Ogday in Montana

Another year older...

2012-02-05T19:39:00.001-08:00

Today I turned 55!! Yeah! I have yet to have a birthday that caused me consternation. I figure having another birthday is better than the alternative.
I again stretched my birthday celebration out as long as possible. Last night, friends had a party for me. The food was wonderful, the fellowship was warm, and the Karaoke was FANTASTIC!!!
We had so much fun singing everything from "Big John" to "American Pie".
Today, I opened my presents from my sweetie and my kids. They spoil me every year!!
We also had about 15 people over today to watch the Super Bowl and to pig out on all sorts of goodies. Most in the house were rooting for the Pats, which was fine. I was torn because, although my son-in-law is an avid Pats fan, Eli Manning and Victor Cruz were both stars on my Fantasy team. Therefore, I cheered for BOTH teams, so I WON!!! ( and would have with either outcome).
So, all in all, I have had another wonderful birthday. If I keep having this much fun, I may decide to live forever. Oh, wait, because of Jesus I will do just that.

The best birthday gift of all is one I receive every single day of my life. I receive the grace that God offers to all, and I have a relationship with His Son. Thank you God for my life, my family, my friends, and most of all, your Son.

Happy Birthday Sue...

2012-01-19T15:20:00.000-08:00

Today would have been my mother-in-law, Sue's, 75th birthday. She is sorely missed by everyone who knew her.
One of the things I miss most about Sue is her smile. She had a smile on her face quicker than just about anyone I know.
I also miss her craftiness. Not being sly, being crafty!! She had a great sense of style and she loved to paint things and make things. I remember the first family tree she painted on her wall in the country. I had never thought of a family tree as a tree painted on the wall with pictures hanging on the limbs, but I will never think of the term family tree with out picturing that painting.
Sue LOVED her grandkids. I know that all grandma's love their grandkids, but Sue took it to a new level. She bragged about them and talked about them all the time. Her grandkids loved her right back. Some of our girls' favorite memories of their childhood was the times they spent with Grandma Sue & Papa in the summers. I am so very glad we let them have those opportunities every year.
Now that Sue is gone from us, we can't share our everyday thoughts with her, but I am sure she has convinced God that she should have a ring-side seat to watch over her family!
Happy Birthday Sue. We love you!!!

Tag, You're It....

2012-01-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

Alyson has challenged me to answer eleven questions, so I will do my best.

Beware....you may be tagged to do the same!!!!

First Things First, The Rules:

You must post the rules.

Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've tagged.

Tag eleven people and link them on your post

Let them know you've tagged them!

Here are eleven fun facts about me:

1. I am the baby of 12 children - 6 boys and 6 girls.

2. I have visited 40 of the United States.

3. I have been bitten by a snake - non-poisonous.

4. I went to school with Vince Gill for a week.

5. I worked for a U.S. Senator and have met a President and Vice-President.

6. I have dug sapphires and panned for gold - and found both!

7. My first car was a 1964 Buick Special convertible - white with a red interior.

8. I would love to go on Jeopardy, but am deathly afraid I would freeze, or just embarrass myself in some other absurd way.

9. I have no desire to go to Hawaii, except to mark it off my 50-state list.

10. One thing I would love to do is go deep see fishing and catch a Marlin or Swordfish!

11. I collect: elephants, crocks and rolling pins.

Here are the questions Alyson has asked me to answer:

1. Would you rather be in prison for the rest of your life, or stranded on a deserted island with your closest loved ones for the rest of your life? (Assuming this is a tropical deserted island with plenty of food and such.)
I would absolutely prefer the deserted island. Since I have never been to the tropics, it would be quite an adventure. I especially would love to share it will all my family.

2. What was your biggest worry in high school? (Friends, grades, boys, acne, sports, something else?)
I think my biggest worry in high school was what was I going to do with the rest of my life? I am the first in my family to graduate college. Higher education was not a big priority in my family, but I was blessed with parents who let me spread my wings and fly.

3. If you had to be a character in a movie, who would you want to be?
Anyone that was able to work with elephants!!

4. Would you choose an all-expense paid trip around the world (as many destinations as you want, for however long you want it to be, including your spouse and family if you want), or would you rather have $1 million cash here and now?
I would rather have the money. I could give to some of my favorite charities and have enough left over to visit places around the world that I really wanted to see.

5. If you had to go a year and eat only 5 foods, what would you choose? (Let's assume your nutritional needs are taken care of by a vitamin of some sort.)
A. Prime Rib with baked potato.
B. Almost anything Italian.
C. Really good Mexican food - preferably from Ted's in OKC.
D. Coconut Cream Pie
E. Fried Chicken.

6. What is your favorite physical feature on yourself?
I think I have a nice, open, friendly smile.

7. What is your very first memory as a child?
Holding my mom's hand, walking up the steps of the nursing home where my Dad's mom was living. I was 18 months old when she died.

8. If you had to move to another country, which country would you choose and why?
I would probably choose Germany. It is centrally located in Europe and I don't butcher that language as badly as I do French and Italian.

9. What movie can you watch over and over and over again?
Any of the original Star Wars movies. I have seen them dozens of times and still love them!!

10. What is one job that you'd like to do, but can't or wouldn't because of circumstances? (circumstances such as: it doesn't pay well enough, the hours are bad, you don't live in a place where there's a great need for marine biologists, you don't have the body type to be a professional figure skater...)
My dream job would involve working with elephants.

11. What is your secret phobia? (I'm not talking spiders or being alone or public speaking, I'm talking about the weird and totally irrational one that you don't like to admit to.)
Believe it or not, its pickles. I completely detest even the sight of them. It makes my stomach queasy just thinking of them!!

Now for the questions for my victims, um friends!!

1. If you could live in any period of history, except the present, when would it be and why?

2. If you could meet one famous person, living or dead, who would it be and why?

3. Which super power would you choose: super strength invisibility, x-ray vision, or flight?

4. What book can you read over and over?

5. What is your most secret desire?

6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why?

7. Omitting God and Jesus, what Bible character would you like to interview? What would your opening question be?

8. If you could live in any city/state in America, where would it be and why?

9. What do you want your legacy to be?

10. If you could tell a deceased loved one just one more thing, who would it be and what would you tell them?

11. If you could eat one sweet every day without repercussions, what would it be?

Now for the next victims:

1. Shyla

2. Alyson

3. Peggy

4. Bri

5. Amanda

6. Dave & Anna

Have fun with it, I did!!

Winter, where are you??????????

2012-01-04T11:29:00.000-08:00

It is January 4th, and it is supposed to be 56 degrees today and 58 degrees tomorrow. Whatever happened to winter?
Now, don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of ice, sleet, temperatures below freezing, etc., but I am becoming afraid that when winter hits it will hit us like an anvil in the head.
We have had crazy weather this entire year. Our spring was the wettest in history, our summer was so short as to be non-existent, and now winter is missing in action.
Oh well, might as well enjoy it while we can! Now what did I do with my golf clubs?????

We Wish You A Merry Christmas...

2011-12-27T17:51:00.000-08:00

This year we trekked to Oklahoma for Christmas. By trekked, I mean drove - 21 hours down and 21 hours back to be precise. It was actually a very nice drive. The weather was great both going and coming, which is rare for December in the west. Unfortunately, because we had to be back to work on Tuesday, we had to leave on Christmas day. Fortunately, this moved up our orgy of greed by a couple of days!!!

Shyla and Clay always plan a "project" for Bruce when we come to visit. He thrives on it and it helps them out as well. This year's project was putting cabinets in their family room. This will give them a lot of storage space. As a bonus, we had Bruce's dad there to help out. The three guys were in Nirvana!!! Sawdust and tools everywhere. A vacation can't get much better than that.

As for Shyla and me, we just tried to stay out of the way of swinging hammers, buzz saws and flying sawdust. We also tried to keep the troops happy with food. She and I also found a little time to have a pedicure.
On Saturday night we took a ride to Chesapeake, where Shyla works, to look at their amazing Christmas lights. I was in awe of the amount of work it took to put it together and to choreograph the light show!!! Amazing and beautiful!

The highlight of the trip was the sharing the news with Clay and Shyla about the upcoming addition to their family. I know that all first-time parents are a little frightened - and by that I mean scared out of their wits - but I know that Clay and Shyla will be great parents!!!
And now, without further adieu, a few pictures of our wonderful holiday.

Shyla and Clay's beautiful mantle.

Papa and Bruce.

Clay and Shyla.

Tigger with his new best friend?!?

Sassy with Papa.

Some of the beautiful lights. The lights below are the exact same lights as the ones above. They are synced to turn from white to their various colors in a ripple effect down the street. It was phenomenal.!!

We hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year full of God's blessings.

Gratuitous Pictures...

2011-12-08T07:22:00.000-08:00

I just had to post these pictures of the cutest granddaughters in the world. (I stole them from Alyson's blog)

I dare you to show me two cuter girls in the entire world!!!

Turkey, stuffing and Karaoke???

2011-12-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

I'm a little slow with writing about out Thanksgiving Day. Before we went to a friend's house for a WONDERFUL dinner, we helped deliver food to the shut-ins for the Montana Rescue Mission. This is the third year we have done this for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. We always enjoy it, but this year was made much nicer by the very warm weather!! We didn't have to freeze our tushies off.

For dinner we went to the Monday's house where we shared a great meal with several friends. After thoroughly stuffing ourselves, we gathered around the living room for a rousing time of Karaoke. What a hoot!!! We had a great time. Here are couple of embarrassing pictures to document our fun.

We hope your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Remember to be thankful every day of the year for God's bountiful blessings.

Poor, poor Thanksgiving...

2011-11-15T08:41:00.001-08:00

I feel sorry for Thanksgiving. It is the fogotten holiday. Halloween is popular because of all of the candy involved, and Christmas - need I say more??? But retailers and people in general just slide over Thanksgiving.

The local radio stations are already playing Christmas music!!! Can you believe that??? I believe that Christmas music should not be played until at least the day after Thanksgiving, and I refuse to listen to it. When it comes on the radio, I change the channel.

Maybe part of the problem with Thanksgiving is that it isn't self-serving in nature. It is a day set aside to give thanks for the things we have been given: family, friends, homes, health, food, etc. I am standing up for Thanksgiving!!!

Now will you please pass the turkey, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie, and don't forget to turn on the football games!!!!

Meanderings of my mind...

2011-11-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it is November already. What happened to September??? Oh yeah, I was sick for three weeks of September. Oh, well.

Winter is in the air. We had a fairly short Autumn, but the colors were beautiful while they lasted. We are expected our first snow fall this weekend. Hopefully it won't last until May, but who knows.

The changing of the seasons reminds me that God is definitely in charge and He has a wonderful imagination. Who would think to turn the leaves bold, beautiful colors before they die and fall away? I think God blesses us with this kaleidoscope of colors before the dull gray of winter so we will have fond memories before we freeze our tushies off!!!

On a completely different subject, can you think of two more adorable Halloween spooks that these two:

Lily was adamant about being a skeleton zombie, and what a cute one she is. Of course Grace's elephant is near to my heart because of my love for elephants AND for Grace!!!

Another non-sequiter - Bruce fell last week while bear hunting and dislocated his shoulder and has a small fracture on the ball of his humerus. He is ok, but a bit achy. He relocated his shoulder his self while walking out of the woods to his truck. He sees the ortho guy today for an update. As an aside - he was hunting ALONE!!! Feel free to chastise him - although I don't think it will do any good.

Well, I guess that's about it for today, so I will leave you with this quote about Autumn:

"If winter is slumber and spring is birth, and summer is life, then autumn rounds out to be reflection. It's a time of year when the leaves are down and the harvest is in and the perennials are gone. Mother Earth just closed up the drapes on another year and it's time to reflect on what's come before. " Mitchell Burgess

Two Wonderful Visits...

2011-10-14T15:57:00.000-07:00

We have had the privilege of spending time with both daughters, sons-in-law, and granddaughters in the last month.

Let's start with our trip to OKC. We went down to watch Shyla's Regatta. We had wanted to see her row since she began, but this was our first opportunity. The weather was perfect and we had a great time.

Here is Shyla and her partner returning up river after their double.

This is a dramatic (admittedly less so than Clay's) photo from the bridge. Really cool angle, don't you think?

Another thing we did while in the city was to visit the zoo. If you know me at all, you know I LOVE elephants, and baby elephants in particular. Well, the OKC zoo had a baby elephant born in March, and I just had to see it. It was well worth it. We got to see it play in the water, nurse, etc. It was SOOOOO cute!

Here is a picture of the cute "little" thing. (If something can be considered little when it weighed 300 pounds at birth!)
Here she is with her mom. Her mom was none too gentle with her, but that isn't unusual with first time elephant mothers.

Another cutie at the zoo was the baby chimp. It had lost a portion of its arm in an accident at another zoo and the chimps here accepted her and loved her. She was so cute and very entertaining.
In an odd coincidence, our good friends, Robin & Steve Scovel, were in OKC at the same time. They were down there seeing their first grandchild - Ford. He is beautiful, but Grandma & Grandpa took time out to go to the zoo with us. Here is Robin feeding the giraffe. It was great fun.

September flowed into October and we got a visit from Jim, Alyson, Lily and Grace. The weather was a bit snarky, so we had to fit things in between rain storms. I have been saving up old bread to be able to feed the ducks. We did this once before with Lily and she really enjoyed it, so I decided we would do it again.

Lily had a great time and even got some of the ducks to eat out of her hand.
Grace was less impressed.
We also carved pumpkins. Here is Lily with the finished products. SPOOKY!!!

One of Grace's favorite things is to show off her belly button. All you have to do is ask and she will quickly oblige!
Lily liked to sit in "Gramby's" chair and tease me. I asked for a really cute picture of her and she put on a beautiful smile!

We loved both visits and always look forward to the next time we can be together.
.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALYSON....

2011-09-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

Today is Alyson's 29th birthday. She has grown into a wonderful woman, wife and mom.

We love you always!! We hope you have a wonderful day.

9/11 Remembered...

2011-09-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

It has been 10 years, but in some ways it seems like yesterday. When I see the pictures and hear the stories, the pain returns in waves just as it did on that fateful day.

When I first saw the fire pouring from towers one and two, I truly believed the death toll would be in the 10 thousand range. At that time of day, in that city, in those buildings, how could it be any less? I think we were "fortunate" that there weren't more killed. (nothing about that day can be considered fortunate)

Watching the documentaries, seeing the brave firemen and policemen that ran into those infernos, gives me a new respect of those public servants we so often complain about. Having had brothers and brothers-in-law that were firefighters, I have always respected their bravery and dedication.

Asking why doesn't really help. What we really need to ask is how can we prevent this from happening again. I understand that we won't be able to be completely safe from fanatics, but I think we should make every effort to build a world where hate and fear are not the norms.

If anything has touched your heart on this 10th anniversary of our nation's terrible tragedy, please dedicate yourself to building a better world in any way you can. Volunteer, perform acts of kindness, get involved in your community, or at the very least, pray.

May God bless our nation with peace.

A Day Late - SORRY!

2011-08-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Shyla & Clay's 7th anniversary. I'm sorry I didn't post our congratulations yesterday - mea culpa!!

Anyway...

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY SHYLA & CLAY!!!!!

We love you both so much and wish you many, many more wonderful years together!!!!!

p.s. I know it is an old picture, but I am at work and its the only one I had on this computer (not my computer, either).

Boasting...just a bit

2011-08-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Last night was our golf league playoffs and our team took first place. YEAH!!! It was a group effort of Linda, Sara, Shelly, and myself.

Its sad to see the season end, because that means that winter is all that much closer.

Oh, well, all we can do is totally enjoy the remaining warm weather!!

Hope you have a good one today - God bless you all.

Pop's Visit...

2011-08-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

Bruce's dad, Dennis, is visiting for a few days. We went golfing on Friday and had a great time. Today, they went fishing with a friend of ours - Mitch - and totally enjoyed themselves.

Apparently the only one who got his picture taken was Pop. Here he is with one of the two big fish he caught.

We are glad he came to visit us on his whirlwind tour. Can't wait to see him again soon.

More sadness...

2011-08-04T16:38:00.001-07:00

I lost one of my sisters today. Judy fought a valiant fight against cancer. She is now pain free and the angels are rejoicing at her homecoming.

Judy was always one of the happiest people I know. She had a very hard life but never lost her faith or her joy. I admire her for her courage and her unending love.

She will be missed by so many. I will look forward to the day that I will see her again.

Blackketter Family Reunion 2011...

2011-08-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

We spent this last weekend in Phoenix with Bruce's family. We had a great time. It was good to see all the in-laws, out-laws, nieces, nephews, cousins, etc.

Here is Pop with his kids.

Here's Papa with all of his grand kids and their spouses - at least those who have one:)

Shyla & Clay working the puzzle.
Lily's beautiful smile.
Sweet Grace.
Jim, Alyson & Grace enjoying ice cream.
Lily loves for people to read books to her.
Grace loves to be tickled:)
I know that my pictures center around my kids and grand kids - so sue me. We did have a great time with everyone, but my camera seemed to have a one-track mind.

I think everyone had a great time at the reunion. Hopefully it won't be long before we are all together again. By that time, we should have a couple more babies and maybe more in-laws!!

Family Camp 2011...

2011-07-09T17:39:00.001-07:00

We spent this past week at Family camp. We were fortunate to be joined by Jim, Alyson, Lily and Grace. Their friend Shelly was also able to attend. It was a wonderful week weather-wise and we had a great time of fellowship with old and new friends.

Here is our beautiful Lily posing with her "flower".

Lily wanted to fish so Geezer took her fishing in the canal (the river was MUCH too high). Much to all of our amazement, she caught a fish!!!

Grace had so much fun just playing in the dirt.

On our day off, we went swimming at Chico Hot Springs. Bruce spent his time working on his computer while we swam.

One afternoon came a terrific rain storm. Lily wanted to play in the rain, so she was allowed to get soaking wet and muddy and she had a BALL!!

We were visited a couple of times by a very small bear. He seemed very sickly and/or injured. Here he is up a tree trying to escape prying eyes.

Lily LOVED the playground. She played on the swings and the slide and the climbing wall.

Grace's birthday was on Saturday, so we had a little party for her. She loved her gifts.

One day, while in line for a meal, Lily was a little fussy, so her dad told her to sit in the chair until he came back for her. This is what he found when he returned.

Here is a gratuitous smile from Miss Grace.

Grace loved to walk!!! At the first of the week, she didn't want to let go, but by the end of the week she was doing very well by herself.

I think Lily really loved everything about camp!!!

People weren't the only families at camp. This nest contained three little Robin babies. It was so much fun watching the parents take turns feeding them and tending the nest.

On Friday night we have a "no-talent" night. Lily got up and sang Row, Row, Row Your Boat. She did a great job!!!

Here are all of the wonderful people we spent time with this week. There were about 145 of us and we enjoyed great food, great fellowship, great lessons, and great weather. God truly blessed us this week!!!

I will leave you with one gratuitous shot of a flower. God's nature is a beautiful marvel!!!

We will miss you...

2011-06-21T09:56:00.000-07:00

Last night we lost our mother, mother-in-law, wife, grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend. She gave us many years of love and we will miss her so much.

We love you, Sue!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ALYSON & JIM...

2011-05-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Today is Alyson and Jim's 8th Anniversary!! We wish you many, many more happy, healthy years together.

We love you!!!

Has Spring finally sprung.....

2011-05-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, maybe. We have had almost 8 inches of rain between last weekend and this weekend. It has just not let up. The good news behind that is the blossoming of the trees. They are the only thing that has blossomed so far. Our lilacs are only just beginning to bud.

This tree is not in our yard. It is about a mile from where we live, but this type of tree is everywhere in town and they are all beautiful!!!

Welcome Home....

2011-05-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

In my last post I spoke of a gentle man full of grace. Last night, this gentle man heard these words from his Savior:

"Well done, good and faithful servant." Matt. 25:21

He passed away in his sleep last night and although we are the poorer in his passing, the angels are rejoicing and welcoming him home.

"O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? The sting of death is sin; and the power of sin is the law: but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Romans 15:55-57

I look forward to seeing him again some day.

A true view of grace...

2011-05-18T14:21:00.000-07:00

We have a wonderful elderly gentleman in our congregation who is coming to the end of his earthly life. He has been a strong and faithful Christian man for many years, sharing his faith, his love, and his smile with everyone he met.

Last night a small group of us went to his home to pray with him and his wife. Before we started praying, one of the men asked him if he had anything specific he wanted us to pray about. This is where true grace comes in...

He replied,"Other people." Even at the closing of his life, his concern is for others.

I can only hope to attain anything even resembling this measure of grace in difficult circumstances.

Happy Mother's Day...

2011-05-07T14:26:00.000-07:00

"A hundred year from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of clothes I wore, but the world may be much different because I was important in the life of a child."

To all of the mothers out there, cherish your children at each stage of their lives. They will bring you joy, tears, happiness, frustration, and most of all love.

I love you Shyla & Alyson. Thanks for making me a mom.

Pictures....As Promised...

2011-04-28T11:58:00.001-07:00

I promised pictures of my flowers when the finally made their appearance. Well, here you go. The first flowers to bloom in my garden. They are very brave souls - we are expecting more snow tonight. Oh well, maybe we will have a full-blown spring by July!!!

Springtime in Billings...

2011-04-19T05:17:00.000-07:00

Well, the calendar says April 19th, but someone forgot to tell "Old Man Winter" that he was no longer welcome!!! We woke up this morning to several inches of snow, with more expected. Oh well, it's the price we pay for living in one of the prettiest places on earth!!!

Wish I Were Here....

2011-04-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Nuff said!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHYLA...

2011-04-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

Today is our oldest daughter's birthday. She's beautiful, funny, smart, loving, and a little silly (see picture), and we love her with all our hearts!!!

Happy Birthday Shyla!!! Here's to many, many more.

Love, Dad & Mom

Spring in Montana....

2011-03-31T15:39:00.001-07:00

The robins are back. I have had several in my yard today eating up my bird seed. We are expecting snow tonight, but it won't stick. Golf will be starting soon. The grass is beginning to turn green. I don't have to run my heater in my car at full tilt.

Mostly, everyone is a bit grumpy. I think everyone is as sick of winter weather as I am and we are desperately wanting some sunshine and warm weather. I hope it hurries up and gets really warm before we all bite each other heads off!!

When the flowers actually bloom, I will post some pictures to liven up my blog. Till then.....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LILY!!!

2011-03-22T07:23:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my favorite 3-year-old.

WE LOVE YOU LOTS!!!!

Gobble, Gobble...

2011-03-03T14:37:00.000-08:00

On my way to work today I ran into a traffic stoppage. At first I couldn't see what the holdup was, but then they appeared. Turkeys - about a dozen of them. Most of them were toms and they were in full regalia. They were so cool!!! I stopped and tried to get a couple of pictures. They aren't the best, and I didn't catch them with their tail feathers displayed, but I thought I would like to share them with my "loyal readers".

A weekend in Idaho...

2011-02-23T14:55:00.001-08:00

We went to Idaho this past weekend to see Alyson, Jim, Lily and Grace. The main reason for going was so that everyone could go skiing on Monday and I could get some alone time with the grandgirls. Devious, aren't I?????

On Friday nite we went to a place called Triple Play, which is an arcade/swimming pool/bowling alley. We had a great time for only $5.00!! I even got to play Skiball - my all-time favorite arcade game.

Lily and Alyson were honing their shooting skills.

Here is Jim honing a different type of shooting skills. As an aside - he is phenomenal at this!!!

Lily chose to use her last token to take a short drive.

Grace seemed thoroughly unimpressed by the whole thing.

On Saturday we drove down to Moscow to visit Bruce's brother, Don and his wife Vicki. The girls had a great time playing with the toys, and the adults had a great time playing with guns.

Lily didn't much like the noise of the guns.

On Monday, I watched the girls all by myself. Everything went very smoothly. I learned a couple of things about my granddaughters. One is that Lily is an extremely polite two year old. She always said please and thank you. The other, is that Grace loves to eat. I fed her three bowls of oatmeal & applesauce and two bottles. She's a growing girl!!! Also, she is very close to crawling. I tried, but we didn't quite master it while I was there.

Here are a few gratuitous pictures of the cutest grandkids in the world.

And one of the silliest Geezer in the world!!

We always love time spent with the kids. It makes us smile!!!

The Big 54???

2011-02-07T02:04:00.000-08:00

I don't know if 54 is big or not, but it beats the alternative. Saturday was my birthday and I had a fantastic day. In fact, I had a fantastic weekend. Starting with Friday night, we went to dinner with several friends then went to see a local production of "Hairspray". Both the dinner and the play were fantastic!

On Saturday, we went to breakfast with three other couples - some of our most cherished friends - and had a wonderful time of fellowship.

The afternoon was spent cleaning up from the installation of our new flooring.

Here is our new laminate tile. We did the entry, down the hall to the dining area and the kitchen.

Maybe next year, I will do the countertops.

Continuing with our weekend...

Saturday night we went to some friends' house for a pre-Valentine's day party. There were 8 couples and we played the Newlywed game. I don't remember when I have laughed so much.

Here are a couple of pictures of the two sets of contestants.

Then, to cap off our weekend, after our small group study on Sunday afternoon, we had several people over for a Super Bowl party. None of us were die-hard Steelers or Packers fans, but in our house we were Cheeseheads this weekend in honor of our son Clayton. Go Pack!!!

So there you have it, a recap of the best birthday ever - spent with friends and family. The only thing that could have improved it would have been having my kids here, but I know they were here in spirit.

Thanks to everyone who made my day - dare I say, weekend - so very special. Here's to 54 more!!!

BRRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

2011-02-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

Well, little was I to know that the warmest days of the winter would be followed with the coldest. Today's high is supposed to be -4. (yes that's right folks, that is a negative sign in front of that single digit!!!) Oh well, we are to be grateful in everything.

Let's see...I am grateful it isn't -50!!!

It is supposed to warm up by the end of the week, and I must say, most of our ice melted before this new deep freeze set in. I know there are people in other parts of the country whose weather is much worse than here.

We'll see what the groundhog says tomorrow!!!

Stay warm! Here's a little something to look forward to.....

The Great Thaw...

2011-01-28T11:15:00.000-08:00

The Bible says to ask and ye shall receive. My last post I was lamenting the glacier on our street. Well, the last few days it has warmed up and the glacier is slowly receding. Hopefully it will make enough progress so that when it snows again - probably next week - we won't be using our automobiles as sleds.

I am thankful for any small dent in the ice!!!

I am also anticipating the arrival of February 2nd - Ground Hog Day. Maybe Punxsutawny Phil will not see his shadow and Spring will be upon us soon!!! One can only hope.

I AM SICK OF ICE!!!!!

2011-01-24T13:15:00.000-08:00

We have had the Mendenhall glacier on our street for over a month and I want it to hurry up and recede! That's what glaciers are supposed to do isn't it? We are supposed to have temperatures in the 40's this week, so I hope it will put a huge dent in the ice fields around town.

There, I'm don venting for the day.

HAPPY NEW YEAR...

2011-01-01T14:00:00.000-08:00

Well we have bid adieu to 2010 and have welcomed 2011. It seems strange that I am only 53, but have lived in 7 decades. Not sure how it works, but it does!!!

This year has brought many blessings: good health, close ties with family and friends, happiness, enjoyment of God's nature, and so many more blessings that I cannot count them.

Our prayer for this new year is for health and happiness for our immediate and extended families. May God bless each of you.

Merry Christmas...

2010-12-25T14:47:00.000-08:00

We are in Idaho for Christmas. We are fortunate enough to have Shyla and Clay with us as well, so we are all together. The weather is cold but not too bad.

Last night we went on a cruise on Lake Coeur d'Alene to the "North Pole". We had a great time and it wasn't too cold.

Here are some of the lights from the dock.

Geezer and Lily get to pose with Frosty.

Every Christmas we say we are going to tone it down with the gifts, but I think they multiply under the tree. Here are a few select scenes.

Lily trying to peek into her stocking.

Grace had a little trouble opening her own gifts, so Lily helped.

Shyla loves Star Wars!!!
Grace loved her music machine

Clay, decked out in his new Packers sweat shirt, looking at his Canadian coin.

Peanut and Hazel love aunt Shyla because she keeps them warm.

Aunt Shyla is great fun!!!

A big smile from Grace lets us know that Christmas was a success.

Jim is always available to read a new book.

"Dr. Lily" giving her mom a checkup.

We pray that you and your family have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy, happy new year!!!

Happy Thanksgiving....

2010-11-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

There are far too many things for which I am thankful to list, but I will name just a few.

I am thankful for my wonderful husband. I don't tell him often enough how much I appreciate his work ethic, his energy, his love. God blessed me far more than I could have ever dreamed when he gave me Bruce.

Next I am extremely thankful for my two daughters. Girls, you are bright, beautiful, wonderful Christian women and I am more proud of you than you can ever know. Both of you bring me more joy than I could ever deserve or expect. My prayer for both of you is that you continue to grow in the Lord, that you love your spouses with all of your heart, and that you call your mom more often.

I have always claimed that I have the two best sons-in-law in the world, and I stand by that claim!! I could not have hand-picked two better men for my girls to spend their lives with. As of now I don't have sons-in-law, but I have two great sons. Guys, I just want you to know I love you and appreciate the men you are.

Grandchildren are the blessings that no one can prepare you for. Lily and Grace bring me such joy. I truly enjoy the times I spend on the phone with Lily - she is truly the master of the non-sequitur!! (A hint to her parents - lets video conference more often) Grace brings me joy by just looking at her. She is so quick with a smile and is such a joy to cuddle with.

Last, but certainly not least, I am blessed with friends whom I cherish. True friends are rare and precious, and I have some of the best. God has given me friends with whom I can share my true self, and in the end, they are still my friends.

"Without friends no one would choose to live, though he had all other goods.": Aristotle

I have been blessed in my life with a comfortable living and material possessions, but I would trade anything I own for the things I mentioned above.

My prayer for each of you this Thanksgiving day is that God blesses you with all you need and that he fills your life with love.

Snow, snow, snow, snow.......

2010-11-19T07:12:00.001-08:00

For those of you who live south of the Mason Dixon line, the white stuff in the following pictures is snow.

Yes, we have had our first snow fall of the season - certainly not the last. We received the arctic blast last night. The highest temperature for the next few days is supposed to be 29. BRRRRR!

We knew it would come, but always seem to be surprised when it arrives. Well, here's to Winter. The sooner you get started, the sooner you will go away! I can dream, can't I????

All of you who got the White Christmas reference - 10 points.

The Grandgirls...

2010-11-17T12:35:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Bruce and I went to Idaho to visit the kids. We had a great time. Here we are, Gramby and Geezer with Lily and Grace

Lily - the future cheer leader - with her Geezer. She really glomed onto Geezer this weekend. He helped Jim build her "cubby hole", so he was super cool!!!

The above mentioned "cubby hole". Lily with her dad in her "cupboard under the stairs".

Grace is such a sweet baby. She is so quick with a smile and loves to giggle. Here she is bonding with Gramby.
Lily loves her play camera. Here she is taking a picture of Gramby taking a picture of her.

Lastly, here is Sassy trying to stay out of the line of fire of a busy two year old.

We had a great time, as we always do when we visit Jim, Alyson, Lily and Grace.

Halloween - office style.....

2010-10-28T12:27:00.000-07:00

Today was our Halloween party at work. We had a costume contest and a pumpkin carving contest. We had more participation this year than ever before. Here are a few pictures of the festivities.

The "Puking Pmpkin to the left is the one our unit did. We tied for 3rd place.

This, obviously, is me. The teeth really make the costume, don't you think?????

Fun with the Grandgirls...

2010-10-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jim, Alyson, Lily and Grace came for a visit. We went to the zoo on a blustery, but fairly warm, October day.

Here is a picture of Lily feeding a very eager goat.

Here is Alyson, Grace and Geezer muggin' for the camera.

The weather on Saturday was very rainy, so we spent most of the day inside playing with the girls.

I am loving on Miss Grace. She is so sweet and so quick to smile.

Geezer is making Grace giggle.

Lily enjoyed playing with the Fisher Price Farm and House. These are the very ones her mom and aunt played with about 30 years ago. Hooray for quality toys!!!

We had a wonderful weekend with the kids and can't wait to see them again soon.

The perils of fishing...

2010-10-01T19:16:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago, Shyla and Clay came up for the guys to hit the river and slay some trout. Well......check out the pictures. As you can see, fishing in the wind poses some unique hazards. Bruce has always teased about wanting to pierce his ear - I don't think this is what he meant.

The fun part was me trying to pull it out. Bruce said it didn't hurt, but I beg to differ. It hurt me quite a bit.

And now I leave you with an appropriate quote.....

"The fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad." ~A.K. Best

Autumn in Billings....

2010-09-27T14:23:00.001-07:00

I took a few minutes after work today to take some pictures of the beautiful fall colors around Billings. Although they are bright, the pictures do not do them justice. Enjoy!!!

In an unrelated subject, I promised someone I would post the following picture (inside joke).

The Fishing Trip....

2010-09-24T14:59:00.000-07:00

Shyla and Clay came to visit last weekend. Clay and Bruce spent three days fishing and Shyla and I spent the time shopping and visiting. I hope it was a restful time for both of them because their jobs are pretty high-stress on occasion.

Here are Clay and Shyla acting goofy with Sassy.

I did get them to give me a sweet pose. We always love it when they come to visit, but the trips are always too short. Hopefully we can get down to see them soon.

In other news....

I have had two blue jays visiting my peanut bucket lately. According to my Montana bird book, we are not supposed to even have blue jays. They are so noisy but fun to watch. They are also little pigs when it comes to the peanuts. They almost always try to put two in their mouths at once!

Here is a picture of one of the Jays in my peanut bucket. I also have 4 squirrels that come for the peanuts. They romp around the porch and snarf down all the peanuts they can. They also take the nuts into the yard and bury them. They are so much fun to watch. One even tried to shimmy up the shepherd's crook that holds my bird feeders. It was a hoot.

Here's one of the squirrels snarfing down peanuts. They are surely trying to fatten up for winter.

Another thing we did while Shyla and Clay were here was to celebrate Bruce's birthday. It was a Seahawk's themed birthday this year.

All in all, September has been a fun month so far!!!!!

Ladies' Retreat 2010...

2010-09-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

This last weekend was our annual Ladies' Retreat at Yellowstone Bible Camp. The Billings Ladies were in charge this year and our theme was "There's No Place Like Home". We centered our talks around the Wizard of Oz characters. Our speaker was Becky Holton of Chicago and she did a phenomenal job!!!

This is a picture of our group just before our "Emerald City" tea.

We had 106 women attending our retreat. The weather was beautiful and God richly blessed us with wonderful food, fellowship and life-changing messages. My prayer for you is that you can experience such an event in your life.

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another." Colossians 3:16.

2010-08-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

Last night Bruce and I attended the Billings Clinic Classic which included a Beach Boys concert. I won front row seats from a local radio station. The concert was a BLAST!!! There are only two original Beach Boys left - Mike Love and Bruce Johnston. For being 69 years old, Mike Love can really put on a show. The group sang for two hours solid - not once but twice. We went to the 8:00 show, and they had already done a 4:00 show!!

They sang all of the songs that made them famous plus a few others. The audience was up dancing for almost the entire concert. It was so much fun!!!

This is Bruce Johnston on keyboard.

This is Mike Love as he is exiting the stage.

Forgive the quality of the pictures. I didn't know cameras would be allowed and all I had was my phone.

I know that the Beach Boys' music is nostalgic, but if you get an opportunity to see them in concert, it is worth it!!! What a fun evening of great music.

A Lily & Grace weekend...

2010-07-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Bruce and I traveled to Idaho this weekend to see Jim, Alyson, Lily and Grace. Who are we kidding...we went to see the grandkids!!
Lily and I had a Gramby-Lily shopping trip on Friday morning. We purchased several books and a toy for Lily. We had a great time and Lily behaved herself beautifully. In the afternoon, we all sat around the "pool" in the back yard. The weather was perfect. Seeing as Wednesday was Jim's birthday, we took him out for dinner Friday night.

On Saturday, we went to the park in the morning. Lily loves to swing!! It is a beautiful park and we had a great time. In the afternoon, we lounged by the pool again.

On Sunday, Jim was a little under the weather, so he stayed home from worship. Lily really missed her daddy, so we had to leave a little earlier than planned. We spend the rest of the day visiting and playing.

Here is Lily in her pool.

Here we are with both girls. I believe we have the most beautiful granddaughters in the world!!

As an aside...I am now on Facebook. My sister-in-law convinced me it was a good way to keep in touch with and informed about the family. I am entering the 21st century kicking and screaming!!!!!!!!

Introducing Miss Grace Inez Klein...

2010-07-11T15:19:00.001-07:00

This is the newest addition to our family. Miss Grace Inez Klein mad her debut on Friday, July 2, 2010, at 11:25 pm. She weighed in at 7 lb. 1 oz. and was 20 1/4 inches long. She was welcomed into the world by her mom, Alyson, her dad, Jim, and her big sister, Lily.

Unfortunately for us - the grandparents - we were not able to be their for her "coming out" party, but we will be off to see her soon. As you can see, she is BEAUTIFUL!!!

Welcome, Grace. We love you!!

Tornado in Billings...

2010-06-21T14:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday a tornado made a visit to Billings. This hasn't happened here in 50 years.

Bruce and I were at a congregational meeting at the church building when the siren went off. Being a transplanted Okie, I immediately thought tornado, but the locals just thought it was hail and high winds. Unfortunately, I was right. We all retreated to the basement as a precaution. The tornado - and F2 - touched down on the east side of Billings causing a lot of damage. The worst hit was Metra park - our events center for concerts, indoor football, etc. As you can see by the picture, there was extensive damage. Several other businesses were destroyed as well. There was also massive flooding across the city. Fortunately there were no serious injuries and no deaths. We did get mentioned on ABC's Good Morning America. (I wasn't even sure they knew where Montana was!!) The sad thing - for me - about the Metra being damaged, is that we have tickets to Antiques Road Show, which was supposed to be there next Saturday. Maybe they can just change the venue.

As for us, we had a little flooding in our basement, but it is all concrete, so all we had to do was a little mopping. We were very fortunate.

I thought moving to Montana would get me out of the paths of tornadoes. Guess not!!

Two visits...

2010-05-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

I haven't blogged about Shyla and Clay's visit as of yet, so I will do so today. We had a great visit with Shyla and Clay. The weather cooperated - mostly - and we got to be outside quite a bit. We went golfing and did quite a bit of yard work. Hopefully we didn't work them so hard that they won't return!!!
Here is a picture of Clay making a perfect landing after falling out of the truck with the brush. What grace, what form!!

Our most recent visit was this weekend to Idaho to see Alyson, Jim and Lily. We had a wonderful time. The weather was a little cool, so we spent most of the time indoors playing with Lily and just visiting. A very relaxing weekend. Lily had fun with Geezer spinning her around in a box. It just goes to show that the box is more fun than the actual toy.

Here is Miss Lily acting goofy in the back yard.

Just for fun, I am adding a picture of my flowers from this spring. Enjoy!!

32 Years and counting....

2010-04-21T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today is our 32nd anniversary. It's hard to believe that the time has flown by so quickly. When I was young, I remember thinking how slowly time moved. I thought I would never grow up. Well now that I am old (and still haven't grown up) I realize that the time has zoomed by at warp speed. Let this be a cautionary tale...redeem the time!!! Don't waste a moment. Life is NOT a dress rehearsal. This is the live show.

Now, since this is my blog, I am going to tell you a little bit about the wonderful man I married. He is one of the hardest workers I have ever known. He has spent his life providing abundantly for his family. He has always made time to spend with me and the girls - he became a soccer ref so he could have something in common with the girls and be able to be at all the games. He has taken me on dream vacations - when it wasn't his favorite thing to do. He has been loyal and completely trustworthy as a spouse. More importantly, though, he has been faithful to God and his responsibilities to his church, family and friends. I could not have asked for a better mate with which to go through life. I thank God for him every day.

Happy Anniversary Sweetie. I love you!!!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG.......

2010-04-17T15:02:00.001-07:00

Since Spring has finally arrived, I thought I would share a couple of pictures of the flowers in my garden. Since we didn't move into this house until mid Summer last year, I am not responsible for the beautiful flower beds. Believe me, if I had planted them, they would not be beautiful. I pretty much have a black thumb.

Be that as it may, the previous owners had green thumbs and I am reaping the benefit of their expertise. Hopefully I can avoid killing them off.

In other Spring-y news,l golf starts on Tuesday night. I hope it doesn't matter that I haven't golfed since we went to Phoenix in March. Hopefully I won't golf my best since we set handicaps that night.

The countdown has also begun to the arrival of Shyla & Clay. Only four more days to go and they will be here. YEAH!!! I can't wait to see them. Hopefully the weather will stay nice for their visit.

It has been a busy weekend so far. We spent the entire morning working to clean the church building, and hospitality house. There was a lot accomplished. Many hands make light work!!!

That's about it for updated news. I hope all of my faithful readers are having a glorious Spring as well!!!

Surely Not.....

2010-04-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Our oldest daughter's birthday is today - which is wonderful - except that she is 30! How can that be????? I am only 29 myself. Isn't that physically and mathematically impossible?????? I know it must shock everyone that I have a 30 year old daughter.

The hard truth is that I am old enough to have a 30 year-old. Oh well, it sure beats the alternative. Since I don't have a more recent picture, I am including one from her law school graduation last year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHYLA!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

They're coming!!!!!!!!

2010-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

I am SO excited. Shyla & Clay are coming for a visit!!!!! Yeah!!!! We haven't seen them since August - which is much too long. They won't be here until late April, but I can hardly wait. Now I have to set up some fun things to do!!!

In other news....Spring is trying to arrive in Billings. Monday it was 65 degrees, but then again, Tuesday was 35, and today it is snowing. AAAAAHHHHH Springtime in the Rockies. I know that Spring will eventually arrive and with it yard work - hey maybe Winter isn't such a bad idea after all!!

Another harbinger of Spring is we have more birds coming around. One of these birds is a Flicker. If you know what a Flicker is, it is akin to a woodpecker and that it what it does. It will rat-a-tat on the side of our house or on the metal flue of the fire place. What a sound that is!! Bruce wants to buy a pellet gun, I want to buy a statue of an owl - they are supposed to scare them away, plus owl statues won't put any one's eye out.

In other, other news...Sassy turned 9 on Sunday. For those of you who don't know, Sassy is our tiny poodle. She is barely 5 pounds, but she sees herself as a Rottweiler. Where we live now we have squirrels in our yard - which I love - and Sassy loves to bark at them. I am trying to train her that they are our friends, and we don't want to scare them off.

That's about all that is going on around here. I hope where you live it is warm and sunny. I'll leave you with a little quote about Spring.

Spring is when you feel like whistling even with a shoe full of slush.
Doug Larson

OK New Rules.......

2010-02-25T08:58:00.000-08:00

Alright its not so much a rule as a hope. It is very depressing to post a blog, see that others have visited it, but no one leaves comments. Was it really that boring that you couldn't think of some little thing to comment on????? Its heartbreaking to look back, anxious to read others impressions on your deep thoughts, and there are none there.

My blog isn't like a national park - where you are supposed to leave nothing but footprints. I want some "trash". So from now on, PLEASE leave a comment, even if it is just a hi. It lets me know that you perused my blog, contemplated on its depths, and were so moved that you just had to comment. Plus, it really boosts my ego.

Thank you in advance.

AAAAAHHHHHHH Warm Weather...

2010-02-23T09:06:00.000-08:00

Bruce and I took a short trip to Phoenix to see his folks a couple weekends ago. Besides the fact that it was great spending time with his mom & dad, the weather was phenomenal!!!!!!! What a treat it was to have a break from snow, cold, wind, slush, icicles, and filthy cars. The temperature was a balmy 75 the entire time we were there. We sat out on the patio and enjoyed the warm weather. We golfed. I think I have put my golf DTs to rest for a few months. I may be able to make it to April now. We ate great food - at home and in restaurants. We watched the beginning of the Olympics. We spend time with some of their great friends. All in all it was a terrific weekend.

Thanks to Dennis and Sue for making our visit so enjoyable. We had a great time and appreciated your hospitality. Can't wait till we come again.

Happy Birthday to me.....

2010-02-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well, yesterday was my 53rd birthday. I don't feel 53, but of course I'm not sure what 53 is supposed to feel like. I must say that it was probably the best birthday that I have ever had. Not because of the presents I received, but for the people with which I was able to spend it.

My day started with Ladies' class Bible study. Afterwards, the ladies sang to me and had blueberry muffins - YUMMMMMM!!!

I pampered myself in the afternoon by watching "Amelia", which was very good.

In the evening, though, was when it got really fun. Ten of our close friends, and us, went to dinner at Olive Garden then back to one of our friend's house for chocolate chip cheese cake. DOUBLE YUMMMMMMM!!! Outside of my family, there is probably no one I would have rather spent my birthday with than these friends.

When I mentioned to some co-workers that I was going to dinner with 10 close friends, they were shocked. I don't know whether their shock came from the fact that I would have 10 close friends, or the fact that they couldn't count up to 10 with their friends. I told them that I had many more than 10, but Olive Garden couldn't accommodate many more than that.....

God has truly blessed me beyond anything that I could ever have imagined. I thank God for my 53 years and will rejoice in as many more as He sees fit to grant me. So here's to birthdays, family, friends, and multiple blessings. May they ever go on......

Wisdom...

2010-02-03T09:37:00.000-08:00

I was reading the Dillonite Daily today (a daily on-line paper from Dillon, MT), when I saw a quote by Abraham Lincoln that said a lot for our society today. I thought I would share it with my two faithful readers.

...You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

...You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

...You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

...You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

...You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

...You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

...You cannot help people permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves.

I believe this is something our political leaders should consider when making policy.

Soapbox now closed.....

Now for a serene picture of winter leaves.

January Blahs.....

2010-01-27T10:58:00.001-08:00

There isn't much going on right now in our household. That's why I haven't written for a while. The "January Blahs" have set in. We have had a ton of snow. Last weekend it snowed all day Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We have about 14 inches on the ground, which makes it hard to get around on city streets. Each trip out of the house is a test of nerve and agility, so you only get out when absolutely necessary, which in turn stokes the fires of cabin fever!!! A never-ending cycle.

BUT... February will be here soon and with it a trip to Phoenix. YEAH!!! It has been a couple of years since we have been down to visit Bruce's parents, so we are heading south for sun and, more importantly, GOLF!!! I have been experiencing the golf DT's recently and can hardly wait to slice a ball far to the left (or right - whichever)!!! Wii golf can only go so far to feeding my addiction!! Of course it will be great to visit with Bruce's folks. We always enjoy the time spent with them.

Along with the January blahs is also the "I miss my kids blues". It hasn't been too long since we saw Jim, Alyson and Lily (Thanksgiving)(but even this is too long to go without a hug from a granddaughter!!!), but it has been far too long since we have seen Shyla & Clay (August). Oh for the days when you could grow up, live, and have your kids live in the same town. Since this isn't possible, I guess we just make due with visits as often as possible.

One thing that has been fun lately is that Lily will call and is learning to say "I love you Gaga." I absolutely love to hear her say that. Alyson will also put her through her verbal paces with all her new words. Her vocabulary grows by leaps and bounds. She is now speaking in sentences - albeit of her own concoction occasionally. What we really need to do is video conference more often. I don't want her to forget what Gaga looks like.

Well, enough rambling. I will end with an upbeat quote for the day.....

Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. Victor Hugo

Merry Christmas to all.....

2010-01-01T15:21:00.000-08:00

Well, Christmas has come and gone once again. It was a quiet one around our house, but we had a great time with our friends. Above you can see the loot - minus the Wii, which we had already installed!!!

Here's Bruce showing off one of his treasures. It was the year of the folding scissors. Each of the girls got him a pair - although very different. He was thrilled as he had lost his favorite pair.

We had close friends in for dinner. We have known Steve & Robin for 30 years. For entertainment, we played Wii, board games and watched football. What else could you ask for???

Here is our beautiful table prior to the orgy of gluttony. We feasted on prime rib, cheesy potatoes, corn casserole, fruit salad, green goop, dinner rolls, pumpkin and buttermilk pies. YUM!!!

Christmas isn't all about gifts and food. The most important thing about Christmas is family and friends and counting the blessings that God has bestowed on you. Bruce and I know that we have been abundantly blessed and we pray God's blessings on you and yours in this new year.

Holiday reflections....

2009-12-23T09:07:00.000-08:00

This year will be one without either of our children with us. I would be lying if I said that I'm not just a "bit" sad about that, but unfortunately, we can't have everything we wish for.

Since we can't be with family, we will spend Christmas with some of our church family. Our friends, Robin & Steve, will grace us with their presence on Christmas day - along with their daughter, Leah and her fiance Tom. I know we will have a wonderful time!!! We are all pumped up about the prime rib, cheesy potatoes, corn casserole, rolls, fruit salad, and pies on the menu. We should all be comatose by about 6:00!!!

At this time of year I often get maudlin about things. Tears spring easily to my eyes and my heart seems to be full all the time. This is not necessarily a bad thing. During the holidays is when I miss my parents the most, and other family members that I don't often see. I hope they know how much I love and miss them.

I also spend time thinking of the vast store of blessings that I have received. God has blessed my life "above all that I could ask or think" (Eph. 3:20 - my paraphrase). He has given me a wonderful husband in which I have placed all my trust for almost 32 years - and he has never dissapointed. I've been blessed with two daughters that have brought me more joy than they could ever know. He has blessed me with two sons-in-law whom I love like they were my own. He has given me a healthy, happy, intelligent granddaughter. He has given me an extended family whom I sincerely love. And if that wasn't enough, He has given me a church family that spans the globe and in whom I delight.

Please take time during this holiday season to thank God for all you have been given. My prayer for the new year is for peace on earth, for our troops to be able to come home to their families, and a return to the basic faith on which our country was founded. May God bless each of you during the holidays in throughout the new year.

Giving Thanks....

2009-12-03T09:11:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving weekend with Alyson, Jim & Lily. It was a great time of food, fun, and fellowship. Alyson provided us with wonderful - no surprise to anyone who knows her - and Lily provided us with lots of entertainment. Jim and Bruce accomplished a couple of projects around the house and Gramby got to veg out and play with Lily.
Here is a picture of the "spread" from which we obtained our "spread"!!!

Here's Bruce helping out with the housework. We took down Thanksgiving and put up Christmas.

Here I am chilling with Lily. She loves to play with her daddy's "toys".

As I end this blog about Thanksgiving, I want to leave you with this quote....

Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day. ~Robert Caspar Lintner

Temper Trap Bandwagon....

2009-11-23T09:58:00.000-08:00

Below is an excerpt from the ARIA Awards web site regarding the awards ceremony in Australia this Thursday night.

"Yet another new local act currently causing big waves overseas is Melbourne alt-rockers The Temper Trap. Following on from a month-long sold-out headlining tour around the UK, the group saw its single “Sweet Disposition”, originally released a year ago, climb to number six on the British singles chart. The Temper Trap have received four nominations for this ARIAs, and will perform live at the ceremony alongside Empire of the Sun, Keith Urban, Hilltop Hoods, Jessica Mauboy, Empire Of The Sun, Ladyhawke, Sarah Blasko, Lisa Mitchell, Kate Miller-Heidke and international guest, Robbie Williams."

One of the members of The Temper Trap is married to my neice. We are so excited for them and wish them all the best!!!

Funny Story Friday...

2009-11-13T08:59:00.000-08:00

Inspired by my daughter, I am doing a "funny" story today.

When we lived in Green River, Wyoming, we decided to purchase a new van. I did all the homework on what we wanted, what options, etc., and we decided on a Plymouth Voyager. We knew the price we were looking for - we had done quite a bit of shopping around.

We got a price from Salt Lake City - a bigger city with more choices, but wanted to see what our local dealer could do for us. I went in and spoke with a salesman, told him what I wanted, etc. He quoted me a price that was only $300 higher than that of SLC, so we decided to "buy local".

I sat down with the salesman, filled out all the forms to order the vehicle (they didn't have one on the lot). I chose all the options I wanted, color, etc. I asked him how long it would be before delivery. He told me 3 weeks. Great! Everything was all set.

When we were about 2 weeks out from delivery, we decided to put our old van up for sale. It sold in about a week, so we needed another vehicle. Since Shyla was close to driving age, we bought a little Cadillac Cimmaron as an interim car.

Another week went by and I called the dealer to ask about the delivery date. The salesman said to me,"I didn't put the order in. You didn't have your HUSBAND come in to verify the order."

Now if you have ever seen me upset, multiply that by about 1,000 times. I could not believe the gall of this man. For one, he never told me I had to have my husband confirm the order, and secondly, what if I didn't have a husband????? He had done all of the credit checks, so he knew we were good for the money. I was so appalled, I was beyond words.

He back pedaled and said he might be able to get us what we want from another area dealer. After a bit he called back and said he had found EXACTLY what I had ordered - except it was a different color, didn't have the CD player, and, oh yeah, you would have to pay extra for the upgraded hub caps. But it was EXACTLY what I had ordered!!!

I told him to forget it. I would buy my vehicle somewhere else, and would tell all my friends about this experience as well. He was totally unconcerned!!

We ended up buying our van from a place in Idaho, and it was a great deal.

The moral to the story??? Male chauvinism is alive and well - at least in Rock Springs, Wyoming.

The visitors.....

2009-11-10T09:10:00.000-08:00

This weekend we have been blessed to have Alyson, Jim & Lily come for an extended weekend. I has been a joy to have them here. The weather has cooperated also, which is unusual in November.

They arrived late in the evening on Friday night. On Saturday, we went to the zoo.

Here is Lily feeding a peacock.

Lily was a little apprehensive about the huge horses. She eventually warmed up, sort of, to the smaller of the two.

Zoo Montana isn't large, by any definition, but we did have a good time. Lily did get a good look at the Siberian Tiger.

Lily did very well in Bible class on Sunday. Her teachers could tell that she was used to attending Bible classes.

On Monday, we were lazy around the house. Lily loves to play. She played with some kitchen utensils I bought for her that were just her size. She transferred lima beans from one bowl to the other for about an hour.

I caught a little video of Lily sitting at the table reading the Reader's Digest. She is quite a good "reader". It was fun watching her "read".

Geezer set about mowing the lawn in the afternoon and Lily wanted to help.

Monday night, Jim and Alyson went on a date to celebrate Jim's recent promotion. Geezer and Ga Ga got to babysit. We started out trying to feed Lily the leftovers mom suggested. You can see the results for yourself. It was a stand off.

Geezer and I had pizza for dinner and Lily shared with us. She likes pizza much better than leftover veggies and pasta.

Today we went to Riverside Park to feed the ducks and geese. Ga Ga's only mistake was not taking enough bread. Lily had SO MUCH FUN feeding the birds, and she was extremely upset when we had to leave.

The visit is coming to a close, as all good things must. They are heading home tomorrow and we will just have to content ourselves with webcam visits for a while.

Truly blessed...

2009-11-03T09:27:00.001-08:00

At times in your life you have the wonderful serendipitous moments and you should sit up and take notice. Today I had one of those. I have always known how intelligent and wonderful my daughters are, but it hit me today that they have grown into tremendous women.

I'll brag for a while...

My oldest daughter, Shyla, graduated with a Mechanical Engineering degree and immediately was hired. She worked for about 4 years then had an epiphany that she wanted to attend Law school. With the support of her terrific husband, she quit her job and undertook the arduous task of law school. She excelled!!! When she graduated, earlier this year, she was ranked #6 in a class of 170. Soon thereafter, she took the bar and passed on the first try. YEAH!! Now she is employed by a major oil company. Not only that, but she is a wonderful, giving Christian woman.

My youngest daughter, Alyson, graduated with a Bachelors degree in Biology/Pre-Med. After graduation, she taught school for a year. Due to her husband's master's program, they moved and she worked as a biologist in a lab. After she gave birth to the most wonderful, terrific, beautiful, intelligent, entertaining, photographed, granddaughter in the world, she has chosen to be a stay at home mom - the very best profession in the world!!! Her present job has her raising a child in the Lord, and serving in her congregation in a multitude of ways.

What more could a person ask for????? Two wonderful daughters, two exceptional sons-in-law, the best granddaughter in the world, the most supportive and loving husband anyone could ever want, health, great friends, a wonderful church family, etc.

I am truly and wonderfully blessed.

Youth Rally...

2009-10-21T09:01:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we hosted the Fall statewide Youth Rally here in Billings. We had about 50-70 kids and chaperones attend. I didn't attend all of the lessons, but the ones I did attend were great!! I hope all of the kids who were here were Transformed (the theme). We used Romans 12:1-2 as our text.

The weather cooperated, which was wonderful because part of the Rally is devoted to service projects. We divide the kids up and they go to different agencies and volunteer their labor for a couple of hours. Hopefully it inspires them to volunteer in other areas of their lives.

In keeping with the theme of service, here's my quote for the day...

"Service is not what you do for others, it is what God does through you."

Yeah, you heard right, it's snowing.....

2009-10-05T08:17:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is October 5th, and to you who live in normal climates, it would be Autumn. The time of colorful trees and shrubs, jackets, cider, football games, etc. However, for those of us who live in Montana, it is winter. We woke up this morning to snow. What a foul, four letter word (at least in October). I doubt that it will stick to the ground, but it is wet and heavy and will surely wreak havoc on the trees.

Don't get me wrong, I don't really mind snow. I did choose to live in Montana, so I know it is coming, but give me a break - OCTOBER???!!!??? I hope this isn't a portent that winter will be 7 months long!

I am sure that it will warm up again and the snow will go away, but I just had to grouse for today. Slushy snow is Yuck!!

Our weekend in Idaho....

2009-09-21T14:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to Idaho to see Alyson, Jim & Lily. We had a great time. Alyson's birthday is next week so we wanted to be able to celebrate with her and her family. For her birthday, she and I had our toesies done.

We spent most of Friday just enjoying a day at home, playing with Lily. Here she is trying to sit on her balloon.

On Saturday we went to Spokane to walk around the Riverside Park and take Alyson to dinner for her birthday.

Here are Bruce and Lily looking at the ducks.

At Riverside Park, there was a carousel. I took Lily on it. At first they tried to have me put her on a horse that was two feet over my head. Didn't work well. We ended up sitting on the bench. She was a little petrified at first, but soon absolutely loved the ride. She got to wave at Mommy, Daddy & Geezer everytime we passed them.

Right by the carousel, there was this strange, trash-eating, mechanical goat. I thought Lily would be scared of it, but she loved feeding it the leaves.

Another thing Lily liked was riding on Geezer's shoulders.

The park also boasts the world's largest Radio Flyer Wagon. Actually, it is a slide. Lily loves slides, so Alyson took her down several time.

Lily LOVES her Daddy!!! I really like this picture of them together.

Lily loved to bring me books to read to her. She loves her Gramby, or GaGa, as she would say, and I love her.

And last, but not least, its bath time. She loves her bath!!! What a goofy kid!

We had a great time in Idaho. My only wish is that we could see them more often.

We're off to see the granddaughter....

2009-09-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Bruce and I are headed to see Lily this weekend. While we're there, we'll visit with Jim and Alyson as well.....

In all seriousness though, next week is Alyson's birthday. She will be 27, which is totally impossible since I am only 29 myself. We are excited to be able to spend a little time with them. Alyson and Jim have grown into wonderful adults and they are great friends, terrific parents, and strong Christians. We are so proud of both of them!!!

And now my quote of the day concerning family...

"Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one."
Jane Howard, "Families"

Ladies' Retreat 2009...

2009-09-14T11:18:00.001-07:00

This past weekend was the annual Ladies' Retreat at Yellowstone Bible Camp. I wasn't sure I was going until the last minute, but am SO glad I went. Not only did the ladies from Livingston do a tremendous job, the speaker was wonderful.

Here's a picture of the fire pit and lodge at camp.

Latayne Scott, of New Mexico, spoke on the comfort we find in the resurrection. Latayne is a noted author and a wonderful speaker, but I also found her to be extremely personable and fun.

There were 10 ladies from our congregation who attended and 90 ladies in all. The weather was absolutely perfect. Not a cloud in the sky for two days!!! If you ever have an opportunity to spend time in retreat with christian women, DO IT!!! You will be blessed beyond measure.

Proud parents...

2009-09-10T10:00:00.001-07:00

Bruce and I are now the proud parents of a 29-year-old, bouncing lawyer!!! Shyla found out yesterday that she passed the bar exam. Yeah for her!!! I had no doubt that she would pass, but I know she was nervous.

Here is a picture of her at her law school graduation in May.

Congratulations Shyla!!! We love you and are proud of you!!

Miracles abound...

2009-08-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

On January 29th I wrote concerning a friend of mine who had been diagnosed with cancer. She had surgery and was only given a 10% chance of survival with treatment. She opted to forgo treatment and rely on God's grace. I called her about a week ago to check on her again, because I knew that she was supposed to see her doctor again in July. What she told me inspired me - she is completely cancer free. God is truly good!!!

This is a big "miracle", but there are small miracles we encounter every day and often don't acknowledge them as such. (ie. an addict getting off drugs, a family surviving a tragedy intact, etc.)

I want to challenge each of you to look for the miracles every day and praise God for the blessings He has given us.

Here's the quote for the day:

Sometimes it seems like God is difficult to find and impossibly far away. We get so caught up in our small daily duties and irritations that they become the only things that we can focus on. What we forget is that God's love and beauty are all around us, every day, if only we would take the time to look up and see them.
Matthias, Correction Weblog, 11-01-03

Firsts...

2009-08-20T17:28:00.000-07:00

This past weekend I went to Oklahoma to spend some time with Shyla. It is the first time we have spent an entire weekend without the guys. We had a great time. When I arrived on Friday, my sister & brother-in-law picked me up at the airport. That evening we had dinner with three of my sisters and two brothers-in-law. It is always good to spend time with family. On Saturday we went to Shyla & Clay's godson's first birthday party. It was a good time. After that we did peidcures - my FIRST!!

Shyla and I also went to a couple of movies. If you haven't seen Julie & Julia yet, go see it!!! It is laugh out loud funny!! We also went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Shy had seen it, but I had not. It was wonderful.

After worship on Sunday, we ate lunch then went golfing. It was hot, but not too bad. We had a great time.

I also got to spend time with old friends. (I will write more about this on another blog.)

What this weekend showed me is that I need to spend more one-on-one time with both my daughters. They are wonderful women and I am blessed to have them as my children!!!

Whatever Happened to Summer????

2009-08-08T08:38:00.000-07:00

I keep hearing about global warming, but it seems to have passed us by here in Montana this summer. We have had the wackiest weather ever. It is supposed to get up to only 60 degrees today (the normal being in the 80-90 range), and it is raining. This feels more like March or April. We were going to float the river today, but not in this weather. Don't get me wrong, I am not a fan of super hot weather, but I do like it to be summer when it is August.

On another note, Bruce will be headed to Canada this Friday to go fishing with our son-in-law Clay. He has spent the morning preparing his waders, etc. I think they will have a blast. I, on the other hand, am flying to OK on Friday to spend a few days with Shyla. She has completed the bar and we can have a long weekend of fun and relaxation. I can hardly wait!!!

Since the blog today was mostly about family, and since our fair is in town, I will end with this quote...

If you ever start feeling like you have the goofiest, craziest, most dysfunctional family in the world, all you have to do is go to a state fair. Because five minutes at the fair, you'll be going, 'you know, we're alright. We are dang near royalty.'
Jeff Foxworthy

New House part deux...

2009-08-03T15:42:00.000-07:00

I have had a request to post a few pictures of the interior of our new house. While not all inclusive, here are a few views of the insides.....

This is our "formal" living room.

This is the kitchen...duh.

This is the TV room or "den".

And this is the master bedroom.

I didn't post any of the upstairs. You will just have to come and visit to get the full nickel tour.

Meanderings of the Mind...

2009-07-20T15:37:00.001-07:00

I wanted to post a couple of pictures of the flowers, mountains, and water I took at camp. Enjoy.

I hope you have enjoyed this oasis of serenity.

Camp was "Bearable"...

2009-07-11T20:15:00.000-07:00

This past week was spent at Yellowstone Bible Camp - our annual trek to Family camp. This is one of our favorite times of the year. This year was enhanced with the presence of Alyson, Jim and Lily for the first few days. One of Lily's favorite things to do was to tear the heads off dandelions and throw them into the creek.

Another of Lily's favorite things was to swing.

She also got to ride on our friend Gene's ATV.

Lily also got to put her feet into the icy water of the creek. BRRRRRR!

Now to the reason for the title. We had a two year old black bear that kept appearing in our camp. He didn't seem like he wanted to cause trouble, he was just curious. We saw him several times throughout the week. We also saw a grizzly sow and two cubs. (I don't have pictures of them.) Never have I seen a bear in this camp in the 19 years I have been going there. It was quite thrilling to see this many this year.

This is our entire group at Family camp. There were about 135 of us. We had a great time renewing old friendships, making new ones, and studying God's Word. Even before the week is over, I am always anticipating the next year.

I would wish for you all that you have such an opportunity to share fellowship with like-minded people and feast on God's Word.

New house...

2009-06-30T14:37:00.001-07:00

I thought I would post a couple of pictures of our new house. If it looks big on the outside - it is. The back yard is beautiful. The large apple tree - over the deck - is terrible about shedding its fruit. The deck is covered constantly with little apples and leaves and the little flowers. This is the only thing I don't like about the house. We will trim it back - which it desperately needs. What I would like to do is build a cover over the deck. That would solve most of the problem. I would really like to have a nice shady spot to sit and visit with friends without little apples plopping onto our heads.

We are headed to Bible camp this next week. This is one of the highlights of our year. The lessons are always wonderful and the fellowship is beyond compare. I wish everyone had this sort of experience at least once in their lives. As for us, this is our 18th year. Yeah!!!

Here is my quote for the day:
Family isn't about whose blood you have. It's about who you care about.

No more storage unit...

2009-06-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend we finally cleaned out our storage unit. We now have all of our junk in one central location. Yeah!! When we moved from Dillon to Billings, we didn't have time to do a garage sale, so we just packed it all up and hauled it over here. Now we have the time to sort through our "treasures" and se what we want to keep and what we want to discard. The discard pile is growing by leaps and bounds!!!
In one way it was very nice to be able to get my collectibles back with me. I really missed my elephants!!! ( I just didn't remember that I had so many.) Now the hard part comes with finding places for all the things we kept. Bruce has quite a job in front of him in organizing his work shop - also known as the basement.
Sunday was Father's Day. I have been without my dad since 1977. Bruce's dad is still with us and we are always glad when we get to visit him and play golf with him. On a more personal note...Bruce is a great father and father-in-law! When the girls were growing up, he did special things with them all the time. When the girls were in High School and played soccer, he became a referee so that he could travel and see all their games. In the 6 years of their high school soccer careers, between the two of us, we only missed 3 games. He loved it when the girls wanted to go hiking or fishing with him. Now he has two "sons" with which to spend special times outdoors doing fun things or working or projects. Now he can also be a GREAT grand-pa (Geezer).
Here's to you Bruce - a great, great Dad!!! (not to mention a pretty terrific husband!!!!!!!!!)

Loss...

2009-06-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Being the youngest of 12 children has had its benefits - lots of teasing, several "mothers & fathers" when I was young, great big family reunions and christmases, scads of nieces & nephews, etc. - but it also has its down sides. There are 25 years between me an the oldest sibling. This age difference means that I will be losing my siblings as time goes by. This happened for the second time this weekend. My brother Donald passed away. He was 20 years older than me and was gone from the home by the time I was born. However, he lived in OKC for the majority of his adult life so I did get to know him very well. Of all my brothers (6 in all), he reminded me most of my Daddy. I will miss him, but I know the angels are rejoicing at his arrival. Don - Say hi to Momma & Daddy for me.

Moving....again

2009-06-02T09:09:00.000-07:00

We have just moved into our "new-to-us" house in Billings. When we first moved to Billings, we wanted to down size. Our only problem was we down sized too much. Bruce had no place to ply his favorite hobby of woodworking. So we have now Up sized!!! We are moving from a 1766 square foot house to a 47oo square foot house. (2,000 square feet are an unfinished basement - Bruce's new workshop!!) Everything we use on a daily basis - Master bedroom, office, kitchen, laundry, living area - are on the main floor, so I don't have to do stairs too often. It will take us a while to become all settled. Mostly because we still have a huge storage unit to empty - Yippee!! It will be like Christmas, then we'll have a garage sale!!!!!

Now that we have extra room, we expect visitors. Ya'll come!!

Graduation Day...again

2009-05-18T11:01:00.000-07:00

This past week we traveled to Oklahoma to see Shyla, our oldest daughter, graduate law school. She has been attending Oklahoma City University School of Law for the past three years. She graduated Summa Cum Laude - 6th in a class of 170. We are so very proud of her and her accomplishments!!
We had a great week visiting with Shyla & Clay. We also got to see one of Shyla's best friends since they were in 7th grade. Other friends that flew in were Gene & Pati from Wyoming. I was also able to see two of my sisters and their husbands. It was exciting to see many old friends at her "dessert party"!!! (It was also very yumy.) We were extremly blessed to be able to be there to witness this wonderful event in Shyla's life. We love you, Shy and are very proud of you!!!!!

A Night of Pure Magic.....

2009-05-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, we went to see David Copperfield. But it was a night of pure magic. I have seen lesser known magicians in person, but his show was a few notches above the rest. I bought these tickets for my husband, Bruce, who is an amateur magician. I don't think he will be disappearing and reappearing any time soon. We had great seats (8th row) and I even brought my binoculars - which I used to try to ferret out the secrets - NO WAY!! How can he make audience members move from on stage to the back of the arena in seconds????
If you have a chance to go see him, I recommend it.

Here's my quip for the day: Many people want to serve God - but only as advisors!

Golf Season

2009-04-28T10:33:00.001-07:00

Well, tonight is my second week on my golf league. I only know one person in the league. I met her through a mutual friend, and she was kind enough to ask me to join her team. Last week was the week we set out handicaps. This is the time to golf poorly - right? The idea is to golf a moderately bad game so you can have a high handicap. Obviously, I didn't get the memo in time. I golfed a 47 - parring 4 holes (9 hole league). I never golf this well!!! Oh well, there goes my handicap for the season. Nowhere to go from here but down!!! The weather is rather rainy today, so we'll see what tonight brings.

Here's my quote for the day....

If you watch a game, it's fun. If you play at it, it's recreation. If you work at it, it's golf.
Bob Hope (1903 - 2003)

Springtime in Montana...

2009-04-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Well, guess what!! It snowed again. I golfed in 80 degree weather Tuesday night and today we woke up to snow. I know that every state makes this claim - If you don't like the weather, wait five minutes - but in Montana, it is especially true!!!

We are hosting a party for one of my best friends, Robin, tonight at our home. We have known Robin and her husband Steve for 30 years. They have been a real blessing in our lives. We expect about two dozen people tonight, so we will be cozy in our little house.

My thought for the day is this..."I went out to find a friend, and could not find one there. I went out to be a friend, and friends were everywhere." Anonymous

31 years and counting.....

2009-04-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Today is Bruce's and my 31st anniversary. Its been a wonderful ride!!! We have had many great times together. We have two wonderful daughters, two terrific sons-in-law, and the cutest granddaughter in the world!!

Bruce has been my best friend and will always be. I have always been able to count on him to lift me up and love me. I thank God for him. I don't always tell him how much I appreciate him, and I am going to change that right now.

Life has not always been easy, but we have tried to keep God as the main focus of out lives and He has blessed us with manifold blessings.

Here's to another 31...at least!!

Anniversary Angst...

2009-04-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

What do you get a man who has everything he wants and/or needs??? Our anniversary is fast approaching and I have not one clue as to what to get Bruce. I did get him tickets to see David Copperfield here in Billings, but that doesn't seem like much. He always seems to come up with something nice for me at holidays, birthdays and anniversarys and I am always scrounging at the last minute because of lack of ideas. If any one of my 3 or 4 followers have a suggestion - I am very open!!!!

As an aside, I had a great surprise this past weekend. I had known that a gentleman was coming to visit our congregation regarding a new work he is undertaking in Chicago, but I never heard his name. As it turns out, it is Kerry Holton - my youth group leader from my senior year in high school in Oklahoma. I hadn't seen him in 30 years. It was so great to see him again. I only wish his wonderful wife, Becky, had been with him. It is always a blessing to see old friends and renew those relationships. God is so good!!!

Just for fun - here is a Montana "no trespassing" sign.

The Death of Winter - HOPEFULLY!

2009-04-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Is Spring finally here? One could only hope!! We have been teased with nice weather about once a week for a month, but then it will get cold again and snow. I like winter just fine, but it should end sometime in March. I am so ready for warm weather and sunshine. I am ready to hit the golf course, and I know that Bruce is ready to go fishing. Unfortunately, we have no control over the weather and must live with what we get.

Every day on my way to and from work, I look for two hawks that live near me. One is a large, immature hawk (I'm not sure what kind) who lives about a block or two from here. I see it almost every day sitting on top of a utility pole. Once I even saw him dive down to capture his dinner. The other hawk I see is a Kestrel-which is my favorite species of hawk. There are actually a pair that live about two miles from my home. I see one of them almost every day on the power line. It just thrills me when I see them-OK, I get cheap thrills-but I do love to see a hawk flying - or even just sitting.

God has given us so many wonderful things to marvel about in our world. I hope you take time today to just revel in God's nature.

Lily's First Birthday

2009-03-23T13:16:00.001-07:00

This weekend Bruce and I went to Idaho for our granddaughter Lily's first birthday. We had a great time!!! She is so sweet and such a cutie. We only wish we could see her more often. It was so nice to visit with Jim and Alyson. They have made such a nice home for themselves and they are such good parents. We were privileged to meet many of Jim & Alyson's friends at the birthday party. I am posting a couple of pictures - one of Lily and me, and one of Lily with her birthday cake (all over her!!). Alyson saved her first taste of chocolate for her birthday. She is a true Blackketter girl - she loves chocolate!!!!!!

Awesome Responsibility

2009-03-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Its been several days since my last post, so I thought I would bring the blog up to date. For those who read my blog - probably just my daughters - Bruce was installed as an elder in our congregation today. Its an awesome responsibility, with which I think he will do well. The Lord has truly blessed us in many ways. Not the least of which is a wonderful church family.

We are getting excited to go to Lily's first birthday in a couple of weeks. I cannot believe she is already a year old. Where does the time go??????? She is so cute - as you can see in the photo. It will be fun to be able to spend a few days with Jim & Alyson and Miss Lily. Please pray for fair weather and good roads.

And to end my blog for today, just a little quote about babies.....
When babies look beyond you and giggle, maybe they're seeing angels. ~Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Winter Continues

2009-02-27T15:02:00.000-08:00

(Reality)
Old man Winter teased us last week. He acted like he had headed to Australia to bless them with snow, but he came back. We received about 4 inches of snow last night and this morning. I don't mind winter - after all I do live in Montana, so it's expected - but enough is enough. I am suffering from a bad case of Spring fever.

(Desire)
I can hardly wait to go golfing. I also plan on getting my bicycle updated so I can go riding in my neighborhood. I want to go floating on the Yellowstone this summer with Bruce, too. We hope to do more fun things this spring & summer since we don't have a house to remodel.

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.
~Anthony J. D'Angelo, The College Blue Book

Fun with Friends

2009-02-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

Saturday-Valentine's Day- we attended a part at a friend's house. There were several other couples and we played "The Newlywed Game". What a hoot!!! Bruce and I played against three other couples who have been married about the same length of time as we have. We lost miserably!!! The funny thing is, when we were first married, we played against people who had been married quit a lot longer than us, and we won by a mile. Oh, well. I guess he and I will just have to spend time getting reacquainted.
The best thing about the evening was spending time with friends with whom we have so much in common. We attend church together and enjoy spending time with them so very much. It is such a blessing to have good friends!! I hope each of you have good friends to spend time with and share good times.
Here's my quote for the day:
"Stop telling God how big your storm is and start telling your storm how big your God is."

The Bucket List

2009-02-09T08:31:00.000-08:00

I got this list from Alyson and the ones in italics are ones I have done. There are several more on the list I would like to do as well. In addition, I am going to make a short list of my "to do's " which weren't included:

1. Visit an elephant reserve.
2. Visit Australia.
3. Visit all 50 states. (I have been in about 40 or so)

I'm sure I will think of more later.

The Bucket List:

1. Started your own blog (DUH)

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band

4. Visited Hawaii

5. Watched a meteor (two, actually)

6. Given to charity

7. Been to Disneyland

8. Climbed a mountain

9. Held a praying mantis

10. Sang a solo

11. Bungee jumped

12. Visited Paris

13. Watched a lightning storm

14. Taught yourself an art from scratch

15. Adopted a child

16. Had food poisoning

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (Been to the statue, but after they changed the rules about going up in it.)

18. Grown your own vegetables (not a fond memory)

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France

20. Slept on an overnight train

21. Had a pillow fight

22. Drank an entire Sonic Route 66 by yourself

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill

24. Built a snow fort

25. Held a lamb

26. Gone skinny dipping

27. Run a Marathon

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice (the gondolier didn't sing though)

29. Seen a total eclipse

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset

31. Hit a home run

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person

34. Traced your family tree at least 4 generations

35. Seen an Amish community (have seen a Shaker community, though)

36. Learned a new language (tried French in High School - disaster)

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied (I am sooooooooo blessed!)

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David (My absolute favorite! Could have sat an looked for hours!!)

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt (MANY, MANY TIMES!!!

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Swam with a dolphin

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance (have ridden in two with Alyson!)

47. Had your portrait painted

48. Gone deep sea fishing

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person (AMAZING!!!)

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain

53. Played in the mud

54. Gone to a drive-in theater

55. Been IN a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business (Tupperware!)

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Cut your own hair

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp (Dachau)

67. Bounced a check (Not my fault---really!)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (many!!!)

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial (He's my favorite President)

71. Eaten Caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square

74. Driven a stick shift

75. Been fired from a job (Not my fault ---really!)

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had your picture in the newspaper

85. Read the entire Bible

86. Visited the White House (I have even been in the West Wing - the Oval Office and the Rose Garden)

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life

90. Sat on a jury

91. Met someone famous (President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and a few Senators)

92. Read an entire series of books by one author

93. Lost a loved one

94. Had a baby (had two beautiful girls)

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Seen the Pacific Ocean

97. Been involved in a law suit

98. Owned a cell phone

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Seen Mount Rushmore in person

101. Learned to play an instrument ( Does the tambourine count???)

52 And Counting.....

2009-02-05T08:01:00.000-08:00

Today is my 52nd birthday. As of yet there has not been a birthday that I have "dreaded" or have really stressed over. Having more birthdays beats the alternative, so I'm a happy camper!!

Over my 52 years I have been blessed by being raised in a Christian home with loving parents and many (11) brothers and sisters. Of course life has had its ups and downs, but the ups so outnumber the downs, that the down times pale in comparison.

I love my husband, my daughters and sons-in-law, my sweet grandaughter, my extended family and my friends. My life is full and rich and I thank God for it all!!!

It's a Beautiful Day In the Neighborhood

2009-01-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking about how blessed I have been. I have a wonderful husband, two beautiful daughters, the best two sons-in-law in the world, and a the most beautiful granddaughter ever (as is evidenced by the picture). Besides that I have a wonderful extended family and a church family that truly brings joy to my life. God is Good. While thinking of my blessings, I also think about things that are weighing on my heart right now. I have a good friend who is battling cancer. Friends who have lost jobs. Friends who are going through personal struggles. These things are hard to understand, but I still know that God is in control and that He can work it out, if we allow Him to do so.
My prayer for each of you is that you put God first in your life and see how the blessings pile up.

On a lighter note.... The weather here has warmed up a bit. Hopefully the groundhog does whatever he does to show that Spring is close at hand. One way or the other, it should be warm by May!!!

Inauguration Day 2009

2009-01-20T11:05:00.000-08:00

Well, we have a new President. I did not vote for Mr. Obama, but I will support him. I believe that the presidency is larger than one man and our country us much too important to be divisive. The important things to me in a president are morality and a clear vision for our country. We are truly the greatest nation on earth and we need to conduct ourselves as such. I do not mean by this that we "lord it over" the rest of the word, but that we should lead by example. We must live up to the ideals of our founding fathers. They had a great vision for their new country and I believe that, in many ways, we have been letting them down for a long time.

Whether or not you voted for our new president, I would like to challenge you to rise to the occasion we have to move forward. Get involved in your community. Volunteer. Stand up for the oppressed. Determine to leave this world a better place than what you found it. Live a legacy.

Starting today, let us not be a nation of Democrats, Republicans and Independents. Let us be a nation of Americans and to proudly stand for what is right and just, and may God bless us in our effort

Birds of Prey

2009-01-09T14:42:00.001-08:00

I love birds of prey. I love to watch a hawk or an eagle in flight. This one was perched on a stump in my back yard a few weeks ago. He just sat there as I took pictures through my sliding glass door. They turned out pretty well.

A few years ago, when we lived in Dillon, Montana, I was driving home when I saw a Kestrel in the middle of the road. As I passed by, it didn't fly off, so I knew something was wrong. I turned around and went back to see if I could help it. It scuttered off into the borrow pit and I really had to look hard to see it. It was quite camouflaged. I was able to gently pick it up and take it home. I put it in a box with a towel and gave it some water. Now what was I to do? I had a wild hawk in my house. I made a few calls and finally found the Raptor Conservancy in Bozeman, Montana, who cares for injured birds of prey. I called them and told them what I had. They sent someone (113 miles) to pick up the bird. They told me that the kestrel was a young female. I was glad to have been able to help it, but I was also sad to see it go.

The bird had no broken bones - thank goodness - but it was bruised. The conservancy kept the bird for two weeks for rehabilitation. When it was healthy enough to be released, they were very generous to come back and release it in my back yard. It was so cool to see it fly again.

This experience was very meaningful to me, seeing as how I do love to watch them fly!!! Next time you see an eagle or hawk in flight, thank God for the experience.