Six Word Saturday

We Have a New Puppy, Bella!

Check out my blog to see the pictures of her home coming.

Hop on over to Show My Face and see how other's have described their life in Six Words.

Bella Comes Home

We got to bring Bella home today. After our visit yesterday, the breeder asked if we wanted to take her.

Wow! Really!

Told him I had to discuss it with hubby, asked if he would be home today, and said you just might see us. This morning we got up and headed to PetSmart for the last of the supplies and a few toys. The 'Grands' were here when we got back and helped us construct the crate and play area for her. Once gramps and SD (their step dad) got back from their parts run I decided we were ready. The 'Grands' stayed at the house while me and my daughter set out to get her.

Monday, when I went for a visit, I took her a pretty pink collar. Last evening the collar was off her and so were all the dots on it. I guess the other pups wouldn't leave it alone and kept chewing at it so the breeder removed it. He questioned if I knew which one was her. At first, the one he thought was her was not he. The minute I got the other pup in my arms, I knew I had the right one. I spent about 15 minutes with both, just to be sure, and I knew I had right one.

Once home, the 'Grands' we so excited!

We now begin a new journey in our life. The pain of missing Maybell has been eased by the affection of Bella. We are surely blessed.

You Capture - Color

 Each Wednesday I Should Be Folding Laundry does a carnival called You Capture. This weeks assignment was COLOR! We were asked to show some color during these bleak, cold, rainy, winter months! Extra credit if we can find it outside. So I found it outside, with my 'Grand' Bug.

Don't forget to hop on over to I Should Be Folding Laundry

and see what color other's found this last week.

Way Back When-sday - Just a piece of Our Journey

My blogging about Our Journey Through LIFE gets a lot of help from link ups, hops, carnivals, and other ways of writing and sharing with others. It is something I have been enjoying so much.

Today it's Way Back When-esday and you can link and hop around with Twinfatuation.

This particular link up, allows me to go back and remember Our Journey Through LIFE with our twins. A journey that has always brought us so much joy, along with some frustrations and struggles, and I can't imagine this journey without them.

Our daughter, was so thrilled to be the big sister to her brothers. She even asked for me to bring them to preschool for show and tell. She would always show them everything and try to teach them what she already knew. So when it was time for the annual parade for the county fair, she was determined to lead them down the road. Eventually daddy had to untie them as they were just to much for her to pull.

August 1982

Our little butterflies, even then, were ready and eager to fly through life!

Take Me Back Tuesday

I love going back, seeing the old pictures, remembering the memories.

1959

Me in the stroller, my sister's Marleen, Barbara, my brother Lee, sister Debbie and my mom

Twenty plus years ago I might not have liked it, as it would surface ugly memories I really wanted to forget. However, through the grace of God and many years of therapy, I can now look back and only focus on the good things, and of course that healing began when we started a family.

1982

Now don't get me wrong, my mother was always one to teach us girls all we needed to know.

About 1938

1961

Me, my sister Debbie and sister Barbara

My father on the other hand, underminded her and was the one who created all the conflict. I must admit, for a few years, probably more like a decade, I was mad at her for many reason, from not divorcing him, to not protecting us. What I began to learn as an adult, she was as much a victum as everyone else. I then began to honor her, for her courage, her strength, her devotion to God. I use to think she sold us out to him for her relationship to God, leaving us alone, but that was no way the situation. She needed God, and He was there for her, to help her rise above all she had to deal with.

1960

     My sister Marleen, Me, sisters Debbie and Barbara, and brother Lee 

1963

Me, my sister Barbara with her Godmother

 Neighbor Cindy, me, sister Barbara and brother Bill

I was not an easy child for her as I rebelled from the disfunction and at one stage, thought I actually knew more then she did. How wrong I was and I am so grateful that through all of this, we grew closer together. So long as my dad was not around, I could cry, laugh, and share with my mother in many ways. Before she lost her battle with breast cancer, we were like a Mother and Daughter, just as we were suppose to be. As my daughter has said to me, I have said to her, "Because you loved me, I can love them" Thank you Mom for teaching me how to be a women, a mom and now a grandmother. I know you are watching over us.

Now it's your turn, join A Giveaway Addicted Mommy, link up and see where other have gone back to.

We Found Our Bella!

She is 6 weeks old and will get to bring her home February 4th.

She is just so darn cute and lovable.

What an Adventure!

Last evening went like this...

Our daughter takes the 'Grands' every other weekend over to Apline, CA (outside San Diego in the Laguna Mountains) for their visit with their dad. After the storms we have had, plus the fact my car needed serviced and hers needs brakes, I suggested Hubby and I drive them over in the truck.

When we left Yuma, the skies looked like this...

Then the batteries on my camera died. I usually always grab the spare, but this trip I didn't think I would need it. WRONG!

Just a few minutes later, the skies opened up and created some beautiful rainbows. Not one but two, side by side. I wished I had my camera.

Just before we began the drive out of the desert and up the mountain, we stopped for a potty break and a guy asked if we were going up or coming down. When we told him of our direction, he responded with, "It's snowing up there!" I want my camera working for this! Of course the little gas station in no where land doesn't carry the type of batteries my camera uses, so on the road we go.

At 3000 feet there is snow on the side of the road, but no camera to take pictures of it.

At 3500 feet there is more snow on the road and it begins to blow some furious rain down on us. By 4000 feet, no more thoughts of the camera. It was dark, we were in white out conditions and the rain was freezing down on us, sleet! NO CAMERA could have caught this scene. A trip that usually takes one hour from the bottom of the mountain to our meeting place is now creeping along. We could only go about 25-30 mph at the most. Cars were spinning out around us. A dozen or so were facing the wrong way in the median and some were hanging off the embankment, stopping inches from going over the edge. It was a very tense drive, but the kids, they are in the back excited. The snow or sleet coming down was like being in space. 'Ellie Bellie' says, "grams, look up like this it's really cool!" The sleet was getting thick in the road and the off ramps were even worse. Hubby thought of stopping once but felt it would be worse trying to get off and even back on again, so we forged forward. After 2 hours, we made it to our destination with ice built up on the truck. A few other cars in the parking lot had snow on them so we engaged in a small snowball fight.

We decide not to drive back through it and got a hotel room. Since we had no overnight supplies we went to the Albertsons down the road and acquired our needed items. On our way back to the hotel the radio interupts with, "Interstate 8 over Laguna Mountains has receive a foot of snow making driving conditions unsafe, the plows can't keep up with clearing the road and only vehicles with chains or 4 wheel drive are being allowed by." We are so glad of our choice!

This morning, we woke up to the trickling of water from this...

Got on the road to head home and saw all this...

I know for some this is peanuts, but for us desert dwellers, this was awesome! I wouldn't want to ever drive in this again but I sure did enjoy the beauty the next day. I wish I could have gotten my hubby to pull off to take better still pitcures but he could see that they hadn't fully cleared them, consentrating on the main highway. By Sunday, when my daughter goes over to pick the kids up, she plans to leave early so she can stop and take some pictures.

Once again, Our Journey Through LIFE included an adventure!

Way Back When-sday

1984

Age 3

They just loved sitting on their daddies Harley.

Take Me back, Take me Back, Way Back Tuesday

Throughout Our Journey Through LIFE, never will we forget where we were nor will we ever forget where we are now. Life is a series of lessons, of stages, of challenges and successes that bring us right to where we are now.

Where we will be going from here, only God Knows.

In 1975 we were on our way toward an incredible journey! 

Our 1st Christmas 1975. His mom made me my first ever Raggedy Ann.

We became a family of 3 in 1979

And by 1981 we were preparing to be a family of 4

Way back, way back then, ultrasounds were not routinely done as they are now.

Way back when I was about 5 months along, we questioned if I was having twins. My tummy got really big fast! With my first pregnancy, I didn't begin to show like that till 6-7 months. I looked like I was 7-8  months along! She examined me, listened, only heard one heartbeat, and measured which had me right where I should be with a second child.

Mother Day 1981, we had no idea there were two onboard!

This is me a week before they were born, on one of the hottest days imaginable.

By then I had heard numerous times, "Are you having twins?" but the doctors (who were actually like midwives with a doctoral degree, had me go through a special program to be the first women to give birth in their new birthing center.) continued to treat me as if there was just one. Everything pointed to one baby. Even during one of our false labor, which really wasn't false, my contractions just stopped leaving me 3 cm dialted, fully effaced and the head was right where it should be, they lost the heart beat on the monitor. It took the nurse a few minutes to find it again and on the other side of where it had been. My husband asked why and she said the baby turned. His first remark was, no way, he would have seen the movement. They sent us home until the labor picked back up. Two weeks later, on June 1st while sitting at home resting, my tummy got really tight. Was this going to be it? As it continued to get tighter, we felt like what was the baby's butt and maybe the back, at the top of my tummy. We called the doctor the next day, and we went in to make sure the baby hadn't turned. That is when she ordered the ultrasound, fearing that and the fact that maybe the baby might be to big for me to deliver. 

While laying there, my husband exclaimed shockingly, "Are ALL those hands I am seeing!"

The technician just left the room coming back with the doctor.

Yep!

This is what they found.

What we had felt the night before was indeed a butt but not a back, it was TWO butts!

I delivered them 2 days later, during 4 hours of ALL NATURAL, head spinning, childbirth you could imagine.

Baby A weighed 6lbs 1oz and Baby B weighed 6lbs 8oz.

Now we were a family of 5

Our Journey Through LIFE has begun!

Wordless Wednesday - A Day at the Beach

1988

Way Back When-esday and It is WAY BACK WHEN

Our daughter with her new brothers July 1981

Dig the oily hair on the boy's...they had craddle cap. Never experienced it with my daughter, but the boy's were early and had that pealing thing happening. Lotion and oil really helped and the bonus, they loved the massage of me always rubbing them down.

We are so sad!

It is a sad, sad, sad day here today.

Our lab of 9 years has gone to heaven. Somehow she got out the gate. She knew how to open it if it wasn't latched all the way. All we can think is she figured out how to jimmie the latch as we know we always make sure it clicks when we come and go through it.

I didn't know what was going on this morning. I woke and hubby was not in the house. Just a few minutes later, I heard his truck, but thought he was just getting it ready for work. Then I heard his cries. My man rarely cries and had no idea if he got a phone call while outside. That is when he hugged me, crying Maybell had been hit by a car. I collapsed in his arms. I just felt numb and overcome with grief. He said he had a feeling something wasn't right when he woke up and she was not on his side of the bed. She is always there. He showered, got dressed and still didn't see her. He then went out to look for her and found her, I don't know exactly where, and not sure I want to. He said she wasn't mangled if I wanted to see her, but again declined. It was hard enough knowing she was gone. It was hard enough seeing my mother in a coffin, I didn't really need to see her laying there either. Thank God we took many pictures of her life with us. That is how I will remember her.

Now I must go through all the stages of greiving...

1. Denial – Refusing to believe what has happened, feeling shocked.

This can’t be happening.

2. Anger – Accusing others, such as a supreme being or friends, for what has occurred.

How dare you, God, let this happen! You knew how much she was loved. I am so MAD, that I didn't wake up to the gate noise.

3. Bargaining – Asking God to “cut a deal".

Can she just be unconscience?  God, was she to suffer something else later and You spared her and us that pain?

4. Depression – Experiencing listlessness or exhaustion combined with feelings of helplessness, guilt and lack of interest in life.

I just can't stop crying. My dogs are like my children. I can see that the other dogs are sad. They don't know where she is.

5. Acceptance – Facing the loss and moving on, returning to setting goals in your life and focusing your energy more positively.

This will be a while. My one son said he would find me another Lab. We did briefly say something to that effect when trying to counsol each other, but it is going to be hard to replace such a loyal dog. I will have Faith that God will guide as as he always does.

For now, I will let out all the cries I can for when my grandson get home from visiting his dad, I must be strong. Those two played all the time. Where ever Bug went in the yard, Maybell was right there. They would play in the water, swim together in the pool, and play ball and tug of war. She was GREAT with all the kids, but Bug and her were unseperable.

My heart just aches today...we are all so, so, sad!

WWJD

I just loved the sermon in church today. As I sat there listening, I was thinking of Mckmama. She posted a BOLD blog yesterday, and everything she wrote about pretained to today's readings in one way or another.

"We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But IF anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are with Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." 1 John 2:3-6

What does Jesus want from us as believer? To OBEY his commands.

IF we are going walk as Jesus did, WWJD (Walk The Way Jesus Did), Jesus Forgives

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?"



Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22)

IF we are going to walk as Jesus did, WWJD, Jesus Prayed

"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:6-8)



Jesus said He will answer our prayers if we remain Fruit Bearing Disciples

"I am the vine; you are the branches. IF a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. IF anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. IF you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." (John 15:5-8)

IF we are going to walk as Jesus did, WWDJ, Jesus met the needs of others according to his means. He insist we do likewise.

"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.



"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

IF we are going to walk as Jesus did, WWJD, We must LOVE ONE ANOTHER even as He first loved us.

In loving others we reveal our love for God.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matthew 7:20-23)

So for Mckmama I will continue to pray, for her, for her doing of God's work, for the health of her children, to the means she acquires from her blog, doing God work and following His commands.

I will continue to take myself closer to God, to forgive and to love, to feed and to clothe, to pray as I WWJD.

I pray that someday, I can write and spread the Word of God as elligantly as she, but till then, I am a follower of God, of her, and I will learn to WWJD.

Life...365 Days a Year

Please join me on my other blog where I will photo journal 2010.

Life...365 Days a Year

I think I got the linky thing to work.

Leave a comment if it doesn't, please.

Life...365 Days a Year

Here is where I will challenge myself to a photo/blog journal of each day of the year.

Life...365 Days a Year

Care to join me...just click above to follow