Christmas Party & Spending Time with my Sweet Grand Kids...

Friday night was Mikes Company Christmas Party. It was a fun night. The food was so good. About 10 of us continued the party downtown. It was fun laughing and joking around. I can't believe he's been working for the company for 24 yrs... Where does the time go...

Saturday Mike and I went down to Tri-Cities to take Aura and Aden shopping. They needed coats, hats, boots, and clothes. They were so happy about getting new stuff. Char said Aden was so excited that he slept with his new shoes on... Aura had been wanting this red pea coat for a while. She was so excited about getting it she took the tags off as soon as we got in the van; so she could wear it. We went to dinner at Cousins. The food is so good there. The kids enjoyed peppermint ice cream after dinner. It was a fun day spent with them. At dinner Aura says she was so grateful for all the stuff we bought her that she feels she don't deserve anything for Christmas. She's such a thoughtful and sweet girl. She always has others ahead of herself. We would of have waited to give it to them at Christmas, but they didn't have coats or hats for the winter. I couldn't stand it anymore knowing they didn't have what they needed for winter. And they were in need of clothes.

I have a coffee date, a lunch date, and a dinner date this week planned with three friends. I have some more closet cleaning, and some rearranging of furniture to do this week.

I'm hoping to get some pictures uploaded this week. I think I'm going to get it figured out.

Thanksgiving and the trapped cat....

It was Mikes day off on Wednesday so he went down to Tri-Cities to pick up Char & her kids to come and spend Thanksgiving with us. We had a really good visit for the weekend. It was one of the best Thanksgivings I've ever had. Char needed to go home on Sat. So we took her and the kids home and while we were down there we went to dinner for our Anniversary it was nice. We also went to Best Buy and bought a big screen TV. Mike has wanted one of those for a while. He loved watching the Seahawks game on it at lunch time last Sunday.

On Sat. when we were getting ready to go to Tri-Cities I noticed a cat sitting in the window in the house next door. The house has been empty for almost 3 yrs. I called the police and told them it was trapped in there. The officer came and he saw the cat when he looked in the living room window. He tells me to keep an eye on the cat and if it looks distressed in a few days for me to call them back...really! The next day I went and checked on the cat and there it was looking at me through the window meowing at me. I went to the neighbors house and asked them if they were missing their cat, she said no. I told her that a cat was trapped in the house. She tells her husband so we went over there. We were trying doors and windows to see of we could get them to open. The back door of the house had a small square hole cut out like a doggie door and that's where I thought the cat probably got in, but wondered why it wouldn't get out. The guy laid down on the ground reach up through the hole and unlocked the door. There was a bench along the back wall and just above it was hole cut out of the wall like for a A/C unit. The cat had to of jump up there and got in, but then couldn't jump back out from the floor level. I put a long board in there for it to climb out. I now know tho that this cat has been in there for 24 plus hrs with no food or water. Shaylei and I fed the cat some turkey and I rigged up a bowl with string for Shaylei to lower it down with water. The next day we went and checked on it and it was gone. If it wasn't gone I wasn't going to wait any longer to call police like the officer said, I was going to call animal control. I don't like cats but it bothered me to know the cat was trapped in there with no food and water.

Hmmmm... I think I'm getting it!

It took me a few hrs. to change my font colors... I changed my design, but then I didn't understand how to change the font colors and background. I wish I could figure out how to put pictures up and get my about me on the side of my post page. I hope I can get it figured out soon.

It's really windy outside today and I don't like it, the winds scares me... We had a 35 ft. tree fall in our backyard in a really bad storm in Dec. 2006 with the wind blowing 80 plus mph and torn all our lines down and we had to go stay in a hotel. It took the PUD 4 days to get power back to us. We were lucky it didn't fall on our house. The house next to us is vacant with 2 huge trees in the yard. One of them is dead and makes me nervous of where it would fall. When the weather is bad I'm always scared and worried, then I'm reminded who is control and for me to TRUST him and sometimes thats hard to do.

I've been doing some deep cleaning this last week it feels peaceful to have some things done that has been needing to be done for a very long time. I used to be so obsessive about how clean my house was and now I don't care sometimes, but yet it drives me crazy that it's a mess and not clean. I've come to the conclusion I've let it go cuz when my grandkids come to visit or live here the house gets all tore up. I tell myself it won't matter down the road. They will remember having fun here. I have few closets left to clean and then it will be time to cook for my little family.

I really wish Mike and I were going somewhere to celebrate our anniversary, but he has to work, and my grandkids will be here till Sunday. Maybe we can go another weekend. We usually don't celebrate with getting away cuz it's always around Thanksgiving. We sure didn't think of that when we got married...lol

Califorina trip~Moved my daughter~ Little guests~Halloween~

 

  Wow...where has the last two and half months gone...(sigh)

We went to California in Sept. to visit family and it was a good visit. Mike enjoyed seeing his sisters and nephews. Everytime we go down to visit we always make sure we go to visit his parents graves and put fresh flowers on them and spend a few moments there. His mom was an AMAZING woman of GOD and taught me some things. I often wonder what I would be like if she was still here. His dad loved his Heavenly Father too! I loved seeing my mom and my dad too! I've never been close to my mom or my dad, but in the last year my mom has made some progress in making amends with us... My dad will probably never attempt to make any amends with us kids. He is a man that thinks he is never wrong or has hurt anyone so therefore he doesn't forgive people. I don't understand that kind of thinking. I guess the difference between him and I is I know my Lord Jesus Christ. He does not believe in him. So he sees life with way different eyes then I do. I told him I loved him when I left and started to cry and he said "you better" he wasn't able to tell me he loved me back. He didn't get it. But I know I have done my part to let him know I love him. And God will do the rest. I didn't get to visit my brother. Our relationship is held by a string we just can't get past the past. He has held grudges against me for many years. I tell him I love him and don't get very many responses to it. All I can do is to love them, forgive them, and share God with them even if they don't get it.

The end of Sept. our grand kids from Tri-Cities came to live with us for awhile, but that didn't happen. Not sure why Char makes poor choices that aren't the best for her kids. They moved back down there in three and half weeks. I didn't want those kids to go back and once again I should of fought for them to stay here. But they want their mom and they are torn. They wanna be here and with their mom. All I can do is PRAY for them, her, and her boyfriend. God has been telling me to stop interfering with her and just LOVE her! All I ever wanted in life was to have a close family and thats not happening it's not what I think it should be! There I go interfering again with God's PLAN... I really need to get that in my head who needs to have the wheel...

In October Jen moved in the house next door to us. It's fun to have her there, but it feels funny to have them right next door. They finally have some room and a yard to play in now. Jayven finally has his own room...woohoo. However he still ends up in Jen's bed by morning. That boy gets to me everyday with his sweetness and cuteness... I'm so Thankful I get to be a part of his and Shaylei life eveyday. The kids were all so cute on Halloween. We went downtown to trick or treat and then to my church that has a big Harvest Party with so many games, candy, hot dogs, chips, and lots of fun! Shaylei was a punk rocker, Aura was a nice witch (in her words), Aden was a yellow transformer (I'm sure it had a name..lol), and Jayven was Mickey Mouse. I don't like to celebrate Halloween, but at the sametime I don't want to miss out on any moments with my precious grand kids.

November for us is not only celebrating Thanksgiving. Mike and I have a Anniversary Nov. 24th 33yrs ago we tied the knot in Reno. Oh...to be that young and know what I know now... His parents got a little to involved in planning our wedding....so off to Reno we went. I never wanted a big wedding anyway. We lived in California at that time and we were suppose to get married on November 10th, but that was opening day for Pheasant hunting. So I got put on the back burner...j/k LOL! We don't celebrate it due to the holiday. I think we have gone somewhere twice to celebrate it. I'm all caught up in getting my Thanksgiving day dinner planned so I do forget about it!


This time of  year is hard for me with my depression and bipolar it gets worse and I'm not fond of the Holidays. I wish just one year we could go spend Thanksgiving or Christmas in California with my parents or his sisters. We haven't been home for a holiday for 30 years. My parents don't celebrate it, so it wouldn't make sense to go there anyways. I just want to be like normal families. But then are there normal families? I cherish the moments I get to spend with my daughters and grand kids. I have so much to be Thankful for in life, but sometimes with bipolar I sure do miss a lot... It's a stupid illness...I HATE it! People with Biploar have a lot off trouble with their minds going on a rampage. I HATE it when it does that. I cry out to God asking why can't I be normal in life!! However I am hearing his whispering words telling me to get out of his way.... And he's telling me that it's not always about ME! Others grow from our trials...

Woohoo the yellow jackets are gone!

I sure did find that nasty nest of yellow jackets in the ground. Yup...that's right they had a nest in the ground. I found them Sat. morning. I noticed lots of yellow jackets hovering in the same place on the ground by an old tree stump. I was looking for an aerial nest & couldn't find anything. They got it good on Sat. night tho. Mike & I sprayed two cans (I know a little over board) of the spray to kill them & the eggs... There were a few flying around the next day. It's still a little nerve racking to go outside after what Jen, Shaylei, & Jayven went through last Thurs. evening. I've never seen a yellow jackets nest in the ground. I looked up yellow jackets online & found out that there are several different types yellow jackets & they build nest aerial or in the ground. I've never seen that before & hope they don't come back here in the future! They are aggressive & nasty...

....them NASTY Yellowjackets!!!

I was cooking dinner tonight while Jayven, Shaylei, & Jen were outside. All of a sudden Jayven came running to Jen screaming & crying. Jen thought he hit his arm on something. Shaylei came up to give him a hug & saw the yellowjacket on his back stinging him through his shirt. Jen brought him in the house only to see another one on his neck stinging him. That one left the stinger in his neck. Then Shaylei came running in screaming & crying with a yellowjacket on her back stinging her. Then Jen started screaming something was in her hair & was trying to get it out & it stung her on the neck. Then Shaylei starts screaming something was on her again! Another one was in her ponytail & Jen got stung on the finger trying to get it out. I got all of them in pieces of paper towel took them outside to make sure they were DEAD..!!! Only to come back in the house to see Shaylei trying to swatt another one with the fly swatter. Dang...that had my heart pumping... They went into Shaylei's room cuz she wasn't sure if she killed the yellowjacket. I went looking for it & it was on the floor almost dead. I made sure I finished him off.... I'm not sure where they are nesting but I guess we won't play in the backyard for a while. Thank GOD everyone is ok now, but dang that was too much for me to watch....

Wow...where did the summer go!

School started today for Shaylei... I can't beleive she's a 5th grader already! Jayven & I worked around the house cleaning up the patio, dropping off left over yardsale stuff at the senior center, & dropped off cardboard boxes at the recycle place... We finished the morning off at the park with lunch. I love that little boy so much. He is such a big helper too...he really is!

July was busy with appts. for my sleep study, & getting my results. I do have sleep apena & started using the cpap machine. It has helped a lot after I got used to it. I had a few anxiety attacks the first week.

The week of fourth of July Mike went on a camping trip with some friends by Ellensburg. They all went four wheeling in the mountain's. He had a blast. He likes to ride his quad a lot. 

Jenifer went on a big trip for Advocare called "Success School" in Texas for four days. She went with a group from Moses Lake. She's never been away from her children that long before. I had all four grand kids for four days... I was a tired Gma! She had a lot of fun & she deserved it...thats for sure. She works so hard to make a better life for her children & herself.

August started off with a camping trip with all four grand kids & it didn't go so well. Next time we are going to a KOA campground.

Shaylei began to work with her lamb for her 4-H project. We had meetings, & running back & forth feeding the lamb named Joy. Then it was a week of getting things ready & parking the trailer & getting it set up at the fairgrounds campgrounds. Then fair week started & it was a HOT long, fun...week! Shaylei did very well with her breeding ewe Platinum & market lamb Joy. She got grandchapmion with Platinum. She got a blue ribbon & a call back ribbon with Joy.

We spent several days at the water park through out the summer. We had bbqs, & bon fires in our backyard. Shaylei had her 11th birthday Aug. 20th... We celebrated it this last weekend with family in the backyard having a bbq. She worked all summer & earned $113.00 to put towards a Kindle Fire so for her bday we all pitched in & paid for the rest of it. We had to order it & she's excited for it to come.

September 10th Mike & I are leaving for California to visit his sisters, childhood friend, & my mom & dad.

~Little lamb, Jayvens procedure, Relay for life, VBS, & Moving~

Wow....it's been a while since I posted on my blog. 
Been a BUSY grandma!

June 1st Shaylei bought her lamb for 4-H. She named her Joy. I have mixed feelings about this kinda project. They get so attached to them cute little lambs & then they have to sell them for slaughter. It's hard for me to see her be upset & not really understand why we do this kinda project. She loves animals a lot.

On June 7th we went to Spokane for Jayven to have a procedure done to see if he has celiacs disease ....and again they didn't find anything... Don't get me wrong I don't want anything to be wrong with him, but we are trying to find out why he breaks out with a rash all over his body & he's sick a lot with sinus & ear infections. He's also not gaining weight. He fits a lot the symptoms of celiacs disease & these children are hard to diagnose. Now they are sending him to a Pulmonary Specialist to make sure he's doesn't have anything going on like possible Cystic Fibroses. It has been a very stressful time for Jenifer & very frustrating for her not to get any answers. Being a single mom puts a lot more stress on you when you have to do it alone is hard. We try to support her as much as we can.

On June 8th & 9th I did Relay for Life. I raised $280.00 in donations. I walked all night with a friend. I walked about 8-9 miles. I did have to stop for breaks & sit by the fire to warm up & to give my feet a break. I did take a cat nap in my van. It was a cold night with lots of dew. Jayven started with me around the 6:00 hr. he walked & got in peoples way & was having a hay day thinking he was hot stuff. He's so stinkin cute with all those locks of curls & those big blue eyes. It loved doing relay for life for many reasons. I  pray someday they find a cure for cancer.

Our church had their VBS last week & I volunteered to be a crew leader & I was blessed with a sweet middle school girl as a helper, & great kids. 330 kids attended & they had fun learning about how much we can "Trust God"...

This week we are moving my daughter Jenifer into our house for a month or so... She's hoping to rent the house next door to us. It will be available Aug. 1st. She has lived in a two bdrm up stairs apartment for three yrs. with no balcony or a place for the kids to play. So they always came to Gma's house or went to the park to play. I am overwhelmed with the thought of 5 people living my little 1600 square foot home with only one bathroom. I am a person that gets all worked up & forgetting who is in charge & to trust in him that things will fall into place... I wonder when I will learn that!

I can't figure out how to put pictures up on my blog... I need to blog more often....

Jayven's appt, Grand kids, Springfest, & the Parade!

On Tuesday of last week Jayven went to a specialist to find out if he has celiac disease (allergic to gluten, & wheat). They scheduled him for a biopsy on June 7th. They will go in his tummy with a scope & take pieces of biopsy from his stomache & small intestines. They say these kids go undiagnose for a long time because its hard to get the correct testing done. He does have a lot of the symptoms. Poor little guy is always sick & we just want him to be healthy. He has to drink ensure for kids because he's a little under weight the dr said. He also had a bad cough & whezy lungs. He went to the walk in & his O2 was 92 & it should be above 100. They gave him a breathing treatment. Then he couldn't breathe very well about 4-5 hrs later so he went to the ER & his O2 was 91 they gave him a stronger dose of meds & a breathing treatment. We got out of the ER at 3:00 am. I feel so bad for Jen cuz she deals with this all by herself. She is an amazing mom & works hard for her children. Then she has to worry about health issues with him. Keep him in your prayers for health & answers.

I picked up my grand kids Aura & Aden from Tri Cities Friday night & I was so busy all weekend long... I'm so tired, but I loved having them here! Jayven had the most fun riding the rides over & over. He would say more (in his cute little way he says more) when he would get done. He was so cute! Those blue eyes get you every time. Aden had fun riding the rides with Jayven. The girls are at the in between stage not old enough to wander around by them selves, but yet they think they are! They just grow up way to fast now days. All the kids loved the Parade with all the lights, & sounds. Shaylei & Aura liked the prancing horses. Aden liked the tractors & the fire truck. And Jayven liked it all.

It was time to take Aura & Aden back to home today & they both did not wanna go home. Aden wraps his arms around my neck & says I don't wanna go home cuz I don't wanna miss you Gma. :( (breaks my heart) I wish they lived here close to me. I'm one tired Gma tho....they kept me busy. The two boys are a handful right now with their ages 6 & 2. They don't know how to share very well & fight over things. Shaylei has always stayed here when Aura is here visiting they are very close. So now Jayven crys when he has to go home with out her & doesn't understand why he can't stay. Guess what...!! Gma has been letting him stay, but I have to sleep with them cuz I'm afraid of what they might get into. Aden is sneaky little boy & Jayven will follow, but he don't know any better yet! I love these kids so much... They have all truly captured my heart forever... God has Bless me so much with them...

been busy, busy, & mothers day.....

Hmmm where do I start! I did Bloomsday on May 6th & finished it in two hours & fifty minutes. I was so PROUD of myself... I cried when I crossed the finish line. I accomplished so much that day for myself that only I can know in my heart what it meant to cross the finish line & to do it by myself. I may not of ran the race, but I pressed on & walked it all the way! Never giving up...even when it hurt so bad about 6 1/2 miles that I began to say in my head I can't do this.... I got my second wind when I came to mile 7 & knew I had less then a half a mile & began to run it all the way to the finish line...

Then on the next day May 7th was another accomplishment for me to celebrate 17 yrs of sobriety & clean time. I can remember how lost I always felt in life. I always had friends when I drank & used drugs. Only to realize later they weren't really friends they were users of drugs, alcohol, & of people just like me....a user & a liar. I remember my heart hurt so much from so much pain in my childhood & what a mess I had made of my life. I was so lost, confused, broken, & stripped of my innocents. I knew who Jesus was, but truly believed at that time Jesus really didn't care about me or love me. My heart hurt so much, I physically had chest pains all the time & in my mind I saw a BLACK heart that was dying inside my chest. I truly believed at that time in my life, life could not be any different & that I would die from my addictions. It was all I knew at that time in my life. I started drinking at 12 & doing drugs at 13 to numb the pain of the abuse. I finally hit rock bottom & went to a treatment center in Bothell at the age of  36 yrs old. (I know it took me a long time...lol) I can laugh a little about it now. It was one of the best things I could do for myself with God's help. I could not be where I'm at today if it wasn't for GOD'S loving GRACE & MERCY on me. Today I give all GLORY to him. Looking back at that time I now see that God was there evey step of the way in that time of my life & still is even more today!

Ahhh....mothers day! It's a bittersweet day for me. I've never had a good relationship with my mother so this day is a hard one for me. With God softening my heart I believe the relationship may be on the mend as best as it can be for us. I love her because she's my mother & I know that God loves her more then I ever could. I've shared God's love & salvation with her, but she's not sure she believes it all & that God would love her. I realized later in life she did what she knew at that time in her life when I was a little girl as far as the abuse. Some people just don't know how to show love to their children. I believe God wanted something different from me cuz he chose me to share his love & he's given me compassion for hurting people. My grand kids had never roasted marshmellows to make s'mores. Sat. night we roasted marshmellows in my backyard & made s'mores. They loved them of course... I think we will make that a mothers day weekend tradition. I had all four grand kids all weekend long & I we had fun, with a little exploring at some fishing spots, played at a park, had a ice cream at mardon resort, bbq'ing, & swimming! They didn't wanna go home. It was one of the best Mothers Days for me. I made a call to my mom & had a nice conversasion with her.

I was discouraged with my last blog cuz I tried to post pictures & they didn't show up. They just show up as red x's. I guess I have a lot to learn with this blogging...

I liked this from Joyce Meyer~  God's light shines better through "cracked pots" then it does through those who have it all together....

His scenery was what i took in....

 

Come near to God, and God will draw near to you. ~James 4:8~


Yesterday morning was an emotional morning and I didn't wanna go out walking, but I made myself do it anyways. I put my headphones on and listen to praise and worship music. It wasn't one of my best days. I had foot, and hip pain, and I only walked 1.9 miles! I told myself it wasn't about how far I was walking today it was about being alone with God and taking in his beautiful scenery on my walk. As we put our foot forward we have faith it will hold us up and move us to the next stride. That is the way we should have Faith in our GOD. Strong and know he is there. I'm so Thankful he never leaves us nor forsakes us. I would really be a mess if he did. And I'm thankful I can draw near to him and he will draw near to me.

My seeds are growing... the pumpkin seeds were the first to come up, then the broccoli, and then the butternut squash. It's been fun listening to Shaylei get excited about them sprouting up. She's excited to plant this garden and so am I.

   This little beauty has been enjoying time outside with her sweet little brother. I just can't get over how much she has changed this school year. It's hard to believe she will be a 5th grader next year. I miss her being able to sit in my lap and reading to her.

                                                        This little man has been showing some tempter when he's not happy about something not going his way... He loves to be outside. He's learned how to open the doors so he's to keep outside sometimes. He loves to follow Shaylei and play in the dirt.

I'm loving this weather we are having and being outside more. Being outside is good for me. I get the sun and fresh air...

it's start...

I've been wanting to blog for awhile now & just wasn't sure how to get started...so here I am... Yesterday the weather was so beautiful out it reached 70 degrees. My daughter Jen, the kids, & I are going to plant a garden this year. Yesterday they planted seeds for starter plants. We have a lot to learn I hope something grows. I planted tomatoes, zucchini, and jalaopenos in pots two years ago and did well. The zucchini didn't grow very well tho. I did get to pick one zucchini from it for dinner. I think beacuse it was planted in a pot is why it didn't well. I think squash needs to spread out on the ground. But the other two did very well. It was fun picking my own tomatoes and jalapenos. We are looking forward to it.

I chose my title cuz we only have today and sometimes we our today can be gone in a second... I live in life of recovery from drugs and alcohol. I was taught in treatment and AA to take it One Day at a Time... Sometimes it was moment at a time in the real hard times... In two weeks I will be celebrating 17 years of sober and clean time... I give GOD all the Glory... It is because of his Grace that I am sober and clean today...

Lately I've been in a stale place in life and my relationship with GOD... Thinking I need to do something not really sure just what it is, but something. God keeps reminding me I am to do his Will and he has me where he wants me to be for him. I've been able to help people with rides and cook some meals the past few months. God had me free during those times so I was able to do it. He always seems to open my eyes to what I need to do with the things I struggle with. I read this yesterday. Luke 5:16 ~Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.~ How long has it been since you let God have you? How long since you gave him a portion of undiluted, uninterrupted, time listening for his voice? Apparently, Jesus did. he made a deliberate effort to spend time with God... Let me ask the obvious, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn't we be wise to do the same? WOW! How lost and distracted we get in life and then wonder why we feel so disconnected to our GOD. I am so Blessed by him with my family, friends, and life.