A Day With Debbie

today, Kaitlyn started 7th grade---where have all the years gone---

A new world for her, lockers, locks, gym clothes, changing classes,
homework and then more homework....

Kaitlyn, you are growing into such a pretty girl, I wish so much for you, that all your dreams come true one day! you are such a wonderful, sweet grand-daughter, we love you so much!

I can't even imagine having to make the decisions that Mark and Lindsay have faced the last month. We have always been lucky enough to have had the same job for over 20 years although Mike was laid off long ago when the kids were all babies but we made it thru and never had to move far away.
Mark and Lindsay went to Florida hoping to find a new life, with a good job and school and home for the girls. Things just didn't turn out like they wanted. Maybe God was saying something, who knows. So, now, we are praying for Mark to arrive home safely, and for a new tomorrow,where Mark can start looking locally and perhaps find a good job here close.If not locally, something closer to home.They have gone thru so much this last month, trying to make the right decisions for their family, I hope this week is a better brighter week for both of them.
Madalyn starts school on Tuesday, with both her mommy and daddy here to take as they always have.
So, we, as a family covet your prayers to be with this sweet family, to find the right job for Mark and keep us all close!

What more could a grandmother want, a fun week with Kaitlyn and then today to drive to DFW and pick up the girlies, get such sweet hugs and a good lunch at Mercado Juarez and listen to all the Disney stories! Then to top it off we talked some about a possible Disney trip and cruise next year, I am getting excited!
More later, I am sure Lindsay will update her blog and she has lots of fun things to tell, that is after they all get a nice nap in this afternoon.
I had my camera ready for when they all walked thru the gates but as luck would have it, my battery was dead!

Mind you VERY EARLY in the morning at that--Mike and I dropped Mark and Lindsay and the girlies off at the DFW airport to go to Disney and then drove back to Waco, we were back home before 7AM---just a few pics of Madalyn and Loraly(they were so excited), we gave them some money to buy anything they wanted at Disney, can't wait for them to be back to see just what they bought!

I love taking the girls to get their toes all painted up and pretty, so I took them last week before Madalyn and Loraly left for Disney and Kaitlyn had to go back home for cheerleading practice. What a fun time!
Madalyn had Mickey ears painted on her toes, Kaitlyn had flowers on hers and then Lorlay had to have one Mickey ear and one flower on her little toes!

Just a few pics of the girls when they stayed here for a few days...they built a tent and were planning on sleeping under the air hockey table until Madalyn decided that bugs may crawl in her ears if she slept on the floor...

A few weeks ago I kept Pepper for Leigh and Terrill while T was away in Jamaica "working" and Leigh and the boys went for a visit...we all really enjoyed having a dog around again, it has been a long time since we have had one...I wonder if Pepper recognized T when he finally decided to come back home:)

I have had lots going on the last few weeks, but right now, things are really pretty humdrum, which is good!
Mark and Lindsay are in Florida, they took the girls to Disney and will be back on Sunday.
Mike is in Vegas all week for a seminar for work, I knew I should of went with him but choose to stay here..he is having a ball, he went to see The Blue Men on Monday night, toured the Hoover Damn yesterday and is touring an air force base today plus this afternoon will give his presentation which he has worked very hard on.

The girls stayed a few days with us a few weeks ago, while Mark and Lindsay went to Florida to look at houses if they choose to move there, but as of know, Mark is going on in a few weeks and start the job there, Lindsay and girls are gonna stay here, start Madalyn in school, Loraly in MDO and both girls in their dance classes.I pray for the best decision they can make for their family, the selfish part of me wants them here but I know in my heart they have to do what is best for them.

So, in a few weeks, Mike and I are going with our best buds on a Mexican Riviera cruise for 7 glorious days, part of the reason why I did not go to Vegas, trying to save money for our excursions. We are all so excited, we have so much fun with Dale/Doug.

Mike and I took our grand-daughters to the big circus on Friday night.
Kaitlyn and Madalyn loved the elephants and the weiner dog show.
Loralys favorite was the "princess" in the white dress that climbed the rope and did somersaults...
They all got snowcones and cotton candy plus a fun light up toy.
We got an extra treat before the circus and got to go close and watch the elephants get hosed down before they went on stage...
What a fun special night for all of us!

A year ago this morning at 3AM little Paulie passed away in his mommy and daddy's arms.I will never forget the call about 7AM...I had to call Lindsay and break the news to her, after all Paul and Madalyn were best friends. That was the hardest call I have ever had to make, in fact, I had to hand the phone to Mike to let him finish telling Lindsay.
We all miss Paul, more especially that smile he always had and his gorgeous blue eyes, not to mention that soft bald head that Miss Debbie loved to rub!
I pray for his sweet family who are away right now, I know how much they miss their Paulie! I can not imagine ever losing one of my children or grand-daughters but Leigh and Terrill have to live every single day without their precious son. And for Jack and Whit, who lost a brother, also for his grand-parents who all loved that sweet boy.
I pray for Madalyn, I know she misses Paul and for her mommy, to be there for her and answer her guestions and to comfort her. She still looks up and sees that special star besides the moon and says that is Pauls "star"

This post is mostly from last week as I have been struggling on just how to write the right words.

Time has flown by, as I raised my 3 little children, some days I hardly had time to breath! I feel like I have done them an injustice by having them so close together, 3 kids in 4 years...But, there were so many fun times that I do cherish....our camping trips, summer vacations, renting a VCR Machine and movies plus a pizza every Friday night,our family night together, church activities, going to meme and papas for holidays, summertime fun,birthday parties, sleep-overs,Six Flags, our big trips to Colorado, Washington, and Disney, so many fun times together as a sweet little family. We hardly ever missed church, Bible class, fellowships--so many bonds that we made that we had to leave behind when we moved to Waco.
Two of my children are not making some smart decisions as adults, I can't help them or protect them from their mistakes and it is making me feel so helpless inside.Things that they never saw their Father or me do and still don't.
So, this season of my life I am spending a lot of time praying-just praying for my sweet children, praying for their hearts to be in the right place. All have accomplished so much in their lifetimes and we, their parents are so very proud of them and love them so much!


Psalms139 13-18
For You formed my inward parts:
You covered me in my Mothers womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wondefully made.
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Yours eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
and in your book they were all written.
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
how great is the sum of them!
If I could count them, they would be more in number than the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

So, after a fun day yesterday it was back to the regular Saturday morning routine---lots of errands....Our Honda needed inspected, so we took it then stopped to fill it up for Mikes work week, needless to say the cost of gas is horrible right now---then off for a burger at Fuddruckers...Lions Park for a final fling on the go-karts, a yearly thing for Mike and Cody to do together...
THEN, the fun began--Mike noticed that the car was running hot--we pulled over and let it cool down some, he checked the water, etc...started it back up, got as far as WalMart, hot AGAIN...sat there for a little while---tried to get it all the way home, end up at a gas station about 2 blocks from our house, it was boiling by then...Mike checked the engine again, he got back in--said the car was junk--engine had blown---SO, we walked home, called wrecker service to bring car home...
If anyone knows of someone that would like a car with a good body please let me know...no engine tho....
We both knew it was coming,it was a 97 Accord, with over 215,000 miles, we bought it new, it has really been a good car for us!
Now, guess it is time to look for another car....UGH....Mikes dream car is a Vette, my dream for Mike is to have one but not in our budget right now----Lindsay said maybe it was Gods way of telling us to go on a get that Vette...maybe the right one will come along soon...
Oh, and the $50 worth of gas we had put into it is not included, it will be syphoned and go into our Volvo...

We had a great 4th of July---after a big breakfast, Mike and Cody went to see "Hancock" and Lindsay and I took the girls to see "Kit Kitredge, An American Girl", which was very good, I highly recommend seeing it. Then Mike and I took Cody to Red Lobster for a nice lunch...home to relax for awhile then off to see the fireworks display downtown Waco...

Awesome Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com

Two very sweet stories about Madalyn this week---
On Monday, Madalyn and Loraly stayed with me because Lindsay was not feeling well---I had to go get a few groceries and as we were walking thru WalMart she noticed a wine rack in the middle of the aisle...she looked at me, said, Ma, there is that bad stuff like you collect in your kitchen----we don't drink, I just have a wine rack with cheap wine sitting in it for decoration----needless to say, it is no longer in my kitchen!
Then on Tuesday, I took the girls along with their friends to MDO and also picked them up afterwards for Lindsay...Madalyn and her friend had gotten a popsickle and candy from their teacher, Loraly and her friend didn't have anything--so about halfway home Loralys friend asked her sister(Madalyns friend)if she could have some of her candy and the little girls said NO, I don't want to share---I am driving thinking, ok, how do I handle this??? Then out of the blue, Madalyn says Loraly, here is half of my candy, I want to share with you....so sweet!!! I don't know if the little girl shared with her sister or not but I do know she heard Madalyn, so I hope she thought about how see was acting and maybe next time she will share with her sister like Madalyn shared with Loraly.I am so blessed with such pretty, sweet, granddaughters, I cherish every moment I get to spend with them!

We all met up with Amber and her family on Saturday at Lake Whitney for a day of camping, grilling and fishing plus swimming in the lake---was nice to be together, enjoying the moments and watch all the girls laugh and play together!

Just don't tell mommy!

Cams company has a suite at the American Airlines Center and last night was the first part of the American Bullriding Championship...so Cam had 7 tickets and asked us if we would like to attend with him---after a fast dinner at Chilis, we all got there and the suite was so pretty! Cody and Kaitlyn thought they were so special overlooking everyone else...
Our friends Doug and Dale met us there and we caught up on our lives....
Thank you Cam for asking us...next, Rascall Flatts, Dave Matthews, Neal Diamond?????
MAYBE????

Cody and Sarah came to visit for a few weeks and Kaitlyn has been staying here also, so most of the time, they have played on the big slide, played Wii or gone to Lindsays to swim...we all got to go and watch Madalyn and Loraly sing and dance at Sonshine School, they both were so cute and did so good!