Thank You

I'm just stopping in to say "Thank You!" Thank you for your prayers for us yesterday. It is always so hard to sing at funerals. My husband and I arrived at the church an hour before the funeral so that we could have a sound check and there were already people being seated. (I've never seen so many people at a funeral. They were lining the walls, the halls, and the overflow rooms. What a blessing!)

I need to tell you that my husband and I have been married for 18 years and we were singing together before we were married. He is the pro in the family. He can learn a song right before we sing it and it is beautiful. Me? Not so much. I have to sing a song until I learn it and feel somewhat confident. You would think after 18+ years of singing with my sweetheart that I wouldn't have butterflies. Nope! I get them every time.

I have to sing from my heart, or I'm not singing. It's that easy. After having less than 15 hours to learn the songs, I was feeling less than confident. Our run through proved my nerves. I was "pitchy" and our harmonies were less than harmonious. It was my fault, not his. I think the emotions of the day were getting to me. Thankfully, we had some time before the service began.

I had a quiet moment to gather my emotions and fall down on my face before the throne. He filled me with His peace that passes all understanding. We were able to sing for His glory. God somehow blended our harmonies once again and He graciously helped me stay on pitch. I pray that He was greatly glorified in the process.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I felt them!

On another note :-) Rachel's headaches are still intense but she went to school with me today. It's lunch time now and she decided that she felt well enough to go off campus with her friends for lunch and she will be in class this afternoon and we are thankful. I so admire her courage!

I need to get back to class. But, before I do, I want to share with you the verse from my devotion this morning:

"God is in the midst of her, she will not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns." Psalm 46:5

Is that cool or what?! I needed that Word today. God is in the midst of Rachel and she will not be moved (although we are praying her headaches move out). God will help Rachel when the morning dawns. It's a new day filled with new opportunities. What a great God we serve!

Joyfully,
Kristi

In Him our Hearts Rejoice

"In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in You." Psalm 33:21-22

On this past Sunday morning, our dear friend Mrs. Jackie went home to be with Jesus.

While our hearts are sad because we will miss her so much, our hearts can also rejoice because she is with her Savior, the One who loves her so very much.

She and her family are so special to us. She was one of our biggest supporter when we were in the music ministry. Every minister needs support like Mrs. Jackie's support. She had the best smile and such a generous heart.

We have cried buckets of tears with her sweet husband over the last several days. Please, remember Mrs. Jackie's family in your prayers tomorrow.

My husband and I have been asked to sing at her funeral tomorrow. I'm singing "Legacy" and my husband and I are singing, "When I Get Where I'm Going" together.

Please, pray for us tomorrow at 2 if you think about it. With all that is continuing with Rachel's headaches and now with taking 3 night classes while teaching high school computer classes, my nerves are still a bit on edge. I get the shakes so easily. Hopefully tomorrow, my eye won't start twitching.

Ya'll were so sweet to ask about Rachel. We have had a major cold front come through our area and her headaches have been absolutely excruciating. We both stayed home Monday but she was able to go to school with me for a half day today. She and Hannah loved Mrs. Jackie so Rachel is hoping to feel like going to the funeral.

March 12th can't come soon enough. We are more than ready to see the Pediatric Neurologist. I'm not sure why God has blessed me with a teaching position while Rachel's headaches are still so terrible but I do know that He is over all of this and that nothing is too difficult for Him.

His unfailing love is amazing isn't it? He is the One that we cling to and the One in whom we place our trust and hope.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Please, Respect Your Private Spaces...Oiy!

I thought of ya'll today!

On this my first day back in the classroom day! It was a blog moment for sure.

Oh, how I have missed being in the classroom!

(I realize that I have used exclamation points after every sentence so far! Deal with it!)

I had several , "I can't believe they are paying me to do this" moments.

(Spoken like my first day back in the classroom, right? I know tomorrow may be different but for today it was pure delight!)

Anyway, since I am stepping in halfway through the year, I felt it was important to lay down the law, so to speak. So, I set out to explain my classroom rules to the students.

(I am blessed to be teaching computer classes for Freshman through Seniors).

I began explaining Respect and Responsibility when it happened. Respect your teacher, respect each other....yada yada and then intending to say, "Respect each other's private spaces," I mistakenly said, "Respect each other's private areas." Oh, yes I did! Way to go new teacher...that only took 10 minutes!

Good news, what I said only registered with a few students. I could tell because they snickered a bit. Horrified by my faux paux I just kept on going, completely trying to ignore what I had just said. Note to self, use the word "spaces" in my next 4 classes! Oiy!

It was a wonderful day. I got to see my Rachel 3 times in the hall and I got to see several students who I was blessed to teach when they were sophomores...and who are now seniors. Where does the time go?

It was a day to remember...

as long as we ll remember to just please respect each other's private spaces, okay?

Joyfully,

Kristi

Introducing Miss Holy Pants!

I just had to drop in and tell ya'll that Rachel is having a WONDERFUL day today! She is courageously trying to go to school all day. Armed with prayer, the Lord, and His strength she is pressing on today. I'm so proud of her!

We had a fabulous afternoon yesterday. Yesterday morning, as you could probably tell from yesterday's post, my cry button was pushed. I couldn't help it. My eye twitching, shaky, puffy eyed, self was a sight to behold, I'm sure.

The Lord helped me pull myself together yesterday afternoon before I picked the girls up from school. Rachel was beaming when I picked her up. Her headaches had lessened a bit and she was thrilled to be back with her friends and a couple of cute guys winked at her...and well ...for an almost 16 year old girl, that makes everything a bit better, doesn't it? (shhhh, please don't share that last part with Mr. Incredible).

Anyway, Rachel felt like doing a little shopping after school. It was so fun and desperately needed! Her sister had to wear warm up pants to school and was in great need of jeans. The night before, we were having dinner when Hannah lept out of her chair and grabbed her pants.

With a look of horror, she bent over and said, "Momma, can you see this hole?" I said, "You mean the 3 inch gaping hole? ....Did you wear those jeans to school today????" Yes, she explained, because her other 2 pairs had holes in them too. What does she do to her jeans? "When did you get that hole?"

She quipped in a very southern drawl, "I DO NOT KNOW!" We both belly laughed until our sides hurt. Oh my goodness!!

I always run through my Mom checklist before my girls head out the door for school. I usually ask: Did you have your devotional? Did you brush your teeth? Did you make your bed? Take your medicine? Do you have your homework? I may need to add: Did you check your jeans...to the list. Oiy!

Yes, excuse us. I'm the shaking, eye twitching mother and this is my youngest daughter, Miss Holy pants! I'm so thankful that it is Friday! Have a blessed weekend!

Joyfully,

Kristi

I've Been Tagged...Now You've Been Tagged!

So, I'm having another one of those feeling helpless to help my daughter kind of days. We were praying that Rachel's half days of school would be an easy transition back to school with minimal headache pain. After our wonderful experience with President Bush (yesterday's post) the headache pain intensified. By the time I got home from class last night, she was pretty miserable. Needless to say we are calling the Pediatric Neurosurgeon this morning.

I am doing all that I know to do to care for my precious daughter but it doesn't feel like it's enough. Do you ever feel that way? I know God is all sufficient and that He is sovereign and that He is very aware of Rachel's continual headache that has now lasted almost an entire month but my flesh is growing weary and I fear Rachel's is too. {sob!}

A dear friend of ours named Mrs. Jackie is celebrating her birthday in the hospital today. Her family is praying for a miracle that God would heal her and allow all of them more time together. I spoke with her husband yesterday and we cried together. They are such amazing people. Even in her courageous battle with cancer she and her husband are fervently praying for Rachel. For my Rachel! Isn't that humbling? When Jackie could be so understandably focused on herself, she and her husband are praying for us. And we are praying for them too!

I got to see them both yesterday at the hospital where Mr. Phil and I cried and prayed together. My heart is so burdened for them today. I left there and headed to class. With all of the things going on with Rachel, my body has kind of developed the shakes. I get cold so easily and then my body just starts shaking. It's the strangest thing and such a sight to behold, I'm sure.

Well, yesterday after visiting the hospital, my left eye started twitching. I went to class with my left eye twitching! It must have looked like I was winking at everyone. The more I tried to get it to stop, the more it twitched. Great! I had to explain that I wasn't winking to everyone around me and that I'm normally a pretty put together kind of girl, even though they wouldn't know it from looking at my shaking, winking appearance, and they just laughed. I'm just a mess, aren't I? I'm so thankful that God loves messes like me!

So, in order to divert my attention to happier things today I'm sharing a few of the awards that I have been blessed by this week and a fun meme from Debra. Wanna play too?

Debra at Clothed with Scarlet invited me to play the 10 things I love game. She gave me the letter "B" to work with. How fun! Here goes...10 things I love that start with the letter "B":

1. Bible

2. Barbia (my mom)

3. Beaches, especially Francis Bay and Cinnamon Bay in St. John, USVI

4. Books, yep I'm a nerd to the core....I hope to write a few some day

5. Blogging! It is so cathartic.

6. Blogging Buddies-ya'll are the best!

7. Brighton shoes and jewelry

8. Bargains-Free cereal tastes better than cereal I paid full price for, doesn't it?

9. Basketball games-watching my girls on the court

10. Blessings from the Lord-the ones we pray for and the ones He surprises us with. He is awesome.

So, do you wanna play along too? Let me know and I'll give you a letter. Just leave me a comment, please!

Karla at Ramblin Roads tagged me for the "5th photo in my 5th folder" game. Here it is:

This is a photo from our cruise in 2006. Fun memories to remember. My, the girls look so young in this photo!

And then I have been blessed with some awards from some wonderful friends:

BP at Raindrops and Rainbows is such an encourager and prayer warrior. I look forward to reading her blog each day as she shares what God places on her heart. She blessed me with this award. I love her blog too!

Deanna at Deanna's Diary blessed me with this award: (Deanna is a new friend. She is a wonderful encourager and her blog is delightful!)

This award is for ....."This blog invests and believes the PROXIMITY - nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are extremely charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly written text into the body of their award.

And Michele from Michele's Morsals BEElieve blessed me with this (Go check out her blog. She handles every day with grace! God uses her to bless so many!)

And Brenda at Queen of Good Intentions blessed me with this "Blog Crush" award. I have a crush on her wonderful blog too! She can spend next to nothing and come home from any store with a bundle. I am in awe of her thriftiness!


Whew! I'm sorry if I overlooked any one. I am overwhelmed by all of your love and encouragement. It is my joy to get to share life with all of you. You bless me more than I'll ever be able to express!!!!!!

I may be breaking the rules, but I simply can't pick only 8 so, I'm picking all of you! Yep, I choose YOU to receive these awards. Please, take them and pass them on. You will never know the encouragement they offer. Thanks for being such a blessing to me!

Joyfully,

Kristi

Encourage One Another

Happy Word-Filled Wednesday!

I Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up..."

I just love that. Don't you?

I often forget that. How about you?

Yesterday as Rachel and I were watching the Presidential Inauguration (She is still only going to school half days) we were sad for President Bush. As you know from my post yesterday, he was really on my mind. Regardless of how you feel about the job that he did in office, he still deserves our thanks. I have great admiration for President Bush and Mrs. Bush.

I knew that he was coming home to Midland and that we had tickets but that the noise of the crowd would be too much for Rachel so I just resolved to watch him in TV.

God began to stir my heart that I needed to do something to encourage him.

I jumped into action. I finished my homework, printed out signs, and picked the girls up from school as soon as the bell rang. We drove as fast as we could to the exact spot where Hannah and Granny and I waved to to the soon to be President Bush eight years ago. (Hannah was only 4 at the time. It was a cold January day. She saluted Mr. Bush as his car drove by and he saluted back. It was so cool!)

We waited with another couple for about 45 minutes. I was sad that the streets were not lined with people but I just assumed that they were all at Centennial Plaza. A few minutes later a nice man pulled over and explained that they had taken a different route. Oiy! Of course they did.

I don't give up easily. We drove across town only to see the last part of the motorcade drive by. We found 3 DPS officers in the parking lot and asked if we could park with them. Guess what???They let us and the even informed us when the President would be driving by again. I think they liked our enthusiasm. They were so nice!

Forty-five minutes later, we were on! In my amazing photo taking ability (remember Hannah's basketball pictures in Monday's post???) here is what I got. Oiy!


You can see his suburban (gotta like Texas) and his posse. The girls were holding up their signs and waving and...this is the best part....

President Bush leaned as close to the window as possible
waved and smiled as big as Dallas to us!

I know he waved to us because we were the only ones right there...

(I wish I had the photo to show you. His face was all smiles!)

and we were the only ones holding signs! Delight!

It was so moving, Rachel cried...and then I cried...and then we called Daddy and then my Dad (who was in an important meeting but he answered anyway) and then Granny

and then I had 10 minutes to get to my class that was 18 minutes away.
And...I made it on time. Ta-da!!! I just figured I would name drop the sweet DPS men who kept us company if I ran into one of their fellow officers with his lights flashing. What a fun night and a fun memory.

It's not every day that you get to encourage a President. Who will God place in your path today that needs a little encouragement too? Go for it! You will get a blessing out of it too.
It's so fun to be a part of what God is doing!

Joyfully,

Kristi

Welcome Home Mr. President!

Our part of Texas is just delighted to welcome you two home!

I echo Clayton Williams words, "Thanks to you and Laura for setting high standards of ethics, courage, and grace in the White House. You've made us proud."

I think this song echoes my heart today. Whether you supported President Bush or not, he deserves our thanks. These words were penned by Steven Curtis Chapman:

Good-bye Mr. President, I guess the time has come for you to, Pack up all your things and turn the page, So I was thinking as you left, I’d try to write a song to tell you,
What so many of us want to say. For all those sleepless nights, I am sure you must have had, For all the prayers I’m sure you prayed, For how you tried to lead us when the way was so unclear, I am sure it wasn’t always evident, but thank you Mr. President!

Good-bye Mr. President, You will not be forgotten, All the courage and the hope you helped us find,I can’t imagine how it felt, To stand where you were standing, And to try to make the calls you thought were right.

So for those sleepless nights, I am sure you must have had, That put those lines around your eyes, For how you carried the weight, Even when the lights went out, I am sure you’ll never know how much it meant, I thank you Mr. President.-So for those days ahead, When they write about the past, And everybody has their say, From all of us who know, You gave us everything you could, We hope you will remember this, Thank you Mr. President!-Good-bye Mr. President.

As we begin praying for the new President of the United States and his family, I just couldn't let today go by without expressing my gratitude and thanks to President and Laura Bush. We welcome home Midland's favorite son and daughter today!

Haircuts & Basketball

Happy Monday to ya'll!

Rachel has had four good days in a row and we are rejoicing!

I thought that I would share a few photos from our weekend.

The girls with their new haircuts:

This is the shortest Rachel's hair has been. Chic bangs!

And Hannah's curls. The hairdresser told her that

she had Taylor Swift hair and Hannah loved that.

She sang "Love Story" all afternoon.

Saturday was Hannah's basketball game. I think they won 29 to 12???

I was so thrilled to take my new Christmas present with me to the game and snap a few 100 pictures of our girl on the court. After taking my last photo, Mr. Incredible said, "Sweetheart, did you know that you can focus this part of the lens too?" What?????

"It's like a deer scope, see?" I am not one of the hunters in the family so I was just focusing with the outer lens and not the telescoping little thingy on the end. Hence, all few 100 photos look like this:

A little blurry? They look better when you squint. Oh, joy!

I'll try again next Saturday, Lord willing.

Blurry or not, I like this photo. Hannah is the tallest one on the team and we like that very much! She and I were practicing in the family room, using the deer head as our pretend basket (it's good for something).

I was showing her some post moves and some defensive pointers and she was getting it. I was so proud. So I said, "Hannah, you need to use these moves in the game and then you will be unstoppable! If you don't, I'll just come down at half time and we can practice these moves on a real court." Here eyes got really big and with a look of shear horror said, "You would do that?"

I reminded her of the time that I spoke to the referee after one of her games, he outweighs me by 200 pounds, about the way that his prejudice towards his nieces team was ridiculous, or something sweet like that. (It was not one of my finer moments, but there you go!) She nodded remembering this fine mother of the year moment and then said, "Don't worry, I'll use these moves in the game!"

I feel like I must add that I had no intention of embarrassing myself or my daughter at half time, but sometimes you just have to get your bluff in. Know what I mean?

Anyway, whether you agree with my fine parenting skills regarding basketball, or not, it worked! She was on fire on the court. I had to chuckle out loud several times because every time she would score or rebound or make a cool move on the court, she would look up at me in the stands and smile as if to stay, "Stay where you are Mom, I've got it!"

I loved it. She was so proud of how she played. She gave it her best effort and I was proud too. After all, that's what my whole teaching moment in the family room was all about.

Rachel made it well at the game. We stayed to watch my nephew play but he was in a smaller gym and the scoreboard buzzer and the whistles were a bit too loud for her. We left at half time and she rested the rest of the afternoon.

She was able to go to church and Sunday School yesterday morning. A precious lady named Marilyn, who can barely speak due to a horrible stroke many years ago, was able to tell Rachel that she was praying for her. We cried. She felt so loved yesterday and my heart rejoiced.

She is at school today for half a day. We don't want to do too much at once. The principal at her school is wonderful. He encouraged half days to start and we are taking him up on his offer. I will be picking her up in an hour and I am ready.

I didn't realize that I had written so much, sorry! I'll close for now. Thanks for all of your prayers on our behalf. I just love ya'll to pieces!

Joyfully,

Kristi

Prayer for Kelly & Harper

Rachel has had a wonderful day!!! Praise you, Father!!!

I don't know if any of you read Kelly's blog or not, but I wanted you to be aware of an urgent prayer request for her newly born daughter, Harper. I don't know Kelly personally but I just adore her blog and have followed her through infertility and now this precious baby who is in critical condition. They could really use our prayer support tonight. So, I thought of you, all of my faithful prayer warriors. You can read her story here.

Rachel's Writings

One of Rachel's make-up assignments was to write a persuasive speech. She wrote this while I was at class. I had no idea what she had written. This momma's heart was just filled to overflowing when I read her speech. She gave me permission to share it with you:

Having a Happy Attitude By: Rachel

Have you ever been so overwhelmed by the things of life that you felt totally helpless and depressed? A recent study shows that if you are positive and happy about things, you will be benefiting your life. The study shows that being happy gives you better health, a longer life,successful relationships, success in work, and better mental health.

I've recently felt the overwhelming feeling that almost everyone has experienced, and to be honest I didn't like it! With the recent discovery of a disorder in my head, the horrible headaches I'm having to experience, and all the work I have to make-up made me feel helpless and alone.

Through all of it I was reminded that I'm not alone and God has blessed me with many things. For one, God made it possible to get me into have an MRI on a Saturday, which is nearly impossible, and we knew the results the very next day. Another thing He did that might seem small to you, but huge to me was that when we went to Fort Worth for a doctor's appointment I really wanted to eat at one of my favorite restaurants, the Macaroni Grill. My parents said that once we got to our hotel that we would try and find one. To our surprise, a Macaroni Grill was in the same parking lot as our hotel! God is so good!

Through these last two weeks I've tried to keep a happy attitude, only because I have so much to be happy for. Sure, I've had my moments and really got upset, but looking at all my heavenly Father has done makes me realize how happy I should be. Having a happy attitude makes you feel better, and is contagious to other people. Try turning your frown upside down!

____________________________________________________
Ahhh, God is good! The new treatments are starting to work. She feels like getting out today. We are off to get her beautiful hair trimmed. Doesn't that always make a girl feel better? May each one of you have blessed weekend!

Joyfully,
Kristi

Why Dads Buy Wiis

My friend Darci emailed this video clip to me and it totally cracked me up.

I thought ya'll might enjoy it too.

If you need a good laugh, check out this little giggler:

For more Friday Funnies, visit Kim.

Thankful for Possibilities

Happy Thankful Thursday.

This week's theme is "Possibilities." Oh, I love this. How timely this theme is!

Jesus said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”’ ~ Mark 10:27

This speaks volumes to my heart!

Today I have renewed hope. We are praying boldly for a healing for Rachel like no other.

There is sooooo much to be thankful for. I will try to list only a few (but it's hard to narrow it down):

1. A new day...full of hopeful possibilities and new opportunities.

2. My sweet husband who went to Sams and HEB for me last night. You know he is the only man in the house and my grocery list had a few items that...let's just say...he wouldn't normally shop for. I know he was thrilled that the checkout girl didn't have to call for a price check over the loud speaker. :-) Thank you sweet hubby!

3. Hannah did well on her midterms...she actually studied hard for the tests. It's amazing the motivation that happens when a promise of a cell phone is given if she makes all A's this year. (You need to know that she is more than capable. She is in JUNIOR HIGH. Enough said???)

4. For my professors who were more than understanding about our circumstances and that I survived the first week of classes. It was better than I thought.

5. For an incredible school administration and a wonderful group of teachers who understand our circumstances and are praying right along with us.

6. For my dear family who has been a tremendous support this week. Everything from food, tp, phone calls, prayers, and tear gas/mace (I'll explain later).

7. For a phone call from a wonderful nurse today. We are trying something new and I just feel it in my soul that it is the right treatment. She confirmed everything the Lord was speaking to me about during the night. In this time of uncertainty and feeling a bit helpless she was encouraging and affirming in my care of Rachel. She told me that I was "an excellent mom" and that I was doing everything right. I cried. Thank you, Father!

8. For all of you who are loving and praying for us. There have been moments this week where I felt like I was hanging on by a small thread. You were there to offer prayer and encouragement and you stood in the gap when I felt helpless. THANK YOU!

Okay, I better wrap it up. My girl has bright eyes today and courage to try something new. Our day is full of possibilities! How about yours?

Joyfully,

Kristi

Please, visit Iris for more Thankful Thursday inspiration.

Not Just for the Birds

***Update: Rachel had a wonderful day yesterday. Her color was back and she smiled and laughed a little bit again. We were hopeful that the medicine was finally beginning to work.

Today is not good. Her color is fading and the headaches are severe...and she is crying a lot more than I have seen her cry in days. Needless to say, I did call the doctor and I am waiting for a call back.

I believe we need to try something else- a different medication. I'm clinging to this verse today. Rachel is of far more worth to the Father than this bird. Please, pray that the right treatment will be given and for quick relief.

Thank you!

"Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Matthew 6:26

I haven't told you about my feathered friend. I met him last winter. He came back this year. I know it's the same bird, it just has to be.

Every morning when I draw back the drapes and start to get ready for the day, I hear his gentle tapping on my palladium window. He arrives withing a few minutes of the drapes opening every morning. With his little beak he taps on the window just waiting for me.

My family has started to call him my bird. If they hear him at the window someone always says, "Momma, your bird is back." Poor little thing, it flits around in despair, hits the window, and walks on the ledge just waiting.

I'll go to the window and sing him a song. This morning I sang "Amazing Grace." I think he liked it because he sat really still and just looked at me. It's the sweetest thing.

God is using this little bird to teach me a valuable lesson. I just have to share it with you. Maybe you can relate too.

Look at what is waiting close by for my bird:

They look harmless don't they? But, I know my mouser cats; they would devour my little bird in an instant. My bird knows this too.

As I watched him crash into the window over and over again and as I watched him flutter in despair, it seemed God began encouraging me that I looked just like my bird this past Monday.

See him coming in for a crash landing?

I was running around my house feeling very helpless trying to care for Rachel. I did look just like my bird. God reminded me that He loves us dearly and that if He cares for this bird, how much more does He care for us. None of Rachel's circumstances have slipped from His sight.

I went on to read Matthew chapter 13. Verses 31 and 32 say:

"The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field; and this is smaller than all other seeds, but when it is full grown, it is larger than the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR come and NEST IN ITS BRANCHES."

I needed to stop fretting and worrying and stressing and just rest in His branches, His hands.

I know this picture is a little blurry, but look at the bird in the branches of my nearby tree:

He looks perfectly calm, doesn't he?
Even with the cats below, he is perfectly calm.

Even in the midst of all of the uncertainties and unknowns, I can rest in His hands too.
Don't you just love that? How timely God is.

I am so thankful for His great love for us and for lessons learned from a little bird.

Joyfully,

Kristi

For more Word Filled Wednesday inspiration, please visit my friends at the 160 acre woods.

Special Delivery

I just thought I would give you a quick update. If you haven't read the previous post then this post will seem even more random.

Look what I found on my doorstep:

Only a few short minutes after posting my cry for TP, and I was really just stating the fact not really expecting to receive any TP, this was found on my front doorstep:

And yes, it is "Ultra Plush" and each of the six rolls equals 12 so we now have the equivalent of 14 rolls. I think the new 2 square rule is off for now. I know my family is delighted.

My sweet nephew called me and said, "Aunt Kiki, we left you something on your front porch." I giggled and said, "Does it start with the letter T?" He laughed and said, "Uh-huh!"

Thank you to my sweet nephews and dear sister-in-law.

Nothing says love today like "Ultra Plush!"

Then, if the surprise TP wasn't enough, I had a delivery from the Fed Ex man who dropped off a new Tassimo machine. Delight!

My old Tassimo, the one I have only had for 5 months cratered before Christmas. They have had my machine in their fix it shop since December 17th. Of all the times to need a caffeine fix, this has been it.

After several phone calls to track down my machineI had given up hope. Then today a brand new machine arrived. Apparently my other one was unfixable. Tassimo has redeemed themselves in my eyes today. Woo hoo!

Here is my first cup in my new machine. I wish that you could smell it.

Rachel and I both had a cup. Praise the Lord! Her head is feeling better today. I think the medicine is starting to work and I am so very thankful. We will see tomorrow. But, for today we are going to celebrate.

Now, if you will excuse me.
I'm off to visit the powder room with my new BFF named Charmin Ultra Plush!

Please Send TP

I've said it before, I'll say it again...ya'll are such a tremendous blessing!

When I felt like God was leading me to blog land, I didn't know the amazing blessings that would be waiting. Your love and prayers and encouraging comments bless me more than my words can express! Thank you just doesn't seem adequate.

In the midst of this uncertain season, so many people have been asking what they can do. I love it that Lana offered to bring me lots of chocolate and then added "If you don't like the stuff, (I'd think you were totally weird) then I'd bring you some other scrumptious dessert!" That cracks me up. And yes, I LOVE chocolate. So, I guess that I'm not weird, but that's debatable.

What our family really needs, besides prayer, is...um...are you ready?

We need toilet paper. Yep, I said it...good ole TP. Soft, triple ply, it doesn't matter.

Let me explain.

I bawled my eyes out driving myself to class yesterday. I didn't want to go because my heart was home with Rachel. Good news! The video techie stuff didn't work and the professor had to let us go early. Thank you, Lord!

So, I decided to call Rachel to check on her and then swing by the grocery store on my way home. She was crying. Her headache was severe and she just needed mom.

So, naturally I threw caution to the wind and flew home at the speed of light.

We now have a new house rule. Only 2 squares of toilet paper, 3 if its absolute necessary until Momma can get to the grocery store. Our home is blessed with 4 bathrooms. Between the 4 we have 2 rolls left. But good news! My oak trees have shed their leaves and provided us with extra help if the need arrives.

I always liked Little House on the Prairie shows, I just don't care to live it.

So, hopefully, when my Rachel wakes up, I can make a run for the TP.

'Cause Momma is not using leaves.

Yes, thanks to your prayers and words of encouragement, I have my sense of humor back today.
In the middle of the night I was feeling a bit helpless. I'm doing all that I know to do, but still feeling helpless. As I was pouring my heart out to the Lord, He seemed to encourage me to stop fretting and start thanking and praising instead. Of course this is just what I needed to be doing.

I had already poured out my requests for Rachel but I still had a lot of thanks to bring before the throne (Sorry! Bad choice of words w/ a picture of toilet paper at the top of this post. I meant The Throne...I hope you know that). God is so good!

Thank you for standing in the gap for me yesterday. I love ya'll so much!!!!)

As my friend Leah says, "Smoochie holy kisses" to all of you!

Prayer Request

Okay, so I wasn't going to post today.

I always want to provide a bit of encouragement and joy to anyone that happens to bless me by stopping by my blog.

Today, I'm feeling a bit empty.

I'm embarrassed to write that after all that God has done for us.

But, honestly I am. (I don't want to be a downer, so please stop reading and run for a cheerier blog today, I'll understand, I promise. I'm looking for that blog today too.)

I'm trying so hard to encourage my precious daughter...but she is in extreme pain from the relentless headaches. My baby is in pain!

I had a headache yesterday and it made me feel bad. I can't imagine the feeling of having a headache off and on for 6 weeks or the awful pain of having the same constant headache for 16 days now.

Oh, yes I do know that God loves Rachel and me and that He doesn't like to see her suffer either, but it's still hard.

Our family thanks all of you for praying for us to find the right doctor for Rachel and that we would receive a confirmation of her diagnosis. God was so good to provide just the right doctor and confirm her diagnosis...in just a week. Wow!

Rachel had a wonderful day Saturday, but as of yesterday, she is back to only being able to stay in bed or her daddy's recliner. The headaches are severe with little relief right now.

Please, join us in praying that the Great Physician will cause this new medicine to work today so that Rachel will have much needed relief.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills—where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." Psalm 121:1-2

And...I start back to school today. UGH! My heart's not in it...at all! But Rachel has asked me to keep my classes and finish what God has called me to do. He called me to be a wife and mother first and I'm ready to drop every class but, for Rachel, I'm going today...reluctantly.

If you are still reading this, thank you for allowing me to be completely transparent. I hope that you understand I am not whining or complaining. God has done so much for our family. How can I complain?

This is not too difficult for Him, but today it's difficult for us. I reminded Rachel last night, that in our weakness, He is strong. I'm going to try to remember that myself today.

This Year

Whew! What a full week this has been. It will be one week today since we heard the results and diagnosis from Rachel's MRI. A lot can happen in one week, can't it?

While we are still trying to find the right relief for Rachel's headaches and the changes that we will face, this video spoke volumes to my heart. I plan to us it in tonight's media minute at church. This may not have been our chosen path for the year...but we take hope in knowing that God is in control of it all. I hope this video blesses you as much as it did me.

(I found this video at sermonspice.com)

Thanks be to God...Great Things He has Done!

"In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May Your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in You." Psalm 33:21, 22

"For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name." Luke 1:49

Praise the Lord, great things He has done!

We are just beside ourselves with absolute joy.

The Pediatric Neurosurgeon is exactly who we hoped and prayed for. He was so kind and compassionate to Rachel and to us and so full of wisdom in this area.

Right now, we are not looking at surgery for Rachel. Hallelujah! While it may have to be an option down the road, he wants us to try a new medication to help with her severe headaches.

He is going to keep a close eye on our daughter and we are very thankful. If this medicine doesn't work then we will try something else.

The doctor wants Rachel to see a neurologist that specializes in headaches for this congenital disorder. He cautioned us that there are only a few of these specialists in Texas and that we may have to wait a while before we could get an appointment. The next available appointment is in late May but he told us that he would speak face to face with his colleague and see if we could get in earlier.

By the time we got to the receptionist desk, and unbeknownst to the doctor, we have a much earlier appointment in March. Isn't God good?! Isn't that just like Him!

So many questions were answered, the diagnosis was confirmed, and our hearts were relieved to know this is the doctor God had in mind for Rachel all along.

If ever there was a doubt in Rachel's precious mind, and there really hasn't been, of how dearly loved she is by the Lord, He has shown Himself to her and to us over and over again. He has revealed His great love in the big and the small this week.

I am overwhelmed by His great love, care, and faithfulness. There is no god like our God!

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you for your prayers. We felt them all day long.

I have a few other things that I would love to share with you but for now

I'm off to hug my baby girl and crawl up on the couch and maybe watch a good movie with my family. I think we will all sleep much better tonight.

Rejoicing,

Kristi

More Favor from the Lord.

We are settled into our hotel room and all is well. My Rachel is playing her new beautiful pink Nintendo DS (thank you Nonnie) next to me, Mr. Incredible is watching the game, and Hannah is singing at the top of her lungs in the shower. I hope the neighbors like her song. I know that I do.

During our drive, we asked Rachel where she wanted to eat dinner in the big city. She thought about it and mentioned the Macaroni Grill. We set out to find the hotel and resolved to ask where the nearest Macaroni Grill was located when we checked in. We didn't have to ask. The Macaroni Grill is right in front of our hotel...and we cried. How good of the Lord! He is just full of surprises.

We had the sweetest waitress named Allie. At the end of our dinner she asked what we were doing in town. With a lump in my throat we gave a quick explanation of our destination. A few minutes later she brought us our bill and a sweet surprise...a giant piece of chocolate cake from the restaurant and her kind words asking God to bless us. And...I cried again.

I was having a weak kind of day today and so was Rachel. I think the packing and pending drive kind of made things very real. God was so faithful to show us, yet again, His unfailing love and His great faithfulness.

I'm not sure what tomorrow will hold but I am confident in the One who holds tomorrow and our family in His mighty hands.

May the Lord bless each one of you and show His great favor towards you. I'll try to post information from our visit sometime tomorrow evening or Saturday morning.

Joyfully,

Kristi

The Lord's Favor

Happy Thankful Thursday to all of you!

I couldn't let today pass by without telling you about what God did for us yesterday.

I have to begin by telling you that my mom sent me an email early yesterday morning. She said, "Blessings to you today and the Lord's favor are my prayers." The Lord's favor was upon us. Here is what happened:

A dear friend of ours called yesterday afternoon to give us contact information for a neurosurgeon. This isn't your typical doctor. Oh, no. This doctor graduated from Harvard and from an excellent medical school in Texas, he has been extensively published, is highly esteemed by his colleagues and patients, and has received many awards such as "Best Doctors in America in 2006."

I thought it was sweet of our friend to give us his contact information. Out of love for our daughter, I sent the good doctor an email and hoped that this VIP doctor, who didn't know us at all, would respond to my email but, I wasn't holding my breath.

In one hour I received a gracious reply from the doctor. One hour! I was overwhelmed to the point of tears. (Lord, you are just too good to us!) Not only had he heard about the doctor that we will see in the morning, but he added that he has heard good things about him and he recommends that we keep our appointment. Also, if we need another option or second opinion, he recommended 2 of his pediatric neurosurgeons and added that we could use his name as a reference.

I am almost overwhelmed again to the point of tears as I type this. I told my husband last night (If you are new to my blog, I refer to him as Mr. Incredible to protect our privacy...and because he really is incredible) that it feels like we are on the tiniest raft surrounded by water in a vast ocean. Believe me, I know that we are not in this alone. God's mighty hands are wrapped around our family completely and we know many of you are in this boat with us through prayer.

It's just the fact that we didn't know any neurosurgeons (I'm thankful there has not been a reason to know one as a doctor) and as any parent would, we want the best doctor possible for our daughter. Clearly this man is at the top of his field. For him to respond to my email in one hour just really blew me away. Isn't God amazing? Nothing is too difficult for Him.

Whether we get to meet this doctor on this side of heaven or not, he was a blessing to my family. One of our prayers in all of this is that somehow, with God's help and leading, He would use us in the midst of this to be a blessing to others too. Don't get me wrong...there are times I want the world to stop! But, I have learned enough to know that somehow life isn't always about us. We don't want to become so self focused that we miss the opportunity to share His love with those around us. Even in this season, we want God to receive much honor and glory.

I better get my sweet Hannah to school. Thank you for your prayers. Your support for our family is such a blessing.

Joyfully,

Kristi

P.S. If this is your first visit to my blog, welcome! You can find out more about Rachel's story in the previous 3 posts.

PPS For more Thankful Thursday lists, please visit Iris at Grace Alone.

The One We Praise

"Heal me, O LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for You are the One I praise." Jeremiah 17:14

There are so many scriptures that we are praying over our precious daughter. This verse just seemed to leap off the page today. She has loved to sing His praises since she was little.

It is not uncommon to hear Rachel listening to Skillet or Stellar Kart, or Air 1 while Hannah is listening to one of her favorites too. It gets a bit loud with the dueling bands but the sounds are always full of joy. They both love contemporary Christian music.

Rachel has had such a headache that we have missed hearing the sounds of blaring music coming from her room. But, just the other day I heard the wonderful sounds of music coming from her room. It was a little bit of the familiar in the midst of the unfamiliar and my heart rejoiced.

We are believing God for a healing for Rachel like no other. Oh, how He is already working! I woke her up twice in the night to give her pain medicine and she did not have a headache either time! She was sleeping so soundly. Hallelujah!

Thank you for your incredible prayer support and for joining us on this journey of faith.

(We will see the pediatric neurosurgeon Friday morning.)

Joyfully,

Kristi

PS For more inspiration on this Word Filled Wednesday, please visit my friends here.

Praising the Lord!

We have a doctor's appointment with a Pediatric Neurosurgeon, who knows about this rare disorder, on Friday!

This Friday!!

Praise You, Father!!!

We are still seeking an appointment with one of the top ranked pediatric neurosurgeon groups in the country as well. They were so gracious to us on the telephone this morning. This particular group has several pediatric neurosurgeons on staff and they are well aware of this disorder. We should hear something this afternoon or in the morning. God is moving in this so quickly and we are thankful! Thank you for your continued prayers.

Held Together by His Mighty Hand

***Updated: After I posted this, I crawled into bed for a little more sleep. The words I typed "What am I going to do?" echoed in my mind. The Lord seemed to whisper, "Sweet child of mine it's not "What am I going to do" it's "What is I AM going to do?" Praise You, Father! I'll try to be patient as I wait to see what the Great I Am is going to do.

I like pretty packages wrapped with beautiful bows. I like for my life to seem like a pretty package tied with a beautiful bow...even though it has never been perfect. I don't particularly like messy...although my mind thinks of our closet in our first apartment that we lived in when we were newlyweds. Oh, my heavens! I don't think we hung anything up for the first 3 months. It was a sight to behold. But, we didn't care. We were in love and that's all that mattered. We are still in love after 18 1/2 years of marriage but most of us choose to use hangers now.

Life seems to be kind of a mess right now. Believe me, I know it's not the mess that it could be, it's just not the neat package I want it to be right now either. I probably should have prefaced this post by saying Rachel and I have slept for only an hour. It's almost four in the morning now. If this post seems more random than usual...well there you go.

While I thought she was in her room sleeping, she was writing 14 pages in her journal. I encouraged her this afternoon to start writing a journal about this new adventure with the Lord. Fourteen pages? Wow! I don't know where she gets this. (I know my posts have been long lately.) She said that she felt much better getting it all out. Writing is cathartic for me too. I was tossing and turning while listening to "Buzz" sleeping, I mean snoring, next to me but all the while praying and thinking. I was watching the clock until it was time to give Rachel another dose of pain medicine. Since I can't seem to go back to sleep I'll just share what we know as of now.

We waited 2 hours to see the pediatrician yesterday. He pretty much confirmed what was already suspected by the radiologists. Our next step is to see a pediatric neurosurgeon. It is not an emergency but we need to see someone as soon as possible. We are asking God to show us to the right doctor and for there to be an opening in his schedule very soon.

God is already answering this prayer. The doctor that was recommended first doesn't specialize in this particular area. Thank you, Father; he is not the right one for us. I hope that you understand why I am not listing the name of the disorder just yet. I will feel more confident about the diagnosis when it is confirmed by the neurosurgeon.

I feel a bit selfish in even mentioning this but maybe this will help you understand my need for my life to be wrapped with a beautiful bow at this moment. My last three classes start in 6 days. What am I going to do? Also, I was asked to start teaching in two weeks for the beloved teacher who recently went home to be with Jesus. She was a big part of my decision to return back to school to become teacher certified. I feel so honored to even be considered for her classes. I just always pictured teaching along side her. They would like for me to start in 2 weeks. What am I going to do?

It's 4 in the morning and I've already had my devotion time with the Lord today. Do you want to know what He said? Often "God does not open paths for us before we come to them, or provide help before help is needed. He does not remove obstacles out of our way before we reach them. Yet when we are at our point of need, God's hand is outstretched" (Streams in the Desert). Oh, He is God and there is nothing that He can't do. He can certainly remove obstacles before we reach them, but if they are removed before we get there, then we would miss seeing His hand at work in our lives, wouldn't we?

I don't need the bow...I need His outstretched hand and the peace in knowing that He has all of the answers and all I have to do is reach out and take His mighty hand.

I like the poem at the end of the devotion for today:

"When you pass through the waters,
Deep the waves may be and cold,
But Jehovah is our refuge,
And His promise is our hold;
For the Lord Himself has said it,
He, the faithful God and true:
"When you come to the waters
You will not go down, BUT THROUGH."

Seas of sorrow, seas of trial,
Bitter anguish, fiercest pain,
Rolling surges of temptation
Sweeping over heart and brain-
They will never overflow us
For we know His Word is true;
All His waves and all His billows
He will lead us safely THROUGH.

Threatening breakers of destruction,
Doubt's insidious undertow,
Will not sink us, will not drag us
Out to ocean depths of woe;
For His promise will sustain us,
Praise the Lord, whose Word is true!
We will not go down, or under,
For He says, "You will pass THROUGH."
Annie Johnson Flint

It's not a bow that holds our life together; it's His hand. I can't think of a better place to be. Can you? So for now I'll take comfort knowing that His mighty hands are holding my family...there is great comfort there.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Trusting and Believing God

Ah, what a day this has been! It is the Lord's day, but to be honest, my heart just wasn't at church today. Rachel woke up with the same severe headache that she went to bed with. Even with her double dosage she was suffering. I knew that I needed to get the media ready for the worship services and that a couple of children would be expecting me to be at church for Elevate, but my heart was home with Rachel.

My dear husband stayed home with her and Hannah and I set out for church. I told the Lord that I was going with a divided heart and I think He just smiled. What I didn't know and what God already knew, was that one of my precious little students had asked Jesus to come into his little heart and be his Savior and He couldn't wait to tell all of us.

"Mrs. Kristi," he said, "I won't be in Elevate today because I need to tell Brother M. that I need him to baptize me!" Praise You, Father! Oh, You are so good. Could this have happened on a better Sunday? Little Ethan was the one that asked so many questions when we did this Salvation Experiment.

I got home from church only to jump out of my skin every time the phone rang. We were so desperate for answers. The pediatrician finally called us around 5:30 this afternoon. I couldn't bring myself to answer the telephone, so my husband did.

Thankfully, we didn't hear words like "tumor" or other unimaginables but he did tell us about a rare genetic disorder that has probably been with Rachel since birth. I can't even pronounce the name but I know that God can and He knows and only He can provide the answers that we are seeking.

My mind is reeling but my heart is thankful. I know that sounds strange. Normally it takes weeks to schedule an MRI, it only took one day. From what we have read online, this diagnosis takes months or years to find. This only took a few days. Clearly, God is in control and I take great comfort in His amazing love and care for Rachel and for us.

I'm crying as I type this...my devotion today was simply written for me...although it was penned in 1925 by L. B. Cowman, Streams in the Desert

Here is what she writes:

Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live." The man took Jesus at his word and departed (John 4:50).

Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe. (Mark 11:24)

When you are confronted with a matter that requires immediate prayer, pray until you believe God--until with whole-hearted sincerity you can thank Him for the answer. Never pray in a way that diminishes your faith. You may tell Him you are waiting, still believing and therefore praising Him for the answer. There is nothing that so fully solidifies faith as being so sure of the answer that you can thank God for it.

The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety. George Mueller.

Faith is not a sense, nor sight, nor reason, but simply taking God at His word. Christmas Evans.

This is the time to look up through the storm, and among the trembling, frightened sailors declare, "I have faith in God that it will happen just as He told me." (Acts 27:25).

I love this! I'm clinging to this with every fiber of my being! I believe God is who He says He is and He can do what He says He will do. (Beth Moore, Moore) I'm choosing to believe God!

If you would, please remember us tomorrow as we visit with the pediatrician at 11:30. We are praying that he recommends the right neurologist and neurosurgeon and that we would listen to the Lord's leading every step of the way.

From this momma's heart, I thank you so much for your prayers. (Crying again) You'll never know how much your generosity in prayer means to us!

Believing and Trusting God,

Kristi

Update on Rachel

Thank you for praying for us yesterday. Rachel's MRI went very well. God has blessed each visit to the hospital with wonderful, very caring, nurses and physicians. They were certainly very thorough as they used both MRI machines to focus on her neck area and her head and the procedure lasted nearly 2 hours. My husband and I were able to stay with her. We held hands and prayed for Rachel the entire time.

We still don't know anything yet, but we are hoping to hear something today. We had to double up on her pain medicine last night. I think it was one of the worst headaches that she has had. MRI's are extremely loud and a a bit scary, so perhaps that is what brought on such terrible pain. Her daddy slept on the couch last night so that she could stay next to me all night. I think that helped all of us get a little bit more sleep.

With my prayers for my precious daughter, I am asking God to guard our minds too. The evil one would certainly like for us to jump off the deep end and start playing the "what if..." game. Instead, I am asking God to guard our hearts and minds. We take great comfort in knowing He is over it all and He loves Rachel even more than we do...which seems incomprehensible to me...but I know it to be true.

On the way to the hospital yesterday, I was telling her about all of you who are so graciously praying for her. We so appreciate your generosity in prayer...more than I can explain.

It's Tough Being a Woman

I am so excited about Beth Moore's new study:

Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman

You can view the promo video here.

"Going up against heavyweights bent on her destruction, Esther trusted God and landed a blow that saved her people. The Old Testament story of Esther is a profile in courage and contains many modern parallels for today's woman. Esther's destiny can be yours as you know more deeply the God who is in your corner."

We start our study in a few weeks. Anyone else doing this study too?

Joyfully,
Kristi

Bring that Ball Back Up...I Need a Do-Over!

***Update: Rachel has a little headache this afternoon. The hospital called to tell me that the radiologist is requesting an MRI. Gulp! The man on the other line responded to my bazillion questions by explaining that they just want to get the bigger picture. They didn't see anything on the CT scan. She will have her MRI at 10 tomorrow morning. Thank you sweet friends for joining me in prayer for Rachel. I'm not going to worry, at least I'm trying not to let my mind go there, I'm just going to trust in the Great Physician who is always on call and be thankful that the radiologist just wants to be thorough.

So how was your New Years Day? After feasting on the Black Eyed Pea Salsa and Mom's Hot Bites, Mr. Incredible and I got ready and attended the funeral of a dear teacher who has courageously battled cancer for the last 3 years. It was a beautiful service. There were so many students and teachers there that tears filled my eyes. She will certainly be missed.

God used her to encourage me to return to school and finish what He started in me. I am so thankful that I was able to share that with her. I just saw her on the last day of school. She was encouraged by her upcoming treatments and then the Great Physician called her home.

We followed the funeral by taking Rachel to the emergency room! She has been suffering from a severe headache since Saturday afternoon. Her pediatrician prescribed new allergy medicine but it didn't help. Since he won't be back in town until Monday we were forced to visit the ER.

The CT scan doesn't show anything and we are so thankful. They gave her 2 shots for the pain and she seems to be feeling much better today although she is a bit nauseated from the medicine. We are thankful that she seems much better today.

I, on the other hand, am emotionally shot. I need Mr. Dick Clark to order the ball to be brought back up, and let the countdown begin again! Oh, I kid, sort of.

Good news! The ER waiting room seems to be a place of confession. I'm not sure why but one of our precious dainty daughters, who will remain nameless, confessed that she once tried, many years ago,to "pee standing up" in our bathroom. Uh, huh...great news. Am I dreaming?

Not to worry, she explained "I cleaned it up with one of your towels!" She was 5 at the time so I'm sure the clean up was incredible. Why she felt the need to spill the "pee" (beans just didn't seem appropriate) is beyond me but it made for a good laugh in the ER surrounded by people who I am sure thought we were crazy. Uh,yes we are! My family is never boring!

There was more, but I'll just keep that to myself. On a different note, if you are still with me here, please pray for Rachel today. Also, I have a big decision to make today and I would really appreciate your prayers.

Joyfully,

Kristi

Contacting Me

Do you have a question for me?

You may contact me at:
kristiatkikiscorner{at} gmail (dot) com

(I'll try to get back to you as soon as possible)

Black Eyed Peas Please

Happy New Year! I pray that your 2009 will be Divine...Filled to overflowing with the Divine One who loves you so very much.

So, are your black eyed peas on to cook?

My girls don't really care for black eyed peas, so I have to be creative every year.

This recipe was a hit:

Black Eyed Pea Salsa-cast of characters (rooster not included):

add 1 can of corn to 2 cans of black eyed peas, drain and rinse well

Add 4 cloves of fresh garlic, 1 cup of chopped cilantro (I adore cilantro!)

juice from 1 lime (I only had the concentrate on hand)

2 cans of Rotel

2 bunches of scallions

Stir together and serve in a special bowl.

This bowl belonged to my special Granny. I think the salsa looks so pretty in it.

Don't you agree?



Serve with tortilla chips. Yum!

While I am having fun using my new camera....here is another recipe.

Mom's Hot Bites

All you need are 6 eggs, 1 pound of Cheddar cheese, and jalapeno slices.

And a hot man to beat the eggs for you:

Line jalapeno slices in an 8x8 pan (my hubby likes the extra mild jalapenos)

Layer shredded cheese on top

Pour beaten eggs on top of the cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Delicious and easy! These always get rave reviews at parties.

Cut into 1" squares:

Then call the maid to clean up your mess!

Oh right...I am the maid! I better get busy.