Thankful Thursday

Thankful Thursday times 27 weeks, I think the number of thankful lists I have missed lately. I am truly thankful for all that God has blessed me with, I am just a little slow in blogging.

• I am thankful that school has started here at the crazy Currys. Thankful no one has killed the other yet! haha. We are slowly but surely getting into somewhat of a routine. For someone with my personality, that is tough ~ routines, schedules grrrrr!
  
• Thankful that it appears our son, Nickolas, is going to be able to skip a grade ahead and rejoin his original grade. I held him back in kindergarten because he was so small, big mistake. He became bored in 3rd grade. Last year we tried to complete both 4th and 5th grade, with the hopes of giving him a CHANCE to rejoin his original class at school. Boys really need to be around other boys their own age, if they go to school.


• Thankful for the EXCEL program here in Oklahoma City. It is a "school" for home schoolers. The boys are taking American History/Geography, Spanish and Nick is taking 6th grade math. That, my friends, has saved my tired self. The boys are gone all day on Mondays, and we girls work really hard all day. RIGHT! We have established a great routine of shopping, baking, hair cuts, etc. etc. The boys enjoy going to school, ordering their own lunch, drinking Cokes (when Mom isn't around to say, "No Way, dude!"), and it has been good for them to have classroom disciplines to adhere to.
  
• Thankful for my husband and his patience that doesn't seem to have an end with me. Thankful he keeps us all somewhat sane without losing his own mind. He really is my hero.


• Thankful for the beautiful weather, so nice!


• On a lighter note, so thankful for the new Sonic ~ just 3 1/2 miles away. When you live out as far as I do, anything under 5 miles is a real treat.


• Thankful I finally decided to go to the doctor. Put it off for over a year. I was diagnosed with a thyroid problem and arthritis. Lovely, huh? Thankful the thyroid medicine has helped me lose 12 pounds in the last 6 weeks.


• Thankful that for the most part I have given up Dr. Peppers, caffeine, and sugar. (All things good . . . just kidding!) I feel so much better! The arthritis that hurt so bad in the mornings and at bedtime, is gone. Really. So thankful.


• Thankful the YMCA is only 6 miles away. Love walking on the treadmill ~ didn't get to last week, with a house full of sick kids and husband, but next week I will hit it hard again.
  
• Thankful I was able to not get sick last week. With one son following me around, all day every day, it was a small miracle. Thankful my family all seem to be on the mend. They have started fighting ~ I guess that is my sign they are back to normal. :)


• Thankful most of all for God and His mercies anew ~ each and every morning, that my friends is love!

Love to all of you and have a great week-end, Friends! Love, SUMER

Enjoying the ride!

We have been mighty busy lately, which is the reason for my absence in blogging. Summer has been fun and did I mention busy?
We are gearing up for school to start here at Curryville after Labor Day. We have lots to share and lots of memories to blog about, but today we have to clean the pool, plant a fall garden, go buy school supplies, go to piano lessons, clean the house and try to figure out who or what attached the kitty last night . . . all in a days work folks!
Until then, happy day and I will look forward to re-joining the bloggy world in a few days.
Sumer

We Are Back!

We have officially returned home and with the looks of my dirty kitchen ~ life has resumed to normal. We all had a great vacation at Grand Lake and family reunion in Missouri. Each day was so nice and cool with a few loved drops of rain to cool our otherwise hot selves down . . . NOT! It was so stinkin hot the whole time we were gone. My kids love Grand Lake and I think I could possibly just move there, but please don't tell my mom. Grove, Oklahoma is a small quaint town just 2 hours from my hometown of Springfield, Missouri. One day the kids and I went into town, parked the suburban, and went shopping! We went to this old book store and let me tell you I found NEW books that have been out of print for 6 years to complete my kids collection of The Seven Sleepers by Gilbert Morris. Amazing! I have hunted and searched for 2 years on e-bay and there they were, in perfect condition! The lady who ran the store must have been 112, but such a delight to visit with. Although, it may have been that I was purchasing half of her kid's book collection, I don't know.

My kids are not like me, (well 3 of them anyway) they like to take chances and drive golf carts 30 miles an hour over speed bumps and around corners. The house where we were staying had a brand new golf cart to use and let me tell you, we broke it in good. Normally I have to beg for the trash to be taken to the curb for trash day; however, at the lake we go through 65 trash bags in a week, because my kids are always needing to take the trash to the dumpster. It just so happens that the dumpster was a short golf cart ride away! :0) We seriously ran the battery out every single day for 6 days! Little did I know (until we were leaving) you were supposed to be 13 to drive them, oops! I have a 12 year old, does that count?

The boys did some serious fishing, every single day, for 6 days in a row. It was catch and release, because Dad wasn't there and mama don't catch em', clean em' or eat em' for that matter.



We had a wonderful swimming pool in the little community and there was no one there! No one. We had the pool to ourselves for 4 days, so my kids made me throw the ball to them while they jumped and tried to catch it 367,893 times. The pool was also just a golf cart ride away. The water temperature was 96 degrees the day we left. It was like taking a hot bath, but the kids loved it.

In the middle of swimming, eating, painting pictures, reading books, fishing, driving golf carts,(and did I mention eating?) we did a lot of chillaxing. (chillin' and relaxing) Chillaxing is good for the soul, good for mom's mind, and hmmm good for mom's mind. We did a lot of talking about school next year and it is always good to hear what your kids think. I gave them a chance to voice their likes and dislikes and tried to act like I would really NOT make them do so much English ~ yea, whatever! :0)

The last 24 hours of our week was spent in a whirlwind trip to Missouri. We saw my dad and celebrated birthdays and Father's Day. He taught the girls how to play Scrabble. He has lots of soft drinks in the house, and an endless supply of M & M's and cable and comfy beds . . .

We saw cousins and had a great time at the water park. My 74 year old great aunt swam with the kids.

Kayla, Regan, Kati, JulesAfter 8 hours at the family reunion we met my Papa and his wife Donna for dinner. My Papa is one of life's treasures, some day I will write about him. He is so fun and wise and silly and crazy and loving all at the same time. My kids call him Big Papa ~ it fits we love him BIG!

Amanda (my sis-in-law), my girls, my mom, me, Papa and Donna

Papa, my step-dad, JB, my boys and my brother, Jason

Fun times, I tell ya, fun times. Well, Scott took the girls to piano today so I could work on laundry and the house and I haven't done anything but catch up on blogs and look at facebook. Better get busy. Have a wonderful day and stay cool friends!

The Whys . . .

Hello, bloggy friends! I haven't posted in a while. Things have been kinda busy around here ~ working on the yard and pool, finishing baseball, wrapping up school and the dog mishap have taken up our days.

School - we are done. Done. Didn't get as far as I would have liked but Scott said, "you're done for a while." Loved those words! The kids are still reading, reading, reading but we have taken a break from math, history and spelling. I ordered some cool DVDs about history, mechanics, science and archeology ~ that is going to be the extent of our school for a couple of months.

The dog - Miley Mae is gone. Disappeared. Gone. My kids are broken hearted and it has bummed me out too. Not just that Miley Mae is gone, but in the last year and a half, since buying this house, (that has a guest house in our backyard where Grandpa lived for4 months and Grandma for 1 year) we have lost both great-grandparents and now 4 dogs. Not that I am a big dog person, but the kids enjoy their pets ~ and I secretly enjoyed Miley too! Two of the 4 dogs were Grandpa's, they were old and died naturally. Tiger, the boy's dog, attacked Kati and we had him put to sleep. He was old and cranky ~ obviously. Miley Mae was just 9 months old and she disappeared last Thursday. She was the best little dog. A real joy for the kids. She had the most pleasant way about her. The kids played with her every day, all day. Scott and the kids have looked and looked. I have looked and looked. She is just gone. Scott thinks a coyote got her. I have put ads on craigs list and in the newspaper. Notes like this are a daily occurrence ~ it says, "Miley, I Love You", notice the chewy and the rose. My kids are constantly asking me why the dog is gone? Why did Grandma not live long enough to see our cannas we planted come up? Why did Grandpa not live long enough to see our garden? Why didn't the coyotes take the neighbors dog who is ugly instead of my dog that was cute? (yikes) Why this and why that . . . it wears on a mom after awhile. Today I put the dog bed, chewy and water bowl up. Could not stand to see my 10-year old Cody go put fresh water in that bowl one more time, with the hope of Miley returning. Could not stand it. I told them again gently that the dog is gone. . . oh! the tears! Seriously, the dog has been gone since Thursday and we still have tears every night??? So hard to understand that God does not always answer our prayers just the way we see fit. Scott finally promised Kati she could have another dog. That has helped a little. This was taken just the other day.

Cody's little friend, Grant, is back in the hospital. Poor kid, he has endured so much. Cody and I went to see him yesterday and they played video games and laughed for two hours. The way little boys are supposed to be ~ happy. Pray for Grant. His mom, Keri, is so brave and tired. They still do not have a diagnosis for Grant, after almost 2 months of waiting. He has been in organ failure once, fevers that spike out of nowhere, and pain. Blood pressure will drop drastically low, like 67/38 then spike?? What a heartache for Keri to see her boy in pain. Grant will fly by private jet to Cincinnati, Ohio on the 17th, if they can keep him stable. His mom really feels like Cincinnati is where they will find answers. Please help me petition Heaven's Gate for their safe travel to Ohio and clarity for the doctors there. Pray for Grant's pain and his emotional well-being. He is tired of being in the hospital. He is very emotional and having reactions to the different medicines being given. Here is a picture of my Cody and Grant.

Aren't you glad that God is bigger than all of these situations we face in life? I am. Until next time ~ love your kids, love your husband, hug them extra tight and be ye thankful! Love, SUMER

Happy Birthday Papa Gary!

Today is my dad's 62nd birthday. He lives in Missouri and we don't get to see him much but we wanted to send him birthday wishes from his Oklahoma bunch! So . . .

Happy Birthday Papa Gary!

May you drink a real coke, sell lots of cars, and eat plenty of cashews and tamale pie!

Love, Sumer and the crew

p.s. we are coming later this month so stock your m & m's!

Twelve Years Old!

Nickolas at 8 years old.

Nickolas' 9th Birthday

Sooner fans ALWAYS! He taught himself (go figure) the alphabet in sign language, so he is signing OU!

I have never been the type of mother that cries when her kids get older. I have always been excited for them to be able to live more, see more, read more, play more and most of that "more" comes with getting older. Nickolas turned 12 yesterday, and true to form I didn't cry. I was just in awe of the life God gave me to shepherd. In awe of the adventure.

Adventure, that is the word I would use to describe Nickolas' life so far. He was only 3 pounds and 14 ounces when he was born 6 weeks early. It took him 16 days in the hospital to reach 4 pounds. That my friends is agony, to leave your firstborn in the hospital while you drive home to an empty house.

Nickolas' adventure is life. He is not afraid of a darn thing, except the thought of disappointing his dad, or his late great-grandpa, Tolbert. I, on the other hand, am afraid of everything, so it's nice to have a son that will only scare you with a snake in his hands, not throw it on you. :)

Nickolas is good to his siblings, good to his grandparents, good to our neighbors, good to his pets, and good at talking. Oh my goodness that boy can talk. There are days when I wish his gift of tongue wasn't so abundant. All in all the boy delights me. He loves to fish and hunt and read, read, read. I cannot keep enough books for him. Last year in school he read almost 2 million words from January thru May, and those were just the books the AR program had tests for. At night I will find him in his bathroom (with the heater on) curled up in the bathtub reading a book. Nickolas is a great baseball player, a whiz on the computer and he loves to build things, anything.

He is a treasure. My tears come when I realize he is only mine for a short time, but joy comes in knowing he is God's to have and to mold. What a masterpiece he is being molded to be!

Happy Birthday Nickolas! Love, Mom

Nick and Gran

T-Mobile Mom to Mom Quiz

T-Mobile Mom to Mom Quiz: "

Take the fun, Mom to Mom quiz and discover your parenting style.

Really?? hmmmm . . . Scott's the meannie bobeannie, I just pretend to be. Well, truth be known he just pretends too!

Drive Thru History

Have you heard of Drive thru History DVD's? They are pretty darn great. Focus on the Family sells them. My pupils have been watching them lately. They love them, especially the boys. I ordered three episodes hoping for something to do besides stare at a textbook for history. I was pleasantly surprised! The guide is a little quirky, but he keeps the kids attention. Beautiful! Wonderful!

I was also pleased with the amount of factual information in the stories, especially the Pilgrim episode. I was so pleased and surprised . . . I hopped on over to the Internet in hopes of finding Drive thru Math, Drive thru English, and Drive thru Spelling! Well, a girl can dream can't she?

A Manual

My son and my husband are manual readers. Manuals, like as in those white things that come with new toys, TVs, appliances, etc. etc. I am proud to say I have never read one. Never. Don't have enough patience. Why would I bother ~ I have Nickolas, and he reads the dictionary and thesaurus for fun????

However, I would love a mother's manual. I mean really, wouldn't you too? Sometimes it is so hard to make decisions concerning my children. They are Scott's too, but I am speaking from a mother's perspective today. The older they get the more I fret and stress over decisions like ~ Do we go back to school? Do we make them take piano? Should I let him read this book? Where should we go to church? When are they old enough to watch Lord of the Rings? Do they have to eat their peas? Honestly, decisions make me crazy. Not the peas type but the ones that will really influence my kids.

Cody has had a friend in the hospital for almost 4 weeks now. Grant is one sick kid. Almost died kind of sick. I think to myself a lot about how whether or not Cody plays the piano, keeps a clean room, memorizes all 44 presidents, can master multiplication tables will matter at all when he meets his Maker. I think about how my dirty, cluttered house will be only a memory if even that when my kids get bigger and have kids of their own. Why do I stress so? Why? Because for eternities sake I want to make good decisions. Now could someone please go find me a mother's manual? I have a few questions needing answers ~ because I love them too!

Wake Up! Going Fishing!

This morning at like 6:30 am ~ on a holiday ~ Scott tells me he is going to take the girls fishin'. Great. Have fun. See you in a couple of hours. Roll over. Go back to sleep. . .What?

You are taking my two little girls, just the two girls?

Really? Silly! Brave dad. That's only one of the sixteen million reasons why I love him! Cody tells Dad, "I think you might need some help, Jules won't bait her own hook or take the fish off, if she even catches one!" Okay. Hmmmm . . . Problem solved. One stud dad, one little boy, who thinks he is 20, and two little girls going fishing.

Problem #2. Me and the boy Nickolas are left here to stare at each other, at 7:22 in the morning. He is in his room ~ has been for 20 minutes. I think he is ENJOYING the QUIET! Me, I am on the computer ENJOYING the QUIET. It is strange for the boy to be separated from siblings that he is around 24-7. Well, maybe we will go eat breakfast. Maybe we will go see a movie, anything good on? Maybe we will go shopping for new crocs, he needs some. Maybe we will do a lot together my oldest and me ~ if he ever comes out of his room!

Date wrong, this was taken last Christmas!

A Note

She is the most gentle, loving child I know. Her name is Julianna Joy ~ she is mama and daddy's joy! Her brothers protect her ~ her sister follows her ~ we all are thankful for her!

. . . blessed are the peacemakers . . .

Thankful Thursday

My friend over at Mrs. Troop started having Thankful Thursdays some time ago. I decided I should think about all I have to be thankful for ~ at least once a week. So here goes the first of many Thankful Thursdays . . .

1. My kids and husband. They have been good this week, given me lots of sugars and forgiven me for losing my patience ~ on more than one occasion.
   
   
2. My suburban. It is filthy inside and out at the moment, but ohhh! so easy to just "throw" every one in and go!
   
   
3. My family. They are coming over this week-end.
   
   
4. A clean bathroom. Doesn't happen too often around here!
   
   
5. Flowers. Love them. All kinds. Love them.
   
   
6. Money to buy new pants. Mine don't fit from last year. UGGG!



7. Health. We are all healthy. Thank you God! Forgive me for taking our good health for granted.
   
   
8. Bottles of water. Drinking lots of them. CLUE #6 :)
   
   
9. Sharla. She is coming tomorrow. Love that girl!



10. My computer. What would I do without facebook, e-mail, and blogs? Love them all!

Happy Thursday Folks!

Random Thoughts On The House ~ The Yard ~ The Garden

Don't have a lot of time this Tuesday, we have some serious work to do. Our garden has been taken over by weeds and grass. The house has been taken over by the dirties and we are having my family over this week-end. Good fun will be had by all, but not before I get busy.

As a lot of you know we have been working on our house for over a year now. Scott did a great job ~ it was a total gut, except for bath tile in one bathroom and a few pieces of trim here and there. I tried really hard to rip the nasty doors off and throw them into the dumpster whenever I could sneak them by the men, but some still remain. My sweet Uncle Dan came down from Kansas City and painted for 48 hours straight on the new cabinets, woodwork and remaining doors that I was not permitted to "gut." When I get my kitchen cleaned up ~ I will post pictures! When I get the kitchen cleaned up . . .

Here are a few pictures of the lovely bathrooms then!

The house is coming along nicely but the yard is another matter.

I threw a good fit to the dog yesterday about this yard of mine and all the dirt/mud instead of grass/sod. I gave her a chewie afterward, so she forgave me. The kids and I worked for 5 hours to cut out some ugly bushes that were growing so high you couldn't see in the windows! Here is a picture of just a FEW of the bushes we have taken out.

We are off to Lowe's for bushes and to the grain store for some cantaloupe seeds. Our gardens in the past have produced some pretty good veggies and something for the boys to do besides talk my ear off!

Have a great day! Sumer

The Turtle Lesson

As I was mowing the other day I looked over to see little toot-toot building a cage of some sort.

A little thought came to mind. Poor animal . . . Run! Run for your life! Whatever you are . . . Run! Kati will take you over, rule you, spank you, talk to you . . . incessantly, bathe you in bubble bath, feed you weird things . . . Run! I know this little girl of mine. She likes to control things.

Five minutes later I was introduced to Mr. Snappy Two. Snappy One is buried in our yard somewhere ~ probably from drinking too much grape juice or it might have been the perfume she dumped on him. Anyway, I was formally introduced and went back to mowing.

Twenty minutes later I saw big tears. Ugly tears. Red face to go with her tears.

Poor Kati, Snappy Two had escaped! (smart turtle)

Kati defiantly told me, "Dumb turtle, doesn't he know that I would be his best mommy. I would have taken good care of him. I would have protected him. He shouldn't have run away!"

As I pondered this statement from my child I began to realize I do the same thing to my Heavenly Father. I do not always follow His ways. I mess up. A lot. His ways are perfect but still I flee ~ wanting to do things on my own. He has given me His Word to guide me, to protect me from my pride, but yet I foolishly run.

Forgive me Father for not realizing that you alone are my best and that you will take care of me and guide me each and every day. If only I would . . .

Proverbs 3:1-6

"My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments: For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart: So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

Have a great week bloggy friends!

Love, Sumer

It's . . . The Day after Mother's Day!

I hope all of you had a wonderful mother's day yesterday, I know I did! I am blessed beyond measure! So much more than I deserve. In mowing the lawn this morning I was thinking (scary, I know) about all of the mothers that I truly, truly love in this life. So many I have learned from, marveled at, cried with and secretly wanted to be like. Here are a few of them . . .

First, I have to list my mom. She is beautiful in and out, a real treasure who's worth I could never, ever measure. She is a great "Gran" and gives the word hospitality it's meaning. All who enter her home are welcome and loved and asked to come again, especially if you brag on her kids or grand kids. She used to work two jobs to take care of my brother, sister and me. She is a loving mother, daughter, sister, grandmother and friend. She lost her own mother so early in life but has never missed the opportunity to love and mother so many others. I love, honor and appreciate her.

My mother's mother was known as Nanny to me. She died long ago (when I was 3) leaving a family that dearly loved her. Sometimes I can't wait to get to heaven just to see her face to face!

My dad's mother was named Eula Faye, she was a petite lady, who also died early in life. I wish I had a picture of her to show you, but the next best thing is to look at my sister Sundi ~ Wow! they look so much alike. This is a picture of my dad, Nancy, the kids and me.


I would like to tell you about Janis and Wilma. They are my husband's mother and grandmother. They gave me my Scott. I guess that sums up how special I think Grandma Janny and Great-Grandma Wilma are! Grandma Janny likes to swim with the kids and she isn't afraid to skate, roller blade or rip stick. Go Grandma!


This is Grandma Mary. Wow, what a lady. There are not enough hours in the day to tell you what a jewel she was to me. The reason Scott and I bought the house we are now living in was so that Grandma and Grandpa could live by us. At nine o'clock on Wednesday mornings I still want to go get her, wheel her to my car and take her to get her hair "all prettied up!" She left such an imprint on our hearts, her and Grandpa both ~ my kids talk about them every single day. I will miss her until God calls me home.

Next is sweet Audie. She is my step-dad's mother, and has adopted me like I was her own. Audie truly is a prayer warrior. What a gift we have in Audie. Here is a picture of Audie with Nickolas and her son, JB.

This is a picture of my dad's wife. Nancy is good to my kids and they get giddy when she sends them mail, because she has usually added a Sonic card and candy to the envelope! So nice!! Nancy will become a grandma for real in a few days. Her heart and life will change and be filled up with joy at the arrival of Lilly Rae. We are happy for her!

Here is a picture from long ago ~ my Aunt Linda, Uncle Mark, and cousins Lisa and LeAnn. My Aunt Linda buried her youngest daughter, LeAnn, around Mother's Day two years ago. My cousin was pregnant with her first child, a boy. My aunt Linda lives every day missing her child and the grandchild she never knew.

This is the most organized mother I know. My friend Denise. She lost her mother around Mother's Day and yet she still has the time and love to wish all of her friends the best. She is forever my friend.

*** I can't get her picture to upload . . . picture coming!!****

Next is sweet Jean. She was my kids art teacher and more important my mentor for a couple of years. She is full of wisdom and courageous enough to share it. She is a tender hearted lady who has been through a lot in life. Her boys are so lucky to have her and so am I.

This is a picture from 2005 ~ Nickolas (my oldest) and Mrs. Garner. She taught Nickolas and Julianna both. She is loving and orderly and has made our lives the better for knowing her. She challenges me to be a better mother. I want to be like her when I "grow up."

Another favorite mom of mine is Mrs. Troop. (http://mrstroop.blogspot.com/) My friend Karen is the mother of 8. Yes, I said 8 kids! She is patient and wonderful ~ fills her home with love and shares her wisdom with all of us who can't wait for her to blog about life with 8 kids! Whenever I am lucky enough to communicate with Karen (usually through facebook or e-mail) she blesses me. God is using Karen. She has a ministry on that blog of hers. And OH! it is so pretty, 3 columns and all!

My friend from grade school, Miss Suzie-Q ! Wasn't she just the prettiest bridesmaid? She has her own blog too! (http://suziethoughts.blogspot.com/) We are having fun catching up through time and distance. She has the two cutest kids, Trey and Lexi. Her mom used to drive us around in a brown El-Camino and take us to get doughnuts on Campbell Street. Suzie and I went to see Annie when it first came out and we were proud to sport Annie apparel. (Except her ruffled socks had bigger ruffles than mine. After three years of therapy I can say that out loud. HA!)

This young man you see here is Jonathan Davis. He has one special mom. Her name is Lorena. I wish I had a picture of her, but look at the smile on Jonathan's face and that will tell you a lot about Lorena. Jonathan has high-functioning autism and his mother has done an amazing job with him. Lorena ~ Jonathan and Elizabeth are so blessed to have you as a mom and I to have you as a friend.

Next is Mrs. Angie Bushey. Her beauty on the outside is only matched by her beautiful heart and life. She taught my Kati how to read and don't you know I love her for that! Mrs. Bushey became a mom this year to Miss Emma Elizabeth. Angie is full of love and wisdom, a real treasure ~ a wonderful mother in the making! Happy 1st Mother's Day, Angie!

Next is Stefne Miller. She has a wonderful blog herself (http://stefnemiller.blogspot.com/) Stefne and her husband Shaun have already adopted one child from Africa and are in the process of adopting two more. (One child a boy and finally for her a girl, too!) Scott and I worked with Stefne at the Capitol, and have known her for almost 15 years! God is using Stefne to minister to me and others through her adoption trials and through her life as a mom (of 3 kids now soon to be 5), wife and friend.

I would be remiss not to mention this next person. Miss Sharla helps me stay sane, stay ahead of this game called life and has taught my children so much. Sharla is spunky! She isn't afraid to take charge, a good quality when you watching 4 kids. Sharla is one of us now. I would take her in a heartbeat if her mother would just let me. Here is a picture of Sharla and the kids.

And last but not least I would like to thank my husband and my kids. I have been asking forgiveness for my bad attitude too much lately and need to do a better job with them. They wake up every day with beautiful smiles and loving hearts, I am so blessed!

Mother's Day picture in May 2003 . . . With a grateful heart I send my Mother's Day greetings to all of you . . . a day late!

Sumer