It's Been 3 Years!

I guess I must have really slacked off on writing. Yikes,there's no way I'm going to catch up on life after 3 years. Plus, my readers already know what I have going on as I post things on facebook alot. But maybe I'll try writing on here more often than 3 years, just cause I miss it. Right now I'm enjoying the restful part of the day when my daughter is in bed for the night and all is peaceful. I'm looking forward to tomorrow. We plan to give blood at the blood bank at green Dragon. I love giving life. I love that there are smart people out there, smarter than me, that figured out how to take blood from healthy people to help those in need of more blood. We go faithfully every other month. I may not be rich monetarily but I can give blood as long as I'm healthy. Then we plan to shop at a food ministry. Seems like most food banks charge anymore for food. So those truly in need are up the creek without a paddle if they can't afford it. We were getting food and distributing it to many doffered people over the last 4 years but now the place we got food from went the way of all others, they charge. So I told my people I'm sorry, can't help anymore. I knew God would provide another way and He has. I found another food ministry who has sponsors providing the money to keep it operating so we can hand out food after all. Granted, it will be less selection and smaller quantities but it blesses my heart that I will still be able to bless others with food. Then we are invited to some dear friends for supper tomorrow night. Saturday we plan to get some furniture I have in storage and deliver it to a good friend. Looking forward to that too. Sundays are always awesome. I love our church, and the pastor and his wife. Never a dull moment at RROG. The theme right now is radical giving. Not radical hoarding, like the world is so keen on. Well this is all for now. I will try to update sooner than 3 years....

It's Been Awhile!

It's been 8 months since I've written in my blog so I guess it's past time to write again. Hmm..I didn't write since Gabrianna Elise was born! Well, I don't feel like writing about her birth and the beginning because that's so long ago so I guess I will just write about the present. Gabrianna Elise is almost 8 months old. She is truly the light of our lives. And, it just keeps getting better! She keeps getting more beautiful and more loveable and almost everything she does is so cute! Notice I said almost everything! One thing that she does that is a royal pain sometimes is that she fights sleep! Why babies do this is beyond my understanding but she does it! And teething, well, that is a NIGHTMARE at times! Talk about frayed nerves and tears ready to flow over anything that goes wrong! Oh, but then her darling smiles and babbles make Mama and Daddy melt all over again! She can almost crawl now. She gets up on all fours and rocks back and forth and sometimes takes one or two steps before she collapses onto her belly again. But she can get into sitting position now from her belly and she gets all over the place by pushing with her feet against the floor! She gets into cords now, and trust me we have alot of them around here! She is trying to pull herself up alongside of stuff now too. Eventually we will have to move quite a few things and I don't know where we will go with them, since we have such limited space in this apartment. Guess we will figure that out when the time comes. Gabrianna sleeps well for nights though. She goes to bed around 7-9 and sleeps until 5:30 usually. After I feed her she goes back to sleep til 7 or 7:30 and sometimes she blesses me exceptionally and sleeps in til 8! Sometimes I wake up and need the bathroom but to go to the bathroom I would have to walk past her crib to go downstairs and I don't want to risk waking her up so I try my best to sleep and forget that I have to go! On Saturday we were invited to a breakfast and had to get up at 6AM. I didn't want to wake her so we very quietly crept out of our bedroom to head downstairs and low and behold, there was our darling daughter sitting in her crib in the dark, watching our bedroom door because she heard a noise! She lit up in smiles when she saw us. I didn't know she could sit there so silently and content so much so that we had no idea she was awake! She does well in playing with her toys some days and other days she is clingy and grumpy and nothing suits her. We are trying to get her to eat food that we stick in the babyfood blender but my goodness, is she ever picky! She loves babyfood carrots in the babyfood jars. So we made her carrots pureed with water and with rice and made it to the approximate texture of her baby food. She hates it and pinches her mouth shut and gags when I manage to get some into her mouth! I tried several times and we tried meatloaf and mac & cheese. Same story. Depressing! We had tried something with pizza sauce and pasta too I think. Not sure what to do. I don't want to keep relying on babyfood when we have this delightful babyfood blender. I don't know what her problem is, that she insists on having the jars of food. I had even put it in jars to fool her but she was not to be fooled! Stinker! She still nurses well, so I am thankful for that! We are enjoying church real well. And Wednesday night church too. We volunteer with a local ministry 2 days a week and really enjoy that. I don't always get alot done, depends on my daughter, if she is clingy that day or if she is willing to play with the toys I bring along. It sure is fulfilling though, to help others out like that. On Sundays I always sing in church. It was a big stretch for me to sing solo at first but I'm used to it now and look forward to it. It gives me a chance to practice and better my voice/skills. No one threw anything at me yet so I think I must not sound too bad. This Friday we plan to go to the Gospel Express Auction. Well, Friday night is before the auction but we plan to enjoy the singing and then come back for more singing Saturday night. My husband made 4 dresses to sell at the auction. I would love to know what they sell for but we don't want to stay for the auction on Saturday. That would be be a good idea to spend a whole day there with a baby who is teething off and on and who fights sleep! Oh dear, that would make for a raggedly worn Mama! My husband is quite the seamstress, or maybe there is a different way to say it beings he's a man?! Anyway, he sews very nice dresses! He sewed 3 for Gabrianna. Two of them she wears now but one is for her in another couple of months. He has made some for baby gifts and one for a friend who has not had a baby but we are believing with her that God will bless her yet with one. We had fun going through some of my old scraps of fabric from dresses I made years ago. We sorted through them and found some that are big enough to do a dress for Gabrianna. We cut them out and will eventually get them all sewed. I need more zippers for them. I love to sew. My hubby's drive comes and goes. He also plans to sew a lap throw for me out of scraps. They are all cut out, just need to be sewn together. I am doing cloth diapers with Gabrianna to save on costs and I find great happiness with that and I really enjoy hanging them up outside on these beautiful days and even though we usually have the blind pulled down in the living room so no neighbors peep in at us I sometimes have to crack them open a little so I can see the diapers flapping in the breeze! Satisfaction! Doing laundry has always been a fun thing for me, especially when I can hang things outside. I love the smell of laundry that has been hung outside. In the winter I have lines in the basement that I use but things take so long to dry down there. It's damp, and water comes in when it rains alot. A friend just gave me some homemade soap and softner and I am pleased with the soap. I had not tried the softner yet. It is quite a bit cheaper to make your own laundry soap so I just might do that eventually. We are learning to rely on God for everything. It's a huge lesson for me and I want to pass all the tests so I can be promoted! I came from a family who was not rich but had enough for necessities always, and most times a little leftover for a "want" item, even after putting some away into savings. Now with being young married and having a baby and not a steady income, let's just say I have learned to streamline costs and do without many things I thought were necessities. I have learned that you can live without paper towels and napkins and CHOCOLATE! Did I just admit to being able to live without chocolate????!!!!!! Sniffle, hiccup, sigh! Indeed it's a hard thing to do but yes, I am breathing even though it's been months since we have had any chocolate candy in this house! I have learned what it's like to do without many other things too, and how to get creative with cooking when I don't have most of the ingredients I usually use! I just think I have to have cheese and milk and cream of soups. Most of the time those are delicacies we don't have so I rely on my darling hubby to help me! He is very good with creative cooking and he is teaching me how to "make do" with what we have. He is good with seasonings. That is something I am still learning. Another big thing I am learning is sacrifice. My husband sacrifices like crazy for me and Gabrianna and he is teaching me to do the same for others. He is always sharing with others and giving things away. I am ever the reluctant one. If I think we might use it soon for something, I want to hang onto it! But my husband is living out in front of my very own eyes that indeed it is more blessed to give than to receive. Giving freely and cheerfully is an art and blessed are those who do it! I am doing it more and more and I know it's storing treasures in heaven. But I have miles to go to reach the place my husband is at. But then, we are not supposed to be comparing ourselves among ourselves, are we? Well, I hear my little girlie up in her crib. She is awake and I think she would love to see me pop my head up and get her so I will sign off for now. I don't know if I will do better at keeping this updated but I will try to! God bless you all!

Still More Musings from a Childhood Friend

Journeys (Dave Heavner) 5/4/96 The Sea. I took a journey in my mind, and ll these things I left behind: concrete, steel and these four barren walls; to stand by the sea and listen to the gulls. I saw myself standing upon a rocky cliff by the sea, surrounded by the dancing showers of misty spray as they caressed my face. All was so peaceful, and the only sounds were the lonesome cry of the gulls as they darted playfully among the pearly white foamy crests of the majestic waves as they marched like soldiers to the shore, only to dramatically exhaust their strength and power against the unyielding rocks. The faintest first fingers of a blazing morning sunrise began to stretch across the shimmering waters as if stroking them lovingly. It was God saying, "Good morning" to His creation. The cool morning air was saturated with the aromas of the sea. I stood as if in an enchanted trance, gazing lovingly upon the glory that surrounded my solitary figure, and feeling as if I were one with it all. It was truly mesmerizing. I felt the spray upon my face, and I closed my eyes to bathe in the cool moist, and refreshing kisses it left upon my cheeks. At the same time I invigorated myself in the aroma of the fresh salty air, as the cries of the gulls lulled me. I breathed ever so deeply, as if to fill my inner yearning spirit witht the captivating essence of the moment. I was alone to be caught in the early morning majesty of the sea, and I cherished it all. I wondered at the beauty. I marveled in the tranquility. I revelled in the oneness I felt with the whole splended picture. Like this was but a moment in time that would not have been at all without my presence so silently observe its being. It was as if I were sharing ancient secrets with mother nature, as she whispered into my ear through the various sounds of hter world that presently surrounded me. The sea is music. Its sound is enchanting to the soul, and its composer is GOD. Rocky Mountain Meadow: Another journey I took afar, to heal the pain of this soul-wrenching sear: the threats and the curses being thrown everywhere, I escaped to a mountain meadow full of colors so fair. I stood at the base of a majestic mountain full of vibrant colors. It stretched before me like an endless sea of life. Beautiful butterflies, large and small, drifted serenely, floating in the calm mountain breezes. Flowers of all colors and descriptions swayed slowly back and forth as if dancing to some secret music that nature played for them alone. THe supple blades of long, luscious green grass that stood between them like a carpet that God Himself laid, felt soft and cool beneath my bare feet. I opened my arms wide, and tilted back my head, breathing the perfumed air as I spun round and round in the grass and tenderly loving all things. Overhead, wispy white puffs as fragile as a breath journeyed to no particular destination through a saphire blue endless sky. The mountain itself stood beside me like a silent majestic guardian of this beautiful sacred place. Its pinnacles reached alone, out of view, and to look upon it was to view enormous and unmoveable strength and fortitude. I knelt down in the tall soft grass and gently touched a flower. Its petals were soft and supple. SO fragile, and yet so beautiful. There were vibrant colors all around me, richer and deeper than I'd ever viewed before. Ruby reds, dazzling sunlight yellows, harvest moon golds, newborn pinks, sunset oranges, and violet. All the colors of the rainbow surrounded me in proud display. It was as if the flowers knew they were there and knew how very beautiful they were. A living canvas painted by the Artist up above. The mountain breezes caress them, and whisper lullabies to them on a lazy spring day. There I stood among them alone, like an invited visitor to be entertained by the glorious mountain host. A mountain meadow is a tranquil, enchanting place to be alone, with God.

More Musings from Childhood Friend

A Prayer from the Depths of my Heart (Dave Heavner) 4/14/96 Hello Jesus, my old friend, I've come to talk to You again. With Open arms that You might reach me, with open heart that You might teach me. But my tears, like silent raindrops fall; through it all, Echoes in the sound.....of silence. Through restless dreams I've walked alone; darkened streets that I have known. For me, Your love was yearning, but my stubborn head kept turning. But now, my Lord, I reach out for Your light that splits the night, I reach out to the sound.......of silence. I'm sorry Lord, I went astray; I used to walk in my own way, What was it I was seeking? What were the words that I was speaking? As I sought to fill that void inside; there was too much pride. I chased the wind......of silence. And though I now in confines be, I take a look back and I see, In my sins, Lord, I was dying, in my sorrows, I was crying, But, Lord, for me you died on Calvary, upon the tree, Upon Your cross....of silence. Now as I lay me down to sleep; I pray dear Lord, my soul to keep, But if I should die before You wake me, I pray dear Lord that You might take me, To a place where no more tears will fall; through it all, Take me in the the sound.....of silence.

Musings From a Childhood Friend

Yet Will I Have Faith - David Lee Heavner 4/25/96 When they don't know what to tell me, when with my mind their games they play, when I get a different answer each and every day: yet will I have faith. When I while away the hours, wondering what is yet to be my fate, when all I want is information, but still they make me wait: yet will I have faith. When I stare out of my window on a bright and sunny day, when I close my eyes and travel to places very far away, when I pray for others yet for myself have nothing left to say: yet will I have faith. When the questions to the answers are as if yet unasked, when the actors in this play of life as of yet remain unmasked, when seeking truth in a world full of lies remains my greatest task: yet will I have faith. When the truth I've found in God above remains my primary source of love, when through this glass I darkly see the love and peace that waits for me, when in captivity I yearn to be free: yet will I have faith. ~This was written while he was sitting in a jail cell. Moonbeam Mountains ~David Lee Heavner 4/24/96 Moonbeam mountain is a place I used to go whenever I was lonely and needed nature's glow. In the gentle summer sunshine or the blazing shades of fall, up on moonbeam mountain, in peace I found it all. The moonlight played upon the pines at night as it cast its heavenly glow, and it really took my breath away when it danced on winter's snow. I always felt the Creator's presence there no matter where I went, and as I slept under the starry skies, His presence was my tent. Many fond memories I have of it, that spring up like a fountain; for a little part of me yet remains up on Moonbeam Mountain. I Love You (Dave Heavner) July 4, '96 Give me just a moment to tell you how I feel, for what I have to say to you from my heart I know is real. Give me one moment in time, my Love, when all my dreams come true; just a moment out of life, my Love, to spend my life with you. Give me the happiness that I thought I'd never find, for you're all I've ever dreamed of, and true love is never blind. You're the morning song within my heart, and my evening sunset's glow, you're the only rose in my garden of life, so won't you stay and grow? You're the stars that shine within my sky each night, and the sun that lights my day, you're the breeze that whispers in my ears so sweetly and the trees that gently sway. So give me just a moment and now I'll say to you how I feel in just 5 words: My Darling, I love you! ~I was going through some old letters and came across some thoughts and poetry by this childhood friend and thought maybe it would be of interest to some of my friends to read these thoughts. If not, well, it gave me more practice typing! I burned a few calories just exercising my fingers! :)

Texas Trip

Back safe from the Texas trip! It was a long trip, 3 days in Texas and 4 days driving! Thankfully, we stopped at a motel overnight. I am not sure how I would have coped with having to sleep sitting upright. We were in a 15 passenger van and I was on a seat with my husband beside me and a carseat on the other side. So there was no lounging room at all. My feet and legs swelled up really badly from having them hang and then once we were in Texas they didn't go down because the heat was bad! We put up a dog kennel one day and I thought it looked shady but we were out in the sun quite a bit so that made them swell. On the way home though, I made a discovery. Propping them up on my husband's lap is the cat's meow!! The whole trip home he let me and the swelling completely went away. I felt bad for him because he had hardly any leg room and his knees hurt yet he sacrificed so I could feel better. I love my husband! He puts up with so much since I'm prego! Emotions that I wasn't planning to let run wild, like I cry over nothing sometimes or one bit of frustrations directed at me puts me in tears. Yet he loves me anyway and promises I am not scaring him away from having more children! He just got done spoiling me and shopping for me at 2 big sales from 2 favorite stores of mine and now I'm stocked up on body wash, perfumes, and lotions! He makes me feel like a queen! The wedding in Texas was fun! Mandie and David looked so happy and Mandie looked so pretty in her white dress! Brought back so many memories of my wedding day. They faced some trials and persecutions just like my husband and I did for getting married as well as some other political things that happened over their wedding time. My husband and I could feel for them! I was just at the midwife and although my blood pressure was in a good bracket, the bottom number was a bit higher than 2 weeks ago when I was there. She said it's a sign that I was stressed. Ah, yeah, I have to agree. The trip was very stressful for me! She said it's very important to avoid stress for my health and the baby so I am trying hard to take good care of myself and my husband is being a sweetheart too! Thankfully my blood sugar test was fine. For the way I love my candy, especially chocolate, I wasn't sure what she would say! I don't eat much baked stuff, just candy! I have to eat more protein though. That's not too hard because I do love nuts and meats. Anyway, that's all for now!

Washington DC, Pregnancy, WW2 Weekend, Baby Shower

I see it’s 2 months since I last wrote so maybe it’s time I write again! Friday June 1st was WW2 weekend in Reading. My husband talked so often about this awesome place where they have re-enactors who play out parts of how it was during WW2. I was really curious to see this place finally because it seemed to be a favorite place of his and til next year we will be pushing a stroller, Lord willing. So we got tickets and went this year. Til we were done traipsing all over the place, I began to wonder if I was the smart one after all! I have about 10 weeks left til the baby arrives and this is the most I’ve weighed in my entire life! My feet do not appreciate the extra weight and neither does my bladder or my back! My husband’s knees were acting up too. Guess they have sympathy pain for me?! LOL! Actually he had knee surgery in his one knee when he was just entering the teen years and it’s never been quite right and I guess the other knee didn’t appreciate having to bear the extra weight over that time so it developed an attitude as well. Anyway we had a good time in spite of that. I got a better understanding of WW2 era. This was my birthday gift to my husband, taking him there and all. Yet like to wonderful sweetheart he is, he made sure we rested a lot for my sake and found the porta potties when I needed them and bought me food as soon as I was hungry, etc. And, he found some patterns from that era, patterns to make dresses. He got me some of them. I can’t wait to try them! We had to laugh at the set up they had for a radio station of those days. Well, not the set up but rather the people that sang. There was a lady who was the lead singer and she….well…let’s just say she did not have the voice it appeared she thought she had! It was a little grating on the ears, if I may say so! And then when they came to the song, “God Bless America” she had some more people join in (only re-enactors in uniform). Oh my! God bless this one man! He jumped up to the one microphone and belted it out with all might and main and wow! That guy could not sing! His heart was in it and he was making a joyful noise and I appreciated that! However, usually people don’t belt it out like that unless they can make a melody roll! We had tickets for a beef dinner but they had tornado warnings out and the sky was very ominous so we decided not to stay. Most of the stands shut down because of the winds being very strong already and the forecast and it was starting to rain. We blessed someone else with tickets who was planning to stay. I couldn’t wait to get into the car to rest my throbbing feet but alas! Apparently 150 other people had the same idea! We had to stand in line for the shuttle buses! Sigh! I thought longingly of how at airports when they see a harried mother with children or a pregnant woman, they part the waters and let her go into the front of the line. Not happening here. Oh well, I will never ever again think it’s dumb when they give such people first priority. For some reason it makes total sense now! Anyway, we probably only waited 20 minutes for a shuttle but it seems much longer when your feet are throbbing. June 2nd my husband’s sisters and mom put on a wonderful baby shower for us. What a blessing that was! As a first time mom I didn’t realize quite how much babies cost but I’m finding out even without the dear little gem being here yet! Such an endless list of things to get just to be prepared! We did a registry at Babies R Us. We had fun picking things out. My husband loved the scanner and he liked it so much he scanned some things just for fun. Needless to say I had to take some of it off in case someone would actually buy some things I didn’t need or want instead of what was really needed! But at the shower we had some fun games. They had 4 or 6 different diapers with a smashed piece of candy in the middle. We were to guess what candy it looked like and see who wins. It really looked like poop which is what it was intended to look like! And there we were putting our noses up close to what looked like poop in a diaper. In the beginning of the party we were given 3 clothepins each. Throughout the party we weren’t allowed to say “baby” and if someone caught us saying it they took one of our clothepins. Whoever had the most in the end won. It didn’t take me very long til I lost all of mine. It’s just too hard to be prego and not say “baby”! There was also a basket of 15 baby items that we got to see briefly and then it was hidden and we were supposed to remember all the 15 items and write them down. I had them all except 1. Someone else got all of them though so I didn’t win! I got blessed with a lot of goodies for the baby. It was so much fun to open them and see what’s in each package! There are still so many things left on the registry that I need though. I left the registry open and I can let it open til a few months after the baby’s due date. So anyone buying baby gifts to give at birth can still go by the registry. Oh, and there was delicious cake and icecream and chips and dip and veggies and meadow tea. June 3 my mom and dad, sis, and husband and I went to Washington DC to see some friends. They hosted us there for 2 nights and we really enjoyed our stay. They cooked some awesome food for us and big breakfasts. We spent a day at the Holocaust Museum and half a day at the Smithsonian Institute. My feet throbbed something awful as well as my back. However, I did enjoy the museums a lot. I had seen both museums before but it was quite some time ago and I know a lot more about Adolph Hitler now so it was more interesting. My husband is a history buff and he teaches me a lot. Now we are getting ready to go to Texas for a week. We have a wedding there and it takes awhile to drive out. It is really warm in Texas. Hope my legs and feet are recognizable by the time I get there! They tend to swell up when traveling since I’m pregnant. And I hope Texas people believe in AC. I can barely get my breath without it in this heat. Well, I don’t know when I will write next but God bless you all in the meantime!

Pregnant, IOM School, Misc.

In December we had a most pleasant surprise! I found out I am pregnant! I was so excited. Scared but ecstatic!

I am 5 months along now. I am definitely growing! I was never really tiny but let’s just say I surely am not tiny now, for sure! I just hope the baby fat doesn’t hang around after the baby is born! I don’t want to feel like a fat old hag! OOOH my husband would slap me for saying that! He would never let me say such things about myself. Cause even if I am fat for awhile, that doesn’t make me an old hag! It is so weird to watch my body change as well as my eating habits! I am starting week 21. I am 5 months along and that means half way through! About 2 weeks ago, I had to stop wearing all my usual wardrobe! Just don’t fit anymore! I have only 2 maternity dresses which my dear aunt sewed for me. Tuesday she will draw up a pattern for me so I can sew myself some more dresses. 2 is not enough to get by with! I have some skirts and blouses that fit, but barely! Let me warn you, boobs don’t stay the same size when you are prego! Lol! My belly isn’t as much the problem as my boobs are! It’s all so new and weird to me but I love baby planning. Yard sales have become fun. When I first moved out and needed stuff for a house, yard sales became fun. After I had my house stocked, yard sales weren’t all that great. Now that I need baby stuff, yard sales are awesome again! Just this weekend I was doing yard sales and got a baby swing, carseat, jogging stroller, highchair, baby carrier, and some clothes. Problem is, our house is small and I have to get rid of some things to make room for baby appliances. My sister in law said I may use their dry sink so I think I will take her up on that instead of buying one. When you are in ministry work you have to rely on God for money to pay the bills. I never know where the next rent money will come from or money to buy gas for the car, etc. but God had always been faithful and never let us sit in need. So if someone lets me borrow things, I take them up on it! I was used to always having enough, and extra to buy things I really didn’t need but just wanted. Now I have to rely on God to provide even the necessities. It really stretches me. I can’t say I enjoy it but it is helping me grow and helping me see just how faithful God is. Sometimes there are tears as I worry about how we will have funds to take care of our baby and if anything should go wrong with the home birth and I’m forced to go to a hospital, where would that money come from? We set money aside for the home birth but that’s WAY less than a hospital birth. But again, worrying is not trusting God and I must keep striving to trust. I do not believe God will let our baby go hungry, nor us for that matter.
While you all were freezing, we were in the sunny south. Only got to the beach twice in those 10 weeks though. This was a Holy Spirit school. They don’t have a curriculum there. They have a bunch of teachers who are Holy Spirit led and whatever God puts on their hearts to teach is what we learn. We learn an entirely different mindset. It’s awesome! We put in over 300 hours of school. We learned so much I don’t know where to start. We learned about finances. We learned that if you don’t tithe 10% you are actually stealing from God, and your tithe money should always go to the place where you are getting spiritually fed, which is your church usually. Tithing is required, and anything you give above that is called “giving” or “sowing”. People who tithe and sow will be blessed and it will multiply and come back to them and they will prosper. I already knew about the tithing and have been doing that for a long time. I hadn’t known about the sowing and that is a hard thing for me to do at times, especially since we don’t always have enough to pay our bills. I wonder why we would give money away to people if we don’t even have money to pay our phone bills or rent, etc. But then I realize, how can it multiply and come back to us if we don’t give it out. It’s just a whole new mindset that I’m still adjusting to. We learned a lot about the end times prophecies, some about the current events but a lot of Revelation and Daniel. I had learned a lot of it a few years ago from that pastor I told you about but this was a great refresher and now my husband understands it all too. We learned how to worship and how praise isn’t the same as worship. Worship is when you are praising and you enter a deeper intimate level with Jesus where the things of earth become strangely dim and you are truly in the throne room with God. Oh, and we learned about the baptism of the Holy Spirit and tongues. My husband already had tongues but because he had backslidden a few years (before he courted me), he had lost it. God renewed his tongues and now I have it too. It’s awesome to think that I speak things to God that I don’t even know what I’m saying and it drives the devil crazy cause he can’t interpret tongues so he doesn’t know what I’m saying either! We learned about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and took tests to see which are most prominent in our lives. My top one was Mercy! My husband’s was Hospitality. We saw people healed before our eyes. I thought maybe my eyes would be healed so I wouldn’t need glasses but they weren’t. My feet were having issues hurting because of the extra weight I guess and they were healed. Something in my womb was healed. Not sure what, but something changed. Oh, and my baby was prophesied over. We believe it’s a boy. If we are wrong, we do have girl clothes too. But the prophecies that were given said “he” and we already had believed in our hearts that we are having a boy so it was a confirmation. We will love the baby if it’s a girl too! This feels like sort of a lame post but it's part of a letter I wrote to a friend and thought I would share it on here so I can kill a few birds at once! Hopefully I do better at writing and I will try to write again before the baby is born!

Married!

I believe I left off where we were engaged and supposed to be married in a year! Well, the battlefield changed! Father very clearly gave me a date which was Sept. 3, 2011. That really freaked me out because I'm still new to the thought that the battlefield changes and you can't always keep your same strategies! I prayed multiple times and Abba said Sept. 3. Anthony prayed separately and he heard the same thing each time as well. We braced ourselves for the battle to come, because even though we are "older" and everyone says it won't take long to know usually when you aren't just 19 or 20....we knew that a courtship of 3 months was not long enough to satisfy friends and family. His family didn't know me at all and neither did my family know him. Most of my friends didn't know him and neither did most of his friends know me! So of course they weren't very comfortable with us announcing our engagement. We knew we were following Father God so that was what mattered most to us but the gossip and hostility that came against us was not easy. We had to literally pray without ceasing to keep our heads above the waters and ask Father God constantly for confirmations. I'm so glad He is patient. We had Anthony's pastor's blessing. He is a true man of God and I saw that the first time I met him. So his vote of confidence for our marriage held alot of water. We started taking marriage counseling from him. Also Light of Hope Ministries were mentors of Anthony's and I saw immediately at first meeting that the Lapp brothers are true warriors of God and we had their blessing and we went there also for marriage counseling. Both of us had some friends who supported us and some of my friends said they trust my judgement, that they know I have a good head on my shoulders. God bless them richly for saying that! Lord knows how much that meant to me!

One highlight in our courtship is that we attended the Take Back your Life seminars by Door of Hope. I took people to them quite often so I was used to the teachings but you can always learn more. Anthony had been to them once before. It was great to go as a couple and learn together and dissect what we were taught. At least 3 people thought by the way we acted and responded to eachother that we were married and for quite some time! That was definitely confirmation for us as well.

We got married at Reamstown Church of God where our pastor preaches and the reception was at Light of Hope Ministries. My dear friend Doris coordinated the wedding. It was the BEST day of my life, next to the day I got saved.

Our wedding was in Tennessee in the Smoky Mountains. We had a wonderful cabin with a jacuzzi. We saw all kinds of things, like Ripley's Believe it or Not. We watched alot of movies and relaxed and enjoyed alot of wine. Oh, and he carried me over the threshold and into the bedroom when we first got to the cabin. I was so proud of him for that because I'm not very light and his lungs are still healing. And I was so proud of him for buying me 24 roses while we were there. What other wife is so blessed to have roses on her honeymoon?

We were gone 10 days, 9 nights and had a few days off when we got back so that in all we had 2 full weeks off work.

Then it was back to the old grind. It was hard to get up at 5:15AM while my hubby could stay in bed til 8. Not fair! His job started much later. And it was hard to be home an hour before him and sometimes 2 hours if he had a late customer. Supper would get cold, ugh! Pretty often he was kind enough to get up early with me and make me breakfast while I got ready for work. Let me tell you, that's downright sweet to get up HOURS before you would have to just to make your wife breakfast before she leaves for work! How blessed I am! He can make a wonderful breakfast! Sausage, eggs, hashbrowns, bacon! I was used to eating cereal and milk or oatmeal with milk. Then 2 hours later I would be hungry! His breakfasts kept me satisfied til lunch!

Well, that's all for now!

From Courtship to marriage all in 5 months!

Friday April 8, 2011: Anthony Martin and I have been talking a lot on facebook. I have grown quite fond of him. He amazes me so much! I have never met a young man with such a heart for God that was still single! I have never met my equal, spiritually or mentally, in a man near my age! Until I met Anthony. I remember when I first saw him (after hearing about him quite often from Michelle) he came into Nicole’s house with some other guys. I was talking to Michelle and Nicole and I wasn’t all that impressed with the guys that came in. I remember there was a girl named Dot along but the rest were guys. None of them appealed to me. I thought Anthony was interesting in his stories but he had some language he needed to clean up and he appeared to me as a very baby Christian. He had tattoos and that of course didn’t impress me. I dismissed him as a “not an option” guy. A few days later Michelle texted me and ask me what I thought of Anthony. I was thinking, “Oh brother don’t tell me she is trying to hook me up with him now!” I was very vague and said the only nice thing I could think of to say, that he was “nice”. I think she had said Anthony wondered, so I knew it would for sure get back to him. So I asked her what he thought of me and she said he thought I was very pretty and liked the “wave thing” going on with my hair! I thought that was neat that a guy like him would think that because it is kinda considered outdated and the only people that ever fuss about my hair are usually middle age to old people, never young people. But I was going to act really cold if needed to because he was not an option for me and I didn’t want him to think he was!!!!!
So that was maybe 2 years ago. And just in the past few weeks Anthony friended me on facebook and I accepted him. Dunno why but I did. I guess I had no reason not to. Facebook is safe right? If someone offends you, you can delete them and block them and that’s that! So I accepted him and suddenly we began talking. He started it by asking why people always think singles have to hook up and that he is happy single and yada yada yada! I knew the pain so I wrote back, cause I’ve been through that. Then he asked advice on what to do when a close friend starts turning against you and so on. I gave advice for that. I got a little scared then and made it clear to him that there is no romantic interest going on and while I am being an encouragement I want that to be understood. I didn’t want him to fall in love with me because of the nice things I was saying about him or because I was being a listening ear, etc. He agreed he won’t mess things up and that there was NONE of that kind of interest on his end. Somehow suddenly we were writing so much so often and I began to look so forward to his messages. I would drop whatever it was that I was doing, just so I could read his messages. They brightened my day. I saw in a hurry that he was a changed man from when I’d seen him last! No bad language or even a hint of it. He was godly, and not only that, he was my equal and past me in some things! He was smart. I can’t abide a man as a partner who is less intelligent than me, how could I admire someone who can’t lead me? Every message amazed me more. Suddenly one day God smote my heart and I realized it was so very wrong of me to as much as tell him he cannot ever ask me out and that it would ruin everything if he did. God told me, “Who are you to say who I pick and choose for you?” So I could not type it fast enough as I quickly apologized for that. I didn’t want to because I was afraid then he would think I was hinting that I want there to be more between us and I had zero desire for that. I was content the way things were. But he seemed to understand. I wa so impressed as he told me he had already planned a process of how he would ask his lady to marry him. I always wanted a guy who would plan that out before he met his lady but I didn’t know men exist like that! We joked about how Nicole was trying to hook us up and I told him how Merci told me my time for a husband is finally here and that she’d been praying this week for a husband for me. I felt so free to say whatever and he seemed to as well. Suddenly it struck me that he was bitten and he didn’t know it. A wonderful peace stole over me and I had a strong feeling he might be the one. I didn’t feel lead in the back of my mind like I did with all the other guys that tried to hook up with me. Everything was all so different and I thought of my Aunt Ann who told me years ago that you will know when the right one comes along, there won’t be many doubts. So I sat back and smiled and wondered how long it would take him to know he was bitten. Then he said his mentor told him he was bitten and that he should consider me and take some weeks to pray over it. He argued with the man for 45 min. saying that it is nothing like that and that we are just friends. But he then agreed to pray about it. I smiled and smile! He asked me what my thoughts are if He would feel led to a God centered relationship. I didn’t even get him answered because that was Friday and I was gonna write to him Friday night after family night but he asked me after I got back home but before I wrote him back. He asked in the most beautiful way possible (in my mind anyway). He said, “May I serve you?” How beautiful! What a man! I suppose he got the idea from what I said in a discussion once about how Eric Ludy proposed to his wife by blindfolding her and taking her to a room that was all decorated and laid out and then he took the blindfold off and washed her feet just like Jesus washed his disciple’s feet. Cause marriage is all about serving the other. He had really liked that idea. I never thought about using that terminology for asking a lady out. Oh glory, was I impressed! I was shocked cause while I knew it was coming I didn’t think it would come til like 3 or 4 weeks! He had been so adamant that he isn’t into a relationship and that he is using this time to refine himself for the lady God has for him. I guess he was in denial. He told me he had laid it before the Lord and the Lord answered very clearly and said that I am the one. He said he will not falter, he KNOWS that I am the one and he will wait til I know too. I was all nervous cause I was so afraid that what if no one can confirm this. I called Rhonda that night and chatted with her.
Dear Abba,
My heart is so full today, Abba! Blessed be the name of the Lord! I believe I have experienced this Bible verse: Isa 65:24 And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Because while Merci was begging God to give me a husband very soon, you had already been working in our lives to bring us together. My soul thirsts for You, Abba. I want more of You! I want You to be seen in me so much that people literally can’t look at me without seeing You. Anthony says I am radiant. Father, never let me lose that radiance, because I know it comes from You and if I lost then I believe it would be because of sin. Today’s lesson aim in Sunday school was: To value obedience to the Father’s will ABOVE deliverance from trial or show of bravery. That really spoke to me. That means I have to follow You no matter what naysayers are saying around me. It’s not about man’s approval but about Yours. And you already approve of me. You already lead Anthony together. Abba, if at any time though, we should start making a god out of eachother by letting the other come in between our relationship with You, I pray you would gently convict us to correct that. You hate gods that come before You and this is all about You. You started this relationship and we want our lives saturated with You. Help us, Abba! Help us to have a testimony so powerful that we will render the naysayers speechless; that they will look at our lives together and have no choice but to be silenced. My retired bishop said today that the ONLY thing that God forbids in marriage is an unbeliever to a believer. We are both believers. Father, I am already encountering spiritual battle. It has only begun, it is still in the birthing but it’s about to let loose. I can feel it. I ask that You help me to be ready because I’m not ready unless You help me. I realize that that time I spend praying and reading Your word is NOT enough to prepare me for this battle. I will need more time with you, Father. Help me to dedicate more time for You, so I don’t let daily carnal thoughts and interests invade that time with You that I need, that is so very precious. Gird me up with the sword of truth, with the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation. I ask that You keep Anthony prepared at all times to be the protector You have called Him to be, the warrior You planned him to be while he was yet in his mother’s womb. Help us come boldly against the Spirit of Religion whom I know we will encounter head on, as well as any other demons & minions of Satan that we will encounter in this battle. Put a hedge of protection from behind and in front and all around. We will not be shaken, Father. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who is man that we are mindful of him? Keep our eyes opened wide as we enter this relationship so that we will not be blinded about anything but that we will be alert at all times. Help us to never drown out your voice for any reason. If we start down a path that does not glorify You, please very gently lead us back. This relationship is all about You and You started it and we need You in it at all times. We both are Your children and have no desire to ever turn away from You. Our lives our Yours, for You to use for Your honor and glory only. I pray our vision for the future would become clear and as ONE. I love You, Abba and will always be Your little girl no matter what age I am, I will always need You.

Love from your princess,
Dawn Renee

April 18: This weekend was so full and overwhelming! This week Anthony met the family…guess it was Tues. night. That went well, all but Brent was there. Then this Friday the 15 the Brills and Anthony and I moved a lot of boxes and my dear boss sent Dominoes pizza along for us. We had a really good time together. Wasn’t nice weather though, windy and cold. Saturday the 16th then Mom, Dad, Vernon, Jeremy, Anthony, Brills, Darlene, and Darlene’s babysitter all helped with the rest of the stuff. Sharon M and Doris went over to the old house and cleaned my share of the rooms. My wonderful friends and family put all my furniture where I wanted it as well as the boxes of stuff. Anthony and I could not act like a couple cause of the babysitter, she lives with Marie Hoover’s family. I was so very stressed out and tears were so ready to spill, I was a hair to finding the bathroom and letting it out. The stress was just so much, all the moving and everyone saying my name and feeling like I don’t know North from South anymore and just wanting everyone to go home and let me be in quiet even though I knew I needed their help. It was awful! Anthony told me later that he saw I was at breaking point. I was very touched that he noticed. This man observes me! He cares to notice! He studies me! I have never had someone watch me so closely or be so alert. I mean the pastor was but he doesn’t count. Most guys are so dense and involved in themselves that they don’t stop to notice. I am so blessed with Anthony I still can’t believe it. I needed to have some laundry done on Sunday and he didn’t let me hang all of it up, he did a bunch for me! Also, he washed the dishes for me and helped clear the table and insisted that I sit down and let him do my feet. He did them over 2 hours. Oh Lord, what did I do to deserve such a man? NOTHING! All I can say is YOU ARE GOOD, MY JESUS! I had him at my church and I’m nervous on where we will settle for church. He cannot grow in mine, at least not from the sermon we had this Sunday. I want him to come a few more times though. But Lord it would be awful for me to insist he be part of a church he cannot grow in so I am very afraid of where we will end up at. Lord keep us completely in Your will, guide us and keep us from straying. We want to honor and glorify you because You brought us together and our lives are ALL ABOUT YOU!
Monday, May 23rd: I am so mad I have not kept up writing! I simply don’t have the time!  I could write an epic on what all we discussed already and the progress we’ve made both as a couple and separately! I went through some uncertain times and had 3 meetings with Steve and Jake Lapp already. I have seen great changes in Anthony, all for the glory of God. Tonight he asked me to marry him. That’s right, I am for real ENGAGED!!!!!!! We are keeping it quiet as it is only like 6 weeks since we started courting. He wants to ask me officially in a few months after he has a job because apparently how he wants to ask is a 2 week thing and takes money. Then we will tell people. Except we told his mentors cause they already knew it seemed and his dad was there so he knows. It was at Anthony’s house and he was dressed in a muscle shirt and greasy and I was in my work clothes and he kissed my feet, even the bottoms of them and as he was down on one knee he took my hand and kissed it and asked if I would let him serve me the rest of my life. It was awesome, right beside my car. Right after that we smelled pipe smoke and because there was no one around we believe it was Matt’s approval of the engagement. Anthony asked Father and the Father gave him marching orders to ask me so that is why he did! And he asked Father when to marry and Father said in Spring. So in exactly a year from now I shall be married, Lord willing! I’m crazy excited! I love the man incredibly much!

Reverends, Porn, Friends, Moving

Interesting title, right? Yeah, I know! But those are the things I'm going to talk about. I don't always have alot to say which is why I didn't update my blog for and embarrassingly long time! Or, more truthful, I'm also too busy and other things take priority over my blog. But right now I have something to say.

Tell me, what is a person to do with a Reverend who doesn't see porn and sex outside of marriage including phone sex as serious sin? I am under the knowledge that a Reverend or any leadership in the church is held accountable to a certain point for the spiritual welfare of the church he is leading; and that if the leadership is involved in sexual sin then that opens the door for those same demons to attack the very church he is leading. So friends, this is SERIOUS business if a church leadership is into that stuff! If I was part of a church and the leadership was into that and they church did not deal with it but just kinda blinked and ignored it then I would leave that church because I am not willing to put my spiritual wellfare at risk! With that being said, here's the deal. I know a Jamaican guy who is a Reverend and he is dating a friend of mine who is also Jamaican. God be praised that they live too far apart to see much of eachother or I would be expecting to hear of a pregnancy any day. Anyway, he is into some of this trash with this girlfriend of mine and when I reprimand him he just passes it off by saying "he who is without sin let him cast the first stone". That is not the point SIR!!!!!!! I am not saying nor am I implying that I am anywhere close to being without sin. We are talking about YOU not me!!!!!! We are addressing that YOU are in sin and YOU need to repent which means you not only need to recognize it as sin and be sorry for it but you gotta turn away from it then!!!! This is an ongoing thing with him and he just acts like it's just a normal everyday sin and no big deal. Yet he likes to spew alot of scripture at me and usually he is right on the mark. But his self-righteousness nauseates me because I know how he openly is involved in this sick stuff. Last night I was a 3 way call with him and his girlfriend and she mentioned that in Sept. when he comes to the area she wants me to take her to see him at the resort he is staying at. I said only if they promise to behave in a manner that would be okay with God. He laughed and said, "you never know what happens behind closed doors". I said "you should never put yourself right in the way of temptation, don't take her behind your closed door!!!!" His response was that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God". I know that, that is not my point!!!!!! He don't get it. All because he doesn't want to get it! THey want me to be the godmother of any children they have if they get married. I said I will but if they conceive a baby out of wedlock they will have to find another godmother because I have warned them so much and they don't take it serious. It's one thing for a couple to mess up like that who is sincere and really trying to follow God. I can give mercy to couples like that but this man who calls himself a reverend and laughs in my face when I try to tell him it's serious sin to God.....well....I don't feel led to give mercy in that situation! Last night this girl told me she watched a porno yesterday and I told her she was sick and she needs to stop doing that and that it is no wonder she has a hard time keeping her mind on all that is pure and lovely and of good report! This Reverent guy, laughed, mind you, laughed right into the phone and asked me why I hate porn so badly. I tried to explain to him that if you watch that stuff which I believe is straight from the pit of hell then you are giving demons of lust legal rights to be in you and you are making it impossible to keep your mind pure. I said those things are only for you to dwell on after you are married and WITH your spouse, not before. And this girl said she heard the couple who lives below her making out. I said, "oh, that's just nasty". Well he wanted to know what is so nasty about sex. Seriously why can't he get what I'm saying? His response to me was "well God is a very sexual being". I can't even vocalize how mad this makes me! I Loathe hypocrisy and I can't stand the thought of this guy being up there preaching in church and knowing all this stuff about him. About 3 weeks ago I wrote a letter to his pastor and alerted them to what is going on and about 2 weeks after I wrote them....I had given up on them answering and thought they were gonna blink about it too....they finally said they will address the issue at once. Well, that was a week ago and the way he talks the either didn't address it yet or he still don't get the point that it's serious sin! I feel like wiping my hands of the matter! His blood is not on me. I believe in Ez. 33 but I did Matt. 18 on him so it is no longer on me if he doesn't listen. But I still can't help being angry about it.

I just made a new friend recently and let's just say this person is a real gem, a diamond in the rough. I am blessed and so thankful to have this new friend. I do hope and pray that our paths are to be crossed for a very long time. Fellowship with other saints is so vital in a Christian's life and I have been so inspired and encouraged with this new friend. There are qualities that I am seeing that are rare in alot of people and it's just one of those times when you realize you caught ahold of something real special and you'd better not let it go!

Moving is only 2 weeks away now, officially! I can't believe it. 2 weeks from now I will be spending my first day in my new house. I am so excited about it. For many reasons. I will miss this house as this was my dream house. I would not change any part of the layout, it was exactly what I had in mind as what I wanted. But change is an adventure and you gotta take the good along with the bad. So even though my new house is not as NEW and there are some negative things about it, it's okay. There are enough new positive things about it that I am sure I will be very happy there. I probably will not write again til I am in my new home and then with all the unpacking and putting away who knows it may be long til I write again. We shall see!

The Rest of the Story

I am home now but I thought I should finish my story of how the trip went. I was using my friend Debby’s computer and it seemed like everytime I had a chance to email, that was when my sister wanted to use the computer too and I got tired of “fighting” over it so I gave up and just let it go. Now I wish I hadn’t done that because I don’t know where I left off and I will probably miss some of the interesting details because I didn’t write this the same day!  But it’s hard for me to concentrate to write when someone else is standing there waiting on the computer so it would have taken like forever to write anything anyway. So now I will try to continue….oh and I also don’t know where I left off writing because I am used to my emails being saved on my hard drive but other people’s computers don’t save their “sent” emails I guess so I have no way of retrieving what I sent so I can see what I sent last. So bear with me if I overlap.
One of the things I did miss was the decent driving here in PA. Yes, I actually am saying decent driving! Well, anything is decent compared to how they drive over there!!!!!!! Seriously the way they drive it is hard to believe there are not accidents left and right. They pass all the time and squeeze through where you are certain there is no room, like you are going to clip the mirrors off at best……but somehow they deftly come through without any damage! Insane! I guess you learn to drive like that cause everyone else does and you have to learn to survive. I guess it would take me twice as long to get places over there cause I’d be too timid to drive like that…….for a while anyway! And another thing I didn’t like was the constant beeping. In PA if you beep your horn it is because you are: A. Ticked off at someone, B. someone is sitting at a green light, C. Someone is pulling out in front of you and don’t see you coming, etc. But in the Dominican and Haiti they blow their horns more often than not, or so it seems! It is not out of anger, it is to let them know you are coming alongside of them so they keep driving straight! It is to make animals scat. It is to get pedestrians off the road because you WILL hit them if they are in the way! In general, it’s to let them know you are here! So noisy and some of the horns were LOUD. When we were shopping in the Haiti market on the second to last day of our trip, there were some vehicles that came right up behind us and laid on the horn and I’m telling you it hurt my ears badly! Happened a few times and made me want to scream in frustration! I was already on my last nerve because I can’t stand shopping in crowds. (And yet I’m one of those crazy ones that goes shopping on Black Friday). I think this market was as bad if not worse than a Black Friday back home! The aisles in the market were very narrow so if you were standing there looking at products there were constantly people trying to squeeze by and rudely bumping you in the process and suddenly someone with a cart would come by and you’d have to find a little niche somewhere to dive into out of the way because they stop for no one! Argh! That really got on my nerves, like let me alone for 5 blessed minutes so I can see what I wish to buy!!!! But once we were in the fabric side, it was a lot less congested and then it was almost humorous because all the merchants wanted us to come into their booths and see their fabrics. And they would rattle off a row in Creole and I didn’t know a word they said. We had a guy along who knew the language and he helped us barter for our fabric. Anyway I guess I’m not talking in the right order cause now I’m talking about the end of the trip but since I’m on the subject I will continue. The market was very smelly at some places, like smelly as in a sewer!  There was a carpet of trash, and when I say carpet I am not exaggerating, you could not see the dirt at all in a lot of places! It was very gross to walk on and I was glad I had Crocs on and not thin sandals. Most of it was that way but the parts that weren’t, were mud puddles and so I missed looking at products when we first came because I had to watch my steps. Once we were farther, it was not as treacherous walking and I could look at what they were selling. It is a gigantic market.
Now backtracking in my story….we painted the entire outside of the church and the inside of it and the benches as well. I learned what painting is Dominican style. They mix kerosene with their paint! Here I grew up thinking that you use kerosene to get paint off of things….I mean we even cleaned our hands with kerosene to clean the paint! Yet they also mix it in to paint as a paint thinner, to make it reach farther! Makes no sense at all! But Pastor Kiko is renting the church and the landlord does not pay for the paint so that’s why he didn’t care so much how it was done. But he was much more picky with the benches, and I kinda gathered that the benches are his!
We watched Pastor Kiko have his first taste of licorice! His face was priceless! Yet he reached for another after that! He said it is like eating plastic! LOL!
I learned what cold showers are. You get used to them quickly and they actually feel very refreshing! Only on my way home did I realize how excited I was to get a hot shower! And it was hard to remember to not put toilet paper in the toilet! There is a trashcan for that and well, I would tell myself over and over as I entered the bathroom not to put it in the toilet but I guess my brain has a way of roving off to lala land even while I am chanting something else! I don’t know how many times I had to fish the toilet paper out. 
The couple we stayed with was very hospitable and I really enjoyed them. They are German Baptist. I didn’t know what to expect but they are wonderful servants of God and the wife is definitely epitomizing the Prov. 31 woman! There were some issues going on and she was a good understanding listener but at the same time her words were guarded so as not to disgrace our Lord!
A funny thing is that I took a spoonrest for her as a host gift and wouldn’t you know I could not find it when I got there! I was so very frustrated cause I had it in my carryon and I was sure I had kept a hawk’s eye on it even while it went through the x-ray machine! I could not see when the airport security could have possibly taken it and I was really upset that they would do that and not tell me! I had some very resentful thoughts toward them because this spoonrest was a special one that is not available anymore and I wanted my host family to have it! Well, on the last day when I was in Haiti I was repacking my things and as I came across my crochet bag I felt something unusually hard. I almost passed it off as the pack of crocheting needles but decided I had better look cause it felt like more than that! Well, lo and behold, there was the spoon rest! I then remembered wrapping it in my afghan because I thought that would be the best padding! And I didn’t touch my crocheting stuff the entire time so that is why I never found it til the last day. That was pretty embarrassing and we all had a good laugh. I was just glad that I found it before I got back to PA. And, my sis had to point out all the nasty thoughts I had towards the airport people so I had to take all that back too! Oops! I should keep my mouth shut more, it would do me good! 
The girls got their hair done in corn row braids and they begged me to do so but I declined because my hair is thin and tight things in the hair are bad for it. I didn’t want to lose hair just for the sake of corn rows.
We did some baking with neighborhood girls. That was fun! It made a full kitchen but it was fun. They loved cutting out the heart shaped cookies and rolling out the dough and decorating and icing them afterward.
We also went to a place that is an orphanage in progress. A missionary family lives there and they plan to run it. They already have a preschool running. It is a big complex and pretty comfy looking. Beautiful scenery and mountains around it. We helped them bake some Valentine cookies for the preschoolers.
The way animals roam is pretty cute. There are goats and dogs and chickens and cows just roaming all over the countryside. It’s cute and quaint and you have look out for animals when you are driving too!
We had fun using the wringer washer. But I am certain that it is harder on clothes than a regular washer would be. I didn’t wash some of my stuff just because of that. I think some of the things looked more worn/faded after going through that. Maybe it was my notion but I only washed what had to be washed and the rest waited til I got home. I like to have my dirty laundry in my check in luggage anyway to hopefully discourage the security to paw through it! I guess that is kinda mean, they are only doing their duty. But I just don’t appreciate when they dig through my stuff as they mess up my neat order of things and it’s just not a comfortable feeling to have someone digging through your personal items without you being present!
We went to a sandal lady one day. She had boxes of sandals of lotsa sizes that she takes to market. I found one pair that I “had” to buy. There was another one that was even prettier but she didn’t have my size. Some of their sandals are very narrow. I don’t wear wide, I wear regular but I really wonder how people wear some of their sandals with them being so narrow. 2 of my toes were falling off the edge on those!
One day we went to the river. It brought back memories of En Gedi Israel. It was not as vast or as beautiful but it was like a mini version of it. We saw some Haitians coming through the water with their donkeys loaded down with goods and the ladies were carrying things on their heads. They actually travel 3 hours to their homes so that makes 6 hours of walking in a day’s time just to bring their goods to sell at the market. Some were walking barefoot. Ouch! I can’t imagine but I guess that is the only life they know. They do what they can to make a living. Made me so thankful for my job. Would I be willing to travel that far to sell something? Hardly! I’m a spoiled American!
Well I think that is all I have for now. Probably as soon as I send this off I will think of more things I could have written but …….I guess I will close.
We got home on the 18th on a Thursday night around 7pm. No incidents on the way home, thankfully!

Feb. 7-9

Monday the 7th we got up early and went to the market nearby. Lots of veggies and fruits laid out on tarps that they are selling. Also some other things like piles of clothes and hair accessories. There was soap that supposedly they are well known for and the soap is called a miracle stain remover. So I hope to get that as I was looking for lestoil and had not found it yet in the states so this might be better and definitely less expensive. There were sacks of spices as well. There was fish laid out and also chicken. The couple we stay at, she bought some chicken and we watched the guy cut it up and put it in a bag for her. Thankfully, he cut the head off! LOL!

After market we went to the church and started painting. It is old barnwood type of wood, rough and a few places the termites destroyed so it just crumbles when you try to paint it. We are painting it cream. It is a dear little church though, and I never saw such a small church. Could pass for "the little country church in the wildwood" except there is no wildwood here! We got most of the inside done in a few hours. A person would go by with the roller and paint all the slatted wood and then the paint brushers would go by and fill in the cracks and crevices. We weren't at it long until we had a whole bunch of helpers! I caught onto it soon that whenever there's a missionary at the church, the little children from all around come to see what is happening and then they want to help! Only, they really got in the way and you try so hard not to get paint all over your clothes and the concrete floor but when you can't even turn around without bumping a child...well...it's just not convenient! I kept saying to my self, "Jesus would say 'suffer the little children to come unto Me and forbid them not.' " But when we breaked for lunch and came back, not many came back to join us so I was grateful for that. Of course they had all wanted to help and kept stealing our brushes and paint if you only laid them down for 5 seconds! We got most of the inside done but then we ran out of paint. So we had to stop. The benches and window sills will be done another day as well as the outside of the building.

In the evening we did a doll craft with the girls. I think I will try it with the shelter girls when I get home. It's a cute yarn doll made out of used empty water bottles. You wrap yarn around the bottle for the clothes and put on some lace to make it look like a skirt. Then you are supposed to put on a wooden spoon head decorated with hair for the head but we are going to make clay heads for them. So they got the yarn put on MOnday night. The next time we work on them is Thursday night, we hope to finish them then.

Tuesday the 8th......we woke up at 7:30AM & went into town, actually crossed the border into Haiti as the one volunteer was taking her parents to the IFM base for their flight back. We hung around the base for awhile and then we toured the clinic. Made me thankful for our US hospitals! Seems like I would be able to work in a clinic/hospital like they have here and I would want someone smarter than me to work on me if I was sick! LOL! I'm sure they have a good doctor, it's just that the appearances of the hospital are very crude and simple. They have 54,000 files of people and that is all manually filed! Imagine! Someone commented that they need a computer and the guy in charge of the files chuckled and pointing to his head he said, "No my computer is right here!" They just have simple desks for a nurse's station and it really looks like someone having fun playing doctor! We toured the cholera tents and there were maybe 6 or so patients. They used to have all the rooms full as well as people lined in the hallways. They explained to us how it saps all the hydration a person has if they are not treated in time and they can die fast. They showed us the beds/cots and they had a hole cut out of the middle. That was because the people with cholera cannot control their diarrhea and they just put a bucket under each bed.

There was a line of people waiting to be seen by a doc. They sit on benches just waiting.

We also toured the orphanage which is really just a home with 6 children. One is handicapped and in a wheelchair. Her family has alot of children and didn't have the resources to care for her but they still love her and come visit her. There was a 7 month old baby that is being adopted by one of the volunteers. She is adorable. There were at least 2 little boys I saw there that were adorable as well. Why are black babies so much cuter than white ones? Well I guess there not, it's just that we don't see them as much so they are just more fun to look at since they are new to us!

We also toured a work site where they are building a house. And, we ate at the IFM base. A Haitian lady cooked us lunch and it was VERY good! It was rice with some kind of meat gravy kind of thing with beans. So tasty I wanted to eat more but got full fast. I am not drinking enough....I miss my ice cold water and the water at the mission was ice cold so I couldn't get done drinking that! If I thought I would lose weight on this trip.....ummm....that is a joke because I have gotten less picky of food over the years and everything so far was good so I ate alot.

When we headed back to the border to come "home" we had an interesting time. The road nearing the border is a narrow and bumpy (alot of their roads are paved then stones then paved then stones, etc.) and it winds by a huge body of water, a lake. They keep having to redo it (pile more stones on) because it keeps going underwater. They have a problem that the lake keeps coming higher and higher and covering things, they don't know why. Anyway so we wind around and pass everyone who is going slower than we want to go and honk our horn to let them know we are here! We finally made to the border and then we were stuck there for awhile. There were piles of trucks and all jam packed there and waiting for approval to be let through. None of it making any sense how they let these trucks block all the others and have a royal road block. Seriously, it's pathetic management. Then when they finally let some of the trucks go, you would still have to wait as all these other vehicles came 3 abreast just barreling on through, and some with literally only 3 hairs width in between them and the other vehicles! I would not be brave enough to steer like that!

Now we are back and getting ready for church tonight. Guess we will carry the benches outside for church as the inside stinks like paint.

Oh, and everyone but me climbed up on the roof from a long long ladder and they plan on sleeping there tonight. Not me! I would love to be up there but I hate ladders so badly!

Oh, and I ate some crab meat. They were doing crabs while we watched and they begged me to eat some so I did. Fresh crabs. Not too bad. I would eat them again if they are fresh like that.

Feb. 9, Today we painted the whole outside of the church. We painted it Dominican style! You put kerosene in your paint and make it really soupy so that is splatters and runs all over the place when you paint! It stretches it that way! You save yourself money! The inside we were able to paint regular but Pastor Kiko wanted the outside done Dominican style. They rent the building and would like a new building eventually so that was some of the reason for being sloppy I guess. The landlord does not pay for the paint. Oh, and if there are outlets or wiring for the lights, you just paint under and around them and who cares if you get paint on them!

I forgot to mention in yesterday's email that they also grow sugarcane as a crop. We went by a pickup load of sugarcane and the guys handed a stalk over to us to eat. Reminded me of when I was in Panama we got to try some when we visited a sugarcane farm.

We painted til lunch time then came home and ate lunch and then made heads for a craft we had started with the girls Monday night. They have girl's night Monday and Thursday nights. Remember the yarn dolls I talked about before? An empty water bottle that you wrap yarn around? Well you are supposed to put a wooden spoon in them for the head but we didn't have any so we made clay heads out of homemade playdough and baked them. Then we drew faces on them and put a clear coating on them. Next we made yarn wigs and glued them on the heads. We made 23 of them. So it took most of the afternoon. Then time for shower and off to the church to do the craft. The girls loved them! Sadly though, a few of the heads broke and some extra girls came too that weren't with us the first night and that caused us to not have enough heads. So some girls have a headless doll! It was chaotic. I want to do this craft with my girls in at the shelter. I am thankful for the order the staff keeps in there because these girls here are everywhere. I mean everywhere and they get loud and if you are trying to hand things up they all want to mob you to make sure they get something. For me it was a challenge also because they would come up to me and say something in rapid Spanish and I didn't pick up enough of words to understand what they were saying.

That pretty much sums up the day. Tomorrow we will paint the church benches and the windows and doors. I don't know what we will do the rest of the day but I'm sure we will do something fun. We just got done playing a game of Skip-bo and got so silly that we quit and came to bed. So we are making memories.

Feb. 5 & 6 Haiti & Dominican Republic

Well, we started out with icy roads Saturday morning! They were pretty much a sheet of ice in some places! I was so happy I did not have to drive on them. Sharon Martin had the fartherest to drive and we ended up picking her up in the Kmart parking lot because she could not drive up the hill. It was nasty stuff. So we started quite a bit later than we planned and then we met up with lots of other folks who were scared to drive and some just stopped right there in their lane and held up the traffic behind them! So we were late late LATE! Of course the traffic jams didn't help the situation and we were all thankful for my dad who was clever enough to maneuver down the middle yellow line to pass all the petrified people up. He is a good driver and got us safely to the airport and I'm sure there were angels looking out for us as well. I did not know that sometimes they change carriers if you have a layover on your flight. All the times I've flown local and international, it was just one carrier. So I had glanced at my itinerary and saw American Airlines and told Dad confidentally to drop us off there at that gate. So he did and we were just like 25 min. before flight time....and of course needed to go through security and check in yet. We were nervous, knowing that you are supposed to be there 1.5 hours ahead of time, not 25 minutes! I was so sure we would miss our flight. Anyway, so we walk up to the counter expectantly hoping to shove through as fast as possible. Well, the attendant kindly informed us after looking at our agenda that we are starting out US AIRWAYS, not American Airlines! We were not to get American Airlines til we get to Ft. Lauderdale Florida! AAAAAGH! So we ran as fast as we could with our big klutzy suitcases, 3 each! You know it's not very convenient to run with all that stuff! But it was just one gate down so we ran in the rain. The lady said we might want to wait on a shuttle but we were outta there like lightening! We didn't want to miss our flight! So we found the correct counter finally and then while they were trying to check us in the computer shut them out because the cut off time was right then, we were too late. I didn't see it but my sis said they as much as rolled their eyes and mumbled "interesting". Apparently they were not impressed with us but they kindly overroded the computers and send us through miraculously fast! Also, because I had been looking at American Airlines online I had seen we do not have to pay for luggage check-ins. Well, US Airways charges so we paid $60 for checking in our luggage. We were peeved, especiall me because the girls were not expecting this and I was kinda in charge so I felt responsible. We were at the tale end of the line of people at the gate, 15 minutes before flight time. However once we were in the plane, because of the icy runway...I guess, or maybe it was just the weather making the flight time behind schedule but anyway we sat there 51 minutes because we were number 12 in line for takeoff. Well, I wasn't too concerned, just relieved to be on there in time. The flight went well once we were up. It was fun to be with my sister on her first flight. To see her enjoy being above the clouds and experience how it feels for takeoff and landing. It was noneventful which was fine with me.

We landed in FT. Lauderdale exactly the time we were supposed to be ascending in our next plane. I did not feel like even trying to run because I was sure we would not make it. They board 20 minutes before flight time and certainly by flight time the doors are closed. But we ran anyway and it was set up different there than some airports so we went in some circles, retracing some steps and finally finding the right place....only to find out our hunch was correct, too late. The best they could do was give us a flight for 6:45 Sunday morning. I tried to see what they could do for a hotel for us since they made us late and they said it was weather and they won't take the blame for it, it's our baby to rock! However they gave us a number to call for a discount and we got a room for $99 with 2 double beds. It was a nice hotel with a pool. We weren't too upset because hey it's adventure and at least it as that cheap. $25 per person isn't bad. We used the pool and went to a cute Italian restaurant. We enjoyed a pizza.

We had to get up at 3:45AM then to get our next flight but we still got 7 hours of sleep as we went to bed early! We wanted to be there in plenty of time and we were. Security wasn't too bad. We had had to claim all our bags instead of having them go straight to Haiti so we had to check them all in again to go to Haiti with us. In other words, they did not go on ahead of us.
And, while there I either had my camera stolen or lost, not sure which. I had it in the case and hung on my shoulder and within 10 min of it being gone, I knew it. I asked everywhere I could think of and retraced my steps which was a very small area and it was nowhere. THe strap is very thin and would have been a piece of cake for someone to snip it and take it without me knowing it. So I dunno what happened. The camera is 4.5 years old and outdated in the camera world so it's not a huge loss but I really liked it, it still printed out very good pictures and I was not planning to get a new camera anytime soon. So I was not devastated but at the same time I love photography and was pretty sad not to take my own pics. I see things that are unique that others would not see because they are not me. LOL! So I was looking at the disposeable cameras but they only do 27 pics and I usually do 600-800 pics on a trip so I wasn't sure what to do. Also I know that those kind of cameras are not very good. So, while I was trying to decide someone spotted a Best Buys station with a camera identical to the one I lost, only it's an upgrade. The price was not insane either so I quickly bought it and a memory card as well. So I was grateful to God for that! I hope I can hang onto this one now and not lose it or ruin it. ANd I will be sure to call the airport and see if they found it later. I do want it back! It had several memory cards and an extra battery.

Our flight to Haiti was uneventful as well. We all agreed we like American Airlines much better than US Airways. I had never flown US Airways before and I noticed that they only give you drinks, not snacks and they don't give you the whole can, only a cup of liquid and all in all they are not as accomating as other airlines. AA gives snacks and a whole can of drink and they are so friendly and when in the plane they tell us BEFORE they start descending so that we know what's happening when we start plummeting and they tell us the altitude and all that jazz. The other airline didn't tell us as much and they told us they are descending after they were already doing it!

Debbie and a guy from the mission were waiting on us. We hopped into the back of the truck. Away we went, and I mean AWAY we went! LOL! There are no speed limits here and they drive as fast as they can handle it to get where they want to go fast! So forget the neat hair and plan on dust ALL over you because when we finally got to wash our faces, there were little rivulets of black on our faces. It was great, standing up on the back of the truck and flying so fast that you felt as if the Rapture could happen any second and spiral you on up to meet Jesus! And, flying so fast at times you felt like you could not get your breath either. The scenery was pretty, lots of mountains and a huge lake and lots of greenery and banana trees and lotsa tap-taps which are brightly colored contraptions to all things and people. People ride on top of vehicles some and ladies carry things on their heads. It was interesting trying to get pictures of everything real fast before the moment is gone. I wonder how many of my pics will get because we were flying so fast!

We briefly saw the Clinic then. Drove by it. We ate lunch at the IFM base and then piled approx. 25 people in the back of the truck because there were guys what needed to go along to the Dominican Republic. Another hair flying trip with dodging other vehicles on the road! We finally crossed the border and got to see where Debbie lives. We will be staying with her. There is a German Baptist couple who lives here. They are very nice people. Debbie has her own nice room. She will be here for at least 6 months. She came in January.

Tomorrow we will start painting the church. Debbie says we will learn to be flexible. You never know what a day holds and don't plan too much because you take it as it comes. We will not be helping in the orphanage after all. They only have 5 or 6 children. The clinic doesn't have many cholera patients anymore either, like currently only 5. So I don't know what all we will be doing, gotta take it as it comes.

We will have church every day except one day. Often girls church. Speaking of church, I must go get ready! It's time to soon go!

Christmas & New Years

I had my grandparents and parents over for a Christmas dinner 2 weeks before Christmas. We had a lovely time. I set the table with my Sunday pottery and my special red placemats and cloth napkins and goblets, both wine goblets and water goblets. I put candles on the table as well. I served spiral ham, cream cheese potatoes, kluski noodles, green & yellow beans, pickles, rolls & jelly & butter, peaches & pears, cake & cupcakes, and mint candies. I love hosting parties. It’s a lot of work and I don’t like the cleaning part to get ready and the food prep isn’t my favorite thing but once it’s all prepared and we are ready to roll, I’m having the time of my life! So the meal went smoothly and afterward we visited and I showed them around. I had the house all decked out for Christmas so they walked around and looked at things. I had put new wigs on some dolls that I had gotten for cheap at a re-usit shop so my one grandma had a lot of fun looking at them cause she likes dolls too. I have a gigantic curio full of dolls.
Then the day after I had my grandparents was a Sunday and I had Bible study at my house so I invited the girls for that to come early and help eat leftovers. I decorated for them too then, just because I love parties! 
Then the next weekend which was the week before Christmas, I had an engaged friend of mine come over with her 2 kids and also another married friend whose husband didn’t come along so they helped eat more leftovers. (I froze the stuff in between so it wasn’t so old then). I didn’t decorate for them because of the kids and hopefully they didn’t mind. I just knew the kids would destroy things and I didn’t want my party things destroyed! We watched Chonda Pierce then. Did you ever hear of her? She is a Christian comedian. Usually I don’t take time for those kinds of things but I did that time and we really enjoyed her. The kids were still a mess, getting into the cupboards and so on. But, again, that’s life! 
Christmas Eve I was with my family. We always get together to eat Papa John’s pizza and celebrate and exchange gifts. Christmas Day Mom had her side of the family over so I went and ate lunch there and then came back and I believe I was home the rest of the day.
New Year’s Eve, I went to see THE SOUND OF MUSIC at the Fulton Opera House. Oh, was it ever good! I have the movie. Everyone loves it. Well this was awesome to see it played out live. I had to go buy some of the songs off of i-tunes! After the play there was champagne and sparkling cider and a bunch of appetizers and tieras and hats and dancing and an orchestra. I wanted to see the dancing and hear the orchestra but the place was so full we kept bumping people so we left after trying some of the sparkling cider and the appetizers. Then we went to a friend’s house where the rest of the folks were and spent maybe 45 minutes there and came home
New Year’s Day a friend of mine is took me out to eat and I helped her print out some pictures at Walmart. In the evening we had a movie night here at my house with a few girls. And, we had Papa John’s pizza, which is the very best pizza in the whole world! 
Well, Friday I was sick, and had off work. Thursday I was sick too, but I worked anyway. I woke up with an awful bellyache and managed to work but I had to stop between every little thing I did to lay on my belly. I am a nanny that takes care of 3 children, so they kept asking me what I’m doing when I would lay on the floor for awhile! I managed to get pretty much everything done and had just put the kids down for their naps when the boss walked in. I groaned inside because I thought, “Oh great, now if I lie around she will know I’m sick and yet I can hardly go on working nonstop.”  But I didn’t feel like leaving early, I thought surely I can make it til the end of the day somehow. But, she told me she came home early because of a headache and that she’s gonna rest and that since the kids will sleep for awhile I could go home. It was 1:30pm. I was thrilled. So I told her I was sick anyway so that worked out good that she released me early. I took off Friday then because they told me to so I could recuperate. And, it was needed because I was still sick even though not as bad as the day before. I had diarrhea and terrible abdominal cramps and heat flashes where it felt as though I was burning up and achy muscles on Thursday. Friday was just some left over bellyache and none of the other symptoms.

We had a very good sermon in church this morning on Fear. Pastor Tim preached part 1 of a 2 part sermon on fear and today it was geared on fear of God. It was good, although when he said it was about fear I must admit that I was hoping it would be about fear of man. I needa be preached to about that. I never realized how much of a grip fear of man has on me til a few years ago and I can't seem to get out of the rut. I mean, I know it's an issue with me so I guess that's a step because for the first time in my life I am recognizing it but man, how do you get out of the rut. How do you get to the point that it only matters what God thinks about you and other issues of life? How I long to be there......but I see a LONG journey ahead til I get where I needa be on that! Oh, I've come a ways, don't get me wrong. I didn't just recognize it as a problem, I have had some victories. But when I compare the victories to where I needa be, you can barely see any progress. But hey with God's help I will prosper and grow. You know, what other people say and think can really shake me up and rock my world and make me change things, but when I stand before God someday I'm gonna be alone and it's not gonna help me to say, "Oh but so and so said I must do this..." So I should only be letting God shake and rock my world. Of course there is room to let God speak through pastors and mentors and truly godly people too.

I am still looking for a place to move to last week of April-May 1st. Everyone says they won't wait on me, they want someone before that. So I guess I am looking too soon. I gotta believe that God will provide in His time.

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!