Remembering

In memory of all those who lost their lives on this tragic day 9 years ago...


I remember that I was a new mom and was home with my baby, Cameron. I walked into the living room and was watching the TV in disbelief when I realized we were under attack. I remember holding Cameron a little tighter and praying for our country and all those who had just lost loved ones.

Take a moment to pray today...we will never forget.

Are you wondering where was God that day? http://www.angelrays.com/Cards/moon/9/11.html

What were you doing on 9/11?

Looking Back...Summer Fun

Fall is here! The weather has been cooler and rainy this week. The leaves are beginning to turn beautiful colors! We had our first fire in our fireplace this weekend. Love relaxing and watching the fire! I love Fall! However, it is time to take a walk down memory lane on some great memories we made over the summer! Remember the list?

Warning: Picture and fun overload!

No, my chalkboard is still not finished! So many projects on the back burner now that I am working.

Fast Lane....check!

Our first stop, July 17th, Cameron's birthday we celebrated at Fast Lane in Lowell. The boys had a blast. Their favorite thing to do there was the Pirates of the Caribbean laser tag.

Caden concentrating while playing Deal or No Deal...

Bowling....check!

Our next stop, was a good friend's birthday party. The boys had a good time at the bowling alley. Caden with the birthday boy.

Skating...check!

Next on the list...skating. This was taken care of during another birthday party. This time for my niece and nephew. I forgot how fun skating is!

Here is a picture of the boys with their cousins. This skating rink is like no other. You can skate, skate board, and ride scooters, all on the same floor.

Movies and popcorn....check!

The boys with some 'tude' before their first 3 D movie- Ice Age Dawn of the Dinosaur.

The Creek....check! (Many times)

One of the boys favorite summer activity is going to the creek by our home. We also took family walks/bike rides on that road to the creek. Fun times!

My handsome boys!

Fishing...check!

The boys made spears to fish with. They did plenty of regular fishing too with dad.

Camping...check!

We went camping the week of June 5th-7th. Our annual camping trip to the Illinois River in Oklahoma. We go every year with my In-Laws. They just bought a new camper trailer this past Spring that holds 8-10 people. It was nice. Hanging out, swimming, fishing, just good ole camping fun!

Seaweed fight anyone?

After an early morning fishing trip! Cameron checking out his fish!

Hiking...check!

Picnic, hiking, and caving with some cousins and grandparents at Devil's Den State Park.

Great memories for all!

Boating....check!

Not just any boating...the finest hand-made boat at Grandma and Papa's!

Cameron and his favorite cousin Devin cruising the pond!

Grandma and Caden having a blast!

We love our Sunday's at Grandma's and Papa's!

Boating and Tubing....check!

Our good family friends, Scott and Shonna invited us out for a day at Beaver Lake. Fun as always! We are a family who loves water and good friends!

Caden tubing by himself for the first time! His smile says it all!

Relaxin' with dad!

Catch fireflies...check!

The only picture I didn't capture is the fireflies that were caught. The boys did, however, manage to find more friends along the way.

Cameron's caterpillar getting really friendly.

A baby lizard...

A baby frog...

Fireworks...check!

Getting ready to watch fireworks and hang out with our family friends, Scott and Tammy. Food, fireworks, cards, swimming and lots of fun!

Water park...check!

Our trip to Branson, MO. to the Grand Country Inn indoor water park. We enjoyed our time, and we got to spend time with Aunt Tara, Uncle Rodney, Devin, and Sharee!

The gang hanging out.

Making snow cones....lots of snow cones!....Check!

Playing in the sprinkler....inseparable!

Feeding/chasing the ducks! Check!

We only had one minor injury this summer. The day we went to the park for a cousin's birthday party, the same day the boys fed the ducks, Caden shut his own finger in the car door. Not fun for my little one. However, it certainly was not the level of fear I had in 2008 with Cameron.

Caden still upset and in pain!

As you can see we had a fun-filled, busy summer!

Something to Celebrate....The Big 10!

Today, August 8, 2009 Michael and I are celebrating 10 years of marriage.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Happy Anniversary honey! I LOVE YOU!!

My Childhood Toys....FMM

Kasey at All That is Good is the creator of Friend Makin' Monday. I appreciate her starting this because I have met some awesome friends! However, this week the adorable Amber is the host of FMM. She wants us to list 5 toys that remind us of our childhood. Thanks Amber for a fun memory!

Do you dig my cow lick? That's okay...I paid the cows back and licked their salt block...oh yeah!

Name 5 toys that remind you of your childhood:

Pick-Up Sticks

Maybe I need to play this again...concentration a must!

Cabbage Patch
I loved this gift! I got to adopt a baby!




Marble Game

My Dad made us a board like this. Brings back good family memories!




Barrel
We use to turn our barrel on it side, get on top, walk on the barrel, and try to make it to the other side of the yard. So, much fun!! Oh yeah...I learned I could NOT fly from this "toy" too.
Do you remember my boys and the barrel? You can check it out here!

Ball & Jacks

This toy reminds me of going to my Grandma Miller's house. More great memories!

Wanna see more classic toys? Head on over to Amber's!

What is your favorite childhood toy??

The Priceless Coin....

I have a coin. It is priceless to me! It was from a special man in my life. It is a dollar coin. Your wondering, what's so special about a dollar coin? This amazing man carried around this coin everywhere, every day. It was a part of his daily life. His big hands touched it many times...his hands touched me. My life.

Today I am taking another walk down memory lane. Have you ever had someone in your life that was your hero? Have you ever had someone who knew would protect and love you? Someone you respected and looked up to? Let me introduce you:

Ronnie Edward Lane

He walks into a room and everyone notices. He is tall...6'4", handsome, and strong. With wavy, sandy-blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, shirt always tucked in, and a smile that shined like a star.
He was a hard worker, and he had several jobs that he enjoyed. He wanted to be a great provider for his family. He was a rock mason, hauled hay with Clarence in the summer, and then he planted pine trees for about three to four months out of a year. He also had a farm. He loved his family, and he loved his kids.

Laying his beautiful rock work.

Planting pine trees.

Even though he was a hard worker, he also enjoyed life. He loved to fish, camp, and be outdoors. He also loved baseball. I'll never forget the time he took me to War Eagle Mill to catch some some night crawlers. We had our lanterns and was walking along the creek bank late at night. Then I saw it...a night crawler coming out of the earth! It was so cool and so fun to catch them. They are so long! For years I could not be around Parmesan cheese. It reminded me of the smell of the night crawlers. Soon we took the bucket full of worms and went fishing, cat fishing. We sat on a big rock and fished the day away. I don't remember if we caught anything that day. I just remember I loved fishing with him, and spending time with him.

You know he was proud of this fish. What a catch!

Another time he was my rescue hero. I was playing in my sandbox, and before I realize it a rooster is after me. I try to climb up the porch, but I was flogged. To this day roosters make me a little skittish, but he came to the rescue. He took care of the rooster. Nobody was going to get hurt by a rooster, especially me.

I also loved spending time with this man. He was a family man. We would get our buckets and hike up to the upper field and spend the morning picking blackberries. We had HUGE blackberry bushes with a tunnel. We could go in the tunnel and pick even more. Then we would bring them back and soon enjoy a delicious homemade blackberry cobbler...yummmy! We also use to go pick blueberries at a nearby blueberry farm. To this day I love berries!

Who is this great man?

He is my Daddy!

I loved sitting on my daddy's lap.

He was a wonderful man! Today, it will be twenty-three years since I have seen him. Twenty-three years since I got to tell him how much I admire him, love him, and miss him. Twenty-three years of not having him in my life...but in my heart. My dad passed away in a tragic auto accident on his way home from his 3 month of planting trees. The first person on the scene of the accident found $100.00 bills all over the road, but NO pulse. He was bringing home his hard earned money to his family whom he loved. What harsh reality for a 14 year old girl. I'm sad I don't have many pictures of my dad. There are so few. The house in the picture above is the house I grew up in. My dad built that house! Notice the beautiful rock work! Yes...he did that too! I love seeing homes that were touched by his hands.

I remember my mom playing a song on the piano after he was gone. It was also played at his funeral. I remember singing this song with my mom: "A little girl was waiting for her daddy one day. When she heard her momma say, come to mama darling, please do not cry. Daddy's up in heaven, way up in the sky. How far is heaven? When can I go? To see my daddy. I love him so. How far is heaven? Let's go tonight. To see my daddy and hold him tight."

Remember the priceless coin? It was my Dad's. His hands touched this coin many times. It reminds me of his hard work. I reminds me that he always paid with cash. It reminds me how determined he was. It was my Dad's.

Notice just the silhouette of the President remains.

You can barley see the outline of part of the eagle.

As the impression on the coin has faded...the memory and love for my Dad will live on forever! I can't wait to see you again in heaven someday!

I love you Dad!

Ice Storm 2009

I guess Arkansas just isn't the same as it use to be. When I grew up I could look forward to SNOW! Sledding, snow ice-cream, hot chocolate, snow angels, and snowmen. My kids have not seen a great snow. Every year they anticipate and anxiously await the arrival...but to no avail.

What they have seen is ICE! We have seen, felt, tasted, heard, and smelled the effects during this week of the ice storm. The ice is absolutely beautiful! We have tasted the same food...I've missed cooking! We have heard the crackle and crash of the limbs falling from the trees, and have smelled our fireplace smoke while Cameron was poking around and woke us up to a smoke alarm going off!

We have been inside all week with no electric since Monday night. We thankfully have electric Thursday afternoon. The boys and my DH have been home. We have played all kinds of games: Uno Attack, Bingo, Math game, Dart Gun match, Foosball, and Skipbo...Lot's of family time. The boys camped out in the living room in a tent by the fireplace (Our only source of heat) and of course we had to make some smores!

Thankfully, my mother-in-law called Monday and reminded me if electric goes out we will have NO water since we have a well. I prepared both bathtubs full of water. We have to flush toilets!! I also filled up every jug possible full of drinking water and my DH brought home some bottled water as back up.

I prayed daily for those with no heat! We dressed in layers and stayed mostly in the living room. We did not let the boys go play outside because we knew when they were cold they wouldn't be able to come in and warm up good. Even though we have a fireplace, our blower could not run, so it was not as good of a heat source as normal.
The boys eating lunch and trying to keep warm.

The only time I got out was when my DH was late coming home from his Dad's house with a generator. He was 2 hours late! It was dark! I made up my mind that we would walk to the neighbors house and try to get to a phone. (The truck keys were in my car that my DH was driving...I know smart.) That is the only time we got out of the house. Caden started screaming/crying when we were on the road...afraid we were going to get ran over. I had to reassure him Mommy was watching for cars. We all were a little anxious! I did not want them close to the ditch. It was a big drop off with ice and water below! We used their phone, talked to Daddy, and came home. We were thankful that Daddy finally was home and safe!

Here are a few pics of the ice storm:





I am hoping wherever you are... you are nice and warm! Enjoy the blessings of God everyday. They are there if you open your hearts and eyes!



Down Memory Lane: Ice Storm 2000!


Wow, this is one Ice Storm I will never forget!
Michael and I had been married for a little over a year. We lived in a small, cute log cabin in Pettigrew, AR. (Our first home) I was pregnant about 4-5 months with our first baby. It was around Christmas. I remember it was scary coming home that night after celebrating with family. We get to the bottom of our big, long hill and we knew we would not make it in the mustang. My DH tells me we have to walk. What else could we do? It is dark, freezing outside, snow and ice covered the North facing hill. We began walking up the hill...me waddling. It was so slick we could not stand up straight. A little ways up I knew we could not just walk up the hill!
I crawled on my hands and knees for a while. BRRR! Michael took off his shoes and put his socks over his shoes it helped a little. Finally we got in the ditch and walked there for a while with ice, water, and snow. When we looked back there was only one foot print. It was amazing. It was a trail but only one foot print...was Jesus carrying us?

We made it to our driveway and we rounded the corner to go up on last small hill. It was then that I slipped and fell hard...flat on my face and belly...MY PREGNANT BELLY! Michael helped me up and into the house. I called the nurse and she reassured me that everything would be fine with the baby and it was. Finally home at last!

I'm thankful the Lord was with us...
He will never leave or forsake us.

Sundays at Grandmas

Today after church we went to my Mom's house for our weekly Sunday visit. My DH was not feeling well and had his usual Sunday headache. What is up with that? It has been going on for at least a year...every Sunday he gets a headache. I told him I would call Mom and we could just come home after church and let him sleep. He was being very unselfish and said, "no we will go over there because the boys always look forward to it."

I had a good time visiting with my Step-Sister Laurel and her husband and son. I also had fun reminiscing with everyone and talking to my brother. I love when I get to see my brother and my nieces. I don't see them often, but love it when I do!

We were talking about an incident with my sister when she was younger being in a car that started rolling. Cameron comes in the sun room and I ask him, "what should you do if your ever in a car by yourself and it starts rolling?" I remember talking to him about it in the past so I was expecting...push on the brake! Well, he gets a hmmmm look on his face and then says, "BUCKLE UP!"

Kids say the cutest things!

Thanks Mom for having us over on Sundays and always fixing a yummy lunch. We appreciate and love you.

A picture of God's Grace...Part 1

A little peak inside my journal...dated Oct. 30, 2000.

"Well, I have some exciting news!...What a blessing and a miracle in our life. Something I've waited for, prayed for, and dreamed of all my life. I'm going to be a mom...I'm pregnant!!"

9 Months Later.... Cameron Michael Mason was a miracle from God! Finally, arrived July 21, 2001 at 5:25 a.m.. He weighed 7 lbs. and 13 oz. , and was 21 inches long.

Birth Story: short version...
Two weeks over due, Petocin started, amniotic bag busted, back labor kicks in, listening to my relaxation music, sitting on an exercise ball, and Sis taking an after birth bottle and filling it with hot water rubbing it on my back...thanks sis! Epidural..... Michael's scrubs falling to his knees...while he is spread eagle holding my shoulders so I will not move...hee hee. Epidural not working, medicine to relax...upset don't like medicine! Mom by my side...Knew something was wrong but they wouldn't tell me...they just wanted for me to rest...couldn't. A long 23 1/2 hours and suddenly Cameron was ready to enter the world. Whew!

The room was full of nurses and doctors and specialists! A lot of concerned faces in the room. Dr. could not take her eyes off of the monitor because heart rate was dropping...meconium present in amniotic fluid. God was at work in this young baby's life. After making his way into the world, with a cord around his neck, I only got to see Cameron for a second....literally 1 second...as the nurse held him up and they immediately went to work on getting him to breath. Precious little Cameron was whisked away while new mom, exhausted with no sleep for over 24 hours, wondering why can't I hold my baby? Why isn't he laying on my chest? What's next?
Michael said a very special prayer that day. We knew our precious one was a gift from God. We also know that Cameron was His and we gave Cameron to the Lord that day. I prayed diligently during my pregnancy and after for the Lord to use Cameron for his glory and His purpose. To make him a mighty man of God...
After 4 hours of sleep, a blessing in disguise, Cameron was finally able to be in our arms. I know if I had not fallen asleep, it would have been too much for me to handle, not knowing why my baby was not with me, what was wrong, and what was going on? I woke up to God's mercy! Cameron was healthy! No meconium in his lungs! Praise the Lord!

Wow...look at my hair roots...eww and Michael's facial hair!

Ahhh, the best part.... Cameron my sweet pea! Hard to believe he had black hair!

4 hours after delivery... getting to hold Cameron for the first time
God has a plan....Cameron made it through his traumatic birth.

Down Memory Lane.....I can remember being 16 years old driving to town one day I prayed...Lord just let me live until I have a baby. Please! I want to live until I have a baby...I love babies. I'm so glad God doesn't answer some of our prayers...our way! I'm thankful to be alive!