Alive And Coming Back Soon!

In case anyone still checks in on me here and I don't blame you if you have given up, I am coming back to blogging soon. I have had a lot of time to decompress from the addiction to looking for sorrow and feel a balance settling in my heart.

I am cleaning the house from top to bottom in preparation for the holidays and it feels so good to have an early jump on it. My sister in law who was fired and retired is helping out of sheer boredom and we are really blowing through the mess. It started with bombing the house for fleas that have been horrible this summer. We are having a great time of fellowship while we are at it:)

God continues to be so beyond excellent in our lives and we are so grateful for Corky's job. He has been out of town for the past month and a half and will be until the end of the month, cleaning up the messes that one individual created who has now been released of his job. Things are turning around in the company for the good now. So, just wanted to check in and say I will be back probably regular in November, just in time for the holidays.

Oh, and the grandkids are just fantastic and I love them more and more every moment of the day.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

PS. I still pray for all of you, my faithful friends.

I Am Still Here: Just Weeding A Few Things Out

I am still here and haven't gone anywhere. I have just been getting some things reorganized in my home and here. We are all fine, life has been good, and getting ready for summer to get here.

We have been having so much fun with the grandkids. They spent the past two weekends with us and it was great, tiring but great. Hannah has stole grandpa's heart completely. She makes his eyes twinkle:) And she knows how to "work" him. I love watching him with her. She is the first girl in the family so it is such a treat. Isaac does everything now with the force of being a "four year old". In his mind, it all became bigger and better with turning four. I just love these kids so much and they are such a joy to have around. I have got to upload my camera and get some pictures up when I get motivated.

I have also done some blog thinning over the past week or two. I am keeping up with all of my close people, but have decided to stop following others for the sake of something to read. I know it sounds harsh, but I really get out there with clicking on other's blog rolls. I want to keep it intimate and always pray for those who come here and ask, but I have to stop looking for other things to carry around with me. I hope this makes sense and please know I will be following all of you who know who you are to me. And new people are welcome too, I am just not out and scouting anymore. I am going back to letting God bring you to me:) What a concept right? So I have thinned my list and probably will do more as I go along. If you bring someone to me for prayer, I will pray for them. Always.

So, I will post more in the coming days, I just wanted to tell you where I have been and what I am doing. I love you guys and hope you hang around with me.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

A Few Thoughts On This Tuesday

I didn't mean to leave things hanging here after my last post but it got a little busy around here with the grandkids spending the weekend and just life in general. This is just a short update and tomorrow I am going to try and post some pictures to catch up.

First of all, Kristy's baby Hope turned one week old yesterday:) She is just gorgeous and such a blessing to their family. Prayers are still needed for the blisters they are treating and there have been no new ones developing. Praying it stays this way and for Kristy's nerves and heart. She is no stranger to disappointment and needs Gods grace to soothe her weary heart. Please continue to pray for them.

Second, in case you haven't noticed, April Rose's button has been removed from my blog. If you are curious, you can click on the Sundays button or Stellans button for the details. I am so very disappointed that someone would do such a thing here on the blogs of mothers suffering true loss of their babies. Such a low blow to our "Sisters" in the Lord who offered their support out of their own pain. I could go on and on but I won't because it would be easy to fall into judgement and it truly is not my right to judge anyone. This was a big one though my friends and your prayers are appreciated for all involved. So many of my sweet friends were hurt by this. It truly is a sad thing.:(

Corky and I have been enjoying the rewards of our patience with our new and improved plumbing. What a joy to jump in a shower and see new fresh tiles looking back at us:) And to have two working pottys that actually flush and not back up! We are both so content and don't have to worry about company coming over anymore and having to use the yard:)

I have the grandkids coming today so I am going to close this for today and catch up on some things tomorrow. I hope you all have a blessed day and remember to count your blessings. I know I am doing just that all day long:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Pleading For Prayers Tonight My Friends

Most of you know already, but for my other friends who don't know, Kristy had her sweet baby, Hope Amelia on Monday. The baby has developed skin lesions where her ID bracelet was and blisters in other places of friction. I don't know much, but I know your prayers are needed urgently for their family right now. They are taking her to a specialist in Pittsburgh tomorrow and Kristy is still freshly healing from her C section. Kristy is heartbroken for her baby right now and I can only imagine the fear that fills her heart. Please be on your knees for them tonight and tomorrow as they travel.

Thank you so much my prayer partners, we need eachother always. I love you.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

June Is Here Already And May Is Gone

Once again, the month of May flew by and today is the first of a new month. I have been enjoying the last week and a half not having any workers in the house. I am getting things put back together and enjoying some of the best showers in my life:) The plumbing is done and everything works excellent. I am a happy camper.

On Friday while watching Isaac and Hannah, there was a knock at the door and it was my Sissy, (Corky's sister). She is a nurse, has been for over 30 years and I thought she was on her way to work. She said she had just been fired. Her boss, Dr. Ross died last summer. He was the most wonderful "old school" doctor who saved my life when I got breast cancer. He considered us family and we were close. He let Sissy be the kind and compassionate nurse God intended her to be with his patients. New doctors in the practice started squeezing her out after his death. Why did they let her go? Because she talked with and encouraged the patients. The doctors say it is their job and yet they don't do it. Oh, I could go on and on but would you just pray for her heart at this time? She is 65 and it is such a blow, like being put out to pasture. I know God has her covered and she trusts Him.

Isaac turned four with a vengence:) Everything he does now is stronger and smarter because "I am four now grandma". I just love this little guy. Last week we went shopping and got all of our water toys for summer. Squirt guns and cannons, Hose hook up water and ball shooter, all things wet! We tried them all out when Grandpa got home. He (Grandpa) couldn't wait to shoot the cannon thing, it goes for about 10 to 12 feet and has power. Hannah played with her purple squirt gun Isaac picked out for her and it was a crack up. She held it backwards in her hand and used her thumb on the trigger, which blasted her in the face each time she squeezed it. She was cracking herself up and loved it. It will be a fun and wet summer here:)

In the next few weeks I will be lining up my appointments for physical, pap smear, mammogram etc. and would appreciate your prayers. It always makes me nervous. Then I need to hit the dentist to get some serious work done. I don't mind dental work at all and root canals are a breeze for me. I am just embarrassed to get started with a new dentist and the condition of my teeth.

On a lighter note, Miss Bolte, Kristy's baby girl will be a June baby after all. She will be delivered by C section on the 3rd if she doesn't show up before then. Please pray for her as she waits and looks forward to meeting her sweet girl. I am so excited for her and am praying for peace and joy to fill their family. This is their fifth child, and Isaac and Asher are with the Lord.

There is not much else going on around here right now. I am going to close for today and go hit a nice cool shower and get ready for the kids to get here. I hope you all have a great day. Say Hi if you stop in, my readership is down lately:) Let me know if you need prayers for anything okay?

Love and Hugs, Laurie

It's Wednesday And I Am Happy

My tile guy showed up this morning and is working on getting things finished here. I am so glad, I was starting to feel whiney and I don't like to be around me when I whine.

The grandkids will be here in an hour and it will be another outside day of play. Hannah went to MOPS last Friday and came down with another cold. Ugh. This happens every time they go and I told their mom to just leave them with me, that way none of us will get sick. The fresh air will do her good today.

I can't wait to get the work done here so I can make my physical exam appt, mammogram appt, and get to the dentist. I have a raging tooth and am on antibiotics to calm it right now but I need to get it taken care of along with three or four others. I don't have strong teeth and they have taken a beating over the years. I don't smile because I am embarrassed. And I am a person who just loves to smile. ~sigh~ So, this will be my summer agenda.

I have been blessed this month by receiving three emails from mommies who have lost their babies, who found me on other blogs I visit. I am always reminded of God's goodness when this happens because I know it is Him who makes this happen. To be asked to pray for someone who I don't know personally is such an honor. I know that prayer works and God hears. I got an email from a father of a girl who I have been visiting who lost her full term baby to still birth. It is heartbreaking. He wrote to thank me for encouraging his daughter and hoped that in this "cyber world" that I was sincere. What a blessing for this girl to have such a loving and caring father!!
I wrote him back and told him that I truly did care and he could visit here to find out about me. I just love his heart for his daughter.

Little Kayleigh on my sidebar left to be with the Lord in the past two weeks. They could use our prayers for this heartbreaking time. She was so close to going home for the first time since her birth, the one pound miracle. Her memorial videos are beautiful if you have time to click on and watch. Three more babies have gone to be with the Lord just in this month and their families are really struggling in this new reality they are facing. I will never understand this side of heaven, why our little ones must go before us, but I trust God. I read something Heather wrote a while back on her blog that really summed it up for me. She said, "Sometimes, it is in the silence of the answers that Christ speaks the loudest. Maybe, just maybe there is no answer, it is just what it is, His Will." This settled in my heart and allowed me to stop trying to figure God out. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. And I am not.:)

One more favor before I close for the day, please keep Kristy and Miss Baby Bolte in your prayers as her birthday is any time now. Pray for the peace that passes all understanding for Kristy and for joy to fill her heart. This little girl is checking in perfect in all of her appointments as God is doing a new thing in their family. I am so excited for them. Thanks guys and I love you. Have a super blessed day today.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Monday Morning And May Is Half Over

It is Monday morning here in California and I am sure it is all over the news that we had an earthquake last night about 8:40 p.m. It was a good shaker at 4.7 and was centered about 40 miles north of us. It felt like someone lifted up the house and shook it from side to side for about 20 seconds. I really need to get a kit together so if the power goes out, I don't have to raid all of Isaac and Hannahs toys for batteries:)

I am hoping that the guys come this morning and grout the floor tiles and get things finished up this week. My patience is in a coma at this point and I want a warm shower so bad!! I can't wait to wipe down the cobwebs on the walls and put things back together.

In the meantime, I ordered two new sets of sheets yesterday and can't wait for them to arrive. My old ones are shot. They are the jersey T-Shirt material ones and I can't tell you how comfy they have been. I won't go back to the others anymore. They are soft and feel like you are sleeping in your most comfy favorite T-Shirt. I love them. Corky does too so it's all so good.

Isaac and Hannah will be here today and I am looking forward to playing. We went shopping yesterday and we are all stocked up on goodies for the kids. Shhh, don't tell mom and dad that I give them ice cream sandwiches and tons of fruit. It will be another outside day even though it is overcast here. As long as it is not raining, we play outside in the fresh air. I am loving having the windows open in the house all day and night. It will stay this way until November. We have so many birds in the trees singing all day long and things are blooming all over the place. The jasmine in the front and back yards keep blooming and they smell heavenly.

How did your weekend go for you? Ours was so relaxing and I got a lot of nap time in. Let me know how you are and if you need prayer okay? I love you guys.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

~~*HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH AND ERIC*~~

It is hard to believe that you boys are 38 years old today. After posting about your birth last week, it seems like it was just yesterday that you were little and life was running at full speed. There has been so much joy over these past 38 years, watching you grow up into the young men you are today. There have been times of great heartache too, watching you learn the hard lessons of life, not being able to step in and rescue you from your own wrong choices. No amount of warnings and advice would keep you from learning your own lessons, your own way. But you did great through it all and it has made better men of you both. Your Dad and I are so proud to call you our sons and walk this life with you as you have your own families to nurture and love. To hear you say that we did it right with you, even though you sometimes didn't like it, makes us feel so special and honored. We didn't always do it right, but to not have it held against us is priceless. We love you guys more today than we ever thought possible, and we will always be mom and dad to you. We are so thankful that you both know the Lord and He is your savior. May you always rely on Him to direct your paths. He is faithful and keeps His promise to never leave or forsake us. We can count on Him.

I hope your day is full of joy and love and you know how special you both are to us and everyone who knows you. You are our treasures from God. And we just love that you only live 15 minutes away from home. Love and Blessings to you both today.

Love and Hugs, Mom and Dad

~~*HAPPY MOTHERS DAY*~~ To All Of You

Friday Trip Down Memory Lane Part 4

Backing up a bit here, it was July of 1971 and the boys were two months old. I pretty much had this mom thing down to a science by now, and we decided to go to the beach with our friends. The boys first time and our friends chose which beach we would go to. "Thousand Steps in South Laguna. I had never been there but it was right across the street from the hospital where the boys were born so hey, this will be fun. We walked down a little public sidewalk between sweet Laguna Beach Cottages and there it was, the beach below, way down there...down a thousand steps perched on the side of the cliff, no hand rail, just steps. I froze inside, vertigo. After much coaxing and gripping the babies in a death grip, we made it to the sand. We set up our stuff and stuck the unbrella in the sand and the guys hit the water. I "volunteered" to stay behind with the babies:) It was hot and trying to nurse my babies and cover up so as not to offend anyone was becoming quite the challenge. Out of nowhere, a sweet woman came up and asked if I would be more comfortable in her cabana. CABANA? Like in comfortable shade CABANA? I looked behind me and about 20 feet away was her cabana up against the cliff, next to the "elevator" that went up and down from her house above!!
Ummm, okay, how sweet is this? She helped me with my things and led me to her "Oasis" in the sand. She set me up in a lounge chair and said to go ahead and feed my babies. No one would come close enough to see me or bother me. Wow, I'd died and gone to heaven for sure. But, someone DID see me and came over and checked out my boys and my new friend was surprised at this. I apologized and told her this lady was my natural birthing teacher, Dionne Wright. Dionne reached in her bag and got out a notebook and pen and wanted me to tell her all about my birthing experience for her records. I think she forgot that we only made it to three of the eight classes before the boys got here. So, I sat there nursing my boys and recounted the details to her as she madly wrote them down. She asked who taught me how to nurse the boys (she was a Lamaze Coach too) and I told her it was kind of a no brainer, the milk was there in abundance and the boys got hungry. My "new friend" (cabana owner) sat and smiled as she listened to me tell my story. Dionne was holding her breath as she wrote it all down, until it got to the "back labor" part being so painful that I asked for the NO-NO DRUGS. She gasped and said "you didn't" and I said "oh yes I did!" She closed her notebook right then and there and smiled politely and after ackwardly looking at my boys one last time, she strolled off down the beach! I felt like such a failure at that moment and tears started streaming down my face. My new friend uttered three words under her breath, "What A Bitch!" After what seemed like hours, she asked me to please continue with my story for her. She said the best was yet to come and so I told her the rest and when I was finished, she had tears in her eyes and kept saying "such a miracle". She saved my mind that day. I started to change diapers and she took over one baby and did it for me while I diapered the other. Looking back, I know she was an Angel Unaware for me that day. She rescued my heart like a good mother would and I couldn't thank her enough for her kindness. To this day I feel she had a story of her own that was left unspoken. Now that I am her age, I realize it could have been anything but she chose to minister to me. I never saw her again but will always remember her kindness at a time when I needed it most.

When the guys got back to the sand, Corky was looking around for me and the kids and I waved until he saw me at the cabana. He came over with a huge smile on his face and thanked my new friend for making his family comfortable. We said our goodbyes and gathered up our treasures and climbed the steps, all bazillion of them as I thought of that lady's elevator that glided up the cliff to the street level above.:)
I know, don't push my luck but I know she would have offered it in a heartbeat.

I never forgot how crushed I was at not being able to go natural all the way. When I told Corky about Dionne and her disappointment in me, he got tears in his eyes and told me that I had given him the two most wonderful gifts in the whole world and he was glad when I was able to get relief from the pain when they were born. Everything was such a competition back in those days, organic, natural childbirth, nursing, Mr. Rogers and Sesame Street.:) So much pressure on top of just being a mom and trying to please everyone first. It would be decades until I realized that you can't please anyone all of the time. And who wants to anyway?~sigh~ I think this is one of the big reasons I enjoy following younger moms pregnancies these days and pray for them to make it through. Mine was a piece of cake really, five hours of labor, two perfectly healthy boys, no frills, no NICU, I didn't know what a problem was really. I know different now, and my eyes have been opened to the heartache of others, and I am honored to be a prayer warrior for all who come my way. I have so much to be grateful for and have been blessed so much.

I will close for today and ask anyone of you who are still reading to remember to pray for Kayleigh on my sidebar and for her family in this uncertain time of their lives. Also be in prayer for Kristy as she waits to meet her baby girl, that God will choose the perfect time for her birthday, and Kristy to be at total peace. I will be back tomorrow. I love you guys!

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Thursday Trip Down Memory Lane Part 3

As I was enjoying the best 10 minute shower of my life, Corky opened the shower curtain and was holding a crying baby and said "Hurry". I shut the shower off, started drying off quickly and as I looked down to see why I was not getting dry, I saw squirting milk out of both sides. I quickly discovered how this worked, baby cried, milk came down, simple. We were on our own with the boys. Our place had no room for anyone to come and help. I liked it that way. My mom kept calling and wanting me to come stay with her for a week so I could rest. I couldn't say to her that I did not want to be anywhere near my dad with my new treasures. This was the first pure time in my life and I wanted to keep it that way.

We soon got it down to a science and during the night, I nursed a baby, handed him over to dad to burp and nursed the other baby. This took an hour and we did it every two and a half hours. During the day when Corky was at work, I nursed them both at the same time with the help of lots of pillows. That helped cut down on 45 minutes of feeding time, four times a day, giving me 3 extra hours to get things done when they were sleeping. We went to the laundromat once a week with 15 loads of laundry. And we used Pampers at the time. The ones with no elastic in the legs and waist, and one-shot only tape tabs. And no gel stuff that keeps swelling with wetness until they look like a pumpkin butt. We went through a box of 30 per day. My boys did not tolerate being wet. We spent more on diapers than gas for the truck. God made sure I had an abundance of milk on demand. He knew we couldn't afford formula AND diapers.:)

My girlfriend Joanne had her daughter two weeks after I had the boys. On occasions when we needed to leave our kids with eachother, feeding was no problem. We just nursed eachothers kids until mommy got back:) I always hurried because I knew Joanne didn't have the same milk supply as me. My girlfriend Susie had her baby boy three months after me and she had a car!!! We went everywhere together because I would wake the boys up and go anywhere with her just to get out of the apartment. No car seats, just a front seat full of babies.

On one of my daily afternoon walks with the boys in their stroller, I walked past a cute house a block and a half away from our apartment and saw a "For Rent" sign being put out front. I circled the block and came back to take a peek. The owners fell in love with the boys and showed me the house. Two bedrooms!!!!!!!!! Fenced back yard with a plum tree!!!!! Big kitchen with a Laundry Porch leading to the backyard!!!!! Did I mention two bedrooms?? The rent was $185.00 a month. We were paying $90.00 for our apartment. But this house had two bedrooms. And our boys were walking and running and confined to an apartment with no where to play outside except the sidewalk. I took Corky over to the house when he got home from work and he fell in love too. We tightened our belt and took the plunge. We got two dogs and I got a used washing machine for the laundry porch. I was in heaven not having to go to the laundromat and hung my clothes out on my clothesline Corky put up for me. I loved that house. I potty trained the boys in that back yard and my neighbor Jackie was a Christian. We lived there for almost 4 years until we moved into the house we are in now, right after the boys turned 5. We have been here ever since. Only 2 miles from the old house, and closer to the ocean. My girlfriend Susie lived here and they were buying their first house. I asked her if her landlord would rent the house to us and she made a call. Yes, send them $160.00 and we could move in. This was 1976 and we never met them until 4 years ago:) I had to really talk Corky into moving here. The three bedrooms, double car garage, huge backyard and fireplace sold him, not to mention $25.00 less per month in rent and being on the bluffs over the ocean. And here we are!! The boys started kindergarten here, graduated high school in 1989 here with the hugest party we ever had as they knew everyone in high school! Josh's rehearsal dinner in the back yard, and now his kids have his old room here and play in the same yard. Their 20 year reunion is next month and all of their friends will be in town for it. I look forward to them dropping in at the "Party House" here as this was their home away from home. Yes, we were the parents that took their keys at the door, let them "party" and spend the night wherever they found room to roll out their sleeping bags in the backyard or in the house. We knew where our kids were and even though that didn't make it right in some ways, they are all grown with their own kids now and I am grandma to MANY:) Things were different back then weren't they?

The guys are coming to work on the tile today so I am going to wrap it up and continue tomorrow. I never kept a journal of anything, so this is really stirring up memories for me to journal it now. I am hoping to post about my mother since mothers day is coming, but it will be hard for me in so many ways. She has been gone for 9 years now and so much of our "relationship" is blank to me. It just is.

Have a great day everyone if you are still with me and still reading. I feel like I am catching up on a lifetime of memories that I need to write down for myself in case my memory starts slipping out on me:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Tuesday's Trip Down Memory Lane Part 2

One week before the boys "arrived" we decided to take a drive up the coast to get me out of the "studio apartment". Kind of a test run to see how long it would take us to get to the hospital in South Laguna. Twenty minutes, not bad at all. On the way home, we stopped to get some black licorice for me and a coke for Corky. I was chomping on licorice as he was trying to start the truck. It would NOT start!! "We'll have to jump start it." He'll push, I'll pop the clutch. We've done it many times before, times when I could get behind the wheel! To drive this old truck, left foot goes on the clutch, right foot goes half on the starter pedal on the floor and the other half of foot on the gas. I had to sit sideways to get behind the wheel and still reach all the pedals. He pushed the truck, I popped pedals, NOTHING. It was 10:00 at night and thank God the parking lot was empty. We did this maneuver three more times before he yelled out in his last dying breath "Are you sure you have the key on?" Uhhh I think as I look down and turn the key on, "Of course I have the key on, I am pregnant, not stupid!" He pushed and BINGO, it started! He got back in the truck dripping wet, poor guy and we headed home. It was years before I admitted this to him.

Fast forward to a week later and we are wide awake playing dominos at 11:30 on a Tuesday night and I walk through the kitchen on my way back from the bathroom and I feel a hot gush of water and see a puddle on the floor. Corky in his sweet state of all things denial says perhaps I had an accident.:) I tell him I think my water broke. "What now?" he asks. Call the doctors office and we get the exchange and tell her that my water broke and what should we do next. "Wait until the contractions get to be about 5 to 6 minutes apart and head for the hospital. And Dr. White is on vacation so Dr. Stoney will meet us there." WHAT??? I waited until I was 5 1/2 months along to get Dr. White to deliver me. I was so bummed. We kept playing dominos, waiting for the contractions that never came, just a backache that was getting more intense by the moment. At 2:30 am on Wednesday morning, we called the exchange and said we were headed to the hospital. We loaded up the "wicker laundry basket", the baby afghans my grandma crocheted, one blue-one pink, wishful thinking on her part and headed out. Dr. Stoney met us after I was all settled in and said he was so excited to be delivering his first set of twins. Hooray for you bud, I wanted Dr. White to be there. I was dialating nicely and I was sticking to my natural childbirth mantra of NO DRUGS!! I had back labor so every contraction felt like my back was going to snap. Around 5:00 am I was starting to think about drugs alot, I mean really wanting them!!:) Corky kept saying "no drugs babe, you are strong, you can do it." He was only doing what I made him swear he would do. By 7:00, in a deep growling voice from somewhere deep within me, I politely DEMANDED something to ease the pain. No epidurals back then, just a spinal block. And who do you think walked in the door right after this happened?? DR. WHITE!!! Yep, he called the exchange to see what was happening and found out I was in labor and came to my rescue:) :) Dr. Stoney was so bummed! I was so numbed from the waist down, and we went to the delivery room. One of the babies would be breach, we didn't know which one. Just push and wait for a head or a foot. It seemed normal to me at the time. I pushed for about 20 minutes and at 7:28am Josh's head popped out and we had our first boy. It was the first time I saw Corky cry. So sweet. Josh weighed in at 7lbs. 3ozs and was 20 inches long. Dr. White asked if I wanted to push and try to get the second one who was breach to turn around. "I have a choice?" Yes, I can push or he can go in and get him. "Go get him!" He reached in, turned him around and delivered Eric head first. He weighed in at 6 lbs. and was 19 inches. I love this doctor. Nowadays, they would have thought he was barbaric in his approach but I am so glad he was my doctor. Two healthy big boys and Corky was crying and amazed. No NICU, no nothing. No cell phone to get the word out either:) My breastmilk came in the next day and the boys picked up on it right away. Friday morning we were wheeled out to the truck and we placed our wrapped babies in the wicker laundry basket (yep, no car seats required:) and headed home to our studio apartment. We pulled up to the curb, took our "treasures in a basket" in the house and shut the door. There was only room for one crib that fit in the corner 2 feet beside our bed. We put both babies in the crib, sat down and waited for our next move, whatever that was going to be.:) Ignorance was such bliss back then I have to tell you. I jumped in the shower that felt like heaven on earth. And I will stop here for today and do part 3 tomorrow.

One gift a girlfriend gave me would become the most valuable gift ever. It was 4 sturdy springs that screwed into the legs of the crib, like shock absorbers on a car. Whenever the babies would move, the crib would rock in a soft back and forth, side to side motion, putting them back to sleep. I had a string tied to the bars and during the night would gently tug on it to get a few more minutes of rest before the feeding began.:)

Have a beautiful day today and count each and every one of your blessings. I have so many more as I look back and realize how blessed my pregnancy was, really.:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

First Monday In May And A Trip Down Memory Lane

It was 37 years, 353 days ago that I was in the race to celebrate my very first Mothers Day for me. I was in my 37th week of pregnancy with my twin sons. Only five days to go till Mothers Day and these boys made me wait until the Wednesday after to make me a mom. So, even though they will be 38 on May 12th, this Sunday will be my 37th official Mothers Day.~sigh~ Since I enjoy following so many girls pregnancies, I thought I'd do a post about my own:) I can't believe that this is going to sound like one of those "When I was a kid, I tromped 5 miles through the snow in a blizzard to get to school" posts. In many ways, it will sound exactly like that.

My first pregnancy ended in miscarriage in my third month. No one really talked about it back then so I pretty much grieved in silence. Five months later I was pregnant again and waited until I was 5 1/2 months along to see my doctor, Dr. William White in South Laguna. He was the only doctor at the time in our area here at the coast who started allowing husbands to be a part of the birth IF we took a Natural Childbirth Class. When I got to his office, he asked why I waited so long to start prenatal care. I told him it was the first available appointment I could get with him. So, we did a pregnancy test (Yep) and he was cracking up but it was for the record. I was huge by this time and he put me on a 1000 calorie a day diet to slow my weight down. No ultrasounds back then and only heartbeat checked and everything sounded great. One strong heartbeat. I about starved to death trying to stick to only 1000 calories per day and kept gaining weight. I used to walk a mile to the store one way and back each day. (See, the snow part:) Truth is that we had only one 1948 pick up truck and Corky needed it to work! So, I walked. At 7 1/2 months along, I didn't count weeks back then, I was in the checkout line and the "BABY" decided to do a shift maneuver and dove around to my side, leaving my frontside almost flat. The checker stared in total shock and watched me move the huge lump back to the front. I knew then that there was something going on inside that only one baby could be doing. Too many lumps and bumps.
I called the doctor and told him I was starving and I felt I may be having twins. He asked if there was a history of them in the family. Ummm, yeah, 5 sets of them that I knew of, and my grandmother on my dad's side was a twin. He sent me to the lab for an xray, yep, no ultrasounds and screens back then. The tech was a woman who lived across the street from me and with lots of the lead blankets on my stomach, took the xray. She couldn't tell me the results, the doctor had to "Read" the xray first. But she said it was up on the board in the room on the way to the bathroom in case I needed to pee. I peeked in and saw the most beautiful sight. Two babies like a mirror image, head to head and feet to feet. Elsie, my neighbor and tech made me promise not to say anything to the doctor and let him call me with the news. I loved Elsie, she had two darling little boys who would come over to my house and visit me every day. Dr. White called about two hours later and was apologizing up a storm and told me to throw out that nasty diet and start eating my brains out. No Problem!! At my appointment the next day he had to really search and as I manipulated the lumps in my belly, he found the second heartbeat. He told me to stay off my feet and rest. They could come anytime. Okay, I did this for two weeks and about went out of my mind. Corky brought me bouquets of black licorice home every night. That's what I craved and what stopped my tears. I continued to walk every day even though I looked like a beached whale. I thought I would forget how to drive as I couldn't fit behind any steering wheel even with the seat pushed back all the way.

We hurried up and got in the childbirth class before it was too late. We got three out of eight behind us before the boys came. The instructor was so excited because ours was the first set of twins for her. She also taught Lamaze. She was the ultimate barefoot hippie earth mother and it was 1971. Corky was 21 and I was 22 and we were leaving the hippie life behind for the real world. She taught us that no matter how much pain we would be experiencing, just say NO TO DRUGS. She took such an interest in me having two babies and how I was going to manage it all and put a feather in her career cap! She nursed her three year old son as she taught the class, seriously. He would walk up, lift her shirt and start drinking away:) I knew I was going to breastfeed but I figured I'd probably stop before they could ask for "Boobie".:)

I am going to stop for today because Hannah is here now and this is getting long. I am doing it mainly for myself to remember and you are welcome to take the journey back in time with me. I will post part 2 tomorrow. It starts to get interesting if I remember correctly:) Have a great Monday and I hope your weather is as beautiful as ours is!

Love and Hugs, Laurie

The First Saturday In May

April is gone and I won't even ask where it went. May is a busy month around here starting with Mothers Day on the 10th, Josh and Eric's birthday on the 12th, Isaac's 4th birthday on the 26th, my great nephews 5th birthday same day as Isaacs, my great nieces 2nd birthday (have to check the date). So, it's a busy month and I need to stay "awake" and not daydream so much. I've been doing a lot of that lately instead of doing the things on my "to do list" that need to get done. I love having all the doors and windows open in the house and listen to the birds outside in the trees. I can always tell when it is feeding time because I can really hear the babies chime in.
I love the hummingbirds that come right up and shower in the sprinkler while I water the plants by hand. They are so sweet! Poor Amos the cat has been getting harrassed by a huge bluejay that has a nest in the tree above the patio. Her babies are practicing jumping out of their nest and learning to take little flights. She dive bombs on him and though I feel sorry for him, I understand the mother instinct she has for her babies. I get lost sitting out there and listening to the sound of the water fountains and windchimes tinkling. I just get lost:) This is how I daydream and talk to God at the same time. I am praying for Kayleigh and her parents as they face such darkness in their lives. If you have a chance, click on her button and read the last few posts. She is alive but brain dead after surgery. Her parents face such hardship in decisions for her and for their finances. Stellan is back home with his family and living day by day with his condition that only God knows. I have found two new Trisomy 18 babies to pray for who are due later this year. Three babies who have Anacephaly (sp?) who will be born soon, Noah and April Rose, and one baby who is ten weeks old with this condition and doing well so far. I don't know why I get pulled into these families, but my heart hurts for them so much.

And, I am so excited for Kristy as her little girl will be born this month!! It has been a long road for her and Howard, losing Isaac and Asher, and waiting for this baby girl who appears to be perfect in every way. God promised them that He was doing a NEW thing in their lives, and this little girl is it. Praying for hope and joy to replace any doubts and fears as they wait to meet her face to face and look into her eyes. Your prayers for her would be so great. I can't wait to meet baby #5.

So, this is what I have been doing this past week and I think I better get busy and get my day going. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend and do a little daydreaming along the way.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Sharing A Bit Of Spring Around Here

Well, I see I am going to get this backwards here but it's okay with me. My long neglected backyard is starting to bloom with a little bit of TLC from me. I don't have a manacured garden by any means. Whatever will grow out there in the shade of the huge pine tree is truly a survivor. I let the yard have it's way since it is going to do just that anyway. Isaac was so excited to have his own rainbow visit him in the sprinkler. Of course, he wanted to know how it got there and to be honest, I just told him that God was paying us a visit.:) He just got a huge smile on his face and said "yeah":) I have lots of work to do to get the yard all cleaned up but it feels good to be out there working in the wee hours of the morning when the sun is rising and a chill is in the air. This yard has so many memories of 32 years of living in it. Weddings, rehearsal dinners, birthday parties, family reunions, childhood campouts under the pine tree, my therapy spot when I needed to sit and have a good cry about things I could not change. I talk to God all the time when I am out there working because all of the wonderful memories come flooding in and they are all good, and I am grateful to thank Him for all that life has given us in this house and out in that yard. It is the memories that make this place Home Sweet Home. More pictures to come as I get things cleaned up. Have a great day you guys. I love you.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Sharing A Little Touch Of Cuteness-Miss Hannah

Monday Again And Absolutely Gorgeous Weather

It has been a long week, full of gorgeous warm and sunny days here. There is more of the same forcasted for this week. It kind of caught me off guard but I am loving every minute of the time I can spend outdoors and getting the yards back in shape. It is not helping my state of denial that the inside of my house is a cluttered mess. I care, I want to care, but sometimes I don't care. Not a good attitude I have been harboring. ~sigh~ I am going to try and work on my attitude:)

I am looking forward to the grandkids today. Three hours alone with Hannah while Isaac is in preschool. I love our "alone" girlie time, it is so refreshing and fun. I don't have to think about inventions and plumbing with her. I love my time with Isaac too, don't get me wrong:) Our time together is fun and priceless, but keeps me going non stop. And since today is supposed to get in the 80's we are going to play with all things WATER!! Isaac will be in heaven as water is next in line only to breathing for him. It will be fun to see Hannah join in now that she is old enough to hold her own with her brother:) She is such an animated character with her smiles and joy! The brother-sister bond is growing stronger all the time too! I love it.

Stellan is in Boston facing surgery tomorrow. He needs our prayers and his mommy Jennifer too. Annabel is in the hospital but seems to be doing so much better and needs our prayers too. Kristy's baby girl is doing great and we need to pray she stays this way until her birthday into her mommy's arms.

I really appreciate those of you who visit me and let me know you are here. I don't have lots of excitement and interesting things going on all the time, so I appreciate your friendship so much. I hope you all have a wonderful day and the weather is good for you too.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

A Beautiful Monday in Ca.

It is starting out to be another beautiful day here at the coast. The weekend was amazing and true spring weather. We had a wonderful Easter and enjoyed the wonderful weather relaxing and enjoying good company with family. Also getting caught up on some much needed yardwork. The birds are all over the place in the trees and chirp all day and feed in the feeders. I do believe that Spring has sprung here at last. Doves are mating and I can hear them all day long. We even have a pair of mating owls up in the pine tree that we hear at night. Our little forest at the coast here.:)

Not much happening in our neck of the woods but the grandkids will be here soon. We will be spending the day outside and enjoying the beautiful day and fresh air and taking some pictures. I haven't posted any in a while as they are still in my camera waiting to be downloaded. I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter celebrating with family and friends. And I hope your week is a good one too.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Sunny Saturday In So. California

It is another beautiful sunny day and breezy. I think some yardwork is in order and that's what I am going to do. I spent Good Friday doing lots of soul searching and realizing how many times I had taken the day for granted in the past. Always an overcast and cloudy day, always. But yesterday the sun peaked out a few times for a moment during the day and got my attention. I felt the gratitude and thankfulness up close and personal and just spent the day reflecting on Gods Goodness, His gift I don't deserve, poured out for me and I am thankful, deep down in my soul thankful. Old hymns hummed in my head all day long. And I read other blogs messages and felt the same as they wrote. I am slowing down and not rushing past the cross to get to the resurrection this year. Without the cross, there would be nothing to celebrate and no resurrection. So today, I am going to do yardwork and reflect some more on His goodness and take my time. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday, and the Resurrection Day that changed the world forever. I will celebrate with family.

Most of you already know, but for those who don't, Kim had a baby girl on Thursday and she is perfect. Anna Grace Pearl is a "chunky" 8 lbs. and 19.5". I am so happy for them as they love on this new blessing to their family. An Easter Gift.

I am asking you to please continue praying for Kristy and her baby girl as they wait to meet her at the end of May. Her daddy is having so much fun painting a special nursery for his first little princess. I love it. She is going to rock his world!!

Stellan still needs our prayers and seems to be doing better, but not out of the woods. I have added a button (yes I know how now:) to pray for a very special little girl who needs lots of prayers for her and her mom. The blog is new so it is easy to catch up.

Another little baby boy needs our prayers too. His name is Noah and I haven't put his button up yet. He has many issues and will be born soon. I won't use the offending medical term but will say he needs a miracle.

Kathleen and her unborn baby girl with Trisomy needs our prayers. She is due very soon and needs compassionate doctors to help her baby.

And baby Michael Z. has passed one week now and is still fighting in the hospital. He has many issues too but his parents are holding on to God tightly as their little warrior continues to fight.

Lindsay Carlson is expecting her 4th baby, a girl. She is Caden's mommy who handed him back to the Lord moments after he was born last year. The baby is healthy and I am praying for their family to enjoy the blessings this baby will bring.

Before I started reading blogs, I knew there were babies leaving their mommys arms too soon, but not up close and personal as they are to me now. I will never understand Gods Plan but I believe with all my heart that His Plan is perfect, no matter what I think. So I will pray for these babies and His plans over their lives. Asking Him to be gentle with the families while He proves Himself to be faithful. Asking for Hope.

I hope all of you have a joyful day tomorrow as we celebrate the spectacular gift of God.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Prayers For Kim And Baby #4 Tomorrow

Just a quick reminder that tomorrow, April 9th, Kim Summons will be having her baby and join me in praying for a wonderful delivery and joy in meeting who this little baby is. Pray for her heart as she balances all of the memories of sweet Mary Grace with the new joy of this baby who is still a surprise. Asking God to bless her and her family in a new and special way. I love her.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

A Day Of Heart Reflections To Journal

I know I already did a long post this morning about my day yesterday and a few odds and ends. But then at 8:00 am, my brother came for a visit, and the mood changed.

David is my older brother by 2 1/2 years and we were always close. He let me tag along with him wherever he went and was my protector. I was "Toots" (pronounced like tootsie rolls) and his baby sister. I still am both of these things to him. Ten years ago he was diagnosed with Parkinsons and it has been rough for him. He was in a very reflective mood today and in the past three years since moving to Arizona, we have only seen eachother three times. There was a time over 30 years ago that he became very judgmental of me for my lack of relationship with my mother. He was very close with her, I was not for reasons stemming from my Dads actions. It got so painful and I could not be honest with him, that I just left the family so that my presence wouldn't upset him. I did it for the family as I was thought of as the black sheep. I had a secret to keep and it hurt to walk away. It was fourteen years later that my brother called me and wanted to talk. We met in a restaurant and spent the whole day talking about the past and what went wrong. It was a day of restoration for our relationship, one orchestrated by the Lord. It was like Easter, our relationship had been resurrected. It was a day of great joy to be accepted for who I was. I will never forget that day of forgiveness between us. As we talked today, his heart was so tender and he kept talking about that time when he let me walk away and continued blaming me for all those years. And his eyes kept tearing up and I felt so sorry for him still feeling guilty. Gosh, that was forgiven so long ago and I have never looked back except in gratitude. He talked about how the family said Corky and I would never make it when we got married at 19 years old and how his marriage and my younger brothers marriages were the ones that the family gave their blessing to. Fifteen years ago and within 5 months of eachother, their wives filed for divorce and their worlds fell apart. I was the one they came to and I did my best to help encourage them through. Tears fell down his face when he said that Corky and I were the ones that lasted and all for the right reasons. So many things were discussed today, his heart needed to relieve the pressure of the burden he was carrying. It was humbling for me to listen. I say all of this to remind myself that forgiveness is something that is for our benefit to let go of bitterness and resentment, not necessarily letting the offender off the hook. But today I realized that I needed to reassure my brother that when I forgave him, it was forgotten as far as the east is from the west. Then it hit me in my heart, this is what the Lord does for us, the same exact thing. He forgives our sins and never brings them up to our face to accuse us. We accuse ourselves. David still feels bad and it tears my heart up. I don't want him to carry a burden that is no longer there and I did my best to encourage him to let it go, it was no biggie to me. Long ago before forgiveness, I wanted him to feel bad as I had been made to feel bad. It was very immature of me back then and I get no pleasure in seeing him hurt now. I think when he left today, that he was more assured that all is really well with us. I know that this disease he has makes him feel very vulnerable and alone. I will be praying much harder for him from this day forward to feel the peace of the Lord. He loves the Lord with all his heart but today his human side was spilling over. We three are orphaned now, both parents gone for quite some time. I am okay with it but both brothers miss our mom deep in their hearts. I must remember to be tender to their feelings, while mine are on another page of life. I don't really expect anyone reading this to understand or get much out of it, I needed to journal it for myself to hear. Life is coming full circle once again for the three of us but I am so thankful my most painful time was in the beginning and not the end. Once again I am so thankful for the lessons I have learned through the storms. I am still learning to dance in the rain, but I am getting there day by day. This Easter, I am renewed in my thankfulness to the One who lived and died for me, and guides me through every storm. I am so thankful for His redemption and restoration. I don't want to think where I would be without Jesus. Not an option. Tonight I will go to sleep with extra tender prayers in my heart for my big brother, still one of my protectors. I love him dearly.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

The Simple Things In Life

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous. About 72 degrees and sunny blue skies, just like Spring is supposed to be:) The kids didn't get here until noon so after lunch, we spent the afternoon outside exploring all things nature. I love watching Hannah looking up at everything that is moving and sparkling. Of course, when you are only 30 inches tall, everything is up! She loves the birds chirping in the trees, the big black crows being smart mouths up in the pine tree. Huge flocks of seagulls fly right over our house from the beach to the dump that is about 5 miles away. This is their daily routine. Amos the cat follows Hannah everywhere she goes. They truly have a love affair going on. She points at every windchime and wants to hear them make music and gets the biggest smile on her face. Every rock and stone she picked up was a treasure to her. The simple things in life are found through the eyes of a child. Watching them explore is better than any movie I have seen. She is a girlie girl but is going to be one tough chick.! She has to be with her big brother leading the pack:)

Isaac spent the afternoon exploring everything that was "booby-trap" material out in the yards. He loves to go down the side of the house in the "bamboo forest" and collect the dead woody sticks and build gates to keep the wild animals out. The wild animal he is talking about is Jake, the dog. Good Luck. He gets so ticked off when the dog runs right over the trap and destroys it. "He is supposed to stop Grandma. It means keep out and he's not minding me! He's ruining my inventions!!" It is like watching two almost 4 year olds bickering. His mom had their annual easter egg dying party at their house yesterday before they came here. About 20 kids total and one of his buddies Jack, is totally into everything rescue and firefighting. He brought his walkie talkie toy and was getting into fire calls and getting Isaac involved in the rescues. Erin said they were having a blast until Isaac took the walkie talkie toy and started explaining to Jack how the thing was wired and how it worked when you unscrewed it and looked inside at the parts. She said that Jack stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Isaac like he was nutts. Poor kid, it's hard to find someone his age that shares the same technical desires he has buzzing around in his little head. He can't help it, this is how God wired him. He is not satisfied that things just work, he wants to know what it is that makes things work. I hope he uses this same enthusiasm to seek the Lord with all of his heart and plant deep roots of faith and knowledge. The simplicity of complication, that's my Isaac. He's my joy and my teacher. I love these kids so much it hurts sometimes.

Today is supposed to be another beautiful sunny day and my older brother is coming to visit today. He moved to Arizona about three years ago when his daughter moved there. We have lots of catching up to do and it should be fun. I am hoping the guys come to work on the tiles today, yesterday was a no show. I am looking forward to getting it done. My tax buddy called and we are getting money back this year! We usually break even on the federal and owe state taxes. We don't have any write offs so this is a pleasant surprise. I guess the 10% pay cut Corky took last year is coming back a little now. We want to buy a small used RV trailer so we can go with the kids when they go on get aways. Isaac calls theirs a motor home and is begging me and grandpa to buy one so we can all be together and have fun. He can "visit us in ours just like coming to our house." So many places right around us within an hours drive to get away. People are selling them really cheap right now and a "fixer-upper" would be great. More places to put my coke stuff:) A mini-museum on wheels:)
Isaac's term for it and he says he will help me fix it up! So hopefully, this is our plan for the near future. Plans can change but I hope this one will come true.

Well, I have been rambling all over the place long enough and I need to get a fresh pot of coffee on before my brother gets here. I hope you all have a great day and your weather is as good as mine will be.

Oh and thanks to Pam and Amanda, I now know how to copy and paste buttons to my blog. I about pulled my hair out yesterday trying and failing, but I now have two on my side bar. First picture posting help from all of you, and now buttons and links. What's next for this girl in Ca.? All of you are helping me with my fear of the unknown and I feel like I am learning to grow up on the internet with your help. Thanks so much!!

Love and Hugs, Laurie

The First Monday In April

It is hard to believe it is April already and Easter is this coming Sunday. This year is just flying by it seems, yet standing still at the same time for some families that are on my heart this morning. Therefore, I have three or four prayer requests.

1. Baby Stellan is having such a rough time stabilizing in the hospital. Underneath the sweet picture of him on his blog is a delicate heart that needs God's healing touch today. Jessica, his mommy needs our prayers too. I can't imagine having a child sick like this. It breaks my heart for them.

2. Baby Michael Z is my newest Trisomy 18 buddy who was just born last week and has so many medical issues that need our immediate prayers. His blog is Above Mediocrity on my blog roll in my profile and his Daddy has posted pictures of him. He is the sweetest baby and beautiful in every way. They need our prayers big time. I don't know how to link blogs in my posts but you can find it in my profile.

3. A sweet lady named Kathleen is carrying a baby girl with Trisomy 18 and the doctors have told her that they will not be of much help when she is born. They have urged her to terminate. She is trusting the Lord to guide her but is getting such negative medical advice. All babies are a gift from God and have every right to the best chance at life. Just look at Annabel, Mallorie and Zoe B. for a reason to believe for these precious babies. God does not make mistakes, we do.

4. A dear friend of mine has a son who is struggling with drug addiction and needs our prayers for his deliverance. He has entered rehab again and prayers for the devils stronghold on him to be broken are needed now!. Please pray for a broken and willing heart for this young man. God is a God of miracles, able to heal him completely. Prayers for his wife and family are needed too.

5. Prayers for another perfect ultrasound for sweet Kristy and her perfect baby girl today. Sweet peace for Kristy's heart as God goes before her in that room.

6. Prayers for Kim as she will be having her baby in just a few days. She's one of my "girls" and I am asking God to bless the delivery and her family as they meet their new gift.

And of course Emily's Abigail Joy is just the most precious and healthy and beautiful baby girl. They are HOME, yes they are and I pray for her heart as she balances all of the emotions that are in it. Did I say that this baby is gorgeous?

Our weekend was a good one. The grandkids slept over Friday night and we had so much fun watching them buzzing around and staying up past their normal bedtimes:) We are grandparents and we get to do what we want here:) What a joy to hear them talking and laughing in the morning when they woke up. I don't know who loves it more, me or Grandpa! We love these kids so much and I hope they always remember the fun here as they grow up.

The old tile is coming down in the bathroom today, YAY!!! Messy, noisy, but all good. The new tile will go up this week, new fixtures, and new floor tiles will be done by Friday. It has been a long road but so worth it. Then I can get motivated to get going on spring cleaning and decluttering around here. I have tons to do and hope I can stay focused and motivated.

So, that's what has been going on over the past few days here. I hope you all had a good weekend and will have an even better week. Please remember my friends in prayer when you can. They are all special to me and so are all of you. Counting my blessings today, so many to be thankful for. I love you.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

All Over The Place Here On Friday

It has been a good week since my last post. The plumbing is finished, the hole filled back in and cement poured. Just the tiles in the tub/shower need to be torn out and new put back up, and the new tile floor to be laid. This will happen next week and by Friday, I will be taking over and washing down the walls and putting my final touches on the "new and improved" bathroom. It has been a long project but so worth it. I am amazed at the patience I have learned along the way:)

The grandkids are doing a sleep over tonight and Corky and I are looking forward to it. Our chance to break the rules and let Hannah stay up longer and fall asleep in Grandpas arms, and Isaac gets to stay up late and fall asleep on the couch with us. They can sleep it off in the morning and wake up when they want. I love to watch them come through the door and head to their room to play while mommy and daddy are trying to get goodbye hugs and kisses:) This is their home away from home and we are so blessed to share it with them, the place where daddy grew up. I am so grateful that we only live 10 minutes away from eachother. They have never been watched by anyone else except us. Family, it is so precious a gift.

On the NEWS front, Emily had her baby Abigail Joy last night and she is perfect!! She weighed 7lbs.2ozs. and is 21 inches. She is adorable. I am so thankful for the blessings God has poured out on their family.

Kim is due to deliver her baby in one week. I didn't realize the time was so close. I believe Kim to be more private with her family, and doesn't post as frequent about the daily life in her home and I totally respect that. So prayers for her to have a beautiful and blessed delivery are asked for here today. The sex of the baby will be known when it gets here. I love surprise babies. My grandkids were both surprises.

Kristy's baby girl will be here around the end of May and prayers for her continue for a wonderful day of delivery too. Peace, joy and hope are my desire for her until she meets this baby girl face to face.

Kenzie is enjoying Faith Claire and the blessings she is bringing to their family. She is so adorable.

Chrissy is enjoying Dante at home and he is such a little slugger and so cute.

Angie's Adrienne is getting cuter day by day and bringing so much joy to their family too.

Karen's new baby boy she is carrying is a ways off yet but prayers for him are being asked for, that he continues to develop healthy and strong.

Praying for Yvette as she continues nurturing Torrey in her home and waiting to hear about adoption of this precious girl, if it is Gods will.

I sound like a Grandma here I know, but I am a Grandma and my heart can't help but reach out farther than my own family. These girls are family to me in spirit. I have taken them into my heart and they are here to stay. I think when my time here on earth is over and I enter heaven; I hope God lets me work in the nursery:) I can't imagine anything more fulfilling and since I will have a new body that does not get tired, it will be great!!

I hope that all of you reading here have a wonderful weekend and find treasures in everything around you. We have so much to be thankful for and God has given us His beauty everywhere, if we only look. I love you and please pray for my girls.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Praising God And Doing The Happy Dance!!!

God is wonderful and has answered the prayers of so many hearts this morning for Kristy and baby girl. I hope she won't mind me posting here but I can't contain my JOY for one more minute. BABY GIRL BOLTE IS PERFECT!!! Yes, you read that right my friends, PERFECT!! And yes, I am shouting it out here in caps:) I am beyond thankful, I am doing the Happy Dance here and can't get the goosebumps to go down:)

"I called to the Lord in my distress, and I cried to my God for help. From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry to Him reached His ears." Psalms 16:6

"Along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." Isaiah 42:16

What a blessing and a privilege to pray for others as if our life depended on it. In many ways it does. Prayer comes back full circle and I don't know who gets the bigger blessing out of it. It is just a Full Circle God Thing. Thank you all for praying with me. My spirit is floating this morning, light and fluffy and thankful.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Urgent Prayers Needed

my charming kids

Stellan is in desperate need of our prayers. He is in the hospital and fighting for his life as he is in V Tach. He is only four months old and is so precious. Most of you know him from MCKMama's blog as he has become quite popular. Please pray for him and his family.

Another prayer request is for my dear friend Kristy who is expecting a precious baby girl after losing Isaac and Asher. The ultrasound was not as positive as Kristy would have liked it to be and she is so scared for the unknown. Most of you know her too but for those of you who don't, would you please pray for her heart to be calm as she waits to find out more. Kristy needs Gods assurance and hope that this baby girl will be alright. My heart aches for her and I wish there was more I could do for her.

I haven't been able to think of anything else the past two days except these two families and the prayers they need from us to lift them up. I would appreciate if you would join with me tonight in serious prayers.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Gorgeous Monday Morning

After a cloudy and drizzly weekend, the sun is out this morning in all it's beauty. It will be in the low 70's all week and it really feels like Spring has come. Hannah is here and happy as can be. Isaac will be here after preschool. Both are feeling so much better and that makes me happy. Corky took a much needed week off work so it will be fun for the kids to have him home too. Fun for me too:)

Spring holds so much new life this year. Emily just had a perfect ultrasound and Abigail looks perfect and is perfect and will be here anytime.

Kristy has her ultrasound this afternoon and I am praying it all goes perfect for baby girl as I feel in my heart that it will. Soon this little girl will bless them face to face.

Karen has a baby boy blessing their family for the 4th time and praying for her next ultrasound to be perfect too.

And then Kim's baby should be blessing their family soon too! Baby Faith Claire is keeping Kenzie busy these days with much joy, and Baby Dante is basking at home in Chrissy's arms. Angie is blessed with Adrienne each and every day and Yvette is loving having Torrey to love in their family. What a difference one year has made from Spring last year to Spring this year. So much reflection and healing in between and continues to this day. God has taken and He is giving. I don't understand Him so much of the time but I know He is good all the time.

Zoe celebrated her one year birthday over the weekend, a day this little T-18 girl was not supposed to see. What a blessing she is. Annabel turned 4 and Mallorie is 2. Three very special little girls in my heart. Surviving and Thriving!! Not always easy but I see Gods hands on each little girl.

Baby Stellan at Mc Mamma's needs our prayers. He is back in the hospital with his little heart racing and needs healing. Praying for his family too. His condition is so very serious.

Many other families are now walking in the winter of their Spring, beginning the journey of grief that is so new and heartbreaking. Too many to list but all have my thoughts and prayers this Spring. I am always amazed how life goes on, the ups and downs for each of these families, the sorrows and joys. Watching God work in these lives with His grace and mercies. I continue learning in these journeys.

Lots of yardwork to do in the gardens this week and the weather is perfect for it. As I work, I will have all of you on my mind and talk to God about you. It serves two purposes at one time. I hope everyone of you have a wonderful Monday and find blessings all around you. You are blessings to me:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Something Sweet For Mermaid Hannah

Look at what I found online at www.palmtreeprincess.com. I am pretty sure that it was my sweet friend Pam who bought a skirt for her niece in Michigan and when I saw it, I had to go check out this place. Thanks Pam!! I ordered it and it came in the mail yesterday. It is a size 2T so will be big for her right now but when I adjust it to fit her, I will take pictures. Such an indulgence to have a girly girl in the family after only boys!!

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Oh So Thankful Thursday

First of all this morning, I want to thank you for your prayers yesterday. God heard them and started turning things around almost immediately. I may just have to ask for prayer more often before things get so crazy.:) I am beginning to see how this all works in a much clearer light that giving and receiving is a "full circle" flow of God's blessings. Corky and my son Eric had a meeting after work yesterday and it really eased a lot of pressure as far as their job security was concerned. They were excited as we talked last night and I had to tell them that my "blog girlfriends" were praying. Corky got a huge smile on his face and told me to tell you that "You Rock.!" He says he understands what I do here online a little bit better:)

The grandkids were here yesterday and came back last night for 3 hours. Grandpa was in heaven just rolling around on the floor with them and feeling his day melt away. It is as much therapy for him as it is for me.

The hole in the bathroom floor is starting to be filled in this morning and progress
is being made:) Corky took a week off work and is going up north tomorrow to deliver a piece of furniture to our friends in the redwoods. I won't be going this time around because I have the kids tomorrow and I need to be here for the workers, so I am asking if you would pray for safe travel for him, it is a 10 hour drive one way and he will be by himself. He will spend the night up there and come back home on Saturday.

I just want to thank you girls again for praying for us, it means so much to me. The results were almost instant and I hope that when I pray for you, God answers as quickly for you. It is not perfect sailing from here on out at all, but He has lifted the heavy cloud that was blocking the hope from shining in. I appreciate each and every one of you with all my heart and I love our heart to heart connection in Him. Have a wonderful day today. And if you need prayer, let me know here and I will be on it.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

This Is Me Tonight!!

Trying To Get Back On Track Here

Boy, have I been in a funk for the past week or two. Nothing urgent going on but lots of little things all adding up to a funky place to be in. I have been in my head a lot and it is non productive this time around. My husband and two sons are feeling the job stresses of the economy and I worry for them in between praying. Why is it so much easier for me to encourage others and fall so short on myself? It feels as if I don't practice what I preach at times. I guess I need a little encouragement from time to time myself, ya think?

I can't stand to watch the news anymore. It is too depressing or too stupid, depending on the subject. Economy or movie stars. Ten babies that I have prayed for this year have all died in the past two weeks. Six were in one family, their first pregnancy. How does anyone's heart handle this kind of heartbreak and devastation? I can't wrap my mind around it. At the same time, all I hear about here in California is the "Octumom" everywhere I go and since she lives only an hour away, it is local news. I am tired of her and I know she needs help big time. I feel sorry for her kids, all 14 of them.

Isaac has bronchitis and Hannah has had a sinus infection for the past week and I feel so bad for them. They are getting better now and I am thankful for this. We have been able to have a good time and be happy inspite of it. They are little troopers for sure. Just bundle them up and play outside where the germs can blow away.

Still working on the plumbing but everything is up and running. The cavern running under the house needs to be filled back in now and I feel sorry for the guys having to lug all that dirt back in and crawl under the house to pack it all back in before they can cement the huge hole and lay the new floor down. Isaac said he could make a suction blower machine to blow the dirt back in with a huge hose from the backyard where all the dirt is in mountain sized piles. If only he were older:) I just love that little guy to pieces. He is sunshine to my cloudy heart!!

A very dear friend of ours who has supplied us with collies for the past ten years died this month and her husband is just lost without her. They were married 10 years longer than Corky and me. She was a great lady and will be missed so much.


I don't have anything to really complain about so why am I complaining and letting the little things get to me? I guess it boils down to feeling very vulnerable with all that is going on around me. I don't question God and I never really have questioned Him. So I guess I question myself when these things happen and I sure don't have any answers to the things of this world. I know I could use a little encouragement to kick my sorry butt back into gear here soon and pull myself out of the "funk pit". I am looking forward to the grandkids coming tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be great all week and I am thankful for that. They LOVE playing outside and I love watching:) That's my plan for tomorrow.

If anyone reads this grumbling and still loves me inspite of it, thank you!!!

Love and Hugs, Laurie

**~SPRING AHEAD TONIGHT~**

It is only 3:00pm right now but I am starting to turn clocks ahead as I have 31 of them in the house. Yes, that's right, 31. I have collected them over the years too, most of them coke ones and they are all up and running. By 8:00pm they will all be an hour ahead except for the one over the TV and the one that always gets forgotten somewhere. There are also five in the back yard garden and patio I will get to tomorrow. I like clocks:) I have never worn a watch in my life. But I do like to be able to look around wherever I am doing stuff during the day and keep track of time.

Today was beautiful. Sunny, in the 60's and a little bit breezy. Just enough breeze to get all the windchimes going and sounding so pretty and the smell of jasmine drifting all over the yards. All signs of Spring coming.

Yesterday was a great day with the kids. We made "Jello Jigglers" (I love this name that Lisa calls them). Isaac mixed it all together in the bowl and got excited when he added the "cement", the name he has for the Knox gelatin. Poured it in a huge roasting pan and let it set up in the fridge. We went outside and played for a few hours while it set up. It is so much fun to watch them use their imaginations outside and be so happy. And I don't have to do anything but watch and hold conversations with them. Isaac was blown away cutting up the jello into worms, shapes, and dicing tiny pieces, eating it as he went along. Such harmless fun. His birthday is in May and I told his mom that whatever theme he decided on, I would make a stained glass jello centerpiece to go along with it. What 4 year old wouldn't enjoy that? I can make all the jello colors ahead of time and have it ready to assemble in no time. And the best part of it all, I won't cut myself while I am doing it.:)

Well, I am rambling here so I think I will get back to the laundry and setting clocks ahead now. I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend and find some treasures along the way. They are out there, you just need to look for them.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Friday Flashback--Good bye "60" And Hello "61"

Sixty One years ago today, I was born in a hospital in Los Angeles, Ca. I spent the first five years of my life in a small bungalow house on East 61st street in an area now known as Watts. Back in the day, the neighborhood was very diversified. My grandma lived in a little cottage three doors down, my Aunt Mary lived across the street. We had an Asian family across the street, Mexican family next door who made fresh tortillas every afternoon and invited me over to eat them fresh off the hot plate. Probably because I stood there drooling from the smell:) A Chinese family lived across the street and a Black family three doors down. I remember it being a lovely mix of people all living together on one small block of this world. I was free to walk in and out of each of these families houses and feel totally safe. I was exposed to so many different races and cultures and I am so thankful that to this day, I grew up knowing that all people are equal in Gods eyes. I was an independent and bold little toddler. I lived in my own little world of make believe and I liked everybody. I picked up stray kittens constantly, wanting to keep them all. I lived with a secret that no one knew and was liked by everyone. I climbed the big fig tree and got up on our roof with my older brother many times. The view from up there was great. Getting down was not as easy as getting up there.:) My ignorance of all things dangerous was bliss for me. So much changed as I grew older and yet, somehow, I am here this morning writing and thinking how grateful I am to have spent all of these years learning who I am in Him. And what He has given me in my life I would not trade for anything.

My grandkids will be here this morning in a few hours and we are going to make "finger jello". I was talking to Isaac about it when he was here Wednesday. He was telling me that his mom made jello and they tried to cut shapes out of it and it kept falling apart. Then, I remembered "finger jello". I made it for my boys all the time when they were his age. It's all about the Knox Gelatin!! I found the recipe in the back of my recipe box, thank God, because Isaac insisted we make it. So today, this is what we will be doing. He loves to help me bake and cook and he will be so stoked to see what we can do with it. It doesn't melt and feels just like gummy worms. It will be a fun day and it looks like the sun will be out today too. It's all good.

Have a wonderful day and a wonderful weekend. I plan to.:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

I Love The Month Of March

I don't really have much to say tonight except that I love that this is the first day of March, 2009. It was such a beautiful spring-like day today; sunny, warm in the 80's and I just feel so full of Hope. I am coming out of hibernation and I can feel it! Next Saturday night we turn the clocks ahead and I just love it. I love to have more daylight at the end of my day. Spring is right around the corner and will be here on the 20th. So many of my blogfriends are anxiously waiting for Spring and I know how they feel. There is just something about this season that renews my hope for myself and for others. New beginnings, new life, new dreams, and contentment. I am content in my life and I can truly say that I have more than I need. God has taught me that contentment is a condition of my heart. I have worked with His gentle leading on this for most of my life and I intend to continue until the day He calls me home. I have lived long enough to realize that every valley was a blessing and lessons learned in these valleys are my treasures. I did not like being in the valleys and drug my feet along the paths, but I am so grateful that He knew I needed to go through them. He knew I needed to learn how to hope without fear of something bad being right around the bend. Balance, He is teaching me balance. I still fear at times, but I am going to open my heart even wider this Spring and push past the fears of the unknown. The Lord has planted more hope in my heart for Spring and all that is to come. And Easter is coming too. What a blessing Easter is to all of us who love the Lord and put our trust in Him.

What are your hopes for Spring and what do you love about this season? I'd love to hear your thoughts. And if you have anything that needs prayer, let me know this too. I love you and hope you have a wonderful night.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

The Atlanta Girls: Eight Ladies Who Stole My Heart Last Year!!

I thought it was time to introduce eight wonderful and amazing girls who stole my heart in 2008. If I do this right, the picture will appear at the top:) Let me tell you who is who from left to right, top to bottom.

1. Kim, mother of Mary Grace. 2. Emily, mother of Miller Grace. 3. Karen, mother of Jacob Ryan. 4. Yvette, mother of Tristan. 5. Kristy, mother of Isaac and Asher.
6. Angie, mother of Poppy Joy. 7. Kenzie, mother of Maddox. 8. Chrissy, mother of Eva Janette.

This picture was taken in Atlanta at a conference where the eight met and spent precious time together, sharing the pain of loss after handing their babies to Jesus. The pain was fresh for all eight when this picture was taken. They met Beth Moore, face to face, and she prayed over them and they all cried together. Such sacred ground they shared. The events of this time was shared on their individual blogs last year and they each shared beautifully and from their hearts. I love each and every one of these eight girls and call them "my girls."

On this last day of February, 2009, I wanted to give an update on my girls. It is so exciting to my heart to tell you now.
1. Kim is expecting a new baby who will be her 4th, sometime soon:)
2. Emily is expecting her 4th daughter, Abigail Joy who will be here in 7 weeks:)
3. Karen is the newest mom to announce that her 4th baby is due this year:)
4. Yvette is working on adoption of a beautiful baby girl in her care now:) Praying.
5. Kristy is expecting her 5th baby, a "girlie girl" who has 4 older brothers:)
6. Angie is enjoying raising her 3rd daughter Adrienne:)
7. Kenzie is raising sweet Faith Clare who was born last November:)
8. Chrissy gave birth to baby boy Coppo yesterday morning and he is perfect:)

My heart is so full for these girls. Following their heartbreak and sharing in their hope and joy has been a lesson in deeper faith for me, walking with them. I love them all so much. They have taught me the faithfulness of Our Lord in so many ways and I am eternally grateful. I feel like they are my daughters as they are younger than my sons. It is a heart to heart connection that only the Lord can birth. I am blessed by these moms and their babies who made such a difference in my life.

This Post, my Sweet Atlanta Eight, is dedicated to you, full of love and hope and the promise of God's goodness to you. I pray His richest blessings over each and every one of you today. May your joy be full. I love you.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Thanking God And Thanking You!

I am so thankful for your prayers yesterday and thankful for Gods answers. Corky's eye appointment went well. After being dilated, anything bad was ruled out and the spots he's been seeing are just a case of eyes getting old. They were afraid of the retina possibly starting to detach but it is fine. His eyes ARE fine, just getting tired. We are both so relieved and thankful. I told him you were praying for him too and he said "but they don't even know me" and I said "Soooooo?":) "They know me." I am so thankful for all of you praying. Before I started this blog, I just visited others and prayed for them. To be on the receiving end is quite the blessing and so humbling. Connections of the Heart through our Lord, I just love it. He never stops amazing me.

I have the kids coming today and if the weather cooperates, we are going to spend time outside, working off the cabin fever the rain has brought in the past few weeks. I will take my coffee outside, pull up a chair, smell the jasmine floating in the air and watch JOY in action as two of the worlds finest kids play and enjoy life. It doesn't get too much better than this. I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday and know that you are so loved and appreciated by me. You are my treasures too.

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Please Pray For My Sweetie Today

Would you please pray for Corky's eye doctors appointment this afternoon? Three years back he had implants in both of his eyes after being diagnosed as legally blind. The improvement to his vision was a miracle. He has been having "floating dots" for the past two weeks and he is truly afraid. He hardly ever expresses fear but our eyes are so important. I would really appreciate your prayers for him and for peace in his heart today. I will update after his appointment this afternoon at 3:15pm. Thank you guys so much for praying for my biggest treasure in my life here on earth:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

Flashback Friday

Click on picture for bigger view. This picture was taken at the beach in "1979". This my friends, is 30 years ago. Where has the time gone? The boys were 9 years old and we spent our days at the beach, since it is just down the cliffs from our house. The boys would be starting the 4th grade in the fall. (By the way, this picture was scanned into my computer and I haven't figured out how to manipulate size yet) As I remember, money was tight back then as I was a stay at home mom and hadn't started working in a stained glass shop yet. We had one car, a truck for Corky to go to work. We had been living here for 3 years. This June will mark the 33rd year here. The boys slept out in the backyard under the pine tree often in a make-shift tent and the dogs and cats kept watch all night long. Many sleepovers on the weekends with their friends here too. They spent hours upon hours on their bikes exploring the open spaces up here on the bluffs before all of the development took over. Year by year, lot by lot, their territory shrunk, but they had these years to adventure and I am so grateful for the "open spaces". Thirty three years has changed most of the area up here as beach houses are bought up, torn down, and huge houses replacing them have sprung up everywhere. Our house has remained a beach house as many others on the block have too. It is amazing to think that Corky and I were 27 years old when we moved in here. Now we are grandparents watching our precious grandkids play in the same yards and occupying the same bedroom their father and uncle did.

Thirty three years has gone by so fast. It seems like it was just yesterday. So much has changed yet so much has remained the same if this makes sense. This rented house holds our lifetime of memories except for the first 8 years of our marriage. If these walls could talk! They do talk to me these days as I look back. We have grown up together here and are still growing together in love through the fire and the good times. Through it all I am so grateful and blessed to be who I am today. When I look at that picture above, I realize I did not like myself as was the case for so many years. I ask myself why now, and I realize I compared myself to others and never measured up in my mind. Such a waste of time and talent. The Lord has showed me over the years that He wants me to love me for who He made me to be. That's a tough job but I have been learning to let go and let Him show me who I am and I can live with me:) Still working at it and learning after all these years. If I could offer up one word of advice to my younger sisters here, it would be to love yourself as God has made you, and don't compare yourself to others. It truly is such a waste of precious time. Time we can't get back this side of heaven. I love who each and everyone of you are, as much as I have gotten to know you, and I love you each just as God made you to be. No matter our ages, we are all sisters in the Lord who loves us. I feel like a big sister to so many of you too.

Have a wonderful Friday and leave me a flashback in the comments of something you remember and want to share. You know I love comments. They make my day SMILE:)

Love and Hugs, Laurie

4 x 4 Tagged On Friday

Isaac doing the dishes at home. He is about 2 1/2 years old here.
I have been tagged by Kenzie, one of my "Great-Eight Atlanta Girls", so here goes.

1. Go to 4th folder where you store pictures.
2. Select 4th picture (no exceptions!)
3. Post the picture with an explanation and link it back to tagger.
4. Tag 4 people (or as many as you want) to do the same.

FYI: I will probably end up getting this upside down while posting the picture AND trying to put a caption in, so bare with me.:)

I am tagging: Dee Dee, Dawn, Pam, Amanda, Lisa (Ready Aim), Rachel, Linds, Donna and anyone else who wants to play.