An Overnight Guest

This little cutie is Lee's (and now mine!) niece Dakota.  She is going to be 2 in December, so right at the stage of crazy busy, and now starting to chat away.  Mostly repeating what she hears, and adding "y" to the end of everything "Coldy" "Huggy" "Kissy".  It's wonderful.

Uncle Lee MAY be one of her favorite people right now. (Well...him AND his iPhone)

"Helping" to play Wii Fit.

Snuggle bunnies on Saturday morning. Notice the discarded National Geographic and Animal Planet book...MIGHT need to invest in some Kid Reading Material!

All slumber parties have to have a Dress up photo!

Out for a walk in the Dallas City Park

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It started out sunny, but then got a little chilly, so Uncle Lee volunteered his hat.

Not so much...

Love.

Bunsen barked at her, and usually whines when she is around, because he is a fan of Lee as well, and can not STAND it when he plays with her. :)  SO, she is somewhat nervous around him.  However, on the walk, she wanted to hold his leash while sitting on Lee's shoulders, and then when we got home, she did not want to be done, so she kept walking him around!  What a bonding experience.

Dakota & I snuggled in after the cold walk with her "Happy", and blankets!

Such a great kiddo.

I had a video... BUT...I am still trying to learn how to format the blogging, after having been away for so long!

Now for the back story.    Duane and Adriana, Dakota's parents, went to Ohio for a wedding, and Lee's mom asked us if we wanted to keep Dakota for one of the nights.  Initially we thought Saturday night, but ended up asking for Friday night so we could have her all day on Saturday.  It was an absolute blast.  She is a busy little thing, but has a wonderful disposition.  She has an extreme love of "gummy", that would rival a certain sister of mine for Skittles.  We only had one instance of a pseudo-scold.  :(  We were at the table eating lunch, and I asked her to take a bite of her corn (with cream cheese in it), and she didn't want to, so I put a spoonful in her mouth and she spit it back out.  Then she took her pickle and threw it on the floor.  Being the "mean disciplinarian that I am, I said, "Dakota, give me your hand.  We don't throw our food on the floor." And gave it a very gentle flick.  BOY HOWDY did that bottom lip come out.  Alysson Stewart ALL OVER AGAIN.  Lee tried to hide his amusement by leaning under the table, but he got me chuckling, and the poor thing had her lip out a mile and crocodile tears in her eyes.  She didn't cry or throw a fit...just sat looking at us with those big blue eyes and bottom lip out.  OH my.   Other than that, it was a perfect weekend, and we look forward to doing it again!!

It's About Time

I must act upon the impulse.  Sharing is God's way of letting us connect with others around us.  I get caught up in thinking that I have no time, and that when I DO get free time, I need to clean the entire house...twice. :)  I love that so many people around me blog, and I wait anxiously to see those updates, and feel very let down when there are none for a while.  So, my impulse is: I BET my sisters wouldn't mind getting an update from ME. :)  So sisters, this one is for you.  I have been glancing back through my former blog posts, and quite a few I would die laughing at the commentary and want to read EVERY single amusing comment to Lee.  He didn't find them nearly as fascinating as I did.

Turns out, I just miss my People.  I have been having dream after dream of random people that I haven't seen or heard from in a long time.  I dream of being in Kansas mixed in with characters and places in Oregon; of High School classmates driving my car, (and wrecking it mind you); of working on my Dad with my new PT skills; of being with the Rinks in my living room; of searching and searching to find a new hair stylist (for a perm) only to find that I actually live in Hardtner, and have been right there the whole time.  So many people and places that my heart longs to be with (not the salonist) ;).  I see or hear of people going to Kansas (My boss just went to KC, and had BBQ), and I ache to jump in and go along.  I dearly love Oregon, and I love the people I am getting to know.  I could not ask for better in-laws... BUT, I lived a long time in Kansas, and so many experiences happened that I can only relate by words to Lee. 
 
A couple of weeks ago, I had a bit of a breakdown.  You would think that with all the people around me that I couldn't be lonely.  BUT...homesick it was.  After seeing Tif's blog of going home to Kansas, or of getting e-mails from Steph about long ago hugs in person.  I just curl up in my little ball, and have an inner cry.  I was thankful to be reminded by a dear friend, when this admission was made: "You know, it may sound redundant, but we have all been there and we understand.  Those of us who have left our familiar homes.  Please do not let Satan tell you that no one cares, he is a pro at that unfortunately.  But he is not the author of anything good and we know that God is faithful."  She told me about her son's freckle on his leg, and said, "It didn't have to be there...it would have been easier to not put it there... but it was!  And God cares about that freckle and wants it there.  If he cares about my baby boy's freckle, you can BET he cares about you and your life."  I know we all have moments of doubt, but deep in our being, we know the truth of what she said.  But the human side of things definitely kicks in, and we can get a little pity party going on.  I am thankful for Susan's words, but more importantly, for the way she allowed God to speak to my heart.

God is working on me, and just like He did when Lee & I first got married, He is keeping that magnifying glass on me, and showing me the TRUE Chelsie, and how different He can make me with His touch.  I am so thankful for the refining, but at the same time, overwhelmed.  I am thankful for my husband, who lovingly and patiently helps me through my bursts of emotions.  What a guy. :)

So, to ancient times and distant music.... Here's to starting up the blog again!

Where are the 9?

In my bible study tonight, there were some interesting thoughts shared on Dr. Luke's account of Jesus healing the 10 lepers in chapter 17:11-19.
*Leprosy was (in that day/age) incurable except by divine intervention/mercy.
*Leviticus 13:45-46 talk about what to do when someone is afflicted with leprosy.
*Although incurable by any human means, Leviticus 14:1-9, give explicit instructions as to how to purify someone after being healed from leprosy.
*Those 10 lepers were crying out for sympathy (charity from others to live on), but more importantly for help and mercy.
*They knew EXACTLY what to do after they were healed... but never found a cure.
*UNTIL...the Cure came to them.
*If you read Leviticus 14:1-9, notice that the lepers were not to enter the city, but to be approached and examined by the priest... then steps from there to be pronounced clean were taken... JESUS, the panpharmacon(salve that heals all wounds), instructed them to run to the priest.... 10 joyful, astounded, healed men ran down the streets of that small village and you can BET there were plenty of eye-witnesses watching these 10 former lepers run to rejoin the human race.
*And yet, only 1 of those 10 stopped in his tracks. Turned. Ran to Jesus. Fell down. and Thanked the God of the Universe, Jehovah-Rapha the Healer, acknowledging that nothing he was or would be was in his power and Jesus pronounced him whole by his own faith.
*And Jesus answering said, "Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? They are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."
*Previously we had discussed being "spot counters". Thinking we are better than others and giving thanks to God for "saving us from being like that awful scum"... BUT we all have the same sickness, and even more important, the SAME CURE.
*The final thought that struck me to my core, and caused my tears to flow is this:
"I WONDER IF THE 1 THAT RETURNED WAS THE ONE WITH THE MOST SPOTS???"
to the one who is forgiven much, that one loves much... O what a merciful God we serve!!!!!!!

The disaster at church

Chel: "Mom, wanna know a secret??"
**gives mom Victoria's Secret mint, while 4 others spill out; 2 on the bench 2 on the floor, one under the bench between Shirley and Grandma**

Prayer. Song. Shirley looks down. Grandma looks down, cocks head to one side. Shirley leans down, picks up the mint, "Mildred, is this your pill??" Grandma, "No, Helen, is this your pill??"

Meanwhile: Me attempting to sing Tenor, mom gets thrown off of Soprano by my offtune singing.

End result: Shirley looked down and saw my mint, lost her place and quit singing. Grandma was concerned about the "pill" and lost her place and quit singing. Helen quit singing because Grandma and Shirley quit singing. Mom stopped singing because I was so off. I stopped singing because I was laughing at Grandma/Shirley, and realized I was off. Staci, Jenny, Tom, Shawna, Gail, and Carter stopped singing and looked around to see why no one was singing....

HAHAHAHA.... all because of a little "secret". AND my bad singing. :D Happy trails.

Renovations

This post is mainly for the benefit of Tif and Steph. Only you two will understand the coolness of these renovations. ;)

Dad's quote, "Do you just not want me to run out of things to do???" lol. Too true padre.

This is where it all started,
raked all the junk out, and lined the sidewalk with bricks.
Guys, I know we played with bricks alot...
but I don't remember having as many about, as I found around the yard!

I lied in the last caption... this is actually where it started ;)




Marie came to visit and helped break our old oven, (just kidding)
and so we had to get a new one. O Darn. :D :D :D :D :D :D

Turns out I'm a better raker than a bush trimmer... :(
This huge gap used to be branches

Couldn't ever get it just how I wanted it...lol

Finally got Dad into gear to get a new shower
and of course, once we got it installed,

I wanted to continue making the basement look a little nicer.
Dad's quote, "It's a farmer shower, I'm not SUPPOSED
to have to have a shower curtain!"

Marie and I went and watched the sunrise.
Pictures do not do it justice

List is more impressive:

--new air conditioner

--new shower

--new oven

--new kitchen rugs

--new kitchen trashcan

--new kitchen utensil container!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

--new landscape

--new basement decorations

--new roof (partly, and yes, that was a while ago that we got that)

--bushes trimmed

:) BUT, Dad is still not finished. His honey-do jobs still not complete are:

--Install window in Chelsie's room (been waiting almost a year now) ;)

--Transform little shed into garage for lawnmower and 4-wheeler

Well... I didn't realize how short his list has become. I'll have to do some brainstorming. Winter gets to be long, and we just don't want him bored!!!!! ;)

O... and one more picture:

WAY TOO MANY CATS...they are not even
all in this picture. Yuck.

Happy trails.

Ketch-up

And no... not the condoment. :) Well since it's been May since I last updated, and that update was about Tif's "never-returning blog" returning... I guess maybe it's time for some ketch-up. ;)

** May:
- Finished up the school year, and got a call from Human Performance Center in Alva, OK (where I worked before I started working for the Special Education Coop in Pratt), and the PT there was going on maternity leave, and they were wondering if I would be interested in filling in over the summer. There went my plans of lazing about, getting a nice dark tan... lol. No I actually had been waiting to hear from someone on whether I could spend the summer in Haiti, helping out with Prosthetics and Rehabilitation with injured Haitians. Unfortunately I never heard anything from them, and so as Tif put it: "Chel, when God opens a window, you should go check it out." So... I accepted at HPC, and worked there from June 1st until the second week of August. It was mostly part-time, since our patient load was light, and they had hired a PT as well.

** June:
see: http://www.tifanib.blogspot.com/ for an update on the surprise that happened in June. :)
- I can't remember anything else... o yeah, I found an abandoned puppy in June at the Hazelton Coop Elevator, and dad wouldn't let me keep her, so I called my friend Lindsay, and she said she would take her, so I drove her up to Bern, KS. Yes, a devoted friend... or stupid. :) I don't have a picture on my computer at this time, but I'm pretty sure she is Diesel's offspring from his wild and crazy running into Hazelton, getting picked up by the local law enforcement days. lol.

**July:
- Spent the 4th in Bern with Lindsay's family and friends, and it was fun, even though we got rained out of the fireworks display in Bern.
- The next weekend I was in Bern again, secondary to Brian Edelman and Monica Strahm getting hitched. Good times with lots of fun seeing old (pardon the expression Luke, Tommie, Anthony, Ash, and Anna ) Kansans turned Illinoisans. :)
- Finally a free weekend in July, and I most likely did nothing exciting.
- Another free weekend, but I used being gone the first 2 weekends to get out of going to Ohio. :) lol. Sneaky me.
- Kanorado Girls Camp. One word describes this weekend. Awesome. Well add, Blessing, Encouraging, Fun, and Exciting, and I think that sums it up. Very amazed at how these young girls are already getting an eternal perspective and living for Christ in high school. Love it. Makes me so happy. Thank you parents for obviously wanting your children to know and love Christ a priority!!!

** August:
- Worked the first week, and then I went out to Colorado to stay with Tif for about a week, well like 4 days, before school started up again. Fun times. I didn't even have to do the cleaning this time!! Turns out one of her roommates was moving out, and I guess as a farewell present or last hoorah, cleaned the house. :D
- Steph and Tif drove home one Thursday night to surprise mom and dad for their belated anniversary. Of course, I knew the whole time, and kept my mouth shut. PLUS thought up all the different scenarios to do when they got home. A few I came up with were:
--Jumping on Mom and Dad
--Running in and yelling that the house was on fire and they had to come outside... BAD IDEA. I didn't do it...don't worry.
--and the final pick: Have Steph and Tif climb the tree and go get a flashlight and dad and tell him there were some really weird animals in the tree and Diesel was barking at them.
Dad, dreary with sleep and no glasses came right down, no questions asked and just stood staring as Tif and Steph made faces and said "Hi Dad!". Then for the next 15-20 minutes, he would intermittently say, "well i'm dumb... I'm just DUMBFOUNDED!!!!!" It was hysterical.
Mom, dreary with sleep, and questioning why I was getting HER out of bed to deal with a varmint, said, "O my!!! O my!!! O my!!! I just KNEW something weird was going on!!!" lol.
It was awesome. :)

-- End of August, I came home to find Diesel gone. Mom and I had been in Wichita, and it had rained about 2-3 inches. So I took the 4-wheeler to go over to the lake to see if he had ventured over there. (Which he hasn't done since he got chopped...) And then I saw his footprints in the mud. So being the Louis L'Amour fan, I tracked his footprints to the bridge, and then they never went away. I went back to the house, and called Dad, thinking maybe dad came back from his rain-check on the 4-wheeler and picked Diesel up or something. Nope. Somehow, we don't know, he must have gone into the water and hit his head or something, anyway, he must have drowned and we haven't ever found his body. :( Stinks losing dogs.

--Renovations. There have been a LOT around here. I have lots of pictures. But I am tired of blogging... so I will put them up in a different post. :)
Thanks for reading this, and hopefully I'll get those pics up here in the near future.

May God bless your day!

I love being right...

"Guys, I have decided I am going to get rid of my blog... again." - Tif

"Ok, well I'll still leave you on my list, since you'll start up again someday." - Me

"No I won't, I just don't see the purpose of it anymore."

www.tifanib.blogspot.com

A Matter of the Heart

I've arrived at a conclusion,
maybe one of life's rare finds
that there's not a lot worth salvaging
within this heart of mine.

It's ever ready to destruct
and lie above all things...
It tends to laugh when it should cry
and mourn when it should sing.

I've wasted countless hours begging,
"Fix this heart, Lord, please!"
while it stomps its feet, demands its way
and floods with sin's disease.

At last, You're able to get through
and lay it on the line:
"You must give up that heart of yours
and trade it in for Mine."

So I cry out with the psalmist,
create within me, Lord
A new heart crystal clear
that only Clavary could afford.

A heart which pounds the rhythm
of heaven's metronome
and issues forth a boundless love
and beats for You alone.

I want to love that which You love,
despising what you hate
and see myself as least of these
oh Lord, retaliate

The efforts of the evil one
who seeks to make my plea
that of his own, I'll make no move
'til I've considered me."

Peel away my fingers,
finally make me understand
the power to love and please You
can't be found within a man.

So, my Lord, I bring this offering;
a stubborn heart of stone
And ask You, in its absence,
please exchange it for Your own.

Beth Moore

God is God...

"We cannot make Him any more God than He already is. He would be no less Lord of lords if NO ONE believed."

Just started a bible study with the ladies at church entitled "Living Beyond Yourself" by Beth Moore. Already a lot of wonderful thoughts and challenges. This statement is one of them.

How about a little update... eh?


- Anyone who reads this probably knows... but on the off chance someone new stumbles along, here it goes:

* I am no longer working in Oklahoma, but for SCKSEC (South Central Kansas Special Education Co-op). Basically, I travel to 8 different schools in the South Central Region, and do physical therapy with kiddos who have disabilities or developmental delays.

* I'm learning that I am NOT a patient person, and really the only reason I ever can be, is because God grants me the grace! Praise Him!

* I do NOT like snotty noses and phlegm hitting me in the face... a problem I am REALLY going to have to get over!

* I always thought teachers didn't like snow days... little did I know! ;)

* When I went to Mx over Christmas break, Diesel became lonely (:S), and ran away from home twice. The first time, the local law enforcement called my parents and they went to town to get him. He was gone for a couple hours and incriminated Cousin Slate... hehe However, the 2nd time, he was gone for a little over 2 days, and in that time, I decided that if he was to return, (dad and I walked the fence lines and creekbed for his body) he would no longer be able to be classified as a "male dog"... if you catch my drift. Once again, the local law enforcement called, me this time, and when I picked him up in Hazelton, he was not hungry, thirsty, or wet. SO.... we are under the impression someone "adopted" him without calling to let us know. O well, all is well that ends well... except for Diesel, and he is now an "it".

* Steph got to come home for a visit! Usually this would be where I say, "Head on over to her blogsite to see an update" but as she HASN'T UPDATED FOR ABOUT 3 1/2 MONTHS... that's not plausible. :)

* Now, as I sit here, wrapped in a blanket by the fire in a lonely house, I am blogging... fortunately having more on my mind than ducks. lol

Hope anyone who reads this is found in good health and growing in the wisdom and knowledge of The Lord, Jesus Christ!!!

o... and I have a new look!

nothing

I was going to blog... and I was so happy. Then I remembered... I really don't have anything to blog about. :( What a downer. lol

So here's a random sea of ducks. :)

O... and it's 2010! And you know what THAT means.......