Traditions

We are finally coming into our own with our Peterson Christmas traditions.  It is so fun to finally figure out what our "thing" is.


It all starts with Thanksgiving morning.  We put our tree up.  Isn't it neat how a dark room and a lit tree just seem to make everything magic?  I have really enjoyed the twinkles and green and excitement in our home for the last month.  Christmas is a special, special day.

A week after Thanksgiving we host our annual Christmas Open House where we seem to average about 60 people coming into our home and we hope we do a good job of entertaining and blessing them.  Though, we surely are the ones most blessed by it.  It is so great having friends and family in our home.


Sweet Cranberry Meatballs
(Fix-It and Forget-It)


50 meatballs, about 1 1/2 lbs.
1 cup brown gravy
1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
2 T heavy cream
2 t Dijon mustard

1. Put meatballs in slow cooker.
2. Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Pour over meatballs.
3. Cover & cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 5-6 hours.

This Christmas has been busy with dance performances.  I think we had 5 in all.  The last of which was last night (Christmas Eve) at our church.  I simmered the turkey soup most of the day.  We ate around 4:30.  Turkey soup became a tradition after my Grandma who was sick with cancer was just too tired to go out or do anything too strenuous for Christmas, so she boiled the Thanksgiving bird and made soup.  This is our 2nd year doing it on our own and it is definitely something we will continue.  Our church held the Christmas Eve candlelight service at 7 and then we came home for malts (a tradition started by my great-grandfather).


Today, we were up early.  Grammy came over and we opened presents (one at a time so everyone can enjoy and it lasts just that much longer).  We will head up the mountain here in a bit for lunch/dinner.  We really appreciate not having to cook on Christmas Day.  No dishes to do either!


And we get the Charger game today!  This is the best Christmas ever! LOL!


One thing I will add next year...a hunt for the letters that spell JESUS which will be hidden in the tree and must be found before present-opening.  After all, Jesus is totally the best gift ever!


A happy Jesus birthday to you!

"This is what I really wanted!! Thank you, Michael Bitner!"

I am typically a Christmas-day-only gift opener.  But, our dear friend, Michael Bitner, is in town and has to leave tomorrow so the boys got to open their gifts from him today.  What a treat!  They are so content that I imagine no other gift will compare.  Though we will surprise them with a couple of items under the tree.  However, "cowboy guns" were at the top of the list.  So, two happy boys have we!!!

Yes, those are targets on my linen closet.  LOL!

George Washington resources?

Hello!  
Did anyone see Glenn Beck yesterday?!! He themed his whole show on heroes and stories. It was fantastic!  

Our family spent a good portion of this summer falling in love with George Washington and making him our hero. Glenn's show inspired me to continue to study the character of this wonderful hero.
 
Some resources that I have appreciated are:  

• Nest DVD about George Washington
• George Washington: America's Patriot by Renee Taft Meloche
• the book Big George: How A Shy Boy Became President of the United States by Ann Rockwell (be mindful of the de-emphasis of God's protection over Washington on the pages following the crossing of the Delaware, and the slight hint of feminism on the back page note. I mean, really, Washington was 6'3", an easy target in battle, yet was never wounded. This is not "luck" or "coincidence". In one battle alone-2 horses shot out from underneath him, a bullet hole in his hat and 4 in his coat. Please...let's give credit where credit is due. God divinely protected George Washington over and over again.)
• visiting Mt. Vernon
• Drive Thru History (American Revolution references).  

But, there must be some more wonderful resources I haven't found. Do any of you recommend resources that are true and accurate about George Washington? I see books about Washington everywhere but hesitate to pick them up because I don't want to read a watered-down version of the greatest man who ever walked the beautiful USA.  

I look forward to hearing your suggestions.  
Merry Christmas!

Soccer

We have been spending our Saturday mornings for the last couple of months playing soccer.  This is Brandon's 2nd year and Si's 1st.  Brandon has become very courageous and Silas is, of course, very enthusiastic.

Go Tigers, or Bobcats, or Bananas, or whatever the boys are calling their team this week!

Christmas cookies

Mom told Brandon a story:
My Grandmother made Gingerbread men every Christmas and would put them in a container in the freezer.  She was saving them for a Christmas party.  The day of the party she went to get the gingerbread out of the freezer and there were only 2 cookies left.  My uncle had been steadily eating them all.
Brandon's response?  "Bad boy!"
Love you, Uncle Troy!!!!  I have a feeling that will happen to me one year.  Haha!!

Silas slathering and sprinkling exhaustively his gingerbread man.

Brandon cleaning the spoon.

Pillar of Fire

So, the other day, I lit a candle at the breakfast table and was reading to the kids stories about the Exodus and the tabernacle.  I have a pamphlet that has a picture of the tabernacle and had propped it up on the table.  We were talking about how the cloud moved from the tabernacle and that meant that Israel was to pack up and follow the cloud which would turn into a pillar of fire by night.  Just then, I saw a giant flame coming from behind the tabernacle pamphlet.  Yep, I had set it too close to the candle and had a great visual aid of the pillar of fire for my kids.  No worries, other than a little ash on the table and a trashed pamphlet, everyone and everything was unscathed.

the lawn and ladybugs

I need to get my mind off the traumatic events of the last 24 hours and so here is a totally random post...

Jamie had rotator cuff surgery last Wednesday and is laid up for a few weeks.  And after the drama mentioned in my last post, I find myself reorganizing my life, setting my own family first (as it should be), and taking on unfamiliar jobs such as mowing the lawn.

I have never mowed the lawn before.  I have claimed ignorance all of my married life and it's been working for me.  But, today, it had to be done.  The grass was so embarrasingly long that I was ready to harvest and start beating the chaff out of it to see if it could eventually be useful in making bread.  Anyway, out came the mower.  Geez, that thing is heavy!  I rolled it onto the patio and pulled the heck out of that dumb cord.  And do you know what happened?  NOTHING.  Then, I heard Jamie from the living room, "Honey!?"  I go inside the house, "Yes?"  "There's a red button on the side of the mower that puts gas in it so it will start when you pull the cord."  "Ok, thanks."  So, out the door I go, push the button a few times, and pull the cord.  Nothing.  Hmmm.  From the living room I hear, "Honey?!"  Inside the house I go, "Yes?"  There's a thin handle on top you have to pull in when you pull the cord.  "Oh.  Ok, thanks."  Yes, that did the trick and I was off.  I figured mowing couldn't be much different from vacuuming and it wasn't.  But,  there were so many ladybugs on the grass and I was worried for them.  I didn't want to chop them to bits.  So, Silas worked beside me, rescuing ladybugs while I pushed the big red mower.  Do you think Jamie will ever mow again?  I have a feeling it has just become one of my new jobs.  I thought mowing was incredibly relaxing.  Or maybe it was just what I needed to take my mind off of the great Oksana fiasco.  A train wreck would feel relaxing after that.  Wait!  Wasn't I trying to take my mid off of this very subject?!  Ugh!

Save the ladybugs!  They really are cute little things.

It's Over

Oksana went home last night.

We have required no rules for her or consequences for her offenses (and believe me, there have been some doozies!).  So, we laid down the law yesterday, and she got angry, attacked me verbally (expletives) and physically, and then ran out of our house.  She was found by a neighbor a couple of hours later.  We packed as much up as possible.  Her dad and grandparents came to the house to pick up her stuff, did not say 2 words to us, and left.  They picked Oksana up at our friend's home and she is gone.

Disappointed and sad.  Under attack by those who should know and appreciate our efforts.  God knows.

Here's to getting out of your comfort zone for the glory of God...no matter what happens and no matter what people think.

One thing I must mention:  I have an amazing and wonderful husband.  He stood up for me (in front of me...taking the blows) and defended me to his family.  He truly is a Godly man who loves Jesus and his family above all.  I don't know why God has blessed me so dearly with such a man, but I am so very thankful.  And these few sentences in no way sufficiently describe him.

Thank you for your prayers as we have been on this adventure.  We have learned so much and have had opportunity to serve the Lord.  He is a passionate and loving God.

The Lord's Prayer

Jamie was trying to teach the boys the Lord's Prayer tonight while they were in the tub.  He would read a line and the boys would repeat it.

Then he got to this part: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Si repeats: "I will be done on earth instead of heaven."

Starry Starry Nights

...was the theme for our Borrego Days Festival this year.  All went extremely well.  Praise the Lord!  My church invited 4th Day Alliance to join us.  http://www.4thdayalliance.com/ccborrego/  Their presentation was absolutely fantastic and made me cry.

The parade went great!  Mom was a huge help to me (as usual).  I also had 9 other parade volunteers who helped me tremendously.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

One of my very favorite members of the Hole-In-The-Wall Gang, Doc Blaylock.

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Notice the pooper scooper in the background.  I bet this team left quite a mess.

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Dedicated to my husband. Haha!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgJKRvgWTwA

Shhhh... Be vewy quiet. We'we hunting wabbits.

Our new favorite movie for the time being is "Swiss Family Robinson".  The little boy in the movie catches an elephant.  This is very inspiring to a little 5-year-old engineer.

The past 2 days, Brandon has been asking me for carrots so he can catch a rabbit in our front yard.  He has it all planned out.  He has a bucket tied to a rope which is strung through some hooks on our tree.  He wants to put the carrots in the bucket and wait quietly at the end of the rope, so when a rabbit hops into the bucket, he can pull the bucket up and have a new pet.  I know it won't work, and then, I wondered, "What if he actually catches one?"  Then, what am I going to do with it?  :)

Yes.  I bought carrots today.

The Silent Majority?

http://www.silverbearcafe.com/private/09.09/conservativewoodstock.html

Please check out this link.  It is incredibly inspiring.  I hope we all will stand for what is right.  This gives me hope that we will not let our nation be taken from us.  Here's to a revolution!!

A fantastic presentation is coming to Borrego!!

http://www.4thdayalliance.com/ccborrego/

Check out this link and don't miss the presentation at the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center Saturday October 24th at 11 a.m. (immediately following the parade) and 2 p.m. (immediately following the Dark-Sky Presentation at the Borrego Library).

This is a great spiritual and educational opportunity!!! Bring everyone you can!  You will love it!

Gramma Weed

11/14
Gramma ended up in a Psych hospital for 2 weeks and then went to live with my Dad.  They packed up her apartment and moved her to Seattle where my aunt and cousins live.  So, she is there now.  Her insurance isn't working out so great for her up there so please keep that in prayer.  At least she is constantly surrounded by family.
Thank you for praying.
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9/14
Right now, my Gramma is at the ER at Kaiser.  They are putting her through detox in case maybe she had a mix up of her meds and an accidental overdose of morphine.  Nothing has been diagnosed yet.  They are planning to keep her in the hospital while she detoxes.  

She is deeply convinced that people are out to get her for her money (she barely has a dime to her name) and she has been hearing voices and threats.  

On another note, she has had a caregiver for the last 4-5 years who has borrowed and taken money from her on multiple occasions.  I filed an elder abuse claim on this care giver tonight.  So please pray about that, too, and that the truth will be known and will set my Gramma free.

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9/15
ok...the latest on my funny Gramma.  I have always called her "my funny Gramma" and she continues to be but in a different way and one that is very frightening to her right now.  Can you imagine living every moment paranoid and afraid for your very life?  Regardless of the reality, her mind is leading her to be very scared and it breaks my heart.  These emails are acting as a journal for me as well so I can keep track of how she is doing.  Hope you all don't mind.

Sometime yesterday, she was released from the hospital.  I don't know the details yet of how that all transpired, but she ended up at home with my Dad & his wife, Linda.  She has disillusion syndrome possibly caused by her meds or a urinary tract infection.  Which I guess affects the minds of the elderly.  Did you know that?  Weird.  I guess they are hoping that once the infection clears, so will the hallucinations.  I hope that is true.  However, in the mean time...

When she was in her right mind this morning, she acknowledged that she thought it might be time for her to not live alone, but that she was resistant because she has lived alone for so long.  Dad is pursuing the social worker and her primary care doctor to recommend that she be in assisted living/nursing home.

The social worker says that once my Gramma is in such a situation, she can easily be transferred to a board and care in Seattle where my Aunt and many cousins live.  This would be an ideal situation.  She admitted to not wanting to be a burden to the family.  They were mid-discussion this morning when my Dad had to go to a meeting.  They agreed to continue the conversation when he returened home.  And 2 hours later a switch was flipped and she started getting loony.

Gramma  and Linda were working in the kitchen together around lunchtime.  Shortly thereafter, Dad called to check on Gramma and she had disappeared.  Linda looked high and low for her to no avail and so called my dad to have him come home.  Linda noticed that she, her dog & the leash were missing, but her purse, walker, glasses, etc were all still at the house.

Gramma had walked to the corner to a local Barber shop and told them that my Dad & Linda were going to kill her.  She said she heard them talking about her across the street, and that they said they were going to kill the dog and then her. (My dad wasn't even home when she "heard" this)  So, the Barber shop guy called the police.

That's about when my Dad & Linda found her.

Mom, thank God you advised she go to the hospital the other day.  The police checked with the hospital.  My Dad & Linda could have ended up in jail.  My Dad is very emotional about the whole thing.  She has totally turned on him and it is tearing him apart.  He struggles between being mad and hurt.  Of course, I just try to remind him that it is not really my Gramma who is saying all these accusatory and nasty things to him.

The cop said she refused to go home with my Dad.  She thinks my Dad hates her.  Dad told the officer that she couldn't go home to her apt, and the cop advised that an ambulance be called.  She refused at first to get in the ambulance because she thought my Dad & Linda would kill the dog.  Thankfully, my Uncle Jim & Aunt Kathy were there and they were able to convince her to get into the ambulance.  My Dad hasn't seen her since because she is afraid of him.  My poor Dad!

At this point, she would only yield to her son, Jim.  Who, by the way, has been estranged, and has an abusive & psycho wife, who has unabashedly poured her wrath out on my Gramma numerous times for so many years.  So....my Gramma doesn't trust my Dad who has bent over backwards for her the last few years and she is all too trusting of my aunt & uncle who have only ever been verbally abusive toward her.  Yeah, something is definitely not right.

So...all this to say, please keep praying.  I would like to call or visit my Gramma but am not sure how I might be received.  I want her to be able to trust somebody and, at this point, she is suspicious of so many...even her favorite granddaughter (my cousin, Melissa).  I don't want to be another person that she thinks is out to get her.

Thank you for reading this.  If nothing else, it is entertaining, huh?

Mom, Dad is very thankful that you demanded she go the the ER.  It really saved his tail today.

Tobi, Dad specifically asked that I fill yo in on all of this.  Just thought you should know that.

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9/16

Today should be a shorter update.

My Gramma is still at Kaiser.  They are keeping her there until she can be moved to a psychiatric hospital.  Supposedly, a psychiatrist was supposed to talk to her this afternoon.  I am not sure if that happened or not.  The doctor apologized up and down to my dad for releasing her too early.  They want her to go to a psychiatric hospital because she will have no choice but to be there.  If she goes to an assisted living or nursing home, she can choose not to go.  And she really needs to be supervised 24/7 right now.

I tried calling my Gramma tonight but the phones were shut off so I will try again tomorrow.

Thank you so much for your prayers.

My Dad is feeling a little better today.  Not great, but better.  

I am hoping to get out there in the next week so I can encourage my Dad and Gramma.  
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9/17
Some quick bullet points from a quick phone call with my Dad a few minutes ago.  I will talk to him more in depth later.:

Well, my Gramma thinks the nurses & doctors are going to kill her.  People are doing work on the ceiling and she thinks they are making a place to put her body after she's dead.  She tried to leave the hospital today and was convinced to come back in.

I will go out there tomorrow.

They are hoping to move her to the Mesa Vista Psych hospital. 

She is refusing food & meds.

She is getting worse.

The $200 Dar (the caregiver) borrowed will be paid back.  She called my dad today to tell him she was planning to pay the money back.  Which makes me think that maybe she was confronted about the complaint I filed the other day.

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A more accurate update on my Gramma, 

There was a girl stationed outside the door all day today because Gramma tried to escape.

All the hospital workers are afraid of her because when she attempted her great escape,she had her purse over her shoulder and was carrying her walker over her head.  It took 4 security guards to turn her around.  The social worker told dad "Don't worry it's not just you, we are all killers."

She thinks her food is poisoned and set with expolosives.

My Aunt Cathy ate some of the food to prove that it wasn't poisoned and then Gramma was able to eat.  Praise the Lord for that.

She was also able to take some meds today.

The Dr doesn't think it is the morphine or UTI that are causing the hallucinations.

They are planning to send her for an MRI.  They want to rule out anything medically wrong before they send her to Mesa Vista Psych Hospital.

My cousin, Melissa is flying in tomorrow night.

Thank you for your prayers.  I truly hope this isn't hereditary.  (A little laugh for you.)  Please pray that the Lord will be with me as I try to calm her down, that she will receive me, and hopefully am able to point her toward the Lord.

Love you!
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9/23
Happy Birthday, Gramma!


My visit with my Gramma went very well on Friday and Saturday.  She received me without any trouble (thank you for praying) and one of the days, I was able to read the Bible to her.  I read a few of the Psalms to her while she was asleep when I arrived on Saturday and later, she asked if I would read James to her.  I read the whole book of James.  Praise the Lord!  She closed her eyes and listened contentedly.  She was still quite paranoid but was able to eat a little and she finally got some sleep.  An MRI came back showing nothing, and the doctors ruled out everything medically, so they decided it was time to have her transferred to a psychiatric hospital.  My Dad was able to visit while I was there and Gramma no longer was afraid of him, so that is a relief.


She was moved to the psych hospital on Monday.  She seems to be in good spirits, but the delusions are getting worse.  She is no longer paranoid or fearful, thankfully.  But she is imagining that a particular woman patient at the hospital is her grandma and then she claimed she was Jesus' grandma.    Today is her birthday.  I will go to see her on Saturday.


My Aunt & Uncle that I previously mentioned have been causing more trouble and even showed up at my Gramma's apartment when my dad went to pay some bills.  They started to rifle through all of her things.  I could elaborate but it just makes me angry, so I will skip it for now.  They are selfish and mean.


Her doctor says there is definitely some dementia, psychosis, and meds involved.   She is on 3 blood pressure meds and 3 depression meds.  It's too much.  She should only be on one for each.  We are hopeful that it is just a matter of balancing the medications.  But, it doesn't look that way.  
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10/12
Gramma was released from the hospital Saturday and is, at this moment, on her way up to Seattle.  She has lived in San Diego her whole life so this move is a big deal.  She seems much better.  A little confused because of the hallucinations she has had and is having trouble differentiating between what is true and what was imagined.  For example, we had to convince her yesterday that she doesn't have cancer.  She was sure a doctor had told her that.  It seems that a balancing of her meds has helped her out.  Praise the Lord!  Please pray for her transition to Seattle.  She thinks she is going to into her own apartment, but she will have to be in some sort of assisted living situation.  She has been told the reality, but it's not clicking for some reason.  Clearly, there are still some issues.
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7/26/10
My Gramma has settled into an assisted living home and is treated well.  She claims this is the happiest she has been in a long time.  Hallelujah!  Thank you for praying.

Oksana...the Cliff's Notes version

Things have been difficult at Jamie's brother's house for Oksana and so we offered for her to stay with us this summer.  We thought maybe they all could collect their thoughts and take a break from the tension that has grown there. She has had the most enormous wall built up.  No one could even speak to her.  She was getting into trouble at school: bad grades, fights, stealing things, etc.  She's been in trouble at home.  The list goes on and on. 

She stayed with us this summer and we have come to truly adore her.  We've had her with us since school let out except for our trip and the home school conference.  We have always loved her, of course, but getting to know her and going through some ups and downs together has really bound us to one another.    At every confrontation, the Lord really gave us the frame of mind and words to evoke a compliant response from her.  Praise the Lord.  My verse in dealing with her "surprises" and "hiccups" has been "A gentle answer turns away wrath but a harsh word stirs up anger."  (Proverbs 15:1)  Our most major issue has been the way she dresses and her makeup.  Modesty has been totally lacking and we have set the bar pretty high.  One day,  I had enough of the attitude so I asked Jamie to speak to her and he did.  We cleared up the matter and the next day she told my pastor's wife that she wanted to live with us.  We didn't know this yet, though.  We had shared with her that we would love to have her live with us if her dad would allow it and she wanted to, but she never seemed interested all summer.  She had said she wanted to go back to her school and friends.  So, I never pressed the issue.  Then, one day, she said she wanted to talk to us.

About a week and a half before our trip, she told Jamie and I that she wanted to talk to us. So, soon thereafter, she sat us down in our living room and showed us these little slips of paper that she threw into a bowl symbolic of what she wanted to give up for the Lord.  Things like boys, inappropriate clothing, bad friends, bad music, "coolness", etc.  We were pretty impressed.  She then told us that she wanted to live with us and she wanted me to home school her.  She had started reading her Bible and joining us for family devotions and we could see her countenance and attitude changing.  And the wall she had was gone.  Halleluiah!  I took her to a church women's dinner the next night and she looked so peaceful and relaxed and unconcerned with her makeup, hair, vanity.

Jamie took her to the "Rebelution" conference (www.therebelution.com) on July 26th.   

She is a new girl!  Not to say that there won't be more "surprises" and there is much of her past in Russia that I would like to help her to find healing in Jesus.

So, please pray for us.  Especially regarding the home schooling and discipling her.  

I am excited and nervous, but I know undoubtedly that God has arranged this.  It was heavy on my heart earlier this year to adopt and now, I think I know why.  God was preparing me for a new daughter.  

Starting new

Oksana officially moved in with us today.  We are greatly excited about the days to come.  Please pray for me as we get school in order.

Our last evening in D.C.

I have been packing all day! Whew!  We hop on a plane bright and early tomorrow morning.  Aunt Tobi read the Pokey Little Puppy to the Boys tonight and we had one last photo shoot with the cousins.

Bon Qui Qui

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkdcYlOn5M

I can't believe I haven't posted this yet! It's totally my all time favorite.

Washington, D.C.

We drove from my Aunt's house in Clinton, NJ, to Washington, D.C., and met my sweet friend, Geryl Anderson. Geryl and I met when we were in the Lion King Parade at Disneyland. He is in D.C. now which is his hometown. He is recovering from triple bypass heart surgery...please keep him in prayer as he is healing. He is truly a very special man. Our whole family adores him! We also got to meet Geryl's mom, Marietta, who is an incredibly endearing lady. It was such a refreshingly wonderful visit.

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...even though you-know-who lives there...
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Below is the box at Ford Theater that President Lincoln was sitting in when he was shot by John Wilkes Booth.

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Home schooling has been so cool. We spent much time learning about Apollo 11 and other aerospace stuff. We went to the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum the first day. Here is Si in front of the Apollo 11 command module, and the boys with the Wright Flyer.

Would you believe there is a 2nd Air & Space Museum closer to Tobi & Rich's house? And there is a Space Shuttle there. That is sooooo cool! We were awestruck at the complete massiveness of this thing. Lucas, my nephew joined us.

We're staying with my sis and her family in Manassas, VA.


Jamie's dear friend, Jon Carroll, drove up from South Carolina to spend a day with us.  He brought his wife, Leah, and daughter, Abigail.  We ventured out to see the American History Museum, but arrived only 10 minutes before they closed, so we were able to see Old Glory and nothing else.  However, Old Glory was beautiful and certainly did not disappoint.  I was in tears looking at that beautiful flag.  It was flown over Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and it flew all night as the Fort was under attack and it was the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key's "The Star Spangled Banner".  Tobi sang the National Anthem with Abigail with Brandon and Silas present.   Then a quick stop at the Natural History Museum.  We had dinner at the Capitol City Brewing Company and took the metro out of DC on our way "home".

Tobi & Rich watched the boys for us on one of our last days in DC, so Jamie & I could enjoy the city on our own.  We revisited the Pentagon Memorial, American History Museum, walked the National Mall all the way down to the Lincoln & Vietnam Memorials, then hailed a taxi to the Old Ebbitt Grill near the White House.

D.C. is a really cool city.

Will be heading home on Tuesday. Has been a great time.

Liberty Enlightening the World

We weren't able to see the Statue of Liberty while we were in New York. We tried to book tickets to go up to the crown but it was sold out through November. We couldn't even get pedestal access from Battery Park, so our next best option was to go while we were in New Jersey. Praise the Lord! It was quite easy getting in and out of there from the New Jersey side. God knows best! And Vanessa, my cousin's girlfriend, was telling me that it is a hard climb and very hot and stuffy so I believe God worked it out the very best for us. We had a wonderful visit today. We will stay one more night with my Aunt Toby and her family and then will go back to DC tomorrow where we will meet up with a sweet friend, Geryl Anderson, who I used to dance with at Disneyland, and spend a few more days with my sis. So that will be super cool!

Prayer for Joyce

Please pray for my sweet sister in Jesus, Joyce Martin. She has been undergoing intense radiation treatments for the past few weeks for some cancerous tumors found on her spine and brain. Please pray the Lord will wholly heal her...here or in heaven. His will be done.

Clinton, NJ

My Aunt Toby & Uncle Glen live in Clinton, which is the cutest little town without having to be so remote that it takes an hour and a half to drive to the nearest shopping center....ok, so maybe I am referring to the remoteness of Borrego (is "remoteness" a word?). Anyway, it is quite charming here and has been so refreshing to just enjoy their little town and spend time with family. My aunt is such a dear, kindred spirit to me and I really adore her.

My cousin, Kyler, is housesitting for Mark Lipinksi of "Quilter's Home Magazine" and we enjoyed yesterday afternoon in his pool and playing with his 3 dogs: Tulip, Petunia, & Violet. I think it

was a much needed day of R&R.

Aunt Toby treated me to a pedicure and then we walked along the downtown Clinton with a stop for tea and lunch. Yeah! That's why I love her life! Toby owns a quilting shop here called "Kindred Quilts" and has the most beautiful creations. www.kindredquilts.com At the end of the street, there are 2 mills along the stream. We were able to take a little walk through the Red Mill. The boys loved climbing all those stairs and watching the wheel turn.

We had a wonderful visit with family in Clinton. Definitely my favorite part of the trip so far. It is so refreshing to be with those whom your soul is knit to.

New York & Ground Zero

We had a whirlwind visit to NYC. We arrived at about 3 pm on Friday, checked into our hotel, and walked a few blocks to Ground Zero. We met this sweet fireman who was gracious to allow us to photograph him. The station is directly across the street from Ground Zero.

The Memorial at the WTC site is very much still in the works but they have put one building up so far. It is the building on the left of the photo below. The empty space in the skyline is, of course, where the towers once stood. The exact site of the two towers will remain empty with the memorial building going up around the previous WTC site.

My friend, Patty Scott, and her granchildren also were in New York while we were there. Patty's son, Seann William Scott, is a movie actor and has an apartment in the City. Seann (not present) treated us to a delicious dinner at "Morandi", an Italian restaurant in Greenwich Village. After dinner, Sydnea and Austin (Patty's grandchildren) wanted to go to Washington Square Park, so off we went. What a beautiful park! The play area was empty (afterall, it was about 9pm) and the kids had a blast having the place to themselves. Jamie and I got a really sweet visit with our beautiful Patty.

The next morning, we decided to do some shopping and revisit Ground Zero because we wanted to see the cross. On our way I discovered this store. My name isn't exactly common (especially the spelling) so it caught my eye.

The cross at Ground Zero was still standing in the midst of the rubble of the Twin Towers and has been relocated temporarily to a church across the street. God knows and gives us hope in the midst of our very darkest and trying times. "If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." (1 Chronicles 7:14)