Sore....Sore...Sore...

First - shame on me for being....not so kind to my beloved.  We got to my folks house and started actually building the swing set at 10:30.  My Randy worked so hard....and it was so very frustrating.  The swing set was made in China (imagine that) and apparently they don't use the same measurements we do...or they just like the make things more complicated!!

Here's all the hardware....Randy said there was 1200 nuts, bolts, screws, and nuts.  My Daddy said he was wrong - there was only 1198!  I bought the little sand buckets at the Dollar Tree - they worked out perfect.

I just love this picture of PaPa & John in their shop!

I love my husband's hands.

It beginnings....

About two in the afternoon we took a quick lunch break and rested.   Papa had to go to a doctor's appointment and Randy had some business to take care of.  Once we all got our second wind we went back to work.  As soon as we went outside we all smelled wood burning.  It smelled like fresh wood!  I looked at all my pieces thinking something was on fire.  Randy said it had to be a big fire far away...but the smell was getting closer and stronger.  Randy looked up and saw my Mom's flower pot smoking.

My Mom put out one of her Winton's in the pot and it was so dry it started burning.  It was so funny!  We all had a really good laugh.  Mom told me NOT to blog about it but I had too!

Linda stopped by to visit and check the progress.  Of course John was so excited to see his Leelee.  She brought him bubbles and chased him around the yard - which was a good break for Mom & Dad!  As Randy and I were looking at future construction on the swing set we both looked at Linda and looked at each other and said PERFECT!  Randy and I decided this swing set would not hold us but Linda was the perfect size.  We both yelled at her...."hey Linda...got a sec?"  That sec turned into five hours!  It was a GREAT and WONDEREFUL thing that she happened to stop by when she did!  She worked so hard and did so much that I am not sure how Randy and I would have done it!!  THANK YOU Linda - you were a back saver and a HUGE help!  Kevin showed up with mexican food and tequila - which made things even better!  :)

We decided to call it a night at 9pm.  John was so tired.  Randy and I are BEAT!  We have some more work tomorrow!!  So far John is loving it!! 

I am READY!!!

After lengthy discussions we....let me be honest.....I decided it was time for John to have a swing set.  Like most children John LOVES going to the park.  He loves climbing, hiding, sliding, and all the fun stuff.

When John is at my folks house he loves to be outside....they love being outside too - me & Randy not so much.  So we....I mean I decided to purchase a swing set and set it up at my folks house - they think it's a great idea too.   My backyard is not that big and I have three dogs and lots of trees, and I.....never mind.

Randy is NOT "kicked-up" about this - he thinks John is too young for a swing set.  I checked around with family and friends that have kids, I have verified through my child expert, and a few strangers AND everyone agrees it is time.  John will be 3 in five months...somebody dry my tears please...I think it is time.   So John now has a swing set.  Randy is warming up to this change but now I need his help putting it together.  (I really wish my brothers lived close - they are both REALLY good and FAST at this sort of stuff!)   I think the real issue Randy has with the swing set is John is leaving the toddler stage and becoming a little boy.  John is almost 40 pounds...over 3 foot tall, wearing a size 9 shoe and 4T clothes - he looks like he is about 4 or 5.

I bought the cedar swing set from Wal-Mart and had it delivered to the store - which meant shipping was free!  You know I am not a BIG fan of Wally World but this service is really good!  Yesterday afternoon I organized the entire swing set kit I made sure all the pieces were in the box.  All the screw drivers and such are charged and ready to go.  Randy took today off to help me.  I am ready.  I mean I am ready....I am dressed and ready to go.  Randy....is on the couch.  Not so ready.  Hummmmmm.

Where's my brothers!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Here is what it should look like.

Monday Moment...

I am blessed to have many good friends.  I cried on my birthday this year because I took a moment and realized how truly blessed I am.  I have the best of friends - my friends - like you....are faithful and love me no matter what.One of my friends I want to share with you today is my friend Jan Holbrook.  Jan has known me my entire life but it has just been within the last four years we became really good friends.  Jan has the sweetest spirit and the kindest heart.  She is an awesome prayer warrior - she is always one of the first people I call to pray for me.

Jan and I have many things in common; we love Jesus and He is first in our life, we are both have sons, we believe that the dogs are our "other" babies, we both like to eat & hate to diet, we love to e-mail each other, and we both believe our Mom's hung the moon. 

Thank you Jan for being there for me.  For always listening and praying when I need a friend.

Why WVU???

I get this...alot.  Even family members ask me all the time....why in the world do you cheer, root, and go crazy over the University of West Virginia?? 

Texas is my home.  And I am proud to call Texas my home and I am so very proud that I was born in Texas!  In fact I am the only one in my family born in Texas - which makes me even more proud to be a Texan!!!  I never want to leave Texas - Texas is a State of Mind!

However.....

As much as I love Texas....I love West Virginia.  West Virginia is where I am from - my roots are buried in West Virginia.  Most of my relatives still live in West Virginia.  This is where it started with my Mom and Dad. 

That's why I am a WVU fan!  Let's goooooo Mountaineers! Me & WVU Mountaineer at the Fiesta Bowl in 1986Me & Christin (my best friend since 2nd grade) at the Tostitos Bowl in January 2008.At home in October 2006

Starting him early!  Here's John in December 2007!

Here's some pictures when Mom and I went to West Virginia in May 2003.   What a trip MOM!!!My Mom (in red) and her sister Irene.  Some WONDERFUL WV Hotdogs - chili & coleslaw!!!!This is my Mom and three of her sisters!  From left to right is Magaline & Irene, Mom, and her baby sister Barbara.The State Capital in Charleston - the dome is gold!  It is really beautiful!!  For my Mom's 70th birthday I bought the WV state flag that flew over the capital on her birthday.  It was great!This is beside the cemetery.  There are creeks, rivers, and lakes - everywhere!This is me and my cousin Rusty....on my Dad's side. Here's Mom with my Sandy girl.  She is pregnant with Katie!  Sandy and I are cousins from my Mom's side.Mom with my cousin Teresa.  Here I am with my 3rd cousin Timmy.

I have 12 Aunts and 12 uncles.

I have at least 39+ first cousins.

And at least 58+ seconds cousins....I am closer with my 2nd cousin since Mom and Dad had me so late in life!

To say I am blessed...is an understatement.

Take Me Home....Indianapolis

I have never been a basketball type of girl.  I have tried to get into it but it moves so fast...with the holding, the traveling, the out of bounds and all the free throws you can't take you eyes off the screen for a second.

However...things are a changing.  The past few years Randy and I have really gotten into the March Madness hype.  When I noticed the Mountaineers won the East conference a few weeks ago I really got into it!  Randy and I watched the Mountaineers beat the first team Georgetown to clutch the East Conference.  The win was not so  pretty - so I did not have much hope in WVU.  I predicted the final playoff would be University of Kansas vs University of Kentucky. 

Well...the little team from West Virginia has won...and won...and won...until they made the Elite Eight!  The Mountaineers played #1 Kentucky last night.  I was a little worried...but I put my WVU jersey on (which I have not washed since the winning has started) and watched the game.  The beginning was tough - Kentucky had a tough inner defensive which made it impossible for our team to make any 2-points shots but WVU was able to make 3-point shots constantly - IT was GREAT!  WVU won the game 73 to 66!  On to the Final Four we go!

This is the coolest part...

Do you know who this is?This silhouette used by the NBA since 1972 is the image of Jerry West.  Who is Jerry West?   Apparently he was a great basketball player from Cabin Creek, West Virginia....the greatest basketball player in WVU history. 

What makes this even cooler....WVU has not been to the Final Four in 51 years - when Mr. West was apart of the WVU team.   There is a player on WVU team that will play in this Final Four game  and the young man is Jonnie West...Jerry's son!   YEA!

M0nday Moment...

My favorite memory of this picture is my Mom's coat. I use to call it her "Ol' Bear Coat". 

Geese...got to love them.

I love Canadian Geese. 

I love to drive past the ponds or open fields and see what seems to be hundreds of them with their long proud necks.  I have let John fed them on several occasions and they have been nice...not like some rude ducks or aggressive swans we have encountered.  They seem more appreciative for the extra food.  :)

I love hear the Geese fly - you can always hear them coming!  Canada Geese make a distinctive deep honking call.  There is something about this honking that warms my heart....I am not sure why but it just does.  When I hear it I often stop and wonder where they are headed.  We never had these types of Geese where I grew up so I have a new love for them and squirrels...but that is a different blog!

One of my favorite new television preachers is Joseph Prince.  He is from Singapore...it is so awesome to see Asian people embrace Christianity!  Anyway...in one of his sermons the other day he said that the "honking" that Canadian Geese make is actually words of encouragement to each other!  Seriously....he said that when they "honk" they are actually telling the head Goose - "keep up the hard work", "thanks for the good job", or "way to go".  Okay - that may be a little far-fetched but I love to believe it is true.  So now every time I hear them "honking" I like to think of them encouraging each other!

The Apple Does Not Fall Far...

John loves ice.  He loves to chew ice, crunch ice, & I am constantly yelling at him to get his hand out of his cup!  John's Uncle Kevin loves ice.  Every time John crunches on ice I think of Kevin.

John loves books.  Everyday you will find him in the floor on his belly with his little legs bend behind him looking at a book.  He loves to be read to and enjoys picking out objects in the pictures.  This reminds me of his Aunt Leelee.  Aunt Leelee loves to read and she encourages youngsters everywhere to read.  And she always buys John the best books to read.

One of my favorite memories growing up is my oldest brother Allen always saying "Hi".  It could be the middle of day, I would have been with him the entire time, and then he would like at me and say "Hi".  He constantly...for no reasons says "Hi".  I love it.  It always makes me smile.  John does this.  It will be the middle of the day and he will just look at me and say "Hi".  Aww....I can not begin to tell you how it WARMS my heart!

John loves to  color, paint, and be creative - like his Aunt Gloria.  John loves the gifts Aunt Gloria gives him - they are always creative, colorful, and fun.  John has a one of a kind stick pony that is way better than any thing you could buy - his Aunt Gloria made it.  It is one of his most favorite possessions.  When I see him enjoy his pony or Thomas blanket - I think of his Aunt Gloria!

John's Uncle Kelly is the official "outdoors man"!  If it is something outdoors than Kelly is the man!  Skiing, fishing, hunting, camping, jumping out of airplanes or helicopters - Kelly has done it!  John like his Uncle Kelly loves to be outside!  I can already hear John tell me and Daddy that he is going camping with Kelly.  Goodness knows I don't go anywhere Conrad Hilton hasn't been!

Aunt Christi loves bread.  She could live by bread alone.  On our honeymoon we brought back little gifts for everyone - we brought Christi a loaf of sour dough bread - she was so excited!  John LOVES bread.  I have to hide the sandwich bread or he would make me crazy wanting a it all day!  Any type of rolls, bread, or muffins John loves it.  I laugh and call him Christi when I see him get excited over a piece of bread!

When Larry and I lived together something that would makes me crazy was Larry's television "habit".  Larry would turn on a movie or game and then fall asleep but if I would turn the TV off he would come up out of his chair so mad!  He would be SOUND asleep SNORING but the second the sound was gone he was mad!  Well...John has this thing about the TV.  He wants Thomas the Train to be constantly playing.  Most of the time he does not watch it but he wants it on and if you turn it off - WOW - here comes the Uncle Larry attitude!

Aunt Julie is John's phone buddy.  Everyday he brings me the phone and says "Ju-Ju"....which mean he wants to talk to Julie.  John reminds me of his Aunt Julie cause he likes to have fun...and Aunt Julie is fun.  He likes to laugh and be silly - which reminds me of his Aunt Ju-Ju

Spring Forward

I hate the time change!

Do you?

Why do we have to do this ritual that has been done since 1918. Why can't we join states like Arizona and Hawaii and say no? Let's just pick one way and stick to it! It seems like the older I get the harder it is to adjust. For the next week I will look at the clock and re-adjust the time in my head...when it's 5pm I will think..."ohhh just a few days ago it was only 4pm and I still had enough time to get stuff done but now that the Government has control over my time I am rushed!" Or I will wake up and it's dark outside and think..."oh yea..I can potty and go back to bed"...only to realize it is 7:55am! Then tonight John will argue about a bath since it will not be dark..."Momma - it's no dark??" Then I will look at the clock that reads 8:38pm and think..."I wish it was 7:38pm".

I remember my Mom & Dad complaining about the time change when I was young...but I loved it...when I was younger! With an extra hour I could spend another hour outside with my friends. Now...hardly any kids go outside so lets keep it one way and leave it alone! I see no significance to this idea...and who will ever know they true reason why? I have heard every reason why we have to change the time...from sporting events, or so congressmen could play golf longer, to energy, to electricity, or whatever! Here is some more information if you would like to read more into this archaic thinking. Time after Time

I better go now...it is 8:24am and I have not even got slightly accomplished what I had accomplished by this time yesterday!!!

Happy 17th Birthday Ryan

When my brother Allen told me I was going to be an Aunt...I was elated!  That was 1992...I was 20 years old - it is amazing how time flies.

On March 11, 1993 Ryan Austin Light came bouncing in this world.  He was born early and he was so tiny but he was a fighter!  He had to spend time in the neo-natal nursery and only a certain family members could see him...like his parents, grand-parents, and his brother & sister.  I would still go and press my nose against the window to see him all the time!  I could not wait to hold him...and kiss him...and call him my own! 

Ryan is a unique young man.  He is very smart, articulate, and passionate.  From a very young age...I would say about three he knew every dinosaur - how to correctly say the name, exactly what dinosaur it was and what era it was from.  He is going to graduate high school soon and wants to study Archeology.  Ryan would like to eventually have a career with the Archaeology Museum in London - it is one of the best.  It amazes me that he knows exactly what he wants to do and he is trying really hard to accomplish this goal.Last time I seen Ryan was in December and I cried to see this mature young man...almost an adult.  When we hugged as he was leaving...he hugged back. (You know boys...from about the age of 10...the hugs are always just "semi" hugs not close or tight...they are just hugs to get it over with.)  This was hug...that made me cry even more.  And then...and then...he looked at me and said I love you Tina.  Well...you can only imagine the tears. My little boy was a man. Happy Birthday Ryan.                                                                                         I am so proud of you and I can't wait to see you next week.

Spring is Springing

I am normally not a Spring girl.  I like...in this order... Fall, Winter, Spring, and then Summer but...I may have to adjust my thinking. 

Here lately...in the early morning as I read my Bible I can hear all sorts of birds singing and chirping away...I also hear the Doves cooing for their love.  In the past few days I have seen a Cardinal, a Robin, some Doves, and the most beautiful Blue Jay!  It seems like they are telling me Spring is almost here.  It should be a green Spring with all the snow and rain we have had.  I am sort of looking forward to this time of new beginning...and renewal.  Praise the Lord.  Don't forget we spring forward this weekend too!

I love this photo.  For those who do not have Facebook I wanted to share it with you.  This is one of my favorite pictures of Bubby.  This was taken at the parade in Shamrock, Texas on St. Patrick's Day 2008 - my Mom happened to snap this photo.  John is growing up so quick and becoming more & more independent.  Randy told him last night that "he stinks"...and without missing a beat John looked right at him and said "I don't stink"!!  This is one of the first times that John has put a sentence all together...and had a great little attitude/wit about it.  We both laughed so hard.  John is my little buddy and my best friend.  I am so in love with him and thank God everyday...every moment for my miracle.

Monday Moment

Have you seen this video?  It is several years old but it is one of my all time favorites!  Check it out.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYHT-TF4KO4

Hope you enjoy!

Sorry Arizona...

Here are some pictures of us leaving the Grand Canyon going through Snow Bowl, Arizona and into Flagstaff. 

We drove home last night from the Grand Canyon...643 miles.  We made it to Amarillo at 2:30am and were in bed by 3am.  It is good to be home.  Dorothy was right - there is no place like home.