Update on Monroe

What a bumpy, unpredictable time we have had lately! After Monroe was released from the hospital for his back surgery he was having extreme pain in his right knee and thigh. The doctors did many tests before releasing him and came to the conclusion that the pain was due to inflammation from the surgery that was pressing on a nerve. The only cure was time and pain medication. My husband can tolerate a great deal of pain but this pain was unbearable!

After being home 4 days he ended up back in the hospital with blood clots in both lungs! This was such a scary time for us!! But the Lord was with us and many prayers were being sent on his behalf. Three days later he as back home. He is slowly recovering and getting stronger every day.

He sits on the front porch a lot enjoying the gorgeous weather we have been having here in Florida. It has become a regular habit for the two of us to sit out front and have our morning coffee. I am really enjoying that because Monroe was never one to sit still very long. I believe the slow days and solitude has been good for him. He has time to reflect on life and the Lord.

We bought a couple of bird feeders to hang out in the front yard. He likes to sit and watch all of the different varieties of birds come and eat.
And this past weekend our church provided a huge barbeque for the children of Upward Soccer, which our church sponsors, and their families. This is a great opportunity for outreach in the community and it has been a great success. So, of course we were glad to help out and cook the chicken for the event. Now Monroe did NOT cook. The lids to this smoker/grill are so very heavy. He was given the position of supervisor and Brent and Brandon were the chefs this time! I did get his picture wearing his "Old Guys Rule" Grill Master shirt-a Christmas gift from Brooke & Ricky. It is perfect for him. I love the saying on it...."well done and rare"!

We had both smokers going and they were packed with chicken. We cooked 7 cases of chicken!!

Here they are loading the cooler to take the meat to the church for the meal.

Mmmm...it was so tender it just fell off the bone.

I know my hubby can't wait to get on his feet again. It is so hard for him to sit back and let others do the work. He is such a go-getter. This has been a very difficult season for him but I think he is learning a few things so in that way it has been good for him.

Please keep him in your prayers for no more complications and a full recovery.

God is Good!!

A Special Mother's Day Wish

Our family has so much to be thankful for this Mother's Day. We have been blessed beyond measure with answered prayer!! My niece, Rhonda, was able to take her beautiful baby boy home from the hospital this week. I can't think of a better Mother's Day gift, can you? This little fellow entered the world 10 weeks early at a little over 2 lbs. He has had a tough battle but with a will to live, the prayers of many, and a mother's loving touch he has reached 4 lbs and 6 oz. Way to go Cameron!!

Here is a picture of Mommy and Cameron just prior to leaving the hospital. He has grown so much! I can't wait to hold that little guy and give him lots of kisses!!

An especially heart-felt Mother's Day wish goes out to you, "RhondaBerry"!! I love you dearly and I will continue to pray for Cameron to grow stronger each day!

A Few Thoughts For The Day

I had my camera with me at church a few weeks ago and got some really cute pictures of my grandbabies. Here is Reese looking all grown-up. I think these little sandals are about the most adorable things I have seen! Too cute!

And Nonna just happened to have a couple of lollipops in her purse for these two sweeties!

I wanted to share is a few thoughts for the day. These thoughts come from Don Wildmon, founder of The American Family Association. I receive his monthly magazine and in the January issue his employees wrote down sayings they have heard Mr. Wildmon quote frequently. I thought they were very encouraging and I want to pass them along.

1. If you don't have anything to say, then don't.

2. Love the little ones in our lives with reckless abandon! (This one is easy to do!)

3. Hold earthly treasures with an open hand.

4. Dispense much grace to others, much has been dispensed to you.

5. Time to go home; the work will be here tomorrow.

6. God never called me to be successful, just faithful.

7 Give people a chance, even when there may be no reason to do so.

8. The goal of life is not happiness but holiness.

9. Make sure you have the facts right and then tell the truth.

10. Expect the unexpected and deal with it with grace.

And last but not least!

11. Nursery duty is ministry, not drudgery. (Hmmmm... I found this one rather interesting coming from a male-very observant!)

I think Mr. Wildmon is a wise and Godly man. We are very fortunate to have him in our society fighting for the good of the American family. I pray for his health as he has been battling encephalitis since August of last year. I am sure he would appreciate your prayers as well.

Have a blessed day and remember: "The goal of life is not happiness but holiness."

More Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

The devastation and destruction in Haiti is far more than we can imagine as we sit in our living rooms and watch this horrible catastrophe unfold before our eyes. Brooke is staying in touch with our missionary friends that are here in Florida. She is learning of so many deaths of the children and friends she came to know in Haiti.



Below is a picture of another missionary's home. This family was currently living in this home but by the Grace of God they were not harmed. They probably were not home at the time but I do not know the details.

This is/was a very popular place called The Caribbean Supermarket in the city. It was a very busy place as everyone went here for shopping. Brooke says there are many still trapped in this building and some of them she knows personally.

This home is a home Brooke stayed in while she visited. There is good news to report from this home. The father was trapped in the rubble here at his house for 2 days. Our missionary friend here in Florida was on Facebook, texting, doing whatever she could day and night to get the message out that this gentleman was alive and injured. She gave his address and pleaded with anyone in that area to go and help. We all were praying that he would be rescued. We got news that someone did go and rescue him, Praise the Lord!!

There is another answer to prayer to tell. The director of the orphanage (she was an orphan raised there herself) couldn't locate her husband after the earthquake. He works in Port-Au-Prince and was on his way home when the earthquake occurred. We just received word yesterday that he was located and he is fine.

These are just two stories with happy endings. The Lord is faithful! However, please continue to pray as this is not the normal ending for most situations. Please lift up this missionary family in prayer. Their name is Murphy. They are having a very difficult time as they are constantly receiving news of dear friends and orphans they have raised that are dead.

Also please pray for Mr. Murphy. He and his daughter have left for Haiti and they will be carrying baby formula and water filters by backpack from the airport in Port-Au-Prince to the village in the mountains where they have served. This will be about a 30 mile hike in very treacherous terrain and that is BEFORE an earthquake! My heart swells as I feel the love and compassion this family has for the people of Haiti. Please remember them in prayer. Pray for this father and daughter's safety and strength to reach the little community that so desperately needs their help.

I know we are all praying for the people of Haiti but if you are aware of certain needs then we can all pray more specifically. That is why I feel I must share these requests.

Also, I have another request for prayer. Brooke is in the hospital with pneumonia in her left lung. She began running a very high temperature Thursday evening. We went to the ER and they admitted her that night. She is doing better but for some reason her heart rate it spiking very high while she is lying in bed resting. The Doctor was concerned that there might be a blood clot in her lung as well and he is ruling that out before she is able to go home. Brooke has been dealing with so many health issues lately. Please remember her also in your prayers.

I am sorry this is not a more cheerful post. I love to be encouraging and uplifting to my friends and family. One thing is for certain, we serve a Sovereign God and He is faithful and on-time!!

Please Pray

We went to bed last night with heavy hearts for the people of Haiti. If you haven't heard on the news, this small, impoverished island has been hit by a large, 7.0, earthquake. As you can probably imagine, much of the tiny country is destroyed.

Brooke called me last night to ask me to be praying for the people of Haiti. I already had been praying but, you see, she has personal ties to this little island. A few years ago she was able to go to Haiti on a summer missions trip to photograph a summer camp. She knows a missionary couple that lives in and operates an orphanage in the mountains just outside Port-Au-Prince. When she left Haiti that summer she unintentionally left something there.....her heart. Brooke knows first hand how these people struggle daily just to survive and that has left a lasting impression with her! She wanted to bring all those orphaned children home with her. I would have made a place for them somewhere!


Thankfully, the missionary family is in Florida right now but they have been trying desperately to contact loved ones and families in Haiti. Many of the orphans are missing. Please take a moment today to pray for this country. Also, please pray for this missionary couple and the work/people they have been involved with for more than 20 years. Their hearts are torn wanting to be there in Haiti with the people they love so dearly.

Thank you for your prayers.

Operation Christmas Child

Our family has been so busy lately. I wanted to share one of the projects we have been working on. It is Operation Christmas Child. I would encourage everyone to get involved in this ministry! Under the direction of Franklin Graham, Billy Graham's son, shoe boxes are delivered to needy children around the world. This is a hands-on way for families to reach out to others with the Good News of Jesus Christ and to fill each box with toys as well as essential items such as school supplies and hygiene products. This is about our tenth year to take part in Operation Christmas Child. Through the years we have developed a plan to make as many boxes as possible for as little expense as possible. We do this by shopping all year long for the shoe boxes. For example, the shirt below I purchased at Children's Place for only $1.00 after summer season was over.

These cute leggings I was able to buy for only $.59 after halloween at Target!!! Needless to say, I stocked up on these!

Brandon and Bryce made a large storage box for all the goodies we gather throughout the year. We keep it in the garage and add to it all year long. We hit the off-season sales, back-to-school sales, etc. By the end of the year we are always surprised at the amount of items we have collected. By doing it this way we are able to fill many more boxes with very nice gifts. If we waited until November, when the boxes are to be turned in, we would not be able to fill very many due to the expense. Also, this keeps my children mindful of those less fortunate all year long!

I must add that I am very thankful and so proud of my daughter, Brooke. She truly has a heart for this program and missions in general! I wanted to include her post that she sent out to her Facebook friends ("encouraging" them to participate in Operation Christmas Child) to my blog today but I couldn't find it. In her writing she made it very black and white about where our priorities are as spoiled Americans. She stated it so well. Brooke was blessed to be able to go on a missions trip to Haiti one summer and it has forever changed her life. The stories she has shared with our family are heart wrenching!

Along with each shoe box that is delivered each child gets a booklet, provided by Operation Christmas Child, in their language of the plan of salvation. My children also include in each box a letter sharing their name and address and telling the child that they are loved and we are praying for them. Sometimes the child will write a thank you letter back, however, we have never received one.

The shoe box collection is over for this year but I hope I have encouraged you to begin collecting now so that next November you will be able to participate in this project as well! For more details go to samaritanspurse.org

Be a Blessing!

A Fantastic Weekend!

We had the privilege of going to Georgia this past weekend to see my cousin, Alesia and her husband, Kenny. A dinner was held on their behalf as they will be leaving the comfort and safety of home to travel abroad on very important business-The Father's Business. They will be working in an unfriendly environment and in a country that is not nearly as blessed as the USA. Their beautiful children that will be going as well. Please join our family in prayer for their safety and protection as they follow their Father's leading.


I was doubly excited to see these folks as well!!! With my Mother and Father in heaven I often get that homesick feeling for my kinfolks. There is just something about being with relatives that makes me feel connected. Just to hear that familiar Georgia accent and to see my aunts and uncles that remind me so very much of my parents, whom I miss dearly! In the picture below are my Dad's sisters and brother. Left to right, Aunt Frances, Uncle Harvey, and Aunt Nellie. Just to see Uncle Harvey Saturday morning brought me to tears. I know that may sound silly but he walks and talks like my Dad and looks like my Granny. What a truly awesome day!

Brandon and Bryceton immediately rekindled the friendship with their cousin, Ethan. These three played all afternoon together and they hated to say goodbye.

I had not seen these guys in several years. Left to right is Jonathan, Lanna, Wilma and Donny, my cousins. It surely was great to visit with them and catch up on everyone's lives.

This is Aunt Frances with my cousin, Angela. Lunch was great as we talked and talked and ate and ate. There are many wonderful benefits in being from the South but among the best would be the food!! The food table must have been at least 20 feet long and absolutely full of delicious southern cooking. Southern Hospitality at its best. Aunt Frances and Aunt Nellie both made my favorite cake, Pecan Cake. Can I just say it was heavenly!! Of course I had to have a piece of each one. I mean I just wouldn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, you know. By the way, they were both delicious!

On the way home we were finally able to find the memory marker for my mother-in-law. It is on I-75 near the Gainesville exit but we have never been able to locate it. It is usually dark when we go through that area southbound. This was not a "fun" stop but one we needed to make. It brought closure to our hearts. We miss her tremendously.

We made one more stop in Georgia and I just can not believe I forgot to get pictures! My dear friend, Kay, now lives in GA. We had the most wonderful visit with her! We had plenty of time to chat. We went on a golf cart ride down some old Georgia clay roads in the woods...yeah! We were gone for 2 hours but it seemed like maybe 30 or 45 minutes! We found 2 old, deserted homesteads with the barns. We stopped in front of one of the places and daydreamed about what it must have been like to live in that time period. Hey! I think I will count that as a field trip for my boys....Living History! Kay, my boys are still talking about driving your golf cart! Thanks for the great time. Next time I will definitely remember my camera!!

Let's see... what will we do this coming weekend? Whatever it may be it will be hard to top this past weekend!
Thank you Lord for the "extra" blessings you sent to me!

Brent's Basket of Love and Prayers

This past week has been Finals Week at the college where Brent attends. The school sent out order forms for Stress Baskets and Energy Baskets that parents could purchase and the school would put them together and deliver them to the students during Finals Week. Well, I decided to make my own and make a family project out of it, I like to think of it as brotherly love. Hey, this needs to be encouraged whenever and wherever possible!!

The brothers and I went shopping for Brent's favorite goodies. There was bubble gum, Boston Baked Beans (candy), lollipops, vitaminwaters, apples, bananas, sunflower seeds and lots more. We also included his "special someone," Natalie, when making up this basket. Half of the basket was for Brent and half of the basket was for Natalie. The boys even added a stress ball and a water worm for fun.

Of course the gift wouldn't be complete without some homemade snacks! We made banana nut muffins and a special caramel-coated cereal that I normally only make at Christmas time.

I think the project was a success. Bradley and Brandon delivered the basket to Brent at the school on Monday. He was surprised to see them and even more surprised that they had a special delivery for him. Now if there were only someway I could bake up something to get all those correct answers to the tests into his brain!! Best Wishes to you Brent and Natalie!

Congratulations Rhonda and Neal!!

A HUGE Congratulations is in order for my precious niece, Rhonda and her fiance, Neal.

In December she was surprised with an engagement proposal from the love of her life. We are all so happy for Rhonda and Neal! Rhonda is an example I am proud to have my children watch first hand. You see, Rhonda has been a Godly young woman. She has waited on the Lord to send the right man into her life. She has been patient and the wait has seemed endless and very lonely at times. But God is faithful and in His timing He has allowed two of His children to meet. They even lived a few states apart and their paths still crossed thanks to some very dear friends.

And Rhonda was quick to tell me that this wonderful man was worth the long wait! What blessings the Lord has for his faithful followers. This brings to my mind an old hymn, "Trust Me, Try Me, Prove Me saith the Lord of Hosts and a blesssing, unmeasured blessing I will pour out on thee. I think that sums it up nicely.

These two will have a private, small ceremony on April 4th. Then at a later date they will have a larger gathering for the renewal of their vows. I am so excited as I watch to see what the Lord has in store for these two! I love you Rhonda and I can't wait to meet Neal.

Aunt Pam ;-)

Broken Arm

There has been plenty of excitement around our house the past few days. Unfortunately, it has not been an enjoyable excitement. Rather, it has been very stressful! The scripture "All things work together for good for them that love God and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28" has been going through my mind a lot. I am reminded that the Lord is in control of ALL things and I am very thankful for that.

First of all, Thursday afternoon Bryce and Brandon were playing on the awesome fort (justly named Fort Knox-I'll blog about that soon) that their dad built for them. On the fort they have a rope that they would swing on and climb. On Bryce's turn he swang out higher than usual. When he dropped he landed on his arms. I happened to be watching from the back porch and heard the "pop"! Okay all you Moms out there, don't judge me too harshly because I sort of lost it. I ran out to help Bryce but when I saw his deformed arm I ran back to the house, ran in circles, basically I was NO help!! Wait, I did somehow have the sense to pray. Anyway, thankfully Brooke and Brad were home to help me....errr....Bryce!

We called Dad at work. He came home and we rushed Bryce to the ER. Dad was a bit calmer than me and had enough wits about him to get a picture on the way to the hospital with his phone. That is the reason the pictures are smaller than normal. It looked like he had an elbow at his wrist!! Too much for this mom to see in one of her chickadees! I must say, inspite of his mother, Bryce was a very brave young man! He was crying, of course, but remained calm.

I don't know if you can make it out in this picture of the ex-rays but he broke both bones in his right arm just above the wrist. The big bone was completely displaced causing the deformed look....gulp! The Dr. admitted Bryce to the hospital and put his arm in a splint. The next day the Dr. realigned the bones. Bryce was put to sleep for this procedure. The Lord answered our prayers and no pins were needed. This picture is just before the surgery.

He was released from the hospital the next afternoon. He had a pretty painful weekend with the swelling and throbbing. Can you see the difference in the size of his fingers on both hands? I am happy to report he is doing much better now. Slowly getting around. Does anyone have a remedy for itching....Karen???

Another bump in our road of life happened during the time Bryce was in the hospital. We lost our pregnant goat, MilkyWay. She had some complications and we had been working with her doing all we could to help her but it just wasn't enough. It was very hard for me to take and for a time I felt like I am not cut out for this type of life, having so many animals and getting attached.

And yet another bump. Brooke, who is due in June with our first granddaughter : ), has had some problems with her rib-very, very, painful. It was getting much better but a couple of days ago she sneezed and heard the "pop" again in the same place. She has all the symptoms of Slipped Rib Syndrome. The Dr. has another name that I don't recall. Because she is pregnant there is not really anything she can do to help this condition. She has been coming over so I can help with her boys. She cannot lift or pull on anything. Please keep her in your prayers.

Well, that pretty much sums up life at our house these past few days. We still have so very much to be thankful to the Lord for. Bryce's arm and Brooke's rib will heal! As I looked around in the hospital at the other life-long diseases and sicknesses, I realized how very blessed we are. God is good-All the time!

Have a blessed day!

Our Day to Celebrate

Aren't these two little guys just the cutest you have ever seen? Okay, I know that is a Grandma's opinion. Maybe I'm slightly prejudiced to say the least. Let me begin by saying that we are so fortunate to have each and every boy that the Lord has blessed our family with for the past 20 years. I love boys! They are energetic, creative, adventurous, and protective of their mother : ) An added bonus in raising boys is the way they handle a disagreement. It is usually over with in just a couple of minutes with someone getting a shove or punch. An apology quickly follows and just like that, all is fine! They are best friends once more!

However, our arms have been longing to hold a precious baby girl. Brooke had her sonogram appointment today and the Lord has answered our prayers; our wait is finally over!! Yes....IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!!! Isn't she gorgeous!! Okay, I'll admit she looks like all the other sonogram pix I have ever seen. But that's okay, we will be holding her soon and I just know she will be gorgeous!

There has been celebrating all day long around our house! Brooke has been craving crab legs during this pregnancy so tonight we feasted on crab legs, sushi, and grilled shrimp. I was so excited I forgot to grab my camera to get a few shots for you to see! Now the fun begins! We get to go shopping for all those adorable baby girl clothes we have drooled over all these years.

I'll keep you posted on the due date and birth.

Answered Prayer!

Well hunting season is off to a great start for my family!! Monroe has already got a 6-point and Brandon has a great story of his hunting trip with Dad. Before Brandon left for his day of hunting he asked me to be praying for him to get a buck. He has never shot a buck before only a doe. I told him I would surely be praying! So, Saturday morning at 4:00 a.m. Dad and Bran left for the hour drive to the property our dear friends own. They graciously allow our family to hunt there each year. My two hunters sat and waited all day long and saw nothing!

We told Brandon the Lord must be teaching him patience because normally the wildlife is plentiful. They hunting crew came home discouraged but willing to try again the next morning.

Once again they got an early start. It was so very cold but that didn't dampen spirits! Once again they sat and sat and saw nothing. Brandon never stopped praying though. After taking a break in the afternoon, Dad and Brandon headed up the tree stand to try one last time. About 4:00 p.m. they spotted a huge buck headed into the small area of woods. They had a hunch that the deer would come back out before dark. Sure enough, about 5:30 p.m. they spotted him. Brandon was so excited he started trembling. (I don't understand this excitement. Maybe it is a guy thing??) The buck was about 120 yards away and Dad knew it would be a tough shot to make but Brandon was confident he could make it. Dad gave the okay and Brandon took aim, shot and hit that big buck the first time. He never took another step I am told! I don't know who was more emotional, Dad or Brandon!

After a closer look, they realized just how big this one is! He is a 7-point with a spread of 16". According to my guys that is pretty good for Florida deer. So, little Brandon has set the stakes high for the rest of the hunters in my family!! His older brothers look a little green to me. Maybe it is just the light, huh? They haven't had their hunting day yet so we will see....

Dad measured his biggest deer that is proudly displayed in our living room and guess what??

It is not as big as Brandon's deer! Needless to say, Brandon will be getting his deer mounted. He will have to display his trophy buck in his bedroom! There is no more room in the living room for wildlife.

Now there is one happy little boy...errrr...young man, yikes when did THAT happen! I think he is still on cloud 9 around here! Brandon has learned some important lessons about our Lord. He knows that God hears his prayer and He is concerned about every little detail of our lives. He has also learned to be patient and keep praying. He has given the Lord thanks for this great hunting trip! The following pictures are some that Brandon asked me to post. A warning for the animal lovers out there, they are a little graphic. They are taken at our barn where we hang and clean the animals before we process the meat. By the way, no one loves animals more than my family. We care for each and every animal we have, from our pet squirrels to our Missy-mommy to be-cow! We know, however, that this is how the Lord provides for our needs and we are grateful for his provisions.