Absolutely Nothing

Children are a blessing from God.

There is absolutely nothing I love more than spending time with my kids.

This week I got to spend time with JC, Kalyn and BJ. It was a wonderful week.

I have heard people say that the infant years were their favorite time; or the toddler years; or the teen years; or they liked it when the kids were grown and gone. But I will have to say I loved every stage of raising the kids. I think I just grew with them through every stage. Yes, there were hard times and there are times I can think of that I would like to take back and redo, but I can't. I was a far from perfect mother, but with lots of prayers and Gods help, these kids still turned out great. (Of course I did not get to raise BJ - we got him when he was already done, and are very thankful we have him)

Now, I will say these three are not perfect. They can all be a little ornery. And they sure get a lot of laughs at my expense. There may be one or two things I would change(ha ha), but over all I think they are good human beings. And they all three have big hearts.

And in this mother's eyes they sure are good looking!

I am so thankful for the past week. It was fast, but wonderful. Lots of good food, lots of laughs, lots of good memories.


Gratitude: I am so thankful for JC, Kalyn and BJ.

Prayer: I pray that we get many more years together.

Two Great Minds Think Alike or Caught In The Middle?

My family has gotten a good laugh over this little incident that happened last week.

I read The Pioneer Woman blog everyday. I absolutely love it. It makes me happy and always puts a smile on my face. Kalyn also reads her blog and has cooked several of her recipes. The Pioneer Woman has been writing a cookbook and I, like all her other followers, have been reading about her whole process and looking forward to the day it would be finished.

The other day I clicked on to have my daily reading and the title is "It is Finished". Yes, she has finished the cookbook. I called JC, " Would you please do me a favor?"

JC: Sure, lady, what?

Me: Go to Pioneer Woman blog and I'll show you.

(Now keep in mind - I have done this to him often. I show him things on Pioneer Woman AND I always call him and get him to do my internet ordering for me. He is such a good son to put up with my funny quirks.)

JC: OK, I'm there.

Me: Look she has finished her cookbook! I am so excited! Please click on and preorder me two of the books. One for me and one for Kalyn for Christmas.

JC: Ok, I will.

Now, the next day - I am still so excited about all this and I am talking to JC on the phone. "Did you get my cookbooks ordered, I do not want them to sell out?"

JC: laughingly says "No I did not."

Me: What? Why not?

JC: Mom, I was just about to finish the order and Kalyn called and said "Bro, the Pioneer Woman has finished her cookbook and she will be in Austin for a book signing. You HAVE got to go to Austin for me and get one of the books signed for Mom for Christmas."

So he click on cancel. Started laughing. Told Kalyn what he had been doing and said, "I am just going to tell both of you and I will go to Austin and get both of you a signed cookbook."


JC, sorry we put you in the middle.

Kalyn, thank you for thinking of this absolutely wonderful idea for my Christmas gift. I can't wait to get it, I know it is going to be wonderful. I will also enjoy giving you yours!


Gratitude: Blogs.


Prayer: That my children will continue to always love me - even with my funny quirks.

Daddy

Father's Day weekend is coming up this weekend and I want to take a moment to remember my daddy.

I was only 15 years old when I lost my daddy. Anytime is a hard time to lose a parent, but 15 was a hard time to lose your daddy. In my eyes, I still needed him.


Dad and I had not gone through driver's training together, we had not gone through the years of me begging to stay out late, or me begging to take the car somewhere. He had not seen me grow into a woman, I had not graduated, we had not decided what I should do with my life after school. We had not finished the dating years, he had not approved of the man I was to marry. He had not walked me down the isle. He would not get to know my children. We had so much unfinished business. Still so much to do. I needed him.


To this day I have my daddy on a pedestal. I have very fond memories. I see him setting at the head of the table, laughing - his belly jiggling. I see him with Mom. I see him enjoying Mom's cooking. I see him being ornery and teasing someone. I see him in the outside swing. I see him in the recliner watching the news. I see him in a pickup driving (so slow I do not want my friends to see us! this is important at 15), I see him with sheep, hogs, Dolly, cows, chickens. But I do not see him with a cat. I see him holding a child and smiling. I see him in church. I see him pitching horseshoes, washers. I see him playing cards and domino's. And there is so much more. I can still feel the kiss on my cheek to say good night. And every night "I love you, daddy" and he would tease and say "no you don't", "yes, I do daddy".


I felt so safe when he was there and at first, so scared when he wasn't.


I still miss him. I wish he would have known who I married - his best friends boy. I wish he would have known my kids and I sure wish they would have known him. But someday when we all meet on the other side..................


Gratitude: Thank you for giving me Horton Farr for my daddy.


Prayer: Keep John safe and healthy, so our kids can have their daddy for many years.


I am so thankful God blessed me with Horton and Violet Farr as parents. I do not know why I deserved the best, but in my eyes that is what I got.




Happy Father's Day
by Tami Blackwell



Give 'em a hug, a great big kiss.
Because one day, he will be greatly missed.


My daddy has gone far away from this land,
I miss the precious touch of his loving hands.


I never knew last year was the last day,
I could look at my daddy, hug him, and say:
"I love you, Daddy! Happy Father's Day!"


Don't let one day go by without telling him
how dear he is!
Remember you may not have another year to tell him this!


All I have now is great memories, a heart
full of love and eyes full of tears, and
to remember his love throughout the years.


Now I will have to look up at the stars and say,
"I love you, Daddy! Happy Father's Day!"



Please remember when you pray, to thank your
heavenly father up above.
For your father he gave you with so much love.


"He lived, for Jesus died;
He died, for Jesus Lives."

Family Reunions

I am so thankful for family reunions. I think they are so important. And I believe they are even more important now that both our parents are gone.

As long as mom was alive, we all heard from one another through her. She was our "hub". Now it just seems harder to "keep up". And I for one miss that. I miss knowing what everyone is doing, how everyone is feeling, where folks are moving, who's having the babies and when, where everyone is going for vacations. I miss praying specifically for someone's ailment, someone's traveling, someone's hardship, someone's big move, etc. I miss not getting to hear all the special blessings each family has that I will never get to know about, because at the time of the excitement, the phone call never gets made to our "hub" so the good news will be spread.

Mom always wanted us to tone down the activities and just visit. It took her passing for me to realize the importance of this. Now I hunger for the visiting, catching up on all the news, bringing the memories up and rehashing them, making new memories, shedding a tear and laughing till our sides hurt. Enjoying the activities, seeing how much the children have grown.....so much to take in - in one short weekend. Strengthening my bonds with my siblings, my nieces and nephews. Getting reacquainted with my great nieces and nephews and meeting some for the first time.


It will be another year now till we have another reunion. And I for one am sure looking forward to it.


Gratitude: My extended family (all 100+ of you). And for family reunions.

Prayer: Safe keeping for all my family in the following year. Please take care of them, I love them all.

Fashion Terms

It is usually pretty late in the evening before John and I really get to get comfortable and just sit and relax. In the warmer months John likes to put on some shorts and an atheletic tee top and sit in his chair and run the channels.


A few nights ago, we had just sit down and started watching some TV, it was quiet in the house, peaceful. John spoke up and said, "Honey, is this what you call spaghetti straps?" (he was pointing to his tank top that he had on)


Of course, I start laughing my head off, "Noooo, that is NOT what you call spaghetti straps. If you start wearing spaghetti straps, I will be worried!"


Maybe we need to turn the TV off and start working on some fashion terms in our little abode. I would sure hate for him to tell someone he is into spaghetti straps, not a manly thing.



Graditude: Laughs.


Prayer: Help us to keep a good sense of humor.

A Heart Still Breaking

This is the hardest post I have written. I have been debating for a long time whether to write it or not. I will have to tell a secret on myself and that is hard. But maybe it will help me heal a little more.


A year ago I went to the emergency room. No one knew I was going but John and the kids. I was having heart palpatations, hurting between my shoulders and short breath, and I had been experiencing it for about a week. My family was worried and I was concerned myself. This particular day it just seemed worse. After spending the whole afternoon there - all tests came back fine. I was so embarassed, I felt like an idiot.
What was wrong with me? I made my family all promise to not tell anyone. They all got upset with me for feeling that way about myself.


But with the tests all fine, we knew what the problem was. I was grieving for my mother. We all grieve differently. There is no right or wrong way. I tend to hold it in, put up a good front. I seem to do fine most of the time. February 15 - her birthday, I am fine. April 5 - the day she passed, I tend to do fine because it is John's birthday and I focus on that. But Mother's Day just seems to hurt so bad.


No, May 11, 2008- Mother's Day - I was not having a heart attack - I just had a heart still breaking.


Gratitude: I am so thankful Violet Farr was my mother.


Prayer: Dear Lord, please continue to heal all our broken hearts.

One of My Forms of Discipline

This is a post of a memory that I want to get written down so I never forget it. I think this is funny. And I hope it has been enough years that my kids will get a chuckle out of this also.

I guess all parents come up with different ways of discipline when raising small ones - some good, some not. I am reminded of this particular "form of discipline" from time to time in church.


J.C. and Kalyn really did not argue that often, they got along most of the time. But as with all siblings living under the same roof, there is going to be an argument from time to time. When they would start raising those little voices in anger, I would start singing "Angry words, O let them never
from the tongue unbridled slip........" They would immediatly stop arguing and turn on ME, "MMMMoooooooooooooooooomm." Well, stop arguing.


Needless to say, my children do not like that song even today. But I chuckle everytime I hear it.


And you know what, I just bet they both do this same thing some day - and sorta grin when they do it.


Gratitude: Thank for our imaginations to come up with these clever ideas!


Prayer: That I REALLY take the words to that song and apply them to my life. Let me always choose my words carefully.