Grandbabies are so much fun!

Those of you who know our daughter, Bianca, have probably read their news on her blog, but if you haven't I will refer you to www.biancapinkston.blogspot.com . We are very excited! Wyatt is so precious and funny and goofy, all at once, that I can't imagine another one measuring up to him, but I know he or she will! Congratulations, Scott, Bianca and Wyatt! We are happy for you! Don't forget. . . .free babysitting at Noni and Abuelos!!! :-)

Another pictureless up-date!

Sorry! Still no pictures! So many things have happened in the last couple of weeks that I feel like I am spinning! One of my ornery cousins (if you are reading this, Scott, you know who you are!) once told me that my head was like one of those things that are on top of buildings for ventilation; you know, those round things that spin around with the wind? I have really related to that lately and am thinking that being on a roof might be easier than down where the hub bub of daily activities are! Okay, so I really don't want to be a roof vent! Just kidding!



We are still not completely unpacked. I worked on about 4 boxes or maybe 5 last night and this morning and it took me about 2 hours (at least)! I have to go through everything and either find a place for it, put it in the rummage sale pile, trash it, or put it in the Goodwill pile. In addition to all that, I have to record in detail whatever I find that is damaged by the fire or by smoke! Detail, meaning what it is; model number; description; where I got it; when I got it; and how much it cost originally! No wonder my head is spinning! Then there is Mandie's wedding coming up one month from today! I am so not ready emotionally for that. I can't stand the thought of her moving away from home! I realize that this is God's plan for her and Bruce and would never stand in their way, but I hope I make it through the wedding on just a few kleenex! Oh, and just to complicate matters a little more! Noel is in the heat of his baseball season and while we are seeing some positive results from his interaction with his coach and the discipline of being on the team, getting him to and from practice and games is tough! But, to brag a little (forgive me!) he is a great first baseman and has helped win several of the games. The other evening he got two people out on the same play! Maybe some of you don't see that it is an important thing, but his games are free, he's playing against other kids his age, the games are kept "clean" as far as language, ect. and it is teaching him responsibility and discipline to keep commitments. Whatever I have to do for my children is not a waste of time. One day they will be away from home and I will miss this! (Really? Did I just say that? Lol) Okay, enough said about my "problems" and the wonderful rat race of being an involved mom! It seems like no time at all that we were getting ready for Binky's wedding, and I now realize that the next few years will fly by as well and we will be thinking, "It seems like just a little while ago that we had Mandie's wedding and now we are planning Dafne's!" Okay, that's just way too out there to even think about! So I will think about jumping in my van in about 25 minutes, heading to Independence from Tulsa to pick up Dafne and Noel and getting Noel to Bartlesville by 5:00 pm for pregame practice. Then I will probably look for a convenient cave or hole to hide in, leaving my cell phone in my van, to wait until 6:00 at which time I need to be the "cheering mom"! I laughed the other night at my own self, after his game, because I am always afraid he won't make it to base before he gets out and I heard myself hollaring as loud as I could, "Run, Noel, run!" I told him later that he should be glad I said "Noel" instead of "Forest" (which might not mean anything to some of you!) Oh, well, I will take my laughs as they come and try to keep laughing. This morning I was sorting out a box and found a book that I got somewhere entitled "When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Start Laughing"! Hmmmm! Wonder if it tells what to laugh at and if I should make a priority list of my laughable moments, pull them out when it gets too overwhelming and then laugh? I have absolutely gone on enough, but thank you for listening. I needed desperately to talk to someone who could just listen today, so you were chosen and I feel better, so now. . . . . off to my van for my wild ride!

P.S. I can now count my boxes, so I think I really am making headway. I have 17 ( I think) in my bathroom and about 10 in the utility room! Whoo hoo!

Happy Belated Easter!

I hope all of you had a wonderful Easter! We did. We went to Ochelata for church Sunday morning and had the privilege of having all of our children with us for the first time on Easter Sunday for a long time. The special presence of the Lord was all around and it was so special. Our service was not a traditionally Easter service; the church was almost packed out; and tears flowed freely among the church family, as Brother Melvin Schaper stood to testify and poured out his heart to us, as tears flowed down his cheeks! Some of the church men sang and then Becky and Jerry sang (at Bro. Schaper's request) "We Don't Have to Cross Jordan Alone". As people hugged each other and let the spirit of God move, we again felt the blessed hope that He is Risen and He DOES care about all of us! Praise the Lord for the knowledge and the fellowship with our Risen Lord! After service we shared lunch with our "extended family", which included all of our kids and Bruce (our kid!!), Becky, Jerry and Jeremy's family, Sue and Steve, Trelanie's family and Bruce's parents. Brother Melvin Schaper joined us, also, and we had a wonderful time as the rain beat down outside and the three "children" who were there hunted for Easter Eggs!

Today Manuel, Scott (our son-in-law) and Manuel's cousin, Rudy Marquez, are heading to Mexico. They were in high spirits when they left and Scott laughed and said he'd have his hands full keeping them all in line! He didn't think he'd have too much trouble keeping up with Rudy, but he wasn't sure about his father-in-law! Of course Manuel is riding high, going to "his Chihuahua" as he calls it! He is anxious to see his brother and check up on his progress. His mother is with his brother for a while, as her siblings are anxious to visit her and it is difficult for them to get to Texas to do so. Please pray especially for Manuel and Scott as they go. Scott has bonded with Rudy and is trying to help him stay straight. Rudy has a problem with alcohol, but is doing really well. He knows that only God can truly turn him around. Then, Armando, Manuel's brother, whom we have prayed for for 28 years is trying to turn his own life around. Please hold Scott and Manuel up in prayer as they minister to these precious family members and also that God will keep them safe!

Thanks, Larressa!

I just read Laressa Hollenbeck's blog and felt very inspired by her related answer to prayer. Her story was in response to a past blog entry of Crystal Schaper's, who told of answered prayers. We all have answers to prayer, because God is the God of all answers, but sometimes we forget to share them! Many times during the day, I breathe up a prayer and sometimes there is an instant answer! Always there is relief! I remember one time while we were in Mexico that we were so tired and worn out from being there for a long time without a real furlough. We just were needing a break. Manuel said that if we could financially, he would like for us to drive in Mexico for a few days and just get away, while still "scouting out the land". For us in our financial situation, that was impossible at the time. I remember distinctly that he was sitting on the front porch of our home in Mexico, discouraged and tired, and I brought in the mail. There in a letter from some friends we have only met one time, was a check for over and above the amount that was needed for a little get away! I walked out to where Manuel was, handed him the check, and said, "There's the money!" Praise the Lord for knowing and seeing right where we are and loving us anyway! He does supply all of our needs! Last December, as we stood and watched our home burning, it seemed like He wasn't there! How could He be when this was happening? I asked Jerry, our pastor, why this was happening to us and he had no answer either. Now I see the beauty that God has made out of the ruins of our existance! I can only marvel at His goodness to us! Please let's share our answers to prayer!!!!

Help! I'm submerged!!!! :-)

Oh, my goodness! Who would ever have thought that moving into a new house would have so many complications? I thought we had a down hill ride now, but lo and behold, it is not so! It is Wednesday----we are planning to have a birthday party at our house for Wyatt on Saturday, and still the boxes line the walls and the ramp is still in place for the front steps and on and on! By the way, I can't believe I forgot to get on here on Wyatt's birthday and wish the little man a very happy birthday from his Abuelo and his Noni! He is the joy of our lives and so cute! We were a totally captive audience last evening as he "showed off" for us in his adorable way! What a precious dolly! Well, back to the house and all that entails. Plus the wedding! It just hit me yesterday on my way home from work that Mandie would be married in about six weeks and I cried a lot of the way home! We love Bruce dearly and know that with God's help, he will be a wonderful husband to Mandie, but just the thoughts of her leaving home is so tough! Well, after I boohooed for a few miles, I got home and got on a different track! Last Friday I took off the day of work to try and get a lot done in the house. My first project began early in the morning as I went out to straighten the front porch. I have a thing about my front door and porch looking good, even if nothing else does! I stepped outside and promptly landed sitting and slid down the ramp that is still at the door because my husband has not had time to build proper steps. I guess there was a little bit of frost on the ramp from the night before. Fortunately I only twisted my leg and didn't do any big damage, but was in pain about all day and therefore didn't get nearly as much done as I wanted to. The next morning I was for sure going to get a lot done, and I woke up with a gift from kids who had been sick a couple days last week with the flu-----their colds and flu! Monday I was still sick, but through it all I have managed to get some things done and believe it or not feel encouraged. This birthday party is certainly not going to be an "open house" to the whole house, but I'm sure it will all be fine! Thank God for understanding friends and family!
My gas range has not been connected yet---three weeks with a new stove and I can't cook on it! We have propane because we are in the country and for some reason the propane company decided that while we were transitioning to our new house we didn't need the tank. So, they came and pulled it, along with the propane that was in it, without the courtesy of a phone call or anything! It has been a long process getting it back, because they decided that the gas line that had been in place for over 7 years was in the wrong place and needed to be totally redone! (At our expense.) Finally someone came out yesterday to inspect the pipeline and decided that it was fine! The tank was to be delivered today and when the man came, he looked as though he would much rather be sleeping than dealing with me and my tank. He mosied into the yard and looked around. He saw a cement block lying on the ground and (quite unnecessarily, I thought) said, "What's that?" Well, what was there to say, but, "A block?" I think he was looking for a septic tank, but who's to know with questions like that. Anyway, after awhile he knocked on the door and said, "We have a slight problem!" And I replied, "A slight problem, again?" Apparently the "inspector" had failed to note that Manuel had joined all of the pipe with teflon tape, which is not acceptable to propane people and so now he must take it all apart and rejoin it with what the propane guy called "goop". Fortunately he left some of the "goop" for Manuel and promised me that if all goes well, he will be at our house Friday to hook up my stove! Whooo-hooo!
Oh, boy, you gotta love life! It is so unpredictable. And if we embrace it, whatever comes along, we can get through our problems and set-backs much more quickly!

P.S. I have now lost my camera, so someday you will see pictures, maybe! Sorry!
Have a good day!