Special little gifts...

In the last 4 days, God has blessed several of our friends with beautiful, healthy babies. We have 2 little boys and one little girl. The interesting part of all of this is that the little girl was supposed to be a little boy! God sure has a way of surprising us doesn't he. I hope to share photo's of these specials gifts soon!

Congratulations Wes and Sage, Brent and DeAnn and Frank and Angie! We can't wait to meet your little ones! :-)

Jaime's Baby Shower

Jaime and her Daddy

My cousin Jaime and her husband are expecting their first child this summer. Jaime lives in CA and we don't get to see her very often. However, we were so excited to find out she was coming home for a long weekend. We couldn't wait to see her and share in her excitement. She got some really pretty things! She was so appreciative of each of the items she received. Jaime and Ray are going to make amazing parents. We are all looking forward to the day Lila arrives and we finally get to meet this bundle of joy.

this is too cute...

taking it all in...

getting some advice from Aunt Lill...

Grant Family Reunion

Daddy came from a family of 4 boys and 2 girls. Because everyone lives in a different town or state, it has always been hard to get together. The last time we were all together was when my Grandmother Grant passed away in March of 2007. Since we were in town for a baby shower, we decided to meet for lunch as a family before the shower. It was so nice to have everyone together. We enjoyed yummy BBQ sandwich and several cups of sweet tea! It was so nice to catch up with everyone. I sure hope that we don't wait another year to get together again.

Uncle Louis, Aunt Lill, Aunt Etoile and Uncle Ram

(I forgot how much Uncle Ram reminds me of my Daddy. The hair, the expressions, you name it, they have it...)

Me and Aunt Lill
(Daddy was very close to Aunt Lill. They talked almost everyday. Shortly after Daddy passed away, Aunt Lill and Uncle Ed moved less than 4 hours away. We try to visit each other at least 3 or 4 times a year and we talk on the phone almost every day. She helped me through some tough times and because she is a lot like my Daddy, I feel like a part of him lives on through her!)

Relay for Life

As many of you know, Relay for Life is a very important organization that is very dear to my heart. Mom and I were able to enjoy our Relay here. Daddy had an amazing medical team who treated him during his fight. They are so special to us and we could never thank them enough for all that they did for Daddy. We were able to see several of his nurses as well as his Dr. B. Dr. B. has such a sweet smile and had a way (and still) of making it all better. Even though seeing the group brought tears to our eyes, it was such a treat for us. The nurses were telling us how much they enjoyed seeing Daddy come in and knew that he wanted room 10. By the end of the conversation, we were all teary eyed. Someone once told me that its ok for memories to bring tears to our eyes because that means that we must have shared a really special moment together, otherwise the memories wouldn't be so sweet.

us with Dr. B.

Mom and I arrived right as the survivors were taking their lap. Even though our soldier is no longer in the battle, there are so many people who have battled this awful disease and came out a winner. During the 3 1/2 years that Daddy battled cancer, many advances were made that really helped him during the process. It reminds us that with the help of the American Cancer Society, better treatment will continue to be available and individuals have a better chance at winning the fight. Daddy was always willing to try a new treatment because he said you never know what might happen. Although Daddy is no longer here to help with the development of new treatment, Mom and I feel that we can still help find a cure. Last year my hometown raised over $117,000. Mom and I together set a goal of $2000 and raised over $7000. This year we have raised our goal to $4000 and hope that we will achieve it. We still have 3 weeks! I know that together, we can help find a cure for cancer!! :-)

The Gift of Grandparents

I was very lucky that I knew 2 grandmothers, 2 great grandmothers, 1 grandfather and 1 great grandfather. I have found memories of each of the above individuals. They were all so very different but all very special. My great grandmother Beulah thought the sun rose and set on my mother. She was the first grandchild and always held a special place in her heart. My Granny Grant was a retired school teacher and thought it was wonderful that I was going to follow in her footsteps. My Granny Esther kept us while my parents worked. Granny lived on a farm and expected us to go out after breakfast and stay out until lunch. Therefore we had to be creative because we didn't have a lot of toys. We all shared a bike and that was about it. We had swings, shovels, buckets and lots of "stuff" that is found in a barn or on a farm. We had a great time and we imagined that we could be or do anything we wanted.

Today we were able to celebrate my Granny Esther with an 80th birthday party. She was so excited to have her family and friends surround her as we celebrated her life. Happy 80th Granny!

My mother is the oldest of 5 girls and 1 boy. Unfortunately, my uncle was not able to attend because of work.

Farewell to the coffee shop

As many of you may remember, Andy and I got a great grind and brew coffee maker right after Christmas. Some very good friends of ours, Wes and Sage, own a coffee shop and got us into "good" organic shade grown coffee. We found out yesterday that last night was the last night the shop would be open. A group of us met at the shop to enjoy one last night of fun together. Several of their out of town friends came back to celebrate a great Christian place where people felt safe and secure. We enjoyed great music, yummy smoothies, coffee and fellowship with one another. After the band played "Closing time" and "Good Riddance" it was officially closing time. We gathered around Wes and Sage to cover them in prayer as this season in their life had completed its cycle. It was great to hear some of the testimonies of how two great individuals with a vision for God's children played such an important role in the lives of so many people. It was a great night! We were so happy that we were able to be a part of the farewell party to such a great place!

The couples we are with (Jack and Beth on the left and John and Susan on the right) are our mentor couples for our small group. These guys are amazing and we feel very blessed to have them in our lives. We like to travel in crowds!!

The guys are supposed to be working the counter...

Laughter is great!

Sage has an amazing voice! We were so happy to get to hear her sing last night. You would never know she is due in a week or two...

Reminiscing...

Do you ever stop and wonder how time goes by so quickly when the work week goes by so slowly? How about the fact that we only have 9 weeks until we go on vacation, when it seems that we just got back a few months ago.

Last night Andy and I got to enjoy an evening with just Grace. Jack went to stay with Mema and Delores. We went to the park, went out to eat Mexican, came home and played with Lucy and then headed back to Tomi Jean and Greg's. Once home, it was time to get a bath and get ready for bed. Grace took her bath, dressed in her favorite PJ's and was ready for bed all by herself. Grace picked out a book for us to read. We rocked while I read and when we were finished, Grace wanted to rock some more. We turned the lights out, turned on the relaxing music and rocked. With those beautiful blue eyes gazing up at me and in the sweetest voice she said "I love you Rita." I could have rocked her forever! As we rocked, I noticed her legs were half way down the side of the rocker and her head and back were about the only thing actually in my lap. How did she get so big so quickly. I remember the days when her entire body would rest in my arms... As we rocked in silence, I thought about all the changes she has gone through and this is just the beginning. It almost makes me sad to think about how quickly she and Jack are growing up. I almost wish we could make time stand still just a little longer to enjoy every minute. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a parent and watch how quickly your very own children grow. I don't know what it is like to raise children but I do know that if you blink, you will most likely miss something very special! :-)

It is official...

My spring break has come to an end! It is amazing how quickly my week has gone by. It's been a busy week and I have been thankful for the time to get a few things taken care of. I enjoyed lunch with family, afternoon visits with friends and most of all, not having to get ready at 6 AM!! I only have 33 more school days until summer and I am sure that they will fly by.

We have this really neat trail that is almost completely shaded and is paved. It makes for a great walking path. Because it is paved, you can ride your bike or push a stroller very easily. So today, Tomi Jean, Katy and myself decided to take the kids for a nice stroll. Jack and Grace took their bikes and Katy put Ansley Kate and Jay in the double stroller, which worked well since we had a place to store our drinks, cameras, phones, etc. By the time we were finished, we walked 3 miles! It was a lot of fun and we are looking forward to walking the trail at least once a week this summer. I can't wait to get in shape.

An afternoon with Austin and Amanda

After I left Mom, I went to visit with Amanda, a friend from college. Amanda has a precious little boy Austin. I have seen pictures of Austin, but I had never met him. It's very sad because Austin turned a year old in March. I loved catching up with Amanda! She is such a wonderful person who has an amazing smile! She is always happy and can make your day brighter just by being around her. Austin is the cutest little boy. He woke up right before I left. As soon as he saw us come in his room, he had the biggest grin on his face. We played for a little while before I had to leave. I had planned to stop in for a few minutes and then head home. An hour and a half later I left!

It was such a treat to get to visit with Amanda and Austin. I really appreciate Amanda letting me drop in on them on such short notice. I sure hope it is not another year before I get to see Austin!

Sweet Surprises

If there are two things in life that make me so giddy and excited, it's birthdays and surprises! Yesterday I was able to do both. My mothers birthday was yesterday and I got to surprise her. I spoke with the ladies that she works with and arranged for them to meet me for lunch. Mom was so excited about going to lunch with Mrs. Rose and Elden. When they arrived at the restaurant, she was SHOCKED! She didn't have a clue that I was there. I loved it! We enjoyed a great lunch and the food was so yummy! I had a crab cake sandwich that was stuffed with cheese! YUMMY!!! I am already trying to plan another day to go back! After we left the restaurant, I was invited to surprise mom once again at work. The group at the office had a birthday cake for her and I was able to enjoy more yummy food! (Lucky for me, I can't weigh in today due to a dentist appoinment.) It was nice to get to meet Mrs. Rose and Elden. They are both very lovely ladies and mom is so blessed to work with such wonderful people. The guys at the plant even sang happy birthday to her, I was impressed!

This was the highlight of my Spring Break. My mom is always doing for others and I was so excited to be able to do something for HER! What a great day! I love you Mom!!

Enjoying an afternoon with Jack and Grace

I got to spend the afternoon with Jack and Grace today. We came home and played with Moon Sand, which is really neat for those mothers out there who want to try something new. Then they decided that they wanted to play frisby outside. The weather was perfect for an afternoon outside. Lucy loved playing with them!

" OUCH, Grace that hurt." The wind was blowing and made the frisby do "tricks." It didn't always go where it was supposed to go.

Lucy loves Grace and Grace loves LuLu!

Jack enjoyed laying in the grass and thinking. "Uh Rita, why don't you have caterpillars at your house? We have lot's at our house..."

For dinner, we decided to have a picnic outside. We had peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and cheez-its and homemade lemonade. It was so much fun. Lucy enjoyed having their left overs.

Shortly after our picnic, it was time for them to go home. I enjoyed having them over and it made my afternoon!

The Strawberry Patch

Today my class went on a field trip to the strawberry patch. It was very cool but we had so much fun. The kids got to enjoy strawberries while they picked their own container. A very dear friend, Mrs. Beth, met us at the strawberry patch and helped us pick. I really appreciate her taking time out of her day to help us!

Thanks Mrs. Beth!! :-)

Enjoying a day on the water...

All smiles after a great day...

Andy and I were invited to join a group of friends from our Bible Study/Sunday School for a day on the water! We took 2 boats with 2 couples in each boat. The weather was wonderful. It was a little overcast and cool. We didn't burn up in the summer sun but we didn't freeze either. :-) There were very few boats out which made the trip that much more enjoyable. It was such a relaxing day. We laughed at so many things and just truly enjoyed God's gift of water and nature. It was neat to see certain landmarks from the water. Growing up on the river I think I took the water for granted. Sunday's trip was the first time I had been in a boat on the water in many years. I forgot how much I enjoyed it and how soothing it was. Around 5 o'clock we decided to dock and have dinner at a local restaurant. The meal was great!

We finished dinner around 7 and it was time to head home. The ride home was FREEZING! We were bundled and wraped with a towel to help keep us warm. We wanted to make it to the landing before dark and barely made it. We got the boats trailered and emptied just as the sky grew dark. We wished the other members of our small group could have joined us but maybe next time... Thanks John Van and Amy, Chris and Charissa and Wes and Sage for a wonderful, relaxing Sunday!! :-)

The boys making sure everything is ready!

John Van as the Captain, Andy as the Co-Captain

The other boat-Wes and Sage, Chris, Charissa and Catherine

Amy and I enjoyed catching up...
Sage, Charissa and Catherine
Andy had to step in for the Captain.

The boys enjoying themselves.

The group shot at dinner.

The girls...

Amy and I were trying to stay warm on the ride home! It' worked even though we looked rather silly!!! :-)

Sunday School Party

We enjoyed a wonderful time this evening at our Sunday School Social. Our wonderful teacher Margaret opened her home to the members of the Sunday School and their children. Margaret and her husband NB have a lovely home with an amazing back porch. We all seemed to navigate to that area and stayed there pretty much all evening. It was nice to relax, hear the rain and enjoy good fellowship!

We kept Jack and Grace Saturday evening. We enjoyed having them with us at the party.