I know I have neglected my little world here and haven’t posted anything in quite some time. It has been a busy past few months and I have had good things and bad things happening in my life so I have just neglected writing anything…shame on me. I’m trying to get things back on track so I will try and post daily so I can keep everyone in the know how on everything that is going on and whatever my crazy little mind decides to write about.

Summer is here in Georgia and it is HOT! School is out and the boys done great, Tyler will be going to 5th grade next year and Alex will be going to first. Boy, how they grow so fast. I remember thinking people were crazy making the statement “They don’t stay babies for long” but boy you will truly understand this statement when you become a parent.  Time flies and before you know it they have gone from toy trucks and blocks to cell phones and ipods. We recently purchased a new vehicle and our 10 year old has already claimed our old car as his own. I guess that will be one of our next big milestones to come.

Since the beginning of the year I have lost some dear people to me.  On January 2, 2008 My family lost a dear friend of ours, Carl H. Wiggins. He was a wonderful man, a great husband, father and just one of those people who would do anything for anyone. I loved him as if he was my own father and boy did he ever crawl my butt like I was one of his. I will miss him alot.  Just a few weeks after that I lost my Uncle James F. Willis (Uncle Bobie) whom was my dad’s brother and best friend. They were very close and most of the time if you seen one you seen the other and most likely they were headed one of their favorite fishing holes or the garden. I’m happy to know they are together again in heaven.

Also on the sadder note, My niece Danielle Nicole Strickland has once again for the Third time in her young life is having to battle Cancer. Danielle is 19yrs old and just graduated from Brantley High School on May 23, 2008. Danielle was first diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 6. She was a very strong little girl and won her battle only to be diagnosed with leukemia in December of 2006. Danielle had to undergo 2 years of chemo and finished her last treatment in April 2008. She had a very long and hard road but she was a very strong little girl and gave it her all. Danielle had to go back to the hospital in early part of June for a check up and after the check-up Danielle and her mom Melinda decided to stop in town so Dani could spend a little bit of her graduation money on something she wanted..a pool. Before they could get home Melinda received the terrible phone call saying that they needed to return back to Jacksonville to the hospital cause the doctor wanted Danielle admitted asap for more test.  The results were grim. Danielle now had a Third type of cancer AML Leukemia. The doctors told them their options and asked what they wanted to do. Her first choice was to do nothing which the doctors said he would only give her 2 weeks to 2 months to live. Her Second option was to take a chemo pill but doctors said that would only prolong her life by just a couple of months. Her Third option was to take a very harsh chemo treatment for 10 days and then wait to see if it sends the chemo into remission and after a couple of months if she survived the harsh treatments then they would try a bone marrow transplant. The doctors didn’t think Danielle would survive the harsh chemo treatments because she didn’t tolerate her last treatments very well. But the good news, Thanks to Danielle’s strong will and Prayers from all the friends and family and people we don’t even know Danielle has completed her 10 days of chemo with no problems other than her counts being low and having to get Blood transplants and Platelets every day. But her mom called me this morning and for the first time she doesn’t have to have blood or platelets today. Thank God! Hopefully this means the chemo is working and in the next couple of weeks when they test her again there will be no more leukemia. So Please continue to keep Dani and the family in your Prayers…Thanks

I guess that about sums everything up other than the normal busy every day life of being wife and mommy.

‘Twas The Night Before Christmas
A Christmas Poem by Pastor Jim Kamerer

‘Twas the night before Christmas and as I looked round my tent,
I couldn’t believe all the money I’d spent
For trains and dolls, for trinkets and toys
Some for the girls and some for the boys.
I looked round once more to be sure things were right;
The kids were all in bed for the night.
I set up the track for the train I bought Ted,
The train went round twice and the battery went dead.
I put on my cap, my gloves, and my coat;
I went to Ames and over to Zayre.
You guess it my friend, no batteries there!
As I left the store a thought came to me,
I had one in the remote of the color TV.
Well, I placed that remote in my wife’s favorite chair
I was ready for Christmas with hours to spare.
When out came my wife and punched that remote
And then said to me, “The TV’s broke!”
So on with the coat, the gloves, and the cap
Out in the cold about ready to snap.
I went to K-Mart and stood in that line
From 8:35 ’til a quarter past nine.
As I came to the checkout, my heart leaped with glee –
There was that one lonesome battery just waiting for me.
When from my behind I seen this hand slip
And grab that battery with a real tight grip.
I wheeled around and what did I see?
This giant of a man glaring down at me.
Well, I remembered an ad I had seen on TV
Buy a Big Mac, get your batteries free.
So, I bought me a burger I didn’t want…
They were out of batteries, so on with hunt.
I finally found one at Servi-Star,
Paid for my purchase and made for my car.
When I entered the door of my humble shack,
My wife said, “What’s this battery for I found in a sack?”
I was out there in the press, the push, and the greed
To buy me a battery I didn’t even need.
At last I relaxed in my easy chair,
When this still small voice came out of somewhere.
“You’re ready for Christmas with toys, tinsel, and tree
You’ve got it all together, but what about me?”
I fell on my knees and cried, “God, what have I done?”
I got caught up in the madness and neglected your Son.
The best gift of all you’ve given for free
Your Son, Jesus Christ, for sinners like me.
You sent Him to suffer the shame and the loss,
To shed his life’s blood for me on the cross.
Well friend, I’ll never forget ere I rest ‘neath the sod,
The the greatest of gifts if given by God.

During the holiday seasons we all seem to get all depressed and stressed out because we can’t decide who’s house were gonna go for christmas dinner, or what to buy for another family member or friend or whether how far in debt the holiday will put us. I, Myself found I was heading down this road yesterday starting to feel depressed because I wasn’t sure if the kids would get everything on their santa list and how were we gonna afford to buy for everyone we needed to. But, finally I snapped back to my senses and realized it didn’t matter who got what. I, myself just needed to be thankful and to count my blessings, My family is all healthy and well, We have a roof over our heads, and will be enjoying a hot christmas dinner together as a family. Many families will not have their loved ones with them or will spend them at the hospital or other places where christmas just is not the same. Some don’t even have a home, nor family to spend the holidays with and there are many kids that will wake up christmas morning to find no new presents under the christmas tree to unwrap.  So this holiday I will be very happy, and thankful that I was blessed with a loving family, warm home, and a wonderful meal to share with family and friends this year.

May God Bless each and everyone of you and May you and your family share in a wonderful holiday.

Yeah!!! We made it another year without one of us killing the other..haha. Sometimes I find it hard to believe it has already been 14 years. We have had our bad times and our good ones and I wouldn’t trade none of them for anything. Sometimes marriage can be one of the toughest jobs out there but if you both love and support one another and give it your best then the rewards are awesome.  Don’t kill yourself trying to have the perfect marriage because No one is perfect, and that is O.K.

I Promise
Dorothy R. Colgan
I promise to give you the best of myself
and to ask of you no more than you can give.

I promise to love you in good times and bad,
with all I have to give and all I feel inside
in the only way I know how,
completely and forever.

A BUTTERFLY IN THE WIND

A butterfly in the wind,

Some can fly higher than others;

but each one flies the best it can.

Why compare one against the other?

Each one is different!

Each one is special!

Each one is beautiful!

~~ Author Unknown ~

Well, We all know what the Four Seasons are Fall, Winter, Summer and Spring. However, when Alex my 6yr old who always seems to bring a smile to anyone’s face came home with his homework for the week he had to study and memorize the Days of the Week, Months of the Year, and the Four Seasons. I began to ask him what the Days, Months, and Seasons were so I would know where we needed to practice the most. Well, we worked our way through the Days and Months and finally we came to the Four Seasons and I asked him what they were and his response was, ” The First Season is Hunting Season”. and of course all I could do was smile and laugh and tell him his Uncle Elmer would be so proud of him. But, Luckily after just two times of going through the correct Four Seasons Alex had them down pat.

1 8 ounce carton sour cream

3 heaping tablespoons of brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash of ground ginger

Mix sour cream, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Serve with fresh fruit

1 7ounce can white tuna, drained

1/2 cup chopped ripe olives

1 package dry Italian dressing mix

1 8 ounce carton sour cream

Combine all ingredients, mixing well. Sprinkle with a little paprika for color and serve with crackers.

1 1/2 cups bottled barbecue sauce

2/3 cup orange marmalade

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

12 ounces cooked bratwurst, cut into 1/2 inch slices

12 ounces cooked kielbasa, cut into 1/2 inch slices

8 ounces small cooked smoked sausage links

1 8ounce can pineapple chunks, drained

In a large saucepan combine barbecue sauce, orange marmalade, dry mustard, and allspice. Cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in bratwurst, kielbasa, smoked sausage links, and pineapple chunks. Cover and cook over medium-low heat about 20 minutes more or until heated through, stirring occasionally

Crockery-cooker directions: In a 3 1/2 to 4-quart crockpot combine barbecue sauce, orange marmalade, dry mustard, and allspice. Stir in bratwurst, kielbasa, and sausage links. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir in Pineapple Chunks. Serve immediately or keep warm on low-heat setting for up to 2 hours.

1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (46 ounce) can apple juice

3 quarts ginger ale, chilled.

Pineapple chunks to garnish, optional

Mix juices together and place in plastic containers to freeze.

When ready to serve, place frozen juices in punch bowl and add the chilled ginger ale. stir to mix.