Happy Birthday Kellie!

I just want to take this opportunity to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my #2 daughter, Kellie. I love you baby girl. You do me proud! You are a beautiful young lady inside and out. I am proud of the achievements you've reached and the rewards you've received in your school years. I am so proud of the work you do on your job as a 911dispatcher and all the Recognitions you have received in your employment, like the year you received Dispatcher of the year for Kern County. Most of all, I am proud of the work you are doing for God. It thrills my heart to know that you are involved with the ladies outreach in your home church. Knowing that you are involved in His work is more rewarding than anything. Keep on living for God and letting Him have His will in your life and you will always be blessed.

YOUR INNER BEAUTY

Your beauty runs the deepest
In the dept of your soul
Reaching out to all around you
Helping them to meet their goal

Delighting in the smallest things
Facing everything in stride
This is what makes you special
That beauty from deep inside

Balancing both family and friends
Taking time to smell the flowers
You delight those around you
Flowing joy out by the hour

Showing others that you care
Nurturing their hearts and souls
Helping your friends and family
To reach their dreams and goals

A beautiful person like you
Makes life richer in every way
That's why you deserve best wishes
On this your birthday

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLIE!

I love you, Mom

Matters Of The Mind & Heart

"Fill your mind with the meaningless stimuli of a world
preoccupied with meaningless things, and it will
not be easy to feel peace in your heart."
— Marianne Williamson

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:7

Here is a poem I read from a post: As A Man Thinketh By James Allen

Thought in the mind hath made us.
What we are by thought we wrought and built.
If a man's mind hath evil thoughts,
Pain comes on him as comes the wheel the ox behind . . .
If one endure in purity of thought,
Joy follows him as his own shadow - sure.

"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." Philippians 4:8

Do you want peace in your heart? Then you MUST keep your mind pure.

AGING!

George Carlin's Views on Aging!
(Absolutely Brilliant)

Do you realize that the only time in our lives when we like to get old is when we're kids? If you're less than 10 years old, you're so excited about aging that you think in fractions.

'How old are you?' 'I'm four and a half!' You're never thirty-six and a half. You're four and a half, going on five! That's the key.

You get into your teens, now they can't hold you back. You jump to the next number, or even a few ahead.

'How old are you?' 'I'm gonna be 16!' You could be 13, but hey, you're gonna be 16! And then the greatest day of your life, You become 21. Even the words sound like a ceremony. YOU BECOME 21! YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk! He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're Just a sour-dumpling.. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40. Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50 and your dreams are gone..

But! wait!! ! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

You've built up so much speed that you HIT 70! After that it's a day-by-day thing; you HIT Wednesday!

You get into your 80's and every day is a complete cycle; you HIT lunch; you TURN 4:30; you REACH bedtime. And it doesn't end there. Into the 90s, you start going backwards; 'I Was JUST 92.'

Then a strange thing happens. If you make it over 100, you become a little kid again. 'I'm 100 and a half!'
May you all make it to a healthy 100 and a half!!

HOW TO STAY YOUNG
1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them.

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.

3. Keep learning! Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever, even ham radio. Never let the brain idle. 'An idle mind is the devil's workshop.'

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Share this with someone. We all need to live life to its fullest each day!!

Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting,
'...Wooo Hooo ...what a ride!

Kids Are Full Of Surprises

It's a new school year and Caleb is now a 3rd grader. I ask myself, "Where has the time gone?" My handsome little munchkin has grown up so fast.

Caleb - age - 1 year

One day he is so helpless and depending on us for everything. Then the next day - lo and behold - right before our very eyes he becomes our little man, the man of the house.

On the first day back to school, our little third grader came home different. After Caleb had finished his homework and dinner he was in the kitchen for a prolonged amount of time. Kerrie and I heard the water running and we both wondered what he was up to now. So Kerrie called after Caleb and asked him what he was doing in the kitchen so long with the water running. He replied, "Nothing!" So after a few moments she decided she had better check up on him. She quietly crept up to the entryway and peeked in and could not believe her eyes. She quickly got the camera and this is what she caught him doing, just take a look:

This was Caleb's first time to do dishes and he did it on his own. No one asked him to do them. The next morning as Caleb was leaving for school, I was doing the breakfast dishes. He glanced into the kitchen and saw me doing the dishes and got so upset and cried out, "Mom, how come grandma gets to do the dishes and not me?" He was really upset and I thought he was actually going to cry about it. I promised him there would be something in the sink for him to wash when he got home. That calmed him down and he went on to school. He has been doing dishes every day since. Now, how long this will last is to be seen. Probably until the newness of this experience wears off but then again, who knows, one can never tell. Kerrie and I are both surprised that our rough and tumble, all out rugged Caleb, would even consider doing the dishes, when it has been so hard to get him to clean his room. Yet, Caleb has even started keeping his room clean too. (Well, better than before anyway) He even puts his dirty clothes in the clothes hamper. With all these changes taking place We thought, "Ok what have you done with our Caleb? Where is he and who are you?" LOL!!! Let's just say, Miracles never cease!