Spring is Calling

Mary and I had such a nice time one afternoon in our greenhouse last week. It was so nice and warm and all my spring bulbs and flowers were blooming. I put some folk music on the CD player out there and enjoyed working with the plants. It was just a little piece of heaven as we are longing for spring!

This was our big crop for our greenhouse this year. Rich and I cut this cherry tomato in half, salted it and savored it!

Remembering

I had a dream a while back. I was laying down on our futon in the living room taking my mid-morning nap because I was 8 months pregnant to the day. It was September 28 and my little girl was born October 28. The morning sun was coming in our window and casting warm shadows on our wall as I drifted off into slumber with the most pleasant feeling. I looked up and I saw my mother. We were in our living room in the house that I grew up in. She was sitting on our couch with a beautiful baby girl on her lap dressed only in a diaper and her hair was wet. She had just had a bath and my mom was combing her hair. It was light brown and curly. I smiled and said, “We know where she got those curls! From her daddy!” I knew the baby girl was mine. She reached out to me and Mom passed her over to me. She threw her little arms around my neck and hugged me so tight. I was sitting on the floor underneath the large Norfolk pine that my mother had in a pot by the window. The sun was shinning down through the branches and I was thinking... She’s my little girl and I was over flowing with joy! I woke up. The sun was still shining, but my mom was gone and I was in our living room. The Lord had given me that dream to comfort my heart. I was sad because my mom had passed away 18 years earlier and I missed her so much at this time in my life. I knew from the sonogram that our baby was a girl and we were going to call her Mary Ellen, but I didn’t know her hair color or texture. She does have light brown hair with gold and red highlights and it is curly like her daddy’s. The Lord was telling me that my mom was so happy for me and some how she knew about Mary. It is so special because Mary smiles just like my mom. She favors my husband’s side of the house a lot, but she has that same sweet beautiful smile that my mom has. Today marks the 22nd year that mom passed away and I still miss her very much. She laid a wonderful foundation for me in my early years and gave me wisdom and knowledge that I still carry with me today. My mothering skills and being a wife, came from my mom and the Lord. She taught me many wonderful things. I wished I had her now, when questions about raising Mary come up, but I just pray and ask the Lord to help me with inspiration from the Holy Spirit. He has given Rich and I this blessed job, to raise her in the knowledge of the Lord that she may grow up in His love. Thank you Mama for being such a good example to me.

Super Highway

This is a Bolivian highway. Great for motorhomes!

You are about to see the most amazing road.

COME WITH ME . . .
to a very, very high-way in Bolivia , South America .
Stremnaya Road is nicknamed "The Road of Death",
which will not be surprising after you see these photos.
Buckle Up . . . here we go!

Seen Enough???
Oh, No, Your Trip Isn't Over Yet...
Keep that seat belt fastened!

No Traffic at all today!!

Oops -- Spoke Too Soon!

That's Great! Time to zoom along again.

Just Honk and The Oncoming Car Will Move Over, Right?

Sorry - Road Repairs.
We Just Lost The Curb This Morning.

Not Much Further Now...

Do I hear prayers?

Thanks For Coming -- You Made It This Time!
Now, After That Ride, Tell Me Honestly:
Are You Going To Complain About Your Lousy,
Traffic-Congested Super Highways Ever Again???

Ice Cream Anyone?

Mary and I have been playing with play dough the last few days. I bought her this ice cream maker set at Walmart. She had gotten play dough for Christmas and I thought this would be something fun for her to do with her play dough during these cold winter days before spring gets here and we can go outside. We go with Rich's mom once a week to the mall and she gets to play with the kids in an indoor play area. The other days we are inside and this is a lot of fun for her. She loves ice cream and she loves pretending to make all kinds of confections (and mommy has fun too). It was well worth the $15! Here are some pictures of our fun!

Too Much Snow

Our Day

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Happy Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is such a wonderful holiday for me because it is a holiday celebrating love. Yeah I know, the top of the list for the American Valentine's day is romantic love but it really is about much more. When reading the book, "Celebrating the Christian Year" a few years back I discovered that the holiday came about by remembering the death of a Christian Saint named Valentine who was martyred for his faith in Jesus Christ. So the original celebration was about a super natural love that would enable someone to give up their physical life for their love of our Lord. Truly amazing! For me Valentine's Day makes me remember my mom. She loved Valentine's Day too. She would always give my father 2 cards, one that was very romantic and mushy and one that was funny. She had a very loving relationship with my father and was always so thankful that God had brought him into her life and that he brought so much happiness to her. She loved being a wife and a mom. As I grew into my 20's and was still single she was always so sweet to give me a card and a little gift. One time she gave me a lapel pin with a little cupid holding a heart. It was so cute and I had it for many years. She knew I was lonely on Valentine's Day for that special someone and would always remember me with a sweet touch and it meant so very much. So, I always felt that Valentine's was a day to tell people that you loved them. For me Valentine's means the love of the Lord, the love of a friend, the love of my family, the love of my husband and finally the love of a child. For it was the holiday that God gave us the little spark of Mary's life. She is our little Valentine's Day gift! Here is a slide show with pictures of her with a play dough heart that she made. I hope you enjoy it and that you know how much our Heavenly Father loves you!

Make a Smilebox greeting

Angelfish

I was sitting in front of our aquarium yesterday afternoon while Mary was napping, just admiring our angelfish. They have gotten so big. They are 5 inches from fin tip to fin tip. Rich said they will get bigger! They are just so beautiful. Their fins are so flowing and they float so gracefully through the water. That is how they got their name because their fins look like flowing robes. I had no idea that such a pretty fish could be so easily kept in a fresh water aquarium. Rich is the one that has had them before and really loved them. So, that is why I got the aquarium for him for his birthday. He does enjoy them, but I take care of them and have gotten quite attached to them. I guess if they are well cared for, they can live up to 15 years! Amazing! Here are a couple of pictures I took of them this morning.

"Then the Lord said, "Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures..." Genesis 1:20a

Have a blessed Monday dear friends!

My Childhood Home that my Father Built