Rus and his two wheeler

Russell riding his bike last summer. He got on it Thursday night for a while for the first time this spring. Mama use to sit on the back steps and watch him ride. A lot of times I'm usually on the four wheeler riding with him through the field behind the house.

He has enjoyed his bike so much. He wanted us to haul his down to the OBX this past weekend and enter it into a contest. We aren't aware of any contests that we could put his bike in but are still looking for the possibility of him being able to enter his and receive an award.

He told me that when he was riding Thursday night he was singing "Born to be Wild". Our up and coming biker!

OBX Bike Week Video

More info on Russell's field trip. They went to Nauticus: The National Maritime Museum and the Victory Tour Boat in Norfolk. Can't wait to hear more about it when he comes home tomorrow.

Back to work tomorrow...... Weekends just go by too fast.

The hymn sing is at Rockfish Valley Baptist Church next Saturday 2-5 with a meal afterwards. Maybe I'll see some of you there.

Outer Banks Bike Week 2008

We ventured to the Outer Banks on Friday to head down for the 2008 OBX Bike Week. We got down here around noon on Friday and it has been a beautiful two days. We rode the bikes yesterday and today. This is the first time I remember being at the OBX Bike Week and the weather being so beautiful. It's usually cold and rainy. We both got a little sun today. We remembered to put sun screen on our face but completely forgot about our arms. Ouch! (more so for me than for Chris) There were lots of vendors which we have checked out. We rode down to Sound Park and parked the bikes so the sound was behind them and took pictures. Today we walked down to the beach for a while. I've created a short movie clip of the beach and sound and I'll post that later. I'm experiencing some technical problems trying to upload it tonight.

For now I'll post a picture taken on the sound that I used a cartoon effect on.

Russell went on a field trip Friday to Norfolk. They left at 6:30AM and were scheduled to get back at 8:30PM but didn't get back till 9:30. He told me he fell asleep on the bus on the way home. I'm sure he was tired. He was up off and on Thursday night in anticipation of the trip.



We have picked up a few pirate things for him and he was telling me he had gotten something for me in Norfolk but I'd have to wait till Monday when he got home from school to see what it was. He is with his Dad this weekend.

Our next schedule bike event will be the Hog Rally in Fredericksburg. The three of us will go up for the day.



Thanks to Nett and Mike for letting us stay at their place while in NC!

Mama

I was reading some passages in Proverbs and saw this one below.

The time came for Mama to rejoice and I'm sure that she is doing so! She had strength and honour in all she did. Although I know there were times when she felt she didn't have strength to go on she always persevered and outwardly showed her strength and honour.

Proverbs 31:25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

Things Children Say

Isn't it something? - The things that kids can say and just touch your heart so?

This weekend, Russell said so many things that touched my heart. He asked me... "Do you know what the best part about Granny was? She died a Christian" Isn't that something? He will also tell me he knows he will see her again in heaven. In my birthday card he wrote "Mom, I know this is a sorrowful time but today is about you so put the bad times behind you." Saturday was an emotional time for me. I could always count on Mama to call me first thing on my birthday and I missed not having that. Last year she made me a lemon meringue pie so I had a slice of one when we went out to eat Friday night. I was thinking about those memories (along with others) and a few tears made their way down my cheeks. Russell asked me what was wrong and told me to tell him so we could pray about it. He tells me this as he puts his arm around my waist and hugs me walking through the parking lot to go into Walmart on Saturday.

I filled up the bird feeders over the weekend and we watched birds yesterday. We had gold finches for the first time and also a chickadee. Also had two adult blue jays along with a young one, some wrens, swallows and a few robins. At one time there were 6-7 gold finches trying to perch on the feeder to get seed with 3-4 waiting in the branches of the tree. By the time I remembered to get the camera most of them had flown away. I took pictures and have posted them below. I couldn't zoom in as close as I wanted when I was taking the pictures and tried to zoom in on the actual pictures but the pictures don't show just how pretty the birds were. Of course we had starlings too but I tried to chase them away. They are so mean to the other birds.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday. Started the celebrations early. Judy took me out to lunch on Thursday to Millmont Grill. I'd never been there before and we enjoyed ourselves. Lorrie and Ray took me to Ruby Tuesday's on Friday and we had a great lunch. Last night Chris took me to Old School House Restaurant and it was sooo good. When we got back Russell gave me my gift and card. He had gotten a bag of bird seed and then got a CD that had "Will the Circle be Unbroken" on it. He got a really nice card that he had written the following in. "Mom, I know this is a sorrowful time but today is about you so put the bad times behind you. Russell" And he told me he wanted me to have a CD with the song on it that I sang at Granny's funeral. Christopher called me earlier to wish me a happy birthday. I have lots of cards, phone calls and e-mails sending me birthday wishes.



This morning Russell and I met others at the church today to pick up trash along route 151. We got there about 8 and worked till 9:30. Then he and I went to Waynesboro to pick up some certificates that had been donated for the Afton Christian School auction and then got a bite to eat before heading home.



Now it's time to wash clothes and clean house! Fun, fun, fun!

Back to work tomorrow!

Back to work tomorrow after a quick two days off.

Yesterday we had landscaping day at Church of the Blue Ridge so was there at 8AM. It was a beautiful day for being outside. Worked till 11 and then drove to Waynesboro to see Christopher. Missed seeing him - they were in Harrisonburg but talked to him on the phone later in the day. Also saw them today and kept Justice for several hours while Christopher and Ashlen helped his friend, Travis, work on a shed.

We met at mom's house after church today to write thank you's to the many people that were there for us in various ways during the loss of mama. It is still so hard to believe that she is gone. We all miss her very much.

I made New York Strip, mashed potatoes and rolls for supper. I used my new non-stick griddle pan to cook the steaks. They turned out nice. (no pictures this time)

Keep Lisa in your prayers for tomorrow. She is having some surgery and will be out of work all week.

Chris finished up the customizing he has been doing on a friends bike. He now has to wash and clean it up. It looks very nice. Perhaps I'll get a picture of it before he takes it to Glen.

Russell will be home tomorrow after being with his Dad over the weekend. He will be with us this weekend. We are planning on cleaning out his closet on Saturday. We also have trash pick-up along the highway at Church of the Blue Ridge on Saturday morning at 8AM. We'll probably get started on his closet but doubt that we will finish it up. He has a lot of stuff in there!

Hope to have a yard sale in a few weeks. Steadily gather things together for the yard sale.

Hope everyone has a good week!

Beautiful Pork Chops!

I fixed pork chops for supper tonight and they browned so nicely that I took a picture of them. We had mashed potatoes, peas and biscuits. It was all really good.

Still have my cold/allergy thing going on. It will have been with me a week this Friday.

Biker Toads!

I found these cute garden toads on sale today when Judy and I went out at lunch. I couldn't resist them. I got one for each of us. Russell wanted to put his in his room instead of the garden. The other two are out by the driveway where the sweet peas will be blooming soon. Next time you are at the house please check them out!

Mr. and Mrs Toad - if you are reading this --- you should check out the garden toads that are on sale at K-Mart.


Still have my cold or whatever is happening with me. Still on meds and able to breath at night and thankful for that.


Will be leaving work early tomorrow to go to lunch with my friend Heather from Fredericksburg. She has an appointment in Charlottesville tomorrow morning and then we are going to spend the afternoon together. We haven't seen each other since our wedding in May 2006. Looking forward to seeing her.

Baby Pictures

These pictures were taken of Justice on the night of Russell's school Easter Program.

What a cute smile. See those teeth!

Being held by Lisa

I've caught a bug of some sort! All sorts of stuff going on - stuffy nose, runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing, little bit of a cough and headache. I went to the pharmacy today to pick up something and after talking to the pharmacist decided on Coricidin because of my blood pressure. She said people with high blood pressure should stay away from all decongestants. Also taking ibuprofen for my headache. Hopefully this won't last long.

We were supposed to pick up trash along 151 for Church of the Blue Ridge this morning but it was re-scheduled until April 19th. Since the trash pick-up was cancelled I called Melissa last night to let her know I could go with Judy and her to Richmond. I wasn't feeling very bad last night but when I got up this morning I knew I needed to stay at home and get some rest. The weather forecast called for rain today and I didn't think I needed to be out in it feeling the way I do.

Linda and Dale are on their way home from the airport after their trip to Florida. Glad they had a good trip.

Church landscaping and cleanup day is scheduled for next Saturday at Church of the Blue Ridge.

Russell is with his Dad this week. I moved the furniture around in his room when I was off the week of the 24th and he liked it. I put a lot of stuff in his closet and told him that we needed to go through and throw things away the next weekend that he is with me (which will be the weekend of the 18th) He did a great job of keeping his room clean and picked up this week. I hope he continues with that! We put a bookcase in his room and that helps to get his books, magazines and memorabilia organized.

With warmer weather coming I am planning on having a yard sale soon. I've been gathering things for a yard sale for a while now. What doesn't end up being sold will go to Good Will.

Guess that's all for now!

Found this picture that I have to post. Couldn't resist. Your job is to guess whose feet these are!

90 Minutes in Heaven

I purchased this book on Monday and finished it up tonight. It's about a man (Don Piper) that was involved in a terrible car accident when he was 38 years old. He speaks of his experience. He died and went to heaven only to be returned. His mental and internal organs were unharmed but his body took quite a beating. I read it every night - hard to put it down.

In one area of it he talks about losing someone to death. He made a statement...

CAN YOU LOSE SOMEONE IF YOU KNOW WHERE THEY ARE?

I feel that way with the death of mama. I know where she is and that we will see her again. I know some people don't understand when I tell them that my heart is not heavy but that's the way I feel. It doesn't mean that I don't miss her and go to pick up the phone to call her and see and hear things that I'll say I want to tell her about. It's a peace that passes all understanding. I keep waiting, wondering if I'm in shock and it just hasn't hit me but I don't think that is it at all. I have my emotional times but I always come back to knowing where she is and knowing that I will see her again.

I had to take Russell for a doctor's appointment today and the office is across the road from the hospital. The appointment was a two o'clock. Just about the time we had gotten to the hospital two weeks ago when the ambulance took mama over. We had to wait on the doctor because he had to be at the hospital for a C-section. We were told that it would be about 15 minutes. It turned into a little more than an hour. Turns out there were complications with getting the baby to breathe. I just pondered.... two weeks ago mama was there fighting for her life just as this little one was fighting for it's life. God worked a miracle on the little one with the help of some angels here on earth. God was also good to mama. No suffering no (or minimal) pain. God is good.


He was afraid and said "how awsome is this Place? This is none other than the House of God; this is the gate of heaven." Genesis 28:17

Mama is in a beautiful place with her loved ones, patiently waiting on other loved ones to arrive.