Haszy, Crazy, Lazy Days of Summer

Today is to be our FIRST day of summer of 100 degrees...quite a contrast from last summer where we had 33 days over 100! This is another picture from camp....this is what summer is all about.

TO GOD be the GLORY

July 9 was my last update! To give you an idea of why I have not blogged in a month...and this is an account of GLORY to GOD for giving us the health, strength, home and lifestyle to be able to do the things we have done in the past 30 days. To GOD be the GLORY...great things HE hath done!

July 10-13...we held The 2nd Annual Grandkids camp- Pirate Cove...at our house

July 14- Sam and family and Jon and family came to spend the day boating, swimming, etc.

July 15- Shower at Kelly's for Lisa Hasz

July 16, 17- Work at Amy's to help her pack to move to Dallas area (PRAISE be to GOD..in one week all prayers were answered-they sold their Garden Valley house, bought a home in Little Elm- north of Dallas- and Brian got a job!

July 17-18- We kept 4 of the Smith kids while Amy and Brian finished up some business in Dallas

July 19-Invited to David and Beth's home for dinner

July 10 Went to Tyler and saw "Sound of Music" with Sam and Lisa

July 21-Babysat her with Henry and Jonah while Sam and Lisa went car shopping

July 22-Went to Sam and Lisa's for homemade icecream

July 23,24- helped Amy pack- kept Smith 6- 2 went to Dallas with mom and dad- for 2 days

July 24-26- Smith "6" kids here

July 26- Smith kids picked up at 5 p.m.-Fisher 6 from Hong Kong arrive for a week

July 27- Attend play with Sam and Lisa

July 28- Sam and Lisa visit to swim and boat with kids

July 29- Pack up Smith moving truck

July 30- Fischers still here- enjoy time with them

July 31- Drive to Tyler to visit grandbaby Bridget- born at 12:45 today.. PRAISE THE LORD..she is Sam and Lisa's 3rd child..our 16th grandchild. GOD is SO GOOD!

August 1 Take Fischer's tubing

August 2-Dave and I take Sam to Dallas to drop of "new" car for repair...Dave takes me to Amy's to help unpack..thier new home is a much bigger house to accomodate all they do with 8 children, home schooling, etc. Fischers leave to head out to Tulsa and more visitation on their summer visitation from Hong Kong.

August 4- Dave comes to Dallas to pick me up

August 5-Jon, Kelly and Jordan, Sam, Lisa, Henry, Jonah, Bridget and Mary (Lisa's mom) come for the day for swimming, fun and fellowship.

So, you can see, there has just been NO time for blogging...but...oh, much time for praising God for His goodness to us. We have loved every minute of being able to serve our family-immediate and extended. We loved having the Fischers here from Hong Kong. What wonderful house guests they were! We hope to get to Hong Kong some day and visit them and see their ministry up close and personal. And...so goes our life...Thank you FATHER GOD for your kindness and goodness to us!

Let freedom ring...and ring...and ring...

4th of July...with family....what could be more fun? Sam and Lisa had invited some of the staff and interns from Teen Mania for the afternoon and evening...David and family came too...great time was had by all. Steven-one of the staff provided us with QUITE the fire works display! We were all impressed as he and Sam lit one after another and lit up our skies to celebrate our freedom.

We spent the next 3 days packing and moving David and Beth. They exchanged houses with themselves...long story....exhausting move!

Now we are ready for camp to begin tomorrow. Be sure to check in on my camp blog site on the side bar here. We will try to post daily. Even though we've been busy moving...getting ready for camp...Dave still finds time to fish...yea! That is why we're here...well, besides our kids and grandkids...well...mostly the kids and grandkids and the fishing is an added bonus! ( Well, I"ve been waiting for 40 min. for the next picture to post...the joys of living in the middle of no where TX where there is no high speed internet available!!!) Good night....no more pix!

The Boat Dock

Okay...this is for John, requesting pictures of the boat dock...this is in varying stages...we have to go out in the boat one of these days and take some shots from the lake side...it is hard to get it all from land! Here Sam, Lisa and Dave have probably just put the boat in the slip for the first

time- quite an exciting and long awaited day.

The lower picture was taken the day the construction part of the dock was completed- before it all was stained and the boat lifts were in- that was sometime in May.

Below is the

picture of how the kids appreciated the WARM wood of the dock in early May- when the water was cold! Now...the water is more like bath water and the kids are loving swimming and having a great time. I'll try to get some photos of that next time!

The rest of the story

The rest of the story....

Tori registered the catch for the day! Yes, Josiah! So....we called Amy...she very calmly said, take him to the DR. in Mineola-we'll meet you there. Josiah was very calm, this is his second hook in I think the same ear. We all loaded up and went to the DR- all being Haley, Tori, Josiah and us. It cut the fishing day very short- much to all the fisherman's dismay!

Since then...we've had all the family here to eat, swim and fish several times...taught Vacation Bible School for a week and packed and sent off Dave for a week in Canada on the fly in fishing trip with Jon, David and Sam. They should be up there by now and are probably fishing away! I pray for lots of fish and good weather and fellowship----and not too many Ding Dongs, Ho Ho's and Twinkies so they can all survive the week!

Family time together

yep...that is Dave..in his office! This is where he arranges for most of the family gatherings, does his business...and ...generally drives Sam nuts when talking to him because he has to hang up to land a fish!

June is just a really crazy month for the Hasz household. We have 13 birthdays and 2 anniversaries..Father's day...Vacation Bible School and the Hasz boys Fly in to Canada Fishing trip.


In just this past week we have had 3 family gatherings with all 25 of us present! Isn't God good? We love having our family so close together that we can celebrate life together.


Last week Dave helped David, Jon and Sam host the First annual Teen Mania Track Meet with abouat 700 participants! That was a great event- perfect weather-fun to be a part of it.


Over Memorial Day we hosted the Family Campout here. THings didn't materialize quite like we'd planned- Amy couldn't get their camper to work so the 5 oldeset kids spent the night here in tents and Amy and the little ones "comuted". It was fun to have them here! Sam and Lisa found a problem with their 5th wheel when they went to pack it out from home so Dave and Sam spent much of Sat. repairing. How great that they can do things like that!


Everyone enjoyed the great weather, the new dock and boat house, the great fishing and swimming. We were able to grill out down by the lake and spend much time just enjoying the kids and each other. We are so grateful to God for allowing us to live here and have a place that our family can enjoy.


The Smith kids (the 3 oldest) spent the night here on Monday...asked if they could go early morning fishing...and we said 'yes" provided you don't wake us up! About 6:45 there is a knock on our bedroom door...."grammy....." "Yes" Josiah needs you. to be continued when Blogger will download the next picture....

Happy Mother's Day...I hope all of you who are moms and who have had a mom! will find time to go to this site sometime today or soon. I sent this little poem to my mom every year from the time I first had a child- 1966- until the time that she went on to heaven- in 2005. I pray it will be a blessing to you too.

http://wandascountryhome.com/motherswalk/index.html

My mom..Edith Snyder Tessman 1910-2005

She was the one who lavished each of us 5 children with her love and taught us each about Jesus, our Savior. She tiredlessly drove us to school- and picked us up from school- sometimes over 30 iles each way-she worked in the "store" which mom and dad ran, then picked me up from work- or came to football or basketball games to cheer our school on and watch me twirl baton- she drove me to choir and picked me up- all these driving things were for me- one of 5- so she was doing lots of other driving too!- She listened when I had problems with my current boy friend- stayed up late sewing me dresses to wear to whatever dance-attend

ed my plays, helped me pack for camp and then wrote letters and visited on weekends-helped me pack in just a few days when I was accepted to college- late- and then drove me to Illinois to college- wrote faithfully and supported me in every effort of life. She helped me have a beautiful wedding- she sewed all the bridesmaids dresses- helped plan the food and reception- cooked and served the rehersal dinner- Mom was always there and such a hard and cheeful worker. She was there to enjoy each of our children and many of our grandchildren. Mom slipped away gradually with Alzheimer's Disease- but even to the end-her love for children was so evident- we miss her but rejoice that she is home with Jesus- probably holding a baby!
How I THANK GOD this mother's day for the children of my children!

(Grand)Children are a heritage of the Lord..

This is the weekend that we are enjoying the 8 Smith kids while their parents are at the Home School Conference in Dallas. Wow! They kept us hopping all day and they are still wide awake but Dave and I are both ready for bed! All the little ones are bathed and in bed...the older ones are watching "Battle Cry" from Virginia.

We spent much of the day...fishing

And swimming...

Then laying on the dock and warming up after swimming..And playing in sand...running up and down and up and down and up and down the hill from the lake to the house! It was a beautiful day and we Praise GOD for His goodness to us and allowing us time to enjoy our grandkids!

Goodnight!

The Boat House/Dock/Arbor

It was started last summer- when Dave and Sam began construction on the arbor- which is adjacent to the sea wall down by the water. They put in the posts, had the concrete poured, then constructed the arbor over it. Then....due to the drought on Lake Fork ( a 3 year drought) and the water being down 7 feeet! We had dredging done out in front of our property- thus the BIG hill of dirt- there all winter- even after the boat house was almost done.

Now- the dirt is leveled out- the boat house is done- but we are still waiting on electric work and boat lifts to be completed.

We were able to enjoy our family out there last weekend- the kids swam and fished and had a great time...we look forward to many fun times out there and the completion of the project...well, I don't know if it will EVER be completed. Dave and Sam keep coming up with other things to get done- and me. Like the sand beach- the lawn or grass to cover all the dredged area on the hill between the house and lake..minor details.

Now this is what is all about!

I love having a husband (and sons and son in law) who love to work and build and do projects like this. Never a dull moment around our house. There is always another plan, another project...another day. We praise the LORD for each day.

I'll post this today and hopefully have an update tomorrow so you can compare what has been going on at the lake front here on Lake Fork, Texas. THis was the beginning of the boat house back in March...and we have been SLOWLY progressing ever since...inching closer to the time when we can actually have a BOAT in the water at the lake!

We are being blessed by seeing our children/grandchildren on a weekly basis and having them nearby for fun, companionship and counsel. Funny how we need THEIR counsel at times in our lives. This has been a challenging week for us and we are thankful for the input of children and their spouses who are tuned in to what God is doing here on planet Earth.

This weekend we get to have the Smith "8" here for a few days while their parents go to the Home school conference in Dallas. Last weekend we got to spend time with the three boys and their families as they will all be out of town this weekend at the Teen Mania event in Virginia.

We look forward to the weekend and times ahead with our children and grandchildren.

On Raising kids

All who are interested in reading some good counsel on child discipline...be sure to click on my side bar...Metro Moms. I wish I'd had some of this kind of advice when I was raising my four. God is faithful...to meet us where we are. My lack of counsel is my excuse for all of you girls and one guy who are living with my mistakes! Love you all! You are all so special.

Memo from our Boss

I was sent this in an e-mail today and it is really meaningful and inspirational. Only the diligent will do this. I can't figure out an easier way to get you to this. You have to click on this and then at that site click on Memofromourboss. Enjoy!

http://www.semver.aw/teachmeshowme.htm

Off to Kansas

"The good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to realize that God is taking them away from evil days ahead For the godly who die shall rest in peace. " Isaiah 57:1,2

Wanda Schmidt, age 54, Kelly Hasz's mom- Wanda had an aneurism in her brain which ultimately led to her death this past week. The funeral will be on Monday in Witchita.
All our family is planning on driving up their on Sunday to be there with Jon, Kelly and Jordan. We appreciate your prayers for Kelly and family and for safe travel for all of us.
We are praising the Lord for the 5 weeks that Wanda came and spent here with Kelly after her wreck. It confirms that there are NO accidents with God. Our faith and trust is in Him.
It is with joy that we can picture her at the feet of Jesus, in her mansion, but with heavy hearts that we want to support the family that is left behind at this time.
You can access Kelly's blog on my side bar for her thoughts about her mom.

Teach us oh Lord to number our days!

This picture was from just a few weeks a go as Kelly, my daughter in law, her mom, and I had spent the day sewing flags for Battle Cry. We had a great day together, laughing, sewing and enjoying each other's company. Kelly's mom came and spent several weeks with Kelly as she was recovering from a fractured vertebrae after her car wreck. It was a time of blessing for all of them to have this time together.

Little did anyone know that in just a few weeks, Kelly's mom, would suffer a brain aneurism and tonight is in critical condition. She had an encouraging day yesterday- the day Kelly posted on her blog but today the news is not so good. Please pray for Kelly, her dad and the rest of the family.

You can see Kelly's blog on my side bar for more updated information.

On the Horror at Virginia Tech

Finding Eternal Hope in Present Sorrow

By Douglas W. PhillipsApril 17, 2007
Today, the nation mourns the senseless murder of thirty-two men and women who were gunned down in cold blood. The slaughter of students at Virginia Tech constitutes the largest campus killing spree in American history. The murderer was a fellow student, twenty-three-year-old Cho Seung-hui of South Korea. Though little is currently known of his motive behind the murders, it is clear that his plan was calculated and carefully executed. The assault was premeditated and thorough. Doctors report that not a single victim had fewer than three bullet wounds.
Thousands will be deeply affected, probably for the rest of their lives. The most serious pains belong to the mothers, fathers, and sisters and brothers of the murdered victims. What shall we say to them? What are we to learn from these events?
First, we must remember the answer to the question “why?”
When people ask: “Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people?” or “How can such a terrible thing happen?”, we must point them to the fundamentals. First, all of us deserve death and all of us will die. The only question is when will we die, and what will be the state of our eternal soul at that time. Every breath is a gift of God. None of us deserve it. We have no rights or demands we can make to our Creator. In fact, apart from Christ, we stand condemned to a fate far worse than physical death — eternal punishment. And there is a reason for all of this. God is God, and we are His creation. Understanding the distinction is everything. He sets the rules. He determines what is just. And His plan is always good, even when we do not understand it. Not only is He a loving and kind God, but He is also infinitely just. This justice has implications for man. It was God who created the world and man “very good.” But man sinned against an infinite and holy God. The penalty for this sin was physical death. Because of man’s sin, all of creation became subject to death. Our bodies and the world around us die and groan as a reminder and a punishment for our rebellion before the Lord. Everything would be supremely hopeless, but for one important truth: Though the wages of our sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus. It took an infinite, perfect, and holy sacrifice to atone for our sin against an infinite, perfect, and holy God. Christ was that sacrifice. This means that all whom the Father calls, and who repent and believe in Christ, shall not perish but have eternal life.
Thus, the question is not, “why did God allow the tragic death of these students,” but rather, “why does He allow any of us to live.” We deserve death. Every breath of life is a gift. It is only by His grace and mercy that we live and breathe and have our very being. He is our Creator and He is just to determine the beginning and the end of our existence. Beyond this, we must remember that even the tragedy of death is part of the eternal plan of God to bring glory to Himself. The fact that we do not understand the infinite purposes and counsels of the Triune God only means that we are creatures and need to trust Him. That is why He has given us His Holy Word. The Bible is the revealed mind of Christ for man. It reminds us that all things — including the murder of the innocent — work together for good to those that are the called of God. It cautions us to flee to God while we yet have life. It reminds us that the victory of Christ is greater than the grave itself. It warns us that without Christ there is no hope whatsoever. When we see the horror of death, we must be convicted of sin and flee to God. We must be emboldened in our sense of urgency to communicate to others the only source of hope from death. We must treasure the preciousness of life as God’s sacred gift, and we must wisely invest in meaningful Kingdom work this brief whisper of an opportunity called — our life.
Second, we must acknowledge that the rise of community violence is a judgment of the Lord. Our nation has broken covenant with the God of our fathers. We have forsaken the law of God and have worshipped before false idols. We have sacrificed our children, not only spiritually and intellectually to the high priests of a new secular religion in our government schools, but have quite literally sacrificed baby boys and girls to the gods of convenience in the abortuaries of America. One out of four Americans is not here because they were aborted by their mothers.
The modern trend toward school killings must be considered in terms of the hopelessness and evil which is being communicated to the children of this generation through the music culture, the entertainment culture, the sexual culture, and the intellectual culture of evolution and meaninglessness — all of which converge in modern schools. Our children are being taught the Gospel of evolution and man. It is a religious faith that ultimately teaches that transcendent truth does not exist and that life is meaningless, being the product of chance. Why are we surprised when the present generation acts upon the logical implications of this false gospel? If we do not see the connection between this false faith and the culture of death, we are blind bats, or willingly ignorant. The answer for us as a people is repentance and restitution, which begins by turning from our sins and reclaiming the ancient paths of the Lord wherein there is hope.
Third, the worst response to school murders that our politicians could make would be to further disarm the American citizenry. The heavy death toll may in part be attributed to past legislation making it difficult for citizens to carry side arms. If even one of the students in that university had been armed, Cho Seung-hui could have been stopped. A strong case can be made that in a violent society like our own, it is the duty of every Christian man to be armed such that he is ready, willing, and able to come to the immediate aid of his neighbor in the face of the ruthless behavior of lawless men. We have one of two futures — a police state full of regulation and controls, where only the state and criminals have access to guns, thus leaving most women and children defenseless to evildoers, or an informed and well-armed population, which is, to my mind, the surest safeguard against lawless men.
Fourth, every tragedy is an opportunity God gives to reflect glory and honor to Him. We give glory to Him as we reach out to others and lead them to the great Comforter. Now is the time for Christians to reach out in love to those who are in unimaginable pain, as well as those who are just shell-shocked by the horrible news. There is a time to mourn with those who mourn, and this is that time. Let us mourn, love, and encourage — and let us give God the glory in everything — even death.
This was sent to me by Vision Forum....I pass it on ...

Seasons of hot tubs

It all started back in 1993- that is when we spent the day- a heartbreaking day for us- as we bid farewell to Amyand Brian as they left for Spain. They were with YWAM and were headed off to school in Spain. And...it just so happens that they took our ONLY grandchild with them! Dave was so very sweet and understanding as I cried and blubbered almost the WHOLE day and many days afterward. We took them to the airport then took the rest of the day off from school to recover. We went to the mall where Dave bought me some new clothes...and then we visited the Hot Tub displays out in the mall. Now you have to understand something about Dave..he HATED hot tubs...I could NEVER get him to go in one at a hotel, etc. But...we ended up buying the hot tub you see in the upper right hand picture. By then it had moved to the second home it would have with us. The great thing is...that Dave LOVED the hot tub! We spent every morning- well almost every morning- VERY few exceptions- for the next 10 years- talking, praying, and enjoying God's creations and creatures. Winters were the best...we were able to watch deer, fox, geese and in the summer golfers on the golf course. That hot tub lived with us to see 8 of our grandchildren enjoy it with us. We left it behind in Denver in 2003 when we moved to Florida.

Our next hot tub in Florida- started out to be a nightmare- we bought it at a Home Show in Daytona Beach from a less than reputable dealer and had real problems actually getting it delivered...but once we got it...it again became a haven for us in the jungle. We didn't think we'd enjoy it much in Florida but were pleasantly surprised that we spent almost just as much time in it as we did in Denver- we were gone from Florida much of the summer so that explains part of that.

Then the move to Texas last year found us once again saying goodbye to our hot tub and we spent almost a year without one. We have really missed it.

Here we are again...with David and family being the first family to enjoy our newest hot tub. This has truly been one of the greatest blessings to our marriage and makes life such fun to wake up and look forward to sitting in the yard with the birds and wonderful sights now of Lake Fork and the trees all around us. We love talking, praying and reminiscing about how God

has blessed us. God is good. Our hot tub is now installed to the left of the house as you see it in the picture. We are so thankful to God for all HE has done for us...MUCH more than hot tubs...This pretty much sums up what we really deserve

"What am I? Well, here is what I am. I am the worst sinner I know. And by the grace of God I am doing better than I deserve. For I deserve the righteous wrath of God because of my sin. I deserve to be punished eternally. But in the mystery of His mercy, God sacrificed and crushed His Son on the Cross--as my substitute--so that I might be forgiven of my sin and know God as my Father rather than my Judge. What am I? I am truly amazed by the grace of God. That's what I am." ~ C.J. Mahaney Together for the Gospel Blog

April 4...back from March 18

SOooooooooooo much has happened since I was last here! But...God is faithful and it is HIM that we trust!

We got to have all 8 Smith children here for a couple of days while Amy and Brian were in Dallas. That was So much fun! The weather was beautiful and we got to fish, (and ALL the kids caught a fish off our "dock", play games, have a fire and roast hot dogs and jsut spend fun time with them. They are such great kids and we always love to have them here- as we do ALL of grandkids....we just don't get them enough!

Following that weekend, though, the Teen Mania crisus hit the Smith family and Brian was laid off. It has been a hard time for all. We know that God is faithful and has a job and home for Brian and Amy and is building faith in all of us.

The family gathered the day after that happened to celebrate Dave's birthday. We met on Tuesday because we told Dave that David and Jon had an Emergency TM meeting on Wed. and couldn't make it on his actual birthday. Haley had planned a GREAT treasure hunt at their home in which everyone took part. She did such a good job in planning it.

All the kids and grandkids were there to help Dave celebrate. The following day, Sam called, and he and Lisa wanted to take us out to eat. We were all for that...since it was his REAL birthday and we had planned to go out to eat on our own. (I knew what was going on but Dave didn't have a clue!) We met at Sam's and proceeded to Tyler and to Red Lobster. When they took us to our table...there sat all the adult kids! Dave was SO suprised. We had a wonderful time...many of our friends and family and sent special greetings which were read to all. Then the 3 boys- Sam, David and Jon, presented Dave with his gift- The trip of a lifetime...the card read....a Canadian fly in for the 4 of them in June. Dave was overwhelmed and they all haven't stopped talking about it since.

Ever since we got back from Denver- on March 11-we have watched the steady progression of the building of the dock and boat house- a project Dave has planned and longed for since we moved here. It is ALMOST done...they put roof on today- and we are SO excited. It has been a huge project-starting with the building of the sea wall last spring- then the dredging of the lake in Dec. and all that dirt piled up down by the lake! The bulldozer was here again today...still moving the "clay" around. I wonder if it will all get done?

I have finished a 12 week Beth Moore study on Daniel. FABULOUS! I learned so much. I've also been attending a ladies' Tues. morning prayer and Study and have helped to stuff 10,000 plastic eggs for the Easter Egg outreach in the city park on Sat.

We celebrate the REsurrection this Sunday then on Thursday or Friday we will fly to Detroit to participte in the Battlecry there.

That is a thumbnail sketch of what is going on here. What is going on in your neck of the woods?

Texas ramblings

Life in East Texas. I had posted an article on Billy Graham earlier tonight...for which I ALREADY had two comments...only to check things out on Snopes and find that part of it was not true! So I have deleted the article. Sorry.

Life in East Texas has been SO busy....since I last posted on Feb. 17th. Since then we have been to Denver and back to watch the Faith Christian High School boys and girls basketball teams make it all the way to State and be defeated in the semifinals...very disappointing- But..we did get to see many, many friends and family and for that we are grateful.

We are back home- looking forward to spring...a beautiful time of year here.

Lisa has helped me out with some pictures! The redbuds are decorating the landscapes all along the highways and are so beautiful...as are the Bradford Pears...and my favorite birds are back...

Next week we look forward to welcoming back the hummingbirds.

We have been so blessed to be able to see our kids and grandkids so much this past month.

I got to attend the Beth Moore simulcast in Tyler several weeks a go where she spoke on Getting out of the Pit". I have been tremendously blessed and stretched through her Bible Study on Daniel. It is sad that there are only 4 lessons left! I have loved this study!

Dave is constantly working on.."things"- water lines...his shop..etc. and right now is overseeing the "boat dock" construction. We hope to have a boat house and dock in a few weeks now.

Our sons have been busy with Teen Mania- all being in San Francisco last weekend for "BattleCry". See Teenmania.org and go on the Battlecry link so see details. We will be going to Detroit with them in April to experience this...we are looking forward to that!

This is NOT one of our grandkids...but the picture is priceless. Don't you love the expression on the dog?

God is LOVE...and SO loves us!

It has been a COLD week in East Texas and we are looking for a warm up!

This picture was of our beautiful Camalia bush- in full bloom- BEFORE the big freeze. Dave covered it but the cover blew off in the night and MUCH to his dismay- all the blooms are now history. Next year we'll do a better job! We hit a low of 17 here which is absolutely FRIGID for East Tx. We are READY for spring.

Amy and family hosted a wondeful Valentine's party for the cousins- Henry and Jonah were there earlier in the day and Ash, Jay and Cole at night. Jordan opted to be home that day! Later Brian, Amy and Dave and I enjoyed a pizza by the fireside in their bedroom retreat area....very nice!

We enjoyed dinner with our cousins Larry and Sue last night and then had the Smith's spend the night with us due to their well pump being out. WE didn't see much of them as they went to bed as soon as they got here and left as soon as we got up this morning.

Dave is busy working in his "well house" getting his workbench all completed so we can move the things from the garage out there.

It is a bit crowded in the garage!

<<<<<

But..he has been working hard and I am so proud of ALL the things he accomplishes! With a minimum of bandaids too! What a guy! How blessed I am!

Kelly is doing better..her mom is here now to care for her and Jordan and Jon. I'm sure they are all taking full advantage of all her skills...and she is there all night to take care of Jordan if she awakens...like she did this week with the flu! Poor Jon and Kelly...Kelly scrubbing carpet with her back brace and all! She has to wear the brace for 6 weeks- 5 now- and is learning to do things to care for Jordan in spite of the brace! Thank the Lord for the brace- the tech. that fitted Kelly said this used to be a body CAST.... Kelly is looking much better these days but thought you might want to see her the day after...I'm sure Kelly will appreciate this!

We love you Kelly and we are SOooooooooo very glad that GOD spared your life and you are still here with us! To GOD be the glory!

What a difference several days makes!

It has been almost 2 weeks since I last sat down to blog and even check e-mails very much! We've been busy- visiting and caring for kids and grandkids!

Last week, Dave and I were up early, ready to go to Quitman- Dave for an annual check up- me to work out at Curves and then head down to Lindale later in the day for Jonah's second birthday- he is Sam's youngest. About 8- just as we were ready to head out the door- we got a call from Jon saying he had a call from the police that Kelly was in a wreck and the ambulance was on the way- he was on the way to the scene- just down the road on the way to Teen Mania. HE had Jordan with HIM!...and arrived on the scene while on the phone. He said, "Oh my gosh- what did she do??? I have to go!" Here is what he drove up on.

We didn't get another call for about an hour- and Sam called to say that Kelly was on the way to

ER. He said- she is alive but I don't know the extent of her injuries. We were about an hour away from Tyler- so we headed there immediately. We were met in the ER waiting room by David, Beth, Brian, Amy, Jon and Jordan. Kelly was being xrayed, MRI'ed, etc...and was later admitted with lacerated spleen, a boken vertebrae and multiple lacerations and bruises...but ALIVE! We are so very grateful to God for His mercy. She was there just a little over 24 hours- enough time to be fitted for a body brace (which now takes the place of a body cast) and to check out her spleen to make sure she didn't need surgery. She is home and mending and we are helping out with Jordan and doing what we can to be here and support them.

We DID get to Jonah's party- late- and it we were all exhausted...but Jonah turned 2 and is such a sweetheart!

On Saturday, I came down to help Kelly but she had lined up some other help for the day so I was able to go back to our original plan of babysitting for the youngest 5 of the Smith kids for the day. I drove their van back home and we had a great day.

The kids played outside in the sand, ran and jumped and swang on the swing (is swang a word???) and later each had a puzzel to put together and then we all watched "Mary Poppins- can you believe that Dave and I have NEVER seen it????) It was a great day!

On Sunday, after church, we headed to Tyler again, this time for the Smith girls' violin orchestra concert. The twins are in the younger orchestra- which sounded fantastic- and Caitlin is in the high-school; Jr. college orchestra- which sounded like the Denver Philharmomic to me! It was such a blessing to see and hear them play! AFter the concerts we went to a banquet (which they had totally paid for by fund raising- thanks girls!) and enjoyed a wonderful dinner and fellowship with the 7 members of Amy's family who were there. (Sam and Lisa kept the 3 little ones) We had a wonderful day. God is so good and we are so grateful to Him for our children and grandchildren and especially for sparing Kelly's life this week. Thank you Lord!

(YOu can see Kelly's link on my side bar for more info from her!)