You only have to look up!!

Is this not gorgeous?

You only have to look up to see the beauty surrounding you. God is so good to give us wonderful things to look at. This morning while driving to my client's home I was going down the country road, open fields on both sides of me, and straight ahead was a gorgeous image! It has been rainy today, kinda cool and dreary really...but this morning the sun was trying to break through the clouds and the rays decending from the heavens, through the clouds, to the earth made a beautiful image that has taken me through my day! I often think of Jesus ascending into the Heavens when I see things like this. Or I think about the day of His return but either way, I am grateful for the treats that He gives us each day...we only have to look up to enjoy them..

Great weekend!

Saturday was the first track meet of the season for our area Special Olympics. We had wonderful weather..hot but breezy so we didn't die from the heat. Ju-Ju did her fast walk and actually came in last out of five but received a 2ND place ribbon because three other athletes either crossed over into someone else's lane or they ran instead of walking fast causing them to become disqualified. She also took 3rd in the softball throw for her age group.

Kevin got fifth out of five in his 100 meter dash but I have to tell you this group was tough! Kevin ran so hard and stayed in his lane but the other four were just a tad faster. They all just about crossed the finish line at the same time. He then got 2ND place in his group for the softball throw. This was Kevin's third year and he really enjoys it.

Robert is my new client and he is 31 and very, very tall but with his conditions he just has to be coerced into doing things. He has been on our SO bowling team for the last three years so he is kinda partial to me. Recently he qualified for a waiver that allowed him to have staff 5 hours a week and they requested me. I was pleased. Anyway, he won't do a lot for his parents even if they are encouraging but he seems to want to please me. Now this guy does not like large groups of people, the heat, standing or sitting for long periods of time but Saturday he hung in there like a trooper and I was so proud of him! Unfortunately he was disqualified for crossing over into someone else's lane even tho we practiced and practiced this. He did take 3rd in his division for the softball throw! I was afraid that after all of this he would not want to continue the season and compete in the next meet in three weeks, but he and his parents all seemed to be very happy with the day. So it is going to be practice, practice, Practice for the next few weeks until the next meet .

This evening we all headed out to my son's church. He lives about an hour from here..I loaded my parents up and Annie rode with Kate and Eli and the Ju-Ju and we went to watch him get baptised!! Dad was able to get there after umpiring a ball game. What a treat for THIS mother!! He recently gave his heart to the Lord and is really on fire. Before that took place tho, my Katie sang two songs again in their singspiration night and once again got a standing ovation! God has really given her a gift of voice! They love to have her come down and sing. Of course I got to spend some time with my grandsons..always love that!!! Oh and Luke and Monica finally gave me a 3 year picture to put on the wall! We didn't get a two year pic but I guess I can forgive them for that now that I have this one...tee hee!

So all in all it was a very good weekend for me but I have to admit I am shot and ready for bed!
I was so busy putting sunscreen on the athletes that I forgot to put any on myself and the back of my neck is burnt and itching!!! So I need to find some Aloe soon! LOL!! Thanks for letting me share!

Annie went to prom with Stephen on the left here and one of her close friends, Jake is on the right. Stephen is her BFF and they went to his prom at Shawnee where Annie used to go her freshman and part of her sophomore year. They will be going to her prom at Greenon May 2 so that means a different dress of course! LOL!! But I love this lime and Steve's tie and vest matched perfectly!
I love this picture of the back of her dress and her hair! She tanned of course but this color was just so pretty on her and I love the soft curls.

Proud papa! We have a pose just like this from every dance that Annie has attended!! Too funny!

OK, I absolutely LOVE everything about this picture! From the color of the dress, the perfect corsage that Stephen picked out for her to her nails! Are those not fun??? I don't know if you can click on these to get a close up or not but the guy did a fabulous job with the artwork on these nails!.. The band on her finger was my MIL's wedding ring. Even tho my SIL has a daughter and granddaughter, she wanted Annie to have the ring. It made her feel so special and she cherishes it.

They looked so good together! Steve's mom really wants them to end up together, she would love to have Annie for a DIL but there is still to much time for school and college and I think they are both afraid that a relationship would ruin the friendship they have. It just gave me comfort to know that she was with him and I didn't have any of the normal worries a mom has on prom night..if ya know what I mean.....


I don't think there is a girl anywhere that knows how to properly put a boutonniere on a guy! It was so funny watching her and the other girls pin these on only to have them fall forward or sideways! LOL!! But I came to the rescue and fixed them for them. So this is actually a staged picture!! LOL!!

Easter

What a treat Easter was this year! Both Eli and Nolan were old enough to enjoy the egg hunt and their baskets...They are sitting on this huge rock in our side yard. It actually came from the ground here when they excavated to build this house so it has been there for 45 years! The boys were rushing to get outside to find the eggs so we just grabbed Julie's basket for Eli! lol I have to tell you that I absolutely love these little guys. They keep me going. Nolan will be 3 years old on the 20Th of this month...doesn't seem possible. And then Eli will be 3 on August 11.

These guys are so different from each other but that is what makes them so special.

I made sure all the kids had baskets this year even tho they were way past the age of normal for getting a basket.. Last year had it's problems and I swore that it would not happen again. I took time to make sure that the older "kids" got things they liked individually. I gave Monica a box of Jelly Belly beans, an Easter themed dish towel, Katie got the Roche chocolates and a dish towel, Alan got a box of Pot of Gold, Luke got Black jelly beans and No-Bake cookies and Annie got a Dove solid chocolate bunny. Along with all of that they all got Reese's eggs, Cadbury eggs, M & M's and a host of other smaller candies. I was pleased with what I did for them.

Next thing I know..Kate is asking why I always get Monica dishtowels or cookie cutters but not her! I told her she needed to check her basket before talking! lol Then she is asking why Luke was the only one to get the black jelly beans because she liked them too. All of a sudden Luke and Alan are tossing the Cadbury eggs and Reese's eggs back and forth because Luke liked the Reese's and Alan liked the Cadbury's!!! Unbelievable! The youngest participating in this swap was 25 years old!!!! I told them next year I was just going to buy the stuff, spread it on the kitchen table and they could just "have at it" !!!!

All in all it was ok tho because we were all together.. My folks came over and we sat down to a pretty nice dinner and fellowship. Monica was passing around the ultra sound for the baby and that made it special too! We did all of this on Saturday so I was able to go to church on Sunday and then just come home and relax and enjoy the day. Hope your Easter was as fun and fulfilling as mine.

I heard the heartbeat!!!

Luke called me from the doctors office and said.."I want you to hear something." Then he put the phone up to the heartbeat of the baby!!!! Suddenly it became real! Monica is 10 weeks with a due date of November 5.. If she comes early, say October 31st the baby will be born on Katie's birthday and Kate told Luke that if it is a girl the middle name has to be Kate... He said ok...Now I don't know how Monica will feel about that..we will just have to wait and see..

I am so excited. He said they did an ultra sound and they could see the head, heart and upper arms formed already! What a miracle!!

Monica has waited to tell her family until Sunday because they are going to her family for Easter to celebrate Nolan and his cousins birthday. They are going to have him walk in with a shirt that reads Big Brother...here's the problem...while they were at the doctors today..Nolan told his aunt Teresa that mommy had a baby in her belly and it is going to get THIS big! (hands out in front of him showing how large her belly is going to be!) So Aunt Teresa called Luke to inquire and said Nolan was talking about babies. Luke reassured her that he was probably talking about his stuffed animals that he called his babies. Not buying that she kept pushing but Luke was able to kinda blow it off and buy them some time until Sunday but I am sure they are all whispering their suspicions!! LOL!!

Just one phone call

Just one phone call was all it took to brighten my already fabulous weekend at retreat.. Saturday morning my son Luke called me, I think it was 8:30, waking me up after being up all hours of the morning.. He said "Well we did it, we did what you have been asking for." I replied,"You got Nolan's picture taken!" (My last pic was his one year and he will be three on the 20th!

Luke assured me that was not what I have been wanting them to do...my mind was racing...what could it be? I swear I couldn't think of anything but he said for me to think harder. The only thing that came to mind was another grandbaby, so I said "Well, the only thing I can think of is another grandbaby but you all have made it clear that that is not going to happen ."

And he said.."OH YES IT IS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGosh!! I am getting another grandbaby!!! How cool is that? They go to the doctor tomorrow to get all the details so we have several months to go. Since this is probably going to be their last, is it to much to ask for a girl since I have two boys????

Over already!

Ohio kiddos!
My DD, Annie, Me and my DD Katie!

North Carolina Cuties!!
Heather, Cyndi, Kandi and Doris

Alabama Gals!

Pat, Carol, Jessica, Rose and Kandy

It is so hard to believe that just one week ago today gals from three stated converged on Gatlinburg for a weekend scrapbooking retreat! I don't know why I always say Gatlinburg because we have NEVER stayed there! LOL!! It's always been Pigeon Forge or Sevierville! I guess maybe we should say we go to the Smokey Mountains...but I really don't know how accurate that is either because we really don't stay IN the mountains!! LOL!! Anyway..I really don't care where it is as long as everyone shows up.

This year we had 5 new gals and 7 charter retreat members there. Jessica started the retreat four years ago. We got a wild hair and decided we wanted to meet in person and not just online any longer.. First year there were 9 of us..that would make us the charter members....

So this year we had Jessica, Pat, Doris, Kandi, Katie, Annie and myself. Two of our charter members no longer come but we added five great gals this year...From North Carolina we added Cyndi and her daughter, Heather and from Alabama we added Rose, Carol and Kandy..we would have added Brandi from Ohio but bless her heart she lost her grandfather just a day or two before we were to leave so we posted her picture on the wall and talked to her as we went by..She was missed and I am confident that next year she will be there....

The time goes by entirely to quickly and of all the pics I have seen so far..we had one fun filled weekend. We laughed so hard! Everyone should try to attend one retreat where you can meet some of your online friends. Wonderful friendships have been made here!

Part of our trip is a visit to the Scrapbook Superstore in Pigeon Forge..They have a store just for their clearance items!!! Needless to say that is where I do most of my shopping but they have a huge regular price store full of all kinds of goodies.... After the shopping spree we went to TGIFriday's for supper..then back to the lodge for an all night scrap! This is tradition!

I managed to get 8 layouts completed which is a record breaker for me I think. I just enjoy visiting the other scrappers and talking while they work. Cyndi was our leader with 18, I believe followed by Jessica with 17! I think the average was right at eight! So I knew I was average! LOL!!

Plans are for a scrapbooking cruise in April of next year so we will probably have to change our retreat to the fall if it is feasible. It will be a wonderful chance to get the pics of the trees changing color if we are able to pull it off.