Happy Mother's Day!

Moms truly have THE very best job.  I consider it the highest calling and I'm so grateful to be a mom.  Just to think that God trusted me with these three lives to shape toward Him is humbling and I'm ever so thankful!  Sometimes I'm just in awe as I think that there was a time when I didn't know if we would have any children.  And now we have three that I'm so very proud to call mine.  :)

I just want to take a moment to honor my mom as well.  She taught me how to be a mother.  I didn't know much else that I wanted to be for the longest when I grew up, but I knew I wanted to be a wife and a mother.  And that's because of my mother.  I watched her and learned from her.  She was always there for us.....teaching us how to walk uprightly in this world.  I owe much to her.

So today, I say thank you mama for giving birth to me, raising me, teaching me, helping to shape my thoughts and ideas, and for being a constant in my life.  I love you with all my heart!  Happy Mother's Day!

And Happy Mother's Day to all my blogging friends out there that have the privilege and blessing of celebrating this day! I hope it's a wonderful one!  YOU really are a super hero! 

By the way, we're celebrating Mother's Day by going to see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 and then out to eat.  :)

♥ Tammy ♥ 

♥ Bowl of Memories ♥

This month last year, we were going through Jason's dad's things after he passed away.  Making decisions during that time is never easy.  It was tough going through all of his things and letting some things go, especially for Jason and his sister. 

One thing that I spotted and just fell in love with was this simple mixing bowl.  First of all, I loved it because it's red!  And then Jason told me that he remembered his mama making cookies in it for his family!  That made it all the more special.  You can tell it was well used because some of the red is rubbing off in places.   I love that bowl!  I will use it to make cookies for my family and will treasure it always.

And another thing I was excited to bring home from Jason's dad's kitchen........a little pecan crusher!  You see it over on the left corner of my stove on the end.....with the little black handle?  Jason remembers his mama crushing her pecans for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners making pecan pies, candies, and everything else you use pecans for during the holidays especially.  He remembers her letting him help her crush the pecans when he was little.  How special is that?  I just love it too!

 

I know those are little things, but those small items that say family and love are the best!

I didn't get a chance to have a mother-in-law for long, since she passed away when Jason and I were married a little over a year.  But Jason's dad was at our house for dinner or something just about every weekend.

I just thought I'd share a couple of special memories.......Isn't it amazing how such a small thing as a bowl can hold so many memories?  :)

♥ A Joy Update ♥

Good morning!  I thought I would pop in here for a quick post to update you on Joy.  We are still in the hospital.  It has been a week today.  Yesterday I saw her true smile back for the first time in awhile, and it sure was good!  While she is definitely not pain free, she was able to be up and about more.....says she can manage this pain better than what she had before.

Her pancreatic enzymes are almost back to normal.....we're about 100 points away from normal.  There is some concern here with the doctors now because her billirubin count has gone up.  They are watching it closely because pancreatitis can affect the liver, which is what the billirubin is related to.  They are repeating labs again this morning.  If that number doesn't go down, they are looking at doing an out-patient ERCP at another hospital (because they don't do it here) which would tell them if she has an ostructed pancreatic duct.  If she does, they would put in a stint.

That's really as much as we know now.  Joy is hungry, but still can't eat.  She has had basically ice and water since last Thursday.  She did try to eat  a little on Saturday (they probably let her try because she just wasn't complaining much in hopes of getting out to dance) and had severe pain and it has been constant since then.

I'll update you more when I know more.  Thank you for the prayers......we appreciate them so much!  We're just trusting God to restore her completely!  :)

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Yesterday we had a celebrity sighting here at the hospital.........Joy went out in the hall and had her picture taken with him.   Hee hee!  He even had security!  I asked him did he remember singing at our wedding.....  :)  Evidently, this was Elvis in his later years.  :)

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Also on another note..... Jane (the mom that took the Chinese dance photos of Joy), was again very nice and sent the link to the performance on Saturday night that she videoed.  Joy's teacher, who  danced in her place, is the one on her knees in the front at the beginning.  She looked so cute!  All the girls (ages 11-14) looked cute and did a great job!  This dance is called the Fan Dance.





And last of all, I'd like to wish you all a Happy Valentines Day!  Thanks for stopping by today!  :) 

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Blessed ♥

At our house, picture taking is just a part of Christmas. Everyone has just gotten used to me having the camera out and making asking everyone to cooperate. Unfortunately, this year my (main) lens on my camera broke a few weeks before Christmas, and most of our pictures were taken with a phone and a small point and shoot camera, thus they are not that great quality and some are little blurry.   I have been completely lost without my camera! :(

Also, anytime our oldest (Colt) is involved in the picture taking, we’ve learned to expect the unexpected. Then add to that a 4 year old (Luke) that laughs at everything big brother does, and it makes for a very interesting photo shoot. The photos pretty much show which ones cooperate (and which ones don't). :)

From Christmas Eve:

 

I finally just gave up and was saying just take it anyway....it is what it is.  :)

 

 

 

Three generations of ladies.  :)  Me, Joy & Mama

 

Koda, Amber & Colt.  See Koda's eyes?  That cracks me up.  Her eyes were glowing green (instead of red) and when I tried to photo correct it, it wouldn't correct anything but the middle part of her eyes.  Koda looks like she's wearing green eye shadow.  :) 

 

 

Mama and Daddy

 

Pop playing with Luke.  Luke was making the Hulk "smash" the tower.  Jason made the blocks for him for Christmas.

 

Mama, Daddy, Luke & Joy

From Christmas morning:

I have no idea why that date says 12/24/2012, because it was 12/25....Christmas morning!

 

Brothers.....Luke sharing a "cupcake" with Colt.

 



Luke loved helping hand out the gifts. 

 





We finally got all the Christmas decorations  down this past weekend. The house always looks so bare after they come down, at least for awhile until I get used to it. Do you think so? But it IS kind of nice to get back into our normal routine. I'm looking forward to a wonderful 2013. One thing I know for sure.......we are blessed. :)

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

Today is also my Mama's birthday! She and Elvis share a birthday. Pretty awesome, huh? We're going out to eat to celebrate tonight.  Happy birthday, Mama! I love you! :)

 

Thanks for stopping by! :

♥ Tammy ♥

♥ Days of Christmas ♥

Christmas is a beautiful time. I just love it! Time flies though, which is exactly the reason I like to start the season early.

We’ve had our main big tree up since the first of November, with all of the rest of the décor following within a week or so. I just never get tired of that cozy atmosphere!  I don’t ever have to worry about the tree lights being turned on either……it’s the first thing Luke does in the morning when he gets up.  :)

We’ve enjoyed all the wonderful activities that come with the days of Christmas…………

Gathering together in here watching Christmas movies...............

  
Christmas light looking.......

Picture taking......

Getting dressed up for Christmas festivities..........

Cookie making.....

Gingerbread train making.......

Ornament making......

Having a little fun with food.......

A Happy Birthday Jesus party ................

And now Christmas will soon be here!  

Tomorrow evening we'll be hosting Christmas Eve dinner here at our house, so things will be busy, ........but a good busy.......making more memories!  Then we'll be off for a visit to my brother's house on Christmas Day after all the gifts have been opened and we've enjoyed our Christmas breakfast.  :)

So just in case I don't make it back here until after Christmas.........

From our family to yours........

Merry Christmas !!

 

 



God Bless America!

Next to Christmas, Independence Day is my favorite holiday. I’m so thankful to live in this great nation, the United States of America! I pray that we never take our freedoms for granted, or allow it them be taken from us, by being silent. God’s word says “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord”. When we remove God from our country, our country is on the decline.

As we celebrate the birth of our nation, I'd like to share a few words of wisdom from a few our founding fathers and other great men of America:


"Without God there is no virtue because there is no prompting of the conscience...without God there is a coarsening of the society; without God democracy will not and cannot long endure...If we ever forget that we are One Nation Under God, then we will be a Nation gone under." - Ronald Reagan

"It behooves us then to humble ourselves before the offended Power to confess our national sins and to pray for clemency and forgiveness..." – Abraham Lincoln


"We Recognize No Sovereign but God, and no King but Jesus! - John Adams and John Hancock, Founding Fathers (April 18, 1775)


"It is necessary for the welfare of the nation that men's lives be based on the principles of the Bible. No man, educated or uneducated, can afford to be ignorant of the Bible." - Theodore Roosevelt


"I therefore beg leave to move that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessing on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning..." - Ben Franklin


"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever." - Thomas Jefferson, 1871


"The propitious smiles of Heaven can never be expected on a nation that disregards the eternal rules of order and right which Heaven itself has ordained." - George Washington, 1789


"All must admit that the reception of the teachings of Christ results in the purest patriotism, in the most scrupulous fidelity to public trust, and in the best type of citizenship." - Grover Cleveland


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I hope you and your family have a wonderful 4th of July! I hope you will take time reflect upon the reason we are a great nation and commit to stand for the values that make it great and to keep God as our foundation…….and most importantly of all to pray for our nation and for our leaders.

God Bless America!

Chinese New Year

To celebrate the Chinese New Year, Joy, Luke and I had lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in town Monday. Luke wore one of his Chinese outfits. Good thing I bought it big…..it still fit him. Joy’s didn’t, however. Everyone that we came across while out and about just loved seeing him dressed up.

Joy made Chinese New Year cards (with a little bit of money inside) to give out to some of the employees at the restaurant, especially one particular sweet man that is dear to us there. He was in the back cooking and we had to send for him. He came out grinning from ear to ear as he always does and was surprised to see this American girl wishing him a Happy New Year complete with Chinese writing on the card. He motioned for us to wait a minute and he went in the back for awhile. He returned with a huge smile and a special dish he created just for us.

Then there was the new host/server. We instantly liked him. He reminded me of my Colt. Although he didn’t look it, he was 29. He was very interested in Luke and asked several questions about him. He told us about his time living here in the states (10 years now) and about his effort to make sure his two children learned Chinese as well as English. He gave us some tips and Joy tried out her Chinese on him from her Chinese class. This is her 2nd semester, so she has improved on her tones. He understood her. He was especially complimentary of her Chinese writing on the card that she gave him though. After a few minutes, he also returned with a red envelope for Joy and Luke. He said it was the first time he had ever been given a Chinese New Year card from a child. He had given them each $5! He even volunteered to be in China if we ever made it there so he could be our guide and help us out with the language.

Through all of this, Luke wasn’t that impressed. He seems to shy away from anything Chinese. He wasn’t even happy to really be wearing his Chinese outfit, but I promised him he could wear whatever he wanted when he came home. (He chose pajamas).

We then spent the next part of the afternoon visiting our friends at the nursing home. We just love our visits there. They especially loved seeing Luke in his outfit and they always love Joy. Luke gives “little hugs” and blows kisses. He’s come a long way with that. In the past, he chose to stay with grandmama while we went to the Nursing Home. There’s one Chinese resident there for whom Joy made a Chinese New Year card as well.

All in all it was a good day. We ended the day with Colt, Amber, and my mom and dad joining us for supper. I’d like to say it was a nice Chinese meal, but the truth is it was as American as ever – breakfast for supper.

Speaking of the Chinese New Year, did you know it’s the year of the dragon? Joy’s teacher says something BIG is supposed to happen in the year of the dragon. She is learning so much from her teacher who is very passionate about her teaching. Not only is she teaching them the language and how to write it, she also teaches about the culture and history of China. Joy is really enjoying it. We’re hoping to get Luke started in classes next fall.

Thank you for making my little corner of blogland part of your day! I appreciate you all!

I'm Still Here! :)

For those of you still stopping by here for a visit, thank you! I know I’ve neglected my blog. Since returning from our trip to Alabama right after Christmas, Jason, the kids, and I have been sick. Jason and I are still battling it. You know the crud that just drains you of all energy? It’s that crud. Reality is that all my Christmas décor is still up. We did resume school Tuesday but it was a tough day getting back in the routine, especially dragging like I am. My voice is practically gone so it was interesting doing read-alouds (which is a big portion of our schooling and my favorite part). Joy took over with the read-alouds when my voice could take no more. I totally missed my Faithful Friday post as well. This wasn’t exactly the way I planned to begin 2012….

But……..

In spite of it all, I have so much for which to be thankful and I am! And as always after Christmas, I have family photos to share!

There's a weird shadow between us but there were few pics of just the two of us so I included it here anyway.

Colt & Amber

And Christmas morning...

Oh, and Jason surprised Joy and me with an iPad (and cover) to share between us.  :) Now my mom has always wrapped Jason's gifts to us, but since she was out of town when he came home with this, it was left up to him. We were teasing him about his wrapping skills. Well he had to go and show off.... :)  And he did it all with tissue paper!

I’m not the type to make “resolutions” for the New Year. However, Joy and I were reflecting over this past year and there were several goals last year that came to pass and it’s always good to see that happen. For me, a few of those were:

Become more active in visiting our friends at the nursing home.
Make the trip to KY to visit the Creation Museum.
Complete the Cedar Loft (that was a biggie - and we did it in 4 months).
Reunite with our friends, Kim and Chuck, from China.
Blog more.

And as I think about 2012, there are a few things that come to mind that I’d like to accomplish this year:

Learn to knit. (I can crochet so I'm hoping it won't be that hard).
Learn to sew. (Joy is getting a sewing machine for her birthday....).
Save more money.
Build, exercise, and share my faith. Share Jesus.
Take a trip to New England. (I would be thrilled if this happens).
Be consistent in visitng our friends at the nursing home.
Perform more random acts of kindness.

On a friend’s blog, she challenged her readers to think of one word that we would like to take with us into 2012. The first word that came into my mind was compassion. However, as I read on, every word mentioned in comments was wonderful: self-control, surrender, peace, contentment, release......

So what about you? Did you accomplish something for which you’re really proud of last year? Do you have anything in particular that you hope to accomplish this year? Or do you have that one word you would like to take with you, as Tiffany suggested, into 2012?

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and made lots of wonderful memories with your family and I wish you all a Happy, Prosperous and Blessed New Year! Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for sticking with me during my absence from blogland. :)