Guess Who's Colored???  

 Good Mornin' y'all.....updatating just isn't my top

 priority and so my posts tend to get old and boring

 There's much in our lives that could get posted and I wish I would

 have the time to share with ya, but it's not been happening! 

 I like to add pictures but part of the reason they don't get

 posted is because I don't know how!!  Anyway, this is an

 old e-mail, but I thought it was cute and you can think on

 it while I try to come up with something more inspiring

Sorry folks if this colored guy is offensive to you.I needed someone black and this is the first guy I found to cut and paste to my site. I hadn't a clue who he was, (someone just today informed me he's in trouble with the law) and I still don't know his name....only that he played football (?) with the Falcons. (the only Falcon I know is an old Ford car that was very ugly when I was a child and maybe a huge bird with claws of some sort.... I'm not a sports fan in the slightest, don't watch TV or even read the newspaper, so I confess I'm quite ignorant when it comes to anything in the sports world, Hollywood and whatever else, so please bear with me when I goof like this

The following was told by a black guy from Texas who

 had a great sense of humor and creativity.......   

 "When I born, I black,                                                                                         

 when I grow up, I black,                                                                                                

 when I go in sun, I black,                                                                                              

 when I cold, I black,                                                                                                      

 when I scared, I black!                                                                                                   

 when I sick, I black,                                                                                                       

 and when I die, I still black! 

 You white folks......                                                                                                       

 when you born, you pink,                                                                                              

 when you grow up, you white,                                                                                      

 when you go in sun, you red,                                                                                        

 when you cold, you blue,                                                                                              

 when you scared, you yellow,                                                                                       

 when you sick, you green,                                                                                             

 when you bruised, you purple,                                                                                      

 and when you die, you gray.                                                                                          

 So who you callin' "colored" folks??? 

 Since I was born in the south, I learned to know these

 black people as soon as I knew white people, and they

 were special to me from infanthood. My two favorite

 people were Hinton & Hannah Priester, an elderly

 couple who worked for my parents and grandparents. They

 were almost like another set of grandparents to us children.   

 The intriguing thing about Hinton was he had a peg leg....

 there was a wooden peg from the knee down, but that didn't

 hamper his ability to do whatever there was to be done.

 He could keep up with any one. 

 We moved away when I was only 5, but still got to see them

 when we'd go back to visit grandpas. When I was 15 we

 moved to Costa Rica for 3 1/2 yrs and that's the last I

 remember seeing Hinton & Hannah.

 If I remember correctly, they both passed away during that time. 

 May God give them extra jewels in their crowns for their

 faithful services those many years. (They both loved the Lord

 and lived for Him.)

 So long... see y'all later. ck

 "A right attitude toward others will help keep God's truth in 

 our head and His love in our heart."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen!  I know my last post has been ages ago in history, and I've been a busy lady running to and fro on the face of the earth putting miles beneath my feet, I'm home at last and hope to stay here till at least Sept. or Oct. before we have to go to MO again...unless something unforeseen should come up.

We were home only a month (from Colin & JoLynn's wedd. and a wk. in MO) before Hunny and I left again. First of all we went to Salinas, California in the truck after a load of cattle. We were gone 2 1/2 days and seen some new country. Was the first I've been thru' Las Vegas (and what a glitzy city of lights!!) and another first was being in the state of Arizona for a short time. I've been in northern CA 3or 4 times already, but was a first to be in the bottom half. I was impressed with all the beautiful fields of produce and orchards! I would have loved to stop and take pictures, but we were pressed for time, plus you can't just pull over with a big rig and stop anywhere like you can with a car or pickup.

We came home on a Wed eve. took JoNell to the Dr. on Thu. plus packed for our trip east. (the dr. said she has strep.) The following afternoon we and the boys headed  for Clovis, New Mexico to attend a horse sale...not that we're looking to buy more horses, rather to see if that would be a good place to sell horses. (We were not impressed!) Sun. we left for MO and the boys came back home with one of my cousins. We looked after our business there etc. and on Fri. we headed to KY to spend the weekend with Colins. Went camping with them and his family and had a great time. Took our Libby-Girl along and was fun to surprise JoLynn with her. In the meantime I had a sick girl at home....she got pretty sick over the weekend, and the Dr. called back to let her know she has a bad case of Mono (besides strep). Kiwi ended up taking her to the emergency room on Mon.nite as her tonsils were swollen to the point of touching and swallowing was nearly out of the question. She actually choked on her  medication. At the ER they gave her steroid meds to alleviate the pain and swelling and gave her more for the following 4 or 5 days. She immediately got relief, and was soon on the mend after taking Mono-chord and other healthy supplements. She did have a serious bout with hives from the steroids, but that too has diminished greatly and she is doing very well at present. (She was so swollen...it looked like the bees got to her!)

I felt so helpless and far away, and yet the constant prayers from my "mother-heart" to Jesus' ever-listening ear and His healing Hand helped me keep my sanity.

After our jaunt down to KY we spent another 3 days back in MO and then headed north to Elton's parents. On Fri.they, and us 'n Elton's oldest sis. 'n family all left for Eureka, IL for a reunion with Grandma's family. Had an enjoyable wkend. We left for home in beautiful CO Sun afternoon. We usually drive straight thru' but took our time and arrived  home..."home sweet home" Mon. about bed-time. Sev. days later we had another adventure that should be a post by itself...and that was our annual Church Camp at Camp West Id-Ra-Ha-Je (I'd Rather Have Jesus) which was Fri. Sat. 'n Sun. At present we have 25 families (or households) We fed approx. 120...minus a few babies, and there was a grand total of a doz. people missing. We had campers, tents and cabins to sleep in, a nice cool kitchen, dining hall 'n family room  to lounge in at our leisure. This yr's activities included v-ball, soft ball, bow 'n arrow skills, water fights, water slide, canoeing on the pond [for the younger ones] hiking and four-wheelin'.Oh yes, we even quilted! We have a dead line to get the quilt done for the school sale, so those who cared to pass the time around the quilt could do so. We usually have a Sat. nite "campfire sing-spiration" but since there's a fire ban on for CO we weren't allowed a campfire, so we sang in the chapel with Marv & Tina playing the guitar 'n violin. (to see more pictures of these events go to giggleaday's site...she has a bunch of good ones.) Mon. morn my dear Hubby awoke not feeling well and continued to get sicker as the day went on till he had a raging fever, hurting everywhere, and his cough n sore throat came back that he had last wkend. (No, he wasn't in any water fight or water slide or got wet that way at the camp.) I offered to take him to the dr. to see if he has strep too but like all his gender do, he declined and hoped he'll feel better soon w/o a dr. So I diligently fed him all the supplements, home remedies etc. that I knew n had on hand.....and guess what? This afternoon he tho't he feels well enough to go bale n stack hay. Thankfully there's no manual labor...he can sit in a cab tractor n run both behind the steering wheel.

See ya all next time! CK

PS...ok this post is rather ancient too....I wrote it about three or four wks ago and never got the time to put all the pictures on so guess I'll just do without for now    

           In Loving Memory of Curly

          June 12, 1993--Oct. 12, 2006

  Today would be Curly's 14th Birthday; he expired 8 mo. ago today- age 13yrs. 4 mo.  In dog yrs. he was 91+, but he didn't act that old. He could still romp and play up until 2 days before he died. He came to live with us on Aug. 25, 1998 and we had the pleasure of having him as part of our family for over 8 yrs. He developed congestive heart failure sometime in 2004, but seemed to do well inspite of it until the eve of Oct 10th, he seemed out of breath and rather weak. I took him to the vet the next day and got medication, but that night he just couldn't breathe any more....and expired. It was a sad day...even if he was just a dog.

  He was an affectionate little fellow and quite smart. He knew all of us by name....when we asked where "so n so" was, he'd look at that person, or when we told him to go out with....whoever was to take him to the bathroom, he'd look at that person and then follow along. When the children told him, "go to Mama" he'd come find me even if I was way in another part of the house.

He had the priviledge of traveling with us quite often and these are the states he got to visit with us...Arkansas, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oregon, S. Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Ohio, and Colorado. Missouri was the central location at that time, so he also got to travel through quite a few states on the way to the above mentioned states. He was a good traveler and loved to go 'bye-bye'.

He loved to eat human food even better than his own "Fit & Trim" poochy food, but since poodles have very delicate digestive systems, we had to be careful what we gave him. Some of his favorite snacks were: green olives, baby carrots (till he lost his teeth) bananas, grapes, small bits of apples, cheese, and of course any kind of meat we would eat, certain kinds of sugared cereals, and of course he especially loved when I poured the broth off of canned meats onto his dog food. He'd slurp that up in a hurry!

We have a lot of interesting pictures of him, but not very many on this computer. Wish I'd have the ones where he wore baby clothes, rode a horse, sat in the doll carriage, sat on a Lttle Tykes John Deere tractor and lots of other things the children had him do.Will post some that I do have and these were all taken since we live in Colorado.

  I like watching out the window where we're going.

  Standing in the laundry sink waiting for my bath. (I hate baths!)

I love wearing this comfy hoodie while my hair is still wet.

"Hi there! I love you too!"

 I love sleeping in my own bed.

My faithful nurse and companion...this picture was taken in my last hours. "Thank-you to my beloved family for all the good times we had and all the memories we shared."

P.S. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" to our bro.-in-law "EARL"

Hope you had a great day!

"A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast."  Proverbs 12:10

P.S II One of these days I'll post some wedding pictures. I was waiting till JoLynn sends the cd of the professionals, but guess I can start once with the snap-shots off the girls' cameras.

Well ladies, I think you're all sick n tired of seeing the same, same old Thomas Kincaid story week after week. My kiddos have been after me for days on end to please up-date something normal for once and quit writing sermons all the time. One of the girls said they think I'd make a good preacher!  I can say this cause she's not here to "clobber" me for quoting her

(these icons are for my girls

Yes, I miss my girls so much...they flew out Tue. morn ...one is in KY and the other in Goshen, IN for a wedd. tomorrow. They are pleased to spend some quality time with their big sister and help her with wedding plans etc.

I get in on the tail end of things when I fly on the 27th. That's two whole weeks before the wedd. She bemoaned the fact that I'm not there now and wishes I could come 3 wks before! Well, fact is, 1 wk. away from my DH is long enough... He n the boys will drive down May 4th-5th. We have six mares due to foal any time soon now, and they felt they didn't want to leave before they just had to.

 They'll get to be there a whole wk before the wedd. as is. So.... in case you don't hear from me for another 'coon's age' you'll know I'm too busy to think up something to write! I've got a bunch of sewing to do yet, besides make my "wedd." dress, and do all the 'mama things' around here. I told the boys today it sure would be nice if we could just breeze through life w/o eating, that way I wouldn't have to cook, do dishes, clean up etc.  Darren tho't that's cool for me,

but not for him They do wonderful tho' in helping w/their laundry...helps me a bunch!

See ya all later.......

PS. Darren wanted me to address this to his gender as well as the 'ladies' ---he knows

there's guys who read my posts too...sorry guys--no offence! 

"A good man does not hesitate to admit he has been in the wrong. He takes comfort in knowing he is wiser today than he was yesterday. "

Thomas Kincaid is America's most collected living artist. He is a devoted husband (of more than 20 yrs.) and a doting father to their 4 daughters. Thom strives to live a balanced life, committed to family values. He creatively fills his paintings with "love notes" by hiding the letter "N" in his paintings as a tribute to his wife, Nanette. His daughters also find their own messages of love from their father, as their names and images often appear in many of his paintings.

Thomas Kincaid credits the Lord for both the ability and the inspiration to create his paintings. His goal as an artist is to touch people of all faiths, to help bring peace and joy into their lives through the images he creates.   

How many of you just love, like, admire, adore, and/or respect Thomas Kincaid's writings and work of art? I think he is one great talented man...not only can he inspire through his many beautiful paintings, but through the printed page as well.

One of his books that I enjoy and just finished reading, (actually it's one you can read over and over again...and still get inspired!)  ....it is called "The Many Loves of Marriage" and I think all who are married, are anticipating marriage, and those who wish they were married, should read it....and hopefully it will bless you as it has me. As I read this book, it made me realize how truly blessed I am with a dear husband who also has a "committed love." (...and I guess to practice all these different loves...you have to be committed!)

Thomas & Nanette say, "You will discover Love after Love....we had a wild romantic love from the start, and while we've fought to maintain that love, we've discovered many other loves worth celebrating...an enduring love that rides the rolling waves like a sailboat, drawing strength from the shifting winds...an exploring love, that keeps us holding hands with excitement and a sence of adventure as we anticipate the next bend in the road....a spontaneous love, that embraces each new day with wide-open eyes and refuses to allow the pale and diminished expectations of others to dilute our joy....an attentive love, a sharing love, a sheltering love...and a beacon of love that unites us in a life purpose bigger than ourselves." 

They share personal secrets of multiplying love in any marriage relationship. Follow along and discover how one love opens the door to another---and another and another!

Broader horizons await...new pathways beckon, so journey with us into a richer marriage than you've ever dreamed possible!

(Following are some interesting facts and excerpts from "enduring love".)

Change is part of the mystery of life. There are factors in your marriage that are a mystery at the time you make your vows. You may marry someone in perfect health, only for him or her to develope severe physical, mental, or emotional problems just a few years later. Scripture reminds us that "but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken" (Prov. 15:13) And who can say when the spirit is mended? You may stand at the altar with an easy-going soul, someone with a ready laugh and smile. Yet the stresses (and who knows what they will be?) can change all that.

Unlike the motionless world of a painting, marriage-and life itself--is constantly changing. And by the way...so are you!

People change, don't they? Sometimes for the worse, but sometimes for the better, too. Nobody can predict what will happen in a marriage. The simple fact of aging creates change. Your needs, your experiences, and your perspectives will be different in every sucessive season of life. Your fortunes may change dramatically. You may begin marriage with what you thought was (financially sufficient) or you were struggling along, barely making it.... and with time, both of these changed. You and I can't know the many changes marriage will bring, neither are there any guarantees. Even so, there are those things that do not change....(fixed points in a turning world.)

WHAT DOESN'T CHANGE?

What stays the same in a marriage? (1) God stays the same.The One who created you and gave you to each other never changes. (Heb. 13:8) No matter what happens in your life, no matter what happens in the life of your spouse, or your children, no matter what happens across this wide world...God remains eternally the same. The One who stood ready to help you on the day of your wedding is still available, still loves you, and still has power to calm any storm.

What else stays the same? (2) Your vows stay the same. That's why the traditional wedding vows are worded the way they are.--"To love and to cherish...forsaking all others...in sickness and in health...for richer, for poorer...so long as you both shall live."  The promises you made to each other, before the solemn scrutiny of the eternal God and the witness of family and friends, remain.

All of us who are married vowed to be faithful to each other...come what may. We pledged to stand by each other, to love and cherish each other...no matter what. Other things may change, but that does not change and will not change. Events beyond our reckoning may turn our world upside down, but our promises before heaven remain in full effect. Those vows are the enduring mountains and the granite cliffs in the painting of our lives.

(I just love how he can compare a beautiful marriage to a beautiful picturesque painting...but you probably have to read the book to get the whole picture!)  bye....until later.

 "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever." -- Heb. 13:8

Believe it  or not, you don't know everything about  everything....and neither do your friends. There will always be more to learn on a topic and more to understand about other people and situations in this world.

Friendship is important to that process. through stimulating discussions, differing view-points and challenging observations, you will learn and grow. Appreciate what your friends can do for you in this area--and you for them. Make time to engage in conversations about various topics and see what you can learn. Give your friends the freedom to honestly share their opinions, even if they are different from yours. You might be surprised at how your attitude can change when you really listen and understand another's viewpoint.

God wants us to be friends helping friends....God created us as a relational people. We need one another and we find joy 'n comfort in those we love. Your friends can keep you accountable in your Christian walk, they can encourage you to grow and stretch and become the person God wants you to be. You can do the same for them. Friends look for unselfish ways to help friends grow and learn. God put friends in your life for a reason and He put you in your friends' lives for a reason. Be the best friend you can be!

"We then that are strong ought to bear the infirimities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let everyone of us please his neighbor for his good to edification." ---Rom. 15: 1,2

Well, well, well,

Looks like we are all bored with chocolates, and are anticipating something new for a change

I have this cute little devotional book that has some very interesting down to earth advice and I may quote from it occasionally.....and add some inspirations of my own if I feel so led. I feel 'blessed' when the 'advice' jumps out at me, taps me on the shoulder, and says, "hey...this is for you."

      "Living in God's wisdom fills your life with good qualitiies that make you pleasant to be around, a good spouse, a good parent and a good friend. Seeking to live by God's wisdom helps you to be considerate of other people, especially the people you live with....which is sometimes the hardest.   IT will help you be submissive to others, seeking to lift them up and please them instead of yourself.

You will be kind and compassionate to others' needs. Your love will be sincere and fair. These are wonderful qualities to live out  before your children, and to instill in them."

 "The wisdom that is from above is first pure; then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good  fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ---Jas. 3:17

 Dear Friends,

Today is the day we celebrate chocolates and roses

and all the sweetness that goes with Valentines Day.

(I wonder what the guys give their wives who don't

like chocolates or possibly the smell of roses? lol

My B.D. was last week and my dear Hubby gave

me a bouquet of a dozen roses (reds, pink, coral 'n

yellow w/white baby's breath....very pretty!) so I

don't expect another bouquet just yet.                         Chocolates?? He knows I love chocolates, but he also knows that I'm one of these people who can so easily put on another pound (almost for every gooey piece that goes in my mouth, and since the race is on for our daughter's wedding in May...well, we'll just share them with whoever comes around

How many of you know the origin of chocolate?

 "One of the greatest treasures ever discovered was the bean from the tree Theobroma cacao, the original source of chocolate. Smoothe in texture, intense in taste, subtly perfumed, and elegant to behold, chocolate is a rich sourse of sensory pleasure, adored by almost everyone!"

   Chocolate comes from the cacao tree, a tropical plant that thrives in hot, rainy climates. It does not grow well more than twenty degrees north or south of the equator, and it is a delicate and sensitive tree that needs shade and protection from the wind, especially during the first years of it's growth. A newly planted cacao seedling is often sheltered by another tree, such as a banana, plantain, coconut, or rubber tree. Once it is well established, though, the cacao tree can grow in full sunlight, so long as it has care and fertile soil.

  "Like the cacao tree, love only thrives under certain conditions. It needs to be sheltered, especially when it is young. Once our love grows deep roots, though, it too can withstand the sun and wind--so long as we are careful to nourish it with care and attention."

   "Chocolate is a universal symbol of love. Ever since it's discovery by the Aztecs in ancient Mexico, it has been used as a gift--a concrete expression of a thousand feelings too sweet, too complex for mere words. Love needs a tangible language, for love cannot be contained nor expressed by even the most sophisticated vocabulary. Music expresses love to our ears....flowers are a visual symbol of our feelings....and chocolate allows us to taste love's sweetness."

    The cacao tree is an evergreen, with large glossy leaves that are red when young, and green when mature. Moss and bright lichen cling to it's bark, and small orchids often grow on it's branches. All year long the tree sprouts thousands of tiny pink or white blossoms that cluster along the trunk and older branches. The fruit comes from green or maroon colored pods that turn to gold and scarlet as they ripen. (Can you imagine what a gorgeous tree this must be?)

   "The love between two individuals is much the same, ever-green and life-giving. Others will be drawn to this love, for real love is fertile, nourishing....and it makes the world a brighter, more beautiful place to be!"

   The job of picking the ripe cacao beans is not easy. The tree is so delicate that the workers cannot risk injuring it by climbing the branches to reach the pods. Instead, the pickers use long-handled, mitten-shaped steel knives to reach the pods w/out wounding the tree's soft bark. Each pod holds from twenty to fifty cream-colored beans that quicly turn lavender or purple as they are exposed to air. Although each pod holds so many beans, harvesting cacao beans takes time and patience, for approximately four hundred beans are needed to make one pound of chocolate.

   "Love is also a delicate tree, easily wounded, requiring time and patience before it yields fruit. Its sweet harvest, though, is well worth the effort!"

   During the 17th and 18th centuries, chocolate consumption spread throughout Europe. At 1st, only the very wealthy could afford it, but the French revolution also meant that chocolate began to be consumed by common folk as well as the aristocracy. In 1828, the Dutch invented a cocoa press that further reduced the price of chocolate. Just as the Aztecs had considered chocolate to be sacred, Europeans now thought of chocolate as a therapeutic, health-giving substance. Quaker families in England began producing chocolate, promoting it as 'healthful and flesh-forming,' a far better alternative to gin. (flesh-forming is right!!)

  This divine drink, which builds up resistance and fights fatigue, also permits a man to walk for a whole day without food. Chocolate, also, when carefully prepared, is a wholesome and agreeable form of food....is very suitable for persons of great mental exertion, preachers, lawyers, and above all...travelers. It agrees with the feeblest of stomachs, has proved benificial in cases of chronic illness....

  "If you swallow a generous cup of good chocolate at the end of your meal, you will have digested everything perfectly three hours later." (??)

   In 1847, the Fry chocolate factories in Bristol, England molded the first chocolate bar, and in 1850, Richard Cadbury made the first Valentine's Day heart candy box. Milk chocolate was invented in 1879 by two Swiss chocolate manufacturers, Henry Nestle and Daniel Peter. In the United States, Milton Hershey brought mass-production to chocolate manufacturing. He was also the first to experiment with the use of vegetable fats instead of pure cocoa, which raised the melting point of a candy-bar. Chocolate could then withstand the heat of American summers-and could also be shipped to troops during World War II. The U.S. government recognized chocolate's importance to both the nourishment and morale of the Allied Forces-so much so that it allocated valuable shipping space for the importation of cocoa beans. Today, the U.S Army D-rations still include three 4oz. chocolate bars.

   "Chocolate melts instantly in the mouth-an exquisitely pleasurable sensation. Then the flavors come flooding through-overwhelming our taste buds with over 500 of them, two-and-a-half times more than any other food. With such a wealth of sensory pleasure in store, no wonder chocolate should be eaten slowly!"

   Quote: Nine out of ten people love chocolate....the 10th person always(??) lies. (or at least his sensory taste buds aren't working right!

   Last but not least....many of us feel that chocolate is guilty pleasure; our culture worries so much about calories and fat that we're convinced anything that good can't be good for us. In fact, though, earlier cultures prized chocolate for it's therapedic value-and they weren't all that far off. A 100 grams of milk chocolate contains 8.4 grams of protein, 220 milligrams of calcium, 55 of magnesium, and 1.6 of iron. It also has zinc, carotene, Vit. E, thiamin, niacin, and folate. And well, yes, it does have 529 calories (so don't take it as your daily vitamin ration!) but it also offers natural chemicals that help lift our spirits and balance our moods. It's scientific name is Theobroma Cacao-which literally means "the food of God."

  "Like chocolate, love is sweet and heady....it nourishes our hearts, for love is of God."

   And guess 'what else' is wonderful about chocolate? It is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, creamy....silky, smooth, luxurious, and it is also happiness, pleasure, love, ecstasy, fantasy.....want to add some descriptions of your own?

   P.S. Just as a reminder so you don't pig out on chocolate, (unless it's unsweetened the sugar content of chocolates is what causes you to become sick when you eat too many of them, and also it's the dark chocolate that has the therapeutic value...milk chocolate just tastes good!

"It is not true that Love makes all things easy; it makes us choose what is difficult." -- George Elliot 

     to all and hope you all have a very good day! ttyl CK

   P.S.II I was hoping to find a "red heart" skin or something for a Valentine's background....no such luck, but if you have any advice, send specific steps on how to do it; send me a Message (I'm xanga delinquent, you know!)

                                       Hello once again,

    Yest. when my cell phone rang and I answered, a tearful little voice asked in quick succession,  "what are you doin' Mama, when are you comin HOME, I want you to come and pick me up, I need you! "and then a little sob caught in her throat. Poor dear...she doesn't know how hard it is to leave her behind 'n how it tugs (or yanks!) at my heart-strings when she does this-- it's happened about 5 times now since we moved.

    This little voice belongs to "Libby" who is "my baby" back in Missouri. She was placed into my arms when she was two n a half weeks old and I helped her young mother (21 at the time and going thru divorce) raise this child. She also had an 18 mo. old bro. whom we were taking care of since he was 15 mo. old. Libby's mother worked as a nurse's aide n put in long hours,  so Libby was with us alot,   even after jobs and circumstances changed ...she was our little girl.  She and I bonded almost like she was my birth baby, and she called us Mama & Daddy from the time she could lisp her first sweet words--which she continues to this day--even tho' she is now 5 1/2 yrs. old.              (and yes, she still sucks her finger....a comfort thing)                                          

    Libby not only stayed with us days, but nights as well and about every other wk. end. As she grew older she'd come and stay anywhere from 2-4 days and on occasion even longer. When she was 2 she began going on trips with us which included IN, KY, KS, OK, and eventually Colorado! When we moved out here in July, (we only brot the RV and a small horse trailer filled with boxes and smaller items) Libby had the priveledge of coming with us and spending an enjoyable two whole weeks with us before her "pa-pa" (who was one of our truck drivers and employee for many years) came thro' in the truck and picked her up 'n took her along back to Missouri.  Libby counts the days when we'll be back (at our old house as she calls it)...and so far we've been able to give her dates when we'll be there--we were back for 12 days in Aug.; 10 days in Sept.; 0 in Oct.; 12 days in Nov. (which included KY 'n IN) and 15 days the last of Dec. 'n first part of Jan. which she got to spend about half those times with us.

    The last day we were there (this last time) she didn't want to go to school for fear we'd leave before she comes home, so her mama said she could stay:)) It broke my heart yesterday to have to tell her that I don't know when we're coming back to MO....it may be sev. months this time, but we may be back there for a whole month in May, so hopefully she'll be happy with that, because she gets to go with us to Kentucky then. Her mama also promised her and Dalton they could come to CO to spend part of their summer vacation w/us, so maybe they can come home with us then!

    Pray for this little girl when you think about her-and us...she has had to adapt to alot of adjustments in her life so far, and only God knows her future. The daddy to her twin brothers who are 18 mo. younger than her, has recently moved out and that divorce is in the final stages; mama has had to work to provide for her little family for most of Libby's life, Gramma is an EMT on the ambulance 'n grampa is a truck driver....so my little girl doesn't always know where she belongs, and that's why it breaks my heart to be so far away from her, especially when the security she had in our home was also taken from her. It also makes it confusing to her when her various relatives tell her I am not her mama. Yes she knows I'm not her biological mother, and yet I think it's sweet of her to want to call me her 'mama' (since shes done it since babyhood). I call her a lot of endearing names and she knows she is loved very much. Her own mother often tells me that we are Libby's family and she assumes it'll stay that way till.....?? prob. for always. Whenever she tells me "bye" whether in person or on the phone, she always says, "I love you bunches and bunches Mama, and I miss you!" (and only God knows how I miss my little girl!)

    Now let me tell you a scary little story.....the last time we were in Missouri, one day when I stopped for fuel at the store/gas station (where Libby's mother is the manager) she told me she had a terrible scare several days prior to this. Two days after school opened again after New Years, she was at the dr.'s office with the boys (they had strep throat) she got word from (?? whoever was at the house) that Libby didn't get off the school bus. So she notified the sheriff and he went to the school and searched the bus, 'n there she was all nestled down and still sleeping!  I'm sure God was looking out for our little girl...who knows what she would've done had she woke up and not known where she was or where she was to go....(her mom said she would've totally paniced!) AND someone could've kidnapped her!!

   The bus driver was supposed to sweep out the bus and check to see if any kids were still sleeping back there--when he got back to the bus barn, which he obviously didn't do.....and he lost his job! (or so I heard.) God bless you all who took the time to read what's on my heart tonite. Love ya's, ck

"Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about....for in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavillion......" --- Psalms 27 & 32

      Hello Peoples,                                                                                         

     Sorry it takes me forever so long to get around to up-dating, 'n I'm sure you've been bored many times over and prob. gave up in despair that that I'll ever get the hang of this thing. But hang on, I'll get better at it eventually and hopefully will have more time in the next sev months.  

    If you read my last post, you'll remember we were gone  for nearly three wks. We arrived home at 3:30 am (today) and I'm still dragging! We left our Missouri home Thur. eve for Shawnee, OK and got settled into our suite at the Holiday Inn Express about mid-nite and just in time! By 7:00 Fri. morn the temp. had dropped over 30 degrees 'n it was sleeting and  everything was very icy. Hubby and the boys cautiously made it over to the Horse Sale as well as my bro.-in-law and nephews. They all had a suite too and and I was so thankful for my sis-in law there to help pass the time! In the next sev. days we had fun going shopping.....there was a Wal-mart across the street and a nice big Mall within walking distance and a mini mall right beside us, so we didn't lack for things to do!  We had alot of choices to eat out which we took advantage of as well....Ihop, Santa Fe, Cracker Barrel and Golden Corral.  Wonderful food but sure didn't help our waistlines! :(               

    We were iced in with no where to go for 3 days but Mon dawned clear 'n suuny and sounded as tho' the roads west were pretty much cleared off so decided to risk oit and had a good ride home, even tho' we seen about 1/2 doz. semi trucks in the ditch or in the median. One was a fairly new dump truck w/a load of sand on upside down! Seems as tho' that was one vehicle that would've been less likely to roll, with all those extra wheels and a lot of extra weight! We are thankful God brought us safely home! (wish I could post pictures of all our adventures, but don't have anyone here at the moment, to show me how!)   Love ya all, CK

 "For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone." -- Psa. 91:11,12