My Mom, niece, nephew (18) and great-nephew! (20 mos.) visited last weekend. We had such fun before they even got here, pulling up toddler toys from storage! We all had a great time. I put a couple of horsey-fun pictures here.

I hope you all have a wonderful spring holiday, Resurrection Day!

I have a new little nephew! 

He was born last night to my brother and his wife.   God is so good!

We are all going down to NJ in three weeks to see them and the new Baby.

My brother and his wife are having their first Baby any day!!!

We are all just popping with excitement...   

First woodstove fire and first snow this evening: my Mom has been driving her way up here from New Jersey in rain, working her way past a Thruway accident…then we had to call her to tell her there’s a white out! There was even some lightening, something I’ve never seen during a snowstorm before. My mother is a brave, tenacious and wise soul, so I don’t expect any problems for her (we’re praying, of course!) My husband wrote about Mom, too.

On the Thruway earlier: a tractor trailer fell from the Southbound lane down onto the Northbound...others need our prayers, too.

The wind was really severe in NY State. Castlekids had a tree down across the street from her.

I spent the weekend in NJ at my sister-in-law’s baby shower. She and my brother are having their first child in November!

I left on Saturday and came home Monday, bringing our 2 youngest and our 2^nd oldest. So that’s about 750 or so miles round trip in 72 hours.

Trip highlights: My sister-in-law cried when she saw me at her baby shower.  I sat with my sister and brother. We stayed at Mom's. I saw my family including two Aunts I didn’t expect to see, both extremely special. My niece brought her sweet baby over for a visit the morning I left. For the trip we had stories on tape from my friend.

On blogging: I saw my nieces’ and nephew’s MySpace pages while I was there. I even saw my two nephew-in-law’s pages. My server blocks all of MySpace and Xanga. I don’t mind. I can just send a request to unblock individual sites.

We are back from 3 weeks away, got to do all the things listed below, plus attend a cousin's reunion on my side, a coincidence from God, my cousin from KY and some of his family happened to be in NJ the same time we were, a real blessing.

A highlight was seeing two new family members, my great-niece  and great-nephew , the latter being born while we were at the Linclon Memorial, and I got to see him at VA beach 2 weeks later!  Now we are joyfully awaiting my brother and sister-in-law's Baby, due in November '06!

Seeing the home of Misty of Chincoteague was just wonderful for sentimental me. 

We really enjoyed visiting with everyone, family, friends, church family (in NC), and seeing new places together. The beach weather was wonderful.

I can't wait to catch up on everyone's blog...we are still unpacking!

 My brother-in-law didn’t know what a blog is. I’ve sent him a summary I wrote for a (local) political candidate, along with a link here.

Mario, this is a Blog.  We can even upload pictures, see?

I have some very good news.

A family I love very much is expecting their first child!

                                                                                                          ??       

My father-in-law died suddenly this morning.  It was not unexpected, but it was still very sudden to us.

Do you feel the hands of the Lord around you today?

Hug your kids a little longer than usual.

  If you know any blogging grandmothers, you can send them over to my Mom.  Last week, she still couldn't get onto my blog (I still have to find out why. My computer brother in NJ helps her.) Next thing I know, she's left me a comment and started her own site!  That's my Mom: brave and independent.  A real handful for all of us kids, let me tell you.  Someday I'll blog the kitten story.  Let me just say I got the kitten out of the tree and then got my Mother down off the roof.  If you saw her site you'd see I was right in calling her a very dedicated mother.   One of the best things in writing about my Mother is being old enough to realize I must be a lot like her.  

   If you get Nature Friend Magazine, Pond Adventure is our oldest !

   Feb. '06 issue                                                                                     

temp. outside  16'F ,      temp at my computer  59'F

   My sister (who is now an exalted Grandmother   )  told me that she reads my blog everyday.  That makes me feel special !  I know how few precious moments she has in her day.  Isn't that a special sister to stay in touch?   

      My sister is only 16 3/4 months older than I am.        

Psalm 127: 3-5a

Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord:

and the fruit of the womb is his reward,

As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;

so are children of the youth.

Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:

 To everything there is a season, and a time to every 

                                                  purpose under the heaven:

          Ecclesiastes 3:1

               Since my husband is teaching his class tonight, it's time for:

The Wedesday Blog Night Band !

  In case you can't hear them, they are playing "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

   I'm a great-Auntie!  

   About 18 hours ago a new little gift was born to a special family in New Jersey.

   I will not put the new Baby's name on the internet, but:

   My niece had her first Baby, and the first one born of this generation in her family (making my sister a Grandma, and my Mom a Great-Grandma.)

    This blessed little one has two first-time Aunts, Uncle, and several other Aunts and Uncles.  This baby will also be joined soon by a little cousin! 

    This same child has a set of Great-Great-Grandparents also living nearby in good health.

     I can not think of anything better to say than what my sister told me after holding her Grandchild:

               "It is indescribable the feeling of holding your child's child.  It is not like holding other new babies.  When you hold your grandchild, you are thinking, 'This is a part of me!' "

Childrens' children are a crown!

Congratulations to everyone in New Jersey and elsewhere who are touched by this Baby!            

   My own Mom is a good strong cross between Erma Bombeck and Carol Burnett, with a lot of herself in between. 

Hi, Mom!  Have you found my blog yet?! 

    She is a dedicated mother, grandmother, and soon-to-be great-grandmother!