Sadness for the holidays............

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”

Matthew 11:28

We received news early Monday morning (22nd) that Jim's mother, Eloise Dance, had passed away. She had been battling lung cancer and undergoing treatment. Thankfully, Jim had been able to visit and spend time with her the past two weekends.

We left Texas on Monday and stayed in Arcadia, LA. until after the service on Wednesday, Christmas Eve. The past few days haven't seemed like a holiday for us, but more a time for rest and healing.

Please keep Jim and his family in your prayers.

THE NUTCRACKER

Jim and I went to the Julie Rogers Theatre on Sunday afternoon to see the Beaumont Civic Ballet's performance of The Nutcracker. It was a wonderful performance.
I have always wanted Jim to see "The Gospel According to Scrooge" performance at the Fayette Civic Center featuring John Gordon. It didn't feel like Christmas each year until we had gone to see this wonderful play. Hopefully, next year we will be able to attend the performance. However, if anyone knows how I can obtain a dvd/tape of the performance, please let me know. I realize that it will not do the play justice, but at least Jim could see it.

Eli trying to find that perfect spot......

Anyone with a dog knows the "ritual dance" a dog performs before doing their business. They sniff the ground, paw at it a little bit, dance in circles from spot to spot as if to say, "No, this is not the right spot" and move to another spot and do it all over again.

These pictures are of Eli doing his ritual dance, nervously pacing up and down the backyard fence trying to locate HIS spot under all the snow.

OK, I decided not to include the last photo, the one where he found his spot!

Houston, we have snow in SE Texas!

Arlington at Christmas

Rest easy, sleep well my brothers. Know the line has held, your job is done. Rest easy, sleep well. Others have taken up where you fell, the line has held. Peace, peace, and farewell...

These wreaths -- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. Of Harrington , Maine. The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.

(This was emailed to us by Dennis and Linda Hill, part of our extended family in South Carolina. This picture really tugs at heart strings. During this holiday season, when you see a soldier in uniform, stop and thank him/her for your freedom!)

Santa lives at the North Pole.
JESUS is everywhere.
Santa rides in a sleigh
JESUS rides on the wind and walks on the water.
Santa comes but once a year
JESUS is an ever- present help.
Santa fills your stockings with goodies
JESUS supplies all your needs.
Santa comes down your chimney uninvited
JESUS stands at your door and knocks.. and then enters your heart.
You have to stand in line to see Santa
JESUS is as close as the mention of His name.
Santa lets you sit on his lap
JESUS lets you rest in His arms.
Santa doesn't know your name, all he can say is "Hi little boy or girl, What's your name?"
JESUS knew our name before we did. Not only does He know our name,

He knows our address too . He knows our history and future and

He even knows how many hairs are on our heads.
JESUS has a heart full of love.
JESUS offers health, help and hope.
Santa says "You better not cry"
JESUS says "Cast all your cares on me for I care for you.
Santa's little helpers make toys
JESUS makes new life, mends wounded hearts,

repairs broken homes and builds mansions.
Santa may make you chuckle but
JESUS gives you joy that is your strength.
While Santa puts gifts under your tree,
JESUS became our gift and died on the tree.
It's obvious there is really no comparison.
We need to remember WHO Christmas is all about.
We need to put Christ back in Christmas.Unknown Author

At a time when people all around us are losing their jobs, work hours being cut back, sickness and personal problems, isn't it time that we focused more on Jesus! Yes, I too, love to watch children's faces light up when we talk about Santa coming to see them. But, Santa can NOT bring us what we are looking for.

Enjoy a wonderful Holiday season, but remember what the celebration is really about!

Tears of Joy.............

"Your hands made me and formed me..." Psalm 119:73

It is going to be a LONG wait until June 15, 2009! I started crying the moment Dan and Krisha told us the news, and have cried many tears of joy since that wonderful day.

While Krisha and I were shopping at Persnickety in Fayette on Friday (a cute gift, assessories and floral shop), I became "over joyed" with tears as we browsed through the many beautiful items for babies.

One item in particular caught my eye, it was a white receiving gown with the above footprints and Bible verse on it. However, the shop only had one ...and we need two of everything! I do not care if it is two pink items, two blue items or one of each! Those two babies are already a HUGE part of our family!

Please continue to say a special prayer for the babies and for Krisha. She is still experiencing a lot of nausea.

Getting over the Thanksgiving Holiday and starting Christmas...

I need to say this first, and then I'll have it out of the way...

Jim, Eli and I had a great Thanksgiving.....we were in Sweet Home Alabama! We were worried about Eli making the trip, but I got a prescription of Ace from the vet, and he did wonderfully.

Dan and Krisha stayed so busy visiting with all of their extended families during the holiday, but our time with them is always precious to us. We were able to get their tree decorated and put out other Christmas decorations. They were so blessed at their holiday shower, they will never have to buy any decorations.......except for the twins!

We went to Wayne and Anita's Thursday night for our family Thanksgiving dinner. As always, we ate too much! However, we had a great time with Chloe.

On Friday Krisha and I did a little shopping for Christmas decorations (for me) while Jim and Dan stayed busy doing something!

Saturday we had a GREAT day getting ready for the Iron Bowl. Jim and Dan smoked chicken wings while Krisha and I prepared the finger foods and other goodies. Danyell came to watch the game with us. Poor Dan, he was out numbered! We had four Alabama fans, (well, actually six if you consider both Beau and Eli wear Alabama collars!) and only one Auburn!! Did I say, poor Dan? I realize that it was very difficult for him, but hey, he has had the bragging rights for the past six years! It was time to give them back to the rightful owners!!! (Dan, we love you!)

Since returning to Texas I have s-l-0-w-l-y started to get out (ok, Jim got all of the decorations out of the attic) our Christmas decorations and getting everything looking festive. I have finally gotten up our main tree, Boyd Bear tree, and Eli's tree. But, that's it so far. Maybe by tomorrow I'll be finished with the rest of the house........then I have to start Christmas shopping!

First Glimpse

We treasure this first glimpse of you,

the amazing miracle of life is true.

So small, yet awesome in what you’ll become.

Grow strong and healthy, our little ones.

We are here, dreaming and waiting, wishing, preparing, anticipating,

Each day is a step closer to life anew, each day a touch closer to holding you.

Unknown Author

Finally, we can share the news...........

I'm sure many of you have been wondering what the situation was that Jim and I have been praying so much about, finally we can share the news! Dan and Krisha are expecting!!!!!! YES, Jim and I are going to be grandparents!!!!

Dan and Krisha went today for their first ultrasound and to hear the baby's heatbeat for the first time.

I'm sure most people get tired of seeing these ultrasound photos that really don't show you anything other than what looks to be a butterbean....WELL, this isn't just any butterbean, this is OUR butterbean!



AND, in fact, it isn't just one
butterbean
it is TWO!
YES, TWINS!!!!









We are so thrilled.
When Krisha called today
I said , "Wasn't it the most beautiful thing in the world to hear it's heatbeat for the first time!"
and her reply was, "You mean THEIR heatbeats." God is wonderful, isn't he! Please pray with us that things will continue to progress as they should and that Krisha will not be sick. She has really been suffering with morning sickness......that last all day.

The babies are due June 15, 2009.

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him." (I Samuel 1:27)


The top picture is Baby A, to the right is Baby B, and the bottom picture is both of them!

A stranger and a scripture................

Recently, Jim and I were given a situation to pray about. Every day both of us were asking God to hear our prayers and to stand beside us concerning the situation. I know that God heard us, but at the same time (being human) as I was praying one night I just said, "God, I know you heard me the first time I brought this to you, and you've heard me every day since. And, I have total faith and have put it in your hands....but, could you just help me to reach the point that I know you've totally taken it from our hands and it is in yours."
The next day as I was walking out of Walmart, a total stranger came up to me and patted me on the shoulder and he said, "I have something to tell you, God is answering your prayers," and he turned to walk away. I was speechless for a second, then I said to him as he walked away, "Wait a minute," and I explained to a total stranger what I'd been praying about and he just smiled and replied, "He has heard you."

Isn't it funny how sometimes a total stranger can convince us of something that no one else can?

***********************************************

All of us realize these are tough times. Our nation's economy is in serious trouble and it is frightening to think about what the future may hold. So many people are losing their homes, jobs and security.
Every day Jim and I find ourselves saying special prayers for our family and friends that may be in jeopardy of losing their jobs, or that have already lost them.
As I was reading my Bible, and praying about changes that were happening to those close to us, God lead me to this scripture:

But now, this is what the Lord says -

he who created you, he who formed you,

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have summoned you by name: you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.

When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames

will not set you ablaze.

For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, you Saviour;

Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you,

Do not be afraid, for I am with you."

(Isaiah 43: 1-5 NIV)

Happy Halloween!

After looking and reading all the blogs with everyone's children dressed up for Halloween, I couldn't resist..........(as I've stated before, if you don't like to read about Eli, our English Bulldog, you are on the wrong page!) I have posted some of Eli's past Halloween pictures and some of his Myspace friends dressed up for Halloween too!




















Above is Eli in his costume, then we tried it on Beau, (Krisha's baby & Eli's brother) below:

Beau looks very, very serious in his pose. He has ALWAYS taken a good picture, he will pose for the camera, however Eli runs under the bed when he sees one!

Eli LOVES when the children ring the doorbell and shout Trick or Treat. He tries walking out the door and going with them too! Last year, after all the children had stopped coming by, Eli kept going to the door and just sitting there....waiting. So, Jim and I being the wonderful parents that we are, took turns.......one of us would go outside and ring the doorbell and shout Trick or Treat, while the other one gave out candy! Eli finally caught on and decided it wasn't fun anymore.

Vinnie

Petunia <

Bullie >

Brody <

Daisy>

Fannie

Guinness<

We hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween!!!

Lubba, Eli and Family

Books we recommend................

Jim and I both loved to read. Some of our favorite authors are John Grisham, David Baldacci, Robin Cook, Sandra Brown, and James Lee Burke. Of course, added to my favorite list would be Jimmy Buffett's books too.


I must confess, recently I spent several days consumed in the powerful pages of the "Twilight Saga" books by Stephenie Meyer. There are four books, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. A description of the books? Boy meets girl, they fall in love and try to live happily ever after. (did I mention that he is a vampire? or that her best friend turns into a werewolf?) WARNING: Have time to read once you begin, because you will not be able to stop until you have finished the last page of the fourth book!


HOWEVER, the books that I really want to give top billing to are below:

Multiple Bles8ings
I started and finished this book today. I'm sure all of you are familiar with the TV show "Jon & Kate plus 8", chronicling the daily lives of a family with twins and sextuplets. However, the book is more their story of faith and their trust in God to provide the strength and resilience to get through each day. Each chapter begins with a Bible verse relating to the story. It is their story of putting situation after situation into God's hands and his wonderful blessings upon their beautiful family.


The Shack

Jim and I both deeply enjoyed reading this book. It takes you away from religion and gives you an intimate visit with God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. The God in this book, is the type of God I truly believe is real. The way he loves us, forgives us and never forsakes us.

Synopsis:
Mackenzie Allen Philips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later, in this midst of his great sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. Against his better judgment he arrives at the shack on wintry afternoon and walks back into his darkest nightmare. What he finds there will change his life forever.


Rescuing Sprite
This book brings tears of joy and tears of sorrow. It is about a dog adopted from a local shelter, named Sprite. The family's lives would never be the same after Sprite arrives, nor will yours after reading the book! This is a must read for anyone that has ever loved and lost a family pet.

I Love you, Ronnie

This is a collection of love letters written by Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan. Reading the emotion he put into these letters is breath-taking. You get lost in the depth of their love and the total committment of this couple. Regardless of your political views about Ronald Reagan as our President, this book will warm your heart and soul.
I remember asking Jim to read the book before we were married, asking him if he could love me just half as much as Ronnie loved Nancy, and if so, our lives would be filled with love forever.
I even chose our wedding date, March 04, because it is Ronnie and Nancy's wedding date too!

******************************

So, if you are looking for a good book to read, that will tug at your heart strings a little bit, cause you to hug your loved ones a little harder (even your pets!) and give you an intimate visit with God, then I recommend one of these books!

A win, is a win...........................

Enough said about this week's game against Ole Miss. Here are some pictures of us watching the game.




Jim gets very upset during the second half, usually he sits on the

edge of the
table, then has to walk around outside!

Eli and I, on the other hand,

stay with them to the very end!

ROLL TIDE ROLL

Eli isn't feeling well, please keep him in your prayers!

MONDAY UPDATE ON ELI

Eli has been able to keep some food and water down this morning. I processed his dry food in the food processor (into a powder) and he was able to eat it slowly. His doctor has suggested that I keep him off all of his medications for another 24 hours. However, if he continues to vomit everything he consumes, the next step will be to do an ultrasound of his stomach.

Thanks everyone for keeping him in your prayers!!!

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. (John 15:7)

*******************************************************************

A righteous man cares for the needs of his animal..............Proverbs 12:10

I took Eli to the specialist on Wednesday concerning his liver condition. Naturally, he had to be put through all of the blood work again so that Dr. Hunter could have a baseline to start treatment. Eli will be monitored for a month while continuing the Denosyl (liver medication) and he will also begin taking Chlorpheniramine (same as humans take OTC, called Chlor-Trimeton) for his allergies.

Also, to help determine if his allergies are food related, he is no longer allowed ANY table foods, (not even cheese to help with taking his medications!) and will be consuming only Purina DRM and IVD Whitefish and Potatoes, which is a prescribed diet. This food is designed for the management of dogs with allergic dermatitis. It contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, and unique protein sources, such as salmon meal, trout and canola meal that most dogs have not been exposed to in the past. Therefore, they will be less likely to produce an allergic reaction.

And yes, this diet will help Eli in eliminating some of that excess weight he is carrying. He has lost six pounds, but Dr. Hunter wants him to lose ten more!









However, one problem that Eli has always had when it comes to eating his food, he WOOFS it down. No vacuum cleaner could have better suction than he does when it comes to eating. But, as soon as it is woofed down, it starts to projectile back out! So, having him on a dry diet is difficult, because he doesn't chew the food and it bloats his stomach. We have tried putting water on the food, giving him four small meals per day, but nothing successful as of yet has worked.

Wednesday morning before going to the doctor he was vomiting. Thursday he kept all of his meals down, BUT.....on Friday everything that went down - came up. I sat in the recliner and held him all day (He did allow me to get up for bathroom breaks a few times). Saturday morning he ate and kept it down, but he was still feeling bad, so I held him all day again. Saturday night he began throwing up sips of water. Sunday morning I got up and started out letting him take a few sips of water, but it came right back up. So, I called the doctor's office and was told to wait several hours and not let him have anything by mouth, except ice chips. Well, guess what.........the ice chips came back up too!

We will be going to the office in the morning! We want to make sure that he isn't dehydrated, plus determine if these medications and foods need to be changed. Please keep Eli in your prayers!!!!

Belated Birthday wishes and a visit to a specialist for Eli

Although most all of the damages we suffered from Hurricane Ike have all been repaired, he still seems to be finding ways to annoy us. Our telephone service has been out since September 25, which also meant that we didn’t have DSL for the internet. AT&T workers came this week to dig up our telephone lines (seems Ike’s heavy rains caused the underground lines to become so wet that they shorted out) and repair the damaged lines. I could do without the house phone, we do have cells phones..........however, I was going into withdrawals without the internet.

One very, very important date that we missed getting to post about was Krisha’s 27th birthday on October 5th.

A birthday comes just once a year, so we hope it was a very special time for her. We truly missed being there with her to celebrate. (Although we gave our presents to her in September when we were home, I failed to send a birthday card! I know.....bad, bad mother!)

Krisha's birthday is as much a celebration for me as it is for her, maybe more, because she is my greatest accomplishment in life. She is truly a gift from God. Anyone who spends time with her knows what an extraordinary person she is.

Eli goes to a new doctor this afternoon. After Dr. Kimbrell (I hope everyone in the Fayette area realizes how lucky they are to have this wonderful doctor available!!! Jim and I both have so much praise for what she has done for Eli.) told us that his liver disease would be something we would have to control the rest of his life, we have decided to have him examined and cared for by a veterinarian that specializes in internal medicine. Please keep him in your prayers!!!

Our lives have returned back to normal, although there are still so many neighborhoods that haven't....and never will because of Ike. Please, please continue to pray for the people in this area.

On a brighter note, we certainly are enjoying this season's ALABAMA football!!! Jim says the games are getting too intense for him at times to watch, I just tell him , "That's Bama football!"