The Book

One, Two, Tie This Shoe


Walk the Dog (a little blurry but there is a dog in the house)



Crinkle the Wings (blurry, but the wings make a noise)


Look for a surprise in the nest (Very blurry but there are eggs in the nest that is attached with velcro).


Learn to zipper (blurry).


Jingle bells in the bow (a little better)


Learn to button

Play peek a boo

I had made this book for our grandchild and finished it up about 2 weeks before he was born. I had made a similar book when my children were small and I wanted to do something for Lincoln. This one was much easier than the one I had made 26 years ago. The hardest part was putting it all together.

I hope that Lincoln has many hours of fun and learning with it.

Liz

Home Again

We got home yesterday after 9 days in Houston. Although we enjoyed our time there it was good to be home.

There is nothing like a newborn baby to make Christmas extra special. The parents of our daughter in law were also there so we were all able to enjoy Lincoln's first Christmas.

It is nice to return home and not have to put away Christmas decorations. It is just nice to be home.

Liz

A Christmas Present

Look-Santa has left us a present!



Just What we Wanted!

A Baby!

And It Is

A BOY!

Introducing our first grandchld: Lincoln Danger Ward! He arrived at 9:20 pm on December 19, 2008. He just missed sharing his birthday with his dad. Lincoln weighed in at 8 lbs. 3 oz. and was 21" long.

There seems to be a tradition starting in the Ward family. Lincoln is now the fifth generation to have the initials LDW.

This Christmas we have much to be thankful for!

Liz

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to my oldest baby-he is turning 28 today. Today is also the day that his baby is due so we will see what happens.

L is every mother's dream child. He was a good baby-slept, ate, and was always so easy going. I dreaded the high school years because I was afraid that he would make the wrong choices but I was the one that was wrong. He made all the right decisions. I joke and say that I had the only boy that would call and tell me every movement.

I then dreaded the day that he would leave home to go to college because I knew how much I would miss him. Missing him didn't end with him going to college. There are still many days that I miss him but I am so grateful for the way he has turned out.

A new parent asked me one time what was the best thing he could do for his newborn. I was so surprised that he thought that I would have the magic answer. The only response I had was to do as I had-pray for them every day. That prayer doesn't end with his growing up and getting married. I still pray daily for him as well as his wife (and my daughter and son in law).

Thank you for being the best son a mother could ever hope for.

Mom

Facebook

I have known about Facebook because I have children. My daughter would talk about it and the friends that she had found and at school I have had kids ask me if I had a facebook account. Until now I could truthfully tell them no, but now I have joined Facebook.

My husband and I met when we were both working at Glorieta Baptist Conference Center (GBCC) where we both had summer jobs. By the next summer we were married. We left there at one time and then returned and worked there for another 2 years. We have some great memories from that time and had some good friends, but friends move away and you lose touch with them.

Now through the internet age friends can come back into your life. I had recently discovered that there was a site through Facebook for former GBCC staff. I have become reacquainted with people from those days and it has been great to catch up on what has happened in their lives.

A bonus to this has been people that I haven't talked with since 9th grade. From 7th-9th grade I lived in Houston, Texas. I was part of a group of friends that not only went to church together but went to school together also. There were about 10 of us and that was one of the best times of my life. I have caught up with some of them and it is great to know that I haven't been forgotten by them.

Although life goes on sometimes old friendships endure-even after no contact for 30 years.

Liz

Being Thankful

During these difficult economic times everyone is affected one way or another, whether it is a job loss, declining house value, or retirement accounts. We are no different than anyone else.

We have lived in our house 3 1/2 years. Someday I will post a list of everything that has gone wrong with this house since we have been here-it will be lengthy. Originally we thought we would live in our house about 3-5 years, do a little updating, and then sell it. We now say we will be in the house indefinitely. The value of it has dropped and there is more to fix than we were aware of.

Despite the house I do have much to be grateful for. Even though our retirement account has lost a significant amount of money we are still many years from retiring so hopefully we have plenty of time to make that up.

My husband still has a job and even though he found out yesterday that no one will be getting raises next year we feel that there is no reason to complain. We have great benefits and he is still employed.

There are so many blessings that we have each and every day. Our children are healthy and employed, our parents are doing well, we have a house, we have jobs, and we live in a country in which we have many freedoms.

Even though these are uncertain times there is one constant in my life-God. I know that no matter what happens God will still be there walking beside me, providing for me, and enabling me to get through each day.

Liz

Family Christmas

We had our family Christmas this past Sunday. We gathered at my brother's house and brought our gifts (remember we drew names). We had a great meal-steak, ribs, baked potatoes, green beans, fruit salad, broccoli, rice, and cheese casserole, and cheesecake. The steaks were wonderful-my brothers are both better cooks than me.

I got a great gift-a web cam. My daughter in law had my name and that is what she gave me. This will enable us to see the baby every day if we would like.

I had my daughter in law's name which is a funny coincidence. They are wanting to get a camcorder so I gave her a gift card that they can put towards getting that.

I thought that my mother got the best gift (other than mine). My daughter had her name and she gave my mother a gift card to the theater in their town. My mother loves going to the plays and the actors are quite good for a small town. I have gone to several of the towns and have always enjoyed the plays. My mother is at the age that she doesn't need something else to sit around so this was a great gift for her.

Christmas shopping this year has been easy. I hope that we continue to draw names and give to a charity. I felt that we enjoyed the time spent with each other and also gave money that will help people in Kenya possibly see again.

Liz

Cold

It is cold today. At this moment the temperature is 23 and the wind chill is somewhere around 12. In parts of the city there are icy roads but it appears that the roads outside our house are clear. This is a day to just stay in the house and keep warm.

Since our daughter in law is due to have the baby any day I thought that this would be the day she would have it. It would be difficult for us to get out of Dallas to go to Houston. We are hoping that the baby will wait until at least Saturday, preferably Sunday, to enter the world. The other grandmother is coming Saturday and it would be great if we could all be there when the baby comes.

In the meantime-I will try to stay warm.

Liz

My Remarkable Daughter

My birthday was today. When you have a birthday so close to Christmas you sometimes get lost in the shuffle. That is why I swore I would never have a child in December but what did I do-I had a child in December. . .and now he is having a child in December.



This year for my birthday my daughter fixed me dinner. We had fried chicken, mashed potatoes, zucchini, corn, and bread. We also had cake and ice cream. She did all this after working all day-I didn't work today since it was my birthday.



The other reason my daughter is remarkable is that she does everything she can for others. She has such a caring spirit and she has chosen to be involved with children who have cancer. She endlessly volunteers for Camp Quality, a camp for children with cancer, a camp where children can be children for a week. She raises money, she keeps in contact with families, and she does everything she can to ease the pain and burden for these children and their families. I love her so much and I admire her for all the time, energy, and love that she puts into this.

Liz

No Decorations This Year

For the first time in 30+ years I do not have any Christmas decorations out. I had intended to put up the tree but decided not to do even that.

I have tons of Christmas decorations and I love decorating for the season. Even last year between surgeries and company I managed to get all the decorations out. This year we were gone for Thanksgiving and upon returning my husband went out of town. I thought that this would give me a lot of extra time but other things got in my way. Then a whole week went by and nothing had been done.

Since we are going to be leaving December 20 to go to Houston to await the birth of this grandchild (if it doesn't come sooner) I just didn't see a reason to get all of the decorations out and spend a week decorating and then only be able to enjoy it for a week. So-there will be no Christmas decorations this tear. That means that next year when I get them out then it will more exciting.

Liz

A Little Different This Year

Our family is no different than most families at this time of year. We usually buy several gifts for everyone and enjoy giving them, BUT I had always felt that we should be doing something else. We had tried to do things through church but to me it felt like it wasn't a family effort.

Now that both of our children are grown and married I thought that it was time to try something else. We decided that all of us were very blessed and there wasn't anything that we really needed. We decided that we would draw names. That in itself is not unusual-lots of families do that. We added another element to it and hopefully it will be something we do every Christmas.
We decided that we would contribute to a charity and that one family would choose the charity for each of us to donate. We also decided that my parents would be the one to make the choice this year and that it would rotate on a yearly basis. The amount that each person would donate would be totally up to them, we would just send our checks to my parents and they would forward them to the charity.

This year my parents chose Lighthouse for Christ (www.lighthouseforchrist.com). This is a charty that has doctors go to Kenya and perform eye operations for free. The doctors donate all their time to perform these surgeries. They also dispense glasses. This organization also talks with people about Jesus as they are waiting to be seen by the doctors. This is an impressive organization and I am so pleased that this year our donation will be going to them.

Liz

Our Fun 2007 Christmas Eve

Last year on Christmas Eve afternoon our son, daughter in law, daughter, my husband and I went to the mall. I had told them that we were going there to have fun. I know that they were thinking how much fun can you have at the mall on the day before Christmas where everyone is scurrying about trying to find those last minute gifts. I also think that they thought I had lost my mind.

Upon arriving at the mall I gathered them around and gave each of them $5.00. I then gave them the instructions: they each had 1 hour to spend the whole $5.00 (I forgot to tell them that they would have to pay the tax) and then we would meet up at that same spot to compare the things we got. The person that did the best won-all they won was the honor of saying that they had won.

I went to lots of stores to look and I found lots of things but nothing that I felt would be a good use of my money. I finally found a display of small tools that were less than $5.00. I bought about 4 things (one of them cost $2.00) and started my way back to our meeting place.

We compared the things that we had bought: a gummy rat plus some other candy, some light up earrings, and other useless items. Our daughter won-she managed to spend hers in the first 5 minutes and then spent the rest of them time wandering around. She could only bring back a picture of her choice. She had donated her money to Salvation Army and took a picture of the bell ringer and the money going into the slot of the kettle.

I think that everyone agreed that she had made the best selection. We all had fun and it was an enjoyable afternoon at the mall.

Liz

A Unique Gift

Last Christmas our son asked that we give them one of our favorite books as one of their gifts. As much as I enjoy reading it was difficult to select a book. I also had my parents give them as well as our daughter their favorite gifts.

For our son I chose Walk Across America (see my shelfari) and for our daughter I chose The Secret Life of Bees (see my shelfari). My husband chose to give our son White Fang/Call of the Wild and our daughter was given The Long Walk (see my shelfari).

I knew that my father would say that his favorite book was Ferdinand the Bull so I found a copy for each of our children. My mother gave our son Feet in the Fire and she gave our daughter the autobiography by Ben Carson.

I really thought that this was such a unique gift. We wrote in the book why it was one of our favorite books. I felt that it was such a personal gift and one that would share a memory. Sometimes the best gifts are simple and meaningful.

Liz

My Favorite Advent "Calendar"

When my children were young I started a Christmas countdown. I would take 50 (25 per child) small bags (the size that you would use for a sack lunch) and number them. Inside I would put a little toy, some change, candy, a snack, etc. Each day they opened one bag until Christmas Day.

When I first started this it was easy to fill the bags. They were happy with a quarter, a candy cane, a Hot Wheels car, anything that was small and inexpensive. As they got older it was harder to find things that I could fill the bag with. One time when they were in high school I found some bubble gum that was shaped like crayons and came in a box that looked like a crayon box. That was a big hit, especially with my son.

I continued this until 2 years ago. By then my kids were in their 20's and it was extremely difficult to do it. I had done this the whole time my son was in college and had even done it when he was first married. I had thought of stopping it a few years before that but the kids mentioned how much they liked their bags so I did it for a few more years.

In a few years our grandchild will be old enough that I can start doing it again. It will be fun and I am looking forward to finding those inexpensive little things again.

Liz

It's December

It is hard to believe that December is already here. November came and went quickly.

Our long Thanksgiving weekend was good. We spent the day with my parents and then the next morning we were off to Houston, where it was very warm. I have a hard time seeing people in shorts when it is this close to Christmas.

Our time in Houston was busy. We helped L&K put together the crib. Thank goodness the baby will now have a bed to sleep in. I made the valance for the window and a bed skirt for the crib. We had taken a rocking chair down but I brought the cushions back to recover them.

My husband helped L fix the leaky toilet, cut down some branches from a tree that was damaged by the hurricane and helped L mount their TV on the wall. They also moved a dresser into the baby's room.

Three weeks until this baby is officially supposed to arrive. L&K won't tell the name. They say that way we will have to like it. I tried to find out but I didn't have any luck. They are so excited about this and it is fun to watch them. The baby's room will be so cute when they have completely finished everything.

Right now we are planning on going back to Houston on December 20-the official due date and L's birthday. Of course we could be making a quick trip down there if this baby decides to come early.

Liz

My Husband

This is him-the person that makes me smile. There are times that I can just think of him and smile. I think that after 30+ years of marriage that it is important that I can say that.

I have never seen him kinder than when I broke and dislocated my ankle. For weeks he took and picked me up from work, helped me take a bath, and made sure that I was taken care of. The first few weeks after surgery he would help me outside so I could take in the flowers. He even moved a huge pot to the back door so that I could see the flowers that were blooming. No one could have taken better care of me.

During my husband's brain surgery and recovery I was concerned that the person that I had married would not return. I don't think any one can be prepared for the difficulties that occur after brain surgery. Everyone recovers differently so there is no manual to prepare you for what will happen. I know that there are times that he has to really fight some of the lasting symptoms but it is important that he tries and will continue to fight.

I love him because he has put up with my family for all these years and he loves them dearly. He is more than willing to do what is necessary for them. I love him because he is a wonderful son to his parents. I love him because he still loves me and I know that he will still be here no matter what.

Liz

Kids

Our

Children

We have now reached the point in our life that we can look back and be thankful that our kids got through childhood relatively unscathed. I don't think it was because I was a great mother-I think that it was because I was a praying mother.

Our son and daughter in law have managed to both get their masters degrees while supporting each other. K started graduate school right before they got married. She worked at a couple of part time jobs while L worked full time. When she finished they packed up and moved to Denver where K worked and L went to school. During all this time they never asked for a single dime from either of their parents. They were responsible and did more with less money than any 2 people I know. Once L finished they packed up and moved to Houston and are now expecting their first child.

Our daughter and son in law are so considerate and kind. Z just finished his masters last week and I was so honored that he would call to tell me so that we could all share in his excitement. B has been at a job for almost 2 years and has proved to be such an asset to the company. She has been given new assignments and just recently been moved to another position that had just been created. I have been so proud of her and she deserves every recognition that she has received. The two of them just bought a house during the summer so it has been a busy year for them. They are so responsible and we are so fortunate that they live close to us.

I am grateful that we have reached this point in our lives that our children have also become our friends. I couldn't love them more.

Liz

Parents

My husband and I are very blessed in that all of our parents are still living and doing very well. I have watched my friends have to deal with the illness and death of their parents and we haven't had to deal with that yet.

My husband's parents divorced when he was young and his father is now 84 years old (and a very spry 84 year old man that still works part time as an electrical contractor). He remarried 40 years ago to a woman that had 3 children and then they had a child. Together they have 6 children. Although there are always problems in blending families I would have to say that they have been successful. Of course there were those difficulties when the children were younger but now that everyone is an adult they can see past those situations and there is no distinction between them-they are brothers and sisters.

My husband's mother has managed to come through some problems only because of my husband. He has always been the one that has taken the responsibility and help her through everything. Although there have been stressful times he has done what he has done out of love. As far as her health she has few problems.

My parents are very self sufficient. My dad (at 76) takes care of cows and all the chores that come with that. He may be a little slower but he is out there every morning and working hard. My mother may be 75 but there are times that she can wear me out. She goes with us on trips and never misses a beat. Through the trials of last year they were there to help us through it.

How thankful we are!

Liz

Thankfulness

Since this is the week of Thanksgiving it is a time that we should all think of things we are grateful for. I know last year at this time I was thankful for medical insurance.

The year 2007 was an eventful year and one I never hope to repeat. The biggest events were in a medical nature. In March of 2007 I was walking across the yard and fell. I ended up dislocating and broke all the bones in my right ankle. It was a very severe injury (or so the doctor told me 6 months later) and it doesn't heal in 6 weeks. It heals in about 2 years. I had to have surgery to repair it with 7 screws and a plate. In December I had all that hardware removed.

In September of 2007 my husband had to have surgery to remove a brain tumor. We had known about the tumor for several years but it had begun to cause sensory seizures so it had become necessary to remove it. Fortunately it was not malignant but it was a long recovery and in some ways he is still recovering. Our medical bills for the year were $150,000+. How much did we pay of that-a total of about $6,000. That includes all the co pays and our share of the bills. Without medical insurance we would be paying this off forever.

God had brought us to Texas for so many reasons. We had thought it was so we could be closer to our parents so we could help them. I think that for the year of 2007 we were in Texas so our families could be closer to help us go through that year.

This year we have so much more to be thankful for-one of the biggest things is that our medical situations have been nothing compared to 2007. Thank you God for giving us a year with nothing but happy events.

Liz

Seventh Graders

After completing 3 days in a 7th grade Language Arts classroom I am beginning to seriously think of swearing off 7th grade. I am so tired of students arguing with me about everything.

This class has had a revolving door of substitutes for the last 3 weeks so I know that they are tired of having different teachers. The regular teacher is pregnant and has been confined to bed rest for the next 4-5 months. Today the long term substitute was going to be in the classroom so at least they will have some continuity. I probably should have told her that she needs to rest up over Thanksgiving break because it will be a long 4-5 months for her.

The funniest thing to happen while I was in the classroom occurred on Monday. I was showing a movie when I noticed a student with his face lit up in a dark room. Aha-he has a cell phone. (The rule is that a student's cell phone is to be turned off when entering the front door in the morning). As I am walking over to take the cell phone another student sitting by Mr. Glowing Face tells him I am coming so the cell phone is thrust under his leg. When I arrive I just tell Mr. Glowing Face to hand it to me and don't even bother to say "What?". The cell phone is quietly put into my hand.

After class the warning student comes to me and tells me that he has lost his cell phone and did I find one. I wasn't born yesterday so I tell him that "Oh, that must the phone that Mr. Glowing Face had and you warned him that I was walking over." Guess what-oh yes-Mr. Warning denies that he ever said anything and he didn't know someone else had it. His words were, "It must have fallen out of my pocket". Sure! I just told him to save the story for the assistant principal because he will now have to get the phone from him.

As I am walk to the assistant principal's office (only to discover he wasn't in there which was no big surprise) another teacher tells me that she will take care of the phone and hands it to one of her trusted students and tells her to take it to the office secretary. Whew-my job is done, or so I thought.

On Tuesday morning I walk into school and there sits Mr. Warner with his mother and she is not happy with him. I hear her telling him that after she pays the fine ($15 cash) and gets his phone back he better never take it out of his pocket at school again. I just keep walking.

About 15 minutes later the assistant principal, Mr. Warner and his mother appear in my room. The assistant principal is looking for the phone. I tell him about the teacher taking over the phone and I take all 3 of them to that teacher. I ask her about it and she relates that the student gave HIM the phone. The assistant principal looks bewildered and so the 3 of them leave. (I could write a lengthy post on the assistant principal and the poor job that he does).

Two hours later the assistant principal walks by my room and tells me that they found the phone. I don't know where but I have a feeling it was right where he left it on Monday. I am sure that Mr. Warner will not be taking his cell phone out of his pocket for awhile.

Liz

The Shack

For several months I have been hearing of the book The Shack by William Young. I had read several different blogs in which people had taken quotes from the book and given their opinion. People seemed to love the book and thought it was wonderful.

For those of you that have not read this book here is a brief synopsis of it. While on a camping Mack's daughter disappeared and it was assumed that she had been abducted and murdered. Three years after this event he receives a note asking to meet "Papa" at "The Shack". The chapters that follow revolve around his experiences at this shack.

After hearing people talk about it and some practically gushing over it I was expecting to read a wonderful book that would take a devastating event and show how God is always there for us and would give a plan of salvation in it. I was disappointed and it is not a book that I would recommend.

I do think that the book tells a moving story of how this event had affected this man as well as his family. I do not think that the book shows a true relationship with Christ and the plan of salvation. At times I thought that the book touched on New Age principles and I had a problem with that.

I realize that a lot of people have read this book and have a totally different opinion than I do and would recommend that everyone should read this book. I just happen to differ from them.

Liz

Living Without a Newspaper

For the first time in 30 years I am no longer subscribing to a newspaper. I have always had a newspaper delivered and I read it daily.

Recently our city's newspaper decreased the size of the paper. They did this by combining some sections and eliminating some of the features-some of the things that I enjoyed. Some of the advice columns were gone as well as some of the puzzles.

When I received my bill I discovered that the cost of the newspaper subscription was going up. As I thought about it I realized that they decreased the size of the paper and were going to be charging me more for it. I decided that this was no longer a good value for my money.

This past week I called the newspaper office to cancel my subscription. When I was asked why I was cancelling I explained my reasons to them. The customer service agent told me that she understands and that they had had many people express my same sentiments.

I know that the newspaper had to make the decision to raise the prices and decrease the size because of cost. It is my option to continue to be a subscriber-or not!

Liz

Veteran's Day

On Saturday some of my mother's family met at my house to spend some time together. Some of my cousins came as well as my parents and brother and 2 of my uncles. My uncles fought in WW II and one of them was on Iwo Jima.

Tommy will be 95 on Nov. 14 and he is walking history. He can tell the day that he shipped out on a boat to go to Iwo Jima. He actually saw the flag being raised there and looks at his service as a time that he did what was needed to be done. He doesn't feel that anything he did was out of the ordinary but he was proud to serve. For someone that is 95 he doesn't look a day over 70! His health is good, he walks well, and although I am sure that he is slower at doing things I often think that he is more active than people that are much younger.

My other uncle, Travis, is 84. He served in Europe during WW II. His accounts of being in Paris are so interesting. He talks of walking the streets and the things that he saw. Yesterday he was wearing a cap that stating that he had served and he was proud He also can remember details of what he saw and like Tommy he is walking history. I feel that I am so fortunate to have these 2 men in my family.

As Veteran's Day approaches we should all take time to reflect on the many sacrifices that were made through the years by such brave men and women. It is because of them that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms we have.

Liz

Historical Election

The 2008 Presidential Election is over, and it was historical. It is amazing for me to think that I have seen an African American man elected president.

Like many people the winning candidate was not the person I voted for but this is not the time to complain. As Americans we should do what we have always done-unite and support our president. After all, we do live in the best country in the world.

Liz

First Monday Trade Days

Today we went to Canton, Texas for First Monday Trade Days. If you are not familiar with this event, just think humongous flea market. This event has been held for a very long time-the first Monday of the month.

Since we have lived here we (my mother, my husband, my brother and I) have gone once a year to Canton. In the past we have gone in December but this year we decided to go in November. Another twist-my father decided to go. The fact that he wanted to go was earth shattering. This is a man that absolutely despises shopping. For years he has called me every year to go and get the Christmas gift that he will give to my mother. One time he even bought a car over the phone, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He even sent my brother there to pick it up and drive it home. So the fact that he would want to go with us to Canton-a place that has so many people come that you can barely move through parts of it-was unbelievable.

We got up early an drove the hour or so to Canton. We get in line at the highway exit and my father is already saying that he has made a big mistake in coming. We park and cross the street and make our plans to meet back up for lunch. My mother and I walk around and look at things and do not buy anything because the thought of having to carry something around the rest of the day is not appealing, and there is no way we could ever remember our way back to that booth to buy it later. At lunch my father is now remarking that he will never do this again, he has learned his lesson. By the way-we decided that he would not ever come with us again.

When we split up again after lunch I thought that there was no way we could spend another 2 1/2 hours there but I thought that the rest of them might want to find some real bargains. My mother and I make our way through some more of the pavilions. She bought a candle and I bought a bag. We went to the car an hour early. My husband joined us about 30 minutes later and then my father and brother showed up about 20 minutes after that.

On the way home my father decided that it is in the Bible that to come to Canton is the unpardonable sin. We have all decided that next year we need a new family outing.

Liz

Halloween

We live in a cul de sac and I have never seen very many children in the neighborhood so I am never sure how many trick or treaters we will have. This year we had more than in years past. I think that we may have worked our way up to an even dozen, all cute.

There were the usual cute kids=the dragon that went grrr instead or trick or treat. That child had 2 pumpkin pails. I didn't know if she was collecting for someone else or was just greedy. It turns out that she couldn't make up her mind between the 2 identical pails so she insisted on bringing both.

I had 3 little girls that were sisters and when I put their Pixie Stick candy in their pails they all got excited, "My favorite!!". One of the little girls kept asking for more. I had already given her 5 Pixie Sticks and I wanted to make sure that I had enough for the other 6 kids that would show up so I just had to tell her that I had given her some. She kept pleading and telling me that she needed more. I finally just had to shut the door on that cute kid.

The best one of the evening was the group of 3 middle school age kids. I had made barbecue pork in the crock pot and one of the kids said, "OOH, it smells like barbecue. Did you barbecue tonight?" I explained what I had made for dinner and he said, "Oh, if you had some ribs in there I was going to have you take back the candy and just bring me those ribs". He had to be happy with the Pixie Sticks.

Liz

Martin Luther

On Wednesday nights at church I have been going to a church history class. For the most part it has been interesting although it not an in depth study. There isn't enough time in 1 hour a week to get too in depth.
Tonight the subject was Martin Luther. I really didn't know much about Martin Luther except that he is credited with founding the Lutheran denomination and that he caused some people to get upset way back when.
The documentary that we watched was from PBS and we only watched about 1 hour of it, we wll watch the restof it next week. For the most part it was interesting and I did learn a lot. Martin Luther started out becoming a monk and really got into the life of a monk. He seemed to enjoy the rigid lifestyle and went as far as to sleep outdoors in the snow without a blanket until his fellow monks would drag him indoors so he wouldn't die. The film said that in later life Luther complained about the monk hood ruining his health. It seems that some people don't think that maybe their actions cause some of their problems.
The most inspiring thing I learned tonight is how Luther became disillusioned with the Catholic Church and discovered on his own the gift of salvation. I was encouraged by the fact that over 400 years ago Martin Luther would search the scriptures and find that salvation is a free gift. There doesn't need to be anyone to intercede or hoops to jump through-it is a simple gift.
The message of the Bible has not changed. The verses in the Bible that I read are the same verses that Martin Luther read. Salvation: a free gift of eternal life that is made possible through the life of Jesus Christ.

Liz

VOTE

I voted! Have you?

Liz

You Mean There Is A Country Named Georgia?

This week I substituted one morning for a teacher that has one class of "yearbook"-you know, the ones that are supposed to go and take the pictures and put together the yearbook. When I was in middle school we didn't have a yearbook. Now every elementary and middle school has a yearbook.

Anyway, this class is made up of good students, although they are chatterboxes. One of the girls came into the class and asked me if I knew there was a Georgia close to Russia. I let her know that I was aware of this because it had been in the news just a few weeks ago. It seems that in their U.S. History class they were talking about Russia invading Georgia and this girl was confused. She asked the teacher why Russia would be invading the state of Georgia. That is when she was told that there was also a country named Georgia. Boy was she surprised!

The next day I was in a different classroom and this same girl walked by and told me she had just found out that Alaska was next to Canada. I also enlightened her to the fact that Russia can been seen from Alaska. I knew that if she hadn't heard about Russia invading Georgia that she she had never heard Sarah Palin talking Russia. In fact I am not sure that should would know who Sarah Palin is.

She had always thought that Alaska was next to Hawaii. Obviously she wasn't paying attention in elementary school when they were teaching the state locations. In most maps of the U.S. Alaska is shown floating around in the ocean next to Hawaii. I don't know if that excuses her from making that mistake but it does make me wonder how many other students think that Alaska is next to Hawaii.

Liz

Fall

My Mantle

I enjoy fall. In Texas this time of year is not the prettiest. There are a few trees changing colors but not like it is in other areas of the United States. The best part of fall in Texas is the fact that it finally cools off and gives us relief from the heat of the summer.

When we lived in Kansas fall was always a great time of year. It was getting cooler and you knew that snow was just around the corner. The trees were changing and were just beautiful. There was this one house down the street from us that had the most beautiful tree in the front yard. The leaves on it would change to a bright orange and at certain times of the day it would almost look like it was glowing.

Since I don't live in an area where there is an abundance of fall color I have to make do. I try to decorate my mantle and fireplace area with fall leaves (although they are fake) and this year I did something different-I decorated the top of our entertainment center. At least when I am inside my house I can see fall colors.

Liz

Woolaroc

Woolaroc was Frank Phillips ranch home. There is a museum as well as his lodge along with a petting zoo and beautiful scenery.

The museum has quite a collection of Native American artifacts. There are also many other western related exhibits. The only known privately owned dinosaur egg is on exhibit. There is also a plane, that's right, a plane in the museum. It seems that Phillips Petroleum sponsored a plane in a race from Oakland to Honolulu. The plane won and the pilot received $20,000 for his feat. The plane is hanging in the museum and it is the only model left in the world.

The lodge is very rustic. It is large because the Phillips entertained many politicians and entertainers. There is a variety of stuffed animal heads and horns on the wall. The docents are quick to point out that Mr. Phillips was not a hunter and that most of the heads were animals that died of natural causes on the grounds.

Mr. Phillips bought several different exotic animals for his ranch. Many of the animals that are seen on the grounds today are descendants of the original animals. There are buffalo, deer, elk, and cattle (some are longhorn) there.

In case someone wonders about the name Woolaroc it is a name that Mr. Phillips came up with. It stands for WOOds, LAkes, and ROCks. These are the 3 things that drew him to the area.

Liz

My Sentiments Exactly

Go here http://mygardenhat.blogspot.com/ and read the entry for today. I share her sentiments and wish I had written it.

Liz

Frank Phillips Home

Frank Phillips, the founder of Phillips Petroleum, lived his adult life in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He and his wife were originally from Iowa but had found their way to Oklahoma and like so many others struck oil.

The home is beautiful but it is unique in the fact that 95% of the home is original. The home was built around 1909 and enlarged in 1930. It is approximately 9000+ square feet. Mr. and Mrs. Phillips lived in the home until they died.

When Mr. Phillips was having the home built his lawyers advised him to put the house in his wife's name to protect his assets. Due to the fact that the house was legally hers Mrs. Phillips made the decisions when it came to the interior. The living room and dining room have the original gold fabric wall paper. Some of the wall coverings have been restored to the original coverings or color. The home also had an elevator installed at one point and it still works.

The Phillips' had one biological child, a son, and 2 foster daughters. The daughters were never legally adopted but were always treated as their own daughters. The 2 girls never knew that they were not legally adopted until Mr. Phillips death.

Mrs. Phillips died in 1948 and she stated in her will that Mr. Phillips would be able to live in the home until his death. Upon his death the home would go to her oldest granddaughter. When the granddaughter moved in she was grown and married and brought her own furnishings. She had the original furnishings stored in the carriage house.

After many years of living in the house the granddaughter gave the house to a historical society and told them that the furnishings from the house were in the carriage house. The historical society has also turned the carriage house into a museum . They ask only a $3 donation to tour the house and museum-it is well worth the $3.

Liz

Bartlesville, Oklahoma

In April when our daughter and son in law were married they gave us a weekend trip to Bartlesville, Oklahoma. I am sure that Bartlesville is not the first place that would jump into people's mind when they think about taking a weekend trip. The purpose for the gift of the trip (besides thanking us for all the hard work we did) was for my husband to be able to stay in a building that Frank Lloyd Wright had designed. That's right...in Bartlesville, Oklahoma there is the only skyscraper that Frank Lloyd Wright has designed. The name of it is Price Tower (pricetower.org).

Price Tower was completed in 1956 for the Harold C. Price Company. There were other offices that were available for rent as well as 4 executive apartments that could be rented. Eventually the office building was owned by Phillips Petroleum but it wasn't being used by them and it needed extensive work. Phillips paid the updating to be done and it became the Price Tower Arts Center. A few years ago some of the original offices were made into hotel rooms so now you can spend the night at a Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper.

The rooms are wonderful. The architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright is repeated in all the furnishings and decorations. The rooms were so comfortable and enjoyable.

We also went to the Frank Phillips mansion (frankphillipshome.org) and to Woolaroc (woolaroc.org). More about those tomorrow.

Liz

The Stump

Today the stump was removed from our front yard. The stump had been out there for over a year. It only took about 1 1/2 hours to remove it.

The first time we had foundation work (that's right-we are fortunate enough that we have had it done twice AND they need to come out again) they suggested that we remove the tree closest to the house because of the damage that the roots can do to our foundation. That was a quick and easy decision-remove the tree. My husband started cutting on the tree and got it down to a large stump, which is what remained for a very long time. From time to time yard workers would stop and give us an estimate to remove the stump but we didn't want to pay $400 to remove it.

In 2007 I gave my husband a deadline of the fall of that year to get the stump removed and finish the fence that had been started. Then he got a reprieve because he had to have a brain tumor removed. I kept telling him that he doesn't know how lucky he is that he had an excuse for not removing that deadline.

Now a year after his surgery and long recovery plans had been started to remove the stump. THEN 2 life savers stopped by yesterday and said that they would remove the stump-for $250. I wasn't home and so my husband told them he would have to talk with me (that is because he doesn't handle the money in our house and so he really doesn't have a clue if we could afford that). When I found out that they would come and do it I told him to call them immediately. Of course he waited until this morning to call them and lucky for us they didn't have anything planned. In fact, I think that they were as excited as we were to remove the stump.

Now the stump is gone. The only thing left is mulch. Now if we can just get the fence done. . .

Liz

Feast or Famine

I often compare substituting to feast or famine. Some weeks I work everyday, some weeks I work very little, if at all. Last week was a famine, out of 5 days I only worked 2. This week is a feast, out of the 3 days that I could work I have worked 2 1/2. Next week is shaping up to be a famine. Out of the 5 days that I am available to work I am only scheduled to work 1 1/2. Hopefully someone will need a day off and I will be working more.

Liz

A Lazy, Rainy Day

It is raining this afternoon. It is nice to be able to sit in the sun room and listen to the rain on the roof. Unfortunately I also have to be aware of leaks. The sun room roof has a few leaks that need to be fixed-once my husband has figured out where the water is getting in.

This morning was one of those mornings that I was overpaid-it makes up for the times that I feel I am not making enough money for what I put up with. I only had to work 1/2 day for a language arts teacher. The first period was plan time, the second period all 6th graders were taking a timed test so I just had to hand out the test and make sure they didn't talk. The third period was another plan time and then fourth period I only had about 11 students. About 40 minutes after the class started the teacher came in and I got to come home.

We are still without a working master bathroom shower. My husband hasn't had time to work on it so it looks like it will be another 2 weeks before it will be completely finished and usable. He had intended to work on it this past weekend but there were other things that had to be done outside. We have other plans for this weekend and they don't include tiling a bathroom. Hopefully it will be operational by the following weekend!

Liz

My Husband and Abe

This is my husband with Abraham Lincoln. I know it is a little difficult to see. When we went to Gettysburg last month you could have your picture taken with Lincoln, courtesy of a green screen. Never one to miss an opportunity R. decided that he must have this done. For him, it was the highlight of his day. He thought it was great fun, I just thought it was typical of him.

Liz

The Secret Life of Bees

Photo from Flickr

The movie The Secret Life of Bees will be opening October 17. It is from the book by Sue Monk Kidd.

I read this book and absolutely loved it. I was so excited when I learned that it was being made into a movie. I have plans to go and see it and I hope that I am not disappointed.

For Christmas, 2007 my son and daughter in law asked that we give them our favorite books. I extended this to my daughter also. I suggested that my mother do this and I knew that if I asked my father what his favorite book is he would reply with Ferdinand.

I gave each of my children the book of Ferdinand because I could remember how excited I was to find this book because my father would compare any book I talked about with Ferdinand. Mind you I was in the first grade so about the only thing I was reading was Fun with Dick and Jane.

That Christmas I gave my daughter The Secret Life of Bees. My wish was that she would find it as pleasurable as I did. She did read it and loved it. I do think that was one of the best gift ideas I have ever participated in.

Liz

Wedding Sampler

Five years ago when my son and daughter in law got married I cross stitched a wedding sampler for them. It was nothing frilly because I didn't think that is what they would want.

This past April my daughter and son in law were married. I spent several weeks looking at cross stitch patterns trying to find something that I thought they would like. I finally found one that hopefully would be reminescent of their wedding. I finally chose this one. It had a gazebo with flowers and in the middle it had their names and wedding date. It was done on blue fabric and I stitched the names and date in brown. Blue and brown-their wedding colors.

As hard as I tried I was not able to finish it before their wedding. I worked on it at school and at home when I wasn't substituting. By the time summer rolled around I was tired of looking at it and working on it. I had to put it away and even though I would try I could never work up the energy to work on it.

When school rolled around again I took got it out and took it with me. I was determined to get it done. I worked on it every chance I had-at school. Last week I was finally down to the date. I knew I would get it done that afternoon during my second plan time. Then the inevitable happened-I was called to cover another class. Didn't they know that I had plans and that I needed to work on this sampler and get it done? I gathered up my things and went to the other class and covered it, hoping that they would remember how cheerful I had sounded.

Anyway, I sat down Friday night and finished! Yea!! Sunday when B and Z came over I showed it to them, hoping that they wouldn't think that it was the ugliest thing they had ever seen. Z said it was nice (he's a man-he can't appreciate all the hard work I put into it) but B loved it (she knows how to make her mother feel good). She told me that she was hoping that I would do something for her.

I am glad that I finally finished the sampler but I am thrilled that I don't have any more children to marry-I don't want to have to do another wedding sampler. Now birth sampler for that baby that will be born in December-that is another story!

Liz

Bathroom Update

This is how the bathroom looks now. The white thing in the middle is an old closet door that was being used to protect the bathtub while taking the tile off.
As you can see the blue backer board is up and the stubbing for the faucet is visible. There are two niches that are in the wall for shampoo bottles and other things. The white stuff is a waterproofing paint. Everything is being done to make sure that water does not get behind the tile.
Hopefully tile will be going up soon. We are getting a little tired of having to use the bathtub upstairs.

Liz

My Favorite Verse

When I was about 8 or 9 years old I was in Sunday School and was asked to read Psalm 56:3. I think that the Lord knew that I would need this verse for the rest of my life. It reads:

When I am afraid I will trust in you.

Throughout my life that verse has always given me much comfort. It came to my mind this morning as I was listening to the latest economic news. The economy doesn't seem to be bringing good news lately. My little stock account that I mess around with has lost about $500 in the last week and I don't even want to think of how much my husband's 401k has lost. I am just glad that we are not close to retirement age.

When I start to panic or worry about the future I reel myself in and try to meditate on what David wrote in Psalm. I think it is natural to start to worry even though we are told not to. I think that I go overboard in the worrying department but through it all I know that God is in control and I just have to trust him.

Does that mean that everyday life will be a bed of roses? NO! All anyone has to do is look at my life for the last 2 years and realize that isn't so. In 2 years we have had to deal with my mother in law moving closer to us (a 9 month process), a dislocated and broken ankle which required 2 surgeries, a breast cancer scare (turned out to be a radial scar), a daughter's wedding in which some people were uncooperative, and my husband's brain tumor and surgery to remove it. Through it all I know that God was there walking beside us and that people were praying for us. Was the journey an easy one-of course not, but we received blessings that we might not have experienced otherwise. Sometimes we have to endure the trial to reap the blessings.

Liz

Sunset

We were at my parent's farm over the weekend. The sunsets there are always beautiful. My brother had tried to talk my parents into having weddings at the farm-that was a no go. He has always said, "There goes another $1000 sunset". He is right-they could charge a minimum of $1000 just to have a wedding there.

Liz

Cheating

On Friday I was substituting for the same Language Arts teacher that I had subbed for on Wednesday. Overall she has some good classes. They don't give me a lot of trouble and for the most part they are a lot of fun.

Friday the classes had a test. Even though they knew about the test (they were even given a review sheet for it) there was still the usual amount of groaning and complaining. Before I ever hand out a test I tell the classes my rules:

1. If they talk during the test I will assume they are cheating and I will take up their test. It will be up to them to come and talk with the teacher about it.

2. If they have wandering eyes I will assume they are cheating and (refer to #1).

3. If they turn in their test and they begin to talk while others are still taking the test then they will be on step 1 (steps is a discipline program) until everyone is done with the test.

Before I ever take up a test for talking I will usually remind them and then if it continues I will take up their test. I have done it before and usually that makes a believer of the students. Evidently on Friday I had a student that thought that she was being cautious. She had the test in her lap with the review sheet under her test and she was referring to it for the answers on her test. I took her test from her and she never protested. She didn't even come up to me at the end of class and talk with me about it.

I have never understood why a student would take a chance on obvious cheating. They can be suspended for cheating and personally I don't think that it is worth it.

On another note on Friday I had lunch duty (again). There were the usual few that can't count that there are already 8 at the table (the limit) so they go ahead and join them. That means that I have to go to them and remove one to another table. Then there was the girl that thought she would check her text messages on her cell phone at lunch (why take the chance). I saw it and confiscated her phone. Now her mother will have to come to school to retrieve it and pay the $15 fine.

I was glad that it was Friday-I didn't need any more excitement in my day. Thank goodness there wasn't a fire drill that day.

Liz

My Favorite Teacher

I know this teacher at school and today was the first time we have ever had any time to talk. I have always liked him and wish I could manage students as he does.

I also think that Mr. H. is one of the best role models for male middle school students. He teaches Language Arts. That is all he teaches. He does not coach. I can think of only 1 other teacher at school that doesn't coach, OOPs, make that 2. Anyway, I think that it is so important for students to see that you can be a male teacher and that is all they do...teach. So many times male teachers teach a subject but they also coach because that is what they would really like to do but they have to also teach a subject. There is nothing wrong with that but I think sometimes it is nice for students to see that a male teacher can teach a subject and not be a coach.

Liz

Food Fight

Photo by Flickr

Yesterday I was subbing just for the afternoon for a 6th grade science teacher. I personally do not care for science but I don't mind subbing in that subject because teachers are usually great about leaving instructions and everything I need. Yesterday was no exception. The classes were very good-which gives me great hopes for the school year.



I also had to do lunch duty, which is not my favorite thing to do. For the first 30 minutes I had duty I was the only teacher there. Just me and about 300 students. Obviously there was more than I could handle. I was trying to admit students into the cafeteria which requires that I check to make sure that they have their ID's and that in itself is a job. I then was also supposed to be dismissing tables so that those students lined up at the door could come in for lunch. I couldn't handle everything by myself. Thank goodness the school police officer took pity on me and helped me by dismissing the tables. I couldn't have done it without her.



To make matters worse there were some students that decided to throw food. I have never understood the fun behind throwing food at someone. For one thing that means that you are having to pick up food with your fingers and in order for it to achieve any distance when it is thrown the food will probably be yucky. This food definitely fell into the goopy category-baked potato. Of course I didn't see who threw it and if I don't know who it is then I can't do anything to the student.



The other thing about throwing food is that if you are caught doing it then it is an automatic suspension. I realize that some students could care less about being suspended but why take the risk-just for a "thrill"?



Liz

Paul Newman

Paul Newman died today. He was one of the last great actors. I remember seeing him in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I was a teenager in high school and it was one of the few movies I went to the theater to see. I still remember his piercing blue eyes and thinking he had to be the most handsome older man I had ever seen. Of course when you are 14 years old anyone over the age of your parents is old. (As I get age my idea of "old" changes).

When the movie The Sting came out I was still in high school I insisted on seeing it and Paul Newman was still just as handsome as he had been a few years before. I still thought of him as being old but it didn't matter.

The Sting and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid have remained two of my favorite movies. Thank you Paul Newman for providing entertainment to so many through the years. May you rest in peace.

Liz

Vacation

We just returned from a 5 day trip to Pennsylvania. We flew into Baltimore and drove to Amish Country. We stayed one night at a bed and breakfast, The Ellmaker House (www.ellmakerhouse.com). There is a wonderful innkeeper named Verna Fisher that provides the best breakfast. We were fortunate to be the only guests that night so we received a lot of individual attention. The room was lovely and perfect after a long day.

After a good night's rest we got up and drove through Amish Country to Hershey, Pennsylvania. What more could a person want but a tour of Hershey and the contributions of Mr. Hershey, plus chocolate. For those of you that don't know Mr. Hershey established a school for orphan boys that now has evolved into a school for underprivileged children. He left his wealth to the school and did the legal necessities so that the school would never have to worry about finances. What a wonderful thing for him to do.

We spent the next few days of our vacation with friends. It was so much fun to renew those friendships and enjoy their hospitality. We got to go to Gettysburg and experience that great Civil War battlefield. The highlight of our trip was a meal at the The Shady Maple (www.shady-maple.com). It is an unbelievable place to eat and a diner's delight. We spent two hours eating our way through the buffet.

After we had gained a sufficient amount of weight from our meal we were off to Strasburg and the production of In The Beginning (www.sight-sound.com). It is quite the show. This particular show tells the story of Adam and Eve complete with angels and live animals.

Unfortunately all vacations must come to an end, so off to Baltimore we drove. We had enough time to walki around the Inner Harbor of Chesapeake Bay. The weather was beautiful as was the scenery. I think that made it much harder to come back to Texas.

Baby Things

These are all things that I made for our grand baby. I had never made any of them before and they turned out well.

The lamb is a hooded towel and bath mitt. I thought that by the time I was done it might just be a rag. The terrycloth was thin and so I had to be really careful but it turned out so cute. Next time I will buy a towel to make one-if there is a next time.

The blocks were really easy-just sew them togetherand stuff. The best part is that it just uses scraps from the other projects.

The burp pads were easy and inexpensive. I could get two out of 1/2 yard of fabric. I enjoyed making those so much.

When my daughter came over the other day I showed her these things and she got so excited. She has a co-worker that is pregnant and she decided that I could make some things for her to give to her friend for a baby gift. It looks like I will be getting the sewing machine out again soon!

Liz

Cathedral Windows Quilt

Several years ago my mother decided that she would make each of us a quilt. She started with my children because they are my parent's only grandchildren. She made my daughter a quilt that was a difficult pattern. It was Grandmother's Garden or something like that. She made the entire quilt by hand-that's right, she pieced each individual piece of fabric by hand and then quilted it by hand. She told B that it was the only one that she would do like that. She had learned her lesson.

The next quilt she made for L and K. I can't remember the pattern name but she machine stitched the pieces together and hand quilted it. It is a really pretty quilt and they have it on the bed in their guest room.

The above picture is my mother and my quilt. It is a Cathedral Windows Quilt. Each piece is hand stitched and then it is attached to the other pieces by hand. It is kind of a "quilt as you go" method. Once the last piece is attached it is done. It took her a little over a year to complete it. Of course she didn't work on it continuously day in an day out. She lives on a farm...with cows. There are other things that need to be done besides quilting!

Next up-a quilt for one of my brother's.

Liz

Our Evacuees are Home

Our Hurricane Ike evacuees just arrived back home. Considering some of the damage that we have seen on TV their home came through well. They have no power so the items in the refrigerator is ruined, or well on its way. That is a job for tomorrow as well as cutting up the tree and surveying the fence. The worst part for tonight will be sleeping with no air conditioning!

Liz

Hurricane Evacuees

Our Hurricane Evacuees

Our hurricane evacuees are encouraged. A friend had drive by their house today and said that it didn't look like there was much damage. There were some shingles missing, it looked like part of the fence had blown down, and the tree in the front had blown down but onto the street. Of course this brought much concern since they really like the tree. We are thankful that it wasn't any worse than that.

Liz

Updates

Several things have been going on since Thursday. First, my son and daughter in law (the hurricane evacuees) arrived Thursday night, along with the dog. The usual 5 hour drive took 8 hours due to the traffic. They said that for 80 miles they averaged 20 mph. They do not know if their home was damaged but the information that is available indicates that any damage might be minimal. They cannot return home until Monday, at the earliest.

Second, my husband returned home safely from his trip. I had already confessed the murder of the lawnmower to him and he thought that he might be able to fix it. No such luck. Whatever happened to it did some internal engine damage so it was off to the stores to check on lawnmowers. While at Home Depot we found one that had been returned. It had been used one time to mow a yard and then returned. It had been sent off to be reconditioned and was selling for $105. We grabbed it, paid for it, loaded it up in the pickup and brought it home.

We are now experiencing the remnants of Hurricane Ike. It has rained off and on most of the day and there are wind gusts at times. We are just on the outside edge of it so the worst part of it is to the east. We are thankful for whatever rain we receive.

Last but not least we are having a family birthday party tonight. Next week is my daughter in law's birthday so since they are here we decided to make the best of it and have a party. It is also somewhat of a remembrance day for all of us. One year ago today my husband underwent brain surgery to remove a tumor. Although it was a difficult time for us we are so very grateful that the tumor was non malignant. It will be a good evening.

Liz

The Murder of a Lawn Mower

I decided that I would mow the lawn tonight. It is something that I usually do because my husband can repair and remodel so many other things and this is one way I can help him out. The yard hadn't been mowed in almost 2 weeks and since we are expecting the wind and the rain from Hurricane Ike this weekend I thought that I should go ahead and get it done.

I had just started when I accidentally murdered the mower. My husband has attached some cable to a post that he is trying to straighten and the cable is attached to a huge buckle in the ground. I didn't see the buckle and I ran the lawn mower up on it. SCREECH!!!! The mower thankfully stopped and I expected to see the underside of it in shreds. I couldn't believe that when I turned it over that it was intact but when I tried to start it again it was resistant. When I finally got it started it made the most awful noise so I just turned it off, put it in the garage, and came inside to do some housecleaning. When my husband calls tonight I will have to confess to the murder and await my sentencing.

Liz

Cheerleaders

I was never a cheerleader when I was in high school. I never had the desire to be one either. I just don't think that I had what it takes. Today I was a 7th grade language arts teacher who just happens to be the cheerleading coach. In the past when I have substituted for her sometimes the cheerleaders were very cooperative and sometimes they weren't. Today was an uncooperative day.

These girls are all 8th graders and since it is the beginning of the year they are still fine tuning the cheers and their dance. The teacher left one of the girls in charge and she got a taste of what it is like to be a leader that no one wants to listen to. She tried so hard to get them to follow directions (and I did the best I could to help her) but most of the time they ignored her, and me. At the end of the class she informed them that they would probably be running and conditioning on Monday.

The language arts classes though were great. I didn't have any problems with any of the students. So far this year my days have been really good. I haven't been called names nor have I had significant problems. I don't know if the students have just grown up over the summer or if my attitude is so much better. Whatever it is I just hope that it continues!

Liz

Hurricane Ike

Here in Texas one of the big news stories is Hurricane Ike. We have been watching it closely because our son and pregnant daughter in law live in League City which is 30 miles from Galveston. Schools have closed and NASA is closing at noon so everyone is taking this seriously. Since they live so close to Galveston Bay they will be evacuating tomorrow. That means that the two of them plus their hyperactive dog will be visiting with us this weekend. It is an unexpected pleasure.

My Children

These pictures are from my daughter's wedding in April. The top picture is my son and daughter. It is my favorite picture of them. B just glows with happiness. I am so blessed to have both of them as my children.

The picture on the left is my son and daughter in law. They will be having their first baby in December, a time that I had told them to never have children. The baby is due December 20-27. L's birthday is December 20, Christmas of course is the 25th, and then their anniversary is December 27. I guess they just want to squeeze as many celebrations as they can into one week. The two of them really compliment each other and I know that they will make great parents. This will be the first grandchild on each side of their families and we are all so excited about it.

The picture on the right is of my daughter and son in law. They are wonderful. We are so fortunate that they live close to us and are willing to come and help when we need them. The nine months of planning their wedding was made difficult by some unforeseen family events but they were understanding and the wedding was beautiful. It made all the stressful times worth it. They just moved into a house so it is so much fun to share in their excitement.

We love both of our "children in laws". So many families deal with their child marrying someone that they do not care for. Not the case here-we are so blessed.

Liz