Celebrate!

Dan and I are going to a special event on Saturday night put on by Celebrate Ministries. Inc. We are table hosts and have invited three other couples to attend. It will be a fun evening, that's for sure!

Here is the schedule for the evening.

5:30pm Silent Auction Begins

6:00pm Prime Rib Dinner is served
7:00pm Show with non-stop music, comedy, and fun!presented by Jay & Laura Laffoon.
All proceeds go directly to supporting Celebrate Ministries, Inc. Celebrate is a wonderful ministry.

From their website: Celebrate! is the non-profit ministry of Christian speakers and authors Jay & Laura Laffoon. The Laffoons are all about bringing life abundant! Whether through their speaking engagements, marriage conferences, or resources, Jay & Laura love to share the celebration that is a life in relationship with Jesus. http://celebratenet.com

Dan and I have attended two of the marriage conferences at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. We are very excited about this ministry and love telling people about it. We are going again this May, can't wait!!

The event on Saturday night is about 2 hours away from where we live, so we will be staying in the area for the night at a beautiful Bed and Breakfast. Laura recommended it and I am so glad we were able to get a reservation. Dan and I are looking forward to this weekend away, spending time with each other.

Take care everyone and God bless!

PS Update on my knees
Both knees have Chondromalacia of the patella. (Osteoarthritis). I have some strengthening exercises to do and medication for pain, also taking Glucosamine capsules.
My left knee, the one that is bruised up and still a bit swollen from my fall, has prepatellar bursa, Doctor said it will take a while for it to heal, but thankfully nothing is fractured.
Thanks everyone for your thoughts, prayers and concern.

Antique Mall

Dan and I went for a drive in the country today. We left early and went to a few antique malls. What a strange feeling to look through rooms and rooms of antiques and to see so many items I remember from my childhood! Am I that old?? lol When I was a child I had the whole series of The Bobbsey Twins books. Oh how I loved all of those stories. I always look for them when we are in the antique shops. I actually found a few today but they weren't in good shape. Here are the items I did end up with today.

Pfaltzcraft Ceramic Bowl~ this photo does not do it justice, it looks much prettier.

Cherub Angel framed prints

Dan found an antique fly fishing pole. It is in good shape and in a case. Sorry, don't have a pic of it. lol

After shopping we stopped for lunch at Applebees. It was good day and wonderful for Dan and I to spend time together!

My knee seems to be getting worse so I phoned the doctor's office this afternoon and set up an appointment for Thursday morning.

~blessings

Random Pics

Tulips on Mackinac Island Dan on the porch of The Grand Hotel One of my favorite photos of Kelly
Bird seed thief
Kelly making faces at Patch
~blessings to all~

Icy Hot

My right knee has been giving me problems for a couple months now.
At first the pain was off and on but now it hurts/aches all the time. I started using Icy Hot Sleeves on my knee and taking Alleve. Although these products help relieve the pain, I have come to the realization that I am going to have to make a doctor appointment. Ugh. This problem actually has nothing to do with when I fell a couple weeks ago because my knee was playing up before that. Maybe it's arthritis? I don't know, guess I will have to find out because this driving me nuts!

~blessings

Six Quirky Things

I have been tagged by Merrie at Merrie Daysto do this meme. The rules for this meme are: (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here are my random quirks.

1. I have to have a glass of water on the nightstand when I go to bed. The majority of the time I don't even take one sip of the water, but I must have it there.
2. I do not know how to swim!
3. I love thunderstorms, especially at night.
4. I drink a glass of ice water first thing in the morning.
5. When I wrap a gift, I use lots of tape.
6. I sing along with the radio/cd player in the car, but only when I am alone.

OK, now my six random people. ;o)

1.Toni
2.Denise
3.Tracey
4.Darylynn
5.Robyn
6.Nancze

Take care!
~blessings

He Is Getting So Big

My sweet grandson Colton. I can't believe he will be four months old on February 6.

~Daddy and Colton~


~Mommy and Colton~


Hope you enjoyed the pics.
Oh yes, my Mom has posted a couple of times since her surgery.

~blessings

Flowers & Snow

I had a nice visit with my parents yesterday. Mom has had a few visitors and lots of phone calls. A few have brought or are bringing over meals as well, which is a big help for my Dad. I just spoke to Mom on the phone and she has received more flowers!

My Dad said when they were leaving the hosptial on Sunday everyone in the elevator and on the way out kept looking at the cart full of flower arrangements he was pushing. Some were commenting how pretty the flowers were. Dad laughed and jokingly told me that he probably could have sold some them! lol

This morning I was pleasantly suprised to wake up to snow on the ground! We have had light flurries for the most of the day but not much of any accumulation. There is probably only1 inch on the ground. I am hoping for more.

Take care everyone. If you are an American Idol fan like me, have fun watching tonight!

~blessings

Quote & A Cake

I like this quote that is on my Mary E. desk calendar for today.

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, Begin it.

~Goethe
Isn't that so good?

In a few minutes I am heading out to pick up a few groceries. Dan is going to make some beef vegetable soup. Also going to pick up the ingredients to make Mom and Dad an angel food/pineapple cake. It is a Weight Watcher dessert and very yummy!
Here is the recipe if you are interested.

Pineapple Angel Food Cake
Mix one box of angel food cake mix and one 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple (juice included) and bake in sprayed 9x13 pan. Only use a name brand cake mix.
Bake in a 350F oven for 30-35 minutes. Makes 12 servings.
If you are counting WW points, it is 3 pts. per serving.

~blessings

Mom is Home

Mom came home from the hospital this afternoon. I am so glad she is doing well. Of course she still has pain and it is hard for her to get comfortable, but she does have pain meds to take. I will go over and see her tomorrow.
Today was a busy day. I helped with one of Kelly's friend's baby shower. It was a lot of fun, but I am tired this evening. I think I will go to bed early.

~blessings

Good report!

Just wanted to let everyone know that Mom is doing good. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. We are so thankful.
Surgery went as planned (approx. one & a half hrs) with no complications.
They removed the mass and found that it originated from her ovary. The initial biopsy showed that it was benign/no cancer. They are sending out other samples to be tested.
I spent most the day there yesterday, 6:30 am until 2:00 pm. Then I went back in the evening with Kelly. Dan and I were there earlier today visiting for a bit and I am going back this evening. If all goes well, Mom might be coming home tomorrow.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.
~blessings

Not My Day

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and prayers for my Mom. I will update here as soon as I can after the surgery.

Yesterday was not my day. I had a minor car accident. My car wasn't damaged but the other car, which I hit, has some damage. I was backing out of a parking place at the grocery store and stopped briefly to wait for a pedestrian to pass. I then proceeded to back out and I hit another car that was pulling out their parking place. Our insurance company will have to pay for their car repair, they consider it my fault because I caused the damage. The other driver was an elderly man, he was a bit confused, told me he was blowing his horn at me. I know for a fact that he wasn't, I am not hard of hearing, I would have heard it. I honestly didn't see him and he thought when I stopped for the pedestrian that it was clear for him to leave his parking place. I am still so upset over this. I have never hit another car before! I hope our insurance rates don't go up too much.

Later yesterday afternoon I had to run an errand for Dan and I was in a hurry. I tripped over the dog gate. When we go out we put the dogs in the laundry room and block it off with a baby gate/dog gate. I fell extremely hard on both of my knees and hit my left wrist on the floor as well. I looked at my knees and they were both red, but I could walk, so I went on with my business. When I got home 1 hour later, my left knee had a huge bump on it! I have never seen anything like it, looked like the shape of an egg.
I took a couple Alleve and then put ice on my knee and kept it propped up for the rest of the evening. This morning most of the swelling is gone and I see a bruise developing. I can walk and bend it OK, but it is sore, in fact my whole body is sore! I am sure in a couple of days I will be fine.

Today I just feel out of sorts. I think it is a combination of the events of yesterday and thinking about my Mom's surgery tomorrow.

Take care everyone.
~blessings

Prayers for Friday

On Friday morning, my Mom is having abdominal/pelvic surgery, a large mass will be removed. The surgery is scheduled for 7:15 am. We would appreciate your prayers if you feel led to do so. Of course we are trusting the Lord, expecting a good report and that Mom will make a quick recovery. I will post sometime Friday after I get home from the hospital with a report on how she is doing.

We did get a bit of snow on the ground, just a light covering. A big difference compared to what our friends are experiencing who live the UP of Michigan. I talked to my friend Billie last night, she said they have gotten well over 2 feet of snow since Thursday evening! Yikes!

Take care everyone.

~blessings

Snowflakes In The Air

It is snowing and it looks so nice. It is a delicate snow, not heavy and piling up quickly. There is a light covering on the ground at the moment. We may get one or two inches in total.

Thank you to everyone who has been to my Mom's new blog! I love what she has done there so far.

Today Dan and I are having turkey for our lunch/dinner. I am cooking a small turkery and boy does it smell good! We won't have all of the high calorie and high carb side dishes, such as stuffing and mashed potatoes. It will be green beans, salad, and Dan will have a baked potato as well.

Have a wonderful day!
~blessings

My Blogging Mama & Saturday Special

My Mom started a new blog and I am hoping you will visit her webhome.
AliceMum's Blog
She did a great job, it looks so cute!

Saturday Special
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Media All Time Favorites ~ Name Two~

1. Favorite Reality Shows?: Dancing With The Stars and American Idol
2. Favorite Movies?: The Family Stone and You've Got Mail
3. Favorite TV Series?: Right now my favs are Grey's Anatomy and Brothers and Sisters
4. Favorite Songs?: I have tons of favorites, can't name two. ;)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace, Love & Blessings~

Sleeping in Saturday

I slept in until 9:45 this morning, that is rare for me. I guess I needed the sleep!

It's been a quiet day so far, Dan is sleeping downstairs in the Nautical room, so I can't really do any cleaning. I wanted to clean the kitchen floor, vacuum ,etc., but that will have to wait until later when Dan gets up or after he goes to work. I do have a couple loads of laundry to do, but Kelly is doing hers right now. All I have done so far is empty the dishwasher and straightened up the kitchen.

This morning, I finished reading a Beth Moore book, 'Get Out Of That Pit". Great book, I highly recommend it. I also watched Joel Osteen on tv. :)

Have a wonderful day.

~blessings

Friday Fun

Not much happening around here. So thought I would join in on Friday Fun! Thanks Kiki.

This week it is all about your living space. Photos are welcome!

1. Do you live in a house or apartment? house

2. What is your most used room in your house? Does it tend to follow any kind of design theme? The kitchen. It has a country theme.

3. Which room in your home would you most like to change? What would you change in it? Our bedroom. It needs to a total makeover!

4. If you could add a room to your house, what would it be used for? A home gym with a great sound system and tv.

5. Find a real estate listing online of a home that could be your dream home and share it with us. It can be anywhere in the world and totally not realistic!
I would love a log home on the water.


Here is more info on this beauty that would be just perfect for Dan and me. It is the 4th house on the list. 5440 Us 23 West, Cheboygan.

Last night I was happy to watch a new episode of Grey's Anatomy and a new episode of ER. Both shows were really good.

Take care everyone.

~blessings

Be Strong

That is what is says on my Mary Engelbreit desk calendar today. ;o) I am going to post this on my getting healthy blog as well, but wanted to share here!

Dan bought a set of weights and a weight bench yesterday. He is starting to work out, eat healthy and is getting into shape. He has been dieting for a couple of weeks and so far he has lost 10 pounds! I am very proud of him. :o)

He was demonstrated for me an exercise using his new exercise equipment that is good for the abs.

Today for lunch, which is our big meal of the day, Dan had broiled Walleye (fish), med. baked potato and large tossed salad with shrimp. I skipped the fish and potato. I had a large tossed salad with shrimp. I sauted the shrimp in garlic and olive oil, very yummy. I also had 2 pieces of Wasa fiber crispbread with 1 wedge of Laughing Cow French Onion Cheese (light). Delicious!






This morning I went to bible study. We have been on a break over the holidays, so it was wonderful to get back and see all of my dear friends there. I might have mentioned this before but we are doing a Beth Moore Study on Daniel. It is excellent.


Our weather is getting back to normal, back in the 30's today. Snow is expected over the weekend!

Blessings~~

Crazy Weather

It was 65 degrees today, which broke the record for the high. It is supposed to be warm tomorrow as well. Certainly feels like spring, too bad it isn't!

I went along with Dan to his dentist appointment this afternoon. Afterwards we went to Olive Garden for lunch. We both had soup and salad. It was nice having a light meal, instead of one of the heavy pasta dishes. We like so many of the dishes they serve there, but we need to eat healthier and get in shape. ;o)

Got Kelly's books for the Winter semester which starts this Friday. It amazes me how expensive college text books and materials cost. This semester she is taking

1. Exploring Teaching
2. Art History
3. English Comp II
4. Basic Math

10:30 pm Weather update...Dan just phoned me, he is on his way to work, listening to the weather report on the radio. We are under a tornado watch. And this is January??

Take care everyone.

~blessings

Weekend Update

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. Not much going on around here. The weather is warmer and is going to be for next couple of days. Most of the snow is melted and it just looks ugly to me.
I started reading 'Shopaholic & Baby', love it!! It is a great book so far. But of course, I love all of the Shopaholic books. ;o)
I am feeling much better, in fact I don't think I will need to take any medicine before I go to bed tonight. I am so glad!

Take care!

Blessings~

Medicine Head

I was hit hard in the middle of the night with this cold, flu. Couldn't stop coughing, my throat was so sore and the congestion was miserable. I keep laying there trying to sleep, not wanting to get up and go downstairs and find cold medince. Finally at 2 am, I dragged myself out of bed, located the medicine I needed and took the maximum dosage allowed. I slept good, but woke up this morning with medicine head and was in a fog for a few hours. lol I still don't feel well, but hopefully this won't last too long.

Not much else going on, I will just take it easy today.

~blessings

Nancy Grace

Last night I watched the Nancy Grace News show on CNN. They were talking about the horrible drunk driving tragedy I posted about yesterday. The guest host on Nancy Grace was Jane Velez-Mitchell. One thing she said concerning drinking especially stuck in my mind and I so agree.

But alcohol and it`s related disasters are truly a plague and, unfortunately, what it normally does to people who drink too much is they are just not responsible for their actions

You can read the transcript from the show here.


On a much lighter note I went into Kroger for a few groceries this afternoon and came out with these two lovely items.

On the left is ~Mary Engelbreit's~ It's A Brand New Day 2008 calendar. Each day there is cute picture and inspiring quotes and sayings for through out the year.

Also bought Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella. I have been waiting for this book to come out in paperback.

Blessings~
Pam

Tragedy In Our Area

There was a horrible tragedy near us on Sunday night. A drunk driver killed several members of a family. This is just so sad, my prayers go out to everyone affected by this.
Newspaper articles.
From Dec.31


From Jan.2


Memorial Link
MySpace Page for family


~blessings
Pam

~Wordless Wednesday~

Blessings~

Let It Snow

We didn't get any snow last night, only rain. Then today it started snowing about 4:30 p.m. Expecting to get around 3 inches. The roads are bad because there is a combination of ice and snow.
It supposed to warm up into the 40's later this week and all of this will melt! lol

I started taking down the Christmas decorations this morning. In fact I plan on undecorating the Christmas tree after I finish here online. Dan is at work and Kelly is with a friend, so I have some free time on my hands.

Hope you all are enjoying this first day of 2008.

~blessings