Saturday, April 5, 2008

Ok, ok, ok ....

I have to learn to use this blog thing and be clever about it! I've been reading other people's blogs and am.... not exactly jealous, cause that would be sinful... so let's say... CURIOUS as to how they make them so appealing to look at! Some of you have pictures and videos and things down the side that mine does not. I tried rearraning the layout and ended up with FAT pictures. You aren't going to see ME on here if that is what happens to the pictures! I'm going to try to post a picture or two within this posting area ...using the same method I do for a forum I belong to ... we'll see. If I succeed with not too much difficulty, I may get carried away, so forgive me if that happens!


In the meantime, the snow is melting, the birds are singing ... it's still cold out, but the weatherman is "promising" us several days of nice weather. Several days in a row!!!


Bill and I attended Word of Life's Law Enforcement Conference last weekend and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was lead by Robin Oake, retired Chief of Police from the Isle of Man,
Great Britain. A wonderful Christian man, with good spritual and practical advice for police officers and their families. Having "lost" a son (police officer) in the line of duty, he spoke as a father as well as an officer. He and his wife, Chris were a delight.


We also attended a luncheon honoring Bill's (and others') years of service to NYS Dept. of
Environmental Conservation. This was very nice and each honoree was presented with a plaque and a gift. Bill will be retiring soon, so this was a nice gesture on DEC's part.


We managed to go cross country skiing at Cascades in Lake Placid, NY. Though we love to do it, we never seem to make the time for it, and the weather this year just did not lend itself to skiing after work, though our friend's Christmas tree farm bordering our property is perfect for it. Lets not forget a knee injury two years ago and the fact that we had to move to Northville for several months last winter because of our house flooding, so after a 3 year hiatus, we took to the trails.


Neither one of us fell, not even once, though our skis were so sticky in the fresh, falling snow, that we were afraid we were going to go head first down the hills instead of our "usual" side/bottom first that we fear .... fear, because we are older, now and may break easily! We trudged our way back to the lodge where Bill bought some wax for waxless skis and then we were able to glide our way to success. I wouldn't let him put a lot on mine, for fear of gliding out of control ... with bad results. We had a lot of fun and after a couple of hours, called it quits so we would not have aching legs for the rest of the weekend. Besides, the "snow showers" that were predicted were gathering rather heavily on my fleece jacket, hat and exposed hair. I think they ended up with 7 inches of snow showers that day.



With warmer weather coming, our thoughts remain on the outdoors and my garden! I should say "our" garden, because if Bill did not plow and cultivate it, there wouldn't be one! I have work to do to get it ready. Little metal fasteners to pull out of the black plastic ... plastic because I was too lazy to weed every day .... and may do it again this year, too! I'm a little skiddish of taking it up, since I KNOW there are critters that made tunnels out there. I saw the black paper sort of wiggling/flapping one day when the wind was not blowing ... it "wiggled/flapped" one way .... and then back again. I love the country, born and raised in it with all kinds of gardens and a woods to play in .. but I do NOT like critters smaller than a chipmunk. We have moles, voles, shrew and mice. They may be God's critters, but he better find a safer place than my back yard for them!


My flower garden is calling me, too .... it needs some TLC and then should be lovely and ready for a garden party this summer for some little/big girls and their mommies.


By the way, thank you for your nice comments and your emails! I know many of you don't blog, but a quick email to me to say hi was just what I needed to get me through these muddy days of March and April! I have a feeling when it really does get warmer ... and they say it will ... that I won't be blogging! Once or twice a month might be all we do this summer, but we'll have to post some pictures of Grandview Mini-Golf that Julie and Bill run. They work hard to make it pretty and it shows!


OK ... now for some picture posting .... Here's a look back about 22 years ago ... most of you will remember:

Photobucket

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

No Joke! His Birthday is April 1

He was due on April 3rd, but God's sense of humor prevailed!

Happy Birthday to our son, Chris! I fondly remember asking the nurses if there was any chance of me having my baby in March .... they all laughed! It was about 3 minutes to midnight and I wasn't even close! At 1:16 AM, he was born ... no C-Section like the doctor thought! My supposed 8 pound + baby turned out to be 7 lb 3 oz and was quickly scooped up by his Dad. I still remember the pride in his Dad's face as he gazed down at his 2nd son... this beautiful, blue eyed baby boy with blonde hair already showing on the top of his head.

We began making our phone calls ... the first one to Mom Lester, who promptly said, "You better not be fooling me!" "Mom!" I replied, "It's 3AM! I don't play jokes at 3AM!" To which she replied, "I mean about it being another boy!" We all had a laugh and I assured her he was indeed a boy and was beginning to resemble my dad .. who had died a few months earlier. He still does!

Mom and Dad Pitcher were barely asleep, having gone out for the evening only to come home and find cousin Marie babysitting for little Billy. They were quite excited and relieved to know baby Chris had arrived quickly and safely.

Bill got to go home after 3 but I stayed in the recovery ward for a few hours and cuddled my precious new little boy. He was born on a Sunday; the Lord's Day, and I sang hymns to him as lullabies, as my mom had sung to me.

The following day was filled with well wishers coming to the hospital to see him. Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles, Cousins, friends and neighbors. Lots of flowers from family and church graced the little bedside table. Bill came back and had a delicious dinner prepared just for us by the hospital ... Prime Rib! They also gave me a single rose to make our "dinner table" more beautiful.

We brought him home on Tuesday to the delight of his big brother ... who checked on him constantly until bedtime! At one point, he almost tipped over the empty bassinette trying to find him!

Doesn't seem possible that the years have gone by so quickly ... but now he is married and a daddy of his own little blonde haired, blue eyed baby girl! How we love them and wish we could see them more often. Time has a way of getting IN the way.

May our heavenly Father hold them tight; guard their days and every night; show them His Love and remind them of Life; the one He paid for; the one sacrificed.