Well, I have officially signed off of my facebook account. I enjoyed seeing all my friends and family in photos etc. The games and all are a bit irritating and not needed. However, I chose to end my account for a far more practical reason. Our daughter's computer was infected with wicked virus via FB to the tune of 200.00 to have removed by Geek Squad. Jenn studies hard and I would feel terrible if she lost valuable documents due to my being all-hip and being on facebook. Alas, I will depend on the good old email and family updates to see my folks. I love to see photos of my loved ones and hope to get some in email. Back into my non-techno shell I crawl, peacefully! Looking for Spring, ~B~

Would love to write more

I hope to get to bloggin' a bit more in 2010. I love keeping my personal written journal, I just can't seem to get to my blog as often as I would like to. The perils of the forty hour worker- wife-mom I suppose. That coupled with the fact that the reason I can't write about my life, is that I am busy living it. (as it should be)
Always a writer,
~B~

WOW! Where has the time gone? Dance 2010

Steve and his lovely date enjoyed a group outing to dinner before the Tallmadge High School Sweetheart Dance....we've had the pleasure of watching all of these boys grow into fine young men. A good time was had by all!

Cate and Daddy go Trick or Treatin'

For Daddy Eric and Cate on a very special date:

Daddy and I went trick or treatin',

now it is time for some candy eatin'!

we saw the neighbors and spent time just meetin',

when Daddy and I went trick or treatin'.

My Elmo bucket was overflowin',

we didn't get lost,

cause Daddies ALWAYS know where they're goin'.

I got a little tired,

so towards home we started beatin',

after Daddy and I,

got finished trick or treatin'.

Mommy met us at the door

we couldn't of asked for a sweeter greetin',

now we will share what we collected.

when Daddy and I went trick or treatin'.

Another joy of toddler time!

(disclaimer, yes I will finish my Jenn story at another time, but I wanted to post my little poem and a picture of the "greatest" Great niece anyone could be blessed with)

to Cate:

I'm sure Mommy and Daddy,

would prefer that I be neater,

but there's nothing quite as good,

as mash potatoes off the beater!

You see, I am a toddler,

therefore life could not be sweeter,

especially when I'm tastin',

mash potatoes off the beater!

(a poem by Aunt B for Cate)

Memories that Make a Difference

Oh my good goodness.."time flys when you're having none!" as in I have NO time of late. Since the notorious "dry hurricane," (official weather term) of 9/14/08, I have been on the 40/20 schedule. 40 hours at the paid job, and 20 on the home front.

The space between (sorry DMB) has been filled with a great Tallmadge Football season that carried us on to the regional and at which point we were upset by the Knights of Archbishop Hoban...bladda blah! enough said (-: Steve has now transitioned directly into basketball and @ 225.oo worth of team shoes! And I wonder why Wally-Mart is a Mom's best friend for her own wardrobe needs. Alas, this too shall pass, and I shall be sad when my big ol' fella isn't out there suited up for my Friday night dates with Dad. (I do fear Mac-Daddy will burst with pride one day while watching Big Dog work it on field or court accordingly!)

Sister Jenn is no less busy. All things UA agree with her. She has had such an awesome spiritual growth due to her involvement with Campus Focus that is underwritten by The Chapel at Akron. A few weeks back she did a small group mission trip to Zanesville to help paint for the elderly. Over break the entire campus focus will be heading way south (West Palm Beach FL) for LA'08 (latitude adjustment) for some follow-up post Katrina mission work. One need not ask how this middle-age Mother of all hormones is coping with the launching of my precious firstborn. I smile and hug and pray for her safety and then, when the song is right or the "happy" hormones take flight, very much in private the tears come, or as bratty-boy-brother likes to say..."duck and cover incoming hormones!" Twenty Novembers ago, early and eager to find out what the "at home" test had to say and not even knowing (but God above did) whom our baby would be, I prayed over that positive result and surrendered her life back to the Lord. A dedication that would be affirmed a mere two months into Jenn's life.

During a routine check up at 8 weeks, one of the group of Dr's we were with very casually presents me with a piece of yellow paper that came to him via The Christ Hospital. With zero to no emotion and/or empathy he informs me that the post-partum first diaper check of 6lb 5 oz baby Jennifer had an elevated protein content which could be indicative of Cystic Fibrosis. (even now it crushes my heart at the thought) And then he goes right back to chatting this and that and how they need to test her at Children's hospital and call....of course I just needed to take my little dumpling and run out of there asap. I managed a quivering smile and drove the 2 miles back home.

Just across Anderson Twp., a joyous event had brought Grannie Shook to stay with my sister and her new Baby , cousin Catherine @ 6-8 weeks younger than Jenn. I called over and Aunt Amy asked about Jenn's appointment.."ok I replied, can I talk to Mom? and then the child-like emotional collapse, (think not crying until you see Mom after you would get hurt) began. Always the positive thinker, Grannie tried to eschew my fears, but to no avail I had just retired from 8 years in the medical field and understood exactly what the potential was for Jenn's future if in fact the result was positive for CF.

The test was to be done on 9/28/89. I know and remember the date always as it is the wedding anniversary of a friend I've known since 3rd grade and Jenn wore the little yellow play suit that Debbie gave her to her test that morning. The observable miracle took place the Sunday night prior to her test. Rob and I were attending Mt Carmel Baptist Church in Kenwood OH at the time. We had gone to evening services to see our nephew Brad in a performance. Rob's Mom (Nana) was the cog in the wheel that kept the entire pre-school dept. running smoothly. She also enjoyed having her own grand baby young-uns around her in the nursery as an added bonus. Following the close of the service, Nana brought infant baby Jenn out into the sanctuary and right there, center of the aisle, Brother Joe Crumpler, huddled us around and cradled her perfect little round head in is God blessed hands and prayed a simple and yet so VERY profound prayer over her and her health and God's will to be done, and off we went. Which, is also what I must do for now....chapter two of Memories that Make a Difference will be posted asap.

Blessings one and all, ~B~

When the Lights go OUT in the City

Sorry Journey, but we have just had power restored after 5, count them, 5 days without!!! At 2:20 am this morning.....lights and more lights came on! I will blog a bit more about the week not for the weak later. As of 6:15 this morning, Chez Mc is a bit of a war zone due to the lack of light and electric to do ANYTHING! oops, I promised I would not rant anymore about the whole ordeal. So, moving on. The remainder of this month looks to be fab. Family visits, football, cool ,clear and SUNNY weather! The Lord is so good to us all! And oh yes, I will see my G-baby (great niece baby) Cate next weekend and I miss her chubby cheeks like mad!!!!!! Peace out and about. ~B~