Tuesday, November 22, 2016

OUR NATION, FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORMED IN THE BEST AND MOST IMPORTANT WAY.

Proud mama moment. On the way to school today, out of nowhere my little girl piped up and said, "I'm going to be the first black, woman president!" Not to be outdone my little boy said, "Well, I'm gonna run for president too!" To which my little little girl responded, "Hey, and Taya will vote for us! OH NO! What if Taya wants to run too? Then there will be three of us? How will that work? Who will vote for us?" Lol!

I will baby girl, I will -- for both of you! (I was responding through the whole conversation. My words are not as interesting or cute as theirs, though.)

A minute of silence passes and then my daughter asks how old you have to be to run for president. When I tell her 35, I get a simple frustrated grunt. Guess she was planning on a more near in the future Presidency. She probably wants a platform that gets rid of homework and lengthens recesses. Lol.

But seriously, I'm so grateful to live in a time when it has never entered my children's head that the Presidency is off limits to them for any reason. Yes, they will have their battles along the way but hard things, giant things are possible if they work hard for them.

I am grateful for the Obama Presidency, regardless of what his legacy ends up being or what historians decide to write. It's so much bigger than any of that -- It made ALL things truly seem and feel possible for those who had been shut out and kept out for entire lifetimes. I pray my children, in fact, all children and all people will see each other with more humanity and more humility as we go forward with more open hearts, compassion and love for one another. Just as our Savior would ask of us.

Just my mom thoughts this morning.

Friday, October 14, 2016

FREE TO A GOOD HOME


More from Carolyn:

Free to good homes -- starts of these old-fashioned purple Iris. Immigrants from Indiana, they have overgrown the space available to them, and we’d like to share their beauty with you. 

Talk about heirloom plants, these come from a house where they were probably planted in 1928, and may have been starts at that time from much older plants. Just let me know if you are interested, and we can arrange for how and when to get them to you. This is the ideal time to divide and replant them.

Gorgeous iris plant from the Flint Farm in Indiana



Thursday, October 13, 2016

NEWS FROM THE NEWBIE!

So, here's the thing! Yes, there's a thing. I've had to hire in staff. Not because I'm so popular but just because I want to keep Nancy Pancy's Place going and I seem to run out of time nearly everyday before I can write a post. Sorry about that! But the great news is I found an amazing woman who was more than willing to write and post for me for FREE! Plus, she kind of likes all of you---and me! So, this will end with Grandma's first post! Without further ado, Heeeeeerrrrreee's Grandma!


This is Carolyn and I’m debuting as a new writer for Nancy Pancy’s  blog. I wanted to add some of the pictures from my sister Kaye McKamey’s memorial service last weekend. I made a whirlwind trip to Greencastle, and I think it was good for all of us to be together to honor Kaye. We’re going to miss her badly. She had had an earlier stroke, and her husband Bob died two years ago, and she really, really missed him. Our nephew, Steve Brackney gave her memorial service at Brick Chapel Church, after which a fantastic meal was served, courtesy of Kaye’s nieces and grandnieces.

Some of these pictures are from Brick Chapel Cemetery where some of Kaye’s ashes were sprinkled on the grave of Jennie Lynn, their baby girl who had lived only 24 hours. From there, we went to the waterfalls on the Flint farm, now owned by our nephew, Darrell Brackney, and Kaye’s ashes were also sprinkled there. My dad, Glenn Flint, bought this farm in the early 1920’s, and it’s a very special place for our whole family.  

Anna Kaye Flint McKamey

Kaye with her son David
Kaye's kids, L to R, David, Vickie, Ronda

Carolyn and Kaye

Kaye and Carolyn

Flint Falls, (aka Vermillion Falls)


Friday, September 23, 2016

JONO'S FIRST STATE CLINIC

Jono had his first state clinic for gymnastics this past weekend. It was the first thing he's had like this. There were hundreds of kids being taught by the best instructors from all over the world, i.e. Germany, Australia, Russia and different parts of the United States. We aren't sure why but each of the instructors took to him as he passed through their area each day and spent a good deal of time with him. #Blessings.

He learned a great deal and we are so proud of him. He is really doing well and I am posting this little video just to show him off a little.  Hopefully, it will work this time. It works in Preview mode but for some reason when I post it, it is still. I will keep trying!


Thursday, September 22, 2016

WHAT A STORM!

Wow, what a storm we had today! I didn't even know it was coming until about 20 minutes before it hit. Thankfully, I was able to pick the kids up from school and get them home first. We had 70 mph winds, rain, lightening--snow and even a tornado. All this happened either right around us or within 15 minutes of our home. Thankfully, the tornado and snow were about 15 minutes away--though there were moments when I wasn't sure the tornado was that far away. And neither was Carly. Jono was actually pretty calm but Carly hates storms. Really bad. So, I spent a good deal of time calming her down. I had to take Jono to gymnastics and she did not want me to leave the house. I finally talked her into coming with us. She was still not a happy camper but I think it was better for her to be with us than to let her imagination run wild while I was away.

When we left the house, branches were down everywhere from the wind. Traffic lights were out all over, there were accidents on the freeway and when I started listening to the radio for weather and traffic, I heard 34,000 homes had lost power. It was stunning how fast and hard the storm had hit. It took us 30 minutes to go ten miles both coming and going. It was really nuts. I forget how powerful wind can be until a windstorm hits. It's OK with me if we don't have another one for a very long time--or never. :)

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

A MOUTHFUL

Yesterday Hubby had more surgery on his mouth. They went in to see if he had infection where they did implant surgery a couple months ago and sure enough there was infection everywhere. They ended up having to even remove the implant. They even had to go in and lift of his sinuses and clean out infection. Poor guy cannot seem to catch a break. To say he is miserable would definitely be an understatement. They have to let everything completely heal before they can even consider re-doing the implant. So frustrating--and so painful for him. I feel so awful for him.

Today is my niece Caitlin's birthday. I remember when she was born so many years ago. Now she is married with kids of her own. Time sure flies.  Well, I'd better get some sleep so I can get up and get the kids off to school.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

A SHORT VISIT HOME

Grandma will be coming home to Greencastle in a week or two for her sister Kaye's memorial service. Unfortunately Grandpa isn't strong enough to travel with her so he will be staying here with me. Sarah is planning to come up to help as well.

For those of you interested in attending, Kaye McKameys service is being held on October 1, at 1:00 pm at Brick Chapel Church in just north of Greencastle.

Friday, September 16, 2016

WEBER STATE! AIN'T IT GREAT! LOL!

Last night the kids went to a rehearsal/training with the Weber State Cheer Squad. They and a bunch of other kids get to perform with the Weber State Cheer Squad at half time during their game on Saturday night. They had a really fun time. The guys on the squad worked on a routine with the little boys and the girls worked with all the little girls. I think their performances are going to be really cute. Here's a photo in their Weber T's!

Carly and Jono with the Weber State Mascot

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

MORE SAD NEWS

Heaven has claimed another angel. My sweet Aunt Kaye passed away quietly this afternoon. My heart is sad but I know she is so much happier where she is now. I am certain she is having amazing reunions with lost children, parents, siblings, friends and her sweetheart, Uncle White Socks. She is free from pain and surrounded by loved ones. What more could you ask for? We will miss her--that's for sure but know she is in a much better place.

I love you Aunt Katy-did and will miss your smiling face and cute laugh!

Kaye McKamey

SAD NEWS

We got a call this morning that my mom's sister Kaye McKamey had another stroke last night. She is in Augusta, GA now with her daughter Ronda and granddaughter Michelle. They have her on Hospice and she doesn't want any extraordinary measures taken.

She has not been conscious all day but we got an update from Ronda this evening. She said when her sister Vicki came to see their mom today they got her to open her eyes and call Vicki by a nickname she uses for her.

Thankfully, the kids have all been there in the last little while. There isn't much chance she will come out of this one, but we can hope. Prayers help. Thanks all.

Monday, September 12, 2016

LUNG HACKING AND OTHER FUN STUFF

I had to keep Jono home from school today because he was still sick. Of course, by mid-day he was full of energy and it was a fight the rest of the day to keep him inside and right-side-up. He's been coughing pretty bad for a couple of days and complaining of a sore throat so I figured it would be a quiet day with him laying on the couch or maybe even sleeping. Oh no! He wasn't having any of that. So, I've decided that unless he actually produces the lung it sounds like he's coughing up in the morning--that boy is going to school tomorrow! :)

Sunday, September 11, 2016

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL PHOTOS

My little ones are getting big so fast. It's really hard for me to believe they are 8 1/2 and 7 now. Seems like only yesterday they were tiny. They are first and third graders this year and are loving their classes and teachers. Here are their pictures from the first day of school.

Miss Carly all ready to start school!
Let's get this day started!

Excited for his first day!

First grade here I come!


WHERE'S JOHNNY APPLESEED WHEN YOU NEED HIM?

Julie came up last night and spent the night. We watched a movie and hung out. Got up this morning, made omelettes and then went and picked apples off a neighbor's tree. It was an awesome tree. I love to climb trees so i was right in my element loving every minute of it!

 

Some of the apples we picked were called "Jonathan" apples and are some of the best apples I've ever tasted. Jono and Carly can't get over the fact that there are actually apples named after Jono. They are so impressed. Problem is that now Carly wants to go find her apple tree (Cuz you know we must all have one, right? See kid logic, page 54 Lol.) I think I may be in a bit of trouble. Can anyone point me to the Carly Apple trees? Don't know how I did not see that one coming! Silly me! Lol!

Friday, September 9, 2016

PRETTY SURE HIS FEET ARE MADE OF RUBBER


This is Jono. Pretty cool, for just turning seven, eh?!

IT'S FRIDAY!

Yay! It's Friday! A weekend! It's always so nice to get to a weekend. I know everyone probably feels that way. I love having my husband home, carpool is done, kids can play with friends and I am not on a regimented schedule.

We don't have any huge plans. We are just going to try to do some of the things that NEED to get done, like cleaning out the garage, mowing the lawn and putting away things for winter. We are also manning a booth tomorrow to sell a fundraiser for Jonathon's gymnastics. We are hoping we can sell it out pretty fast.

He's a crazy good little gymnast! We recently switched to a new gymnastics studio and coach and he was good enough to make their competition team straight out of the gate. Thus, the fundraiser for uniforms, meet fees and travel costs. Yes, I know he just turned 7--but he is really good and we just can't hold him back. I will post a video separate from this post so you can get an idea of his current level.

Carly is our Karate girl. She is doing so awesome! She has her third belt and is well on her way to her 4th belt test. She can break two boards at once now--totally amazing! Her Karate Sensei is a really great teacher and very invested in his students success. She just loves him! She even invited him to her baptism and he came. That really impressed me.

Well, I'd better get busy. I will write more later. 


Thursday, September 8, 2016

I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN YOU

No, I haven't forgotten you. In fact, I regularly have guilt about not having kept up my blog. I'm hopeful now that the kids are back in school (and both of them are there all day now) that I can set aside a time during my day to just write. I am starting to get the hang of my new schedule. Carly has Karate Monday and Wednesday and Jono has Gymnsastics Tuesday and Thursday. We have a playgroup on Friday. Also, I'm helping in the kid's classrooms this year--but just for an hour a couple days a week.

Our grandson turned 3 months old a week ago! We miss him a bunch. They are moving closer at the end of this month. Instead of being twelve hours away, they will only be about 3.5 hours away. We are really excited to have him closer. Oh, and his parents too. Lol.

And maybe one of the real reasons I've put off writing is that whole river in Egypt thing. You know, De Nile or is it Denial? Yah, that. It's hard to feel like writing cheery updates about things being fine when you are starting to watch them begin to slide a bit down hill.

Mom usually reads this to Dad when I write, but I've asked her to skip this part so I can give you an honest update that won't upset him. For the last several months, he has been getting thinner and weaker. He hardly eats enough to keep a bird alive. I never knew this about Parkinson's, but it is a mean disease. It makes everything you do more difficult. The simplest tasks become monumental challenges, i.e. eating, drinking, swallowing, walking, talking. It steals your voice, it stiffens you and makes you ache. It makes you quake. Writing, holding objects, carrying anything--become near impossible. The great thing is though, my father has all his faculties. He is alert and aware. He has a better memory than I do. He gets up almost everyday and works away at his desk. He writes you, he writes Washington, he gets up every morning trying to figure out what he can do that day to make the world a better place. I love that about him. He is still working hard and still has the ideals and values he taught me as a child.

The part I haven't wanted to face is that I don't know how long I will get to keep my Dad. Parkinson's makes it hard enough for him to walk, but on top of that he has Post Polio, so his legs really are on their "last nerve." I haven't posted any pics for awhile. I think the last time was at his birthday party and that may have been only on Facebook. Someone wrote my mom and asked if dad had suffered a stroke. No, thankfully he has not. But if you saw him, you would think he was frightfully thin and he does have a difficult time talking, i.e., getting his voice loud enough, and getting his mouth to form the words his voice wants to say.

But please, keep calling, writing and communicating with him. You are his life-lines. Because he has a hard time walking now, he rarely gets out of the house. He goes out for doctor appointments and the occasional family birthday party. Other than that he hangs out here which is where he is comfortable.

Mom is doing well. She is such an amazing person. She takes such good care of him. She is a great mom and grandma and we all keep her pretty busy--but no one keeps her as busy as grandpa does. Lol. More later.


Tuesday, July 19, 2016

HOT DAY, COLD LEMONADE, NEEDED SUPPORT!

Yesterday I got the chance to be the Kool-Aid mom I've always wanted to be. Lol. My kids have been begging to have a lemonade stand so yesterday was the day. We baked cookies, bought popsicles and made lemonade to sell. Then we made a sign and invited the neighbors.

We also called the local police and asked them to drop by and have a drink and some goodies on us--and dedicated our sale to the officers lost in Dallas and Baton Rouge. It was important for us to let our local police officers know we are thinking about them and appreciate all they do for us. Our son was born in Baton Rouge and we have family there so our hearts are heavy with all that's been going on there.

The kids had a great first business experience and loved seeing their friends and neighbors--but most of all loved getting to meet and know some of our local police officers!

Carly, Officer friendly and Jono

Carly and Jono at their Lemonade Stand

Neighbor friends and helpers with Carly and Jono and some cool officers who stopped by!

Monday, June 13, 2016

AND THEN THERE WAS ONE MORE . . .

On June 1st, 2016 the coolest thing happened. Our daughter Sara gave birth to a handsome baby boy who just happens to be our first grandchild! We are pretty darned excited about this little guy! We are so excited that we got in our car and made the trek to Portland to visit him (and his parents) last week. He is such a cutie-pie! We fell in love right away! We were actually in love before we met him but it got a lot stronger once we got to hold and love on him a bunch!

Sara had a pretty rough time getting him here so she is still recovering. It was nice to be able to let her rest a little and help where we could. Mostly it was nice to cuddle and love this new little family member. We are pretty happy about the whole deal.

Here are a few pictures of our little guy.

Sara with Ryan

Grandpa with his new grandson
Grandma and Ryguy

Aunt Carly loved holding little Ryan
Jono is so excited to be an Uncle!

He is such a cutie pie!

Every once in awhile I can see Sara in him--like in this photo. Otherwise, people say he looks like his daddy's baby photos.

Sunday, June 12, 2016

CATCHING UP

Grandpa's oldest brother Ed and his daughter Diana came for a visit about 2 weeks ago. It was nice to have them here for a few days. Ed lives in California and Diana is in Oregon. We had a little family get together while they were here and it was fun to catch up with what they have been up to since we saw them last.

Carly, Grandpa, Ed and Jono, Rob, Grandma and Diana

Grandpa with microphone in hand so Ed could hear him better. (Grandpa couldn't talk loud and Ed couldn't hear well. So we solved it with the Karaoke machine! Lol!)

Brothers--John and Ed

Saturday, May 7, 2016

I HAVE THE BEST MOM! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY MOM!

I am so blessed to have a mom who is also one of my very best friends. She has always been there for me, my sisters and my dad. She works so hard--still, every day. She probably works harder now than she did before she retired. She is my dad's sole caretaker and honestly never gets a break. On days when I am too tired to cook, she is magically in the kitchen with some new recipe she wants to try--saving me once again! (THANK YOU MOM!!!)

My mom is so smart. I don't know if you really know this about her or not--but she is. We get much of our brain smarts from her. She's amazing! One fun fact, she remembers phone numbers, a talent each of us got from her. But more than that, she's a writer, editor, financial whiz, real estate expert and she masters just about anything she puts her hand to.

She's such a loving, caring Mother and Grandmother and I want to be just like her when I grow up. I love you so much Mom! Happy Mother's Day!

Cooking with my Mommy

Me and Mom on my wedding day








Monday, May 2, 2016

JUST UNLOADING . . .

I don't know about you but I can't even watch the news anymore and I'm a news junkie. I'm afraid the election we are headed for is a train-wreck no matter which side you are on and I can't look! I can't remember a time when it's been this bad . . . when it's felt like there really isn't a good choice to be had. Maybe you see it differently and can enlighten me. It feels pretty hopeless to me right now. Sorry to unload on you but you were just sitting there. :)

On a lighter note, my little ones have their first track meet tomorrow. I'm pretty excited for them. They've had a few practices now and are getting the hang of it. Both of them are good runners and can't wait to participate. They each get to do three events.

It takes me back to my "Little Olympics" days. Dad would take us over to Blackstock stadium to practice. He'd give us a candy bar to give our energy level a kick start and then we'd run laps and practice racing. I did the same thing with the kids the other day. I stopped and got them a candy bar on the way to practice. I explained it was now a tradition and would make them faster. I think maybe it worked. Lol!

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

SMART MORMONS?

 I found this posted on Facebook a few moments ago. I think it pretty accurately represents our (Latter-Day Saints/Mormons) beliefs and I'd never really thought about it in this way. So, I thought I'd share.

"SMART MORMONS?"
 
By Mike Jensen Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Mormons have intrigued me ever since Mike Huckabee back in 2007 claimed that Mormons believe that Jesus and Satan are brothers. With the recent election over, I decided to check out Mormons a bit more.

My hope in doing this was to explain to readers who Mormons are and whether or not 22 percent of the people were justified in opposing having a Mormon president.

But instead I’m going to share an intriguing bit of Mormon theology I learned that I think makes them perhaps the most politically wise human beings on the planet. Ironically, this story stems from that Huckabee quote about the relationship between Jesus and the devil, but the lesson to be learned is one that, regardless of our political or religious views, we would all be wise to consider.
So here’s what I learned: Mormons, unlike most other Christian sects, believe that all humans lived a life before mortality. They call this the pre-existence or pre-earth life. At birth a veil is placed over our minds so that we don’t remember it (you’ll see why in a minute).

In this pre-earth life, we were all in the presence of God as His spirit children. Jesus was there—the first-born of God’s spirit children, and a leader in the councils in Heaven. Lucifer was also there, and was another leader among the children of God. He was called a "son of the morning."
At some point in this existence, the Father called all of His children together to explain how things worked. All of His children would have to leave His presence and come to earth for a period of testing. The goal was to see if we would live a righteous life even when we had to live by faith, as we would no longer be able to remember God or heaven (that’s the reason for the veil).

If we would live a righteous life, we would be given the opportunity to return and live with God forever. Otherwise we would forfeit that chance, because no unclean thing can live in God’s presence. However, God knew that we would all make mistakes, so he would provide a Savior for the world. This Savior would live a sinless life, and because of that, he would qualify to pay for the sins of the world through what would be called the "Atonement." If people would sincerely repent of their sins, then the Atonement would essentially erase their sins, and they could still return and live with God. The Father called for volunteers to be this savior, and two stepped forward: Jesus and Lucifer.
Lucifer said that he would be the savior and he would force everybody to live righteously, thus guaranteeing that all of God’s spirit children would return to Him in heaven. Jesus said that He would follow the Father’s plan and allow God’s children their free agency. They could choose for themselves whether to live righteously and take advantage of the Atonement or whether to live in sin and forfeit the opportunity to return and live with God.

God rejected Lucifer’s plan, causing Lucifer to rebel and declare war on God. One-third of God’s spirit children joined Lucifer in this rebellion. In the end, the rebellion failed and Lucifer and his followers were cast out of heaven. They came to earth without bodies and now, continuing the war they started in heaven, they tempt men to do evil to one another and lose out on the chance to return to God.

PAY ATTENTION HERE; THIS IS THE GOOD PART
Now, any traditional Christians reading this will see similarities to their own belief system. Most traditional Christians believe that Lucifer lived in heaven as an angel, but then declared war on God and was cast out.. However, the causes for that war are not necessarily clear in traditional Christian theology.

That is where Mormon theology is so intriguing. For Mormons, the greatest of all battles, the war in heaven, was fought over LIBERTY—or as they call it, "free agency." Lucifer wanted to take it away, while God demanded that humans have it.

Although a Mormon might balk at my making comparisons between their religious beliefs and modern politics (and as I said earlier, every Mormon I’ve ever known was a very good person, so I apologize to any I offend), I see a direct correlation here. For a Mormon, the battle for liberty is not unique to this life; it is the core battle of the ages. Lucifer lost the war in heaven (he really thought he could beat God?), but the war continues on earth. So seeing the government become more and more tyrannical is not just a political concern; it’s a fundamental, eternal concern.

I’m inspired by this Mormon theological idea: God intended for humans to be free to make our own choices and live with the consequences of those choices. The Founding Fathers of this country said essentially the same thing in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evidence, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

My study of Mormonism has not only given me newfound respect for this people and their religion; it has also made me evaluate my own attitude towards the liberty that seems to be slipping through all of our fingers. Is this just something that is nice to have, and for which I thank the Founding Fathers? Or is it really something that is endowed by God, and that He expects me to fight for. According to Mormon theology, I already fought for this once. The fact that I’m here says that I was on God’s side in the war in heaven, and fought for liberty.

A Mormon might ask, why should any of us be less willing to fight for it here than we were there?

Monday, April 25, 2016

NOW WAIT, WHO NEEDS TO DO WHAT?

Tonight I was on the phone with Julie and the kids wanted to talk to her. So, I let them gab away for a few minutes while I finished up dinner. When I got back on the phone Julie was still laughing from her conversation with Carly. I guess it went something like this:

Julie: "Carly, you are getting way too big! When are you going to stop growing?
Carly: "I'm not! I can't! When are you going to get a boyfriend?!"
Julie: Um, er -- Not for a long time!"

As you can imagine, Carly pretty much shut down the inquisition about her getting too big! I think she is getting pretty smart for her age! Lol!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

SHORT UPDATE

Everyone here is good. We have had a few sickies over the last few weeks but hopefully everybody is well for a while now. We started having warm weather the beginning of this week. It even got up almost into the nineties. Then today we got cold air and rain back. It started freezing. It felt like Winter was starting all over again. Hoping it doesn't last too long.

The kids started track on Thursday. They have it for about 6 weeks and go a couple times a week. They almost didn't get in because it was too full. But after the first practice when some of the people didn't show up they called and told us there was room. They are both really excited to be in it. There are lots of other African American kids in it too. So, that's fun for them to be around some kids who look like them.

Grandma and Grandpa are both doing well. Grandpa is busy doing paperwork. It's that time of year. Grandma has started working on getting the flower garden in shape. It's starting to look beautiful. Lots of daffodils and tulips coming out right now.

Well, not much else to tell. Hope all is well with you. Love, Nancy

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

READY FOR SPRING!

This week is Spring Break for the kids. We were looking forward to picnics in the park and lots of play dates but it has been raining or snowing or just plain freezing cold most of the week so far. We are pinning our hopes on Friday when the temperature is supposed to rise to 51 or 52 and be sunny! I think we will believe it is warm given what the rest of the week has thrown us!

Oh, Grandma reminded me of a funny experience she had with Jonathon the other day. He is one of those kids who has to have dip with everything. He has always been that way--even things most people wouldn't dip in anything he does. He used to only like ranch dip and would put it on everything. He has since branched out and will eat blue cheese, onion dip and almost anything with flavor. He had some chips and was looking for dip but we didn't have any in the house so Grandma told him she would make him some. She took some sour cream and onion soup mix and made him some dip. He was chomping away on it and enjoying it until I came in and mentioned I didn't know we had any onion dip. She explained to me that she'd made it and how she'd done it--in front of Jonathon. Well, that was the end of that! He wasn't going to eat something that had soup in it! He wanted real dip! Hahaha! Silly boy!

 Everybody is doing pretty well here this week.  I think we are all kind of tired and still have some cough/cold-ish issues hanging on but other than that we are doing better. We are SO ready for Spring!!

Shopping with my cuties

Hanging out in the aisle while mom looks








Friday, March 25, 2016

CARLY'S BAPTISM DAY PHOTOS

I promised to post some pictures from Carly's Baptism. Unfortunately, I didn't take very many. I took some just before and then got caught up in making sure everything got done and never got back to my camera. I wish I'd stayed more in the moment so I had more memories. I don't have any of her with Grandma and Grandpa and I'm pretty bummed about that. But here are some of what I do have!

Who is that I see looking back at me?
Miss Carly
Carly and Daddy
Big Sister Sara who came all the way from Portland
Momma and Carly 

Jules and Carly
Carly with her friend Mitaya
Our beautiful Carly

HAPPY EASTER MY FRIENDS

I can't believe it's almost Easter again. This year has flown by. I was thinking about my childhood memories of Easter tonight and I have such happy, sweet memories from our Easters. They always involved our family and by that I mean extended family getting together at my Grandma and Grandpa Flint's house. There was always lots of yummy food and we'd have a big Easter Egg hunt with actual dyed eggs from Grandma's chickens! Then we'd play croquet or go exploring or just hang out together as cousins. That's pretty much how all of our holidays went--we enjoyed being together so much and I don't think any of us could have imagined being anywhere else.

Times have sure changed and everyone is so busy and so involved in their own world they don't really stop to enjoy each other anymore. It makes me kind of sad. I think they are missing so much of what is really important in life.

Here's to an Easter not only filled with the love and hope of our Savior~but with family, friends and loved ones surrounding you!

Thursday, March 17, 2016

TIME FOR SPRING TO SPRING!


Grandpa is doing much better. Thanks for all the prayers. He is up and around again. This muck that is going around is not friendly at all. It tends to hang on so we are happy he is doing so much better.
Grandma seems to be a lot better too. It's even getting warmer here. So, hopefully Spring will arrive with it's actual calendar date! That would be nice!

Saturday, March 12, 2016

PRAYERS FOR MY DAD . . . PLEASE

In a couple of days I will (hopefully) post some pictures of the past few weeks (Carly's baptism, Sara's baby shower --at least the photo's I got.) I was a little harried that day but I pulled off a few photos.

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But tonight I am worried about my Dad. He's been sick for the last few days and could use your prayers. Last night he had a pretty high fever and then around midnight it broke and he seemed better. Even still this morning he seemed better but through the day he started going down hill again. It started with a cold, virus type thing. He's been coughing pretty bad too which is just hard for him. To be fair mom was sick the whole last week too, but she recovers so much easier than Dad does. He just has no constitution at all anymore.

It's so hard to see your big, strong daddy struggle. I was thinking tonight that in many ways for my Dad his whole life has been a struggle. But you know, for many years, as his daughter I didn't know that. To me, he was just my Dad. He was my always my Big. Strong. Dad. Now, as a grown up and having heard many of his life stories over my lifetime, I know how hard he worked for everything he ever attained. Nothing ever came easy or fell into his lap.

Having what I believe was the first case of Polio in Indiana at 18 months of age left him with a diagnosis of never being able to walk again. Though in the end, he of course did much more than just walk--it left him with the challenge and struggle to attain normalcy with one leg and foot left somewhat impaired from the disease. But with his grandfather's help and his father's refusal to allow him to be  treated as handicapped, my dad would would be able to do the things other kids could do. He might have to do them a little differently but he would figure out a way to do them.

I don't really know how people saw my Dad as he was growing up. I'm sure it was tough to sometimes be the kid who was a little different. My kids know something about that now. No matter how my father was seen by others or his peers or even by himself-- I want him to know one very important thing. All I, as his child, have ever seen him as--is whole and normal and perfect. No different than anyone else's father--except maybe I got the better deal!

Interestingly--my dad has always had a limp. But my sisters and I have rarely ever noticed it. Once in awhile someone would ask one of us about it and that would remind us. Other than that--it's not something we ever paid any attention to.

I guess I just wanted to say I have a really remarkable father. He got dealt a pretty tough hand early in his life. And now, toward the end, he got handed Post-Polio and Parkinson's. He took the hand he was dealt and he played it as a full-house. I believe my Dad is the good, honorable, amazing man he is today because he took the hard knocks and got back up and continued forward everyday and did his absolute best.

We don't always understand why we have the life tests we do but I believe there is always a reason. I guess we only have to think of good old "George Bailey" and "It's A Wonderful Life" to realize our lives really do have meaning and purpose and we are growing and becoming through all of life's tests and challenges. Thanks so much for the example Dad! I know it hasn't been easy--but it will have been worth it. I know. I love you!

NOW--GET BETTER!!

p.s. Remember we could use your prayers. Thanks!