Quote

The heart of a fool is in his mouth, but the mouth of the wise man is in his heart.

~Benjamin Franklin

Quote

A good name, like good will, is got by many actions and lost by one.
~Lord Jeffery

Photo

Photo Credit: Untitled, LUZA

More Photos of at the Dam

For more great photos click for these fine sites:

Quote

Don't be discouraged by a failure. It can be a positive experience. Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, inasmuch as every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true, and every fresh experience points out some form of error which we shall afterwards carefully avoid.

~John Keats

Photos

At the Dam in our new "area"

Aren't they cute???? Happy Birthday Grandma!!!!!

Just For Laughs

THE MOTHER-IN-LAW!

A man, his wife and mother-in-law went on vacation to the Holy Land. While they were there the mother-in-law passed away. The undertaker told them, "You can have her shipped home for $5,000, or you can bury her here in the Holy Land for $150.OO."

The man thought about it and told him he would just have her shipped home. The undertaker asked, "Why? Why would you spend $5,000 to ship your mother-in-law home, when it would be wonderful to be buried here and spend only $150.00? The man said, "A man died here 2000 years ago, he was buried here and three days later he rose from the dead. I just can't take that chance."

Photo

Photo Credit: Desert Spring, Kevin Dooley

PUSH

When everything seems to go wrong .... just P.U.S.H.!
When the job gets you down ... just P.U.S.H.!
When people don't react the way you think they should.... just P.U.S.H.
When your money is "gone" and the bills are due.... just P.U.S.H.!
When people just don't understand you .... just... P.U.S.H.!

P= Pray
U= Until
S= Something
H= Happens

Happy Saturday

Happy Saturday everyone!

You have NO IDEA how bad I miss my Internet! (Insert playing violins here)

The poor kiddies have to catch the bus here at 6:00 am so dear Mommy gets up at 5:00am! YUCK YUCK YUCK!!! We have been so exhausted I have been gong to bed at 9:00 pm all week long!! Actually to be honest one night it was 8:40!!!!!! Can you believe it. This is coming from a notorious night owl. 1:00 am is early for me usually!

Can you believe we have not been honked at or cussed at since we have been here? The people here are so genuine it seems. Except the teenagers are known for their misbehavior! We are going to get Josh involved in a youth group to hopefully get him in with the "right crowd".

Well off to life again. Later Y'all! Next time PICTURES!!!!!!!!

Just for Laughs

THERE IS NO CHAIR

An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on top of his desk and wrote on the board:
"Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."
Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class however, was up and finished in less than a minute.
A week later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an "A" when he had barely written anything at all.
His answer consisted of two words: "What chair?"

Happy Birthday Mom

We LOVE you!!!!

Tammy, Kevin, Josh, Garit,

Nathan, Miranda, Abbie & Keira

The Latest Update

Hi Guys!!!!

I'm here for a brief moment in time and thought I'd check in. It has indeed been a whirlwind. I enrolled all of the kids in their new schools on Tuesday, Josh just started this morning, his former school was sloooow sending his records (High Schools, Jeesh!!)

Miranda is at one of the local primary schools and she's on cloud nine because she is the "only one besides the teachers who can write in cursive"! That is a BIG deal apparently! ;) She loves loves loves the house and exploring in the woods.

Nathan is now enrolled at the area Intermediate School, he even was able t go on a field trip on his first day!!!!! Woo Hoo. The classes all travelled to House to to visit a museum and see the IMAX movie. Get this......the cost of his field trip was...$7.50!!! Can you believe it?? The average cost of field trips in Pensacola was about $20.00 and that doesn't count a couple hour bus trip! WOO HOO!

Garitson is at the same school as Nathan, the local Intermediate school. He says the Math here is WAY easy but the Science is HARD. He already took the TAX (Texas Aptitude Something or other) yesterday, poor guy. But hey NO FCAT!! He is thoroughly loving all the outdoorsy stuff here to do.

Joshua, as I mentioned earlier, just started school today at the local High School. His former school had a completely different schedules and curriculum credits. The poor guy has to start Geometry, Biology and World Geography half way through the school year!!! He's a trooper though! He'll do just fine. He also is in the band and the Jazz Band.

Kiera is enjoying life as well and thrilled beyond belief to have her Grandma & Grandpa here!!!!!!

I too am thrilled to be near my parents. Still working on getting everything packed and set up. Jeesh it is LOTS of work. Not to mention our refrigerator (which is NOT covered in our lease) DIED!!!! So we are currently living with the broken refrigerator's freezer as an ice chest until we can figure things out :((. I'm NOT enjoying being without transportation either due to the unfortunate events of the trip here. Did you read about it? It is here. My parents have been very gracious transporting us and loaning me their car!! Did I say thak you to them....I do believe so!

Kevin absolutely LOVES his job. He's "a whiz and quick, quick, quick". He feels very appreciated and that absolutely means the entire world to me! He adores having a fireplace in our bedroom but is DRIVING ME INSANE WITH IT....Because of all my cancer treatments and surgeries I am in "menopause" and NOT enjoying a BLASTED FIRE ALL NIGHT LONG along with my regular "hot flashes". It is pretty! But HOT HOT HOT!

We still don't have Internet set up obviously. That will probably be a bit but I will continue to check in at my folks! Love the folks.

Well I guess that kinda catches everyone up to speed on the basics. Obviously there's a TON more but hey I have a TON to do online while I'm here! I love you guys and miss you all immensely!!!!

HEY, did you read my previous post???? THREE YEARS!!!!! Today is my Cancerversary!!!!!!! WOO HOO!!!

It's my Cancerversary

I made it!!!!!!!!!!!
Woo Hoo and Kiera will be three on March 13th!!!
Praise the Lord!
Now SEND ME SOME LOVE!!!!!!

Kid's Instructions on Life

"Wear a hat when feeding seagulls." - Rocky, age 9

"Sleep in your clothes so you'll be dressed in the morning." - Stephanie, age 8

"Don't flush the john when your dad's in the shower." - Lamar, age 10

"Never ask for anything that costs more than $5 when your parents are doing taxes." - Carrol, age 9

"Never bug a pregnant mom." - Nicholas, age 11

"Don't ever be too full for dessert." - Kelly, age 10

"When your dad is mad and asks you, 'Do I look stupid?' don't answer him." - Heather, age 16

"Never tell your mom her diet's not working." - Michael, age 14

"Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat." - Joel, age 12

"When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone." - Alyesha, age 13

"Never try to baptize a cat." - Laura, age 13

"Never spit when on a roller coaster." - Scott, age 11

"Never do pranks at a police station." - Sam, age 10

"Beware of cafeteria food when it looks like it's moving." - Rob, age 10

"Never tell your little brother that you're not going to do what your mom told you to do." - Hank, age 12

"Remember you're never too old to hold your father's hand." - Molly, age 11

"Listen to your brain. It has lots of information." - Chelsey, age 7

"Stay away from prunes." - Randy, age 9

"Never dare your little brother to paint the family car." - Phillip, age 13

"Forget the cake, go for the icing." - Cynthia, age 8

"Remember the two places you are always welcome - church and Grandma's house." - Joanne, age 11

"When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents." - Matthew, age 12

I got this from Funny Stuff

January Breast Exam Reminder

When you're young, breast cancer is probably the furthest thing from your mind. However, it shouldn’t be. Although breast cancer in young women is significantly less common among those from 20 to 39, it does happen. Don’t believe it won’t happen to you, I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 38 while pregnant with our sixth child. Finding time to incorporate breast self exam into your monthly schedule is easy when you realize just how important it is. Since my birthday in on the 19th of the month I have chosen to do my exams on the 19th of every month and I will remind my readers to do their exams your's too.

1. Except for certain types of skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in women of all ages. Although the most confirmed and noteworthy risk factors for developing breast cancer are gender and growing older.

2. Younger women diagnosed with breast cancer often experience a more aggressive cancer and a lower chance of survival. This fact alone is enough to make early detection and breast self exam crucial for younger women.

3. Generally, screening mammograms are recommended at age 40. Sadly, this occasionally results in younger women not being diagnosed with breast cancer until the cancer is in a later stage, and can lower their chance of survival.

4. Because breast tissue isn't as thick when you're younger it can make diagnosis of breast cancer difficult. For this reason young women should begin monthly breast self exam at age 20, so that you can become familiar with how your breasts look and how they feel, thereby making it easier for you to notice any changes in your breasts.

5. Because the lifetime risk of breast cancer is one in seven for American women, establishing good breast health practices while you are still young can reduce your chance of getting breast cancer at a later stage.

Remember, anytime you see or feel any kind of change in your breast(s) you should see your health-care provider. Only a qualified medical professional can definitively diagnose the cause of breast issues. Breast changes don't always mean breast cancer, but they do mean you should see your doctor.

Click HERE for instructions on how to perform a self breast-exam.

Source: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

Just for Laughs

Life is measured in time: BC and AC. That, to me, means "before children" and "after children."

Crisp Morn

The crispness of the cold morn air
Is very stimulating.
The redness of the rising sun
A beauty to behold.
The gift of love and life from You
By way of Your Own Son
Is the most amazing gift this world
Has seen since time begun.

How seldom I seem to take the time to tell God how much I appreciate Him and what He has done and is doing for me. How seldom do I tell Him how amazing His love is. He created the entire universe and yet He cares about every hair on my head and knows me inside and out. In spite of His knowing me so well, He still loves me. He loves me with a love beyond my comprehension. It should not take the stimulation of cold air or the beauty of a bright red sunrise to encourage me to give God thanks and praise. Just the privilege of waking up in the morning should bring forth praises out of my heart and mouth.

From my Mom's Devotional Blog here.

We made it FINALLY

Hello everyone!!! BOY OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!!!!! Talk about trying times!! I swear someone has put a curse on us!!!

We are now in Texas.....Jeez~~

I knew packing and loading would be tough but honestly I had NO IDEA how horribly IN PAIN I would be!!! OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It took us FOREVER to load, the on the FIRST ten hour one-way trip to Texas, I had a blowout in Kevin's truck. I thought I had a flat but it felt just fine after the construction ended so...I boogied on down the road about 70 miles. When we stopped for a pit stop....Kevin told me to check out the trailer tire....OOPS!!! There wee only barely remnants of any rubber whatsoever left around the rim....OOPS I said!! Anyhoo....we had a spare tire but needed it put on the rim so Kevin took it to a guy and he wanted $130.00 just to mount our own tire on our own rim!!!! GEESH!!!! COME ON ALREADY!!

We did pretty darn good for the rest of the trip...I apparent got my my fear of bridges driving that TALL U-haul truck over those bridges. Lovely I say, lovely!!! I actually CRIED at the Lake Charles bridge!! Yes!!! Uh huh!! Josh felt so bad for me!

The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful until we arrived at our rental property and I parked the U-haul truck and vehicle transport with a car and GOT STUCK!!!!! My poor dear husband managed to unhook the car and vehicle transport and pull the U-Haul truck out with his poor Chevy! Poor poor faithful Chevy! :(

Well we unloaded the U-haul and truck even though we were HALF DEAD already!!! Thank GOODNESS My parents hired a guy to help us unload the U-Haul!!!! THANK YOU MOM & DAD!!!!! Kevin and I got 2 hours of sleep that night! The next morning we returned the U-Haul truck (with out the very important papers)..got a tire mounted on a spare :D and my wonderful folks watched the kiddies for us while K & I drove the truck and trailer back for more CRAP! I'm soooo glad I got rid of so much!

We wound up getting back to Pensacola at about 5:00 am...slept for 2 hours and loaded, loaded loaded, sorted, cleaned. blah, blah, blah.....We crammed and crammed and there was simply no way on this green earth we could get even CLOSE to everything here! We left SOOOOO much behind, so so much.....some of which we already regret but hey, what can you do??? We finished loading for the second trip at about 3 am on Tuesday morning! We decided that along with the 2 hours of sleep on Saturday, 6 hours of sleep on Sunday and NO sleep on Monday.....we needed to take a nap before heading out so...we slept for 4 hours...yep four hours...then left on our way.

My van that was towing the boat (THAT DOESN'T WORK MIND YOU!!!) had engine trouble beside the road in Mississippi and Kevin had to fix it on the side of the road. (Wonderful benefits of being married to a Master Mechanic!!) Anyhoo...we truck on and on. Remember that bridge in Lake Charles?? Ya know that HUGE, Huge, huge bridge the van sputtered and sputtered and I FREAKED!! Turns out the head gasket BLEW!!! I barely made it up to the top!! BARELY! BARELY BARELY!! I thought I was gonna roll back down to the bottom of that cursed thing!!!!! Well I coasted to the bottom and parked the thing off the road. We piled in together and finished the three hour drive the rest of the way...leaving our packed down van and boat on the side of the interstate in Louisiana. Mom and Dad arranged for a tow dolly (yep yet another expense) and as soon as we arrived at our new home we unloaded everything, packed in all the kids, borrowed Mom & Dad's View! (THANK YOU!!!) to tow the boat and went back for the van and boat......Kevin and I had a 22 hour driving day!!!!!!!!!!!

Joy Joy Joy

Poor Kevin got three hours of sleep and had to report to work!! His first day!!!!!! BUT!! HE LOVES IT! Whew! Finally something GOOD!! and yes....he STILL loves it and he LOVE the people too! YAY! I decided to take the View to get some groceries and enroll the kids in school before M&D came for it (ya know I don't have a van for the time being). Well I backed it up and guess what??? I got stuck! Uh huh! Stuck. There it stayed all day, in the mud...all muddy. I couldn't even return the tow dolly! (Insert HUMONGOUS sigh here!) M & D came around 5:30, it had to be returned my 76:00 or we would be charges another $50.00. Anyhow.... Dad, Mom & I managed to free it only to discover that the tow ball was stuck and we didn't have the tools to change the ball....apparently they are under the now infamous bridge in Lake Charles! Two pipe wrenches, want them...go get 'em! My dearest sweet massively sleep deprived husband arrived in the NICK OF TIME and we returned the tow dolly ON TIME!! WOO HOO!!!

We've been unpacking and unpacking. I even had to go WITHOUT COFFEE for three entire days!!!! If you know me...that's a MIRACLE!!!!! I went to Jack in the Box this morning and drank TWO tall coffees and IT WAS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD! Finally got the coffee pot unloaded from the trailer this afternoon!!! :D :D

So.......first priority Tuesday morning (after the holiday) will be getting these kid's enrolled in school again! (Breathe Tammy Breathe!) Then off to the Social Security office to get a new SS card for Kevin because they can't pay Kevin until they have a copy of it....it was stolen out of his truck last month in that rash of break ins. Then more unpacking.

The kids LOVE the house and yard and Josh LOVES having his own room. Kevin's favorite is the fireplace IN our bedroom! Mine is being near my parents then the dishwasher!

Well that's my book for now. I'm sure I left off plenty but.....I'll fill you in as I can. We don't have internet yet. I haven't even unpacked my computer yet so I'll update from M& D's and auto releases will continue!

Thank you all for your prayers and thoughts...Lord knows what could have happened if we hadn't been getting all those prayers, I shudder to think!!!

Funny Photo Day!

That poor motorcycle!

Wanna show me one, leave your link!

Weird Facts

93% of all greeting cards are purchased by women.

Wednesday's photo

Awe!

For Fun

All I Really Need To Know I Learned from Noah and the Ark

1. Don't miss the boat.

2. Try to remember that we're all in the same boat.

3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark, you know.

4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone might ask you to do something REALLY big.

5. Don't listen to critics, just get on with what has to be done.

6. Build your future on high ground.

7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.

8. Two heads are better than one.

9. Speed isn't always an advantage; after all, the snails were on board with the cheetahs.

10. When you're stressed, try floating awhile.

11. Remember that the ark was built by amateurs; it was the Titanic that was built by professionals.

12. Remember that woodpeckers inside are a larger threat than storms outside.

13. No matter what the difficulty, trust in the Almighty: There'll be a rainbow at the end of the storm.

~Author Unknown

Just For Laughs

Due to the current economic situation, the light at the end of the tunnel will be turned off until further notice.

Laughter

Thank You for the joy of laughter
It eases all life’s stress
It helps to break down masks man made
And helps to heal disease
It brings together one and all
it makes each one feel equal
Its such a joy to laugh with friends
for laughter, Lord, I thank You.

Ecc 3:4
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Laughter is good for the soul. Medical science has found laughter to help the healing process. Laughter releases stress. At the end of a busy day I like to find something funny on TV to watch. That is becoming a hard task as what is considered funny is often offensive. The old sit-coms and some of the funny videos are now few and far between. When I can’t find something on TV or in a book, I use my memory bank. There are many funny events in my life that still bring me to laughter as I think back on them. As I visualize Jesus walking down a road with His disciples, I can visualize them laughing together. Laughter is a strong united. It put everyone on equal footing and helps us drop our “guard.” So, whether you are alone or with someone or several someones, be sure you take time to laugh every day.

From my Mom's devotional Blog

Anecdotes

Renting apartment

A large family, with seven children, moved to a new city. They were having a difficult time finding an apartment to live in. Many apartments were large enough, but the landlords objected to the large family. After several days of searching, the father asked the mother to take the four younger children to visit the cemetery, while he took the older three to find an apartment. After they looked most of the morning, they found a place that was just right.

Then the landlord asked the usual question:"How many children do you have?"

The father answered with a deep sigh, "Seven...but four are with their dear mother in the cemetery."

The landlord, feeling sympathetic towards the man's situation, rented the apartment to him.

On Our Way

We are on our way to Texas!! I need to pack my computer dear friends! I'm seriously going to go thru withdrawals!!!!! Internet friends and IM buddies....I shall return ASAP!!!! I hope! I'll be checking in at Mom & Dad's anyhow! Wish us luck!! :))

Weird Facts

Okay, I'm sure my regular reader all realize our lives are NUTS now we are moving TOMORROW and SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!! Geez I'm NOT ready! (Insert Large Sigh Here)

Our family of Eight will be residing in the Houston area of Texas! I'll be Texas Tammy! I suppose I was a Texas adoptee during my stay at Baylor University more moons ago than I care to admit!

To not completely let my blog go to the goats, I've set up some posts to keep you entertained in my hecticness!!

Keep our progress, finances and especially safety in your prayers please!!

God Bless Y'all!!

An office desk has 400 times more bacteria than a toilet.

Anecdotes

Turkey problems

A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but couldn't find one big enough for her family.

She asked a stock boy, "Do these turkeys get any bigger?"

The stock boy replied, "No, ma'am, they are dead."

Just a Thought

Words, once spoken can never be recalled.

She's Growing Up!

Guess who mastered the art of pedaling???

For more great photos click for these fine sites:

Boys!

Boys sure are filthy aren't they? Especially my 9yo!

Like his orange hair? My sister, Debbie, sent the kids

colored hair spray and glitter spray for Christmas.

Hey this was AFTER about 10 washings!!!

Even the poor dogs head is orange!!

Garit is Twelve now

He looks thrilled doesn't he????

A HOUSE

YAY!!!!! We have a place to move to!!!!! My parents found us a rental home on I believe 7 acres and a four bedroom! Yippee for Josh!! ;) I'm SO excited now. I was dreading moving everything into storage just to move it yet again! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! and THANK YOU MOM & DAD!!!!