Good ole summertime…….

 Yummy!!!!

Our tomatoes are the best-I mean THE BEST!!!!

I don’t remember ever tasting a better tomato in my life. I’m not sure if it’s the variety ,or just that it has been sooooooooo long since I’ve eaten a good tomato!

My hubby really knows how to grow em!!!They are all about 5 feet tall.

Rather than stake them individually he placed two posts,one at each end of the row, and secured a wire ,firmly at the top of each post. Then he tied cord from the wire ,the length to reach the ground and tied the loose end loosely around the base portion of the tomato plants.As the plants grow,he supports the new growth with the cord. As you can see, it’s a great technique and is working beautifully!

The berries are coming along-but I am surprised by how much time and care they require. The wild ones grow rampantly but these fade,droop and die if they miss water for more than a couple of days. But the berries are yummy!!Tart but sweet and large.

The fish are happily growing and even biting when we get to stop and fish with the kids.

The flowers always seem happy-even though the heat index is in excess of 100 degrees!

BLACK EYED SUSANS…

COSMOS

It’s been a very busy few weeks but I am happy to report that things are finally slowing down a bit-and it really needed to. I miss my kids,grandkids and just the quiet. This weekend the kids came out and we had a bit of just sitting by the pond,wetting a hook and visiting as they “jerked perch” from the pond. 

 

These will be the times I(and I hope my kids & grandkids) remember as the good old days.

The LONG way HOME.....

Sometimes you don't know exactly what you want for your kids...as adults.

That is until you see it....

This place that we call PROVIDENCE is HOME to all of us- but in reality as the kids grow up and have their own families, it becomes less HOME to them - and it should be that way.

They are their own family and they need a place that becomes HOME to them.

I didn't really see that coming because I always wanted THIS to be home- but now, in the last few years I have realized that this place,Providence, will always be special to them, but HOME for them needs to be their very own.

When God gives them the desire of their heart I can hardly contain the emotion.

Read this sweet post and you will understand -

HOME...SWEET,SWEET,HOME!

I laughed out loud amidst tears of some weird kind of sadness -bittersweet is a good description of the feeling I guess.

I am so blessed that this new chaper-( no wait a second- it's a NEW BOOK, not a new chapter)has begun for my firstborn and his sweet family!!!

My heart swells with love for all 5 of my kids and the lives that they have- right this minute!!!

Every single one of them are just a blessing to me!!!

OK since the tears are back, Im gonna have to stop babbling here and move on to the sunshine outside and finish counting my blessings there!!!

Last minute agenda…..

 

With time running short we really had to cram a lot into our last day together!

We started out at the park- after yet another attempt to play PuttPutt failed.

The kids had a great time!

The big ones AND the little ones….

By 1 o’clock we had been to the park and then on to Cici’s Pizza – can somebody please tell me why we did that?

The really weird thing is that there were lots of people there without kids- why would anyone in their right mind go there –especially without kids? It’s loud- crowded – tons of cryin kids and pizza on the floor as well as the tables……

By the time we got to the interstate all 3 girls were sleeping!

Wendy started her day out with a nap….good thing too because we still had LOTS of day ahead of us!!!!!

Guess I’ll have to make this a “to be continued”-we still have lots left to show you about our last day of fun!!!

Happy times-

I won't bore you with details!

We're havin a ton of fun and it's only day 1!!!!

                                                                     4 Wheelin'

                                                      Kid cookin'

New friends-a vising cousin-in-law???

                                         Adventure walks with PawPaw

Farmyard chores

Fresh Eggs!!!!!

Even a bike ride for our big boy!!!

(Thanks for the safety adjustment Uncle Christopher!!)

More to come as the week continues!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!!

 

Wednesday was my mom’s birthday and we had a wonderful time celebrating together!!!!It’s so good to be close enough to share special days like this one!!

The little ones had a great time too!!!!

A peek into parenthood........

Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.
                                                                       ~John W. Whitehead, 


In just a few days my husband and I will mark  not only our oldest son's birth but our 34th anniversary as parents.
We will have parented 5 children for a total of 34 years-on his birthday.
Boy have things changed since those days!!! Mostly hair!!!!!!

 Really, we have changed so much - seems we've raised five seperate families actually.
Most of the kids are 5 years apart so they span in ages from 16-34.

That means we raised kids in the 70's-80's -90's the new millenium and forward!!!!
Right through  Dr. Spock-Phil Donohue- television without remotes-smurfs -backward masking -
 destruction of the Berlin Wall- -9-1-1, dial phones, princess phones, bag phones, cordless phones and now cell phones!!!! 
I think you get the idea. 
The world has changed so much in such a short time- is it any wonder that WE have changed a lot too?
Some things have not changed- and this letter reminded me of that. It's one of those timeless moments as a parent that defines why we do what we do.
With my husbands permission- I'm leaving it exactly as he wrote it to them- over 15 years ago!!!
Neither of us could even remember whether or not it was ever delivered to them.

Enough from me- now hear the heart of a father who loves his children ~



Dear Children-
I suppose I owe you this and I guess it's about time. Having children over such a long period of years leaves some of you ignorant about one end or the other of those years.It's been over 25 years since my first child was born and I guess you could say I have over 25 years of experience now. The same is true of my walk with Christ,knowledge,wisdom and marriage, etc....

To my older children I may have seemed to be vigilant,faithful and strong,strict, maybe fun, smart and surely young. I know from things I've heard you say ,you thought I was stronger,faster,smarter and godlier than most anyone you knew. You knew me as some sort of preacher. And you knew other people who thought the same of me.
My younger children?....They've seen me unable to preach, seemingly defeated,older and much slower, no apparent energy...you get the picture.

Have you seen the attacks in the presedential campaign? People are using the arrogance and foolishness of youth to define men of age , experience and perhaps wisdom.I don't know much about either candidate but I know that a portrait of them as youths is not a true portrait of them as old men. A photo of me when I was 20 compared to a picture of me now is sufficient evidence that men change with age physically. Youth would like to think that wisdom and knowledge follow the physical image ...and yes it does fade away...just not as fast as the physical.

Let me explain....
When I was your age I was stronger than a great many of my peers. I deemed myself smarter,wiser and godlier too. Because I was so smart and wise I could see things clearly that men twice, nay, thrice my age blundered over. Because I was so energetic,I could express my arrogant knowledge for hours, hardly taking a breath.(Not really- I had to breathe heavily because of my excitement at being so powerful)
Because I was strong, I was proud.
You perhaps still get a glimpse of that pride when I reminence of younger days(thats foolish vanity)
You have heard my warnings about so called health club memberships. You young people are probably not proud and vain as I was but because I was and am, I warn you.( I never worked out in a gymexcept for about a week in college and up to about 5 years ago I could have whipped any of you any way you wanted it)
Vanity and vexation of the spirit- you see? How do I advance the gospel by flattering my flesh?
Did I say I liked to spew my arrogant knowledge?
This too is vanity.
I am ashamed of the way I belittled people with my wonderful knowledge of the bible, all the while showing a lack of wisdom that comes from above.(a bruised reed he did not break, he didnt put out a smoldering flax)

Lest you use these things as fodder for your excuses as to why you are the way you are, let me take that away.Because I love God and his ways and desire to follow his teaching, I committed myself ,when you were very young, to giving you all I could in the way of godly upbringing.
True, it was done when I was about your age, in arrogance and ignorrance and with stumbling, but it was all I knew to do at the time.
Now, if you use the sacrafice of my life as an excuse for mistakes you have made, or troubles you experience, you are weak and need to look inward.
Seek the true liberator.

There- I took your excuse, now I give it back! Your upbringing is an excuse for what you are.
 What are you that you were not guided to be?
What do you have that was not given?
Does God not still control?
You are who you are because your momma and I, because of Frank,Liz, Maplewood,...because of Gary,Steve,Barry,Tim, Jerry J, Larry R., Brandy,Penny aunt Marilyn,pastor Larry,Jennifer,Jonathan,Micah,Vineyard,Ms Queenie,Randall,Billy...because of USA,because of Louisiana,Sulphur,Moss Lake Providence,the cabin,the big house,the little house the hopes and dreams.
You are who you are because God made it so!
But what is it you will glory in? Where is it you will boast,in whom will you put your trust?
It is Jesus.
It is in Him that we live and move and have our existence.
Praise God we are all saved in spite of ourselves by the free gift of the love of God in Jesus Christ.

"Flee youthful lust,but follow after righteousness,charity,peace with them who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." You know,when you get angry at something I am trying to tell you ,it's probably at my inability to convey eternal ,spiritual things through this carnal body,but you can bet that I'm telling you because I love you you and not because I want to prove how bad you are.
You can bet that I know more about it than you and you can bet that I know more because I've wallowed in it for much too long and I dont want you to waste your time bowing to that devil.
Praise God for deliverance,for mercy.
Oh children, raise your hands to Him now in praise for He is excellent!He cleanses us and makes us righteous. in His son.
Praise your maker- He is ever around you.

To my younger children, God has given me to you at this time...older,slower,weaker, maybe wiser and more knowledgeable, but having experience behind me,feeling ignorant and short on wisdom.Some of that attributed to my seeming inability to carry anything to fruition. Some because of the weariness of battles that you may never see or understand(for that matter I may never understand)


You have only heard that I was strong,that I was a carpenter,a mechanic. That I preached ,some say with the spirit,some say being devisive. They are probably both right.
Youth is sometimes cruel- it doesnt let you know how foolish  and ignorant you are.
 Old age may be crueler...it does.
Nevertheless, it has brought me to where I am now(oops forgot I was talking to the younger ones) I mean...It got me here!

I almost fear for your teen years. They wear hard on me. I dont know if having you all close together would have been better. I would all be over faster, but it might be like an atom bomb! :)
As it is, I will have raised teenagers for about 25 years. Thats a long arduous task for anyone. Add in Bi-polar illness,age,stupidity,wore-out-ness etc, and you see where I might be a little apprehensive. You cant imagine the almost unbearable pain when one of your sweet children suddenly deem you his/her enemy. Though youve given your life for him/her for 16 yrs you are now trying destroy him/her.

It's as if I've fed you for all these years secretly scheming to slaughter you when you were fat enough. Now you realize the conspiracy and can think of nothing but escape.(Be easy on me young ones- I'm not as strong as I used to be)
It reminds me of how my Saviour must feel when I deny Him.
Lord, forgive me.
How long will I continue to pierce your side?Lord, I love you so much...or do I just SAY so?

Children, perhaps it is good that you are seperated by several years. I am better able to pray and concentrate on your difficulties and mine through these tough years for both of us.
Although I am only writing from my perspective, I ask you to remember your momma. We are coworkers in the Lord on your behalf. We have battles between ourselves in your behalf. Our strength ,courage,wisdom and love is tested almost daily during your teen years.(mostly on weekends....go figure) and usually past my bedtime!!!

If any of you thin you know how to raise kids please let me kno. Even with all my years of experience I'm clueless(you may agree)
Of all the jobs I've hadraising kids is way the hardest, but I shall not quit! I love it! I love YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU and YOU!

Anytime you want to cut me down to size , you go ahead. Smash me,bash me...turn me into dust for the wind to scatter to the hills. That is easily done, because I have built much of myself up with plaster and mud and shaped it to look good as I like people to see my image. What vanity!!!
But the things of God ARE in there. God has put them there and they will not crumble.
You will only make them more visible by taking shots at me. I am built on a firm foundation. I am not speaking out of pride but hope that you will learn to only...only see the God in me and not the me...in me.

All my love always,
your daddy

It really is almost time again!!!!!!

OK I admit it- we have time to plan- but honestly this is the best thing,next to the seed catalogs arriving in January!!!!

It's my VBS catalog!!!!

I'm ready to start planning and assigning duties so we can have fun with all those kids again this year!

The theme is an Egyptian marketplace!!

Woo HOO! How fun is this gonna be!!!????

Meanwhile......back at the ranch........

Luke did a little hunting............

The guys dangerously popped firecrackers...AT EACH OTHER!!!!

And 4 layers of our life at this house were exposed and upgraded!!!!!

Those of you who have known us a while may remember the  plywood days- first plain white,then  red then terra cotta and finally the "sticky-tile!!! UGH!!!!!

But my hardworkin man decided to treat me to my newest upgrade this New Years Day!

A luscious wood floor in the dining room and kitchen!!!!

Isn't it beautiful?

I was soo inspired that I started de-cluttering AGAIN!!!!!!! I mean I have to be able to see the floor ,right?
So out with all that cluttery- on- the- floor-sweep -around- and move -to- mop- stuff!!!!!
Pictures coming up after the entire project is done! That should be tomorrow- before his MAJOR dental surgery on Tuesday!!!!
Now that should be worth blogging about!!!!!
His "grill" will be shiny white- no more gold!!!!! Who knew a girl could dis-like gold so much!!!!
Story to follow...stay tuned!!!!

Home for Christmas.......

  Some of the kids were "home for early Christmas" -  close enough for me!!!!

I'll settle for any variation at this point in my life! It's increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to have ALL the kids together again- it's just life.

We crammed all the fun we could think of into the few short

days we had together- and did we all have fun!!!!!

Let's see- a bonfire,birthday party,eating together every night- all the babies and kids and noise-  a little shopping,talking,sewing and lots more cooking- fun gift exchange, family church and so much more!

The house was a glorious mess and there were smiles and happy laughs everywhere!

Lots of toys on the floor- wall to wall people sleeping and lots of fun memories made!!!

What could be better????- only having all of them here- we missed Gabe & Kim and kids Collin,Aidan,Kaydence and Kalleigh.

Pond reflection at the bonfire...

Folks were happily arriving for the bonfire early in the day....

Soooo happy together!!!
There's just nothing like cousins!!!!!

I hope each of you have a blessed Christmas!!!!!!!

Christmas ~ Past

Christmas .......Past

Today as I was cleaning up 'Fall" and getting out the christmas decorations I found something I wasn't looking for!

I was in the attic looking for my christmas decorations. This is the first time I've ever had to do it alone....well in the the last 30 or so years anyway.

I felt certain I could manage the attic ladder and get this thing done is record time. I had made a good start...when I spotted something in the attic!

There it was...crouched between the boys old cowboy hats and the girls dress-up dresses. I moved in for a closer look....disaster!!!!
Before I knew what was happening it threw an old sailing ship lamp that belonged to my childhood,at me-whack!
Hit me squarely... Aunt Mary won't be with us this year...it was her lamp....a keepsake from happy times.

Then as I was recovering from that blow another came from behind.......stuffed animals that belong to my baby boys- the 30 yr old ones. Suddenly I could see them lugging them again!
Then a rustling noise startled me out of my nostalgia...it was mounds of sparkly tulle....dress up princess dresses!

I was sinking fast.....

gasp..."keep it together! get moving... " I told myself. I hurried to the attic ladder to escape and  stumbled over old school books...
..the baby bed my "workin man" made for our third baby- it was all that was left after the housefire just weeks before she was born.. things were coming faster and faster! Glass dolphins, a jeweled mirror, cowboy chaps -

I finally realized that my only hope of escaping by was to stop and sit very still ....

 I was  perched precariously at the top of the attic ladder so I just plopped down and waited....and waited for the ...past to be hurled at me ...one memory at a time. ....and I cried.

Our old paper anatomy models,scrapbooks,pictures,momentos  - I gave each memory it's fair share of time-

When the PAST finally settled back into it's place- I eased myself down the ladder and quietly folded the ladder back up into the ceiling where it belonged!

WHEW!!!!

Don't tell ME there's no such thing as ghosts!!!!!  :)

Be very careful when you get your Christmas things out of the attic....that's where the ghosts of christmas.........PAST   live!!!

GAME OVER!!!!

The feast day is almost over! Then the world moves on to purchasing uneeded items for everyone they know. : / I know..I sound cynical....but I just hate the abuse of the gift-giving thing.

ANYWAY..... today was a good day- different in lots of ways, but still good.
For one thing- we ate off my grandmothers china- it's beautiful,no?
I don't remember ever eating off it before-
Also I didn't cook- my mom treated us to a feast! it was just adults this time- yes Luke you counted as an adult!!!!
How did my moms hands turn into my grandma's ??? Funny how that happens.

                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  After the feast Luke and I went to see a FUNNY movie!!!!!On our way to Lake Charles we listened to Michael Buble'...waaay too loud!!! Must have been a funny site  too- 16 yr old and 50 + yr old singing "you know how I feel" very  loudly and without inhibition!! :)
We had a short wait so we played a game of Air Hockey- I WON,TOO!!!!!!GAME OVER!
What fun that was!!!!
We laughed so hard at the movie!! It was wonderful !!! I think it's therapeutic to laugh that much in public!!!

Finally we stopped to see PawPaw Jack and play in his wheelchair....uuummmm...I mean visit!!

He laughs so hard at Luke!!!!

He spent the day with Bob and his family and said he had a great day!

SO DID WE!

Reunion day~

This weekend marks the first Carroll reunion since Tim's death.

It was good to get together with everyone. The reunion has changed over the years and Tim's absence was one more change. Another difference is that the adults actually outnumber the children.

The older the kids( adult kids) get the harder it is to actually

have everyone together~ and there were several missing this year.

The guys had a great time visiting and cooking and talking about football.

And of course we had music!!!

Jackie (Lenore's mom) took Abby under her wing and entertained her most of the day.

So sweet of her - but not unusual for her.

And the Grand Finale' was my hardworkin man singing' Easy Like Sunday Mornin' with Chris at the keys!

I sure missed all of mine that were not able to make it- and enjoyed all of them that were here!!!

Fun party day!!!!

My beautiful girls~ and handsome lil guy!!!!!
Everytime I look at these girls I can't believe what awesome women they are!!!!
They just bless me- what can I say??????
Look how happy Abby is! She was totally wired and loud for her momma's birthday party!!!!!!

Can  you see the trend?????? Adults limp and tired-at 10 in the morning and ABBY - "yahoo crazy and all day to go" !!!!
Funny little girl!!!!
Sara had all of us over for a fun birthday celebration-Happy birthday Bekah- even if you're not 25 and I didn't know it!!!!

Growing pains....... again!!!

We've had bad luck with our kids - they've all grown up. ~Christopher Morley

What is a home without children? Quiet.
                        ~Henny Youngman

Really quiet sometimes!!!

This is a weird spot for me.....I keep thinking I have "crossed over" to the mostly adult world ~unscathed ~only to find myself ....lost again!!!!! And generally in an unexplainable puddle of tears! 

Don't worry , I keep asking myself the same thing- WHY??????

My life has been so routine for so long that I think I'm having trouble figuring out  which thing to do next - now that I actually have a choice. 

NOTHING is routine anymore- almost nothing anyway.

  To make it worse my energy is a little low and my endurance with people is not good!!!!

I'm guessing it's just a temporary step along the way... a way to cope with the change......I'm HOPING it's temporary!!! :)

I mean I love being with my kids and grandkids but I seem to be craving time completely alone......no radio, tv, friends..... just quiet time so I don't have to explain why on earth I'm crying- again!!!

Meanwhile........ the kids are spending a lot of time together and having a ball!

You can see it their faces can't you?

I am sooo proud of how these three stick together and watch each other's back- they really are a momma's 

dream!!!!

A happy day!

Today(I think, it's today!) is Jenna's birthday!!!!

So turn up the music and have a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

                                                 I hope ya have a fun day!!!

I am soooo bad with birthdays lately- another sign of aging!!!!

I totally forgot my sweet little Kalleigh's birthday- probably others as well.

I guess distance makes it hard  - I lose track of time and the kids are not here getting excited about their parties and gifts and all the special things that come with birthdays!

TURN UP THE MUSIC-it'll be gone tomorrow!!!!

The death of my camera!!!!

It is a SAD day here!!!
Actually, I am just now coming out of shock from the trauma of yesterday!   :)

After over 6000 pictures my camera revolted and died  yesterday. The last picture I took was at the DMV when Luke got his license! I missed his fun birthday party at work altogether!

We shared cookie cake, Blue Bell ice cream and lots of laughing with his friends at work and his sisters!
He celebrated his first day of driving alone by stopping at LOWES! Isn't that funny????
I just LOVE being able to say that he's "wasting money" at a store like that rather than on other stuff he could clearly choose.He's a great kid!!!

Now on to the bigger questions of life........to I continue to blog or not? I KNOW I'm not a good enough writer to carry the blog with no pictures. :)
I know what your thinking....why not just buy another camera?
I might....... but I am trying soooo hard to be frugal( don't laugh honey,I am!!!) and I hate to think of spending money AGAIN on a camera! UGGGH!
I say we should vote on it!!!
Yeah- that's it! I'll put a voting button up and see what you guys say!!!!

NOW GO VOTE!!!!!! 
Hey if you vote yes- tell me what camera you use. I have no desire to learn lots of new tech stuff- just great pictures with minimal brain activity!

Cute boots!!!

As a child of the 60's & 70's bOoTs have a really special palce in my heart! I can't always pull off the look I'd like to with them but I love em just the same!

I'll never forget my first pair of Go-Go boots-

they were gold sparkle(of course!) and they came from PayLess Shoes in Corpus Christi

when I was about 6!

They magically  transformed me, just an ordinary, shy,awkward little kid into.......

well....honestly into whoever I wanted to be...Nancy Sinatra, Jeannie C Riley....(remember them???)

I've always had a pair of boots,whether I wore them or not.

A few weeks ago while tromping through a flea market in  the rain with  sandals, I determined

 it was time for me to have some cute rubber boots.After all, I think I should look cute..

(o.k.- that's a stretch... at least not dowdy ,anyway),

while I work in the chicken yard, garden and the yard.

Just makes me feel better.

So I finally got em!!!!!

Cute, huh?

Believe me when I say I needed them this week!!!

 It has rained buckets  and mud is everywhere!

When I slip on my boots...I'm ready for anything......

well, almost anything.

A nasty stomach virus (or swine flu,as far as I'm concerned!) has swept through

our household. When my husband finally succomed to it he sent me to Sara's
to fetch the "magic meds"

I slipped on my boots, hopped on the 4-wheeler and off I rode to Sara's.

Just as I got to her house there came a downpour.
I waited a few minutes  but finally decided a little rain wouldn't hurt .

I hopped on and raced down the  road to my house....  almost to my house!

Just as I got to the chicken yard the thing sputtered and spit and died.
The clouds seemed to laugh at me and in doing so they spilled the
 last big bucketfull of raindrops directly on top of me.....boots and all!!!

I don't like bad pictures of me- but this one expresses the fulness of my sense

of humor about the whole thing!!!

The only thing dry was the medicine and my camera!

It's been that kind of week- everybody dodging or dealing with the virus and all the

things that accompany it.

I'm ready for some less eventful days for a bit-
 my sense of humor needs repair.

Poor Abby had the nasty thing too- so I did what any self-respecting grandmother would do-

I brought her the silliest food I could think of.

She was sooo funny- definitely made my day better.

I brought BOB CAKES( who is BOB???) They were nasty blue cakes
 with coconut all over them. YUCK!

She giggled and laughed as we opened the box.
Then she tried to eat one - Oh my they were awful!

Abby slyly went to the garbage can and tossed hers in-

when I asked her about it she said, "Well, Granny, it's not very good for your body."

I just roared laughing at her honesty!!!

She even made sweet little Ryland giggle!

He looks like he's saying,

"Why would an adult bring that kind of awful food to my sister?"

The household is not well but we are all better- half the city seems to have this thing.

I'm ready for something a bit less challenging this week.