The Simple Woman's Daybook

Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook is the gracious host here.  Join in any day of the week.




For Today...March 1, 2012

Outside my window...It's cloudy this morning, but it looks like there's a chance the sun might peek through later today!

♫"The sun will come out tomorrow."♫..er...or next Monday and Tuesday...  Wow! Tuesday! Look at that!:

 

I am thinking... that my blogging friends are thinking "what happened to Linda in February?"  I know-- where did it go??  I didn't post the whole month.  Yikes!  My only excuse is it ran of days too soon-- Hey we could pretend that today is Feb. 30...???  No? okay.

I am thankful for...oh so much.  First for our great big beautiful family.   On the 12th, we had five of our six grands here.  What a joy!     Ben, Lisa, Sophie and our new little grand daughter Audry came to visit!

From the kitchen...There is banana bread that I made on Monday- extra good  this time!  My husband has been taking it to work each day.

I am wearing...jeans, and a blue top and green socks.

I am hoping...to finish the unit that my tutoring student and I are working on this afternoon.  She is such a joy to work with.  She is home schooled on a virtual school website.  She is dyslexic and I help by reading the lessons to her.

I am hearing... Amanda and her kitty Sookie in the kitchen.

I am remembering...that I saw seeds and flowers advertized in Menards flyer last week - Spring is on the way!!
 
I am praying...for everyone I can think of when I am wide awake at 3:00 or 4:00 a,m, these last few nights.

Around the house...Getting it ready for a weekend visit from my sister, her kids and maybe my mom!

A few plans for the rest of the week...having fun with the family this weekend.  Hoping for a house full!


Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... pictures that made us smile this week.  Posted by their mommy after an alleged attempt of doing his own haircut and giving his little brother a haircut...  

 It looks like everyone was happy after Daddy gave haircuts all around.  Oh the joys of boys!

Oh, and Grammy can't leave this little guy out! No haircut here, but Emmett's mommy reports that he loves green beans!   


Happy March you all!

Oh, I'm Not Too Late!

Hello sweet friends in blogland.  It's the last day of January- so I still have time to post this month!  I have been wanting to come back and today is as good as any- and hey, it's right here.:)

It seems the last few months that I have just taken the time to log onto Facebook and keep up with friends and family there, and just got sidetracked away from blogging.  Well, I'm back and looking forward to reconnecting with you.   I have seen that some others have taken some breaks also- and hey, we all need a break now and then, right?

I do have a big announcement for my blog friends-- we have another grandchild-our THIRD one since June!! Our beautiful grand daughter Audrey Linda Beatrice -- I know!! She has my name too!  :)))  Audrey was born to our son Ben and our sweet daughter (in love) Lisa. 

Audrey is little sister to our sweet  (almost 3 year old) Sophia Genevieve Grace. Audrey  was born  Wednesday, November 23rd.. She weighed in at 6 pounds 14 ounces, and 19.75 inches long.

Sophie and Audrey live far away from us in Pittsburgh, so we haven't seen Audrey yet in person-- yes we have Skyped with them and that was wonderful!    But guess what sweet friends... they are coming for a visit in February--- and February starts like...tomorrow!!!  Yay!

So in about ten days we will see them.

Well, that's enough excitement for one day.   Whew! I'm sooo glad to be back-- I've missed you all very much.   Lots of pictures to come, and much catching up to do!

I will be coming around to visit you, too.:)

Have a  great last day of January!  By the way, it is going to be 50 degrees here in Wisconsin today- can you believe it?  We are loving this mild winter this year, although we here in the northern plains are always a little gun shy-- waiting for the other shoe to drop as they say--because we know that a blizzard could be just around the corner.

So we'll take it a day at a time and enjoy the journey.:)

God bless.  See you soon!

Two New Grand Babies in Two Months!

Today our grandson  Emmet Charles was born!  Our son Daniel and our precious DIL Jess are the happy parents and Emmett's two big brothers are Sam (3) and Eli (11/2).

Little  Emmett decided to arrive a week early weighing in a 9 lbs. 1oz. and 21 1/2 inches long.  Yep- we grown 'em big up here:)

Here he is!

This picture was taken by his mommy Jess.

We are so thankful for such a healthy little guy and his healthy mommy.  God is so good!

I plan to be back blogging very soon.  Thanks so much for sticking with me sweet friends.

Lots of hugs,

Linda

She's Here! Our little "June Bug"

Little Hazel June has arrived!  She waited until the crack of June to enter the world and we are so glad she is here!   After 48 hours of labor with midwives and home birth, her mommy and daddy welcomed their little girl into their family.  Our  son Tim and our dear DIL Brooke are the proud parents.

(Photo by her Gramma Wendy)

Hazel weighs 9 lbs. 7 oz. and is 21 1/2" long. She's a keeper!  Can't wait to see her- She is in Grand Rapids --we are six hours away.

(Photo by her mommy)

 Doesn't it look like she is cracking a little smile?   What a sweet little face.:)

You are so loved little one.



Love, Grammy    (I am lovin' this season of life... )

My 25 Things

I went back in my Facebook notes and reread something that I wrote over two years ago.  This list of My 25 Things was very popular on Facebook- just make a list of 25 things about yourself.  I was brand new to FB and decided to get my feet wet and/or jump in with both feet-- anyway it must have involved feet.:)

I haven't blogged for a while so I thought  I would post this list along with updates.  Isn't it wonderful how life doesn't stand still?    Sometimes, I wish someone would turn off the fast forward button of life for just a little while though, don't you?:)

Anyway, here they are.

1. I am one of seven siblings --5 boys, 2 girls. I was the only girl for 15 years.

2. Our family lived in an old farm house, no indoor plumbing until I was a teenager. It really wasn’t so bad. We had a little red pump by the sink – the water came from a cistern- you didn’t drink that water. We had a water bucket, for drinking water, that was refilled from the pump on the porch. So in a way, we had indoor pumping. My dad added running water and a bathroom. That old farmhouse was bulldozed into a big hole about 12 years ago. It is sad to know that I can never see it again. Our childhoods lived in that house.

3. I know this for sure…to grow up without much money, but with a lot of love is better than the reverse. ( I want to give honor here to my parents, who made a wonderful life for our family. They were models of hard - working, loving parents who raised us in the church and lived out their faith in front of us.  Of course,not perfection, but with God's grace --always pointing us to Him.  Thanks Mom and Dad for laying down a foundation of faith for generations to come.)  ( Dad passed on into Heaven in 2006, and Mom is still a steady prayer warrior for her family and friends.)

4. I am a cable news junky. (Actually have cut way back on this)

5. My husband and I would probably win the “Stay Calm, We Have This Under Control” award—if there was one. One time, a fire started in a skillet on the stove—I was startled, but put a lid over it and put it out. I said-“ whoa I just about had a fire here”….my husband who was sitting at the table reading the paper with his back to me, and without turning around, said, “I thought I smelled something”, and went on reading.

The other time I started a grease fire, Lon and the boys weren’t home and I called the fire department after I put it out- to make sure I had it out. Never leave the stove with a wok of oil on the heat “for just a second” just to get a crying baby out of her crib- especially when you realize she has a fever and you forget about the wok getting hot and start to change her diaper. I forwarded an email the other day regarding kitchen fire safety and my sister questioned my authority to give advice on that subject…

6. I am amazed at and grateful for the sacrifice of the adults in my life when I was growing up. Their time was a precious thing that they gave to me, to enrich my life, and I didn’t realize it back then.

7. I have prayed for my daughters-in- law since they were little girls. I heard from Dr. Dobson on Focus on the Family in the early 80’s to start praying for your children’s future spouses and I did. Oh..my.. goodness –my sons have married wonderful young women.

8. There are still three more young people out there that I am praying for…(update:  make that two- we've had a wedding since then- and yes another wonderful young woman came into our family:)

9. I won the Betty Crocker award in home economics (and it was a trophy!) my senior year in high school. The teacher decided who received it.
I wish I still had that. I would have set it on the shelf in my kitchen and said to my kids, “What do you mean you don’t like it? I have won an award for my cooking! See?”

10. I am so thankful for the love that my sister has showered on my family all these years. For my kids, she has done everything from sewing Superman capes to making Jell-O jigglers to spell out their names –back when their names had not been shortened- and with the cousins visiting that day -seven kids! She has stayed up into the night talking with them about everything under the sun. She introduced us to the funniest movies. Princess Bride etc. She has come to my home and run my household with six kids, (including home schooling) when I had surgery or broke my ankle and cooked lovely dinners every night—better that I would have in good health!--this was before she was married or had kids of her own!
I could fill up the rest of the 25 things right here.

11. I love my brothers. It was fun growing up with them. I wish we all lived closer so we could visit more often. They all still crack me up and I love spending time with them!

12. I have lived near state capitals in all three states that I have lived in and yet, have never been to a state fair.

13. I was in a church singing group called The Lamplighters when I was in high school. I played tambourine. Six teens from our church youth group made up the group- my two brothers and three close friends and me. We girls had matching long skirts. We were semi-well known in our area churches. We were invited to sing at several church revival meetings- one was a week long. We once sang at our high school assembly- I mean we were the program for the assembly-can you imagine. And then in the summer, we also sang at the Concord Burgoo (our annual small town community celebration). My son Jonathan now uses that tambourine in recording his music.

14. One food that I hate is sweet potatoes- in any recipe. I just don’t like them.  (update:  my dil Jess introduced me to sweet potato fries and dil Brooke added them to a baked, spiced veggie mix- and they are great!  You CAN teach this old  mature grammy new tricks!)

15. During my senior year of college, I worked at a very small taco “restaurant” with 5 seats at the counter--that was the total number of seats in the place. It was owned by a really old man called “Pop”. He paid his employees (3 college girls) in cash. One person at a time worked a shift. It was called “The Rocket”—there was a big rocket pointing toward the sky on top of the building. My kitchen is larger than that building was.

16. I can’t believe my own age—I don’t feel this old in my head.

17. But I love being a grammy!!  (We have 3 grand babies on the way in May, August and December!:)))

18. Amanda and I could hold our own in a Gilmore Girls trivia game. I would also want Jess on my team.
( I  would have Jess as captain of our team- she "schooled" Amanda and I with her GG references last summer on a vacation weekend .:)

19. I don’t care what you say, --I love puns. Like: I’m ironing out the chaos in my laundry room. Come on…

20. I am a big believer (and receiver) of God’s mercy and grace—I don’t deserve it, but He gives it. I am still learning to give both like I should…to make it my first action and reaction.

21. I didn’t think I would enjoy Facebook like I do.  ( I still enjoy FB- a great way to keep up with family and friends.)

22. When we were raising our kids, there wasn’t a community of mothers to laugh and cry and rant with like on blogs and facebook. I think my generation felt like we were the only ones going through it most of the time. Two people who helped me the most were Dr. James Dobson (and the guests on his radio program)… Also Erma Bombeck’s humor of imperfection got me through a lot of days. I have an autographed copy of one of her books that my husband gave me for Christmas in 1984. Godly teaching and laugh out loud giggles—a good combination.

23. I love blogging and the community of really cool ladies that I have met there.  Nothing to update here- just a hearty AMEN to what I said back then- Bloggy friends are some of the most amazing women I've "met"!:)

24. I wish we had a dog. A really lazy dog.

25. Or a cat – one that was allergen free.—goes without saying that the cat would naturally be lazy.

  Below, I've included  comments from my kids, because I was touched by them and it made me realize how it is important to tell your life story to your kids-- I thought I had, but there were some details and things from my heart that were new to them.

So I encourage you, dear bloggy friends to tell your story- especially your journey with Jesus.-- But also your growing up years with your children.  It helps them to get to know you even better.

I heard this the other day and I want to pass it along.   "God is always up to something good."     No matter how our lives are going, God will take the bad days and make something good from them and help us grow and bless us so we can praise him...He takes the good days, draws our attention to his Goodness and  Mercy so that we can praise him, too.   It's  about giving Glory to God.
 Have a blessed week, dear friends. 
FaceBook Comments:

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    Jess Collier - linda, number 7 made me cry... and number 9 made me laugh. :) thanks for sharing these - i learned a few things about you that i didn't know before!
    

    February 7, 2009 at 8:37am ·
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    Lisa Collier    these were so fun to read! #19 cracks me up--you do like puns and i think this is hilarious! awe, i want you to keep going and tell us more about yourself! #7 also made me cry.
    

    February 7, 2009 at 9:18am ·
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    Ben Collier   thanks for sharing Mom, it was wonderful to read!
    

    February 7, 2009 at 11:50am ·
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    February 7, 2009 at 4:19pm ·
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    Amanda Collier

    ‎1-25. i love you!
    
    more specifically...
    
    2. and you have no fear of spiders!
    ...4. not me! haha
    8. whoa!
    10. where would we be without missy? and zoolander?
    16. in my mind ive been 17 for the past four or five years, so when im 18 (in a month!) i wonder how ill feel.
    
    18. maybe i could invite emily, allie, and hilary over and we could battle... colliers vs. others!
    im so glad we understand each other!
    24-25. me too :( especially 25)

    
    

    February 8, 2009 at 10:04pm ·
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    Jess Collier just saw #18... i would definitely want you both on my team too. we would absolutely kick some gilmore girl butt!
    

    February 9, 2009 at 8:02am ·

5 Minute Friday

I am linking up with Gypsy Mama in 5 Minute Friday.   First time in and Friday is almost gone, but jumping in with both feet.


Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not. Here’s how we do it:

1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing or tweaking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my right side bar}
3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard. {And if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to leave you some encouragement}

The Hard Love...

 

Hard love is loving someone- a mess- who throws it back in your face, doesn't trust your love, doesn't believe you want the best for them...   God love.

What a mess am I - my sin--- filthy rags--couldn't enter in His home.   On the road to eternity with only death in my future.   What future?  Who could love this?

God love- Hard love...

His only Son--Hard love.    He did it for me...and you...

Jesus- Hard love.   Suffering for me.  Why?  He wanted to clean up my rags- to make them white-- through his blood.

Death on a cross- Hard love.

Rising again!- Changes everything.

 Thank you- Savior, Son of God for loving me with a  hard and forever love. For new Life.

Teach me to love.

Stop

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Peggy over at The Simple Woman's Daybook is the gracious host here.  Join in any day of the week.




For Today...March 14, 2011

Outside my window... Oh my, I am so happy to report that the sun is shining and birds are singing-- I said the birds are SINGING!!:)   The snow is melting and some of the birds are back. Yippee!  Here is our 7 day forecast- 50's- it's going to reach into the 50's!   We get excited up here when our normal high temps turn into our low temps.:)

I am thinking... that it has been much too long since I have blogged...and I have really missed it.  AND my bloggy friends.  I have stopped in and said hi along the way, but I want to be a better bloggy friend and get back with it.  I miss you!!

I am thankful for... all of our blessings- Seeing the devastation in Japan and the destruction there- my heart goes out all those families.   I just can't take it all in.

From the kitchen...I made roast beef with potatoes and carrots last night for dinner.  With just DH and I here tonight, we will just use up the leftovers.  This was hubby's request for his birthday dinner for last week, but  a flat tire got in the way of that on his birthday.  Life happens.

I am wearing...my jammies. 

I am hoping...that hubbies back feels better this evening after his chiropractic adjustment.  He came home Saturday with a "crick" in his back and stiffness.   So thankful they could get him in for an appt. today after work.

I am hearing... the morning sounds of people off to work and school-- and the birds!  I just heard the one that sounds like they are saying "you hoo".--so you know that one?:)

I am remembering...what Spring feels like-- I am so loving hearing those birds this morning!:)  And wasn't that great how it didn't get dark so early last night?--I sympathize with those of you with young children.  I know that the time change throws sleep schedules off.

I am praying...for my hubby on several counts ( one of them with exciting possibilities:)- especially his back today.   Also, of course, for the people of Japan.

For Amanda who is "Spring Breaking" in Michigan with a visit to Tim and Brook's house.  They are expecting  a little girl in May- so exciting!!
AND- oh yes!!  I haven't had the chance to tell you that we are expecting ANOTHER grandchild in AUGUST!!  Yes!  Daniel and Jess are going to have another little one- a little brother or sister for Sam and Eli!   Can you stand it?  I know I can't!:))

Around the house... Sorting and purging some of my clothes.   With my weight loss ( a little over 40 lbs. since last summer:),  there are a lot of things that don't fit anymore- in a good way.:)   I still have more to lose, but am very happy with my gluten free way of life.

On my mind... my 26 yr. old nephew,Andy died suddenly two weeks ago.  My thoughts are with my brother Wayne and his family so often throughout the days.  Our hearts are all aching from this and I'm so thankful that the Lord is so near with comfort. 

A few plans for the rest of the week...enjoying having Amanda back by midweek and spending time with her on her time off from school.  Oh -and her 20th birthday (how can that be?) is on Saturday, along with our little grand daughter Sophie's 2nd birthday (in Pittsburgh)- who was born on Amanda's birthday.
 


Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you... the birthday girls:

this is an older picture-- (not many pics are stored on this computer)
Happy Birthday Girls-- We love you!!

Thanks friends for stopping by and saying hi-- I'll be over to visit you, too!:)