Wordless Wednesday

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Daddy and Me!

Rich is such a wonderful Father. He loves the Lord with all his heart and he is so dedicated to his family. He became a daddy for the first time when he was 51 years old. He had given up on the dream of being a father many years earlier but God had a different plan! He is so thankful each day for the precious life that God has put into our care. Each evening before dinner we clasp our hands on Mary's high chair tray and pray while her little hands pat and play with our fingers. After the prayer, Rich lifts his hands in the air and smiling at Mary he says, "Thank you, Jesus!" Mary's eyes light up and she raises her little hands too. I am so glad Mary has him for a dad because she will learn of the Lord's tender love, discipline, and kindness through his example. We are also thankful that Mary has two grandfathers that love the Lord.

Father's Day

This is a poem that I wrote and gave to my husband when we were dating. He truly is my hero.

My Hero
You are my hero, woven in my dreams
and in my thoughts, when the telephone rings

You are the man that sings those songs
woven in you heart
songs to God, sung in the dark

You are a man I know so well
and I think about it when I see the sea shells

You are my hero, my wild stallion
lover of garden salads with scallions

So complex, yet a man of simple joys
like Christmas lights and getting the lids on tight

You are a man of memories all bottled up tight
and when love draws near, they come to light

You are a man of dreams and schemes
and you have come to me
my hero woven in my dreams

Garden tour

This is my garden. It is small but a wonderful retreat for me. Click on the screen below to see my special place.

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Wordless Wednesday

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Mary's Flower Book

I went to Barnes and Noble Saturday morning to get a gift certificate and I got lost in the children's book department! I bought Mary several books. My favorite one was called, "Planting a Rainbow." I can't wait until she is old enough to help me plant my flower garden. She loves being outside and looking at the flowers. While reading the book she learned to say, "yellow" and "red". She is talking really well now :)

Foody Friday Tuna Cakes

Rich and I have served Tuna Cakes twice for company now and both times it was a big hit. One advantage of the recipe is that it makes a lot. You can also use canned Salmon and serve both tuna and salmon cakes so your guests have a choice. For more company food go to A Latte Talk and check it out!

Tuna Cakes
2 cans (6 0z. each) light tuna in water, drained, flaked
1 pkg. (6 oz.) Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
1 cup shredded carrots
1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish

1/2 can of creamed corn

3/4 cup water

Mix the tuna, stuffing mix, cheese, carrots, mayonnaise, relish, corn, and water in a bowl.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate it for 10 minutes.
Heat a large nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray on medium heat. Scoop tuna mixture using about 1/3 cup for each cake into skillet in batches. Try using an ice cream scoop to make evenly portioned cakes. Gently flatten cakes using a spatula.
Cook 3 minutes on each side or until they're golden brown on both sides, turning cakes over carefully. Makes 6 servings, 2 tuna cakes each.

Six, Six, Six

Those 3 numbers in a row mean a lot to me. It reminds me of the day my whole life changed. The first time my life changed was the day I married Rich. This day, June 6, 2006 I found out I was pregnant, not only pregnant but half way through my pregnancy with no obvious symptoms. You might say,”How could that happen?” Well.... I was 46 years old and at that age you begin to think about going through the change of life. Thinking about this had left me very sad, for I was childless. Something I had not faced because my dreams were always full of family and thoughts of children. A very dear friend had come to visit me. She had not seen me in a year and when she saw me, she knew I was pregnant. Later in the evening of her first day here, she asked me if I was and I said no. I am going through the change. During her visit she encouraged me to get a home pregnancy test but I resisted. I was afraid of the pain of disappointment if it came out negative. It was a pain I felt I could not endure. The day she flew out she slipped me some money and asked me to purchase one. On the way out of the airport, Rich asked me what the money was for and I told him, “Oh she thinks I am pregnant but I think she is wrong.” A small still voice spoke to me the next day on my way home from work. Elena, go get a test. So, I did. Shock was my first response when I saw the positive result, then waves of joy flooded my soul. It was like a river flowing into a dry and barren land. God had remembered me! He did not forget! Six, Six, Six also reminded me of the six days of creation. The Lord told me that this baby was special, it was His work. I continued on in my pregnancy without any complications. My doctor told me that he was doing all the extra tests and appointments because I was 46(not because of my health). He said if you were 25 I would not be doing all the extra sonograms and such. Rich and I decided not to have an amniocentesis done because we felt it was not necessary. Mary was not only God’s work physically but also spiritually. She is a gift to Rich and I. We look forward to the days of her growth and maturity. She is a small flower bud coming up and one day she will be a beautiful flower, pleasing to the Lord and all grown up before we know it.

Me in my garden (5 1/2 months pregnant)

Bye Bye Dee Go Wuk!

"Bye bye Dee go wuk" are the 4 precious words that my 19 month old daughter strung together for the first time as she tapped the window enthusiastically as her daddy walked down the front steps out to his work truck this morning. It brought so much joy to my heart to hear her little voice expressing herself. She is learning so many words that I can hardly keep track of them. This is her list, the best I can remember:

Mama (her first word at 7 months)

Daddy

Work

Hi, Hello

Bye Bye, Good-bye, Go bye bye

Uh-oh, OK, Out

Cake

Ball

Book

Bottle

Two

Cow, Moo

See that (while pointing her finger)

Before long she will be carrying on all kinds of conversations to us, her toys and books and anyone she meets in the store or comes to visit her!

My Sister's Garden

I went to my sister's house in town on Saturday and she has a beautiful garden. Her and her husband are remodeling an older home they bought 2 years ago. They are doing a great job.