Speaking of Angels...

This little angel is now one year old! I can't believe how the time has gone by! Our little Noah is the best little boy in the world! He and his mama have been living with us since late spring and we've had a blast with him. Noah started to crawl on our 27th anniversary and now has taken off walking! We recently took him on a trip to Florida and he loved it there! I took him for walks in the stroller every morning then it was off to the pool for some splashing fun in the sun.

It just amazes me how fast this year has flown by. I am wondering where summer went. I know it will be Christmas before I know it...It always seems to just creep up on me. I am trying to get ready early and I've got to be creative with gifts, because this year money is pretty tight. I've become a very thrifty shopper over the past year and I am now in love with finding bargains at thrift stores and garage sales. Last summer I went to garage sales every Thursday and Friday and I found Noah all sorts of nearly new toys for just a few dollars. I even found some really nice pieces of furniture and some clothes from my favorite store - Chicos! What fun!

I guess that's all for now.

Ann

Angelic Project

I've been working on a lot of craft projects lately and this is one I think turned out really well. I found this beautiful angel at the Goodwill store and while I thought she was beautiful, she had some odd star cutouts on her dress that I didn't think looked right. I figured out she was originally a votive, but, I repurposed her into a beautiful figurine. I added roses where the stars were, loaded her with extra fine glitter, and added some feathers to her wings and a strand of pearls around her neck. She is now sitting on my nightstand near my little Molly dog's urn and she is really pretty! The picture really doesn't do her justice as the glitter is just not all that visible. She really glows and sparkles. I may eventually add her to a wreath I'm working on, but, for now I just love looking at her whenever I'm in my bedroom. She really is a wonderful addition to all the other angel figurines I've collected. There is just something about angels...

New Best Friend

After my little Molly died I didn't think I would ever get another dog, but, God knew I needed a canine friend, and my daughter recently blessed me by giving me this sweet little terrier named Izzy. Izzy is just two years old and is as sweet as she can be. I am so thankful to have her and she is just perfect for me!

I bought her the fancy pink collar while on a recent vacation. Izzy loves pink!

My Molly

Yesterday marked the one year anniversary of a day that I will never forget, a very sad day, and a day that changed my life. It is now exactly one year ago that I said goodbye to my dearest and best animal friend, my poodle Molly. She was with me for nearly 15 years. She would have turned 15 on June 1, 2008, but, her little body just couldn't make it anymore. She had been sick with numerous things for about 2 years, always pulling through like a little trooper. She always bounced back in what I saw as a clear effort to stay here with me. Her love and devotion to me was very evident and I loved that little dog like no one else. Her cremated remains are quietly resting in an urn on my nightstand and I think about her every day. Yesterday I thought about her numerous times, talked about her, and amazingly I ran into the woman who had been her groomer for years. (Note, I've never run into Jan in public ever before.) I knew it was not a coincidence. It couldn't be. Jan knew Molly had died, and we chatted for a few minutes about that sweet soul, and Jan even commented how interesting it was that she and I would run into each other on this particular day.

As the date approached, I was not sure how I would feel. I actually thought I would spend a good part of the day in tears, but, I didn't. I spent a good part of the day talking to people about Molly and celebrating her sweet life. I will never forget this little dog. She was truly my best friend! Thank you Molly for all you gave to me!

Florida!

Tim and I recently spent a long weekend in Florida at his parent's home in the Villages. Some may not have heard of the Villages, but, it is a community designed for families who have at least one person 55 or over. Above is a picture of Spanish Springs Towne Square. I LOVED it there! We had a wonderful dinner at one of the restaurants, and then enjoyed live entertainment for a few hours. People watching was great as everyone was just so darn happy! I don't think I met one person who didn't absolutely love it there! We certainly had a blast. I can't wait to go back! I guess being a part of the "mature" crowd isn't so bad after all. My future son in law is only 24 years old and during a visit down there he told my daughter he would like to live there too!

My grandson

I have to say that my grandson is truly the light of my life! I get to babysit him usually a couple times a week and when he's here we have so much fun! Noah is now almost 6 months old and is truly the happiest soul I've ever met! Being around him just plain makes me happy too! He smiles all the time and if I get him laughing, he will just roar with the cutest little laugh ever heard by my ears. I am excited about being able to do things with him as he grows up and teaching him all kinds of things. Below is a poem I wrote to him and I hope someday he will realize just how much his Grammy loves him! I am so glad he's here!

For My Grandson
Dear Little Noah, my dear little boy,
I hope your life is filled with great wonder and joy!
I hope that you know you have stolen my heart,
And I’ve loved you so much from the very start.

Now let’s think, when you grow up just what will you be?
A doctor, a scientist, a painter? We’ll see!
Whatever you choose, please always know,
You can be anything you want to be, wherever you go.

Someday you’ll learn to write and read,
And math is another subject you'll need.
You will learn to spell and study rocks,
Please don’t attend the school of hard knocks.

You’ll ride a bike; you’ll learn to swim,
I know lots of people will say, “I really like him!”
I do hope you always offer a helping hand, and do the right thing
Whenever you can.

I know when you smile; people will smile back at you.
And if there are those who don’t, just remember this too…
Choose to be kind, because we all have our burdens to bear,
Always do the right thing and the Lord will be there.

For you, I wish everything wonderful and good.
You are the love of my life; you are a perfect, sweet soul,
You have made me so happy,
And you have made my heart whole!

Written by Grammy Ann - January 2009

This is my first post on this blog. I have decided to write about my daily adventures as everyday does seem to be quite an adventure! I've realized that at any moment, life can instantly change and everything can be different in a moment. If someone would have told me two years ago my life would be like it is today, I never would have believed them! During this process of near constant change, I've learned to roll with the punches, embrace change, keep a very open mind, and most of all, have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and know He truly is in control.

Ann