So this is all the 2008 birthdays....   Starts with Mercury (4), then Venus (11) and Iris (7), and last the twins who just turned 2 on the 19th.  Where DOES the time go???  I couldn't find any music that I liked to go with this remix, but music would have been nice.    So Grandmas, enjoy. 

Redbeard and I have decided that for this year we are starting a new tradition that we are making our gingerbread houses on Christmas Eve.  The point of this is so the little ones aren't in so much trouble for snitching the candies off the houses from the older ones.  Also, since this seems to be a big thing for our kids, when they get older and come back home from college, they'll be off school by that time, so it'll be a tradition that can expand beyond just the young years.

This year I have bought a ton of books.  I finally bought J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings Trilogy.  I hadn't yet because I was so busy buying "classics", but these are classics to me too, although I have yet to find them on any classics list.  The older I get, the more I realize just how inspired SOME science fiction writers are.  I also bought the first three Episodes of Star Wars, and some of the original offbeat novels (the one by alan Dean Foster AND the Han Solo's Revenge books) that came out between Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, back in the 70's.  I already had bought the trilogy from the 70's and 80's for my daughter, and it sparked an interest in her like I had hoped it would.

Why Star Wars?  I guess it's because I want to facillitate more reading amongst my young ones, and although I read classics to them, I think George Lucas was right - they DO need a hero.  My Venus is not much of a reader at all.  But she has gotten into the movies with Athena, so I am hoping that if we read these as a family, she'll start to catch on.  Besides, it's great memories for me.  I grew up loving The Hobbit (I already own the 50 yr. special edition so I didn't have to buy that, but my paperbacks are long since worn out) - I wouldn't let them watch the movies until they were older, but Redbeard argued with me that their grandparents had already let them watch The Fellowship of the Ring (why don't Grandparents ask how we feel about that sort of stuff???) so I lost that battle, but I won't let Iris watch it - it's much to violent for little ones.  Iris won't even watch the Star Wars stuff because it scares her - she's very sensitive. 

Star Wars for me is a whole other memory.  Back in the 70's there was no "I'll wait til it comes out on video/DVD) - you either went to the movies or you didn't see it.  For some reason my parents were excited about it and drove from Cypress to Houston (back then it was a drive - now-a-days it's all one big mess) to watch it, and I remember driving back in their Dodge hatchback with my feet up on the window (my Dad occasionally yelling at us girls to put our feet down) looking up at the stars and seeing the X-wings and the Tie-fighters dueling it out in the night sky.  I wonder if my sister remembers that?  Anyway, I shared with my daughters my love, and they love the original series as well, but the newer ones - episodes I - III not so much.  I had heard that the books are better than the movies, so that's why I got them to try it out.  Honestly, I got to thinking about it, and I think the reason why they like Episodes IV-VI so much better is because you are watching someone from obscurity beat the bad guy - not watching the hero break down into the bad guy.  But if what I hear is right, reading them in sequence will give a clear vision of choices and accountability, and how love can really be the winning factor.  Which, if you read the giant Killer, goes right along with that theme.  Anyway, I'm very excited about starting these with the kids.  :)  As for the offshoots I bought - I just loved them as a youngster, and thought maybe the kids might too - no classic potential there. 

Anyway, thought I'd share.  Wierd topic for Christmas, isn't it?  I'm filing it under Family History because I've shared some memories, and the Gingerbread house is making memories. 

Hope you are having a wonder Christmas season!!!  :)

Rather than show ALL of them, I'm just choosing two.  :)  Redbeard told everyone "Together, Orion and I make 42".  He just refused to tell folks how much of that Orion took up...  LOL.  He can get by with it - he has such a baby face, people don't realize that he's 38.  I miss his beard sometimes.  I really do.  I like it when it gets a little stubbly....  :D

 Yes, I didn't work very hard on decorating, but Orion never noticed.  Redbeard got his lemon cake, and chose to forgo the traditional chocolate frosting and went for lemon frosting.  He said it was perfect.  So, alls well I suppose...  and I didn't kill myself over it.  :)

This is one of Orion's gifts - you shake it and it makes airplane noises, and pull the trigger and it flys across the the room.  Made of that nerf stuff, so it doesn't break anything.  He got other things too, like a bubble blower, some coloring things, stuff from grandparents, but this was his favorite.  Very boy.  And that's a good thing.  :D

I will answer where to find Donna's family rhythm stuff in a day or so when I'm not in such a time crunch. But I haven't forgotten. :)

My little sister just had her very first baby!  7lbs. 8 oz. - 22" long.  They had scheduled a c-section because the baby was breech, but she and her husband did some research and asked for a certain procedure to be done to get the baby to turn (I don't know what that is).  She said they tried twice and it didn't work.  Resigned, she fell back and sighed and all of the sudden there was excitement in the room - and she relized the baby turned.  So they induced her right then and last night around 11:45 her darling baby girl is born - NO C-section!  I'm so glad for her!!!!!    I wrote her a poem, but I haven't sent it to her yet -  just wanted to share just a portion of it here:

Thank you everyone for your prayers and warm wishes.  You just have no idea what a boost it was to read that some cared enough to do that for us.  People that we have never met.  I hope you can feel the warmth of my hugs in gratitude to you for everything.  You were truly a "tender mercy" to me.  I wrote a life's lesson that explains "what happened next", so I'll just share it with you.  Life lessons are just stories from my life that I write for my family history, and I will put quotes, scriptures, and hymns at the end that support the principle learned.  Please note I changed names.

Here it is:

He Took The Last Step For Me

We have had a hard time in our current place of residence, which really surprised us because we knew we were supposed to be here.  We prayed, felt the witness, knew the house we had asked for was going to be given to us before we got the call, had friends here, just an overall feeling of excitement.  There were problems with the house that should have clued us right away, but the owners promised to fix those within two months, so we didn’t worry about it.

Redbeard lost his job shortly after moving in.  He got a job that paid nothing while we looked for better work.  So we fell a little behind in rent, but paid what we could.  We got completely caught up by January.  Still the landlord never fixed the leak in the shower that dripped into the kitchen, or the toilet that bubbled and overflowed in the downstairs bathroom on its own, or some of the other problems that were around the house.  He did pay for the water heater when we found the bottom had rotted through and we were heating the basement, but Redbeard had to put it in himself.

Then we got a call mid January stating that the landlords had decided to sell the house.  A few days later FOR SALE signs went up in the front lawn.  We were all distraught and upset.  Redbeard prayed, and said we didn’t need to worry for awhile – the house would not sell during the winter.  He was right.  In fact, it has not sold at all, and only 4 people have looked at it.

In March a lady knocked on our door and handed me a notice – even though we had been paying our rent, the landlords had stopped paying their mortgage in OCTOBER.  This was before we got behind!  So the house was being foreclosed on and being sold at county auction July 22^nd of this year.  The landlords said they could still sell it, so they still had realtors coming through the house showing it to clients. 

We had been trying to buy a home close by that would be in some very dear friend’s ward.  We prayed and thought it was a done deal – that’s what happens when you receive a witness, right?  We went in early June to sign the papers, and the lady just changed her mind.  Just like that.  I went home and sobbed to the Lord – I was told that she has her free agency.  Yes, that was my house, but she could choose to not sell it to us.  Apparently she had decided she wanted more money for it.

So we started looking for rentals.  We called on one that was in the country, something I REALLY wanted (and country homes are very hard to find).  It had just rented out.  In fact, the man didn’t know it until as he was talking with us the wife came in and informed him.  So we kept looking, with July looming ever closer.  We decided to try and buy a home through a mortgage company and started that ball rolling, but Redbeard didn’t feel very good about it, and we also worried that it would take too long for closing that we would still be here.  So we called it off.

Redbeard picked up a paper and found a house for rent in a neighboring town – just 16 miles from where we are now.  Our friends would be close by.  You could see the Tetons.  It was a little small, but workable.  We put in our application.  Redbeard felt so good about this one.  We kept boxing up stuff.  The mold continued to get worse in the house we are in.  Redbeard has a hard time breathing when he is here, and I do too.  We kept telling ourselves, “It’s only for one more week”.

Then we got the blow.  The man called and said he wouldn’t rent to us.  Redbeard asked him why?  Even though we offered $10,000.00 up front, he wouldn’t do it because of the report he had gotten from our current landlords.  We were astonished.  We got a statement from them – they say we owe them $6,000.00!  We just about fainted.  We don’t owe anything of the kind, and have the check stubs to prove it!  They want us to pay rent for this month, when we paid our last month’s rent when we moved in!  It’s insanity.  But this kept us from being able to get into a home.

So I went out to my porch swing and sobbed.  I couldn’t even look at the children without feeling sick – I couldn’t eat all afternoon.  How could they do this to us?  We are good people, good renters.  We had taken care of problems that we could fix ourselves – the owner had refused to put any more money into this house, and the plumbing problems are awful.  The radiators quit working in the spring – he didn’t fix those.  I could go on with the list of grievances we have against him and his wife – they are many.  I wish there was a way to get references on the LANDLORDS.  Sigh.

Anyway, I went to Heavenly Father.  Twice now we had felt really good about something, and it had fallen through.  We have less than 30 days to find a place to get out before the house went up to auction.  Then we would be homeless.  I could feel the pains in my chest from a panic attack.  I prayed and prayed – just like I was instructed in the temple to do to get through it.  Redbeard called.  He was getting a paper and was coming to get me to go see what we could find.  He said, “Are you ok?”  I lied.  I know this is a blow to him too.  I said, “Yes.”  He was quiet, and said, “It will be okay honey.”

More tears.  Sobbing.  “I know”, I lied again.  How could we be so wrong?  I prayed, “Lord, I can’t do this anymore.  This has been going on for so long.  Please Lord, I just want it to be over.  I want to live in a place that we won’t be sick.  I want to live in a home that will never have a FOR SALE sign in front of my house again.  I don’t want my children to continually ask me why people don’t like us and don’t want us there.  I want them to know security and peace.  We tried to buy and it just didn’t work out, so we are forced to rent.  And Lord, I just can’t believe anymore.  I can’t overcome Joyce and Mike.  I have no idea what to do.”

Redbeard picked me up and we looked at the paper on the way to a close by town, where we were picking something up.  We saw an ad in the paper for a home in a small town 40 miles away – a little bigger than the one we were looking at.  It is closer to his work, we can have a dog, a fenced in back yard, etc.  NO plumbing problems.  NO chance of a FOR SALE sign out front – they are moving to Alaska to work for 4-5 yrs and then moving back there.  The people were very nice, and when they asked for references, we told them about the landlords.  They were very understanding, and last night we paid our deposit and signed the contract.  We start moving stuff out on Saturday.

Just like that.

And as I pondered over it, and pondered over my lack of faith that day, I just felt awful that I couldn’t hang in there just one more night.  Just one more day.  And the thought came to me that in that moment, I had truly given it all up to Him.  In that moment, I COMPLETELY handed it over, and that was when the Heavens opened for us.  In that moment, I stumbled and fell.  And my Savior picked me up, and took that very last step for me.

“We should not underestimate or overlook the power of the Lord’s tender mercies. The simpleness, the sweetness, and the constancy of the tender mercies of the Lord will do much to fortify and protect us in the troubled times in which we do now and will yet live. When words cannot provide the solace we need or express the joy we feel, when it is simply futile to attempt to explain that which is unexplainable, when logic and reason cannot yield adequate understanding about the injustices and inequities of life, when mortal experience and evaluation are insufficient to produce a desired outcome, and when it seems that perhaps we are so totally alone, truly we are blessed by the tender mercies of the Lord and made mighty even unto the power of deliverance (see 1 Ne. 1:20).” 

The Tender Mercies of the Lord, May 2005,  Elder David A. Bednar

Read  Psalms 140-144

Proverbs 22:19   That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee.

Yesterday late afternoon  Redbeard and I spent some time on the phone - I was feeling quite low.  He apparently felt that I needed an extra boost, because he came home with a printed paper entitled, "The First Book of Redbeard" - and this is a great thing because of two reasons:  1)  He is NOT one to write on his own.  Esp. creatively.  and 2)  He HATES computers, so the fact that this is typed shows just how much he cares.  His columns for some reason wouldn't line up right - you'll see why that info. is important as we read through it.  Here it is:

THe First Book of Redbeard

This epistle is being written for the benefit and well being of my family and posterity.  It is written from the heart and meant to convey my feelings and thoughts to her whom I hold dearest.

1.  I, Redbeard, having been espoused to an exceptional wife do hereby decree my love for her.

2.  She maketh me glad to wake up every morning and find her by my side.

3. She doth make me joyous with her affections and kisses.

4.  She hath made me proud with the fruit of her womb.

5.  My wife, let her be known as Texasblu from here on, is a woman of great intellect and insight, much beloved of God.

6.  Texasblu inspires me to be more than I believe I can be by her belief in me and the divine potential that is within me.

7.  Texasblu is a woman of great vision and wisdom.

8.  Texasblu loveth those which are, at times, unlovable and is a better person because of it.

9.  Texasblu is constantly seeking out ways to improve her or her family's health.  (Whether they want it or not!!!)

10.  Texasblu loveth her HEavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, and she holds dear her testimony of the restored gospel.

11.  Texasblu has a strong desire to reach out and help others through her God given talents, such as writing.

12.  Texasblu loveth her husband, even though he can't make proper columns on a computer.

13.  Texasblu will be greeted with open arms by her progenitors when she reaches the other side of the veil because of the work she did on their behalf here.

14.  Texasblu deserves to be loved by all generations that follow in her spiritual fotsteps.15.  Texasblu loveth her calling as Mother and it bringeth her much joy and pride.

15.  Texasblu loveth her calling as Mother and it bringeth her much joy and pride.

16.  Texasblu's children feel blessed to have her as their mother.

17.  This epistle was written by Texasblu's best friend in the whole wide, wonderful, wacky, weird world or in other words I, Redbeard, wrote this epistle.

18.  I love you bunches and bunches!

This morning I kissed Athena good-bye and sent her away to the Shakespeare Showdown, where she is going to be camping through Wed.  I wish I could go with her - I don't like my 13 yr. old being away from family so much, but I'm trusting the Lord that she'll return ok.  I trust the other Moms she is going down with, so that makes it easier.  At least she is with parents that are like-minded.  She gave me a hard time this morning because I insisted she take a coat with her.  Love and Logic would have said "Let her go without - it's her choice."  Well, I don't care.  I know what those mountains are like at night (not to mention the weather advisory says they may be getting snow) and I won't have her freeze for three days because she's being prideful.  She can learn that lesson at another time.

In the intrum, things are moving along with the house.  Redbeard has some phone calls to make and I'm starting to pack boxes.  Tomorrow we meet with the current owners of the house.  Moving day will be upon us before we know it.  I'm very excited - we'll finally be out in the country!  YA-HOOOOO!!  My kids are looking forward to raising chickens.  I'm going to have to ask the locals how to keep them warm in the winter - I'm such a Texan!  LOL!

Here's some pictures of the kids at the park on the day we went down to Blackfoot while Athena practiced for 5 hours on her play.  It was a looooong day, but worth it.

WOW.  Thought I'd feel old when I was over 35, but I'm realizing I'm quite young.  36 isn't all that bad.  LOL!  Yesterday I realized that as I am in the end of my baby years I was still standing in the back of the RS room (a church sunday school for women), and now I'm no longer surrunded by women my own age, but by these slender young things that look like they just graduated from high school.  I guess I'm one of the few that kept going after two.  Personal choices and reasons - I'm okay with that.  Butttt......

I was never thin after my first one!  But then, I'm about a foot shorter than all these Amazon women too! 

Anyways, I had a good chuckle over that.  Reminded me of my Mom when she had my younger brother in her 40's - I was 18.  My kiddeos aren't quite that far apart.  I still have mixed emotions about "being done" - I guess it depends on the hour you ask me about it.  I'd still like to have one more girl, but my body (and my mind) is super tired.  So we'll see.

Back to my birthday.  Tonight we plan to go garden with our friends.  Venus says she'll make me a gingerbread cake with frosting (normally I don't eat frosting because of all the sugar, so it's a real birthday treat!)  Maybe I'll have Athena bake a "normal" cake for everyone else since they don't like the gingerbread as much as I do.  :)  At least we save on ice cream!  hehe  Otherwise, it's business as usual.

The only birthday wish I have is that we'll hear something POSITIVE about our financing on the house we're wanting to buy.  Then we could move on to the next step.  I hate how long they like to drag these things out.  sigh.

Oh, and last night Athena made me some bread, so I actually get TOAST with my eggs and sausage - a rare treat!  It really is the simple things.....   Happy Birthday to ME!  :)

My parents, after having the same phone line since 1979, have axed it.  They are now cell phone users only. 

I told Mom she has traumatized me.  Now how are people from the past supposed to find me?  Like anyone is LOOKING for me... LOL!

So anyway, she emailed me the news, and I'm floored.  Not sure what to think.  I blame it on the signs of the times - Mom and Dad are now cell phone users - no more land line.  Yep, the end of the world MUST be near!

LOL!!!!!!

My adopted sister just told me that a very dear lady in my life has passed away.

Jane was really an inspiration.  She went through all kinds of grief with an abusive husband.  She waited until she felt confirmation from the spirit that she should leave him.  She came back to the church, and was always worried that she wouldn't live to see any of her children return as well.  I'm happy to report that she did see that happen in her lifetime.

Jane taught many of us by just being "Jane".  I remember going to her house and just listening to her talk about her mother.  She taught me that being a mother was a sacred responsibility and that you must nuture love between you and your children - it's not something to be taken for granted.  She taught many sisters in the ward how to make pie crust!  And some of us how to can jams and jellies.  I don't know how many times I borrowed her Kerr canning book!  She taught me about long suffering, how to look after myself and to research ailments instead of going to the doctor for a "quick fix".  Jane lived a lot longer than any doctor thought she would!  She taught me how to rely on the Atonement and how to serve quiety but firmly.  She was so kind to us - she sent our children movies and lots of gifts, never asking anything in return.  Yes, she taught me so much!

Jane also taught me about following the spirit.  Many don't know this, but we bought our little mobile home in Texas from Jane.  She only wanted enough for her hearing aids for it, but we were trying to pay her a fair price.  At the time we were having major cash issues.  Between my parents and us, we paid her about $6,000.00 for it.  One day she called us up and asked us to come over.  We always did as she asked.  She told us that she had been praying about it and felt very strongly that she was to "forgive" us the remaining amount.  So she had the papers drawn up and signed it over to us.  It was very humbling, but she allowed us to go home and pray about it as well.  We know that she had done Heavenly Father's bidding.  Shortly after that the Lord sent us a buyer for the home and we were on our way to Idaho.   I never did ask her if she realized that she had been very instrumental in that move.  What a testimony it was to me that when we follow the promptings of the spirit not just our lives are benefitted, but others as well.

We loved Jane like our own Grandmother.  I am so sad I won't get to see her again in this life.  So very sad.  I am sure the Lord will let me give her a hug and tell her how greatful I am for her example when I return to my heavenly home.  She was such a great lady - I will miss her so much.