is much harder to do but so rewarding when you get it right because you get a much longer ride then!

I wrote 3 poems while at Harvey Cedars. One was written on the beach, at least part of it. I had not written poems on the beach for years! The one is a song.

I had a really good time with my mentors/2nd family! We had some lively discussions and I was very encouraged.

We went to yard sales Saturday morning. Didn't get much but it was a nice time.... I like seeing other people's junk! LOL!

My head is just about falling down...soooooo sleepy. Hopefully it won't be as long til the next time I write!

Relaxation......Piano.....Phone calls...New friends...

This has been a different week for me. I have vowed to make my schedule less busy and because I plan so far on ahead, it has taken me weeks to have it go into effect. But, now I have 1 Tuesday off from shelter in a month. And, I am not planning things Thursday evenings anymore, that's my stay at home night. Once choir is over then I might do something Thursday nights occasionally except when there's church then I will try to make it to church Wednesday nights. I had a very good time with my cousin. In my last post I think I posted what I did up til Wednesday. I had picked up Junise and we went swimming and then baked chocolate creamcheese cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies. I gave her some to take home and the rest I am taking to a church fellowship dinner. Then in the evening I had a choir engagement so I took them both along to listen to us. Then I got a scratchy voice and an annoying cough that I've had ever since. Well, today was the first that I have felt like it's almost gone.

Sunday I was going to go to Ricket's Glen with some friends but the heat irritates my cold and I was coughing so much that I decided not to go. I was told it's supposed to be the hottest day of the year, plus it rained some too. I missed some gorgeous scenery but I would have been miserable hiking in the rain with this cold. So Karena went home because I took her to her church.

Now this week was kinda interesting.....not in a good way. I got a phone call from someone that I thought alot of and got treated as a child and scolded and told the same thing three times in a row. It was from a professing Christian and was done in a very unprofessional manner. I mean it was not a tone of "I'm sorry but I have to be firm" but it was a tone of "YOU ARE A PAIN IN THE BUTT AND IF YOU MESS UP ONE MORE TIME YOU ARE HISTORY". I was in tears when I got off the phone with him. I hate conflict and I hate when someone is mad at me. The guy is a chaplain/counselor and that is the last kind of person I would expect to be so rude and inconsiderate.

So, that day was a rotten day and it made me so sad I came pretty close to puking. I was not that depressed in a LONG time. But after I talked with some others and they all assured me that I should not take it personal, he just had a "bee in his bonnet" like maybe he had a bad day and was taking it out on me. My version is that he must have had PMS but I know that's impossible......but one friend suggested that I should have handed him a MIDOL pill bottle, maybe had would have gotten the hint!

Another thing that has me down is that we need volunteers so bad for the shelter right now. We are down to the bare basics, scraping by but barely! Why are there not more people interested in witnessing for Jesus? It's the least you can do after what all Jesus did for us. I mean, it's not near as bad as having to go to Africa! Or Haiti for that matter! I think some people think you have to be super spiritual or know the Bible by heart or something like that but we invite people who are timid by personality and they end up liking it eventually and start coming out of their shells. I would have laughed in the face of anyone who had told me I would become the girl's group leader someday but now it's as natural for me as breathing, well almost, and I enjoy it. The part I don't enjoy is when we are so low on volunteers:(

Last night we had a program (the choir) and I had to miss it because of my cold. Sure spited me but my voice was too weird yet and after a song or so I have to cough alot. I would have embarrassed myself. So I stayed home. It was a relaxing time of talking on the phone with friends. I am not used to that, I'm used to performing and completing lists and constantly working. It is so sweet to learn to relax and actually take time to talk to friends. And, to take time to play the piano. There for a few weeks I was stuck on the one song because I was gone every evening and never had time to practice it except on the weekends and even then hardly. When I did have time, Sharon was always in bed so I didn't dare plunk on my piano! Sigh! But last week when I had those days off I practiced alot and amazed myself and got two songs done. Now last night I took time as well as tonight to learn another song. Now I'm ready for the second one for this week. It's so much more fun when you practice!

So tonight I actually have time to blog, imagine that! And, I should be writing a few letters as well. I also have a friend who wishes to talk to me so.....I shall keep relaxing and taking it easy in general.

Oh, and this Saturday I am going to a concert. It is featuring Will Stoltz and Breakthrough and the Smoker family from Haiti. It is to benefit them. I am SOOO looking forward to it. Will Stoltz is an ex-Amish who made it to Nashville. Isn't that astonishing that he got accepted there. I think it's absolutely cool! His voice is so rich, I love it. He sings Country (only clean songs with good morals) and also Country Gospel. I am not a big fan of Country music, it gets too twangy for me and repetitious but he is an exception, he's wonderful! Breakthrough is good too, I always enjoy them. Sunday lunch I have a fellowship meal at church. Then Sunday night I have another singing engagement with the choir. So my whole weekend is planned out.

Well, that's all for now folks!

Blissful Days

This week is a WONDERFUL week! My boss went on vacation today at noon, so I got off at noon today. I did some much needed shopping. I have off the rest of the week. It is such a treat. My cousin Karena is staying with me for the week. It's fun having someone else around for something different.

Saturday I was at a mystery supper. I had never been at one before, neither had I ever heard of one. There were four rounds. It was all about solving a mystery. There were 20 people taking part, plus a moderator and a butler. And, of course, there were cooks and waitresses. My name was Terry Underwood and I was a Broadway Script writer. I love acting out things. We started the first round, the we had hors'devoures and then another round and then main course and another round and dessert and another round. Neither of us had the right answer guessed at the end. I would definitely do it again, it was great fun. I was to dress smart and attractive but plain and simple. So I wore a black skirt and a bright aqua shirt and black boots and put my hair in a bun at the nape of my neck and wore black shoes that lace up like boots. Also, I wore dress-up glasses, ones that were huge and black rimmed.

Sunday I was at a gang supper but alot of the girls were not present and I got bored so a couple of us came back and we spent the evening at my house. We watched some Laura and Mary Ingalls films.

Monday I took "my kids" to the Crayola Factory. All 3 of them. Also, since I got my cousin on Saturday, she was along. It was certainly a blessing to have someone else along to help take care of the kids. What a stressful thing it would have been otherwise. Evan especially takes off so fast. Like a blink of an eye he is moved to a totally new place and it's hard to keep track of him. Karena is 12 and she took care of Lyla alot. Lyla is 18 months old. Reece the 6 year old disappointed me. I thought he would do some coloring. I mean, for pete's sake this is a crayon factory. Yet he didn't do any of the projects that were there for hands on. There was a place to make puppets, a place to color pages of nice things, a place to make sun catcher pictures, and other stuff as well. There was even a place to draw with chalk. So disappointing that he didn't want to do any of that. I was actually afraid he would not even do anything fun. But, we found the water canel museum part where they have you put boats in the water and you open and close the locks. Reece loved that so much he wanted to do it again. We also found the place where there are glowing markers to write on the wall with. And, a place to dance and make motions and there were special lights to make odd things happen on the wall, activated by how you moved. All the kids really liked that. The drive was 2 hours away, so we spent alot of time on the road too. I got so sleepy coming home that I considered pulling over. It was dangerous, the sun was shining in so warmly that I could hardly stay awake. But thank God He brought me safely home.

Tomorrow I plan to pick up Junise and take my cousin and her swimming. We first will probably stop at the Tanger outlets but after that we'll pick up Junise and go swimming. Next we plan to come back and bake. Junise is a girl that I met at the shelter and we kept in contact since she's out. She has been begging me to bake with her. She loves my baked items and she wants to learn to make them as well. Then I will take her to her appointment and do some things at home that need to be done. In the evening we have our first choir program.

Thursday I plan to houseclean my bedroom. I also have a junky dentist appointment in the afternoon. Yuck! I suppose it must be done....sigh!

Friday I am planning to help a widow in Carisle.

Oh, what a lovely lovely week this is!

Virginia

Wow, has it really been so long since I wrote?! Time is always a mystery to me, how it flies so quickly and you there’s no way to recall a moment that went by.
So much is happening…….never a dull moment, never a second of idleness. You know, I wonder sometimes if all this rush is worth it? Really, do I need to rush around and get so much done? Wouldn’t I be just as happy, even happier if I was less stressed out and took more time to relax and enjoy life? But, then instead of getting stressed from trying to get things done then I’d get stressed out from seeing the work undone. Being single, and having a full time job of up to 51 hours a week and having to do your own cooking and shopping and cleaning and mowing just doesn’t leave extra time for relaxing. Not to mention piano lessons every Monday night, shelter volunteer work every Tuesday night, choir every Wednesday night, Quartet singing one Thursday a month, and family night every Friday night. Weekends I either have parties at my house or go away and hang out with friends and I have a Bible study at my house about every other weekend. So, am I busy enough? What can I cut out? I love every activity I am involved in. At the same time I am burning out, because I am burning both ends of the candle and it’s a bit crazy. My boss has a week off in July and I pray that they go on vacation because then I probably will have a few days off (paid) and I sure would LOVE to get some things done.
Anyway, this past Saturday Sharon Martin and I went to Richmond Virginia to see our friend Amy. Sure had a good time. I was away from home so I was not around my work so I had to relax. We stayed at a nice motel. I am used to Super 8 and Days Inn so staying at Country Inn & Suites was a treat. They had breakfast included. That consisted of waffles, French toast, sausages, eggs, gravy & biscuits, bagels, English muffins, yogurt, pastries, cereal & milk, and juice. It was different every day but boy it was nice. I’m used to cereal all the time so that was a treat. The place also had free wi-fi. Awesome!
I did a lot of shopping in Virginia. I had a blast finding bargains. There was a Goodwill that I found some clothes I was pleased with. I got a lot of goodies from Big Lots. We went fabric shopping and I got four pieces to make dresses. One is a royal purple piece, I will enjoy making. It looks like it should be a wedding dress, it looks like royalty.
I saw the James River and the history of it. Also saw a place where there is a triple crossing of train tracks. They say that is the only triple crossing in the world.
The best part of all was spending time with Amy of course. I got to see her apartment and her mom and her apartment as well, and I got to meet her sister and family at church. So it was a great trip.
Tomorrow (Saturday) I have to work.  I love my job but it’s just that added pressure that I won’t get done what I normally get done on a Saturday. Sigh! I will have to mow when I get home and then I have a church picnic to go to. I am looking forward to the picnic but I have to make food to take along and I don’t know when I’ll have time to do that!
Well, that’s all for now.

Beautiful Summer is here

Today is Memorial Day. Ah, beautiful summer! I have no had a Memorial Day off since I was in school, and even then I didn't really have "off" because the school picnic was then. When I worked at King's Impressions and Sylvia's Quilts they always had open and I was stuck there. So LALALALALALALALALA! It's awesome to have like other people! A three day weekend, imagine that! Yummy!

Today was busy though, like my day off always goes. I was shopping for 4 hours......and I wished it would not take so long. It always takes longer than what I plan for it to take. I had to get groceries, there was alot that we were out of. My roommate and I have been so busy that we have not had time to cook meals this past while and I decided to make a bunch of stuff and freeze it. I did some of it yesterday and finished it today. I made meatballs for Golden Meatball casserole, I made BBQ Meatballs, Sloppy Joe meat, Chicken Fettucine Alfredo, Pizza Casserole, and Chickenetti. I was hoping to make some potato dishes but I just could not get around to everything:( Having the meat together will help at least.

Today I also did a pile of dishes and some wash. I has at the Salvation Army and I always wash my things before I wear them so I washed what I bought there. I was also at Bon Ton in the mall and Bath & Body. I had a coupon that if I spend $10 then I can get a $13 item for free! I love their eucalyptus spearmint line of stuff so I got 2 candles (they are normally $19.50 each and I got 2 for $20. Then I got the lotion free. I LOOOOVE that scent. I wouldn't mind if my entire house smelled like that, although I suppose it would not be as special anymore then.

I was pleased with what I found at Salvation Army and Bon Ton. I pretty much found everything I was looking for.

Now tonight I am going to Sharon Martin's house for a cookout. Looking forward to that. After all this work it's good for me to leave the house because I drive myself insane with all the work I do. It's so bad I cannot even sit down to eat, I think that I have to be working while I eat and take bites in between whatever I am working at at the moment. So it is good when I am forced to relax and strengthen relationships instead of being a hermit workaholic!

I wish I could shake off this sore throat. I despise it! I have had it for 5 days now. Sometimes it's so raw that I can barely swallow my saliva. I decided not to go to the doc though because I had this exact same problem last year around this time when my family went to KY. I was certain it was strep, although I had never had strep but it just had to be. However, it was not and they did not have anything to give me to help it go away. Just a waste of money. So now I am not going to waste my money again to be told it's not strep. But boy it hurts and I'm SICK of sore throats!

Last night I was supposed to sing for a widow lady and I was really looking forward to that. However, because of her being so frail, she cannot have anyone around her with colds. And, I might be able to reach the notes but I would have most likely ended up in a coughing fit so I wouldn't have went. Instead I ended up going to a different widow lady with my family and Sharon Martin. Pat James loves to play Rummicube and do we, so we played that. She has the most gorgeous property that her husband built for her when he was living. We sat outside on her deck to play. Then we ordered subs and oh, boy, they were so very good!

I was supposed to have a music lesson today too but I didn't because of Sharon's party. I will have a double one next time. I actually did my music well this time but I will know it extra well for next week now I guess!

Ugh, the house smells like garlic because I am putting garlic in everything I'm making! I do not relish the scent. However, I like the good taste it puts in everything. So I hope the smell soon goes away.

This next week is not as pitifully busy. I have shelter on Tuesday nights, choir on Wednesday night and Thursday night I'm home and Friday night is family night. Saturday is Aunt Pat's sale. I plan to be there all day. That should be interesting.

Well, it was long since I've written.....I'll try not to let it go that long again!

Cinco de Mayo

This morning I had off so I got up at 8AM and got ready for the day and went down for breakfast. I had this feeling I would meet my boss in the elevator. It was a strong feeling. Slightly off because they weren't in the elevator but they were just outside of it, ready to go for breakfast. I went with them even though I had off because it's so boring to eat by yourself anyway. They make very good french bread and I had fresh pineapple and papaya and watermelon. They always have cheese and bologna out and that's very good too. I love their papaya juice. I was drinking that like crazy and then Dexter killed some of my joy of reveling in the fact that I'm being healthy by saying they definitely add sugar to their juices. Sigh:( I probably gained weight on this trip, I don't even want to know:(

After breakfast I went out on the beach and sat on a beach chair that wasn't broken-gotta watch for that because some of the backs are broken and you can only lay down on them- under a manmade thing that resembles a palm tree but has more shade than a palm tree. I lay there and read my Bible for a very long time, sipping a virgin strawberry margarita at the same time. I am currently on a plan to read the Bible in a year (with a chronological Bible) and it ends June 9 and I was trying to finish it on this trip because I wanted to go onto some deeper studies. I always get tired of what I'm doing and need to change it to keep it interesting. A year with the same plan is a long time for me. I have several study work books to work and I need to start floating around with those again. I like the Bible in a year plan because you have to read it every day because if you skip some then you have to read a few a day to catch up. I like to get through the whole Bible. But I don't like how I don't take time to ponder things deeply very often because I have to read pretty much every day. With Study guides/workbooks, I get to dig deep and ponder different things so I'm ready for that again. So I ready my Bible for awhile and got a lady drink waitress to take my picture as I lay on my chair reading and sipping! It is not easy for me to go up to strangers and ask a favor. I really don't like to bug anybody. But I really wanted a picture of me with the Caribbean behind me so I asked a complete stranger sitting on a chair in the sun to oblige me. She was very sweet and did an excellent job of capturing the pose exactly the way I wanted it. I meandered farther away then down the beach and asked another complete stranger to take a picture of me one the rocks and by a palm tree. I stood there awhile til I got up the nerve. Don't know what my problem is, everyone was very nice and quick to jump up and do it. As I had sat reading my Bible I thought about how interesting it is that I could totally block out their loud rock music they were playing over at the pool and concentrate on my Bible. If I don't like music that is playing, I can usually block it out that well that I cannot tell you later if anything at all was playing even. But if you turn on some praise songs or any other songs I like, it is pretty much impossible for me to concentrate on anything at the same time because I have to get involved somehow in the music. I was planning on swimming one last time in the Caribbean but time flew and after all that relaxing under the tree I had to get up to my room and be ready for the children to come take their naps with me.

I was up in my room by 1, I didn't eat lunch because I just wasn't hungry and I hate to eat when I'm not hungry. So I picniked a bunch of pictures as I waited on the children. If only I had known they wouldn't come til 1:45 I would have gone swimming:( I assumed I'd take the children swimming after their naps but........they had been in the water all morning pretty much Heather said so that was the end of that. They slept 2.5 hours for me. I was able to have fun on my computer in the meantime. After they woke up at 4:30pm I let them play a little in my room then took them down near the pool. I did not have their stroller or any sunscreen or the key to their room. By the way, the keys freak me out. They have a little chip in them and you just scan the chip on the door sensor and it lets you in. Makes me think of the mark of the beast. Anyway, so I took them down and we sat under a tree and they played in the sand. I made them stay in the shade. I struck up a conversation with an older couple and found out they are from Summerset County. They were very nice people. If only I'd make more efforts to be outgoing, I'd learn to know more nice people like them. Evan suddenly smelled very rancid so I went to take him to my room to change him. He had diarrhea which explains the rancid smell and guess what, he had gotten it on his shirt and pants:( I had nothing to put on him. I did not know how long it would be til I saw his parents so I decided to go ask for a room key at the front desk. The elevators said they were being serviced ( I actually understood the Spanish writing) and we were on the 5th floor so it was down the steps holding Lyla. Huff! Puff! The lady did not give me a problem like I'm sure they would have back home. She didn't ask questions but nicely gave me an extra key for their room, she didn't even ask me what number my room is. So, up the stairs again.......all of them........this time to the 6th floor. And of course to come down again.........why did the elevators have to be serviced over the time I would have used them the most:( Bad timing!

Just as I came outside I saw my boss waiting.......looking for me. They sat down with me at the tables to help get food for the children, then they were going to leave and go off by themselves. But......the food looked so good that they ended up eating with us!

This is Mexico's Independence day. I thought it might be a huge celebration but I didn't see alot of extra stuff going on here anyway. Who knows what happened in other parts of Mexico. For dinner though they had a very nice way of doing things. They set up nice round tables all by the pool, all around the pool. They had bright tablecloths on, stripes of rainbow colors that are typical of Mexican things. They set up serving tables as a buffet with gobs and I mean gobs of food! The tablecloths on those were white on top with skirting of red, white, green which are the flag colors. They had a few flags stuck around in the flowerbeds. They had loud music playing, maybe their patriotic songs, I don't know because it was in Spanish.

I put the children to sleep in my room. I got tired of singing and they just weren't going to sleep so I put on Little Friend of Garments of Praise (which is on my computer) and they very soon went to sleep. I packed my stuff and then the parents came back to take the children to their room.

The children are really growing on this trip. Lyla started walking on her own while here. I started making up my own words to the tune of "Are you sleeping Brother John" and I'd stop in the middle of they tune and Evan would continue with the correct words but on this trip when I did that he sang the tune and made up his own words and they made sense and were perfectly in rhythm! A water bottle I got out of the fridge made a crackly noise and in her dear little voice with the perfect intonation of a grown up, Lyla asked, "What happened?". She now says, "I want water". The little girl is only 16 months and all these new things happening at once! Evan is acting more grownup and smart like Reece. Yesterday he was trying to get into the stroller (it's a double decker and he sits in the bottom) and he kept falling out as he was trying to get in. It looked so funny so I laughed out loud. He said, "That's not funny!" So I said, "I'm sorry but it's funny on my end!" He said, "Well, it's not funny on MY end!" So grown up, that's the type of comeback Reece would give. I just love watching these children grow up. It's a joy! They're so cute to begin with, and then with their cute little actions I just want to love on em as much as I can. Even though they are so bratty at times............I can't help but forgive them.

Well, I guess this is the last Mexico letter. Tomorrow we leave the resort at 9:15. Dunno when I will get home.

Cancun Mexico, Adventura Mexico

The resort we are in now is an exclusive resort. We had to get escorted in where they opened the gate and it locked behind us. So it's very safe. There's a bunch of personal houses here and then the huge resort. It's wonderful. This place is kid friendly. The Cancun place wasn't really. Tonight it said it was "celebrate kid's day" so they had an outdoor movie right on the beach. We sat on reclining beach chairs (mine was broken so it was very uncomfortable-it was either lay down completely or sit up like a soldier) and the ocean waves were crashing behind us, only several feet away. They had a gigantic white flag that they projected the movie on. It was one you saw already I'm sure: Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs. We ate popcorn and they had fries and roasted marshmallows too, but by the time we got out they had only popcorn left. So anyway, this was an experience I've never had, watching a movie outdoors and then with the awesome ocean right behind me.

I tell you what, this place is unbelievable. Because the resort is all inclusive, you get all your meals here and drinks, already paid for. So I can go up to the counter anytime of day and as often as I wish and ask for any drink that they have, whether it be beer, mixed drinks, sodas, or water!!!!!! I can eat at the buffet as much as I want and it's already paid. My boss acted like this place is considerably cheaper than the Cancun place, and here we have all the food and drink we want already included. There is a fridge in my room with sodas and water and juice and I can just take it. Seems too good to be true. Only thing though is that internet is not free here:( I feel kinda guilty that my boss had to pay for it. I told her she doesn't have to but she did anyway. They are so good to me, I surely feel unworthy of it.

Dexter noticed I'm getting some stares since I'm a Mennonite. I didn't notice. I don't feel like I stick out like I used to. But I do stick out because I have the veiling. He said they probably never see Mennonites here. Mennonites go to Cancun alot but probably not Adventura. I guess I don't mind stares to the point that I don't even notice them anymore because I am very happy with who I am in Christ and very confident that I am where He wants me to be so I really couldn't care less if I look like a stranger and pilgrim. Funny how the fear of man is dissapating. I know I have a long ways to go but I am improving at least! At one time I would never have been comfortable here!

The pool here is awesome! The bar is right against the pool so all you have to do is get out and walk about 1yard to the bar and you can get martinis, pina coladas, daquiris, beer, whatever you want (all for free) and enjoy it while in the pool! Even the kids were drinking in the pool! There is a ledge to set your drinks on and seats submerged in the water so you can sit in the water and drink at the "table" if you wish! I had a virgin pina colada. Another experience I never had before, drinking in a pool!

I hope to watch the kids for a half day on this vacation so my boss can go snorkeling together. I wish they'd go off by themselves more. I feel uncomfortable when we're all together and they both have a kid in their hand because I was brought along to help, not to just enjoy myself. I know they want me to enjoy myself and have some alone time and I appreciate it, but I can't fully enjoy it just knowing that I came here for them, not for me! Know what I mean? But I guess if God gives me good things through them then I should enjoy it and not feel guilty, eh?

I do hope I get to witness to someone or touch someone while I'm here. Lord knows I'm willing, I told Him so. I am trying to be alert, it's kinda hard when you're being alert to watching the kids! Evan runs off like you wouldn't believe, the little rascal. I could get dizzy just running after him. Because his acting like this makes my boss nervous to let me with both because she'd feel bad if she was off having fun and something happened to one of them. Then I in turn feel bad because I don't enjoy being thought of as "incapable"! But this is a strange place and alot of people and if a kid disappears.........LORD help! It will make me nervous, I'll admit! But I want to do it and I believe God will help me keep them together and safe. But anyway, I hope that someone at least sees the reflection of Jesus on my face.
Today we went swimming in the morning. I just don't know how I will stand PA pools again. This water here is how it should be, like bath water. Even at night when the sun goes down you can swim and it's bath water temp. I love it! It doesn't take me nearly so long to get wet as it does in PA water! After swimming we went to some Mayan ruins. They explained how the Mayan calendar was how it will end in 2012. He talked about a movie called Apocolypto.....my boss had already seen it. She said it was a very disturbing movie but a very good one and that I should see it. On the kids who were to be royalty, when they were babies they put some kind of board crown around their heads as babies so that their brain would grow up instead of make their head bigger in diameter! Interesting, huh?! That way it was kind of a rounded point head, the kind that wear crowns, not hold baskets & buckets, etc. Was very interesting. We saw down over a cliff, the Caribbean Sea, which is what we've been swimming in. There was a way to get down and some folks were swimming in it. I just took pics so we could move on. There were a few shops in the beginning where we started out so we got back in time to shop a tiny bit before the van came to pick us up. I bought 2 Mayan dresses, a black one and an aqua one. I wanted so badly to get a white one but I already bought a beautiful cream skirt and the aqua was a most gorgeous shade. These are the guys you haggle with. I wish I had had more time. I love haggling!:) I know that sounds Mennonite but I'm being honest!:) I saw a bunch of guys dressed up as warrior Indians/Mayans, with lots of paint on their bodies. I innocently went toward them taking a pic and they came up to me and wanted to take their pic with me. My boss informed me that they'll charge to do that. It was only $5 so I let them. So now I have 2 good pics of me among some VERY wild looking men! Kinda fun anyway!

Then we got back and my boss and I went swimming in the ocean. Dexter stayed in the room with the children and Heather and I had a good time together. The different restaurants here are all inclusive so no matter where you go and what you order, there's no charge. So we found a fancy restaurant, it's amazing children were allowed because there's a dress code for grownups, men have to wear long pants and ladies be dressed up.....dresses I think. There were very fancy tablecloths, a double one in fact with the solid off setting the print, and wine goblets and water goblets and waiters in vests and anyway, just very ritzy. We barely sat down and the children started acting up. So Dexter took Lyla outside. He was out pretty much and when he came in she acted up and then Evan acted up and soon Dexter was out there with both. I would have gladly went out instead, after all, I am the nanny. But this trip was a big bonding thing for the kids with their parents and it would have made a bigger scene if I had insisted on taking them out. Evan is a wild cat, totally out of control, more and more like his brother Reece. He will not listen for anything at all (when I ask him) on this trip. For the first time in his life he has all kinds of one-on-one time with Daddy since Reece didn't come along. He has him all to himself, it's as though he's the big brother now and he gets all the privileges. And Daddy's here all day instead of evening! So he really bonded with Daddy and I am dung to him if Daddy's around. He will NOT hold my hand, but go flying the opposite way! GRRRRR! So frustrating. Little brat!:( how can I help if he does that and makes a HUGE scene if I try to get him so his parents can have a break?????? Lyla bonded with Mommy, like really tight even to the point Daddy isn't good enough. Usually Daddy was the daytime fav and Mommy the night time fav. But now it's Mommy forever!!!!!!!!! So how can I help? I can't, unless the parents are out of their sight. Not at all what I planned, anyway.

So, now I should get to bed. Lyla is sleeping in my bed already. Dexter and Heather are going snorkeling tomorrow by themselves so I will be dressing the children and taking them for breakfast and swimming with them and playing in the sand and maybe go on a walk, whatever I can get done before their parents get back. Then I will have the other half of the day free. I plan to go swimming in the ocean and also in the pool that's not for the kiddies and maybe sit out under the trees by the beach on a reclining beach chair and sip drinks and read. I'm gonna milk the day for all its worth anyway! Carpe Diem!

Today I had the children by myself from 8AM til 3pm. Heather and Dexter went snorkeling. They said later that it was very much fun and they really felt it was worth their money. The Mexicans are very laid back and Mexican time seems to be 30 min. behind schedule at times. They have their siestas from 1-3 every day. They actually leave work and go home and rest/sleep for 2 hours. What is wrong with Americans, why can't we adapt to that! I'm all over that!!!!! LOL! But they have it so hot that it's no wonder they do that. No wonder they are so healthy, they let their food digest. They serve smaller portions than Americans do. I like their way of doing things when it comes to that. Is it any wonder you don't see many fat Mexicans? So anyway, back to their snorkeling.....they went to a lagoon and they also snorkeled in a cave with stalagmites and stalactites. There weren't anything but plain fish in there but they saw lots of beautiful fish and other life outside of the cave. I just don't know if I could do that. I think maybe I could snorkel but I don't believe I'll ever agree to scuba diving.

So while they were snorkeling....I had the children. They had room service breakfast the parents had gotten for them that I helped them finish eating. I was going to order room service for myself then chickened out because I didn't know what all is available to order so I went to one of the restaurants. It's an adventure trying to push two children in a stroller and order an omelet and try to carry back a plate full of food and a cup of juice all at the same time! I made it. Then as I sank into my chair to eat, Evan insisted he was hungry and wanted food. After that long procedure it took to get mine, even though I wanted all of mine I gave some to him. I wasn't interested it getting up again. They have different fruit juices here and I like to try them all and the one I got this morning I did not read the label til I already had my juice. It was watermelon juice. Now I love watermelon but the juice by itself is not something I like and I would have never gotten it if I had read the label. I know I'm finicky:( What's the dif between just the juice and watermelon itself. I dunno but that's just me. I was extremely impressed when on my way out a boy (probably between 11-14) looked behind him and held the door open for me to exit. I was a piece away so he had to wait. There was steps and there was no way I could have held the door open and maneuvered the stroller out at the same time. God bless him! His mother must have taught him well.

After eating, we went to the pool. I had a little talk with Evan before he got in. I explained to him how very important it is that he doesn't run away or do things where I can't see him. He was a very subdued little boy and very obedient. Lyla was good too. She even got brave enough to walk around in the pool. This little girl only started walking by herself on this trip and I was proud of her that she was daring enough to walk around in the kiddie pool. We were out for 3 hours. Then I realized it was 1pm and time for lunch. Lyla fell asleep in the stroller
while I waited for the hamburgers to be fresh off the grill. So Evan and I ate and we went up to the room for a nap. I had to sing quite a bit for Evan to go to sleep and Lyla didn't sleep long but woke up and it took forever to get her back to sleep. I actually ran out of the usual songs and had to sing some of them 3 times til they slept! They were only wearing diapers because the cleaning ladies were in the parent's room when I was ready to bathe and change them out of their swimmers. So I bathed them in my room and put them in my bed under the covers.

After the parents came back I went outside and swam in the pool for a long time. There was some dancing going on on the one side so I watched that for awhile. It wasn't disgusting dances for seducing but just a fun water dance. Then swam in the Caribbean Sea for awhile. It was very clear today. When we first got here the wind was so boisterous, hence the smashing waves and cloudy frothy water. But today it was clear and I could avoid stepping on the patches of squishy seaweed. I'm always afraid I'll step on something that will bite or sting. After that I went to the steamy hot tub. It felt delicious! Then back into the pool. I liked how the waiter/waitress come around and ask if you want anything to drink, you don't even have to get up and get it yourself. And they're always coming around collecting the cups that are lying around the edge of the pool. Juices are so refreshing when you're in the hot sun! Next I washed my hair and the plan was to go sit under a palm tree near the beach and let it dry and read my Bible and some other books I had along. But my pride wouldn't let me:( I didn't want to get sandy since I had just bathed and I had a clip in my hair that looks really silly and I didn't feel like being seen looking like a freak! So I sat on my balcony for awhile then in my room and put my pics on the computer awhile.

One of my friends mentioned that I didn't say anything about food yet. Tonight we ate at still a different restaurant. El Ranchero was the name I think. I had a chicken fajitah with black beans. I also had salad with chicken and onions in it and then a chocolate cake for dessert. It was very good. A few days ago I had the same thing for dinner. Last night we ate at an Italian/Mediterranean restaurant. I had chicken alfredo. Minestrone soup for the appetizer and chocolate dessert for dessert. They do not make the alfredo with chicken but I asked of they could put some in for me. Was so very good. Not quite like Olive Garden but very good in its own way. Their breakfasts here are good. I always go to the buffet, it's like a mini shady maple. I can get omelets made or there's a whole slew of food to pick from. Even plantains in a syrup! There's fresh fruit here, I'm loving that! Fresh papaya is really special because I don't get that back home! I remembered how to say "Please no Picante" in Spanish but haven't had to say it yet because I haven't seen that they put it in anything that we've eaten so far. I've learned that french bread is coated in sugar. It seems to be a thick toasted bread coated in maybe butter and brown sugar and then you put syrup on it. At home we just mix milk and egg and bake it and put syrup on. This way that they make it is better, and by far the more calories so I'm not going to adopt their way on that if I can help it!

Tomorrow is Cinco de Maya and that is their Independence day. So we'll see if they do any celebration. People have been telling us that's a big day for the Mexicans so I bet we'll see something. Tonight they had a big show that we missed because we were eating. It was something with fire batons and a bunch of tribal drums. We could hear the drums in the restaurant and as I peered out and saw some tribal headdress.....I wondered if there was evil in their celebration or just remembrance of how they used to dress. I guess I know the Indian culture has alot of bad spirits/demons connected with rituals, etc. they used to do so I never trust Indian things very well. I'm sitting on the balcony as I write this and seeing a few stars.....I wonder if I can find the Big Dipper.......gonna look for it when I'm done typing.

Tomorrow I get the morning off. It's Dexter's birthday and he's going to the spa to get a facial. Then I'm on duty from lunch on I think. There's a pool area for just adults that I know they want to go to, as well as a restaurant.

Parties, Trips, Children

Well, this weekend was fun and full. Saturday I had to get up by 7:15AM because the township guy came to do something with the water meter. I usually sleep in so I was not very impressed that I had to get up that early. I did the mowing, looks like I'll be doing that for the next several weeks because my room-mate is on a planting crew and isn't home much. Then she'll mow for me for several weeks in a row. I borrowed my parent's mower so I could do it without getting sick afterward. Our mower is not self propelled and I get so exhausted to the point of nausea when I use it and I couldn't stand the thought of doing that several weeks in a row.

Tomorrow I have a Pampered Chef party. I can't wait.....I will be seeing people I have not seen for a long long time. Rosene Burkholder, Bena, Marylou.....and more! I am anticipating a very lovely time. I was dreading the party because I had a hard time getting the house prepared. I have been the only one doing any bit of cleaning for awhile now and then with the mowing all to myself and I was gone every night last week............but now I am prepared and looking forward to it.

Church was awesome this morning. I love Sunday school and one of the things about it that I love is how the ladies share about what is going on in their lives, like prayer requests, etc. Duane preached and it was a very good sermon. I am so grateful for a church who cares about eachother, I always feel so welcome and cared about in my church.

This afternoon I slept 2.5 hours, much needed. And tonight I visited Jake's family. It was wonderful to see his little wee ones again. It has been long and they are so adorable. Tryanna doesn't remember me but the other 2 do.

I can't believe that in less than a week I will be in Mexico, Lord willing, for a whole week! We leave Friday and come back next Thursday. I am looking forward to it. I hope the Lord uses me to be a witness to those that I meet. I hope and pray that I am ready for any appointments He gives me. I must be alert at all times. We will be in Cancun at the resorts where people go on honeymoons! Imagine, I may not be on a honeymoon but I'll get to experience to resort! That's one thing that's cool about being single, you get to travel! And it's cool being a nanny because you get to go on trips with them and have a blast and not pay for anything! Sure I have to watch the children but hey, they're having fun so they are little angels......well as long as you don't coop them up in the hotel room because then they want to watch tv constantly!

That's all for now. Next time I will be writing about the Mexico trip!

The Usual.....

Here's a song that Will Stoltz sings that I really like. I often think of the song "What a beautiful day for my Lord to come again" and this song is kinda similar.

Long Expected Day
Oh, long expected day begin,
The night has been so long;
Our weary souls are waiting now,
As watchmen for the dawn.

How long oh, Lord, must we hold on
And cry these earthly tears,
Til we look up and in the clouds
You suddenly appear?

Chorus: Oh, long expected day, begin,
With shouts of joy, and glad amens,
When ev’ry eye beholds Your glorious face,
On that long expected day!

Lord, haste the day when You make new
The heavens and the earth;
And then at last we breathe the air
That’s free from Eden’s curse!

For now we trust, we hope, we pray
As we walk through days so dark;
Your promises remain our strength,
And we will not lose heart!

This week was pretty normal. Thursday night I sang in my little quartet at the Cocalico home. I love our little quartet. You see, I have all this music inside me that just has to come out or I WILL GO CRAZY! It's my favorite way to worship God. I don't blame Paul and Silas for singing in jail. I would too! Probably not the kinda songs they sang though. LOL! I can imagine they sang praise songs and I would probably sing "Oh long expected day" or songs like that but I'm sure I'd sing. Thursday night was sang "Even so Come Lord Jesus" and we sang it will all our hearts, especially on the last verse and I just thought my Lord HAD to come bursting through the clouds to beam His church up to Him! One of my "impossible dreams that I know won't happen" is for my quartet to sing in Israel at the different religious sights that I saw on my 2 times there. I tell you, it was TORTURE not to be able to sing with them there. It's just not the same singing with others you don't know as well. Anyway, enough about singing because I know most of my readers are not singers so this is all a bunch of blah blah shut up stuff!:)

Last night the Heart to Heart Tuesday night shelter group ate out in celebration of another year the Lord let us go into the shelter to witness. I think it's around 7/8 years now, not sure. Seems like forever anyway. I get weary of it every now and then because it's every single Tuesday night and that means I never get to do anything else on a Tuesday night and no matter how full my week is I am away every single Tuesday night. I love being in there though. Some weeks it is a dry group and I think it was just time spent and nothing else. Then there's alot of times I connect with some and make friends and can't wait to go in to see them again. There's a few that write me after they are out of the shelter and that is a real treat. There are 2 I am currently in touch with. I was in touch with a 3rd that I was all excited about and now she won't answer calls or texts and I don't have her address. I am praying we reconnect because she lives in Lancaster and I hadn't seen her for 5 years or so and she just had a baby. I was SOOOOOOO excited to see her and was going to visit her when suddenly she won't answer calls anymore. So frustrating, of the hundreds of girls I met, she was one of the 5 favorites! We had written at least 2 years after she'd gotten out of the shelter.

Well, I hope to have a Bible study tonight but if that falls through then I will certainly go to church. My church has a service and Cornerstone has a service and both are having preachers from White Oak church of the Brethren. But the Bible study comes first because it's been long since we've had one.

Well, bed is calling me.

Of Gems and of Saints

First I will talk about my little gems. I surely am enjoying them at work! Although they do try some shennanigans! Today Reece (5) came to me and informed me that Evan (2) has his diaper and pants taken off. Sure enough, there he was with only his shirt on! Argh! I'm not sure what that was all about! Earlier he had been sticking stuff in his pants in the front and as soon as I saw it I put a stop to it, or so I thought! Then Reece informed me he had put stuff in the back to make his hienie look bigger! LOL!:) So maybe that is why his pants and diaper ended up on the floor. I gave him a good talking to! Today Reece popped the clips off of the door, then ones that hold the window in. So that came off but thankfully didn't break any glass. Evan is starting to sing along a little when I sing to them at naptime. I have certain songs that I sing every naptime and it's quite a long list because I love to sing and anyway, he has started to sing along a little with some of them! He reallly seems to like "Soon and Very Soon we are Going to See the King". Lyla loves when I sing too. I rock her in Evan's room and she falls asleep before Evan. Her little face stares up at me and watches me intently as I sing, until her dear little peepers cannot possibly be forced to stay open any longer! She is such a little doll, I love her to pieces. She is so naughty at times, but so cute you can't stay mad at her long. Her hair is long enough to comb a little now, and she's so cute with things in her hair. I often put little bows and/or clip barrettes in her hair. She loves to pull them out but I am getting across to her that it is NAUGHTY when she does that and she does it less frequently now, maybe 3 times a day instead of 15 times! When she comes to me with it in her hand, she says, "naughty" before I even say anything! Stinker, she knows better! Wednesday I had to leave at 5 sharp and her grandmother and grandfather came to take over. Lyla, as soon as she saw them at the door grabbed ahold of me like a little leech and literally hung on for dear life, as if a snake was after her! She was actually pinching, she was hanging on that tight! Then when her grandma reached to take her, she screamed and held on and her grandma had to literally tear her off of me. It was like a little tick! Oh, how it tore me up to let her there, she must have felt betrayed by me. She never hung onto me so tight before, and I know she loves her grandma. I'm not used to being preferred by her above anyone else! She always leaves me in the dust for her parents, and that is how it should be. But I'll admit it felt good to have her prefer me this once!

I found out that I must be careful what I say to Reece. He is older than his age and because he can talk so much older it's sometimes hard to be careful what you say around him. He understands so much. I mean, he is so childish at times and he bursts into tears sometimes when he as to take out the garbage, etc. But he understands alot in a conversation. Anyway, I don't remember what led up to a discussion the other day but I do know that he asked me what abortion is. So I explained that some mommies take a pill and it kills their baby before it even gets to be born. I don't remember what all I said even. It just seemed natural to tell him because I knew he'd understand. Well, I MUST not be so free in the future. I guess next time I will tell him he has to ask his parents what things mean! Because....the other day his mom was getting a little frustrated at the children and he asked her why she didn't just take the pill when she carried him????!!!!!! Imagine this is from a 5 year old's mouth!!!!!! He is way too perceptive. What other 5 year old would have thought to say that, even if he did understand what abortion is! So the mom warned me to please be careful because next time he might talk about it in school and get other parents and/or pupils upset!!!!!!!!!! Yikes!

There is a continueing problem of disprespect that Reece has. I am working on changing that. It's hard. I constantly have to be creative in punishments, because if I use the same thing alot then he starts not to care! It's exhausting, to keep thinking up new plans/punishments!

Evan is so loveable. Sometimes I think he gets pushed back the most. When Reece doesn't go to school, and even when he does, anytime he's home I tend to focus on him and help him with schoolwork. I started teaching him some music on the computer and today I taught him a song on the keyboard. Poor Evan becomes a nuisance sometimes because he wants to help and of course that means getting into things. He is not to be trusted with markers, crayons, or a pencil as he has a history of trying to create graffiti on walls!!!! So he cries when Reece gets to do things he may not do. Yet when I do help him with numbers on paper, his attention span is so short, it almost isn't worth getting stuff out to help him. But I know he has to start somewhere. I am not a school teacher for this very reason. I tend to spend more time with intellectual people and ignore the ones who aren't as bright. Poor Evan is younger, but beyond that he just is not the BRAIN that Reece is. Yet, even on the days I feel guilty like I didn't spend as much time with Evan as I should have, he comes to me saying, "I need a hug" as I'm going out the door to go home. What a precious child, he loves me anyway! He is a very cute child, so sweet when he wants to be. He's even cute when he cries. He is very gentlemanly sometimes and he is so helpful. But other times I try to get him to pick up toys or get me something and he looks at me so blankly that it's just not worth it, I just go do it myself!!!!

Wednesday night I became a member of Living Water Mennonite Fellowship. Wow, but it feels good. I had to give a testimony, which was not fun at all. People said I didn't appear nervous at all, so for that I am thankful. Rhonda and Steve and their family came, as well as my family and Grandpa Weavers. It was nice to have their support. Most of the church came up to welcome me into the church. It meant alot to me to have people come up and greet me. My dad even gave me a Bible verse from Psalm that he said reminds him of me. That was special.

Well, I have to work tomorrow. This is the second time I'm working on a Saturday for the Girdharrys. They gave me Thursday off so I could work Saturday. Lorelle was supposed to work and she forgot she was going to Iowa. So I'm working instead. It's gonna make my weekend really short but oh, well, that's how it used to be when I worked at King's. I'm still loving that I can work a normal week like others and be able to call Wednesday HUMP day and be able to rejoice when Friday comes.

I don't have to go in til 10 though, so I can't complain! In the evening I have a guinea pig supper to go to. My youth group is having one and the parents are invited. I thought that will be fun. We did not do something like that with the parents for quite some time.

Sunday I have Communion. I'm glad it's not on Easter Sunday. I never liked it on Easter because Easter is supposed to be cheery and I love feeling exhilarated about the Resurrection, not sad and gloomy because of thinking of the pain He endured on the cross! So this Sunday I can dwell on the cross and next Sunday, HALLELUJAH, I can think of the miracle of the empty tomb!!!!!! Thank you Jesus!

Sunny Glorious Days

These last few days have been so beautiful! I love spring! It is hard for me to believe that we might get a snowstorm like they say.......around the 17th. I know it could happen and I love snow....but with this beautiful weather I just want it to stay warm now.

Right now I am reading a book that I would highly recommend to everybody. It's called You Were Born for This by Bruce Wilkinson. I love his books and this one is so fantastic.

A friend I have from the shelter is in contact with me again. I am so excited about it. She had been in years ago and we'd kept in contact for several years, faithfully. Sometimes it would go 3 months til she'd reply, she was so busy with her Pentecostal church. She was a secretary and worked there during the week. She got along well with her foster mom. Then suddenly all communication stopped. I finally sent her a Christmas card and it came back with no forwarding address. I thought she was gone for good. Then about 2 weeks ago I got a letter with a picture of her. She looks the same. She is expecting her first child. I sure hope I can see her soon. She lives in York. God is so good! Can't believe I get to correspond with her again. I missed her so bad!

Another exciting thing is that I am in contact with another girl from the shelter that I had not seen for years or written to for years. She is also a dear friend. She just had her 3rd child. I text her and I've tried to visit her the last 3 months but it just didn't work out, every time I tried she had other plans. Now that she had her baby maybe I will get there soon.

Weeks just fly by. This weather makes it fly faster. On Saturday I was really happy because I was able to hang my wash out and it smelled so good. My whole closet smelled like the outside for the next two days.

Today I reserved my spot at Harvey Cedars Beach Resort for a week in July. I sure can't wait. I love that place and I believe God has some good things in store for my friends and I that week! Bring it on, Father!:)

I would like to go on a week's mission trip this year sometime with my sister. She is interested in Honduras maybe but the thing is I only have 1 week of paid vacation reserved for that and if I go that far I want to spend 2 weeks to make it worth the ticket! I have pray and see what God works out there!

My boss asked me the other day if I'm happy with my job and the pay, etc. I said I sure am, that I feel like I get treated here better than any other job I've had! She said but I haven't been here for 9 years yet! LOL! True, but so far I like it. I get get salary and I'm not sure what it is per hour because there is overtime figured in. But she said she's pretty sure I get ___ an hour and she wants me to be getting____ an hour so she called the paycheck guy. So I just got a raise! I think that God is so good again! I feel so taken care of at this place. I love the children and the job is just exactly what I have always wanted. They give me paid vacation which this is the first time in my life I have that. The pay is good. Praise Jesus!

Well, typing just doesn't go as fast when you're talking on the phone at the same time, which I have been the whole time. So if anything doesn't make sense, credit it to my poor ability to multi-task! LOL!

Valentine's Day & Spas

Last Sunday was a fun day for me. I had a Valentine's Party with a total of 12 guests, well, that included the hostess so technically it as the hostess and 11 guests! I wanted to have 12 place settings so I did! I had fun making the food and I asked several folks to help bring things. When I started making the food, boy was I glad some folks were bringing things, because it was alot of work! I had cheeseburger soup, poppyseed sandwiches, wienners in crescent rolls, crackers and cheese, strawberry danish dessert, chocolate chip cookie dough icecream, and heart shaped cupcakes that I decorated with pink icing and red sprinkles! Oh, and sparkling grape juice. I decorated with the water goblets, the wine goblets, paper plates that were decorated in Valentine's hearts, and I put party favors at each place (a Valentine gift bag with candy in it). I had a rose wrapped around the wine goblets. I had tea lites on the table, lit up nicely. So we had a good time eating. I had an 8' table and also a round table. One guest came when we were just finishing up so we stayed at the table and waited for her to eat. While we did that, we built up eachother's self-esteem! I passed a toilet paper roll around and told them to take some, that we are building up eachother's self esteem. So most took alot, some in the teens and some one girl in the 30's! Then after they took some I said they have to count the squares and say that many nice things about the person on their right! Most made it through! Even though I said they don't have to go above 7! Then we moved into the living room and played "Now you have it now you don't" with gifts, everyone had brought one. I ended up with a nice plaque and some perfume and lotion. Then our guest speaker was Rhonda Hurst and she had an inspiring message for us young ladies! After that we just hung out and talked.

I was away every blessed day this week! What a rat race! Friday night I was at a Pampered Chef party at my aunt's house. That was the first one I was at. It was fun. I actually booked a party.

Saturday I had a spa at my house. What fun! I had a good turnout. I had maybe 12 guests! We got facials and foot massages and backrubs and a good time relaxing. Saturday night I had a Bible study at my house. A very full Saturday but a fun one. This morning I was at church and to Rhonda's house for lunch and part of the afternoon. Then I went to sleep and now it's almost time to leave for the taffy pull!

I have to say something funny that happened to my handrailing at my house. One day last week I was descending the steps and was holding the house phone, talking and suddenly the phone went on down ahead of me! I lost my footing and it went flying! Of course I grabbed the railing and it cracked! Guess it didn't like this hippo's weight! So anyway I skidded down the steps on my butt! LOL! That was the bottom half (I live in a split level house!) So a few weeks ago I had a friend named Junise over. Same thing happened to her, only the rail didn't crack. Well, on Saturday she slipped and skidded again on the top stairs! Then on the landing she got her coat and hat on and started down the bottom steps. I don't think she lost her footing this time but she grabbed hold of the rail and forgot that I had told her it's split! Needless to say she slid down the rest of the way on her butt and she totally splintered the rail, totally severed it apart! Oh, my word, I lost it laughing! She tore a 1.5" hole in her jeans! I had to take her home because she doesn't drive and I am not exaggerating when I say I must have laughed full speed 10 minutes in the car! I don't know if I ever laughed that long! It made my breastbone hurt!

Well, that's all for now, gotta head to the taffy pull!

Snow, Snow, and More Snow!

What a glorious day! What a glorious snowfall! I am so amazed at the snow we had. We got 18" Friday night to Saturday. So Saturday we were snowbound. On Sunday we still had crummy roads but the 222 was clear and we went to church. Sunday school was canceled though. We had a fellowship meal at church. Then I was home til the evening when I went with Janice to Mel's to play volleyball. We had some good games. Some of the folks weren't there because Jolene also had a coffee shop party.

Now, having had 18" of snow over the weekend, Tuesday night into Wednesday we got another approx. 18". It's really hard to tell, because it was blizzard like conditions and such a drifting! Now it's Thursday and the roads are still crummy. I am so glad I have off! They gave me off because they canceled the surgeries for today and both of them are home. Sometimes when they are both at home I still work so this is really a treat to have off.

I started sewing a dress yesterday and I hope to finish it today. Well, I don't have anything else to say.......other than I am practicing piano more than ever now. I want so badly to learn to play chords so I have to work at that.

Well, that's all for now!

A normal week

Well, first let me talk about last weekend. I had Junise (a girl I kept in touch with from the LCYIC) overnight at my house. I had a meeting to do with Heart to Heart and we were planning to sing alot at the meeting and since Junise likes singing, I took her along. Her favorite song is, "Fill up my Cup". She asked us to sing it so we sang it 3x. Junise is a big black girl and she's very sweet. She was in the shelter when she was 19 I believe and I've kept in touch with her ever since. She wants to come over more often and go to church with me. She says she really liked my church and that my church people are more friendly than the Southerners. Now that's a compliment because the Southerners are known to be very gracious people. Soon after lunch I took her home.

The week was a pretty normal one. I have music lessons Monday nights and this time I also went to visit Grandma after the lesson, Tuesday nights is shelter, Wednesday night I was hanging out with friends, Thursday night I forget what I did and Friday night is family night. How's that for a busy week?

This week is not a whole lot better. Except, I think I am at home Thursday night as of now.

I am starting to crochet more. I really like it. I never did it on my own before but Monday night something in me clicked when Grandma did it with me and now I can actually do it on my own. I even finished a row and turned it over and started a new row all by myself. So happy with that little accomplishment! Yay! So now I can do that whenever I have spare time. I am going to try to do some every week.

Last Sunday night I heard a former co-worker talk about Haiti. She and her husband were in Haiti when the quake came. They had a very good testimony and I was really inspired to be grateful for life and know that it was as rare for Haiti to have an earthquake as it would be for PA to have one! It could happen to use too. God help us! Although we are no better than them!

Last night I was going to have a Bible study at my house but then it got changed to next Saturday. So I stayed home and scrapbooked with Sharon Martin. She stayed for the night and we scrapbooked again on Sunday.

So, I don't have anything new to say or anything really astounding. But I like normality, it's a comfort zone that I am okay with!

Back From FL

Well, where do I start? I had a very good time in FL! I had my boundaries stretched! I had my share of tasting wine! I decided I need to stay away from white wine if I'm going to bed soon afterwards! The night I stayed overnight at the Girdharry's since we were leaving so early in the morning.....I had some and boy was I up alot of the night. I could not sleep #1, but #2 I woke up a few times in the night! How frustrating! Then Heather's mom Rebecca said it kept her awake as well! I forgot myself once on the trip and had some again, a different kind but was white as well. Oh, how I had a hard time going to sleep! So I will stick to red wine I guess! Of course, I don't drink more than one goblet glass so it didn't make me at all dippy or anything! I don't want to get dippy either! That's where I draw the line! I was offered beer and of course I won't touch the nasty stuff! I was surprised that they bought it alot in FL and even Rebecca drank it alot! What can I say as long as they don't get tipsy, I guess I can't say anything. I sure won't touch the crap though!

I had different foods. What fun that was! Carribean food, Trinidad food, Cuban food! They tried to get me to eat sushi but I could not bring myself to do it. Raw fish, that is just too gross. I think some of my problem is that I was taught that raw meat can make you very sick and can give you parasites/worms. So why would someone eat raw meat????? I can't understand! When I see someone eating sushi, they might as well go to the fridge and pull out a raw piece of chicken meat and devour it. I am serious, it's all one and the same to me!!!!! Now if they would have offered me some sushi without any raw meat, I would have complied, I think!

We visited Dexter's cousin. My goodness, is she ever a woman of God! I was impressed with her! I had no idea she was going to be a Believer. I was not in the door long and I heard her speak in such a way that it indicated she believed. Right away I thought she's probably just a carnal Christian but the Holy Spirit said to me, "She's one of Mine"! Wow, I was all into her then! We had some good conversation and she said maybe we can be prayer partners. So I took her email and I hope to hear from her soon! It is SOOOOOOO good to get to know other Believers. You know, I think heaven is going to be like that. I think we will constantly be getting to know others up there. What fun it will be to fellowship up there where everyone's motives are 100% pure and everyone is completely honest!

Dexter's cousin made crab soup and alot of other goodies. I ate pretty much all the other Trinidad food but the crab soup I passed up on. It was green like the color of spinach green, and had crabs in it. I could not try it, I feared it would come up before it even went down! Oh, how sissy I am to try seafood!

I think I wrote about the zoo in my last blog. We had the children on the beach some and on the boardwalk. We also had them twice in the kiddie pool. The pools at the hotel were heated. Ah, it was good. The distasteful part was getting out of the pool but other than that, it was great. Never mind the cold air! Lyla fell asleep on me while in the pool. It was so cute. I never heard of a child falling asleep in water!

The last two days we went to the Florida keys. Oh, the price of the rooms we had was $1,000 a day! But we were upgraded due to a mess up on the hotel's part! So we had the luxuries for the normal room price! So cool! Anyway, the Keys are beautiful. We had alot of nice scenery on the way. They celebrate sundown every day so we want to see that. It's kinda like a fair, but much smaller and just a few trick guys performing and some "Green Dragon" type of stands.

We did some shopping but I didn't find anything. Except for a hair barrette. We spent a few hours outside on the beach at the keys. We had only to walk out of our hotel and past the pools and right there was the beach. It was glorious. I got some good shots at the scenery and Lyla fell asleep on me on the beach lounge and ah, I was there for about 3 hours maybe 4, just chilling and relaxing. What tranquility.

It's alot of work taking the kids in and out of carseats all the time. I found that some of our stops I would have preferred to stay in the van with them rather than drag them out of their seats and know I have to put them in again. What a lazy girl. I thought of my married friends and how I can understand why they wait til their husbands are home from work so they can keep the children while they go shop. It wasn't so bad, just alot of work! I should have lost weight but ha, they fed me good on this trip. Perhaps too good!

Well, this week is full now. I got back Sunday at 1AM and had all that laundry to do and lots of mail to go through and all manner of things to catch up on. I had to work Monday but they graciously gave me off today so I could recover from traveling. I think it was to give me a break from the kids but for me it was just as much and more so I could get some things done here at home!

This week I was at a music lesson Monday night. I am going to do piano lessons again. Maybe I will be able to go back to voice eventually but for now I want to learn a little more of piano. I want to be ablet to play chords to any song. Tonight I go to the shelter. Tomorrow night I have church. They are going to review the covenant and church ideals with the applicants. Thursday night I perform in my little quartet, Friday night is family night. Saturday my cousin and aunt are here to go over some info for Karena's school project, Saturday night is a Heart to Heart meeting, Sunday is actually empty. I am going to see if Junise (girl I got to know through being at the shelter) can come and stay overnight and go to church with me. Oh, what a busy life. Seems like I am doomed to a fast paced life. I actually function the best that way though.

Well, that's all for now folks!