Day Off

I had to take the day off to stay home with a sick son. After a quick trip to the Doctor we found he has Strep Throat! Which I should have known Saturday after tears during a baseball game. I was at the pool checking on the water level and I hear a scuffle. These friends were fighting at the watering hole. They have managed to break their flow valve, dump over their watering can and were eating at the hose pipe until I went down there. Son was able to turn off the water and I gave them the "that is not nice" speech. They immediately were shameful and turned their heads in embarrassment. They are currently in time out waiting until their watering hole is fixed again.

A Year

May 22, 2010 I was busy. I was getting my childhood house ready to move into by washing with Clorox the outside of the house. Husband and kids were getting the pool ready. It is so like God that on this weekend a year later the pool is almost full of water and will finally open. I wrote in my blog here last year. People that don't see me often have often stopped me wondering if I have lived in a cast for a year. I laugh because it seems that way to me too.

I have been a part of a Saturday morning bible study this spring. Yesterday, we were discussing sheep. In the bible the word sheep is mentioned 204 times per google. God ofter refers to us Christians as His sheep. Sheep are not really smart animals. I learned lots of stuff of sheep yesterday. Sheep need shepherds to protect them, lead them, give them rest, keep the sheep together and know the sheep. Sheep will sometimes wander. Shepherds will often break the leg of a wandering sheep. Then the shepherd will splint the sheep's leg and carry it in a sling close to his chest. The sheep will then heal while being connected to the shepherd up to eight weeks. The sheep will learn his shepherd's voice and will have to depend on the shepherd for food and water to live. Talk about being hit between the eyes.

While I don't know why things happen, I know that God uses EVERYTHING to bring Him glory. I can tell you I know my shepherd's voice. I hear Him speak to me in my trail. He has given me the food and water I needed to survive this past year. He carried me when I could not walk. He gave me a smile when I didn't have one. He gave me Godly counsel. He gave me a home group. He gave me a family. He gave me friends that were his hands and feet. He gave me transportation. He gave me happiness. He gave me peace. I believe He had me in His sling like the wandering sheep. My prayer is that I will know His voice more than I did a year ago. I pray that I will be obedient to Him. I pray that others may know Him as their personal shepherd and I will be able to be used by Him.

For all of you that read this blog or who have been a part of this year long journey, I thank you.

*Sheep picture courtesy of this website.

Day 5 Pool Makeover

Pool liner and Diving Board!

Today is really the first or second day I have wanted to rip this cast off.

16 more days and I am jumping in the pool.

It is all coming together and we are thankful for God's blessings.

City Boy and Ketchup

Is it summer yet? The garden is planted thanks to Daddy Mikey Fresh.

Old farm joke and I apologize: A family of tomatoes was walking down the street. The baby tomato was falling behind. The daddy tomato walks over to the baby. He steps on it and tuns it into red paste and says, "Ketchup!"

City boy, husband, just had to plant these tires. Not the big garden. These old tractor tires make BLT's for a WHOLE summer!
These tractor tires are home to my tomato plants. Lately I have developed a new life saying, "I love you more than ketchup." I do love ketchup. I ate ketchup sandwhiches my whole life for afternoon snack after school. You can't love ketchup more than me. I am going to make ketchup this summer. I am going to love people more than ketchup. And when I am tired of people. . . I will eat ketchup sandwhiches.

Look at him work. I just cheered and watched.

Corn is sprouting in the garden.
Who wants to pick and grill?

And this picture makes me want to marry him all over again. A baseball cap backwards makes me think my momma will come home and I will be in trouble for having my boyfriend over. Look at those tomato plants. I apologize for all the readers I just offended.

Ketchup sandwhiches to all my Roach Readers.

Gone Viral

What can help me with the last 21 days of cast life? An Aubie!

The artist is my family member. She and I celebrated the National Championship together in Auburn this year and even shared a cigar from her daddy's stash. Dian McCray is my famous cousin who has painted more important objects and more important people and places. However, yesterday she drove up to my house in her smart car armed with her tools. She completed this in less then two hours on her knees while I laid on my couch. We talked, laughed, had pizza and I was left amazed. It is really remarkable. This will be a cast I save! The saying is true, save the best for last! (But part 2 is after leaving my house her grandson ruptured his achilles and she is probably painting another orange cast tonight.)

After coming home for worktoday I found out that I have gone viral on fb and I feel FAMOUS! Look where I have been spotted! The War Eagle Reader

One Mission

The weekend of the One Mission Celebration at our church we took the kids on a prayer walk. It was raining so we ended up in the car. The kids were in the back with their scavenger hunt paper and very excited about marking things off their list. We took them to a community we had delivered meals to at Christmas. The first street we drive on son yells "stop the car there is a lady to pray with!" We being the great role models tell him no, it is raining and she looks busy. We drive past her only to realize the street is a dead end. So we turn around and as we drive by this woman for the second time, our son rolls down the window and says hello causing his daddy to slam on the brakes. Most of this conversation is on the video but what is not on the video is part 2.
On mother's day they played this video at church. I cried like a good momma would and beamed at the memory of my 8 year son showing me to live out a mission. Then I received an email from our pastor telling that after the last church service a woman came down front to ask about our son. She then explained to our pastor she is the lady in the video. She has been coming to our church ever since an 8 year old boy hung his head out of car window. She is a member of our church family and even more important a member of the body of Christ. When we shared part 2 of the story with son he relied, "I know. She said she would come to church at 11."
He had faith in what she said.
He had faith that had no fear.
He was obedient.
He was sharing Jesus the only way he knew how.

Matthew 18:10 See that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my father in heaven.

Numbers

Husband is a numbers boy.

He first became my boyfriend in college so he could tutor me in math.

I was trying to pass Pre-Cal and he was in Cal VI.

He appreciates when I add.

So this post is for my boyfriend.

My initial injury took place on May 22, 2010.
53 days in a cast
72 days in a boot
32 days in an ankle brace
March 11, 2011- hardware removal
19 days in an ankle brace
April 6, 2011-bone fusion
It will be 51 days on May 22, 2011

Total Days =227
This means in a year I had 138 normal two shoe days.

Psalm 39:4 Remind me that my days are numbered.

Luke 12:7 Even the very number of hairs on your head are numbered.

So here is to 21 more days in a cast.

Day 4 Pool Makover

Day 4 started with an early morning run to pick up a ton and half of rock. Then of course since it is Saturday and we are breathing there was a baseball game. By the time husband and his buddy got started it was 87 degrees. The objective of the day was laying rock, painting the coping around the pool and colorizing the steps. I am happy to report all projects were accomplished and I did not help a bit. The boys had some spectators.

And these special friends bring more poop to the farm.

It is EVERYWHERE.

Ask husband cause it was on both of his shoes.

Tip #1 Ask your perfectionist friend to help paint.

This man taped, sanded, wiped, sprayed and it looks so much better.


Tip #2 Paint while the old liner is still in the pool.
Look at the white edge!!
Just like new.





Tip #3 You can not shovel rocks this big.
Husband is about as broke down as me.
My fire pit area is coming together.
The rock is red but it is so dusty right now you can't tell.






Picture of the Day goes to son.
Daughter was helping husband sweep and fell into the pool.
This is the aftermath and screaming that continued for far too long.
This is also a hot shot of husband's belly.


Next will be to install the new liner and diving board.
However, since it is mother's day, pool furniture is starting to make it's way poolside.
Reserve your spot now!





Meanwhile, who can take Yoda to the groomer?
Bless his bones he needs a haircut and someone can you open the door and let him in!

History

I have said it before this house is THE house that built me. I don't know hard work. I don't know real trouble. I don't know what is like to not have a home. I don't know what it is like to have everything taken from you in a tornado. These pictures are somewhere around 1938. I am so thankful to have THIS house.

This oak tree is now so large it would take 4 people to wrap our arms around it.

The original house was built in the early 1900's and burned. The house was rebuilt in 1931 and most of the house still has original features. Sometime I will have to post pics of the door knobs that own me or the scary cellar under the house. My 2nd cousin found these pictures and shared them with me. Something about these pictures makes me cry and smile. I moved into this house when I was 6 years old ...with a broken leg. Yes, same leg. The house likes me broken. My parents added on to the back of the house when we moved. They added another bathroom, another den and a master bedroom. Yet much of the house still looks the same. There is a history here in this house.

If this land could talk it would tell stories. Stories of Kent Dairy Farms. Stories of bottling Raw Milk. Stories of droughts and depression. Stories of the farm crisis in the 1980's which led to closing down of Kent Dairy Farms. There are more stories of the family that worked this land. The children who ran barefoot and hid in the haystacks. There were life lessons learned on tractor rides. There are animal stories. There are stories that became legend. Canning vegetables and making jelly were weekend events in my home.

It is my family history.

It is my history.

It is now my children's history.

I look at these pictures and my healing continues.

I drag myself to work because I have a history behind me.

The house is symbolic of my relationship with Christ.

He is writing my history.

A history only He planned.

When I am broken, I go to him.

He restores me like I restore this house.

When I get lost in this world I turn back to Him.

I am home until He calls me to His forever home.

Neighbors

Our family has moved around a bit. We have called three different neighborhoods home before moving back here to my real home. We have had all kinds of neighbors. Wonderful neighbors. Weird neighbors. Run inside your house cause they are outside neighbors. Neighbors that won't speak neighbors. Best friend neighbors. Praying neighbors. This past Sunday we got 18 new neighbors. They are helping with the bush hogging. They are great neighbors but son and daughter haven't figured out the smell yet. I open the back door and I see this picture. I yell for the kids to come in and all 18 look at me. Husband is enjoying his own personal cow sound. He likes to talk cow and wait for their reply. He is learning the farm life and don't tell anyone that he likes it!

You see the garden? She is coming along and soon I will post her condition and contents. Meanwhile, my neighbors and I have alot of introductions and rules to go over. I just want them to be clear on some rules. #1 When I come out to my pool this summer, they may not moo when I take off my coverup. #2 Keep the manure on the back pasture. I am not sure closing my eyes on a float and dreaming of the ocean will have the same effect if I smell poo. #3 What happens at Roach Ranch stays at Roach Ranch!

Yes, I am talking to you missy! I think this one has an attitude!