Growing Pains

Our family is feeling the growing pains as we go into the holidays. Marriage for Jessa means she will be starting her own traditions. With Joleesa expecting her mind is on her baby. We have a son-in-law and our granddaughter's daddy/Joleesa's boyfriend to add into our celebrations. We had everyone here for Thanksgiving. PTL Dallas came, stayed and visited (sucking on a pink pacifier while watching movies ~ grinning and shaking head ~I'm glad he felt comfortable enough to goof off). It was a good Thanksgiving but it was difficult for me to figure out what our three grown girls roles were suppose to be on Thanksgiving. Unfortunately they're not ones to define them on their own. Well maybe they did; no longer kids so I'm not to tell them what to do but they're not ones to just pitch in. Maybe because in the past I've made them feel like if they didn't do it my way it was wrong. That was never my intention. I guess I just hoped there were some things that I've done over the years that they liked enough to do it because their mom did it. Jody fit into his role perfectly as he goofed off at the table keeping everyone at ease.

Now as we go in the Christmas season I'm feeling the growing pains even greater. The shopping is quite the challenge but add to that to having two adult girls in our home that would like to have a home of their own to be decorating puts a subdued excitement on it. See the three girls taste is as different as their personalities. Jessa loves the rustic, old fashion Christmas decorations and is thrilled to be able to decorate her place to that theme. Jenna is the more modern, while Joleesa seems to be the more traditional. I am one that doesn't mind CHANGE when it comes to decorating. I'm ok with whatever they want to do. I just want them to come together and enjoy doing it and enjoy doing it together. My days of refereeing SHOULD be over but it doesn't seem to be. Mom the peacemaker is still my major role. Thus taking away some of the fun.

I'm sitting here in the living room with baby stuff in the dining room next to an undecorated Christmas tree and a few decorations sitting around; we need to bring the rest of the Christmas stuff up. We all want everything to be decorated but no one seems to be motivated enough to do the heavy work that comes with it. Jody works weekends while I work the week days making it very difficult for the two of us to do it. I don't have the strength to do it myself so we'll see how long it takes to all come together.

I know the growing pains are only just beginning. I also know that they're not a bad thing it's just another thing for me to find my way through. My apologies for the melancholy spirit. I'll work through it. Lord help me find my way as only You can do.

Dinner and shower

Let's see last Friday Micah and Megan, a young couple from our church had Brother Nowling and me over for dinner. Other than Jessa and Levi we haven't been over to anyone's house to dinner since moving here. We're the ones having people over. They out did themselves. It was better than some of the fanciest restaurant's. We had steak and scallops. I've never had scallops as it's seafood and I don't like seafood usually so I won't spend the money to ever try it, because in my mind I won't like it. Micah did a Mediterranean marinate in it and it was AWESOME. We had to laugh because he said he spent the day trying different recipes before he settled on that one. It was good. We hand Quinoia, which we also had never had before but both of us loved and Brother Nowling kept hounding me to get the recipe so this weekend I'm sure I'll be picking up some. We had asparagus with a mushroom sauce over it and then stuffed tomatoes. Dessert was homemade apple crisp. The whole meal was great. The two of them worked together in the kitchen and there wasn't any part of it that didn't turn out. We enjoyed visiting with just the two of them also. Usually there's others around. I know I told them before but I want to tell them publicly on my blog Micah and Megan thanks so very much. That was very special for us and meant a lot to us.

Saturday was our youth Bible study at Tim and Larry's and we had a good turn out and a great Bible study. Then Sunday morning Jenna asked if I wanted to teach the youth if there weren't anyone for the adult class. I love teaching our youth. They all really get involved and I love it. Sunday night was VLB's and the Lord really blessed.

Now for the shower...I decided to do Joleesa's baby shower early so she would know what she needed and have time to plan financially for things AND Christmas. So several weeks ago Jenna made the invitations and we sent them out to the coworkers at the newspaper, church people, her friends from when she worked at McDonalds, Target, and Captain Cook Hotel. By Monday before it looked we would have about 30 people attending and I was freaking out. The day of we had some cancellations and I was ok with it. Because it was a work night (because Jessa didn't USUALLY work Tuesdays) I decided I would fix tacos for everyone. One of the ladies brought taquitos and jalapeno poppers and another gal from work made mini cupcakes for me (and she wound up being sick and couldn't come but made sure I got the cupcakes). Jessa brought the chips and did dip. It turned out we only had 13 in attendance but it was good party. Jenna had taken the day off and finished up the cleaning and added some more decorations. She made a great diaper cake and put up pregnancy pictures up around the cake. As people came in I encouraged them to eat and then we started the games. We had a total of 5 games. "My water broke" where they melted the ice cube and got the pacifier out. The Wright game where a story was read and the prize was passed around going right and left as the story used those words. Naming the items on the tray with tiebreaker of describing what Joleesa had on. The pin game where they couldn't say "baby" or "Joleesa" or they'd lose their pacifier off their pin. That became really tough as I had them o around the room and introduce themselves and how they knew Joleesa. The string game where they cut off a piece of yarn the length that they thought would go around Joleesa's baby belly. And then those that brought diapers put their name in for a drawing. It was fun and went well. Then she opened her gifts. She got some great gifts. She could mark several "needs' off her list BUT she's grounded from buying more clothes in the 0-3 month size. The shower ended with Jenna giving the grandmother's a picture of the baby's parents. A b&W picture that she took of Dallas and Joleesa that was she printed out and framed. It was a great end.

It still seems so seril that there's going to be baby in the house. That I'm going to be a grandma.

This weekend is our youth activity. Jenna's in charged and we're having a picture scavenger hunt (fitting) and then coming back to our place for home made pizza.

So every week is something and I'd not have it any other way.

What's Been Happen'

It's been a while since I've posted because not a lot of things going on here. October was a good month at work. As a whole the advertising had the best month they've had in a very long time. We actually beat budget which maybe only occurred once all year. AND I made "Big Bear" (sales person of the month)which also it had been a very long time (a year ago September actually; actually I won for September). I was totally shocked and everybody loved the shock expression. Joleesa had a good October too.

Two weeks ago Sunday I went to Bethel and covered their morning service in Brother Grant's absence. I stayed with Sister Connie Peter and I enjoyed my time with her and Isaiah and Sarah came over Saturday evening and we played aggravation with Ernie and her older foster kids. Oh my it's been a long time since I've been around kids. You actually look away for a moment and one or another is cheating. Oh but wait a minute I think I've known of some adults that are like that ~ smile. That Sunday night we had an evangelistic service and Brother Nowling said he wanted me to lead an extended time of worship. At first it was really tough for my spirit was feeling heavy but we came to a place of a true HOLY worship and it was great. I so love to worship the Lord. We get so caught up in asking the Lord for things all the time, to lose ourselves in His love, bringing you to that holy place with you and Him is awesome. That's what it was like that night.

Things have slowed down for November at work though. We have Joleesa's baby shower next Tuesday. It looks like there will be approximately 20 people at the shower. Between church, her former co-workers and current ones. When I first told her how the rsvp's were coming in her response was "wow, it'll make up for my graduation open house". She had only two people come to graduation open house. Isaiah Peter came from Bethel and then one of her co-workers from McDonalds. We had been here only a year, but still it was sad because we really thought some people would show and they didn't. She never let on to her disappointment as the girls and the two guys went off and found somethng to do. But three years later she showed me really how much it did affect her. Any way, it's on a Tuesday night right after work so I'll be doing tacos. One of our co-workers are going to make mini-cupcakes for the shower, while another one is going to make taquitos. Though these kind of things are not my forte, I know there's a lot of things she needs and these people want to help her and I hope to make it fun. I still have struggles that go on within me over the circumstances but there's a baby girl going to be coming into the world and I want Joleesa and her to know they both are loved.

Thanksgiving is going to be even more exciting for us this year. I am thrilled to have Levi be with us. Then we'll have Matthew Peter joining us at our table as he's not able to go open AND please help me pray, I've invited Joleesa's boyfriend Dallas to join us. He has not committed. It would mean so much to all of us for him to be present. We really don't know this young man and yet he is a big part of Joleesa's life. So please help me pray.

Obviously after Thanksgiving the Christmas preparations begin. We have our youth Christmas party. Jessa has a women's tea planned, and then Brother Nowling and I'll be putting on our Christmas dinner again.

Then Tim Osborne is going to be getting married January 2nd so I want to do a little shower for her. So in the midst of Christmas celebrations I've decided the best way to do it is to take her to her favorite restaurant and do a small shower for her. I want her to know that we are very much looking forward to her becoming a part of us.

In no time at all after Christmas it'll be baby time with Joleesa and Megan both being do in March. Megan has chosen to have her baby shower after the baby comes, when her parents are here and have it be a part of the babies dedication. So before all that takes place, I'm going to make a trip to Minnesota to see my dad for his birthday and hopefully before that make a trip to Colorado in January. Brother Nowling wants to go to men's retreat and I'll probably go and spend time with the women. So to say the least life will be busy going forward.

Oh did I tell you we've already started our Christmas shopping. I love the fact that I started already as it makes it so it's not so stressful. I love being able to take the time and look for the perfect gifts and I have to say this year has been the hardest so far seeing all the changes my family's experienced this year. Snow on the ground makes it seem right.

So now that I've rambled. Let's see how long it'll be until the next time ~ smile.