Our RV Vacation to Arkansas

See more pics by clicking HERE. Enjoy:)

SLOW DANCE...

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is s hort.
The music won't last.

Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,'Hi'

You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift... .
Thrown away.

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

Written by a terminally ill young girl

Take a look...

at Abbigail Lily's Birthday Pics:

What a fun day! Click HERE to see more birhday party pics:)

LOOK WHO'S 4...

and SO MUCH MORE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY,
Abbigail Lily Meyer!

Congratulations...

to our son-in-love, K. Bledsoe:)

He has taken the new position in his company, QT, as Real Estate Project Manager. We are very proud of him. His hard work has paid off:)

This does mean a move for the Bledsoe family. They have lived in Broken Arrow, OK for over 14 years. Kevin is training for this new position and the move will come in about 9 months (April or May). He will be responsible for expanding and developing a QT store in a new location which has not been decided yet. Most of the QT stores are located in the middle of the USA, so it could be anywhere outside of this. QT is headquartered in Tulsa, OK and there is a very small chance that they will remain here.

We know God has a good plan for their lives and they are excited about this opportunity. We too are excited for them to see what God has in store for them. Our comfort and peace come in knowing that Father God's plans are good and that our steps are ordered by Him.

Now let me bare my heart...the hardest part for me is seeing those 6 grandchildren leave. They have been such a part of our lives and to think of not seeing them on a regular basis is, well, extremely difficult for this neenee's heart:) I try as hard as I can to not think about it for when I do my eyes become blurry. I know all the grandmothers out there know exactly what I'm saying and how I feel.

My mother once told me that she never knew how her mother could love her children so much, until she became a grandmother herself and then she knew:) Ahhhhhhhhhh, the heart of a grandmother:)

Don't get me wrong, I am more than thankful for all the good family memories we have and the fact that God has indeed blessed us to be close to our 14 gchildren.

But change is happening...new seasons in our lives are coming...and as a good friend of mine wrote: "Clinging to the ONE Who will walk us through the changes." This I count on for sure!

So these have been the ponderings of my heart of late. I am thankful that Father God is allowing our other 8 gkids to live close by for now...and who knows maybe just maybe the Bledsoe's won't live too far away:)

Natural Falls CampOut...

with the Bledsoe gkids.

Last campout with the Bledsoe gkids before school starts.

Click HERE to see a photoshow of our fun campout!

Crabby Old Man??

When an old man died in the geriatric ward of a nursing home in North Platte , Nebraska , it was believed that he had nothing left of any value.

Later, when the nurses were going through his meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital.

One nurse took her copy to Missouri .. The old man's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the St. Louis Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on his simple, but eloquent, poem.

And this little old man, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this 'anonymous' poem winging across the Internet.

Crabby Old Man

What do you see nurses?...........What do you see?
What are you thinking..........when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man..........not very wise,
Uncertain of habit..........with faraway eyes?

Who dribbles his food...........and makes no reply.
When you say in a loud voice..........'I do wish you'd try!'
Who seems not to notice..........the things that you do
And forever is losing..........A sock or shoe?

Who, resisting or not..........lets you do as you will,
With bathing and feeding...........The long day to fill?
Is that what you're thinking?.........Is that what you see?
Then open your eyes, nurse..........you're not looking at me.

I'll tell you who I am...........as I sit here so still,
As I do at your bidding..........as I eat at your will.
I'm a small child of Ten..........with a father and mother,
Brothers and sisters..........who love one another

A young boy of Sixteen.........with wings on his feet
Dreaming that soon now...........a lover he'll meet.
A groom soon at Twenty..........my heart gives a leap
Remembering, the vows..........that I promised to keep.

At Twenty-Five, now..........I have young of my own
Who need me to guide.........And a secure happy home.
A man of Thirty..........My young now grown fast,
Bound to each other..........With ties that should last.

At Forty, my young sons...........have grown and are gone,
But my woman's beside me..........to see I don't mourn.
At Fifty, once more.........Babies play ' round my knee,
Again, we know children..........My loved one and me.

Dark days are upon me..........My wife is now dead.
I look at the future...........I shudder with dread.
For my young are all rearing..........young of their own
And I think of the years..........and the love that I've known.

I'm now an old man...........and nature is cruel
Tis jest to make old age..........look like a fool.
The body, it crumbles...........grace and vigor, depart
There is now a stone..........where I once had a heart

But inside this old carcass..........a young guy still dwells,
And now and again..........my battered heart swells
I remember the joys..........I remember the pain.
And I'm loving and living...........life over again

I think of the years . all too few...........gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact..........that nothing can last
So open your eyes, people..........open and see
Not a crabby old man . Look closer...........see..........ME!!

Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within..........we will all, one day, be there, too!

PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM

Back to More Consistent Blogging...

Well, the past several days I have not been able to upload family pics to facebook:( So I have decided to get back to a more consistency in my blogging. I am putting FB back in the shadows of my time for now:) I will check back there on occasion to see how fam/friends are doing and view their pics. I have enjoyed keeping up with fam/friends in this way...has kept me informed and given me a way to pray for them too. But for now I will spend more time blogging:)

Abbie Luvs to Tube...

As you can see by the big smile on her face,

she is having a blast!

I must say I was a little surprised that she was not afraid

of the big tube and splashing water.

But with mom & dad at her side

she hung in there for a fairly long, fast tube ride!

Click HERE to see more pics of this fun time:)

Vacation 09 - Chapter 4

We spent a few days in Louisiana to see

Warren's 91 yr. young mom before heading back home.

She is doing well for her age and health.

Six of Mamaw's 24 great grandchildren



First time she saw Macey Saramae who is named after her.

Wishing our daughter-in-love, Jenny a...

Vacation 09 - Chapter 3 pics

We took a short ferry boat ride across the intercoastal canal as we

were leaving Mustang Island heading east toward Houston, TX.

Click HERE to view more pics.

Vacation 09 - Chapter 2

What a great time we had with the gkids

at the aquarium in Corpus Christi...

and touring the USS Lexington

See more pics by clicking on HERE

Vacation 2009 - Chapter One!

What a wonderful time we had at Warren's cousin's beach house on Mustang Island, TX

Check out more beach pics by clicking HERE.

Check back again for chapters 2, 3, 4 (I think that's all)!

Yes, I can milk a goat...

and here's the proof:)

A couple of weekends ago hubby and I went to Missouri to keep the Schubert gkids while their mom and dad went on a short fun trip. The gkids all showed us how they milk their goat.

This brought back memories of going to my Grandmother Ingram's farm in McCool, Mississippi as a child. My sister and I would rise early with grandmother and go with her to:
--pick the eggs (and hope we did not find a snake in the nest!)
--throwing out feed for the chickens
--herding (walking) the cows to the pasture
--try to milk a cow
--ride their mule, Ole Blue (loved this)
--slop the pigs
--make homemade banana ice cream turning the crank by hand
--try to drink raw milk (I don't like raw milk to this day)
--eat the best home cooking you can imagine
--watch grandmother ring a chicken's neck & pluck it so we could have the best fried chicken for supper or lunch or breakfast!
--walk to the spring & dip up a large bucket of water to carry back to the house (she had no running water in the house at this time)
--use the bathroom in the out house with Sears & Robuck as toilet paper (really)
--playing the old foot pump organ
--sweeping the floor with her homemade straw broom
--watching grandmother quilt & when finished for the day raising the quilt frame back up to the ceiling of the big bedroom to keep it out of the way
--playing checkers with grandmother by the big fire place in her and granddad's bed room (the only souce of heat in the house, except for the kitchen when she cooked on the wood stove
--walking through the woods to the pond to go fishing or swim
--taking a bath in a large black kettle that sat on firewood - that's how the water was heated by a fire underneath the kettle - yes, the fire was put out before we got in to take a bath - which was not that often!
--chasing the wild farm cats
--help pick veggies out of her garden
--making mud pies by the BIG stump with my cousins
-- picking musketimes...mmmmmmmm so good!
-- smelling the good country air
-- grandmother's homemade snickerdoodle cookies -- the best!
-- left over from scratch biscuits from breakfast - we made peanut butter sandwiches out of them for a snack -- the best!

Then there were the chuch socials - we would walk down the gravel, dirt road to the church and gather for a group pot luck meal - talk about delicious home cooking - you can only imagine!

Ahhhhh...so many good memories...I could keep going...but I will stop for now. Childhood is such a special time in our lives.

Okay, back to milking a goat...to see more pics and a video click on this link:
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025996&id=1343844913&l=42bb44c664

To find the video you might have to click on the video icon to see my videos. Enjoy and sit back and think about all your good childhood memories.

Cuz'n Camp 2009

This year's Cuz'n Camp was a little different since it was planned at the spur of the moment so to speak:) I had made a few plans, knew the theme, bought some crafts early when on sale, but had not been able to nail down a date for when to have camp and really was not ready to have it when we did...or so I thought:)

The Lord showed me that He had it ALL in control and He provided us with ALL that we needed to have a GREAT Cuz'n Camp 2009. I have learned over the years also "to be flexible or you will break"!

Now if you know me I am a very well organized planner...having every detail in place:) Well, not so for this year's camp. It was decided in just a couple of days the week it was to be. Since we were gkid sitting the Schubert 5 at our house for the weekend of the 19th - it seemed as good of a time as any to go ahead and have Cuz'n Camp the following Monday (22nd)...whether I was ready or not (as far a planning goes)!! Five of the oldest Bledsoe gkids came over and four of the Schubert gkids stayed...making nine gkids in all attending Cuz'n Camp 2009.

I chose to remain flexible and layed back as not to be frustrated with my lack of detailed planning. God showed me that He had already prompted me weeks ahead to purchase needed snacks & food, craft items, pool toys, etc. And of course, God had already given me my best earthly helper, granddad, to run errands and get what we needed for the week! I knew well in advance that we where going to study and learn the 10 Commandments, but I had not yet put anything together like visuals etc. So I got on the internet the night before camp to began my search of "The 10 Commandments". Yes, it was a late night but there is so much good stuff, visuals, etc on the 10 Commandments for teaching children. By 1 a.m. I had all the visuals I needed and the teaching planned. I was thanking the Lord for His goodness toward me. There was even a site where if you recited the 10 Commandments to an adult you could sign up to receive a free 10 Commandment magnet. I even found sheet music to a 10 Commandment song that gdaughter, K. played and taught us to sing. Yeah for the internet:) The gkids loved it and our camp couldn't have been better:)

Once again the Lord showed me that He has it ALL in His good Hands!

It always amazing me too how well the 9 cousins get along for a week together. They truly love being and playing together. What a BLESSING they are to us and to each other!

Check out and enjoy all the Cuz'n Camp 2009 pics at:

http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025335&id=1343844913&l=626768a856

Smiles, Prayers, Friends...

A smile...

makes us look younger...

While prayers...

make us feel stronger...

and friends...

They make us enjoy life!

The Wooden Bowl

You will remember the tale of the Wooden Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year from now.

A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-in-law, and four-year-old grandson. The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred, and his step faltered.

The family ate together at the table. But the elderly grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor. When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.

The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the mess "We must do something about father," said the son. "I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on the floor."

So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner. There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner. Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food was served in a wooden bowl.

When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction, sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions when he dropped a fork or spilled food.

The four-year-old watched it all in silence.

One evening before supper, the father noticed his son playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child sweetly, "What are you making?"

Just as sweetly, the boy responded, "Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama to eat your food in when I grow up. " The four-year-old smiled and went back to work.

The words so struck the parents so that they were speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks. Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done. That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.

For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.

The mercy you show will be the mercy you receive!

Mother's Hands...

In this restless realm can there be any greater demands,

Than those entrusted to a Mother's affectionate hands?

Upon her, the destiny of humankind certainly depends,

As her love and tenderness, all adversity transcends.

From the moment of birth and upon hearing that lusty squall,

Tender hands caress her precious little ones so very small.

Caring hands that are just beginning a life of devotion,

Praising the Creator with a heart filled with emotion!

Steadying hands will guide the tentative steps of little feet;

Loving hands will prepare nutritious foods to eat;

Healing hands will tend each bruised elbow and knee;

Happy hands will clap when sharing moments of glee!

Guiding hands will help to avoid life's treacherous shoals;

Teaching hands will assist to ever strive for noble goals;

Praying hands will keep the focus on worthy things above;

Molding hands will develop character, integrity and love.

Her aged hands now fragile and small;

Have done their life-work in raising us all.

Beautiful hands that rest on her knee;

Time-worn hands that have written her legacy!

Written by Robert L. Hinshaw

(Last verse by kathylove)

Life is Busy...

One thing I know: Life is going by fast...too fast!

Where does all my time go??

And I'm retired, already!!!