Deep Creek 2010

Deep Creek (DohDoh's Pics) (227 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-11T21:27:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Deep Creek 2010

2010-07-10T17:13:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful time of fun and family we had this year. We are so thankful to our Lord for blessing us all so much. Thanks to everyone who came. We Missed all of you who couldn't make it this year. Don't forget to vote for the group you think should win the photo scavenger hunt!

2010 Deep Creek CHARA & CHARIS (17 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T16:04:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

2010 Deep Creek CHESED'S TEAM (23 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T16:03:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

2010 Deep Creek PATRICK & JAKE (11 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T16:02:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

2010 Deep Creek PATRICK & JAKE (11 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T16:01:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

2010 Deep Creek Whitewater Raf (29 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T16:00:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Deep Creek 2 (315 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T15:59:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Deep Creek 2010 (93 photos), by Brenda Barbee

2010-07-10T09:43:00.001-07:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

Happy Birthday to My Mom

2010-02-20T22:40:00.000-08:00

I love my mother and that is why I want to honor her today by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Mom. You are such a wonderful Mom and Grandmother. You are a BLESSING from GOD!

2009-07-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

2009-07-22T03:07:00.001-07:00

A BABY DEDICATION

2009-07-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Another Wedding

2009-06-11T01:30:00.001-07:00

We are so thankful for all of our wonderful family members and friends who helped make Chesed and Patrick's big event so awesome. Thanks so much to the Norman clan for their team effort in preparing the Henderson site. Thanks to Ryan for the gorgeous cake! Thanks to Summer for helping with the lingerie shower and for all of the help on the wedding day. Thanks to Ma for spending an entire Saturday helping me organize things to take to the reception area for decorations. Thanks to my friend Kitti and her sister for the beautiful décor they managed to arrange at the reception site. Thanks to everyone for coming down and being a part of the wedding.

2009-04-06T23:18:00.001-07:00

2009-03-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

My Blessings are multiplying:
Photos from Jake and Amber's Wedding Shower

Chesed's Shower

2009-03-01T20:54:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Summer and Charis and Kim Chesed's first Bridal shower was a great success!

I wanted to share some photos of Chesed's first bridal shower.

A Day of BLESSINGS January 21st

2009-01-21T20:59:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. Brandon turned 10 years old today. What a blessing he is to our family. He is AWESOME and so good looking. He is so thoughtful too. I am so glad he was born into our family 10 years ago today!

Now we have a new little Barbee Doll in the house. Estella was born today and what a beauty she is. She weighed in at 7lbx. 2oz. and was only 18 inches long. What a sweetie pie she is. We Are sooooo Blessed!

More Graduation Pictures

2008-12-20T10:35:00.000-08:00

New Addition to the Barbee Bunch-Sophia- Chara's Kitty

2008-12-16T21:31:00.000-08:00

2008-12-14T15:06:00.001-08:00

Jon Graduated with Honors! We are so proud of him!

2008-12-14T15:00:00.001-08:00

I LOVE MY COUNTRY

2008-11-21T00:41:00.000-08:00

http://www.realamericanstories.com/

This is a great web site and so inspirational. If you need a boost try spending a few minutes listening to these stories!

Words of Wisdom from the Past

2008-11-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

WORDS FROM AND TO THE WISE

"But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to your commandments, and refused to obey, neither were mindful of your wonders that you did among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage; but you are a God Ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsook them not. Yet many years did you forbear them, and testified against them by your spirit in your prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gave you them into the hand of the people of the lands. Nevertheless for your great mercies' sake you did not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for you are a gracious and merciful God." Nehemiah 9:16-17, 30-31
wise words:
YOU CANNOT HELP THE POOR BY DESTROYING THE RICH.
YOU CANNOT STRENGTHEN THE WEAK BY WEAKENING THE STRONG.
YOU CANNOT BRING PROSPERITY BY DISCOURAGING THRIFT.
YOU CANNOT LIFT THE WAGE EARNER UP BY PULLING THE WAGE PAYER DOWN.
YOU CANNOT FURTHER THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN BY INCITING CLASS HATRED.
YOU CANNOT BUILD CHARACTER AND COURAGE BY TAKING AWAY PEOPLE'S
INITIATIVE AND INDEPENDENCE.
YOU CANNOT HELP PEOPLE PERMANENTLY BY DOING FOR THEM,
WHAT THEY COULD AND SHOULD DO FOR THEMSELVES.
.....Abraham Lincoln

2008-09-26T21:13:00.000-07:00

WE VISITED A POSSIBLE SPOT FOR A FUTURE WEDDING

WE SAW AN AWESOME BASKETBALL GAME WITH THE MVP #3 – THE ONE AND ONLY MCKINLEY KELLEY

AFTER THE GAME FAMILY FUN

A PEACEFUL DAY WITH JON AT THE BEACH

BLESSED DAYS

2008-09-24T22:53:00.001-07:00

We Celebrated 3 birthdays in 1
MADELYN & JACOB & JONATHAN
NEXT WE HAD AN INJURED ANKLE (I don’t know how Chesed made it home from Atlanta with that ankle, but thank God she didn’t have to put on her brakes hard

WE VISITED A POSSIBLE SPOT FOR A FUTURE WEDDING

MORE TO COME:
WE SAW AN AWESOME BASKETBALL GAME WITH THE MVP #3 – THE ONE AND ONLY MCKINLEY KELLEY
AFTER THE GAME FAMILY FUN
A PEACEFUL DAY WITH JON AT THE BEACH

PRAISE GOD!

2008-09-11T14:40:00.000-07:00

Pops is recovering after his surgery. He got a great report! Thanks to my precious ADULT children....they have been such a blessing! Jacob & Amber drove down to be with us and brought little Emma. She slept with me last night and was such a good girl! Chara came after work and stayed with us last night. She entertained Emma this morning while Jacob and Amber came out to the hospital to see Chris BEFORE the surgery. They were a blessing because they talked to him until the nurses came to take him back for the surgery and he didn't have time to start worrying. Amber filled us in on their wedding plans. When Chara left for work, Joshua took over entertaining Emma and Mario. I am so glad they stayed over after the evacuation. Mario is so much fun. He doesn't crawl anymore . . . just walks everywhere. Chesed took off two days of work and has been with me all afternoon. She is filling me in on her wedding plans. Judah and Kimberly also came out and waited with us until Dad was back in his room. We got to have lunch with everyone including Ma & Papa. Judah & Kim and Ma & Papa should receive an extra award too since Highway 98 was closed due to Hurricane Ike. You read that right! The gulf washed over highway 98 and so everyone going and coming to Destin had to use the mid-bay bridge. This meant that they had to sit in traffic for 1 1/2 hours just to get here. We are Blessed! Thank you God for all of my children.

I LOVE MY GRANDKIDS!

2008-09-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Gorgeous Day in Destin

2008-08-31T18:31:00.001-07:00

2008-08-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Patrick & Chesed & My Baby has her hair back!

2008-08-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

Last night Chesed brought Patrick over to meet us.

By the way, you can click on any of these pictures to see them better.
My Baby has her hair back!

Finally, after months of color treatments, letting it grow out, getting the ends cut off, sitting in the sun and lastly a toner . . . my baby's hair is back! Yeah! Chara came to stay with us this weekend because of the rain. I am so happy to have her here.
Here are a few pictures from her trip to the Keys.

GREAT WEEKEND

2008-08-04T20:56:00.000-07:00

It really started at around 5:00 when Chris called me with the doctor’s report . . .NO CANCER! His Cat Scan showed nothing unusual. He has been photographed from his head to his feet now, so he is good to go. Yes, he does have a polyp which will be removed in a few weeks, but everything else looks good! Thank you, Lord, for that good report.

That good news was followed by 2 hours of “THE” good news through the words of Beth Moore via a live telecast at the Assembly of God Church in Niceville. Aunt Sarah, Ma, Cheri, Charis, & I attended the telecast Friday night and Saturday morning. Beth reminded us that:
1. We are Women of Means – Having all we need in Christ to be what HE created us to be
2. We are Competently Competent – Because God loves us
3. We are to receive His Word, Believe His Word, Guard His Word, Meditate on His Word .
4. We are Loved!
5. We are Forgiven
6. We are Powerful
7. We are Strong

AfAfter being encouraged by the telecast, we all went out to eat together at Ruby Tuesdays. What a Blessing to have this time to spend with each other!

When I arrived home, Chesed was there. I loved being able to visit with her for a while before she was off and running. Jonathan and Ashley came in and we fixed some veggies and they cook some awesome chicken & rice. Sunday morning we went to church and came home and did a few things in the yard. Later, we cooked steamed veggies, steak, chicken, & fruit salad.

Kim & Judah came and joined us and Ma & Papa came over to eat with us too. It was a great evening. After Ma & Papa left we took a few pictures.

After dinner Ashley styled Jon's hair. Cast your vote for your favorite style.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO CHESED 28 & holding...

2008-07-22T10:42:00.000-07:00

C - CONNECTOR & COUNSELOR
So many times she has been there for me with words of encouragement that help connect me to my creator instead of the circumstances around me. She has connections with people all over the country and the world. As a leader for young adult groups, she has connected many people through fellowship with one another. As a camp counselor at the Cove Camp, a coordinator for Teen Mania, and a part-time-missionary she has connected many people to Christ. She's even been known to connect a single male to a single female forming a "happy couple". Shall we call her a matchmaker?
She is the center (connector) of the wheel that holds our family together.

H-HELPER
She is no stranger to helping others. Building and repairing for Habitat for Humanity, Serving as young adult leader and other projects for Shoreline Church, and even a little babysitting for her much loved nieces and nephews . . . She is one that enjoys helping others.E-ENTERTAINER
If anyone can make sure you do not run out of entertaining events, it is Chesed. She coordinates more social events than any person I know. So if you ever run out of fun things to do, just call Chesed. She will have your Entertainment schedule filled in a matter of minutes. I love her ability to be flexible so that she can glide smoothly from one entertaining event to the next.

S-SOWER
Traveling all over the world, Chesed is a sower of the Word. So often she has sown the Word of God in my own life as well. She is also a giver. Chesed loves to sow into others lives through giving financially. For years she supported a child through the World Hunger program even though she was a poor Bible college student.

E-ENCOURAGER
Chesed has been used by God to be an encourager to me. She probably doesn't realize that just this past Sunday she encouraged by just a few positive words. I know that there are many others who have been encouraged by her positive attitude towards life.

D-DREAMER
I am not sure if Chesed views anything as impossible. She dreams big about her future and about the future of others. Even in the literal sense of the word, she has been given dreams. I remember one she had as a very young child. She dreamed that we lived in a six bedroom house on the water. Within a year we were living in a six bedroom house on the water. She dreamed that within six months God was going to change something in my life that was really difficult. At exactly the six month point, that change came. Keep dreaming Chesed.

I AM Sooooooo Glad she came into our lives. She is a gift to our family and particularly me, because she was my birthday present 28 years ago! I LOVE YOU, CHESED (God's Loving Kindness)

INTRO TO DEEP CREEK 2008

2008-07-06T06:53:00.000-07:00

I Want to say Thank You so much to everyone who attended our Deep Creek Gathering this year. It was so good to hang out with each of you. Thanks for all the hard work . . . the food was FANTASTIC. We are so blessed to have great cooks in our family. Thanks to all the babysitters. We could not have done it without your help. Thanks to the cleaner-uppers and the setter-uppers and the taker-downers. Thanks to the wood gatherers and the wood cutters. Thanks to the go-fors. The whole week was a Blessing. I will be posting More pictures but today is Sunday and I am going to church.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AN AWESOME WOMAN

2008-06-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to an awesome Woman of God, who would probably not agree with this statement about herself.
She doesn't see herself as everyone else watching sees her.
She just gets up every morning and walks out her day with things in her schedule that cannot be altered because they HAVE to be done.
Because of her great love she does them each and every day.
She endures and enjoys each day.
She walks in God's Grace, somehow keeping her sense of humor despite deep heartache.
Her deep love for her son and her commitment to her heavenly Father keep her going when she really would rather say goodbye to this old world,
but she knows she is needed and she can't just turn her back on that need.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CHERI.
We are watching. We are seeing God's Grace, Mercy, Compassion, and Strength in your life!
We are encouraged by your steadfast (yet sometimes human wavering) faith in HIM.
God Pour your blessings upon Cheri and Ethan and Jim today and everyday.

2008-06-14T22:09:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day to Papa!
He Married Young and Fathered Young and He Stayed Young!
Thank you,Papa, for providing for your family and working so hard to take care of all of us. Thank you for all you do even today. . . Especially all of the work you did on the Beach House yesterday and last week!
And Thank you for keeping my lawn looking so good!
Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to My Husband, Chris!
Happy Father's Day to My Son, Joshua!
Happy Father's Day to My Son-in-law Tony!
Happy Father's Day to Norman & Ryan!

You are all a blessing to me and to your families!

A Tribute to Seven Special Moms

2008-05-09T22:41:00.000-07:00

As I was getting ready for work this morning, I began thinking about Mother's Day and wondering whose idea it was to set aside a special day each year to honor mothers. Obviously, the person or persons who made the decision to add this event to the calendar had experienced the never-ending kindness and the enduring love of a mother.
I have some mothers I want to pay tribute to for their enduring love and never-ending kindness:
First, there is Ma. She is always there for me with a listening ear and a caring heart. What an incredible love she has for me and for my sister. Her love sustains me through times of trouble and times of joy. She has been there for the birth of all of my children, praying me through the painful birthing process, cooking me wonderful meals and bringing them to me in bed, making sure I had glasses of water to drink while nursing, doing laundry while I rested, cleaning my house while watching all of the other children and even homeschooling them for me so they wouldn't get behind while I was recovering. She not only loves me but she loves my own children as well and has convinced everyone of them that they are her favorite. But the best thing my mom has done for me is to love the Lord and to put her trust in Him. Thank you, Ma.
Then there is Mary Jo. I love my sister. Through the years I have watched her be such a wonderful mom to my nieces and nephews---planning parties and celebrations for special events in their lives and constantly praying for them through their own personal struggles. She still manages to have enough love left to give her own nieces and nephews. You are an inspiration to me, Mary Jo.
Next there is Cheri. The power and grace of God are revealed to me every time I even think about her. Knowing and observing her deep devotion to Ethan and to Seth, I stand amazed at her ability to keep going day after day. I see God's hand on her life and I see her faith in Him. I see the strength he gives her to do all that she has to do every single day without a break. I admire her endurance, her patience, and her sense of humor even in the midst of tremendous troubles. You are an incredible woman of God, Cheri.
Next there is my very own Charis.
I am not sure I have the time or the space to write down all of the reasons that I want to honor her on this Mother's Day. Whenever I observe her interaction with my grand kids I stand in awe of her abilities to do all that she does and to do it so cheerfully. She seldom complains and almost always has that beautiful smile on her face. Day in and day out she is not only doing the physical things for her children that most other mothers do, but she is doing it all so calmly and patiently. Her ability to mother six children, making sure that each one feels special, amazes me. I am so thankful and proud to have her as the mother of my grand kids. Thank you for being such a great Mom to them!
I want to honor Karin next. She may have started a little later than I would have wanted her to start, but she certainly has exemplified the love of a mother from the very beginning of Mario's life. She was careful to eat right and exercise so he would be healthy. She endured a rough few weeks at the end of her pregnancy, praying that Mario would be ok despite her blood problems. She was more concerned about his well-being than her own. Then I watched her determination to nurse Mario despite the agonizing pain she had each time he nursed; But she was determined to give him the best start possible even if it meant experiencing that pain. I can feel the love she has for Mario because her face lights up when he smiles at her or when he does something new. I have watched her beam with the light that can only come from a mother who is adoring the child to whom she has given birth. This brings me so much pleasure because I can see in her face that same love I experienced for my first born, Josh. I want to honor her on Mother's Day because she not only loves Mario but she also loves my very own son. Thank you, Karin.
I have two other mothers I want to honor--Sara and Amber. I don't get to observe either them with their own children too often, but whenever I have had the opportunity I have seen their love for their children. I know they spend countless hours loving their kids.
Happy Mother's Day and may God give you grace to continue being Great Moms.
To my own children: I Love you! I am so thankful for my "Seven Blessings Heaven!"

Playing Dress Up

2008-05-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

CONGRATULATIONS GRADUATES 2008!

2008-05-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

Samuel Joseph Norman

Sara Lindsey Norman Jackson

SUNDAY SINGING

2008-04-27T20:39:00.000-07:00

Pops and I got up early this morning and drove to New Harmony to attend church with Tony and Charis and the kids. Madelyn and Mauri sang in church. They did a great job and we were so blessed. Brandon showed me his new way to practice pitching. He made a target and he can hit that center mark nearly every time. Then he took me for a ride on the four-wheeler. We road around the "Talladega" track...I should say raced around the track. That boy can drive!

Mauri has learned to ride the bicycle wihtout training wheels!

Brady really didn't want us to take the four-wheeler for a ride without him. We are so blessed to have these beautiful grandchildren. And by the way...Pray of Tony. He has a kidney stone....a humongous kidney stone and he is not feeling well at all.

Sneak Preview: Amber's Wedding Dress REMOVED

MADELYN GRACE KELLEY-CITIZEN OF THE MONTH

2008-04-12T21:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations

Madelyn Grace Kelley

Citizen of the month

For the whole

Walton County School System.

Way to Go Madelyn .
We are so proud of you.

God is Forever Praised!

2008-04-10T22:53:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsJukQN8fsY&NR=1

You have got to see this! They sang this song twice on American Idol Wednesday Night.

Wednesday's World

2008-04-09T04:38:00.001-07:00

Good Morning! Today is Wednesday. Chara and I woke up at 4:30 this morning, because we are sharing a car. Since she had to be at work at 6:00 a.m we had to leave the house by 5:00 a.m. For all of you who do not know, she is working at Alys Beach where Chesed works. Since she is also attending OWC, she's in town on Tuesdays and Thursdays attending classes. She wanted to go to church last night so she went with me. After church it was late and we were too tired to drive out to Chesed's house to spend the night. We waited until this morning to drive out here. I am actually on my laptop at the coffee shop where she works.

On the way here we were talking about 9/11 and how things changed for all of us in a matter of a few hours. Sometimes it is scary to think about how quickly our way of life can be altered by sudden events. Our church started a new thing last week. On Tuesday nights we have a group of people who meet in a bar. Yes, you read that correctly. The bar at McGuire's is located on a deck upstairs. Every Tuesday, the worship band sets up their equipment in the bar and they begin to play. Some of the songs they play and sing are secular songs with awesome words that express a longing and a seraching for the answers to life's questions. After some live entertainment by the band, Pastor Eric shares a short message. Last night he talked about the words of Jesus regarding judging others. He used the scripture about not judging, but most people stop there. Jesus actually says that we will be judge by the measure that we judge others, therefore, whenever we judge the actions of others we should judge them in the way we would want our own actions to be judged. It was a great message. The bar was packed and for the most part everone there stopped to listen. There are widescreen TV's throughout the bar and every TV is projecting Eric's message while he is preaching. Beleive me, it is a different experience for me, but I know that if Jesus was here today, we would find him not only teaching in the churches, but also in the bars. The interesting thing about all of this is that McGuires is actually very excited about us being there. Im am thrilled to be part of this outreach. The way I view the world and people is changing. Most everyone is searching for answers and many of them are never going to enter the doors of a church building, so I want to go to them. I want to be a part of showing them the real answer . . . a relationship with our creator through His son Jesus Christ.

Tuesday was yesterday's world. Today is Wednesday's World. Today is what is happening around us TODAY! That world is somewhat different for each of us. Tomorrow is Thursday's world. Tomorrow may bring some radical changes in any one or all of our lives, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and Forever. I am so happy for that stability in my life, and I want to share that with others. God Bless all of you who read this blog today. My prayer is that we will all know him better today in Wednesday's World, than we did yesterday, in Tuesday's World. I Love you all very much, Mom/Auntie

TELLING THE TRUTH

2008-03-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

Since my Blog Spot is called "Brenda's Blessings" I make it a point to share the blessings; but after reading Summer's blog I decided that "Telling the Truth" is very important.

So here is the truth about our weekend:

Yes, we were blessed this weekend, but there were also events and conflicts that I would not call blessings, at least not at the time of their occurrence. My heart was so broken at 2:00 a.m. this morning that I decided to go back and recount my blessings by writing "Spring Break and Two Birthdays." Recounting the good things that happen is God's therapy session. Taking the time to be thankful for the windows of joy and focusing on them is so important.

Some of the conflicts still weigh heavy on my heart but after reading Summer's "Monday's Musings" I was reminded that my hope is in God and He cannot fail. My prayer is that all of my children and my neices and nephews will know those intimate times with God when He speaks right to your heart. He reaches down into the very depths of your being and lifts you up like no person can because He and He alone knows those deepest fears and worries and doubts.

So my Blog Spot will continue to be called "Brenda's Blessings" and I will continue to write about the blessings MOST of the time because that it what God desires. But for all of you younger ladies and the older ones too, it's ok to share our struggles and weaknesses sometimes. It makes us Stronger as long as we don't let them overshadow the goodness of His Blessings.

Thank you, Summer, for sharing what God shared with you today! God blessed me through you.

P.S.

Please pray for Josh. He has a bad case of the flu. Christopher has gone over to take care of he and Mario while Karin flies to Orlando for work.

Two Birthdays and Spring Breaks

2008-03-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

Spring Break has sprung in Destin. Our house has been hopping with a lot of in and out traffic this week. Jonathan is home and we are enjoying having him here. We got an extra blessing because last week was his girlfriend's spring break and since she is from the area we saw a lot of him even though his spring break didn't officially start until this week. Another blessing came today when Shelly Engel, the daughter of my friend Connie, drove over today from Pensacola to go to church with us. She and her friends are down from Virginia on their spring break. It was great to see her again. Another blessing this week was a birthday. Christopher turned 63 today. This afternoon he spent time in his OLD kayak and paddled all over the lake while Judah puttered around in the paddle boat. It was a beautiful day! We decided not to celebrate today because Josh and Karin will be here next weekend and we wanted to wait for them. We did have hamburgers on the grill tonight and Judah and Kim brought him some Hagen Daas Chocolate ice cream. His birthday present was a large steamer. Yes, you read correctly. He got a large steamer so that he could double layer and steam two items at once or just do a whole pot of artichokes. We enjoyed eating his STEAMED artichokes for dinner tonight. Friday was Aunt Sarah's birthday. I have not seen her since last week, but I have thought about her a lot. Some of my best childhood memories are of going to St. Petersburg and staying in the Sea Castle Motel. Sometimes at night there were girls who would do acrobatics in the swimming pool which was all lit up with underwater lights. As a little girl my dream was to grow up and become one of those water ballerinas. What a blessing to have an Aunt who loved us so much! She always made us feel so special, never forgetting a birthday that I can remember and she still doesn't. I LOVE you Aunt Sarah and appreciate all that you have done thorough the years. Thank YOU for all of the Great Memories!

New Pictures of Mario

2008-03-08T07:31:00.001-08:00

This Boy Loves to Eat!
BATH TIME for MARIO

MISSIONS MONDAY

2008-03-03T22:29:00.000-08:00

If any of you have time, please visit my friend's website. This is the organization she began in Kenya.

treesofhealing.org

Saturday Night Live with Alan Jackson

2008-03-02T17:35:00.000-08:00

Saturday night Charis & Tony & Mckinley & Bandon along with Chara & Jeremy and Pops & I went to the Orange Beach to see Alan Jackson. A lady I met who was staying here in Destin last summer gave me some tickets for the show. We were center stage in the VIP section.

The show was great with lots of multimedia pictures which reminded me of my childhood. We all enjoyed his songs!

Brandon and Tony got up and personal when Alan reached down and shook Brandon's hand and signed his camo hunting cap!

Thank you Lord for a little FUN!

2008-02-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Today is Bryce's Birthday!

Your Target Card is on its way!

Love, Auntie

WOW (WOMEN ONLY WEEK)

2008-02-22T18:20:00.000-08:00

Part 3 of JB - A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
"WOW 2008"

(Women Only Week)

Since Monday of this week, we have been enjoying the sights, sounds,

and smells of

the beautiful Gulf of Mexico.

We have talked, listened, prayed, cried, and laughed together. The time has been a blessing to all three of us and we are so thankful for each other.

1 -Announcing the Reorganization of WOW

A women only weekend retreat will be held in February beginning next year; henceforth known as the F-18s (Females over 18). The location of this event will be announced later on this year.

This decision was made after we realized how much we enjoyed our time together. In reflection, we realized that we should have set aside time to be together when we were raising our families. Thus, we want this to be special for the women in our family with or without children.

The Theme for our 2009 F-18s weekend is:

"Soaring Above the Clouds "

We have great plans to make this event a memorable
experience for everyone who attends.
POC-Brenda or DOHDOH

2 (Thanksgiving Beach House Bash)

We will gather for a Beach House Thanksgiving on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving. This event will include gourmet meals and a talent show with CASH PRIZES so start practicing now. We will need someone to volunteer to be the Program Director. I nominate last year’s PD (Chesed and Karin Barbee).

3 (Deep Creek Camping Trip)

We will continue to have our annual camp-out at Deep Creek which will include a Photo Scavenger Hunt with CASH PRIZES.

(Potential family members must still pass the test!)

Looking for a volunteer to plan and organize meals and also someone to design and print T-shirts for this occasion.

POC-Brenda or DohDoh

Part 2 of JB - February 22, 2008

2008-02-22T17:17:00.000-08:00

Part 2 (A Continuation of) JB - A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE
February 22, 2008

After visiting some of our old landmarks including Daphine Island, we visited with some old friends and dined with Debbie & Teddy, Gabe & Janna and there two precious children, Claire Fraiser & Winchester, and Rainer & her fiance’ Dan. This was a special treat and we are so glad they were able to share this time with us. We even got to visit with Uncle Bob and Aunt Aubrey for a few minutes.

On Sunday we went to the church where we were baptized. They had torn down the old sanctuary to make room for the new one, but the old nursery building where we stayed in the nursery, is still standing. The weather really got nasty right after church so we hurried into the Atlanta Bread Company for a bowl of soup and a sandwich. We scrambled to get into the car without getting blown away and soaked to the bone and get back to Christopher's apartment. The the rain soon let up a little and we headed to the final stop of our Walk Down Memory Lane.

This is “Rainer’s Roost” but affectionately known as

THE CABIN!

It was and still is located on Mobile Bay,
despite the pounding of many hurricanes.

Our visit took us back to many summer vacations spent…….

Playing with Cousins

Catching Alligators on Cane Poles

Surfing on a plywood surf board

Tubing behind Papa’s boat

Shrimping in Papa’s boat

Frying and Shelling those shrimp

Dropping live crabs in boiling water to cook them for dinner

Anticipating Jubilees

Climbing up the steps to the porch

Sitting on the Porch Watching storms come across the bay

Swinging on the Porch

Shooting snakes from the porch

Napping in the breeze

Peeling after too much sun

Baby Powderings by Granny after a hot bath

Walking out to the pole to find out how high the tied was

Playing in the slew

AND……Listening to the frogs and gators at night!

2008-02-22T08:26:00.000-08:00

JB (Joint Blog) – February 21st

A Walk Down Memory Lane

HAPPY 77th BIRTHDAY MA!

We could write a very long detailed description of our week together, but we decided it might be best to condense the events into an outline of such. Our walk down memory lane in Mobile, the place of our birth and early childhood years, triggered many pleasant thoughts from the past.

Thanks to our husbands, who patiently endured our walk!

This is a picture of the first house Papa and Ma built with the help of our Papa Rainer. It took six months and was completely paid for when we moved into the house. I (Brenda) was six weeks old; Ma & Papa were 19 & 20.

This is the second house that Papa and Ma built. It was also paid for when we moved into it. I, Mary Jo, was 3 years old and Brenda was in 1st grade. We walked to school everyday, often meeting our cousins at the corner.

Here is a picture of the elementary school we attended.

This is a picture of the big Oak tree that grew in the middle of the street on which the two houses were built. We both learned to ride our bicycles on this street and can remember riding around and around this huge tree.

This is a picture of the house where our Granny and Papa Rainer lived which was located down the hill and around the curve from our house.

We both have fond memories of the many hours we spent playing in this yard, swinging on the porch swing, wading in the water that flowed down the drainage ditch on rainy days, sliding down the banister, drinking icy bottled cokes on the back porch, climbing in the pear tree, eating Granny’s chocolate cake and ice cream in front of the fire place, and aggravating our Papa when he was napping.

This is Uncle Bob and Aunt Aubrey’s house where Cheri and Debbie lived. It was just across the street from Granny’s house located on Dog River, where we fished, swam, and learned to ski. The backyard was the location of many birthday celebrations, Easter egg hunts, and family gatherings around the swimming pool. This pool was dug my hand with a shovel by Papa Rainer and Uncle Bob. The memories of iced tea, Brunswick stew and Aunt Aubrey’s burnt okra still make our mouths water. The stew was made from vegetables taken out of Granny’s freezer. She emptied it every summer to make room for fresh vegetables bought from the Farmer’s Market. Our job was to shell and shuck. Often the stew was followed by a gallon of hand-cranked homemade ice cream, frozen peaches, and a slice of one of Granny’s delicious cakes. To Earn Dessert, our job was to sit on top of the churn to keep it still while someone turned the crank. (To Be Continued)

MONDAY'S MADNESS

2008-02-12T21:19:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed Summer's Dog Blog yesterday so I decided to do a little Dog Blogging myself.

Last night Chara and Judah walked into the house with not one, but two puppies. It seems that these two critters were living in deplorable conditions and needed to be rescued. Since Chara was such an animal lover when she was little, this random act of kindness should not have been a surprise to me. However, the entrance of these two very cute little puppies sent me on a rampage. Those of you who know me, know that I am not quite about my opinions. I immediately began to lecture them about the fact that we could not have two puppies living in a house where no one was ever home. In addition to this problem, these rescued victims had to be bottle fed.

I proceeded to make both of my tender-hearted adult children very angry with me. I admit, I was extremely adamant about the issue. After all, My reasoning was reasonable...I would end up being the "primary care giver" for these two helpless creatures and this was not a position I wanted nor did I have any intentions of taking.

I tried to point out to Judah and Chara the opinion of another very important family member--our resident pet, Bruiser. Bruiser was cordial, but not at all enthused over the presence of these new occupants. He managed to check them out, Give a HUGE sigh quickly followed by a deep moan and then proceeded to plop himself down on the floor, as if to say, "Oh Brother."

I must admit to being extremely over-bearing regarding the presence of these two little warm blooded mammals. What my children need to understand is that the visions flying through my mind at an incredible rate of speed were not at all pleasant....pee, poop, howling, biting, scratching, fleas, pee, poop, chewing, ruined shoes, gnawed cords, destroyed furniture, pee poop, carpet cleaning, carpet scrubbing, carpet smelling, pee, poop, vet bills, dog food bills, pee, poop... all of which would soon become my responsible 24/7. Since these visions manifesting in my brain, were over-powering my ability to act rationally, my demanding and commanding continued at an ever increasing rate of speed and rising volume. This action was met with much opposition from the Rescuers.

An all out Verbal War erupted! What an evil thoughtless, non-caring individual I was! Judah and Chara agreed that I was behaving like a female version of one of these helpless victims.

On Tuesday I managed to riddle the day with repeated references to finding a home away from our home for these non-welcomed guest. Judah stomped out before 7:00 a.m. with his puppy in hand. Chara left soon after him on her way to classes with the other one in her care. Where on earth did she plan to keep this thing while she went to class? I knew I didn't need to be concerned about that. Chara always has a plan and she did. I managed to send both a text message during the day which consisted of only 6 words that both had heard 999 times the night before, "Find a home for the puppies!"

We are now 24 hours into this family dispute. I am thankful to say that sometime during the day, Judah came to his senses and found someone who will be adopting his puppy tomorrow. Thank you Kimberly for your wonderful input toward pleading my case and making my reasoning, reasonable to Judah. You are a blessing!

So, at the end of Day 1 of this war, I am rejoicing over Judah's decision. I hugged him and tickled him and squeezed him and thanked him profusely for coming to his senses. I even told him how grateful I was that he had such a kind heart.

One down! One to Go! My guess is there my be another victory soon. Chara had to clean up poop and pee several times tonight. She went to bed before 9:00 because she had gotten up for the morning feedings at 4:30 am. She never had a chance to get a nap all day. My prediction is that by tomorrow she will be looking hard for a home for her critter too.

Hallelujah! I hope I am right!

SUNNY SATURDAY

2008-02-09T15:37:00.000-08:00

It must be spring! The temperature is perfect. The sky is cloudless. The water is gorgeous. What a Day! I spent the first part of the morning doing some cleaning and paying some bills. After tackling the necessary projects, I took Chara out to spend the night with Chesed. On the way home I checked out places for our "Annual Mom & Daughters Get A-way" which is next week. This is an event that Ma, Doh Doh and Auntie started last year. This will be our second annual get-away and we are all looking so forward to spending time together. Last year we did whatever we wanted to for three days and three nights. We ate when we wanted to eat and what we wanted to eat. We talked and prayed until we were too tired to stay awake any longer. We slept until we were ready to get up! It was great.
Josh and Karin sent me this picture today. Isn't It cute. Charis, please put up the picture of Brady & Papa playing checkers. It is precious.
God Bless Ya'll!

TGIF

2008-02-08T07:17:00.000-08:00

I got a really cute picture of Mario so I am putting it up for you to see. Charis, I am not being partial. It's just cute and I want to share it!
TGIF! I have been very busy week at work. I am learning so much in the process of being personal assistant to my boss.
I didn't blog last night night because I was very tired. The good news today is that Chara got a job at a gym. She will be working in the morning with adults and in the afternoon with a after-school program for kids. She starts on Monday.

Wednesday Morning

2008-02-06T06:41:00.000-08:00

What a strange election year! It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out in November. We need to pray for our nation every day. Remember, as an American Citizen. if you did not take the time to vote you are neglecting one of your greatest privileges.

It's raining. Thank you Lord for the rain. I know those of you living in Georgia and Alabama are especially thankful for the rain. Hopefully, all of your lakes are filling back up.

SUPER TUESDAY

2008-02-05T19:08:00.000-08:00

The views of the readers may not reflect the views of this writer. If so, come back tomorrow for something non-political. LOVE you anyway!

My second Blog is a question.
What if all of the people who really wanted to vote for Huckabee, but were afraid he didn't have a chance so they voted for another candidate
~The Rich Mormon or The Famous Ex-Pow~
would have voted their convictions instead?
I have spoken to many Christians who didn't think Huckabee even had a slim chance so they voted for a candidate that really didn't fit their convictions. Seems like he is making a pretty good showing tonight despite this fact.

My First Blog

2008-02-04T20:48:00.000-08:00

As I begin to type, I wonder to myself, "Who will ever read this blob of blog?
To those who take the time to read my blog, I hope that what I write will be worth the time it takes to read it.
My purpose is to recount the blessings of the day. The days rush by so quickly, making it hard to find time to reflect on the events that fill them.
When I finally take the time to enter in to the process of reflection, my mind has made mush of my memories.
So today I begin simply by saying....
It was a wonderful day today.
I spent time with my Oldest and First Born grandchild, McKinley. Memories of days gone by flooded my senses as we opened up her assignment book to begin a day of homeschooling together.
With many interruptions from Brady James, our day was less productive academically than I would have wanted, but the two of us certainly did enjoy his antics.
He made noise ALL day long.
He hummed in his car seat, whined over eating his lunch, sighed over his wet training pants, laughed so hard when we chased him that he could barely stay on his feet, and he generally made us smile all throughout the day.
So what did we accomplish????
We learned a lot today about Love, joy, happiness, kindness.......Thank you Lord for this day and for the two very special people with whom I had the pleasure of spending my day.
Oh yes,
Chara made it home safely from New Orleans and she made me workout with her before ending our day. Yea!