We're blessed!

Has it really been 3 months?

2009-09-02T23:34:00.002-05:00

i can't believe it has been 3 months since i posted. i have been all wrapped up in facebook, i have just let my blog go. shame on me!!!!
a lot has happened in the last 3 months, some good and some not so good. but God has been there with us through it all.
my sister Gay, died, then my nephew died, and just last week i had a cousin to die. i just pray they all knew the Lord.
madisyn is a sophmore this year at Pendleton Heights High School. She is taking spanish, french, english, geometry and biology this trimester. she studies hard and is determined to make good grades. we are so proud of her. she has made several friends and meets them every morning before classes start to have prayer. she is not shy when it comes to speaking about Jesus....
this weekend (labor day) we are going camping with friends and family. on monday we will come home, and monday night we will visit dustin.
last sunday dustin got baptized. that just thrilled us all. he is doing very well and we are very proud of him.

Went to see Dustin

2009-06-06T18:24:00.003-05:00

Brit stayed all night Thursday and Friday and went with Madisyn and I to see Dustin today. Wayne had to work and couldn't go with us. It was a long day, but well worth it.
Please pray for Dustin. Anyone that can and will, please write to him and send him words of encouragement and hope. He found a Daily Bread booklet and is reading through the Bible. He reads daily and is already quarter of the way through it. I want to thank everyone that has prayed for Dustin and all of our family, this is not easy on anyone. God bless you all.

He is being moved to Plainfield soon, but till he is moved his address is:

Westville Correctional Facility
Dustin Wayne Shepler 198634
5501 S. 1100 W.
Westville, IN 46391

Aaron's and his RC boat

2009-05-22T19:43:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture of our son, Aaron and his boat.

Anyone that knows Aaron, knows he is very creative. This is one of the things Imost admire about him. He has the 'gift' of making something from nothing.

He had gotten this remote control boat shell. Well, he put a weed eater motor on it, put all kinds of gadgets and switches on it too. Today, he painted it and air brush painted flames on it. After Wayne went and saw it, he came home and told me I just had to go see what he had done from nothing. It is just beautiful and we are so proud of him. What do you think??

Grandparents day with Megan

2009-05-13T23:01:00.003-05:00

Wayne and I went to school with Megan for grandparents day. We did a craft, math game, Megan read us a book and she gave us a tour of the school. We then had lunch with her in her classroom (it was too muddy outside). We had such a good time and loved every minute of it.

Megan with her teacher and assistant

Megan and Nana

Megan and Papaw

Madisyn and her prayer group!!

2009-04-28T23:09:00.004-05:00

These are pictures of Madisyn and the group she prays with every morning before school. She asked God to send special friends that He would choose for her.... and He did!

Thank you God!

2009-04-23T14:01:00.005-05:00

As most of you know, Madisyn has been praying for a good godly friend. This has been her desire for almost a year now. She has met some girls from school, but when they are around others, they talk bad or do something not good. Madisyn would go to lunch, put her food on the table and go to get a drink only to come back and her food be moved. She has been so hurt, and being her mom, it crushes me. It was coming down to me going and punching someone or GIVE IT TO GOD. I guess you know what i did. Madisyn has requested prayer at church and at our monthly meetings. I thank God for caring friends that have prayed for her.
Well, today I picked her up at school and she was so happy. She got in the car and told me this was her best day ever. She sais she was in the lunch room and these 3 girls that she had never seen before came up to her. One said, you are Madisyn aren't you? Madisyn said yes and this girl said someone had told her about her. These girls invited her to eat with them and were very nice to her. They were talking to her and asking her about Haiti and how she liked it here. Madisyn said she was happy but wanted to have a real friend. They asked her what she meant. She told them she wanted godly friends with high morals, no matter who is around. They all looked at each other and said they were Christians and they meet every morning before class in the auditoriam for prayer. They invited her to join them starting tomorrow. Madisyn said she went to the restroom and said Lord, if this is You,,,thank You so much.
I haven't stopped crying and thanking Jesus, not only for Madisyn meeting good kids, but for friends and family that have prayed and believed for her life to be blessed.

Grandparent's Day w/Kiara

2009-04-17T21:57:00.004-05:00

Kiara and friend Lauren
Kiara happy Nana is there

Kiara and Mrs Bettis

kiara with flower pot

Teacher reading story

Kiara and I had a great time today. She took me a tour of her school....library, gym, book fair, etc. The teacher read a book to the class, the kids introduced who their guest was, and we planted seeds in a little flower pot that we decorated together. Sooooo much fun. Thank you Kiara for making it a fun Nana-Kiara day!! I love you little angel!

Grandparents Day with Kiara

2009-04-16T21:09:00.002-05:00

So excited about tomorrow morning. I am going to school with Kiara for grandparents day. When we are finished, Kiara and I are going to pick up Karleigh at her school, and I will take them home. I hope to have pictures posted tomorrow night of our big day!!

2009-04-09T15:47:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow Wayne and I are driving up to see Dustin. So far, I am the only one approved, but we are praying Wayne's approval will be there tomorrow. If not, he will have to sit in the car and wait while I visit. More than anything, I want Lori to be able to go and see him soon. There was a mistake on their application and it had to be sent in again. Please pray she gets to see him soon.

Today Wayne and I worked on our yard while Madisyn was at school. It's starting to shape up, but we still have a lot of work to do.

Yesterday Madisyn got her hair done. It really looks cute and she just loves it. It is supposed to last 3 months, I pray it does as it is so expensive.

Oh happy day!!

2009-03-29T22:19:00.003-05:00

Yesterday I was able to go and visit with Dustin. As soon as I saw him I started to cry, then when it was time to leave we were both in tears. We had a 3 hour visit and now I can't wait till we see him again. He looked good and seemed in good spirits. He seems to be closer to God and for that I am thankful. He misses 'home and family' so much. We all miss him too and can't wait till he is home with us again.

Megan, Katie and "Flower"

2009-03-22T22:03:00.003-05:00

Here are 2 of our little granddaughters, Megan and Katie. These 2 little 'angels' belong to our son, Aaron and his wife, Sharon. The girls were at their other grandparents house over the weekend. Sharon's dad has a new baby calf the girls have proudly named, 'Flower'

Happy Birthday Lori (sorry the post is late)

2009-03-12T12:43:00.002-05:00

I have been so busy lately i neglected to wish my daughter, Lori, a very happy birthday. She turned 42 on Monday, March 10.

Lori, I love you so much and I thank God for you. I only wish some of your organizing skills would rub off on your mother.

Blessings to you always.

Road to recovery

2009-03-12T12:37:00.002-05:00

Wayne is doing great since his surgery. Today they took the staples out and he had therapy for the 3rd time this week. He was also released to drive & i thought he would be so anxious to get behind the wheel. he said he didn't want to drive quite yet, i think he is enjoying be driven around. he was so happy to finally get those support hose off.
as of this morning he has lost 39 pounds since his surgery, and he is starting to get some of his energy back.
We want to thank all of you that have prayed, sent cards, visited and phoned. Most of all we want to say a big THANK YOU JESUS!!

Thank You Jesus...again and again

2009-03-05T22:54:00.003-05:00

Wayne had knee replacement surgery last week and he has done wonderful, Thank You Jesus!
I woke up a couple of days ago sick with the flu. Lori and her girls have been sick and so has Sharon and the girls. All this has been weighing heavily on me. Things can't get any worse, right? Wrong!
Dustin got transferred to a prison three hours away and it makes me so worried for him. The enemy TRIED, i did say tried to play with my mind and put fear on me, then i remembered something wonderful.................. God has NOT given me the spirit of fear and He will take care of Dustin no matter where he goes. What a relief, knowing His Dad has him.
We haven't seen Dustin since January and miss him so much. We were hoping to see him within the next week or two. We sent our applications in and are waiting for approval. I called today and found out that it takes 2 months to be approved.......the bottom TRIED to drop out again. I felt physically ill when the phone rang. A dear friend (Rob) called to see how we were doing. I am usually a very upbeat person. I had just gotten the worse news i could imagine when he called. I answered and he said Georgi? I said oh hi Rob. He said what is wrong, is it about Dustin? I told him what i had heard and he let me know he and Angie would be praying for us. We hung up. The phone then rang again and it was Dustin calling. When i heard his voice i just cried and cried. He kept saying Nana are you okay? He must have thought wayne died during surgery or something. He sounded good and very strong in the Lord, I knew prayers were going up for us. when we hung up the doorbell rang...it was Rob. He said he just felt led to come and pray with us. oh my goodness, God is so good!!! I want to thank God now for all the friends he has placed in my life. Thank you Rob.... Now you think that is it for the bad and good stuff right? what more could happen?
i received an email from another dear dear friend that hears God. she said she had listened to kim clement and was listening to the cd coming home from work and had to repeat it twice to be sure of what he said : "some of you out there have a loved one behind bars and I tell you this, God is going to use them to roll back the gates of hell" .( When i read this i just lost it completely.)
I desire to have Him just take all of my flesh and Him just flow through me... This is a tough walk for :"God's Kids" all of us at this time.. He is purging us so he can flow through us freely.. and He is taking the most precious to our hearts and doing this, but at the same time He also is working on Dustin. Thank you Charlotte.
If any of you feel led to write to Dustin to encourage him in the Lord please do. you cannot send him anything but letters and pictures (no copies) no extra paper or stamps. His address is:

Westville Correctional Facility
Dustin Wayne Shepler #198634
5501 South 1100 West
Westville, IN 46391

My 2 guys need your prayers

2009-02-24T07:34:00.004-05:00

Please remember Wayne today in prayer. He is having knee replacement surgery at 1:30 in Anderson. He will probably be in the hospital for 2 or 3 days. He has had pain in his knee for over a year, now the past 6 months it has almost been unbearable. I pray he will have a speedy recovery and feel great for the summer.

Also, please remember Dustin in your prayers. Lori got a letter from him and he said that he is very depressed and misses everyone so much. Please pray he uses this time to draw closer to God

Happy Birthday Megan

2009-02-23T23:22:00.003-05:00

Here is our little 7 year old 'angel'. Megan is such a joy to have. She has such a tender heart and loves everyone. Seems like just yesterday she came into the world, now she is 7. I pray she draws close to Jesus as she grows up. She is a leader and could be such an influence on others, God can do mighty things through her.
We love you Megan...........HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Haitian Camp '09

2009-02-18T22:09:00.003-05:00

Last weekend Madisyn & I went to Lafayette for haitian camp. We picked Brit up at school and followed Lori and Spike. Wayne had to work and couldn't go with us this year. We all really missed him.

Brit, Madisyn and I shared a room. I was telling Madisyn that she and Brit would share a bed and I would have a bed to myself. If you see the picture you will see that all 4 of the little 'angels' hopped up in bed with me. We had adjoining rooms with Lori and Spike. As the girls went to sleep, one by one, Lori would take them back to their beds.

We had such a good time. Madisyn loved being with everyone and swimming!!!

Snow, snow, and more snow!!

2009-01-28T13:03:00.004-05:00

We woke up to over 10" of snow today and there was no school, needless to say, Madisyn was sooo happy to sleep in. She got up around 10:00, ate breakfast and started getting ready to go outside and play. She was so excited to get in the snow. She had said yesterday that when it snowed she wanted to make a 'snow guy', 'snow boy' or whatever you call it....she is so funny.

When she got outside she decided to wait a while to make her little snow friend, so she played with Dakota.

My Dad

2009-01-18T22:38:00.003-05:00

January 16 my dad would have been 93 years old.
Here is a picture of my dad. I thank God for him and the way he always loved and provided for me, my mom and sisters. Daddy went home to be with Jesus 2 years ago, so I know he is having a good time.
I miss and love you Dad and hope to see you soon!!

Shame on me!!!!!

2009-01-13T16:35:00.003-05:00

This is such a trying and busy time for our family right now. I forgot to blog a very special occasion. Last Friday, January 8, our little granddaughter Karleigh turned a big 5 years old! My how time flies. Seems like just yesterday she was just starting to to walk. I tease her cause she sounds just like Donald Duck when she talks. She is so precious and we love her so much. She is our little dress up diva......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KARLEIGH

Praise The Lord!!!

2009-01-12T17:36:00.003-05:00

Sunday morning Dustin re-dedicated his life to Jesus. We are all so proud of him. This Thursday, January 15, he goes to court for sentencing. Please pray for favor and ONLY God's Will to be done.
Dustin is our only grandson(9 granddaughters & 1 great granddaughter). We praise God for blessing us with him. All through his life (from birth) he has been so respectful and loving.
WE LOVE YOU DUSTY!!!

Beautiful sisters

2009-01-02T17:16:00.004-05:00

This morning Madisyn and I went and picked up her little sister, Loudnie. She is going to spend the night. We went to Crackel Barrel for lunch, then our daily run to Wal Mart. We stopped by the library and picked up some DVD's for the girls tonight.
They were in the kitchen doing some scrapbooking, so I grabbed the camera and they started posing!

Happy Birthday Mom

2008-12-17T23:29:00.005-05:00

I would like for you all to meet the best mother and grandma in the whole world, my mom. Her name is Ruby Fraser. Today she would have been 88 years old. She is spending her birthday in Heaven with Jesus. She died in 1989 and I miss her so much. I wish we could just have one more long talk again, one day we will. I thank God for my mom and the example she set for me. When she became a Christian, she was a 'fire ball' for Jesus till the day she went 'home'.
The desire of my heart is to be a soul winner and pleasing to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
I love and miss you mom and hope to see you soon!

What's going on?

2008-12-11T07:56:00.003-05:00

All I can say is I am glad God is in control and not me. I would kill somebody for sure!!!
Yesterday we all gathered together (around 30 friends and family), went to lunch then off to the courthouse. Dustin had so many there to show their love and support, we all so appreciate that.
Dustin went to 'check in' and was told that his lawyer had just called in 5 minutes before saying he was sick. We didn't know to laugh or cry, we were all in disbelief. This has been such a roller coaster ride for all of us, the not knowing is driving us nuts. I guess it is just a trying of our faith, Patience is being developed in all of us, that's for sure.
I do thank God for His goodness and mercy. As I was getting ready for the day yesterday I said," Oh this is gonna be a terrible day". The Lord let me know in a hurry that was not what I should be saying, let alone thinking. I immediately said, "Lord, I am sorry. It's gonna be a great day, cause You're in control". He spoke to me and said, "Do you trust me?". I said, "yes Lord, I do trust You and You alone in all things, most of all I trust you with my family". He goes before us and nothing is a surprise to Him. Do you realize what a comfort that is?
He goes before us, and He goes with us!!
I love You Jesus!!!

Dustin, we love you!

2008-12-09T22:53:00.004-05:00

This is our only grandson, Dustin. He also is our first grandchild. As a little boy he was always so good. Not once did Wayne or I ever have to spank him. When he did something he wasn't supposed to do, all we had to do was give him 'that look' and he would cry and ask us to please forgive him. He has always been so respectful to both of us, his parents, and everyone else. He has always been commited to Christ and was very active in church. I feel he always tried to 'fit in' at church with the other youth. It was there i am sorry to say that he fell into a deep hole with others that 'claimed' to be on fire for Jesus. The very ones that had a lot of people fooled.
Dustin commited a serious crime a few months ago and now is to be sentenced tomorrow afternoon. This has been a life changing ordeal for the whole family, but we are all standing by his side and letting him know we love him no matter what.
We are praying God's Will to be done and for Dustin to draw closer to God through this whole mess.
I am hanging on to the promises that all things work together for good to those that love God, that the seed of the righteous shall be delivered. because the Lord is Dustin's refuge and habitation no evil shall befall him-no accident will overtake him, neither shall any plague or calamity come near to him. Lord, You give Your angels charge over Dustin, to keep Dustin in all of his ways.
please pray for Dustin as if he were your child, grandchild, brother, nephew.
God bless you all.

Priceless photos

2008-11-30T23:57:00.003-05:00

Tonight Spike and Lori took the kids and they had their annual family picture taken. When Dustin came home here's what he had for us. Now tell me this isn't one of the most beautiful families you have ever seen....and so colorful!!! hehehe

Thanksgiving day!!!

2008-11-29T23:09:00.007-05:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving at Spike and Lori's new home. The house is beautiful and so big. The kitchen is a dream and I loved every minute of it. Just wish our son and his family could have been there. They were going to his wife's family this year but their little daughter, Katie, was sick and they weren't able to go.

Here are a few pics of the day.

Here are Lori and I the night before, preparing food for Thanksgiving dinner.

It's a memory I will cherish forever. Love you Lori.

Lori caught Wayne "checking" the sweet potatoes. He is holding the spoon in his hand. When he turned around Lori snapped the picture. He was caught red handed.

These pictures are priceless, that's all I can say.

Madisyn giving Ahnier a bath at Lori's. Looks like Ahnier is thinking, "are you sure you know what you are doing here"? hehehe

Here are the 3 little angels helping Nana by breaking bread for dressing the night before. Thank you girls, this is why the dressing tasted sooooo good!!

Little Ahnier just smiled and enjoyed the attention all day long.

We appriciate you, Dustin!

2008-11-18T16:31:00.008-05:00

Thank you Dustin!!!
He has been helping Madisyn with her Algebra (something Wayne and I know nothing about). Here they are after school tonight.
I really think he enjoys helping her.
I love you kids

Great weekend

2008-11-16T22:50:00.004-05:00

Wayne and Aaron took off Friday to go to southern Indiana for deer hunting season (season starts Saturday). This is something they do together every year. Well,

Aaron called Saturday evening and said that he had shot an albino deer. This is very rare and he couldn't have been happier. They took pictures, so when they get home I will post them.

I just talked to Wayne and he said he has seen several deer, but hasn't gotten that special buck yet. He has had doe's come close but is holding out for a buck. I think they are coming home tomorrow.

Friday, Madisyn and I painted the bathroom. We didn't get finished till about 3:00am. Saturday morning Dustin went to Noblesville to get a haircut and visit his parents. I went to a ladies meeting in Anderson. Oh I sure didn't want to get out of bed at 8:00am, but I did. .I just let Madisyn sleep, she was exhausted. I called her when the meeting was over and she was ready to shop when I got home. We headed for the mall then went to Crackel Barrel for lunch. When we got home we put the Christmas tree up and decorated the house. Another tireing day, but we did have fun.

Today we went to church and had a thanksgiving dinner afterward. Lori, Brit and Ahnier came.

Here are some pics Lori took yesterday and today.

Blessed day

2008-11-06T22:05:00.005-05:00

Here are the 3 of us today at Noah's funeral. It was such a blessed day just knowing Noah is now with Jesus and the rest of his family.
Aaron picked us up in his limo and we went in style. Madisyn was on cloud 9 riding in that limo....thanks Aaron!!

Here are Brit and Madisyn in the back of the limo. I had to keep reminding them they were at a funeral...not a parade. hehehe

Noah's 'home'

2008-11-04T22:10:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning my dear brother 'n law, Noah went home to be with Jesus. We will all miss him, but are so happy to know where he is, and to know we will all be together again. Thank You Jesus for the peace only You can give at a time like this.

Katie in High School??

2008-10-22T22:47:00.006-05:00

This week our little Katie has gone to school with Madisyn. They have both loved it. Madisyn has child developement class and this week the kids could bring a pre schooler in with them for 2 hours. Katie has colored, made a necklace, made cookies, etc. Here are just a few pics of the week.

Madisyn and Katie

Katie decorating cookies
Mrs Mangus (Madisyn's teacher) and some new friends from the class.

Look out....she's got wheels!!!

2008-10-13T11:48:00.007-05:00

We went to a birthday skating party with family and friends.
This was the first time Madisyn had ever been on skates ....TOOOOO FUNNY!!!!

Madisyn, Loudnie, and Ahnier.

The graceful one on the floor is Madisyn.........

Madisyn and Dustin
Madisyn and Brit

New Shepler home

2008-10-05T21:48:00.003-05:00

Today we were so blessed when Spike, Lori and their family showed up at church with us. After church we went out to eat then over to see their new home. They will be moved in within the next 3 weeks. This is a picture of the whole family on their new front porch. The house is soooo beautiful. I keep reminding myself not to covet or envy...just kidding, i couldn't be happier for them, they so deserve it.
love you kids!!!!

We love you sweetie!

2008-10-05T21:42:00.003-05:00

Here are a couple of pictures that Lori took of Madisyn today. They turned out so good, but look at the subject!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANGEL KATIE

2008-09-24T07:44:00.003-05:00

Sunday September 21 our precious little granddaughter, Katie turned 4 years old.
Happy Birthday, We love you Katie!!!

THANK YOU JESUS!!

2008-09-22T18:10:00.003-05:00

Madisyn started her first day of school in the US today. The teachers and staff were so good to her. She made about 3 new friends today and liked it very much. She came home exhausted. She is anxious to go to bed tonight, she has to get up at 6:00 and has to be to school by 7:15. Please continue to pray for her for favor and that her mind will retain all that she learns so that she can stay in the grade she is in.

PHHS here she comes!!!

2008-09-19T22:51:00.005-05:00

Today we enrolled Madisyn in school. I thought she would probably be in 6th or 7th grade. Since she is 15 we were told that they would rather her to be with her peers. Pendleton Heights High School is working with us to try to start her out there (as a freshman). She will have her first day Monday. She is very excited and we are too.
Please pray for her to have favor with the staff, teachers and the other students and for learning(understanding) to come easy for her. There are 2 students from New Guinea that she is going to be with. These students speak French and will be able to help her. Please pray for favor and that they bond right away. If by some chance High School is too much for her we will move her to middle school. We all just want God's perfect Will!!

God gives us strenth we need

2008-07-16T14:29:00.002-05:00

A son asked his father, 'Dad, will you take part in a marathon with me?'. The father who, despite having a heart condition, says 'Yes'. They went on to complete the marathon together. Father and son went on to join other marathons, the father always saying 'Yes' to his son's request of going through the race together. One day, the son asked his father, 'Dad, let's join the Iron man together.' To which, his father said 'Yes' too. For those who don't know, Ironman is the toughest triathlon ever. The race encompasses three endurance events of a 2.4 mile(3.86 kilometer) ocean swim, followed by a 112 mile (180.2kilometer) bike ride, and ending with a 26.2 mile (42.195kilometer) marathon run along the coast of the Big Island. Father and son went on to complete the race together. View this race at..... click on link below and prepare yourselves!

click here to view

BEAUTIFUL BRIT!!!!

2008-07-11T00:45:00.003-05:00

Brit turned 17 years old yesterday. (oh my goodness, i was married and had Lori at this age!)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIT
we are so proud of you. you are a great daughter, sister, neice, cousin etc.....
But, you are an AWESOME granddaughter!!!! we are so glad you belong to us.
Love you always

Oh Happy Day!!!

2008-06-29T17:35:00.005-05:00

Today was one of the best days that I have had in a long time. My brother in law, Noah, was baptized!!
He has been going through a lot of health problems and God has been dealing with him. A few months ago Noah gave his heart to Jesus and today he was baptized. Here are some pictures following the service.

oh these kids!!!!

2008-06-04T19:42:00.003-05:00

Dustin came running downstairs and told Madisyn he had something for her. She was pretty excited. Well, he had cut the sleeves out of his tee shirt and made 'hats' for them to wear.............
what we don't do for amusement around here!!!!! hehehe

Happy birthday to Sharon

2008-06-03T00:08:00.004-05:00

Megan and Katie stayed all night with us last Friday. We all had so much fun. The girls finally 'crashed' around 10:30 pm. On Saturday we got up and made Sharon (their mommy) birthday cards. Sharon's birthday was Saturday.

Happy Mother's Day...to me!!

2008-05-29T23:12:00.002-05:00

On Mother's day i was blessed to see all my kids. Aaron came by early and Lori came in the afternoon. Here is a picture of me with my beautiful girls.

How does your garden grow?

2008-05-19T20:41:00.006-05:00

Madisyn has been waiting for this moment since she came here in Febuary. We have been buying so many flowers and she loves it. We do to!!!

hail hail the gangs all here!!!

2008-05-19T00:24:00.004-05:00

We came home from church Sunday and Madisyn wanted to take pictures...so here they are!

THANK YOU GOD

2008-05-11T08:57:00.003-05:00

I just want to thank God for my life.... past, present and future.
He blessed me with the best mom in the world (Ruby Fraser). She was so special. We had a very close relationship and she was always there for me. She was not only my mom, but my friend as well. There were no 'awkward' moments between us, and the time we had together is priceless to me. She was also the best grandmother, cook etc in the world. Mom was beautiful, inside and out. Jesus was her Lord and Saviour, and she let everyone know it. Just knowing that she and my sister, Kay are with Him gives me such peace. Mom was such a reflection of God's love. I so desperately miss her, sometimes I feel my heart is going to break. Mother's Day is hard for me.
I LOVE BEING A MOM and God has blessed me with 3 great kids.

Lori- my firstborn is such a strength to me and is always there in a moments notice. I see our relationship growing into one I had with my mom and I love it.
I love you Lori!

Aaron- This kid keeps me laughing. He is always coming up with a new 'gadget' to make life a little easier. When I feel down, I just call Aaron.
I love you Aaron! Madisyn- She has only been here for 3 months and I wonder how I got along without her? Madisyn helps me with everything. She cooks & cleans even when I don't ask her to. She is free to give hugs and compliments. She would do without to help someone else.
I love you Madisyn!
It is odd but the one similarity in all 3 kids are their giving and caring spirit. This comes from Jesus., and for that I say THANK YOU LORD!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KIARA

2008-05-10T21:36:00.002-05:00

Today is a very special day...Why, you ask?? Well let me tell you. Today is Kiara's 6th birthday.
Madisyn and I got up and went to see Brittan in 2 programs at her school (she was awesome)!
We left the school and went to Logan's Roadhouse. They sang to Kiara and we all had a great time.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL....WE LOVE YOU!!

MY LITTLE ANGELS

2008-05-10T19:17:00.007-05:00

Tonight Madisyn and I watched Megan and Katie while Aaron and Sharon went out. Papaw has to work tomorrow so he went to bed early. The girls were so good and we had a great time together.
I love you girls sooooo much, you made the night special!!

It's finally spring!!!

2008-05-06T21:50:00.003-05:00

Wayne and Dustin worked all day. Madisyn and I had to clean the house, i made potato salad, deviled eggs, and we had some errands to run. Sharon always gets me brown eggs when she goes down south so i made the deviled eggs for her. Madisyn and i went and saw Megan and Katie today. When the guys got home from work we cooked hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill. I baked beans right before cooking the hamburgers.
After dinner Wayne went and got some black mulch for the flower beds. We all got busy and worked on the yard. My goodness, it does look good!
Dustin and Madisyn really got their hands dirty tonight.......
THANKS KIDS, WE LOVE YOU!
Tomorrow Madisyn is getting her hair done in the morning, then we are going to get some flowers to pretty things up around here.

Sisters reunion

2008-04-09T23:51:00.004-05:00

THANK YOU JESUS!

The special day has finally arrived. At 6:30 tonight we went to see Loudnie, Madisyn's little sister. At 1:30 today Madisyn started saying, "5 more hours and I get to see Loudnie". The countdown was on......4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour and finally it was time to leave. Madisyn loaded down with gifts to give to Loudnie.

When they first saw each other there wasn't a dry eye in the house.

Here was the scene:

2008-03-06T12:14:00.002-05:00

Madisyn was looking in the freezer last night (keep in mind that WE had already decided that we were having cold cut sandwiches, salad and pasta). she ask me if shc could cook some pork chops (oops, the 'easy' meal just went out the window!!! hehehe). she wanted to cook the chops herself. i put some potatoes on to cook and broccoli. i told her she could show me her way of cooking the chops. she was having a good time for sure. she is definately at home in the kitchen...YES!!!!!
she gets my dutch oven pan out and puts miracle whip, mustard, garlic powder & chicken boullion in the pan and mixes it all together (i was grossing out at this point!). i thawed the chops out for her. she then coated them with the 'mixture', and started cooking them on top of the stove. oddly enough, the more they cooked the better it smelled. after cooking till meat was very tender, i said,"oh, good the meat is done and so is the broccoli and i can now mash the potatoes". she just laughed and said, 'oh no...now i have to fry the meat' (i am thinking...isn't that what we just did?? but i know from experience, you don't argue with the cook!). she gets a skillet out and puts oil in it. she takes each chop out of the sauce mix and fries it till crispy. now it is time to eat.
once i tasted her 'chops' i couldn't believe it. one of the best chops i had ever tasted.
THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!
needless to say, wayne loves having 2 cooks in the house.

God is good!

2008-02-12T23:37:00.002-05:00

I am so sorry I haven't posted since Madisyn has come home, we have been so busy. Things are going very well, and Madisyn is adjusting just fine. I asked her last night so far what is best about America? Her answer: WAL-MART! Isn't that just too funny? She loves her room and is taking pictures of everything in it. She even opened her closet and dresser drawers and took pictures of the clothes.
Today, we washed and conditioned her hair. Lori came overthis afternoon and braided her hair. It looks so cute and she really likes it. A BIG THANK YOU to Lori for the 4 hours she put in today on her sister's hair.
Tonight for dinner I cooked pork chops. Madisyn cooked beans and rice and okra. I don't eat rice or okra but Wayne loved it. She was so happy.

She's coming home today!!!!!!

2008-02-04T01:08:00.000-05:00

Madisyn's visa came through on Friday. Wayne flew to Haiti on Saturday, and left to come home Sunday. They missed their flight in Miami due to the long process at immigration. Now they are due to land in Indy at 2:30 pm today (Monday). Wayne has some very funny stories to tell, so be prepared....He said he has some great blog material.....:)

I Am Blessed!!

2008-01-25T11:17:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to publicly say Thank You Jesus for blessing me with a wonderful husband of 42 years and 3 great kids. I also thank God for my son n law, Spike, and daughter n law (Sharon). They are perfect mates for my kids and I love them both.
Now as for my grandkids??? Well, there isn't enough room on this page to tell you how special they are to me. They are all my angels and I love them with all my heart.
The desire of my heart is that my whole family gives their hearts to the Lord and serves him forever.
Now, you can all see why I say I am blessed and highly favored of God!!

Wayne (My Hunk 'O Burnin' Love)
Lori Aaron
Madisyn

Sisters

2008-01-06T19:49:00.000-05:00

Here is a picture of Madisyn (right) and her 2 sisters, Anise (center) and Lowna (left). The 3 girls plus a brother, Hermane, all have the same mother. I believe Madisyn and Hermane have the same father but I will have to check with Licia on that.

Favorite grandson!!!!

2007-12-23T20:38:00.001-05:00

Wayne had to work this weekend and couldn't go to church with me this morning.
I got up, got ready and headed to church. When I got there I was talking to everyone. Sue told me to look behind me and there stood my handsome and favorite grandson, Dusty(of course he is my only grandson). You could have knocked me over with a feather. Everyone was thrilled to see him and I was excited and proud to have him there with me. When he was little Wayne used to hold him all through church. Once in a while he would climb over and sit on my lap. I was telling him that at church today and he said now I would have to climb on his lap....
Love you Dusty!!!!

What season are we in???

2007-12-15T14:34:00.001-05:00

Our granddaughter, Megan is 5 yrs old and in kindergarten. Well, this past week they have been learning about the different seasons. The teacher asked if anyone knew what season we are in right now, and Megan was eager to let them know.
When called upon she proudly announced ...DEER SEASON! Her daddy is an avid hunter, can you tell???
I am sure Aaron was thinking....'that's my girl'! hehehe

A week with 'ANGELS'

2007-12-08T23:29:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a few days, and the blog reporters have been letting me know it..........sorry!!!!

I spent the night at Lori's on Wednesday because I stayed with all 3 little girls on Thursday. Lori and Spike had to be out of town for the day. We had a lot of fun. We played dress up and went 'bear hunting' as Karleigh says, we even danced till poor ole' Nana was pooped!!! Brittan came home from school at 3:00 and I scooted out around 3:30.

Friday Wayne was off work so we ran all day. We headed to Indy to pick up his MRI film then to good ole' Wal-Mart. We ate lunch at Bob Evans in Noblesville then off to Anderson. Wayne took me to Sophie's, my favorite consignment store. while he took a little 'power nap'. I picked up some things for me and Madisyn.

Wayne went back to work today (Friday). I had already planned to spend the day cleaning house. This morning our 5 year old granddaughter Megan called. Her little sister Katie was at their other grandparents house so I asked if Megan could come and 'help' me today. Aaron brought her over and we had a great time. Megan ran the sweeper while i did laundry, dishes and dusted. We got this place looking pretty 'spiffey'. After the work we had a little puppet show in the dining room, had lunch and watched 'Barnyard' movie. We also took some pictures while she was here.

Our gauge is climbing

2007-11-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone, look at our gauge now.........it is going up, up, up. We are now over the half way mark. I believe in my heart that this is going to be totally paid for by the end of the year.
Please agree with me that the money just comes in.
Thank You, Jesus!!!

The great hunters!

2007-11-18T00:06:00.000-05:00

Wayne and Aaron left Friday to go to southern Indiana for their annual deer hunting weekend. I talked to Wayne today and he said they have seen a few deer, but haven't been close enough to shoot.
I thank God for them to be able to go together every year and spend some special father/son time together. They come back each year with the funniest stories, not many that I can write about though!!! :)
Hopefully when I talk to Wayne next time, at least one of them will have gotten a deer. Oh well, we'll see!!!

Back to blogging!

2007-11-17T23:19:00.001-05:00

I received an email from a dear friend (Lynn) wanting to know if everything is alright. She said she noticed I hadn't blogged in a few days. Then I got another email from her wanting to know what was up with us cause she also noticed Lori hasn't blogged in a few days either. I understand her concern cause Lori blogs very consistantly. We have both been so busy here lately and my 'puter has been 'sick'. My dear son in law came by the other night and fixed my 'puter and now it works!!!! THANK YOU SPIKE.
Lori has had lots to do lately since their house has been up for sale. She has to keep it up at a moments notice and most every Sunday they have open house.
We have got several coming for Thanksgiving this year and I am thrilled. I went the other day and got the turkey, sweet potatoes, etc getting ready for the big day. This year other than our kids and grandkids coming we are blessed to have Kyle, Angela, and their 3 kiddos. Next year we will have Madisyn here with us.

WE ARE OUT OF PARQUET!!!!

2007-11-13T22:24:00.001-05:00

We just got word that we are out of Parquet. We went in October 4 and just got out. We are now officially in Department of Justice (whatever that is). I have no idea what any of this means, but when I hear we are 'out' of something, I know that is reason for celebration. We are one step closer to getting Madisyn home.
I want to thank all of you that have supported us in ANY way. Just last night someone I didn't even know, sent $5 towards the adoption fees. She had seen Lori's blog and sent $5 through Pay Pal. God has such great kids!!!! :) I also know that there are so many that have been praying us through each step.
Thank you so much!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE II

2007-11-11T22:13:00.000-05:00

Today is my nephew, Mike's birthday. He is my sister's oldest child, I think he is 48. Makes me feel sooooo old. I remember how excited I was when he was born. I became an 'aunt' for the first time. I thought of his birthday last night but forgot to send him an email till just now. When he and his brother and sister were little they called me Aunt GiGi. I love them all dearly and pray God's blessings on all of them.
Happy Birthday Mike.... Aunt GiGi loves you!!!!

Gonna be a busy week

2007-11-11T22:03:00.000-05:00

I just got an email from a good friend, she told me she has checked out mine and Lori's blog, and that I am ahead....YES!!!!! I feel I am on a roll so I am going to blog tonight too.
Wayne had to work this weekend so he couldn't go to church with me today. We had a good service, then I came home and started fixing dinner. Roast, carrots & potatoes.
This week is going to be busy. Tomorrow morning I have to meet others at the church to decorate for Thanksgiving/Christmas. Wednesday Wayne has a doctor appt, Thursday is prayer meeting at my house, Friday, Wayne and Aaron leave to go deer hunting for the weekend.

Look Lori, I am blogging!!!!

2007-11-11T00:18:00.000-05:00

It has been 4 days since I last posted, so I am sure Lori will be checking. You have to know, she is like a blog detective. If I don't post for a few days, she is on the phone and even emailing me, telling me to get to it. I read her blog and laugh my head off. She is so funny.
There can be nothing sacred in our family, Lori blog's EVERYTHING about EVERYBODY. Now she is digging up dirt about my younger days, as she says, "when I was a rebel".
God has changed all that in me, now I pray she will find some 'good' things to say about her 'dear 'ol mom'.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOUDNIE

2007-11-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

Today is Miss Loudnie's 7th birthday. This is Madisyn's little sister. Isn't she adorable? This will be her last birthday in Haiti, she will be coming home to her parents soon. We will be at the airport to welcome you for sure!
We love you Loudnie and are anxious to be part of your life.
You are precious!!!

Beware: Blog Stalker

2007-11-04T22:27:00.000-05:00

I was going to try to sneak off to bed but Lori IM'd me and said, "Mom you need to blog tonight". She checks every one's blog every night...i think she is a 'blog stalker'. If you are not blogging a 'pink slip' may be on it's way from someone we all know and love.......................... soooo get to blogging or she will boot you from the blogging circuit!
Lori has such a big heart and she wants to fix the world. We need more people like her. When there is a need, she sinks in like a bulldog and won't let up till it is resolved. She gets this trait very honest, she is exactly like her dad. I wish i had more of this in me. The word CAN'T isn't in their vocabulary at all.
It is CAN and WILL...DO or DIE!!!
I love my family and wouldn't trade any of them for anyone in the world. God has truely blessed me and I thank Him for them. When Madisyn gets here she is going to fit right in.
Oh the stories that we can and will tell her!!!

Beautiful sisters!!!!

2007-11-02T23:53:00.000-05:00

Thank you Licia for these pictures of Madisyn and Loudnie, they are priceless. You captured them beautifully. I can just feel the love between the two of them. They will continue to be close when they come home. I am sure they will talk on the phone, spend the night with each other, go camping, family get togethers and such. Only God could have worked things out the way they are. I thank and praise Him daily for what He has done, is doing, and what He is going to do with all of us.

Grandparent's Day w/Kiara!!

2007-11-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

Today I went to Kiara's school for Grandparent's Day. We had such a good time. Wayne couldn't make it, cause he had to work. Kiara showed me around her school, we made a craft together, had snacks (Kiara got in line twice for this), then I took her home and passed out 'Nana Snacks' to all 3 little angels.

Here we 'grow' again!!!!!

2007-11-01T21:48:00.000-05:00

Take a look at our donation gauge.....isn't that great?
Wayne has been working some overtime to get this adoption paid for, so we are able to put $500 towards Madisyn coming home. Please pray that this amount will continue to climb till the whole amount is paid in full.
We want to thank all of you that have helped in any way towards this adoption going according to God's plan.

What a blessed week!!!!

2007-10-28T18:21:00.000-05:00

Lots of good things have been happening this week, and I praise my God for all of them.

As most of you know, we are in the process of adopting a 14 year old girl from Haiti. Her name is Madisyn Mirlande and we can't hardly wait for her to get home with us. The whole process takes sooooo long. We commited to her and started the paperwork Febuary 14, 2006. At first we were moving right along, then things started slowing down. A few weeks ago we came out of one step that we had been in for 7 months. We need 5 signatures in this step we are in right now, it is called, Parquet. We did hear this week that we have 2 signatures and need 3 more, I pray we get them this week. Then we will go into MOI, next, passport, then Visa and she will be ready to fly. We are so excited I think Wayne could fly without even getting on the plane..:)

Please pray she will be home soon and for God to give us favor.

Also, this weekend I went to a fall retreat at Clifty Falls State Park in Madison, In. What a time we had! I didn't get a count but I am sure there were around 200 or so people there. The Holy Spirit was moving and people were being touched, healed, delivered, and SAVED!!! it was awesome. Sue preached both services (Friday & Saturday). Here are just a couple of pics of the meetings.

What's going on??

2007-10-20T22:30:00.000-05:00

Well, first of all we had a plan for this weekend. We were going to go camping with our daughter and her husband and kids. We had asked our son and his family to go also, but they had other plans. Lori and Spike had plans to go out to dinner on Friday evening with Spike's mom and his sisters and brother and their spouses. Lori and Spike took their camper to the campgrounds on Thursday night so that on Friday they wouldn't have so much to do before they left for dinner. Wayne, Brit and I were going to be at the camper with the kids, and Lori and Spike would be back at the camper after their dinner. THAT WAS THE PLAN!!!
Lori Spike and the girls picked Brit up at school and headed to the campgrounds. Lori dropped Spike and Brit off at the camper so they could get things set up and Lori and the 3 little ones went to Wal Mart to pick up some groceries for the weekend. After Wayne got off of work he went to Aaron's to pick up our motor home. I had the Jeep loaded down with stuff we were taking. Wayne called me and he was stranded on the highway. Aaron went and him and Wayne checked it out and decided that it was the fuel pump that he had just put on needed adjusted. They tried to adjust it as good as they could in the few minutes they had. Well, Wayne finally got home and we were off to the campgrounds. About half way there it messed up again. We pulled over and Wayne adjusted again. It wasn't running good at all and we were both concerned. Wayne was getting a little 'testy' at this point. We went a little futher and then we pulled over again. Wayne came back to the Jeep and said, 'we're going home, the brake line just broke and i have no brakes'.
i called lori and she was at wal mart. she said she had just gotten a full cart of groceries and, before she had gone through the check out all the girls had to go potty. she pulls her full cart over and takes them to the bathroom. when she gets done she goes to get her cart and someone had taken it!!! now, i call and say we can't come. ohhhh noooo, this just can't be happening. she calls spike and he can't hardly believe it. he says they aren't staying either. they brought all the girls over to our house and we kept them all night.Here are some pictures of the little girls. i let them sleep under the dining room table(that was their tent for the night). the next morning dustin played with them on the floor.

this morning i fixed a big breakfast and lori and spike got to our house around 1:00. we all went out for lunch, wayne and i then took a long ride, went to wal mart and then back home.
WHAT A DAY!!!!

Grandparents Day with Megan

2007-10-18T18:54:00.000-05:00

Today was a great! This morning I got up and went to Megan's school at 8:45. It was grandparent's day and the class had a little program all planned. Wayne had to work so I went for both of us. The kids sang a song, we did a craft together and had refreshments. Megan showed me around her school, and introduced me to everyone, even if she didn't know them...she would say, "hey, I am Megan and this is my Nana, what is your name"? She is so precious and we had a wonderful time together.

What would I do without my grandkids?

2007-10-15T21:42:00.000-05:00

This is sure gonna be a busy week for me, but i am not complaining.
yesterday after i got home from church lori, spike and the girls came over for a while to visit. as soon as they left sharon brought megan and katie over. they stayed a couple of hours and we played and played. wayne has to work tomorrow so he had to get to bed early.
This morning i got up and did a couple loads of laundry, ran the sweeper and got ready for the day. I left home around 10:30am and headed for McDonald's for my diet coke and headed towards Noblesville. I went and picked Kiara up at school and headed to Lori's. Ruby was in school. Lori had a Dr appt so i was there to watch Kiara and Karleigh. Lori fixed the girl's lunch and said that i could lay them down for their nap after lunch. I asked her what time they HAD TO GO to bed and she just said 'oh, whenever'. i don't think she will say that to me again....
after the girls ate lunch i cracked out the snacks i brought with me. i had a bag of clothes i had gotten from freecycle and i was going through it. well, the girls decided we could all play 'dress-up'. that sounded like a fun thing to me, so we all played dress-up and prayed that spike wouldn't pop in unexpectedly. well, next we colored pictures, played with barbie's and pony's. finally we heard the garage door open.....oops
lori walked in and said 'what, they are still up?' i reminded her that she didn't give me a set time for their naps. i started getting ready to go and karleigh was waving by to lori. i had a wonderful time with them and can't wait to do it again. i think it is about time for lori and spike to take a vacation, then i can stay with all of them and spoil them rotten!!!

Special Thank You

2007-10-11T15:36:00.000-05:00

A friend of our daughter and son n law's just blessed us with $500. towards Madisyn's adoption. We want to thank him (he doesn't want us to use his name, but God knows) and let him know how grateful we are, this man doesn't even know us.
The other day we sold our treadmill for $200. That is going towards the adoption also. Our thermometer is going up, up, up.
We pray God will bless all that have supported us in any way.
We love you all!

A day with Nana

2007-10-10T20:43:00.001-05:00

Today was a fun day for Nana (me). Lori and Karleigh came by this morning while their house was being shown (it's for sale). Kiara and Ruby were in school. Aaron brought Katie by as she was going to spend the day with me. Karleigh and Katie loved playing together as they are not only cousins but 'good friends' and have a great time together. After Lori left (she had to get Kiara at school), Katie and I went to go and pick Megan up at school. When we got there the kids were all outside waiting to be picked up. Megan and her teacher came to the car and the teacher said Megan had been so excited. She said Megan got up and told the whole class that her Nana would be picking her up today. After getting her we went to McDonalds to get happy meals. They both chose to come back to our house and eat their meals and then play. We had so much fun.

Karleigh and Katie playing

Megan

What a blessed week!!!

2007-10-07T14:48:00.000-05:00

Oh my goodness, where do i begin? Just this week we have been blessed with Madisyn's papers moving up one step. We had been in for 6 months and felt like we were glued there. We saw others that went in after we did, come out and go into the next step. We were happy for them, but so dissapointed for ourselves. Now we are in a step called Parquet. We hear we will be in this for about 6 weeks, then move to another step.
This week we have had $200 donated toward the adoption. Today we went to church and Steve and Judy Richwine gave us a check for $100. I believe with all my heart this adoption will be completely paid in full by the time she gets home. Thank you all for making our dream to have her home possible. You are changing a young girls life, and I know you will be blessed by God!!!
At least we are moving closer and closer...Praise God!
We thank you all for your prayers and financial support.

Gift of love

2007-10-04T18:30:00.000-05:00

I can't hardly believe what is happening. Last night we heard that we were finally out of IBESR, then today, as i already posted, Charles and Lori from Haiti gave $25 towards Madisyn's adoption. Our daughter, Lori just phoned and said someone sent $50 to help bring Madisyn home. The person didn't even sign their name or give a return address. I pray that they read this blog so they will know how very much this is appriciated. I wish I could hug every one of you that have helped in any way. The $$, the prayers, everything....Thank you from the bottom of our hearts and GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!

Thank you - thank you - thank you

2007-10-04T11:46:00.000-05:00

My daughter, Lori, just phoned me and said, 'okay mom, scream'. after asking 'what'? several times and still being told to scream...i screamed. Lori then told me that she had just received $25 from Charles and Lori in Haiti towards Madisyn's adoption. I just can't hardly believe how God is doing all this. Thank you so much Charles and Lori, we love and appriciate you so much. Our total is climbing and climbing. I honestly believe this adoption will be paid in full by the time she gets home, and we have God's people to thank. We love you!!!

Hallelujah!!!!!

2007-10-03T20:36:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that we got out of IBESR today. We have been in there for 6 months and thought we would never get out. Now we are in Parquet. Lori said we would probably be in there for a month and a half or so. At least we are moving.....Thank You Jesus!!!
I just called Haiti and Wayne and I told Madisyn that we were out and Licia said she was grinning from ear to ear. I am so glad she is excited to come home. We can't hardly wait till she is here. I don't know if I will be able to sleep at all tonight.
We want to thank all of you that have been praying for us, we so appriciate all of you.

God bless you people!!!

2007-10-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

Last night there were 2 people that gave towards Madisyn's adoption. There is no amount too small, and every $1 will be used towards the adoption costs. I don't even know some people that have given, but I want you all to know we will be eternally grateful. You are helping to change someone's life.
God bless you all!!

Thank you Uncle Bob & Aunt Ruth'e

2007-10-02T14:43:00.001-05:00

I would like for all of you that read my blog to meet my Uncle Bob and Aunt Ruth'e.
Aunt Ruth'e is my mother's youngest sister. After my father passed away last year, my aunt and uncle went to the auction and purchased some things that belonged to my parents. Well, these precious two decided to give me some of the things they purchased (a few pictures and a Bible that my mother carried to church. there are even papers in there with her and dad's writing on them. mom had underlined some scriptures, notes from her Bible study, etc.)
Needless to say, these 'treasures' are priceless to me. As we were leaving, Aunt Ruth'e gave me a small envelope. when we got in the car i opened the envelope and there was $100 with a note saying it was for Madisyn's adoption. I would just like to say thank you and God bless you both.

WHAT TO DO??????

2007-09-30T18:28:00.000-05:00

Today, Wayne had to work so I went to church alone. We have been going to Faith Assembly for the past few weeks, but today I went back 'home' to our church in Charlottesville. The people there are our 'family' and it was so good to see them again. The only reason we have been going to Faith is because we thought maybe we should get into a church with a youth group for Madisyn. Please help us pray for direction from God.

Thank you Enoch & Licia

2007-09-28T15:33:00.000-05:00

God has blessed us yet again with 'angels'. Enoch and Licia sent us $25 towards Madisyn's adoption. Thank you so much for all your help, we love you all!!

Meet some angels

2007-09-24T19:07:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Wayne and I were discussing Christmas gifts for this year. As most of you know we are adopting Madisyn from Haiti. Finances has been very tough for us and we have been trusting God to provide. Seems like the more we pray the harder things get. Unexpected things come up and snatch away what we were saving. Well, after our granddaughter, Brit got an MP3 player for her birthday we thought Madisyn would love one as well. We went to Wal- Mart to put one in layaway and low and behold they said they have done away with layaways, can you imagine such a thing? That must be a sin. :) That was our only hope....we thought!

I was looking on freecycle one evening and guess what was offered? You got it, an MP3 player. There have been other things offered but seems like i am always too late. I went to the offer and asked if i could please have it if it wasn't taken. I explained that it was for Madisyn and we were adopting her from Haiti. I got an email stating that we could have it. Oh my goodness, i just couldn't believe it. The person that offered it told me that he and his wife were also adopting a second son from Japan. I pray that little guy gets home to them soon.

Well, I was going to go and pick it up, but the guy said that someone in his office lives in the same town I do, and he would ask him to drop it off at my house. This was just too much. Tonight, the co worker came by my house and gave me an envelope with the mp3 player in it. After he left I opened it up and it looks like new and to top it off....there was a $25 check in it with the memo saying, "bringing Madisyn home'. I feel that these people are angels that God sent to bless us and Madisyn. I went straight to my blog and added the $25 to our total. I thank God for all He has done and is doing.

Thank you Andy and Stephanie,

We love you Kyle and Heather!!

2007-09-23T21:31:00.001-05:00

This is my handsome nephew Kyle, and his beautiful wife, Heather. They came by to see us when they were in town over the weekend. They live in New Jersey. Kyle is my sister Kay's only child. Kay passed away in 1986. I miss her so much. She would be so proud of the man that Kyle is, and she would absolutely love Heather. We hope to see them in November for Thanksgiving.

Serious praying...........

2007-09-23T21:10:00.000-05:00

Madisyn Mirlande Goen

Okay now, we need to get down to some serious praying...
We desperately need Madisyn to come home. We went into IBESR March 28 and we are still there. Now that is just not right. I don't exactly know how many steps there are but we have been in this particular one far too long. We would love for her to come home before the weather gets too cold, as she is just not used to even 'cool' weather.
Her room is ready, and we are soooooo eager to get her home. When we get 'the call' Wayne is going to fly to Haiti and bring her home. What a glorious day that will be!

Homecoming Dance

2007-09-22T22:15:00.001-05:00

Here is our beautiful granddaughter, Brit. She is 16, and tonight went to her homecoming dance with some friends from school. Lori took these pics of her before she left. We love you Brit!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATIE!!!

2007-09-21T13:46:00.001-05:00

This little angel is Katie, Aaron and Sharon's youngest daughter. Today she is 3 years old, although she is trying to convince everyone she is 4 :)
We love you, Katie, and Jesus loves you too!!!!

Memories

2007-09-13T16:05:00.001-05:00

Here are 2 pictures of Madisyn that I took while I was in Haiti. We can't hardly wait till she comes home.

Here is a picture of some of the kids in the village. They were at my door every day. I thank God for the time I got to spend with them.

Precious little Bryce

2007-09-10T21:02:00.000-05:00

I just got home from a 2 week stay in Haiti. Oh how i missed my family and friends, and i am so glad i am home.

I went there to care for a little boy 19 months old. He only weighed 9 or 10 pounds and was starving to death. When i got there little Bryce was just like a fragil bag of bones, very tiny bones. I loved him and prayed for him and fed him constantly. Each day he got stronger and stronger. He started smiling and laughing and really trying to do things he couldn't do when i first got there. By the time i left he could crawl and even stand in the playpen by himself. He walked with us holding his hands too. He put on at least 5 pounds(the scales we had to use wasn't accurate at all, so we just had to guess). Here are some pictures of Bryce.

Getting closer..................

2007-08-21T22:24:00.000-05:00

Wayne's sister Judy's funeral will be this Thursday at 2:00. A few weeks before she died we were at the hospital. We had prayer with her and we asked her if she had a relationship with Jesus. she didn't hesitate in saying she did, and she knew she would go to heaven. She was raised in a Christian home and we absolutely believe she is in the arms of Jesus now :)
Wayne and I went today and bought some food for me to take to haiti. canned meat, crackers and such. i don't eat much at all, so i thought it best to just take my own for the 2 week stay. lori came over tonight and helped us finish packing. i had tons of stuff i didn't think i could take, i couldn't imagine how i could fit it in my already packed suitcase and backpack. lori created space from nowhere.....she amazes me! How i wish she was going with me...
I am still nervous, but I am better than i was. I feel the prayers that everyone is praying for me. I thank God for every one of you.

Judy is home

2007-08-20T22:44:00.000-05:00

Wayne's sister, Judy, went home to be with Jesus early this morning. She has had diabietes for many years and didn't really take care of herself. A few weeks ago the doctors had to remove her leg. There were complications and she just couldn't recover. Please pray for the whole family as the funeral is this Thursday,

I know this is a 'GOD MISSION'

2007-08-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

I want to thank God for making it possible for me to go to Haiti and help Barbara at the village. She said there is a little baby boy named Brice that needs lots of TLC. I will step into my 'nana' shoes while i am there and shower him with love and encourage him to eat, eat, eat!! Please pray for him, that he will be able to eat and keep his food down and that he will start gaining the weight he so desperately needs. Lori wants me to take lots of pictures of all the kids at the village, so be looking for some cute pics when i come home.

I am so excited that I will get to spend 2 weeks with Madisyn while i am in Haiti. Please pray that this will be quality time for bonding together.

I'm going to Haiti

2007-08-16T22:35:00.000-05:00

I can't hardly believe it but I am going to Haiti August 25, OMG..... that is a week from Saturday. I will be going to the village and staying there to help take care of babies. I am going to see if Madisyn can stay at the village with me while i am there. That will give us some quality time together to bond. I wish I would be bringing her home, but this is the next best thing. I will definately need a lot of prayer cause Wayne and I are hardly ever apart. I can't imagine being away from him, my kids and my grandkids for 2 whole weeks. They are what makes life worth living for me.

I honestly believe that this trip is ordained by God, and I know He will help me. I am very excited but at the same time very nervous. Please pray for all of us.

Great day with the grandkids!!

2007-08-15T22:32:00.000-05:00

Well, little Miss Mary Sunshine (daughter, Lori) called tonight to tell me it has been 6 days since i blogged (she's counting). I thought I had better blog tonight or she will have the phone lines hot tomorrow. LOL

This morning I got up and went to Lori's house, snacks in hand, to watch Karleigh and Ruby while Lori and Spike took Kiara to school to meet her teacher, Mrs Spear. We had a great time, playing with dolls and reading books.

Tonight Aaron and Sharon brought Megan and Katie over for me to watch while they went to a meeting in Anderson. I took the girls down the street to the elementry school playground to play. Here are a couple of pictures I took while we were there.

What a surprise!!!

2007-08-09T18:10:00.000-05:00

Our niece, Tammy, came to visit tonight. She flew in from Texas yesterday and is driving back home tomorrow. She was here picking up a car at her parents house in Anderson, and the three of them stopped by for a visit. What a thrill it was to see her after all these years. She has always held a special place in our hearts and she is as precious as ever.
It would be so nice if they would move back to Indiana.......hint, hint, hint :)

We love you Tammy!!!

Kindergarten sign up day

2007-08-07T20:36:00.000-05:00

Here are 2 of our little 'angels'. Katie is on the left and Megan on the right.

Today was Megan's kindergarten sign up day. Katie stayed with Papaw and Nana while mommy and daddy took Megan to school.Megan was so excited to find out who her teacher was going to be and to also have her picture taken at school. Doesn't she look beautiful??
Katie was such a good girl today. We had lots of fun playing together. She loved
being on the front porch and rocking in the big wooden rocker.

Great Weekend

2007-08-05T22:52:00.001-05:00

This weekend was Haitian weekend and we went and had a great time. Here are a few pics of some of our 'highlights'.

This first pic is of Wayne. Papaw was trying to sneek to the cabin to get some rest and the girls spotted him. Needless to say, he never did make it to the cabin!

We were sitting around Spike and Lori's camper one evening. This is Spike (right) and Bob in deep conversation. They both look a little frazzled...it was a long hot day!!

Here goes Ruby slippin' and sliddin' down the hill!

Kiara is stiff as a board as she 'gracefully' glides down
Here's the little show off. She's gotta be grinning as she makes sure everyone is watching her.

SMILE AND WAVE BOYS....JUST SMILE AND WAVE :)

Here is a pic of Brit and Grandpa. He kept threatening her that he would embaress her this weekend. She was holding her breath, I am sure. He didn't, but there is always next year!!