Thanksgiving Quiz

I found this on Linda's blog and thought it looked like fun:

You Are The Stuffing

You're complicated and complex, yet all your pieces fit together. People miss you if you're gone - but they're not sure why.

What Part of Thanksgiving Are You?

I'm not too sure how I feel about this!!!

Beth

I had one of the happiest days in my life fourteen years ago today! My daughter, Elizabeth Jayne, was born! Life has never been the same. She has brought so much joy into my life. She was a good baby, a cute toddler (except at bedtime!), a fun preschooler, a sweet little girl, and now she is a funny, interesting, helpful, beautiful, caring, and Jesus-Loving teenager! I've always been told "just wait until she hits the teenage years!" Well, I'm so excited about these teenage years so far! My daughter is just getting better and better! We have lots of fun together, whether it's at home or shopping or going to church...playing games or doing school work. I love her and I'm so thankful to God for giving me such a precious daughter!

I love you, Beth!

I am thankful for

so many things!

Tonight we had a Thanksgiving service at church. We were given a time where we could stand up and give a testimony or tell what we are thankful for. I wanted to stand up so badly, but every time I started to do so I'd feel the tears start to come. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to be understood through my tears, so I didn't say anything. :o( So, I will say what I wanted to say here:

I am thankful for my husband and for modern medical technology! For anyone that doesn't know, my husband Neal was diagnosed in March with an aneurysm in his aorta. His only real option was to have his aorta replaced. If he let it go he would be a walking time bomb, and his aorta could have ruptured at any time.

(Miracle #1 was that they found the aorta!)

On April 8th Neal entered the hospital and had a catherization. Other than the aorta and his defective aortic valve, his heart was very healthy. No blockages (Miracle #2).

On April 9th at around 5:30 in the morning, they wheeled my beloved off to surgery. It was one of the scariest moments of my life. We had enjoyed a wonderful time of prayer together around 3:00 in the morning. He told me that although he wanted to live, that he was also okay with dying. He was sure of his salvation through Jesus Christ, and everything would be okay.

The waiting room rapidly filled with my family and friends. It was a wonderful testimony to Neal that so many people came out to support him! There were even more people who were supporting us through prayer that could not be at the hospital. We are so thankful to all of them!

The next 8 days were an emotional roller coaster. His heart didn't start back on its' own, so he had to have an external pacemaker. The bottom of his heart wasn't working at all. I prayed and asked others to join me in prayer that his bottom half of his heart would start working. The doctor didn't give us much hope on Saturday. He was very discouraged. On Sunday morning Neal's heart was beating on its' own! Praise God! The top and bottom were not "communicating" but his heart could beat without the pacemaker. They took it off on Monday. He was discharged Tuesday. We had a couple of days at home and went back on Thursday for them to check his heart beat and see if the top and bottom were communicating yet. Not long after we arrived at the doctor's office his heart rate dropped into the 30's and they could not get a blood pressure. (Another Miracle -- it happened at the doctor's office). I immediately took Neal to the hospital and he received a pacemaker the next day. (Thank you, God, for modern medical technology!)

Friday night we returned home and that was the start of his real recovery. He spent two months at home before he went back to work. It was another miracle how God provided for our financial needs during that time!

Today Neal is healthier than he has been in years. He is stronger and working out more and more. His color is good, and he feels good. I am so thankful to God for giving Neal good medical attention, good friends, and a new lease on life!

I love him more than I can say, and if I could have said anything tonight at church, I would have at least said "Thank you, God, for my husband!"

Neal's Addition to the Husband Meme

I know many people do not read the comments, so I thought I would post what Neal wrote about the previous "Husband Meme."

I would also have to add liver, cooked carrots, and salmon to foods I don't like.

I like any kind of sandwich that I happen to be eating that particular day - but my favorite is a Whopper with extra pickles. Other than that I will eat anything if necessary. I am ready for the Great Depression II where we have to eat rocks and twigs and stuff like that including the parts that now go into souse and hotdogs.

I REALLY dont like sweaters - they are hot and itchy and you can't take them off.

So, there you go...Neal's revision to my aforementioned post! But my question is "what is souse???"

Husband Meme

I read this over at Marsha's blog, and thought it would be fun to do!

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? He's watching Fox News or Spongebob!

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? It would depend on the restaurant and the salad. If he gets his favorite Buffalo Chicken Salad, then he would order Blue Cheese Dressing. His favorite dressing at home is Ranch.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? There's not much he doesn't like, but I'd say his two least favorite food items are sweet potatoes and cinnamon.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? We don't go out to bars, but he occasionally has to go with work. I think he orders sweet tea or a soft drink.

5. Where did he go to high school? Amherst County High School in Amherst, VA.

6. What size shoe does he wear? 9.5 wide

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Hmmm...probably tools

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? This is so difficult because he doesn't get stuck on one of anything...however, I would guess and say a Club sandwich from Subway. (what would you say, Neal?)

9. What would he eat every day if he could? Probably a spinach salad. He loves anything green!

10. What is his favorite cereal? He doesn't eat cereal anymore, but when he did his favorite was Basic 4.

11. What would he never wear? As soon as I'd say he'd never wear something, he'd probably wear it. But I know he has a strong dislike for sweaters!

12. What is his favorite sports team? This one's easy: Virginia Tech Hokies Football team!

13. Who did he vote for? McCain/Palin!

14. Who is his best friend? That would be...ME! :o)

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Snore!

16. How many states has he lived in? Two: Virginia and Georgia

17. What is his heritage? Redneck! lol No, I'm not really sure. His family's like mine...we've been here in America for more years than any of us know!

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? Trouble! He hates cake (oh, I forgot that one up above!!) I usually make him a big cookie or a cheesecake.

19. Did he play sports in high school? No, with his heart condition he wasn't allowed to play sports. He did like to play football in the front yard though!

20. What could he spend hours doing? In the summer he could spend hours working in the yard and garden. He loves working with his plants and doing landscaping.

21. What's something cool about him? The "coolest" thing about Neal is his love for our family. He would rather be home with us than anywhere else. It was not a problem at all when he had to spend two months at home earlier this year. It was hard for us to have him leave and go back to work!

Neal is a great husband and father and I love him very much!

Fridays Fave 5

I had so much fun doing Fridays Fave 5 last week, that I decided to give it another go. Again, Susanne at Living to tell the Story is hosting it. If you want to read more, or join in, click on the picture above.

Here's my Fave 5 for the week of November 16th:

1. Our Fireplace: When we built our house six years ago, we did not put in a fireplace. Neal said that if we wanted to add one down the road, we could get a mantle and gas logs. We did that at the end of the season last winter, but we are really enjoying those logs now! This week has been unseasonably cold. When we woke up Thursday morning we were out of gas! Yikes! Neal filled up our tank and we had a fire again Thursday night. The Fireplace has been one of my very favorite things this week!

2. Fat Ladies -- no, not real fat ladies...just cookies that will make ladies fat. I got this recipe from the blog Mocha with Linda:

FAT LADIES

1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 6 oz. package chocolate chips
32 caramels, unwrapped
¼ c. half & half
1 c. chopped pecans (or your choice of nut)

Cut dough into ¼ inch thick slices and press into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until light brown. Cool slightly. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Melt caramels in half & half and spread over top. Sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate. Indulge!

3. Home school Moms: Home school mothers are a special breed of ladies! I'm not just saying that because I'm one, but after spending the evening with 14 other HS moms last night I know how special they are. As I listened to these ladies share their joys and struggles, it was so evident how much time and effort each one puts into their children's education. I'm proud to be a home school mom!

4. Lower gas prices! I was so happy to fill up my gas tank for $20.65 instead of $40!!! Yaah! I'll enjoy it while it lasts.

5. Time with my best friend - I've had two times this week when I was able to spend time with my best friend, Tammy. On Wednesday we spent time menu planning together, and this afternoon she rode along with me to take Ben to basketball practice. We had a couple of hours to talk and ride around. It was so nice! We've been best friends for about 26 years. We went to high school together in Ohio and came here to Virginia at the same time. We met "local boys" and got married and only live about 3 miles apart. She is such a blessing to me!

Thanks for reading about my week and some of my favorite things!

My Christmas Present

Check out what Neal got me for Christmas (just a wee bit early)at my cooking blog:

Teresa's Table

Overheard

while the kids were playing their Wii:

Ben to Beth: "You've got the brains, and I've got the bronze!"

(sounds like we need to increase our vocabulary class!)

Christian Book Give-A-Way!

I love give-aways...although I've never one an on-line giveaway before, it's fun to post my little comment and hope for the best! I absolutely LOVE to read Christian fiction books, so this is a double whammy!

Linda over at "Mocha with Linda" is starting a give-away tomorrow (November 17th). I can't wait to see what book she's giving away. So, if you want to join in and have a chance of winning a free book, click on the "Booked for the Holidays" link above on Monday. Good luck!

Sky Watch Friday

It's been a few weeks since I did Sky Watch Friday, so I really wanted to get back to it! Even though it's already Saturday, I'm going to join in. These pictures were taken about 30 minutes ago. Some were from my back deck and others were from my front porch. The leaves are falling and it's starting to look like winter here. There are still some leaves hanging on though...even through the heavy rain we had earlier this morning! A cold front is supposed to come through this afternoon...maybe next week's sky watch will have snow in it! :o)

For more Sky Watch photos click HERE!

Fridays Fave Five

This is something new that I haven't tried before. Fridays Fave Five. You're supposed to list five of your favorite things from the week. It doesn't have to be anything big, just something that brought you happiness during the week. :o) I found this over at Linda's 2nd Cup of Coffee, but it originally came from "Living to tell the Story."

So here we go...five of my favorite things from the week of November 9th!

1. "There's No Place Like Home" After a difficult week last week, my family and I were totally worn out on Sunday. We always go to church, but my husband made an "executive decision" to stay home this past Sunday. Although we missed the fellowship at church, we realized how much we needed that day at home. We all slept in very late. I got up around 11:00, and Ben had gotten up sometime shortly before me. Neal and Beth both slept past noon. We spent a day together talking, eating, reading and watching movies. I was so refreshed after that, and I'm very thankful my husband made that decision for us! (but I look forward to going to church this Sunday!)

2. "Routine" The past month has been all out of routine for us. I worked several days during October leading up to the elections. Although the kids were able to continue with their schooling, it's not the same as when I'm here all the time. So, this week we got back on track and had a great week of school!

3.Ben celebrated his 11th Birthday! This boy is so precious to me! He was definitely one of my Fave 5 this week!




4.Although the telephone is an annoyance to me a lot of the time, I was so happy when it rang last night and it was Neal's cousin Ruthie. She called because she knew I'd had a difficult week last week and she wanted to "be there for me." I live in Virginia and Ruthie lives in Connecticut, so it's pretty difficult to give each other a hug. :o) So, she did the next best thing and gave me a call! What a great surprise! (Thanks Ruthie!!!)

5.Although he may not think so, I enjoyed listening to and watching Neal watch the Va Tech game. I do not enjoy sitting down and watching the game, so I make periodic stops in the living room to see what's going on. I love seeing him there with his orange wig on, yelling at the players. :o) Ever since Neal's surgery in April, I am often hit unexpectedly with waves of emotion and thankfulness about Neal. This morning was one of those times. I was sitting reading my Bible when something made me think of how helpless he was right after surgery. It makes me cry typing about it. I'm so thankful that the Lord allowed us to find his aneurysm in time to fix it, and I'm thankful that he is here to wear a silly orange wig and yell at people on a tv screen that cannot hear him!

Ben

Eleven years ago this afternoon, I gave birth to a precious little baby boy. He weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs, 7 oz! We called him our little Sumo wrestler. He was so cute! We named him Benjamin Ward, and he has brought us so much joy his entire life!

Ben has a gentle, giving spirit. He loves to do for others, and hates it when he sees people mistreated. He's very sensitive.

Ben also enjoys playing super heroes, reading, playing piano, listening to his Christian music cd's, watching movies, playing the Wii, and spending time with his family. (Sounds like I'm advertising him for a dating service, doesn't it?)

Anyway, we love this guy! And we are so thankful to God for bringing him into our lives!

This is Ben in his new jacket he got for his birthday. It's reversible, and you can see the other side in the picture at the top of this post.

Ben enjoy his musical birthday card. ("Hey now, you're an All Star, get your game on, go Play!")

Neal called this the "Breakfast of Champions!" Ben requested sausage balls and I threw in his favorite donut and a freshly made fruit smoothie!

HAPPY 11th BIRTHDAY, BEN!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm a GREAT-Aunt!

Actually I've been a great aunt for over 30 years (ahem) but now for the second time I'm a real "Great-Aunt!" My niece, Susie, gave birth last night to Robert Daniel ______________, III. They will call him Daniel (we have lots and lots of Roberts/Robbies/Bobby's/Bobs, etc in our family). He was three weeks early and weighed in at 5 lbs, 10 oz, and is 19 inches long! He, of course, is beautiful! Even though I have not actually seen a picture of him yet, I know this without a shadow of a doubt. How could it be any other way?!!!

The coolest thing is that he was born on my Mom's birthday yesterday! So he shares his birthday with his Great Grandma -- GiGi.

We are so happy for Susie and Robbie and my brother Bob and his wife Debbie.

Didn't I tell you "God is Good?!"

Life is Hard, but God is Good!

As I was driving to a friend's house yesterday, I heard this song on the radio. Pam Thum is the artist. I think they played it just for me...they can do that, you know. I think God placed a special request just for me. :o) Here are the lyrics:

You turn the key
Then close the door behind you
Drop your bags on the floor
You reach for the light
But there's darkness deep inside
And you can't take it anymore

'Cause sometimes living takes the life out of you
And sometimes living is all you can do

Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good

You start to cry
'Cause you've been strong for so long
And that's not how you feel
You try to pray
But there's nothing left to say
So you just quietly kneel

In the silence of all that you face
God will give you His mercy and grace

Jesus never said
It was an easy road to travel
He only said that you would never be alone
So when your last thread of hope
Begins to come unraveled
Don't give up, He walks beside you
On this journey home and He knows

Life is hard, the world is cold
We're barely young and then we're old
But every falling tear is always understood
Yes, life is hard, but God is good

I love this song! It made me cry, but it encouraged me too. God has allowed various trials in my life this year, and I'm okay with that. I have learned from each one of them. Hopefully I won't forget what I've learned! I pray that He won't have to hit me over the head too many times in order for me to listen!

Thank you to all of you who have been praying for me this past week. You know who you are! :o) It's wonderful to have precious friends like you!

April

Beautiful April and her husband, Paul.

***April went home to be with the Lord last night. She is already missed by many! Please continue to pray for her family.***

Update

The family have been told that April is not going to make it. The swelling on her brain is too severe.

April's parents are in the process of traveling to Virginia right now.

Please continue to pray!

Please Pray!

Today my friend, April, had a sky-diving accident. She was tandem diving and apparently her chute did not open, and the other person fell on top of her. ***Correction*** Her chute did open, but she and the instructor got tangled before the landing. She landed underneath the instructor.*** To my understanding, she has been unresponsive and unable to breathe on her own since the accident. She is in very critical condition. April has two daughters -- Anna is 13 and Emily is 8 or 9.

Please pray!