Happy Last Day of 2008!

Last night, I went to bed and read a few pages in the book I'm soooo enjoying, Walking with the Women of the Bible, by Elizabeth George. This book is set up more like a devotional. You can just read a page a day and get something out of it, but I can't just read one page a day, I Need More! I highly recommend this book to you. Even if you don't read alot or have time to read alot, this book will help you, and will give you lots to think about, and like I said, you can read one page a day and get some good soul nutrition. It has helped me to examine my own life, my own heart. I know I'm not a Mrs. Noah or a Rebekah, but I can learn from these women. E. George points out things in their life that I've never thought about. So far, Miriam and Jochebed (Moses sister and mother) have been the most surprising to me. I guess I've just never thought much about these women. You know, it's sort of like reading about the crucifixion, we read through it quickly and we don't let the agony and pain sink in. This book has challenged me to be a better woman, a more Godly woman, a more willing and joyful servant to God and to others.
So, last night I wrote down the ABC's in a notebook and started listing words beside each letter that I want to work on in 2009. You will think some of them are sort of silly and childish even, but you have to be in my brain to realize the significance of all these words to me. My kids would jokingly say, "and you don't even want to go There!"

Here goes:
A- agenda, attentive to God, awaken earlier
B- Bible, blog, be still, believe
C- care, calm, cross-stitch, chipper, contentment
D- doer of the Word, daughter, disciplined
E- exercise, encourage, eat less
F- faith, faithful, family, friend, friends, fellowship, forgiving
G- grow, godliness, goodness, gentleness, gladness, giving, glorify God
H- helper, hope, humbleness, honest
I- increase in knowledge and strength
J- judge not, joy
K- kindness, kneel
L- learn, laugh, love, listen
M- make most of..., mother
N- nice, no to world
O- organization
P- parents, prayer, play , peaceful
Q- quiet spirit
R- read, rest, relax, remember
S- schedule, school, sleep, smile, sing, study, stand
T- trust, try, tell, thoughtful, think
U- uplift, use time wisely, understanding
V- vitamins
W- wife, weight, witness, walk, work out, water, wait on the Lord
X- X-amine myself
Y- yield, youthful, yes to God
Z- zealous

Will I succeed at all of these? I won't write what I thought because it would give me room to fail, and I want to strive each day to be better. I'm saved! I'll still be saved if I don't work on any of these, but because of my salvation and the great price it cost my Saviour, I do want to work and live to the best of my ability. Bro. Green, my pastor at New Bethel used to come up with a saying at the first of each new year. In honor of him, here is mine for 2009. (that rhymed too!)
Let my light shine in 2009!

Pictures of Cale's 16th birthday

Hmmm, what did Noelle get me?
2 pair of wind pants. Thanks Noelle.

WOW- a Garmin Running Watch
from Mom and Dad

Fits Perfectly!


Dad and Cale checking out the watch!

Apple Dumplings, birthday morning.

Cale and Harold checking out the new laser thingy Cale bought with some Christmas money.
(Don't worry, the gun is not loaded!)

Cale and Claire, great buddies.

I took this at precisely 2:44 p.m.

At that very moment, Cale was officially 16 years old.

Noelle & Cale at Chili's

Cale diggin' into his cheesecake.

Cale said he had a good birthday. He received many phone calls, cards, gifts of money, cologne, etc. from friends and family. The money will probably be spent on hunting, running, or his baseball card collection. I'm thankful for everyone who was so thoughtful and nice to Cale.

Cale's Birthday

He was laid back even back then. (or maybe just laid out!) ha.
Cale loved milk. At the age he was in this pic., he drank a gallon a day!

Cale's 1st birthday.

and his 1st Christmas, which was only 4 days before his 1st birthday.

Loved to help; Ok, he loved to climb!

Ages 6 wks, 3 months,

9 months, 1 year

Cale's 16th birthday started early and ended late! He got up very early, while it was still dark outside and went hunting with Harold and Claire. They didn't bring home a deer, but they enjoyed each others company and enjoyed doing what they like to do, HUNT. While they were gone, I made apple dumplings by Cale's request. When they got home around 10:30, I had the dumplings and some other goodies ready for them. Harold enjoyed a hot cup of coffee and Cale and Claire enjoyed their iced tea. After that, Cale just sort of bee bopped around the house doing some things he wanted to do and early yesterday afternoon, decided to watch a TV show. I thought I'd sit down with him for a while, and the next thing we both knew, the phone rang, and we had been asleep for about 45 minutes. We got up and got some more chores done, went to the wellness center and worked out, came home and got ready to go to Tupelo. We eat wherever the "birthday" person in the family wants to eat on their birthday. Cale chose Chili's. While we were waiting on Scot and Noelle to freshen up from work, Claire came over and brought Cale his gift from her and her family. Then, we headed to Chili's. Cale, Noelle, & I got the chicken crisper's and Scot got the steak fajitas. Cale got cheesecake for dessert and Scot got the chocolate molten ( I think that's what it's called). After we ate, we went to the mall. Scot, Cale, and Noelle all had a gift card from stores in the mall. But, they came home empty handed. Decided to save them for another day.

OK, back to Cale, the person. Cale has always been very laid back. Even when he was in my belly, he was laid back. He was due December 17th, 1992. He was quite relaxed and content where he was. December 28th, there was no sign of him making his entrance to the world, so my doctor put me in the hospital the next morning. And even at the last minutes before Cale's birth, he was hanging on for dear life trying to prolong his entrance. He gave them such a fight, they had to use forceps, and Cale came out purple. I'm talking purple paint purple-Barney purple! I can tell that he gets outdone with me sometimes, cause I get so enthused and emotional over things that he thinks nothing about. For instance, one day he and I were going to a baseball game, and I can't remember what I was soooooo carried away over, but I could tell he was less than amused. I told him nicely that he was just going to have to get over me being like this, because that's just the way I am. I told him that not everyone is as laid back as he and his dad. I continued to tell him that I've seen "rocks" more emotional than him!
That's my Cale. He is a hard worker, he puts his all into whatever he's doing, he's tender hearted, loving, and kind, but emotional, he is not! And to be honest, some days, I wish I were more like him. He takes everything in stride. He has endured disappointments with a smile, and when I ask him how he does that, he replies... can't do anything about it, so why get upset.
One day, he said in a certain situation, " Just isn't meant to be." Cale looks like my daddy and my grandfather Gentle. He has ways like them too. He picks alot! He's very mischievous and fun, just an all round pleasant guy. Cale has been a huge blessing to Scot, Noelle, and me. He is my very active child. He loves the outdoors, he loves games, sports, taking things apart and putting them back together, and after he does take things apart and puts them back together, unlike his mom's efforts, those things actually work again. He is swift to learn new things by observing and doing. Cale's hobbies include hunting, fishing, running, biking, basketball, baseball, collecting baseball cards, model cars, chess, and pulling pranks on me and his sister. The thing I'm most thankful for in Cale's life happened January 2nd, 2002. It was a Wed. night. Scot had taught on prayer that night at church. At the end of our Bible study, we all gathered at the altar for prayer. Cale had knelt beside me. At the end of the prayer, I put my hands down to help push me up, and Cale reached and touched my arm. I looked at him and he said, "Momma, I got saved." And here, this momma thinks I know everything about my children, and I didn't even know he was under conviction. I told him to go tell his dad. Cale told Scot and Scot asked him some questions to make sure Cale knew what he was doing, etc. Isn't it good how God works in ways we don't even expect or think about. Scot had not preached on hell or even salvation that night, he had just tenderly talked about the power of prayer. My greatest desire has always been that my children would know Jesus as their personal saviour. God has been faithful and answered my prayers and I thank Him and praise Him with all my heart. I'm also thankful to have such a fine son whom I love with all that's in me. Happy Birthday Cale, you're already sweet, now you're 16! I love you son.

Happy Birthday Cale!

Christmas with My Mother and Daddy

My precious daddy.

My sweet mother.

We gave mother and daddy a digital photo frame. We plugged it up and watched it for a while.

Cale and Pa Pa have been arm wrestling since Cale was a toddler.

Due to sickness, we didn't get to celebrate Christmas with my parents Christmas Eve like we usually do. But, yesterday, (Sat. Dec.27) they came over and we grilled steaks. We also had a salad, baked potatoes, bread, fruit tray with dip, coconut cake, & strawberry cake. It was all soooo yummy.

Christmas at Ma Ma and Pa Pa G's

Scot with his mom Nora Ann, dad Gordon, and sister Kim
Pa Pa G loved his new wool cap!
He looked sharp!

Ma Ma G is passing out presents.

Cale, Meagan, and Noelle are patiently waiting.

Tristan & I were reading his new book,

"I Know and Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly."

Noelle and Tristen looking at his "Mater" book.

Tristen and his mommy. (Chrissy)

Scot & Kim

We were playing a mean game of dominoes.

Scot and Tristen after Tristens hair cut.

We had a wonderful day at Scot's parents house. We ate lunch with them Christmas day. She had cooked a ham, lots of veggies, and desserts.

Girls will be Girls!

FRIENDS!

NOELLE, CLAIRE, & STEPHANIE

SEE NO EVIL,

HEAR NO EVIL,

SPEAK NO EVIL!

MOMMA PRAYS.

MOMMALIESA WITH HER GIRLS!


SWEET GALS

SILLY GIRLS!

POOR CALE WAS MINDING HIS OWN

BUSINESS, BUT THEY HAD TO DRAG HIM IN ON A PIC.

CHRISTMAS, 2008

FRIENDS FOREVER!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

2008

Christmas pasts....