Thunder (L) & Lightning (R)

When Brittany was 9 years old she decided that she wanted a horse. Any time that they wanted something that was not exactly necessary, we would tell them to save their money and when they had saved enough that we would take them to get it. This was a good lesson for them. It taught them to save their money and watch it grow and then purchase the item themselves. I am really glad that we did that because they are both really responsible with their money and take pride in what they have worked for and bought themselves instead of just getting everything that they wanted handed to them. So Brent told her to save her money and when she had $500.00 that he would take her to get a horse. Well, we thought problem solved, she will change her mind or she will never save that much money. About 6 months later she presented Brent with a shoe box that had $503.00 in it. Needless to say we were shocked. She had saved every penny that she got for her Birthday, Christmas, allowance and good grades money. We realized that she REALLY wanted a horse. Brent took her to buy Lightning. He was such a great horse and was so good with the kids. That was her first major purchase and we learned to never underestimate her again.

In Memory of My Grandma

Twenty years ago today my Grandma Evelyn Graham passed away. She was one of the most caring, loving and nurturing people that you could ever hope to meet. When I was little I would cry all night with ear aches (which turned out to be a tumor on the base of my brain). I only wanted my Grandma. I remember many nights that my Dad would go and get her at 2am. She would heat towels and hold them on my ear and rock me all night. She would say over and over that she wished that she could take away my pain. Somehow the pain would ease. Even as an adult she did the same thing. When I lost my first child she stayed with me for a couple of days after his funeral. Again, she held me and said over and over how she wished that she could take away my pain, and I know that she would have if it were possible. I wish that my children could have known her. Chad was only 6 months old and Brittany was 2 when Grandma died. Here is a poem that I wrote a couple of years after her death. It was published in Treasured Poems of America 1995 Fall Edition page 293.

MY GRANDMA'S HOME

My Grandma's Home was a place where everyone was welcome,

Her door was open night and day,

It was a place to feel safe and secure,

Knowing that you would never be turned away,

What better joy than to see her face light up when you entered through the door,

To know the love she gave us will last forever more,

My Grandma's home was filled with love and laughter,

from the foundation to the highest rafter,

It was a place to go when there was nowhere left to turn,

Where love and values, there we learned,

To see her face once more I will always yearn,

But I know I will see her smile and hear her laugh again someday,

When God calls me to that Glory Land far away.

A Fallen Soldier

It amazes me that the current Administration can say that our "War Veterans" are potential domestic terrorist, when this is the price these "Heroes" that serve our Country are willing to pay for our freedom. We were sent this video of the funeral procession of a fallen Soldier from Georgia, by the Southern Kentucky Tea Party Association. It is very touching, I cried for an hour.
My new favorite quote is "I must remember somewhere out there a person died for me today. As long as there must be war, I ask and I must answer was I worth dying for?” Be sure and go to the bottom of my page and pause my music so that you can hear the music to the video.
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"Green?"

I am a little confused about why it is all of the sudden considered hip and cool to be "green", to have a garden and to hang your clothes out on a line to dry. I thought that it was just "old fashioned". That is how I grew up. We didn't have food to eat unless we grew it or killed it. I remember helping my Grandma wash clothes on her old wringer washer and then hanging them out on the clothes line. I realize that this is better for the environment to use less electricity and all, but I just saw a show where the woman was talking about these things as if she had just invented them herself as a way to save the environment.

My Baby Turns 22 Today

It seems like she should still be this size.

Happy 22nd Birthday Brittany. No matter how old you are, you will always be my baby.

Visiting Brittany in Indiana

We went to Indiana Sunday to see Brittany and celebrate her Birthday a little early. She will be 22 tomorrow (seems unreal). It was so good to see her. We have not seen her in 7 weeks. I hope that it won't be so long next time. When she was little, she and Chad would spend the weekend with Brent's Mom and Dad every now and then. I could not stand to go the weekend without them, and now it is weeks, sometimes months between visits. When she went to Eastern her freshman year we only saw her 1 time from August until Christmas break. I am very proud of how independent they are though. I have always been a big baby, afraid to go to far from home.

Scenes From the Tea Party

We attended the 2nd Tea Party that was held in Bowling Green last night. We got to meet United States Representative Brett Guthrie and Ky. State Representative Jim DeCesare along with a lot of other really nice (ignorant, tea bagging, rednecks, according to Janeane Garofalo) people who also care about their Children's future as much as we do. Here are a few pictures.

Is this not just pitiful?

Kage gets so sad when we are getting ready to leave. He will go and get his favorite toys, cuddle up with them and cry. I have a harder time leaving my dog than I did my kids. He is so pitiful. Please excuse the poor quality of this photo, I took it with my cellphone on the way out the door.