Christmas ~ I can't get in the mood!!!

Nothing new in this home. I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas "spirit". I'm usually so excited to decorate, shop, the whole thing. But...I know I just haven't been able to.

I got the living room switched around and the carpet clean. Jody actually started cleaning it Saturday afternoon and got half done and the pump went out on the rug doctor we rented ~ ugh!!! So we took it back and got another one and Jody and I went out to dinner, then we came home and he laid down before going to work. He figured he'd finish it right after church Sunday...NOT. We decided to go out to lunch with Sister Connie, Nate and Matthew (and several of the church people). So that meant when we got home, Jody went to bed (he worked all night) and I finished shampooing the carpet. Jessa stepped in and relieved me, and relieved I was as my arm was killing me. It actually looks preety good. All week I've sat looking at the big empty spot in front of the window where the tree is going to go EVENTUALLY. Jody's got to get it from the girls storage room with the truck. It's something I CAN'T do as it was taken apart and there's no way I could get in the truck.

I now know why when people get older they downsize on Christmas decorating. I just don't have the energy to do it and I'm not sure who's going to be around to help.

I'm sorry to be so down. I think it's due to my constant exhaustion and life changing with the girls being older and Jody's hours.

Maybe this weekend excitement will set in some.

By the way, anyone in for a good game of "I Buy". I so want to play ~ grin.

Relaxing Thanksgiving

We had a very relaxing Thanksgiving. Other than cleaning a little and fixing dinner everyone slept. I dozed several times myself even. Brother Nowling and Joleesa slept until 2 pm after working all night. They got up and helped get everything on the table and visited for a short time and went back to bed and I laid down for another nap on the couch. I got them both up to help me move furniture around to get ready for our Christmas tree. We won't put that up until Saturday night as I will be shampooing the carpet Saturday as it desperately needs it. Brother Nowling then went to work, Jessa came home from work and ate leftovers but all of us went to bed at our normal time.

I slept so sound but got up this morning to go to work but could've slept even longer, but off to work I go.

Oh, we did have one guest. Joleesa (we) are taking care of Matthew Peter's dog Kershaw while he is gone this week. She is a good dog (except for when she stinks up the house and we can't breathe ~ lol). She so likes to be loved.

Gotta run. Have a good day.

Happy Thanksgiving to those Near and Far

Christian Glitter by www.christianglitter.com


This will be a different Thanksgiving for us, Jody works tonight and tomorrow night; Joleesa is working McDonald's tonight (ugh-she's choosing to); Jessa works tomorrow 11 am - 8 pm; Jenna's in AZ but I'm still going to fix a Thanksgiving dinner and make it special. We have so much to be thankful and that's what it's all about.

We did get a very special surprise gift from Heather tonight. She stopped by our house before church and brought us a fresh out of the oven pumpkin pie. I hadn't gotten a pie because I wasn't sure what kind to get. We were actually going to go after church now we don't have to. I don't know if she'll ever know how special that gesture meant to us.

Everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving day.

Summary of my Life this past Week!

Constantly exhausted! I've been busy but still have gotten plenty of sleep but I have been tired day and night ugh!

Monday my dear husband got me something I wanted last winter so bad an autostart for my car. I asked for one with my "big" commission check and he did it. It is awesome to stand at my desk on the second floor and start my car. It takes about 10 minutes by the time I walk through the building and out to the car so this is great. That actually was a highlight of my week.

Every night it seemed like I was out doing something or working late and yet I can't remember what I did. Thursday was Brother Texter's funeral. It was a beautiful funeral and the military honor at the graveside was serene in the winter beauty and the last goodbye. There were lots of tears. He was a precious man and I look forward to seeing him again in heaven. Sister Texter desperately needs our prayers, she is so worn out and looks so lost. She came out to church yesterday morning but wasn't feeling good last night.

I'm tired of shopping and I haven't began my Christmas shopping yet (well kind of, I've done my online stuff and stocking stuffers). My shopping has been for winter boots and I've had a terrible time finding any to go over my fat ankles. I finally found some at Burlington Coat Factor. I love them, they're so warm BUT they have a bit of a wedged heel and I really didn't want that...but it was the best I could find as I had gotten desperate with all the snow we've gotten.

Because of the snow yesterday morning I was digging through my shoe box to try to find some shoes that had some substance to cover my feet and not just my little flats. Some how I did the dumbest thing, I wore two different shoes to church. They had the same size heel and both covered my feet but one has two zippers on it and the other one a decorative buckle. They look nothing a like but on my feet they felt the same. I looked at them so many times and never realized it....go ahead and laugh it gets better. I was even in front of the SS class and the zipper one was hurting my foot a little so I unzipped and took it off for a moment and put it back on, still didn't notice it ~ shaking head. When Jenna went to close out SS she hugged me and said "mom you have two different shoes on", I looked down and wanted to die. Brother Nowling told me to just take my shoes off to lead song service but I thought that would draw more attention and the floor is cement under the carpet and cold...so I put them back on and led song service. Only one person commented TO ME and the comment "was love your shoes" from one our young men...ugh. Now Brother Nowling has some more arsenol to use on me. He always uses my being directionally challenged. I told him that at least I still have my MEMORY (he forgets constantly) his response was when I really get ahlzheimers, you'll be the first to go...and then he laughed (along with Jessa) for hours, with tears rolling down his cheeks. Can you believe it, the same loving husband that got me my fabulous autostart is that mean. ~giggle

Saturday night was our youth activity and we had a lot of good laughs together. Then last night we had our VLB service and I really wanted to focus on things to be thankful for and each youth did a wonderful job of bringing the tears. I really love our youth. Please pray for them as several of them are nowing having to work Sundays. They desperately need the money but I can't believe God wants them to sacrifice this time with Him. I know HE can make it work.

Well need to get ready for work. God bless.

Houston We Have SNOW!

If you read Jenna's blog you found out we got a considerable amount of snow and we're getting more this morning. Something about that first snowfall; so beautiful puts you in the Christmas spirit. My shopping consisted of geat deals on stocking stuffers. It was fairly warm out so we walked outside around downtown. I really enjoyed myself, but days like that remind me how out of shape I am as I began to really hurt.

Homemade chicken noodle soup was a great cap on the first "significant" snowfall. Along with the first snows come accidents. Yesterday was no difference. Downtown had about 5 blocks barricaded off for I guess 4-5 hours. It turned out a semi-truck somehow rolled over a pedestrian and I didn't know it because: it's a semi-truck, it was dark, and the snow. It has got to be one of the most gruesome accidents ever as it went several blocks before another driver flagged him down as he saw the victim under the truck. You can imagine the rest. They haven't identified the victim yet, but that is a family that is really going to need prayer. THEN last night, when Brother Nowling was taking Jenna home, a couple blocks from our house their was a major accident right in front of the high school. With at least one car turned over on it's roof, from what I understand.

Life is full of so many things that are good in themselves, but if not handled, or used properly they become a detrement.

My purpose was not to be negative, as the snow is still beautiful TODAY ~smile. And I'm glad it waited until November to really come. The weather person said we are to have a cold winter with minimal snow ~ ugh. I'd rather have the snow then the cold. BUT tomorrow I get an autostart put on my car ~yippee. I work in a BIG place with a huge parking lot and I usually have to start my car and sit in a very cold car while it warms up, because by the time I walk across the parking lot I'm freezing anyway. This is a great thing.

Sorry, enough rambling, I need to get a roast in the oven and get ready for church. I hope everyone else had a great service. Several of our young people will be gone today do to work, going out of town or other things. We'll be small today, but where two or three are gathered, He'll be in the midst.

Quick note about the funeral. Brother Texture is a veteran and will be buried at Fort Richardson, having said that, the military needs 48hour notice and they're closed on Monday so the funeral won't be until Thursday or Friday.

Brother Texture, Home with the Lord

Brother Texture went home to be with our Lord at 3:23 am Friday, 11/9/07. I guess about 9:00 last night the nurse was over and said his body was shutting down and it would be a matter of hours. Sister Texture was experiencing chest pains yesterday and desperately needs our prayers. Wednesday night when I was there Brother Texture wasn't good at all. When I hugged Sister Texture she said she thought that since he was lingering for so long that maybe God was going to heal him, but she didn't want him to have live this way. She sounded very weak. The family is rejoicing over his reaching heavens gates after 50+ years of serving God. As we all know very well know, they are physically and emotionally exhausted and they will difinitely feel the loss. Our little church has one of our very precious members leave us to go to his final reward. We too will miss him and his words of encouragement; whenever we told him "God bless you", his words back to us would be "He do". Even in his last days when he was saying very little there were times he would still respond as such.

If you desire their address to send condolences, leave a comment or email me and I will forward it to you. The funeral will be at a funeral home in 2 or 3 days. The Church of God of Prophey minister who has been a long time friend of Sister Texture's and she is the nurse that has been helping them since they brought him home, will be officiating. I do not know her name, but she's been a big help to the family.

Thank you for the prayers, please keep them coming.

Brother Texture Up Date

Brother Texture is still with us. His breathing is very shallow. Actually there are times his breathing stops and then he starts in again. They actually had the whole family there tonight as they don't think he'll linger too much longer. We had church next door while they were all there. It was difficult at first but we knew we needed to. Then several took turns going over as that's what Sister Texture wanted. The grace of God is helping the family. Sister Grant has had someone at work donate vacation time to her. Between that and her sick time she's been able to be with her parents. Her sister also works for Alaska Airlines in Juneau and they are allowing her to use sick time. They appreciate the prayers, please continue. The hardest part is the waiting and watching.

It's like watching Brother Nowling's dad as he passed away several years ago. Although there's a major difference, Brother Nowling's dad wasn't saved, unless during our visits as he had me sing to him and the tears ran down his cheeks, that maybe repentence came. With Brother Texture, we know where he's going and we can celebrate his homecoming and know that we will see him again someday.

I'll try to keep everyone updated. Sister Tammi, they got your local church's Birthday card on Friday. They really appreciated it. His wall is covered with cards of love.