confessions of faith

We go through swimming pools like lollipops. Seriously. Every year we get a pool and every year it gets ruined in a wind storm. Just like a lollipop. You open it up and enjoy it for as long as you can and all you have left is just a stick that you just toss away. This past summer I managed to master the up keep of the pool with the help of my son Shawn. This was to keep Scot from being frustrated with the thing he never really used. And believe me it caused him a lot of frustration for some reason?

We managed to keep the pool "safe" all winter long until February when one of those dang gone wind storms came up one night. I got up in the morning to see the pool upside down and plastered along the railing of the deck. Oh no, was my first response. Then, maybe it's not ruined, I don't see any holes in it. But naturally the legs were all mangled and bent.

All I could think about was what will I do with the kids all summer if we don't have a pool? It's such an expense and there are so many other things that need to be tended to around here that I wouldn't even think to ask Scot if we could get another pool. So I said, well God, I guess if you want us to have a pool your going to have to find a way to make that happen. I really did say this out loud.

I posted a picture of the mangled pool on facebook and simply said we lost our pool.............. And what do you know .... one of my friends says hey, we got a pool that's been in storage for years that we are never going to use do you want it? Yes! Yes! we would love to have it. It came in 9 boxes!! Not just one, like the ones we always buy at Walmart. And not only that but it's a hard sided pool, the ones that last for years and years. An official for real above ground pool!! Wow! God must have decided that we really do need a pool.

Faith ...... I believe that if you really have it God WILL answer and provide. He's just so awesome like that! 

Curiosity ALMOST killed the cat

Curoisity killed the cat..... It's an expression we have all used, it's as old as time. But have we ever really considered it's meaning?
On a Saturday morning as I was doing "stuff" in the kitchen I was glancing out the kitchen window. There's lots to see from that window. Chickens and roosters wandering around the yard. The swing set where I can watch the kids play. The peach trees now bare and naked with winter, eight little birds nest dotting the top of it. The pool sitting their in it's ghostly state waiting for summer to arrive again. The cover recently brittle with the cold temperatures shredded from a wind storm just the other week.
And there was Hunter walking around the edge of the pool. Five feet in depth and about a two inch ledge. It amazes me how cats are no nimble. Hunter is still young, he moved in from next door, guess he didn't like his home over their and I tried to find him another home but that didn't work. Hes a good boy, but obviously curious.
 I called Scot and said look at this cat walking around the edge of the pool. Scot got up and came to look and asked, what is he doing? I don't know I said. I glanced my eyes away for just a minute and Scot said, well he just jumped in the pool. Your kidding! I looked out the window and sure enough he was not in view and I could see the sides of the pool being pounded on from the inside.
 Out the door we flew and their was poor Hunter swimming in the one and a half foot of water left in the pool. He was frantically jumping up to the ledge but not making it. Around and around in the circle he was swimming and I called his name and reached in but the jumps weren't high enough. I called for Scot to get a net but it wasn't nearly big enough to rescue him. His ears were flattened to his head and he was looking so terrified. I called for Scot to get the ladder, which was nearly half way across the yard for obvious reasons.
 Suddenly Hunters strokes got slower and he would sink and survival instincts kicked in and he would swim again and sink. Dear God hes going to die. With his pleading eyes looked at me. I grabbed the ledge, bent my knees and hoisted myself up to the ledge. Balancing on my belly I reached down and grabbed whatever of him that I could and pulled him out. Scot arrived with the ladder but Hunter was out of the pool, dripping wet and very cold.
 I craddled him to me and ran for the back door. Grabbing a hoodie I wrapped him in it and in seconds it was soaked. Two towles later he wasn't dripping wet any longer and I rubbed his fur dry. Poor baby. I layed him under the Christmas tree and opened the front door so the sunshine would pour in and warm him.
I tried to not asked the what "if's". What if no one was home? What if I wasn't looking out the window? That whole thing lasted maybe two minutes but felt like forever until I got him out of there. But thank God it happened that day at that very minute. The pool is now drained and their is maybe two inches of water in it. Just enough to keep it from blowing away in yet another wind storm. Hunter, you will always and forever be very near and dear to my heart. I bet you used up a few of those nine lives that day.

 And that my friends is how curiosity ALMOST killed the cat....................

conversations with dolly

Dolly: poppy I'm sick
Poppy: you are?
Dolly: I have a bad cough (cough cough, hack hack, choke choke)
Poppy: oh my you do have a bad cough
Dolly: I got a fever too
Poppy: awww
Dolly: your suppose to give people flowers when there sick poppy
Poppy: you are?
Dolly: yes ..... red ones ....... and long ones not short ones ...... and they can't be real   cause they will die ......

I didn't see but I am sure she was batting her eyes and giving him that charming smile

She was suppose to visit grandma and grandpa but she couldn't because she was sick. She persistently asked me, and I had to keep telling her no. She told me if she was a grown up and had a little girl she would let her go to grandma's house with her medicine!

conversations with dolly

Me: tomorrow we are going to have a girls day and we are going to run around with grandma

Dolly: um I don't think that's a good idea cause grandma is sort of ... you know fat
and she can't run around so good

stick glue vs. bottle glue

Nanny can I please have a bottle of elmer's glue, this glue stick really doesn't work.

Fast forward to many weeks. It's homework time and I reach in the back pack to get the pencil box only to find it covered in goo........ What is this? I open the box and it is also covered in goo..........
Mack! You didn't close the lid on the glue bottle.

Were going back to the glue stick right after I wash the markers and crayons and erasers and scissors.

Conversations with Madison

Yeah!! Now it's my turn to read the dairrhea of a whimpy kid book !!

Now that was a priceless moment

Dolly's wedding plans

Nanny when I grow up I am going to marry with Lucas. Then I am going to fall in love with him. I am going to wear a so, so, SO, beautiful long dress then I am going to sing to Lucas and Madi will faint!!

She is already a hopeless romantic at the age of 4. Thank you Cinderella, Snow White and princess Aeriel.............................

conversations with Mack

Mack was playing with some of Dolly's "little" toys, which she has many of. Jeremy asked Mack is that a mighty bean? Mack says yes it's a mighty bean....... Then he says no..IT'S A MIGHTY BEAN!!!  Waving his arm high in the air like it was some grand toy that needed praise. Poppy asked is it an alien mighty bean? Mack says yes. Jeremy says Mack...... what planet are YOU from? and without a missing a beat Mack says Uranus...........

conversation with Jeremy n Jinny

It was the end of the evening on Dolly's birthday. It was a very crazy and NOISY day. Half the family left and half was still there. Jeremy and Jinny, Mack and Dolly and I were sitting in the front room. Mack and Dolly were being their usual crazy and strange selves. Sometimes you just have to shake your head and wonder why they are the way they are? Seriously, they are not all together there.
Jeremy says: You know mom, Dolly has lived with you all of her life and Mack has lived with you at least half of his life....maybe your the common denominator here.
I just looked at him with my mouth open and was at a lost for words.
Then Jinny pipes up and says: And you know Timmy isn't much better and he has lived with you most of his life too. (hes 29 going on 18)
I then began wacking her with a stuffed teddy bear.
Then I said unfortunately you could be right.
Imagine the uproar of laughter that broke out at that point :)

you can't put a horse in a present

Spent the afternoon at the ranch with Shawn. There are two puppies still looking for homes and naturally the one who is not so shy, found Dolly. It followed her every where she went much to her total happiness. She said Shawnie I want this puppy for a Christmas present.
When we got home she showed poppy the video of the puppy. She told poppy I want this puppy for a Christmas present. Poppy said I'm surprised you didn't say you wanted a horse for Christmas.

She told him, with her arms stretched out, sassy and very dignified, you can't put a horse in a present poppy..................

conversations with dolly

Nanny come here and hold my eye.
What?
Come here and hold my eye for me, I can't do this.
I go to see what in the world she is talking about and she is sitting in her little chair with a kalediscope. She is holding it up to her eye with one hand and turning it with the other and has both eyes open.
She hasn't mastered the art of closing just one eye yet.
Tell you what, how about if I turn it for you and you can hold your eye.
Okay nanny.
So she puts one hand over her eye, holds the tube with her other hand and I turn the end of it around.

Wow..... that's really pretty nanny...........cool!

Pie baking mishap

Making lemon meringue pies for grandpa's birthday....yummy! Dolly decides to climb up at the bar to see what is going on and to maybe get a "lick" of something yummy. She slips and her WHOLE are lands in the pie. Oh I am so so sorry Nanny, I am so so sorry. How sweet. It's okay, no worries. I can smooth it out I just can't fix the part where the crust slid down to well but it will be okay. I put the second pie in the over to get brown and started cleaning up and then I realized one very important thing. I FORGOT TO BAKE THE CRUST FIRST!!! Oh well, we will just have to eat the pies and leave the crust, dang it! And they look so prett too. Big sigh.

church songs dolly style

Dolly loves to sing and she loves loves loves music. This means she always stayes for praise and worship at church before she goes to the nursery. Now you might not think that a 3 year old is really paying attention to the songs but Dolly is. I catch her all through the week singing songs from church. I hear the melody and I know exactly what she is singing, however the words get a little confusing for her. So I want to share *Dolly's version* with you.
The chorus goes ...... I will trust in You --- I will trust in You --- I will turst in You, with all my heart.
Dolly's version --- I will just say boo --- I will just say boo --- I will just say boo, it theres a fight. We have been working on that one and poppy convinced her it was I will trust in You, so she says Ima trust in You --- close enough.
The chorus goes ..... My saviour lives
Dolly's version --- My sailor lives. Working on that one too.
The chorus goes..... I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free to live for you.
Dolly's version --- I am free to run, I am free to dance, I am free just for you. Letting that one alone, it's to cute.
The one she NEVER EVER gets wrong is ..... Glory to God, Glory to God, Glory to God forever. Take my life and let it be all for you and for Your glory take my life and let it be yours. Every word of that one she gets correct and she really belts that one out loud. And she tells me, Nanny that songs sometimes makes me cry.

Jesus was traveling through a village and all the little children were flocking around Him. His diciples were trying to shoo them away saying don't bother the Master. And Jesus told them, No, let the little children come unto me..........

4 things to make you smile

1. While shopping at Walmart Dolly found a little baby doll she wanted, while we were checking out the man at the register scanned the doll and put it in a bag all by itself and handed it to

Dolly with a smile. She said "I think I'm starting to like this guy".

2. Dolly was taking a bubble bath the other night. She was gassy and tooted (a very long toot) and a trail of bubbles left the rear end of her and floated along the top of the water. She turned around and saw them, took her finger and popped them, smelled her finger and said "it doesn't stink".

3. Dolly woke up from a nap in a grouchy mood. Ugh! Hate when that happens. I tried to counter act it, and using my saddest face, by telling her one of my chickens had died. She wanted to see it but I told her she couldn't. She got madder. I said "but I really need a hug because I am sad that my chicken died". She said, " why nanny, you still got a whole bunch of them out there!".

4. Mack gave Dolly a wrestling figure. For whatever reason his mouth is open wide like he is yelling. After studying if for a long time she looked at me and said " looks like he is ready to see the dentist".

The Biggest Egg Ever

Went to collect eggs this evening after dinner. Scot and Dolly decided to go outside for a little while too and brave the heat. As they were playing with the remote control truck I had my little wicker basket in hand. I collected a few eggs earlier and figured I wouldn't get many eggs anyways. It's way too hot !!! So I go in the chicken house and I see one lonely egg lying there all by itself. I got closer and my mouth dropped open and I scooped up, ever so carefully, the biggest egg I have ever seen. It filled my whole hand. I put it in the basket and hurried to get the feed in the tray so I could show it to Scot. It's like some super mega chicken egg that looks impossible for a chicken to deposit. I held it up high and said look at this. He said holy smokes! I hurried up to where he was so he could get a better look at it. He started laughing and asked if I checked the chickens butt that it came out of, I said I wonder which one layed this? I hurried and collected a few eggs out of the other chicken yard. My mind is still in astonishment over this mega egg! I hurried in the house to show Timmy. I said look at this egg!! He looked at it and said man that's a big egg. I said no one can eat this egg for a few days because I have to show this to everyone I know! They won't believe it, I can't believe it! I am going to post pictures on my Facebook so everyone can see this. I hurried (notice I am hurring alot, that's the excitement) to the phone and called my neighbor. Hey Jesse, I got a dozen eggs for you if you will come to the fence and I have to show you this giant egg one of my chickens laid. You won't believe it. I grabbed a dozen of eggs and took my little wicker basket and waited at the fence for him. I loved the expression on his face when he looked at it. That's a big egg! Big as a turkey egg! I went back to Scot and Dolly who was now getting ready to go swimming in her little pool. I have to go show this to Katrina (my other neighbor). She has chickens and she won't believe this when she sees it. By then Timmy comes out of the house and him and Scot look at each other with big grins on their faces. Timmy looks at me with the oh yeah, I am so guilty smirk look on his face. I ask.... did you put that egg in there? He bust out laughing and I said where did you get that egg from? It's a goose egg from down town. Oh Timmy !!! By then we are all laughing. Scot said I am glad he finally told you before you hit the entire neighborhood. I had nothing to do with this but I have to admit it was a pretty good joke. What am I going to do with this egg now I ask? Timmy says, put it back and let one of your chickens hatch it. That would be perfect but none of them are sitting right now. But Katrina has an incubator and I could ask her what she thinks. So I headed off to her house and again, if you could have seen her face when I showed it too her. She wanted to know if I had an ostrich I was hiding at my house. I told her the story and she laughed. She suggested to candle it and if something is growing in there it's probably hot enough to hatch on it's own. So I stuck it back in the nest box and I think when Mack comes to visit me tomorrow I will send him out to see if there are any eggs ...... I haven't seen Timmy smile and be so happy with himself in a long time. Two thumbs up for you Timmy, this IS the best one ever.

conversations with dolly

what will she think of next?

Dolly: nanny why do I always have to swallow this spit?

Me: a moment of duh? how to answer this one... because that's the way our bodies are made

Dolly: oh, do you have to always swallow your spit?

Me: yes

Dolly: oh, and does poppy have to always swallow his spit?

Me: yes

Dolly: oh, well I'm just gettin tired of always swallowin this spit!

I can't wait until she ask me where babies come from and how did they get there..........

conversations with dolly

Dolly and Madison were swimming in her little pool yesterday. Dolly somehow discovered to hold her breathe and put her whole face under the water and move around on her belly "swimming". Madison started doing it too. Their hair was splayed all around their heads as they were doing this, and I praised them for their bravery.

Me: Oh Dolly I have to get my camera to video this wonderful new trick! Be good for one minute while I go in the house and get the camera.

I couldn't find the camera anywhere, it must be in the truck which Scot took today.

Me: Dolly I can't find the camera, I am sorry I can't video you guys.

Dolly: (with attitude) Nanny, well just use your phone camera!

How does a three year old get so smart about technology?

sometimes it just happens

You know sometimes stuff just happens. Like just the other day I went to mom's house to help her out. They had their house insulated and it was super dusty and furniture was pushed every where and it was a little bit like moving day inside the house. So Dolly and I went to help rescue them. And there they were looking tired, dusty, and sweaty. Grandpa had his wet rag in hand and grandma had the vacumn ready to suck up more dust. So after I figure out where I needed to start and where they had ended I was ready to get busy. I happen to start at the dinning room window which is where they left off at. I grabbed the vacumn cleaner and was ready to start sucking dust with the attachment when 'IT' happened. It just escaped and I couldn't stop it! Mom is saying let me come help you and I said no no just stay there I got it. But she didn't head my warning and she walked right into the cloud of it. As she wrinkled up her nose and looked at me I smiled sheepishly and said I tried to warn you. What did you eat, oh my gosh Sheila ! Hey sometimes it just happens. I am still laughing about it to this day. It was a funny inncodent and yes, I am human just like all of you reading this. You know that it has happened to you before. Maybe you just got away with it. Well, that time I didn't. And it was the peppers and oninos I had the day before. :)

conversations with dolly

We were at Wednesday night bible study and Dolly was sitting close to me rubbing my knee

Dolly: Nanny can you get me some little tweezers so I can take these thorns out of your knee

I leaned close to her and said , those are not thorns I need to shave my legs ....................

conversations with dolly

I was giving Dolly a bath and poppy came to the door and started turning the light on and off and on and off.........

Dolly: poppy are you doing the strobe light?

Poppy: the strobe light?

I tell him that daddy does that all the time and taught her that word

Poppy left chuckling

Dolly: daddy always does that too

Me: I know he does

Dolly: Nanny do you do the strobe light?

Me: No I don't do things like that

Dolly: Only boys do stuff like that

Me: that's right they do

Dolly: and boys have yucky germs too

Me: yes they do !!

Dolly: except poppy......... he just has poppy germs