Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month!!! Stay Tuned for several posts about my precious boy, Callahan! But for now, I leave you with this....

Cal at The Special Olympics last week!

He won 1st in the 50M Dash,

and he won 3rd in the Softball Throw!

All he really understands is what he told me....

"I throw a ball, I run a race, I get a ribbon!

I have fun at the track meet!"

And really that's what it's all about...

He knows what's really important even if he doesn't realize it!

I love you Cal!

....I....

I use to bite my nails and still do when I'm at the movies.

I often sleep in my clothes when it's cold....clean clothes....but clothes nonetheless.

I can go days without washing my hair but not without a shower.

I wish I could get rid of my ugly spider veins and varicose veins.

I've had stitches too many times to count.

I don't mind reheating coffee in the afternoon that was perked early that morning.

I wear slippers everywhere.

I wash all the clothes in our bathroom hamper together on cold....without sorting them.

I eat peanut butter on a piece of whole grain bread topped off with a glass of chocolate milk every single day.

I rarely eat what I cook for dinner, and cereal is often my main course.

I don't always wear makeup, but I am unattractive without it.....especially mascara.

I LOVE old dishes, linens and furniture.

I collect crosses, tea cups, samplers, and anything that has The Last Supper on it. I use to collect more stuff but had to stop to avoid clutter.

I prefer dresses or skirts over shorts when it's warm.

I cut my own hair, my kids' hair and help NPayne cut his hair.

I could spend hours lounging in my bed reading.

I don't like to wear a coat or carry a purse.

I have been known to brush my teeth so often that I caused damage to my teeth and gums.

I don't like going to the dentist.

I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 8 1/2 years ago. I never knew how much joint pain in your fingers could affect your life.

I am not very sympathetic but am trying to be.

I need to spend more time with my mom.

I miss my dad....A LOT!

I am busy a lot and am not a fan of busyness.

I ran over many mailboxes when I first learned to drive.

I snuck out of my friend's house once.

I love naps.

I loved helping my grandmother hang clothes on the clothesline and loved the way they smelled when they were dry.

I use to ask for a brother for Christmas, but I never got one.

I have never liked to drive or talk on the phone.

I am technologically challenged by choice.

I get extremely motion sick!

I've had migraines every since I can remember.

I played with Barbies until I was 12 or 13.

I slept with my parents several nights a week.

I've had chicken pox, mumps and measles.

I am cranky without lots of sleep.

I use to help my grandmother collect rocks for her rock garden. I want a rock garden.

I don't like my hair short.

I wear my hair in a ponytail almost every day.

I love to read and write.

I want NPayne to get his college degree.

I want to finish my Masters degree.

I was a bank teller in college, and the bank I worked at was robbed at gunpoint.

When I was in 3rd grade, my school burned to the ground.

I haven't found anything that is worth waiting in line or fighting a crowd for.

I use to have a horse named Sassy Sunrise when I was a teenager.

I drove a Vega when I was 15....My dad bought it from the junkyard for $300 and painted it Candy Apple Red. I didn't need a key to start it.

I graduated in the top 15 of my high school class of 450.

I would love to have a Scooter with a side car.

I am still HOPING for another baby.....

My Baby!

So it looks like we may have some good news....I just received a call from my pediatrician's office, and it seems that my baby does in fact have a UTI! They are running more tests to check some things out, but so far, that seems to be the cause of my girl's extreme discomfort. I know you are thinking....how can a UTI be good news? Well when your baby girl is miserably crying and crying and crying in pain....all sorts of things start to run through your head. When you hear, it's a UTI....you immediately say "THANK GOD! It's nothing more serious!" I will say that yesterday she was about back to normal....just from one day's worth of antibiotics. Today she is her fiesty, fun, fabulous self. She is still not eating much of anything, but she feels GREAT! Thank you....thank you....thank you for praying! I was starting to get a little more than a little concerned....get my drift? Again thank you! We appreciate you tons!
Elliot and Her Mama!

My Baby!

My little Elliot is not well. She has been battling severe stomache pains for about a week and a half....they aren't constant but come and go. I took her to the pediatrcian today, and she is being checked for a UTI. She also prescribed some Prevacid to see if that would help. She couldn't feel any lumps or masses in her tummy, but the lowgrade fever and pain are causing her to be cautious. Hopefully she just has some reflux or something along those lines, and the Prevacid will help. If things don't improve soon, stool sample....xray....blood work will be our next plan of attack. Until then, prayers would be great. I appreciate you all!

What I Love About My Roots!

Picking cotton by hand.

Riding on the tractor.

My Uncle Mike letting me drive the truck when I was way too young to drive.

Walking down to the railroad tracks and putting pennies on the tracks.....going back the next day to retrieve my flattened pennies.

Hanging clothes on the clothes line and loving the way they smelled.

Collecting rocks for my Mamaw's rock garden.

Going into town on Fridays, so Mamaw could get her hair done.

Picking vegetables from the garden for dinner.

Shelling beans and peas.

Eating homemade peaches and cream.

Going to church on Sundays and Wednesdays.

Eating at The Sirloin after church on Sundays.

The house and farm that my Papaw built with his own hands.

Visiting my Papaw at the courthouse and banging the gavel....he was also the county judge for many years.

Driving into the adjacent city to go bowling.

Mamaw putting my hair into sponge rollers or braids on Saturday nights before church.

Building forts and playing Barbies with my cousins.

The best Easter egg hunts ever.

M-System....the only grocery store in town.

Cherry LimeAids from The HaTaHo.

The best corndogs in the world at The Corndog.

Reading The Bible with Mamaw.

Fishing with Papaw.

Taking long walks.

Never watching TV....they only had 3 channels.

Pizza Burgers.

Visiting relatives....on my mama's and daddy's sides of the family.

Riding Aunt Mary's and Uncle JC's two seater bicycle.

Playing with the neighbor girl....Cynthia....and jumping on her trampoline.

Singing songs on a tape recorder to send to Uncle Mike while he was in Vietnam.

Papaw dancing a jig.....and us laughing so hard our sides hurt.

Going to Skinny's to get a Coke.

Playing outside with lemon juice on my hair to "lighten it up naturally"....my Mamaw would say.

Shopping at Heidenheimers and Littlefields.

Going into The Soda Fountain and having real ice cream sodas.

Taking a bath in Mamaw's pink bath tub.

Mamaw rubbing my back and telling me nursery rhymes as I fell asleep.

Papaw tying my shoes so tight my feet hurt.

Dressed to the nines for church on Sundays.

Having family reunions at the High School.

Swimming in the biggest city swimming pool I had ever seen.

Working in the yard....tending to Mamaw's flowers.

Washing dishes by hand...no dishwasher.

Mamaw washing my hair in the kitchen sink.

Their little silver Christmas tree at Christmas....I LOVED it!

My Mamaw's vanity set and vanity.

Papaw's old desk.

Mamaw's Bible and all her notes in it.

Ice out of ice trays.

Learning about the love of Jesus.

Finding every note, letter or picture I ever sent them when Mamaw died. No wonder I'm so sentimental!

My grandparents are largely responsible for who I am today, and I am striving to live my life as they did. They taught me about The Bible and the love of Christ. They lived a full but simple life....were grateful, generous, and thrifty; and I always wanted to be just like them when I grew up. I adored my Mamaw and Papaw and wish, so very much, that I could take my own children to their farm to experience all the wonderful things I did as a girl, young lady, woman.

Sunday Sermon Summary....What's so good about Good Friday?

Why do we celebrate Easter? According to dictionary.com....

EASTER:

1. A Christian feast commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus.

2. The day on which this feast is observed, the first Sunday following the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox.

   
   

   What about Good Friday? Why is it called "Good" when so much bad happened to Jesus? Today in church, Ken described in detail what happened to Jesus on Good Friday....the beatings, the torture, the taunting, and ultimately his death. Although I've heard it so many times before, it took my breath away today to imagine it again. He then asked...."Why did Jesus have to die in order for our sins to be forgiven?" Why didn't God just say....You are all forgiven without Jesus having to suffer such a horrible death? He could have done that, but it was His will for Jesus to die for our sins.

   2 Corinthians 5:21:

   ²¹ For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin,^[a] so that we could be made right with God through Christ.

   Jesus is the perfect lamb that was sacrificed for us.....just like the perfect lambs that were to be sacrificed at Passover.

   As far as "Good" Friday, it is good; because of what we gained from it. The sacrifice, the beatings, the torture, the taunting, and the death of Jesus was to offer us eternal life. We receive the "good" of Good Friday, and Jesus suffered so much bad for us....for YOU and ME! He suffered, so that when we do sin....which we all do....the separation that occurs between us and God can be forgiven and brought together.

   Isaiah 59

   Separation from God

   
   ¹Behold, ^(A)the LORD'S hand is not so short
   That it cannot save;
   ^(B)Nor is His ear so dull
   That it cannot hear.
   ²But your ^(C)iniquities have made a separation between you and your God,
   And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does ^(D)not hear.
   

   If you ask for forgiveness....really ask for it....you will receive it! I have finally started to really understand that. That concept was always so hard for me to grasp....that all I had to do was ask to be forgiven. I use to ask for forgiveness and really want to be forgiven, but then I would find myself asking Him over and over to forgive me for the sin I had already asked for and been forgiven for. Someone told me once that this was making a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus....because if I really believed I was forgiven....I wouldn't continue to ask for forgiveness for the same situation/sin. That was eye opening for me, and I finally started to grasp it. I started really believing that I was forgiven. I needed to stop harping on that particular mistake or choice, because I had been forgiven when I truly asked for forgiveness the first time. When I saw "The Passion Of The Christ", I wept during most of that interpretation of what occured on Good Friday. What Jesus went through was so horrific, and I found myself feeling so angry and saddened by how He was treated. As a Christian and follower of Jesus, I knew that horrible day of events was all for me....and for you....and although the suffering was more than I would have ever imagined....I knew it was good , and it's called "Good" Friday; because of what was given up for us!

PHOTOS....

Photos from yesterday's session....aren't they cute?

A Moment In The Life Of Elliot

I caught Elliot walking to our tree swing, so of course I grabbed my camera; because well who wouldn't. If you saw this vision of loveliness all decked out in her tutu, wellies and her huge flower in headband....you know you would have grabbed your camera too....

Of course when she spotted me,

she had to strike a pose....VOGUE!

Help Me Henry....she is FABULOUS!

Wait a minute.....Wait just one minute....

I sense some sillyness coming on.

Could this mean....

....YES, it's the famous "sticking out the tongue" manuver.

That really takes talent and sillyness.

Just in case you missed it,

a close up of the "sticking out the tongue manuver"!

Hold your horses everyone!

Elliot takes the famous "sticking out the tongue" manuver one step further.....

A gasp followed by a hush in the crowd....as they then wildly applaud....

Elliot has done it.

She has made the famous "sticking out your tongue" manuver

that much more silly by adding her hands and waving her fingers wildly.

A PERFECT 10 in sillyness.....the crowd goes wild.

Too bad, I was the only one in the crowd to see it;

but she didn't mind.

She was quite pleased with herself as her mother cheered and applauded for her.

I think the cars passing by had to have been applauding and cheering wildly as well....

several of them were slowing down to gaze at this vision of loveliness....

or maybe....

they were gazing at this crazy woman cheering and applauding in her front yard.

TO THE LAKE

We started our Spring Break off with a visit to the private lake that our friends, the Power family, live on. They are always such great hosts when we come to visit, and the kids love to be there....NPayne and I love it too. This time some of our other friends, the Cowen family, joined us, so it was quite a full house....full of laughs, love, good food, family and friends. Cynthia, Leslie are two of my Lifelong friends.

Here is the Power's house.

The Powers had just gotten two new hammocks,

and everyone loved trying them out.

There were a lot of spills while sitting on the hammocks....

some intentional and some accidental!

Getting on and off a hammock is not as easy as you think....

especially when there's more than one person lying on it.

A lot of Cynthia's time was spent doing this.....

A lot of Elliot's time was spent doing this too.

Cynthia and Callahan.

He's pretty good at pretending to be asleep....except for the smile.

Of course maybe he smiles in his sleep....honestly I wouldn't know.

I'm not usually staring at him when he's asleep....

I'm ususally....well...asleep.

Even the dogs slept the days away.

Addi relaxing on the hammock.

Bryna had her turn.

We also spent some time around the campfire.

I spent a lot of my time sitting around the table.....

....looking at this view....

....drinking this....

....and gorging snacking on all of Leslie's fabulous creations.

Homemade sticky buns....

Actually I did refrain from a sticky bun....

since it would send my blood sugar into overload.

But I did eat enough corn salad for 3 people.

Drew on their back deck.

Elliot bright eyed after a nice long nap!

Bryna.....

Here is Firefly Inn....the Powers newest addition.

It's a small house, on the front of their property, that

they are building for guests. It's simply FABULOUS!

It even has a siloh....

....and a sleeping porch!

Simply FABULOUS!

In the distance across the lake....is their cabin....

the A Frame as they call it. This is where we always stay.

Callahan thinks it's ours. He loves it. It's a loft style cabin.

Up in the loft....it has a huge bed that is hung from the ceiling....

it swings when you sleep on it. Jeff, Leslie's husband, built it himself.

Jeff and Leslie lived in the A Frame the first several years they were married.....

until their sweet daughter Beau came along.

Speaking of Beau....there she is!

Fat Cat.....that's his name....because....ahem....he's FAT!

Nacho....the meanest rooster EVER!

He attacked Callahan drawing blood

and tried to attack Elliot

and then he lost his privelege

to roam free and was caged.

Jeff and Leslie....our gracious hosts and

wonderful friends.

They are truly inspirational to NPayne and myself

and are some of the most faithful people I know.

They have endured much pain in their lives, but

they walk close to God....they cling to Him and grow from their heartache.

I LOVE THEM! When I'm with them, I feel rejuvenated.

I enjoy our deep conversations about faith, God's grace and mercy.

I am so blessed to have them in my life.

And they are quite funny as well.

We are truly blessed to have such wonderful family and friends.