Wednesday, July 28

I am so sick of these kids not doing what I tell them to do.  They always say "I forgot".  So this morning I wrote a list of what I wanted each child to do BEFORE they left the house for the rec center and daycare.  How much do you think was done?

Bump this stuff...........

Tuesday, July 20

It is raining again today.  I like the rain, but the only problem is that Leroy can’t work a whole day.  We truly don’t need any short checks around here either.

 It is time to buy school clothes for the girls.  Luckily Jamila still has a lot of her uniforms from last year, but I do need to get a couple of school logo shirts at 14 bucks a pop, and a couple of skirts.  Georgie needs black shoes, and Lee Lee and Destiny need a few things.

I really have to go through all the rooms, AGAIN, to purge all the clothes that are not suitable and/or too small.  They have lots of clothes, but they are play clothes.
When I got home yesterday, Leroy had been home most of the day.  He used it to relax though and he really needs to do that, so I didn’t care.  I do hope he gets some things done if he goes home today.  He probably will too, with it raining so badly.

I moved to a different space (cubicle) in a different section of the building last week and I like my new spot.  It was recently painted in shades of tan and brownish and I find the colors very soothing.  Everyone says my space looks like a living room, but I like to be comfortable and I enjoy my plants and “stuff”.

The dogs have been staying in the shed since the rain has been so bad, and Leroy is upset because now his shed smells like dog.  He needs to clean it out anyway, you can’t even walk in there.

George and Lee Lee are staying home today because Lee Lee did something to her toe and it is all swollen up.  It is better to stay off of it for a day or two.

Well I better get to work!

Sunday, July 18

A rainy Sunday morning................one thing Florida does not lack is rain in the summer time.  Sometimes I think that the whole state is one big over-developed swamp.  I love it here though, even with all the humidity.  Even though the air seems too thick to breath sometimes.
 
We did have a drought a couple of years ago though.  There was NO significant rain for two years.  Now THAT was NOT a good thing!  We need our rain because of the intense heat.
 
I got a decent letter from Jake yesterday AND he wrote his brother George.  He got all the stuff we sent apparently.  He had strep throat at one point and he said his temp was up to 104.  All my kids have always gotten really high temps like that, but he is kind of old to be getting up that high.
 
I haven't heard from Joy lately, since she was posting on the photo page.  I don't know what's up with that.
 
Jamila has been going to the camp that is held at THE BEST prep school in Tampa.  Did I tell you she and 3 other girls from her school got a scholorship to go there !!!  We would never be able to afford something like that and it is a true blessing that she was chosen and is able to attend.
 
My van broke down.  I don't know what is wrong with it.  Leroy said it was something to do with the fuel.  I think he put a fuel filter in yesterday, but I don't keep up with all that stuff.
 
I have to go get groceries!!

Thursday, July 15

Shhhh!

A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"

Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."

Wednesday, July 14

My Never Again List

Never again will I confess "I can't" for "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

Never again will I confess lack, for "my God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19

Never again will I confess fear, for "God hath not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." II Timothy 1:7

Never again will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for "God hath given to every man the measure of faith." Romans 12:3

Never again will I confess weakness for "The Lord is the strength of my life." Psalm 27:1

Never again will I confess defeat, for "God always causeth me to triumph in Christ Jesus." II Corinthians 2:14

Never again will I confess lack of wisdom, for "christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God." I Corinthians 1:30

Never again will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am "casting all my cares upon Him who careth for me." I Peter 5;7

Never againwill I confess condemnation, for "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1

Monday, July 12

Ah...........life in the big city!

Great weekend for us folks! I got Jake's package of stuff off finally. He had asked me to send him some Power Bars and powdered Gator Aide. I had bought them along with his birthday cards BEFORE his birthday on July 5, but just got everything off last Saturday.

I also mailed all the kiddie pictures out to the relatives here and there, but forgot my sister, Paula, and have to go back and make her package up.

Jamila started camp, at the number one Prep school in Tampa, today. She was chosen with 3 other girls out of her school to attend on scholarship. It really is a big deal, and we are very grateful that Jamila can be exposed to that environment.

George with to Wet N Wild with the Parks Dept. Saturday. I have to find a good field trip for Lee Lee to go on that I can afford. Our money is a lot less than it used to be, so we really can't do things the way we have before.

All else is well. I am working on getting everything totally organized at home and work. That is my BIG goal. I also want to finish painting the house. I had started that when I was off work. I still have the paint and stuff.

I would like to do the laundry room in the evening sometime this week. I have borders and all................hope I have the energy!!!


The Cookie Thief:



The woman arrived

At an airport one night

With several long hours

Before her flight.



She hunted for a book

In the airport shop,

Bought a bag of cookies

And found a place to drop.



She was engrossed in her book

But happened to see,

That the man sitting beside her,

As bold as could be,



Grabbed a cookie or two

>From the bag in between,

Which she tried to ignore

To avoid a scene.



So she munched the cookies

And watched the clock,

As the gutsy cookie thief

Diminished her stock.



She was getting more irritated

As the minutes ticked by,

Thinking, "If I wasn't so nice,

I would blacken his eye."



With each cookie she took,

He took one too,

When only one was left,

She wondered what he would do.



With a smile on his face,

And a nervous laugh,

He took the last cookie

And broke it in half.



He offered her half,

As he ate the other,

She snatched it from him

And thought... ooh, brother!



This guy has some nerve

And he's also rude,

Why he didn't even show

Any gratitude!



She had never known

When she had been so galled,

And sighed with relief

When her flight was called.



She gathered her belongings

And headed to the gate,

Refusing to look back

At the thieving ingrate.



She boarded the plane,

And sank in her seat,

Then she sought her book,

Which was almost complete.



As she reached in her baggage,

She gasped with surprise,

There was her bag of cookies,

In front of her eyes.



If mine are here,

She moaned in despair,

The others were his,

And he tried to share.



Too late to apologize,

She realized with grief,

That she was the rude one,

The ingrate, the thief!



How many times have we absolutely known that something was a certain way,

only to discover later that what we believed to be true...was not?



"Keep An Open Mind And An Open Heart, Because...... You Just Never

Know..." Ya might be eating someone else's cookies

Friday, July 9

Finally got a decent letter from Jake. He seems a lot more emotional than he was before. I guess that comes with the breaking down and the building up process that the Marines use to train the soldiers.

I have been pretty upset about the whole thing myself since his 18th birthday Monday. He is just a baby and they gave him an M16. I have been doing a LOT of investigation about Iraq since the day he may go there gets closer and closer.

I have met another Mother there. Her name is Faiza. She is Shia. I know now that there are two major regilious bodies there. They are Sunni and Shia. I have heard they are very different. I don't really know details though.

I have been fighting boughts of depression. Today is a brigher day, thank God!!!!

Wednesday, July 7

Okay, I think I have the comments thingy working..................
I don't know if this comment thing is going to work or not!
Leroy had his truck up on a jack with the jack handle hanging out from under it. That night, I tripped over it and hit my head on the brick planter Leroy made around the mailbox.

Sunday, July 4

Destiny cut her hair!!! What a nightmare. She cut the front and the back. I ended up having to finish cutting it. It's short but it's cute. She would be cute if she was bald though.

Daddy threw a fit of course. The only person that was calm was Destiny.

Saturday, July 3

What a week! The days have just flown by since the company picnic last Saturday. This house is a disaster, although Patty is staying with us again for a week or so and she has been keeping the laundry up. That is better than nothing, but we have really got to get some work done today if we are going to celebrate the rest of the weekend.

I haven't sent Jake any mail except a couple of postcards Monday. His 18th birthday is Monday. My son will be turning 18 in Marine Boot Camp. Joy turned 18 at Job Corp.

I got all the pictures out from our Ft. DeSoto Outing and am adding them to the photo page. I have to get Jake's cards and stuff out today, get groceries, get this house clean, on and on and on.