* Banana Pudding in a Jar

* Meleah, Madison & Makenzie

MeLeah & Madison are visiting Drew's parents in OH this week, I think MeLeah needed a break before baby Makenzie arrives (7-21).

* God Stop Friday

Monday: All is well!

Tuesday: I drove to Prattville to get Kamren and then to Columbia for Kyle's game and back home safe.
Happy Birthday! Sheri

Wednesday: Good day in the office and Kamren made it to practice.

Thursday: Hooks and DDR practice and Kirk officiated 7 on 7.

Friday: Kamren's ballgame

All in All we have had a very busy week but a good week. Kamren has been to Ky, Winfield and back home to Dothan safe and sound and played in his 1st travel ball Tournament. Kyle has had workout's each morning and BB camp each afternoon. MeLeah & Maddie made in to OH safely. Pray for ShayShay's youth group as they leave Monday for The Wilds. Matthew's family are all doing well. What a blessed week!!!!

* Uncle David

Sassafras (AKA) Uncle David.
Uncle Johnnie, Aunt Lynda, Uncle David & Mother.
Today (6/26 is when I started to blog this but in took me this long to find the picture) was Uncle David's Birthday. David was much more than my Uncle he was more like my big brother. My grandfather died at a early age and David was born late in my Grandmother's life so much of my early years was spent with David. I have lots of memories of him as my big brother. I became very close to David. After he married and had Jason, Stephen & Brian I was the baby sitter, they became like my own. Each day I have thoughts of Uncle David, and I miss him deeply, my trips home are not the same without seeing him. When I would go home(Winfield) I would have two stops to make, Uncle David & Granny, now they are both gone, his life was taking so quickly from us. He told us on a visit he thought he had the flu that lefted him with "side Persis" after many test they found "lung Cancer" a result of many years working in the Strip Pits. Long story short, he lived 6 months from the time we were told he had cancer. I think he died today 6-28-04. He is now in heaven with his Dad that was taken from him at a very early age and his Mother that also died from Cancer. I miss him very much and wish my boys could have known him. I love and miss you!!!

* Madison's Cinnamon Cupcakes

Both my girl's love to cook and bake, so I guess Madison thought she had watched her mommy enough that she would show us her cooking skills. I wonder what Aubrey(dog) was thinking?

* The Frank's Family

Melanie's family were all in a Wedding last weekend and we finally got a new picture. Possum was the Ring Bearer and 3 yrs old that day, Squirrel was Flower girl, Melanie was Matron of Honor and Joel Married the couple. June 21, 2008

* Maria Chapman

I have been a little "down" today but this picture says it all.

Such a sweet little Angel.
I have so much to be thankful and happy about, I cannot imagine what this family is going through. I am missing Kamren so much, but I can still talk to him and the Lord willing he will be home this week. We have no promise of tomorrow, so we should love the ones around like there is no tomorrow.
Please remember the Chapman's!

* I'm 40 Something Today

I must say, it has taken me hours to find any picture with me in them.

Out of hundreds of pictures, these are all I could find. I am the photographer, the one who is always taken the pictures so they are few and far between of me.

My birthday began with phone calls from everyone, then to church and lunch. Since Kamren is still in Winfield, Kyle chose Mexican. Last night we had baseball friends over for cake and movies. Dee stopped in today and visited a while and the rest of the day has been very "BLUE".

I have never had a issues with my age until today but I must say it has not been good, I think maybe it is one of only a few I can remember spending without the kids and today it was just me, Kirk & Kyle. ( very boring) Oh Well !!!

I must say that out of my "46" years my greatest achievements are my babies. My children have given me life, they have given me a reason to get out of bed each day.

My gran babies have given me hope to look for the future. The hope of seeing them from time to time. I must say I would have never dreamed that I would have grand babies so far from me and not get to see them daily.I can't imagine raising Melo, Matt & Meleah without my parents, I was with my Mother daily and I always thought that when I had grans it would be the same. Thank the Lord when found Blogging!!! Melanie, Matthew & MeLeah were so blessed to have grand parents that they saw and spent time with daily until they married and moved out of state. Matthew still lives in the same town and still sees them daily. I am so jealous that Kyle & Kamren doesn't get to grow up around my parents.

If you were to ask me what would be my happiest moments in my life it would have to be the birth Melanie, Matthew , MeLeah, Kyle & Kamren and the birth of the" grans" Jonathan, Makayla, Madison, Avery, Bailey and can't wait for (#6) McKenzie.

Well. I made it through the day and in the end it was a good day!

* Kamren's Summer Adventures

Kamren has made his rounds this summer, he rode with the Gatlins to KY last Sunday to visit Melanie, JoJo, Possum & Squirrel and then to Winfield to visit with MawMaw. PawPaw, Matthew, Cris, Bailey, Avery, Uncle Wayne's family & Lisa's Family. There is so much family to visit in Winfield there is never enough time. Kamren is a very head strong, strong willed and yes he has a love/ hate personality, no one has to tell me, I live with him 24/7 but I still love and miss him. We play alot of travel ball with Kyle so it it good for him to get away. These pictures are of Kamren and his nieces and nephews.

* CWO Blogroll

Check me out!!!

I'm on the Christian Women Online Blogroll, you scroll down to the "T's" and look for Trusting God.

* Happy Birthday Possum!!!

Possum is 3!!!
Possum is a sweet little boy. I miss you very much and wish I could be with you today.
Possum loves the outdoors, he loves to hunt, fish and now he is a "BIG" golfer.
Happy Birthday!
Love, NeNe

* A Letter to M, M & M

The picture above says it all!!!

I always knew Matthew would make some girl a wonderful Husband and some little boy or girl a wonderful daddy. Now, Melanie and MeLeah I know you will read this, and the two of you are just as special and important and I will talk about yall later but for some reason I always worried about Matthew being happy. No one knows until they have been down the road of (D) but for all those that have, they will understand. My heart hurts everyday not for what happen " things happen" but for what it does to the kids. There are times now when I want to throw in the towel but I look at you three and say "never" not again. I'm not saying yall were not worth it but you learn by you mistakes and believe me I have paid. I have worried for years about the scars that you three would carry through life, but I think and see you three are all very, very loving and caring and you all have very big hearts, and you three have all made wonderful parents and overcome your parents failure.
Kamren has spent the week with Melo and she reminds me of myself so many years ago. Content to be at home, busy baking and spending time with the babies, working at church all the things I did in another life.
MeLeah, reminds me of myself now, always ready to go, ready to paint a room in an hour ( maybe not right now since she is a month from delivery).

Today I received a card from Matthew that put me in tears, it did not contain a gift or $$$, but the words he wrote could not have been bought, there is no price to buy his words. I know people can write things they would not say, but I know Matthew would say everything he wrote. Somewhere in his parents mixed up world he made it through the STORM and he got it right.( I must say right here, Matthew got his heart from both parents and I think his dad would agree. His dad has always had a very big and tender heart when it came to need of others, he always put others 1st, Matthew is so much like his daddy in every aspect). Matthew survived and is a wonderful husband and Dad. I worried that his heart was so BIG that he would be hurt by some girl. I worried when he met Chris and got attached to Bailey ( not knowing that he would be Bailey's Dad) that he would be hurt. I worried all the time about his happiness. I knew the girls would be OK, when they married I knew Joel & Drew where the right ones for them, and then they had babies to care for, but I still worried for Matthew. (also remember your mother married some 7-10 years earlier than you three)
When Matthew started dating Chris, a part of me would wish that she would be the one and then my phone calls that I got on a regular basics started getting farther apart( this usually means there is a girl when the boys quit calling mom). With Cris, came Bailey and I could see that Matthew was drawn. I must tell you, knowing Chris and Bailey I was still afraid he would get hurt.( I will say that Chris did take and break one of Matt's habits and I will forever be grateful to you for that). Now, for all of you that are mothers I can't explain why you worry more for one child than the other but you do, that's not saying you love one more than the other, I think a mother can just tell which one needs the most worry and at what time to worry about each one and Matthew was the one I worried about the most when it came to a spouse. And yes, both girls had their share of "boy" trouble.
On fathers day I felt like it was Mothers day when I read Chris's blog. I knew everything she said about Matt but to hear a wife say the things she said was just a blessing any parent would want to hear about their child. I knew after reading her blog that yes, she was the one that God chose for Matthew, that she could say all those things about Matthew, that she realized what she had in Matthew and she didn't have to have a nagging in-law to say " you just don't know how blessed you are" she knows and she appreciates him for what he is and does for her and the boy's. She not only bragged on him for being a good daddy to Avery but a good daddy to Bailey. I did not even realized what all he does for Bailey at school and in sports. Let me just say that when I tell people I have (6 counting baby Makezine) gran children, I always say 5 and 1 on the way, I always include Bailey he is as much Matthew's son as Avery is, Matthew has loved Bailey like his own.
Matthew is a very Loving brother to Kyle & Kamren, I will never forget how good he was to help me with Kyle when he was born. He would get up and get dressed each morning for school and come get Kyle from me, bathe and dress Kyle while I got up and got dressed. When he came home from school he would take care of Kyle while I cooked supper and get him ready for bed. I will never forget we had a riding lawn mower and he would ride Kyle around the house until he would fall asleep. Kirk used to kid Matthew that he would be driving that lawn mower on his 1st date. I always knew that who ever got Matthew was getting a "GEM".
I could go on about each one of you, today just happen to be Matthew.
I love you all and you are all very special children. You all have very precious families and always remember your parents are very proud of you. I will ever be grateful to my parents who stepped in and became your parents at a very dark time in all of our lives, I thank the lord everyday for the way our lives have turned out. I have often wondered and asked what? and why? but for some reason it happened and we must carry on trying not to carry any baggage with us, some of us carry more baggage than others, but we must go on.
We all have been through the storms, some darker and stormer than others, but I think I can say for the most part "we made it through". I thank the lord everyday for my parents who I know prays for us all daily, for your God loving spouses (Joel, Drew & Chris). I thank the Lord most that through all the storms, you three are all in Church and are raising your children like you were raised and you never took your eyes off God. I love you all and my heart breaks daily to be near you, to see the babies more and hear their voices. I am so thankful you three were never more than a few miles away from MawMaw & PawPaw, who you saw everyday of your life. ( It pains me deeply that Kyle & Kamren miss out on knowing MawMaw & PawPaw like you three) Thank the Lord for computers and blogs. I guess in a nut shell this was my "God Stop Friday".

Love, Mom (NeNe)

* God Stop Friday (1)

Well, I must start my 1st God Stop Friday.

Monday: We had a very nice day in the office with no problems.

Tuesday: Things with Kirk & a Friend were resolved.

Wedesnday: We had a full load of Patients, which we need everyday.

Thursday: Mother & Lynda made it safe to Ky and then back home in one day. I baked two B'day cakes and then relaxed at the pool without falling.

Friday: I am blessed with the most wonderful children. I received a B'day card from Matthew that put me in tears. John & Judy took us out to eat for lunch.

* The suffering of Christians

Today has been a very soul-searching day. As I blogged earlier about my longing to go home and be with my children and babies I was faced with another event at the office. This summer I have been going in later due to the fact Kyle has work-out from 7am til 9am, so I get him back home before I go to the office. This morning when I finally make it in as I pull into the parking lot the lot is full of cars and I go rushing in to help, I go to pulling cards and calling patients to rooms, we have a husband and a wife that we have seen for many years and I thought I knew a great deal about them. they were both there seeing Kirk today. As I we were doing PT on Mr. --- another Patient comes in the front door ( the office was packed at this time) I realized something crazing was going on with Mrs.----- and Angelica but couldn't get an answer. As I brought the husband and wife down the hall and up to the front to check out I notice the patient (Mrs.---) ducked down under the counter and then Angelica called her into the Video room, and the time I'm asking Angelica "what are you doing with Mrs.---? why did you put her in the video room? Angelica just gave me a crazy look and said it's OK, don't worry. By this time I'm about to get Mrs. Bossy ( Angelica) for being so cocky. I finish checking out the husband and wife still not knowing what is going down, as soon as they walk out the door Angelica opens the video door and says " they are gone you can come out", the look on my face must have been priceless, I look at Angelica and say "who's gone? There stands Mrs.---- crying her heart out and I say " what is going on? are you OK? The husband and wife that had just walked out the door was her parents that had not spoken to her in 5 years. Mrs.---- and her family had become Christians and her parents had disowned her and her family. Her parents that we have know since we came to Dothan some 16yrs have always been very nice to us and I was having a very hard time believing all of this and here is their daughter so broken hearted, she had not seen or spoken to them in 5 years, she had had children since seeing her parents, she had written them letters many time for them to be returned unopened. I can not imagine being in the same room with my parents and not being able to talk or hug them. This has burned at me all day. Is this what Paul talks about in the Bible? The suffering that Christians will have. I have heard Dr. Richard Cordell for many years teach on Paul on the suffering of Christians. I was at a total loss of words, it was not just that Mrs.--- a christian her husband was the pastor ( Seven Day Adventist). Her dad is hurt and she wanted so much to touch, to hold him, to help and she was helpless. I was helpless. She left our office so broken and she watched her parents leave until they were out of sight. So, so sad, so much of life both sides are missing. There was a short time in my life I had a similar tale, I and I can tell you my heart was torn for her, she was much the same age I was durning my trials. God can mend broken lives, broken families and I thank the Lord all is well with my family. I love my parents and I will climb Mt's to keep them in my childrens life. I go to bed tonight with a heavy heart for the ____family, as Mrs.---- said to me as she was leaving, all you can do is pray and God has a plan. Thank you God for my Christian family.

* Homesick

I'm a little green with jealousy today. I try to call my parents daily or at least a couple times a week. This morning I called to check in with Mother and she informed me that she and Aunt Lynda were leaving to go to Melanie's for Jonathan's Birthday party on Friday. Kamren is already there and Cricket & Maddie are on their way today. Up until Kyle began school we would travel home and to see the girls several times a month. Where does all that time go, now I'm lucky if I get to go home at Christmas. I am walling in pity today because I need to go HOME, I need to see my babies, I need my daddy's hug and I just want to be with my family. My Dothan family of friends are wonderful, but there nothing like your real blood family. I'm trying to be positive and just be glad we can talk but I need a Red Bird today.

* God Stop Friday

Let me start by saying, I have never claim to be "Miss Spiritual" but I found this tonight surfing the blog. God Stop Friday!!!

God Stop Friday is to remind us to stop and count our blessings of the week. Take time out and look back at our blessings of the week. Sometimes we look at the world in black and white, when we really have many things to be thankful for. How has God shown himself to you this week? Share what's on your heart.

Earlier today I posted a concern about a friendship and now as I post I think all is well, that is my "God Stop Friday" today, which is Tuesday that I will post about Friday. I know I can never get enough of "time out" and be thankful to be blessed. Thank you dear blogger friend !!!

* Troubled

Nothing much going on this week, we finally have a break in Travel Ball so we are "bored"?
No, I think we are broke, broken and beaten to death, it has been a long spring. I think since our 1st Hooks game in the spring we have played 57 games losing only 6, that's not a bad record. The boys having really played hard with all that's going on. Kyle & I have battled so kind of crud since April, but he has not missed a practice or a game (his choice).
I have not seen my babies since April and I'm getting really down over it. Kam is spending time with his sisters and nieces and nephew, and then he will go to mothers to visit them and Matthew's family. So at least he gets to do something fun this summer. He is having a blast at Melo's, fishing and playing with Possum and Squirrel. And he is getting in his Bible also. I hear they are learning bible verses each day.( that great!!!)
Life in Dothan is one surprise after another. I don't know how one day all is well and the next thing you know every things a mess.(insert the DEVIL) I know this family needs all the church we can get and here lately that has not been much. Too much BALL and not enough CHURCH!!!
Our Hooks team have been much like a family when we are on the road and it seems and feels like it is all falling apart, I only hope it can been savaged and the boys can end their season with a win in PCB World Series. It is now storming inside and out and I'm need a calm quickly! I can cry to God, but I can't control others and that is were much of my fear lays. Hays preached in a sermon that we shouldn't worry about things we can't control but it is just in me to worry till am sick. I just read a verse " He will yet fill your mouth with laughing and your lips with rejoicing.(Job 8:21) Boy, if some of us could let go of some anger and be filled with a little laughter and rejoicing things would be alot better off.
I learned a long time ago that friends are not always a good thing to have and they are not always true to be called friends. When Kirk & I married I vowed never to have another friend and to never let my guard down. Then came Kyle , now when you have children you are almost certain to make friends and with a social butterfly like Kyle you will make Friends. Don't get me wrong, I love my friends which I can count on one hand but I think everyone will admit Friends are hard work, lots of personalities. To say all of this I don't know why any one in their right mind, knowing my crazy life would want to be my friend. But today I am very troubled about a friendship that has become tainted maybe never to be repaired, words can never be redeemed even though it's not my battle and I can't fix it and it's sad to say I hate loosing this friendship, you have the boys friendship to put in the picture. Only God can fix anything and I must let go and let God. I just want to crawl up in my daddy's lap and let him fix it like daddy's do when we are babies. If only I could be that child again and let daddy's arm wrap around me, I guess we never let go of that comfort and now we have to replace daddy with God and I am resting in God waiting for the calm.
I have posted the picture at the top of Kamren & Josh, this is a pure picture of innocence and free spirit, too be free of care and woes. Sweet little friends, I hope they will have this friendships forever.
Oh well, I guess it's time to retreat back into my cave and hide!!!

* Off to Kentucky

My little Kamren is off to see his Sister's.
The Gatlin's were going to Ky and offered to take Kamren to Melanie's. Melo and the kids met them in Bowling Green and they are on their way to Glasgow (30 min). Jonathan has a birthday on Friday and MeLeah & Madison are coming over to Melo's on Wednesday to help with the party, so Kamren will get to visit with everyone this week. He has only been as far as Winfield alone so I'm really worried about how he will make it. I'm sure the girls will make him happy. I miss my little bed buddy and can't wait to get him back. Love and miss you!!!