Trees, Trees, Trees.....

Well, I just don't know what is going on with me. I am journaling my thoughts on the internet for the world to read and I have put up four Christmas trees in our house...make that 5 (a little bitty one in the kitchen). I have had two before -- the main one and a 3 ft one in the office -- but I always wanted another big one. So here they are....

This is the little bitty tree in the kitchen:

This is the "Around-the-World" tree in my office:

I have ornaments from Belarus, India and Sweden. I really need some more countries. Hint. Hint.

Here's the new "Cowboy" Tree in the living room:

Here's the "Gold" Tree in the Dining Room:

Close-up of the gold and white ornaments:

Finally, the big "Family" Tree in the sunroom:

We may not have lights on our roof and porch, but we sure are festive on the inside. I had a fleeting thought about storage of all these trees, but .....I'll think about that .. tomorrow.

I'm "It"

11/21/07

I'm "It"

Okay, Heather, You've tagged me. Trouble is...I don't know any other blogs. So, I can't tag anyone else. Here are the rules: Link to the person who tagged you and post the rules on your blog. Share 7 random/weird facts about yourself. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post, include links to their blogs. Let each person know by leaving a comment on their blog. 1. I am sooooo impatient. I don't know why we have to ever wait for anything. Remind me of that next time Jadon wants something right now and I tell him to wait. 2. I must make the bed everyday. Can't stand messy covers. It's really hard for me not to make the bed in a hotel room. 3. I save everything. I think I already mentioned in my first blog my collection of Pez dispensers and boxes of Band-aids But, it's also papers and files and clothes and toys and everything I might possibly need some day. 4. After my father died and Gary's parents divorced, my mother married Gary's father. So, I guess I'm married to my step brother, my mother was also my step mother-in-law, oh...that's enough... 5. We've had two exchange students live with us and attend Willard High School. Yoshie Matsuura from Japan and Eric Dufva from Sweden. 6. I have a limited vocabulary in American Sign Language. I have taken several classes and for about 12 years interpreted some songs in sign for the Harmonettes gospel group. 7. Cooking is not my favorite thing normally. I do it because we have to eat, but..I love to cook on Thanksgiving day. I put my Christmas movies in (White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Little Lord Fauntleroy, Holiday Inn) and cook that turkey, dressing, noodles, sweet potatoes, deviled eggs, apple pie, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and just have the best time. And I thank God for my family, my home, my church and more blessings than I can count. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Four days in Houston

Well, I didn't realize it's been so long since I posted. But..part of that time I was in Houston, Texas visiting the kids. Friday, November 16th was Grandparents Day at First Baptist Academy where Lucas, Bailey and Micah attend school. Carlene (Doug's mom) and I drove to Tulsa on Thursday and caught a flight to Houston. Doug picked us up at the airport and took us to their house, where Wendy and the kids were waiting on the steps of their house. The kids thought they were waiting for daddy to come home. They hadn't told them we were coming. You should have seen the look on their faces when we got out of the car! Talk about making a mema's heart melt.

We had such a wonderful time. Friday morning was their reception and program at school. The kids sang so well and Lucas played his recorder with his group. Then we were ushered to their classrooms, where they had little presentations for the grandparents. One problem....three children and two grandmas. Bailey had to wait for her grandmas. We hope they adjust that little detail next year so that we can get to each child's presentation. But the whole thing was very nice. Friday afternoon we went to Ikea where the kids played in the very secure play area and Wendy, Carlene and I walked around looking at all the stuff. Great store!

On Saturday afternoon Doug was at a middle school retreat and it was raining, so we took the kids to see "Mr. Majorium's Wonder Emporium." Since Bailey's birthday is November 29th, we had a birthday party for her on Saturday night. She will turn 7 on her birthday. This is the cake Wendy made for her. She wanted one with boy stuff on one side and girl stuff on the other side. So, you see the castle in the back with a waterfall in front. The alligator and tree stump on one side with butterflies and roses on the other side. Oh, and Rapunzel in the tower.



Sunday morning we all went to church, came home for lunch, packed up our things, said our good-byes and Doug took us to the airport. It's hard to say good-bye, but, at least they will be coming home in 4 weeks.

Carlene and I were so glad that we went. We talked on the drive home from Tulsa that it would really have been a shame to miss that time with them.

Here's our Bailey!

What a Week!

I have to say that most of my days are fairly eventful. That is to say, with a really fun 3 year old and 17 month old here 3 1/2 days a week and the calls/emails for Global Encounter, I never know what to expect when each day begins.

But I just have to share about a truly eventful Wednesday night. I help with the T&T's in Awanas. Those are the 3rd-6th graders - "Truth and Training" group. My job is to listen to students say their verses that they have learned and sign off on their completed page. They are so dedicated to learning their assignment. This week was especially exciting because the Lord allowed me the privilege to pray with three 10 year old girls and hear them ask Him into their hearts! Another leader prayed with their friend, another 10 year old. They were beaming and just can't wait to be baptized! It was so obvious that the Holy Spirit had drawn them to Himself through the Word. They had been memorizing the plan of salvation and were so ready to receive Jesus as their Savior. What a glorious experience!

Well, I just heard a story today from my daughter, Wendy, about her daughter, Ruth Ann, and must share it. Ruthie turned four on October 9th this year and when anyone asks her how old she is, she says "four" (actually it sounds like "fowa"). Anyone, that is, except for her mom and dad. When they ask her how old she is, she says.. "three ("free"), see, I still have my little feet, my little arms and my little face, I'm three." We don't know if she just wants to argue or if she really thought that when she became four she would suddenly not be the littlest any more.


Ruthie's four year old picture.

The Saga Begins

Once upon a time in the small rural community of Glidewell, Missouri, there were two families who were instrumental in my appearance in this world. Glidewell is about 6 miles north of Springfield. It sets on Highway 13 and Glidewell Road. That is...old highway 13...the one that is 2 lanes but was the main state highway before the four lane one was built. On the Northwest corner was Gamblin's Grocery and Gas...on the Southwest corner was Dilley's garage...on the Southeast corner was Keiner's Korner Grocery and Gas. I'm not sure what was on the other corner, but just up the hill east on Glidewell road was the school house. Glidewell School. I think at that time it had 8 grades in four rooms, then the kids went to Willard High School. Glidwell Baptist Church was just south of the intersection. The activity in this community centered around the church and the school.

At the north end of Glidewell, on the corner of Hiway 13 and O Hiway, lived Paul and Ruby Squibb and their two daughters, Anna Lee and Wanda. They had two children who died at birth before Anna Lee was born and one daughter after Wanda...Mary Lou, who died at 9 months of age. Paul was a farmer and carpenter. Ruby was busy with the children, the house, garden and feeding farm hands.

At the south end of Glidewell, lived Carl and Elsie Murray and their four children, Jerald, Billy, Max and Ollie Mae. Carl was a farmer, and land owner. Elsie was also a homemaker with all the duties that come with a family of six.

It just so happened that Jerald Murray married Anna Lee Squibb and Billy Murray married Wanda Squibb. Max Murray married Ella Sue East (from Willard) and Ollie Mae Murray married Don McQuarter (from Willard).

Billy and Wanda were married on January 1, 1949. They didn't waste any time starting a family, because I (Donna Mae) was born on October 17, 1949. Their son, William Jerald (B.J.), was born April 21, 1952 and another daughter, Karla Kay, was born October 7, 1953.

Billy and Wanda lived on a farm of 160 acres on North Grant Street Road (today it's Farm Road 145) in a rock house. About a quarter of a mile south on the same road lived Jerald and Anna Lee and their four children, Carl David, Jeanette, Mary Lee (my age) and Andy (B.J.'s age).

When Anna Lee went to work at Commerce Bank, our cousins got on and off the bus at our house and stayed with us in the summer. When my mom went to work at Sears, we all stayed with Grandma Squibb.

Grandpa and Grandma Squibb had the best barn to play in. We climbed up to the loft and made tunnels, or forts or houses out of the bales of hay. They turned their old chicken house into a play house for us. The kitchen had a cupboard and a table and chairs. The living room had a sofa and chair and rug on the floor. There was a bookshelf with lots of books and, I think, even a lamp. We played and played in that house. They used a big part of it for storage, but we didn't even notice. That was our house! Grandma would fix lunch and bring it outside for us--always with kool-aid to drink.

Grandpa and Grandma loved to fish and sometimes took us with them. They got a boat and I can remember going to the lake with them. They also had a pond that we fished in sometimes.

Grandpa and Grandma Murray built a swimming pool and filled it with spring water (soooo cold). We learned to swim there and usually went as a family on Sunday afternoons along with the cousins. Sometimes momma would take us swimming during the week. We would stop at Gamblin's store and get a popsicle for a treat.

Grandpa Murray took us to pick walnuts one time. Then he sold them and gave us the money. He also had some horses. I think they were all Walking horses or Foxtrotters. He gave the boys each a colt to raise.

I have a scrapbook that momma put together with old family pictures and pages of family history..."Organization of Glidewell Baptist Church"; "Founding of Glidewell Community"; and "History of Glidewell School". They are so interesting to read.



To be continued.....

Why?...Because I want to, that's why.

Did I mention the reason I started this blog site? I was watching the DVD for the new Scrapbooking Bible Study, and Lisa Welchel, who wrote it, was talking about how we really need to write things down for our children and their children and on and on. "Be careful never to forget what you yourself have seen the Lord do for you. Do not let these memories escape from your mind as long as you live! And be sure to pass them on to your children and grandchildren." Deuteronomy 4:9 NLT

And, my goodness, what the Lord has done for me! I guess I first started thinking about it when I did the Bible study, "Experiencing God" by Henry Blackaby. I had to think about spiritual markers in my life. Most of them were things that, at the time, didn't seem like a God thing. But as I looked back on them, I could see that God was moving in my life...moving me to something or away from something, for His purposes.

I hope to record here some past memories and memories in the making. I have a stack of journal books that I have written in over the years. I just take spells of jotting things down. Maybe journaling in this blog will be more accessible to the grandchildren.

That's not to say I won't get sidetracked once in a while. Things just happen.... Like the fish and racoons.

Those pesky racoons...

Update on the fishponds.........Sure enough, when I checked on the ponds Sunday morning, the four big goldfish were gone. The three baby ones are still there. Probably too small for those grubby racoon paws to keep ahold of. I don't know about the four black fish in the other pond. They are hard to see in that black pond unless they are swimming around. They are probably hiding in the corner if they are there. I don't blame them a bit.

The man from the Department of Conservation called me back a few minutes ago. He said it could be a Blue Heron. They have been getting into koi ponds, but since the ponds are close to the house and we have seen racoons around, it's probably the racoons who are the culprits. He said we can legally shoot them or borrow a live trap from the DOC and catch them. But if we catch them, where would we release them? He said at least 5 miles away, because they are very smart and now that they know we have the ponds, if we restock , they will just keep getting our fish. So, I guess I will talk to Gary tonight and see if he wants some target practice.