MOM, IF YOU ARE TIRED

REMEMBER EVERY COMMENT GOES IN THE DRAWING FOR 3 MORE CARD PACKAGES THAT I WILL DRAW FOR THIS FRIDAY. I MAILED OUT 6 TODAY!!!


This was just too sweet not to SHARE....PLUS WINNERS FOR THIS WEEK!!!!

If you have read my blog for any length of time, you know my relationship with Parker. He was our first grandchild, he was the best thing that EVER happened to me and he and his Mom lived with us for the first six years of his life. So in other words, HE IS MY HEART. Now at ten and a TWEEN, some days I see that he is outgrowing me....and I understand it but my eyes still water thinking about it. This is a kid that I have literally traveled from sea to shining sea with and enjoyed EVERY SECOND of it. We have laughed and loved at Mickeys house 9 times..Disney World never gets old...We have done Disneyland and Hollywood, Las Vegas, Sante Fe and stood at Ground Zero together. WE have talked about the meaning of the Statue of Liberty and traveled on every mode of travel in New York City. We have marveled at the mountains in Colorado and Tennessee. We have been to more states in his 10 years than I had been in the previous years of my life...and that's a bunch. We have literally seen America together. We have spent weeks at the beach, talked about the ocean, and visited Hershey's Chocolate Factory...We have cheered Brett Favre to victories and mourned his losses and I LOVE it that he really loves him because Grammy does. We have spent so many weeks in Dallas at market, which was work for me, but fun for him as he knew everyday included a trip to somewhere FUN to buy something he wanted.....WE have done lots of LIFE TOGETHER.
Now the girls like him and now he really prefers sleep overs with his friends to sleep overs at Grammys. And guess what, though it would seem that he would be a spoiled brat, (and he easily could be) he is just the opposite. He is the most FUN kid ever, polite, smarter than a fifth grader and a 50 plus year old, sensitive and the BEST BIG BROTHER EVER. That would seem like bragging, but read it as a very thankful Grammy! We HAVE indulged him but I pray we have mixed that with teaching him what's important in life. I just smile when I think what a wonderful job his cute teenage Mom has done raising him. Nothing makes me prouder. (I overheard him tell Jack that Grammy and Pop would take him to see Mickey every year.) I think he is RIGHT. But below is what made me smile this week!

This is a picture that Amanda sent me on her phone after they got home Thursday night...Micah had been out of town on business all week and she had been doing the single parent thing. I told you in the last post that Jack was running fever AGAIN and she was a little frustrated that he cannot seem to get well and stay well. Anyway, the words that came with this picture were....Parker just told me "Mom you look tired. I will stay up with Jack"! Talk about melting my heart and hers...That's LOVE in a picture. Jack is well now and we are PRAYING for some healthy weeks.

The SNAIL MAIL post got tons of response and that makes me SO HAPPY. If I can make it easier for some of you to get back in the routine of sending cards, I will be happy to do it. I have cards. So tonight I am announcing 4 winners that will receive a stash of cards this week.....If you are not one of the four , keep commenting as I am going to give three more bundles next Saturday. This is what I have ready to mail on Monday. I just imagine the smiles on the friends faces when they go to their mailbox. Everyone can use some LOVE and ENCOURAGEMENT.

THIS WEEKS WINNERS ARE

Gigi at Gigi's Gibberish

Kelle at Enjoying the Small Things

Nonny at Love Being a Nonny

Cathy at Melodies and Hymn Songs

I have not read all of these blogs YET, but I know Nonny is a lover of grands like me and Kelle at ENJOYING THE SMALL THINGS has a story I could not stop reading. She also has one of the MOST BEAUTIFUL SITES I HAVE SEEN. Stop by all these blogs and say hello.
Another thing I want to do on each post is to CONNECT BLOGGERS..and lead you to a new blog I have found....If you would like me to spotlight your blog, leave me a comment letting me know.
This week I want to send you to JOYFULLY REFINED. She has a great story and a beautiful site!

A CHALLENGE

This may seem like a CRAZY POST , but this was on my heart today....and I cannot get it off my mind....I have posted before my thoughts on the importance of SNAIL MAIL. You know that many of my GIVEAWAYS are what my customers call "The Card Box"! It is an enabler...if you have cards on hand you are MUCH MORE likely to send them. You think of a person that needs encouragement and by the time you get to a store where cards are, you have forgotten. THIS IS ALL COMING from the QUEEN of email. Then I read this post Kelly wrote on snail mail! CONFIRMATION....Nothing brings a smile like a note or card in the mail that someone is thinking about you or praying for you. WE probably will NEVER know when a card helped a friend make it through the day. We know lots of peoples problems, but I am convinced we have no idea the hurts that are behind the best looking doors. I work in homes that have FABULOUS doors. Sometimes I leave thinking if others really knew the hurt, the fear and the hopelessness behind that door, they would not envy the big house. I am a card sender....at least every few nights I ask God who I can encourage...this is not bragging...I have cards within arms reach, so its not hard. I cannot tell you the times that someone has emailed me or even sent me a note telling me that they were going through the trial of their life and the card made their day.

PROOF enough for me that snail mail is still IN! I do not write long messages, most of the time the card says it all and I just sign it..

I realized I just posted last night, so this posts comments will go in the drawing tomorrow night also....

Because I love to give, but more than that, BECAUSE I want to HELP YOU BLESS someone else, I will draw 3 extra names and each of those bloggers will receive a gift of cards....I have NEVER known a time when I have personally known more people that are in HUGE battles and in need of a little encouragement. What about you?

I REALLY want this to be BIG. I want SNAIL MAIL to become popular again. Send a new reader or readers and let me know and I will enter your name 5 extra times...

MAIL SOMEONE A CARD THIS WEEK!

If you missed the post from last night, there are some CUTE pictures ....and on a side note, Amanda just called and to tell me Jack's school had just called and he has 101 fever. WILL THE SICK SEASON EVER END? I would really be concerned about our family and OUR immunity or LACK OF, but I know so many families that are going through the same "cannot get well" syndrome at their houses.

A BOY NEEDS HIS POP

A BOY NEEDS HIS POP

This picture says it all about our week last week. A boy REALLY needs his POP. Jack loving Jack as soon as Pop arrived home from the hospital.

I started this post two days ago and for some reason had to stop, so I will just pick up where I left off. Today, I have been fighting off the stomach bug that the entire family has been friends or should I say enemies with. I can NEVER remember a sicker winter. This post has nothing too exciting, but how thankful I am for NORMAL. I probably should have used a different word, maybe ORDINARY, maybe UNEVENTFUL. A good friend on Facebook ask me what NORMAL meant and to me that's a day none of my immediate family has any kind of crisis. What's your definition of a normal day? Keep reading as there are some great photos of some of my favorite people.
Saturday we enjoyed a relaxing day. We made a quick stop by Canton (PERFECT CANTON weather and that does not happen often), had a great meal at Red Lobster and headed to the HOTEL...I worked on paper work , addressed a few cards to friends, and stayed up way too late, but slept until noon on Sunday....That's my kind of day. WE had brunch at Le Madeline's....a favourite of ours. Nothing like their potato soup. Then made some stops at Michaels, Ulta, Kirkland's, Barnes and Noble, TJ Maxx and Steinmart. So some real R & R that was much needed. Last week was exhausting. What a difference a week can MAKE!Then two days of buying spring merchandise , flowers for wreaths, just general WORK.
We got home late last night and I was suddenly VERY TIRED....and just starting to get sick, so have slept most of today...Even turned down a visit by Grayson, in fear that I might pass something back to him...Parker and Jack did spend the evening with us as their Dad is out of town and Amanda needed us to help out...There is ABSOLUTELY NO MEDICINE as effective or as GOOD as hugs from little boys. Now its almost midnight and I have basket orders to get out for tomorrow...so this will be a LONG NIGHT. One advantage/disadvantage of having a home business...the work is always close by.
I love this first picture of Jack....it was made while he had the BUG and felt terrible but how I love that little guy. And guess what...he can count to 10 and he has just started putting 3 and 4 words together...so cute.
This next picture was taken when his Mom thought Parker was watching him. Look who is asleep and who is about to ESCAPE. It just makes me laugh as I know Jack's personality and know he had GET AWAY on his mind.

Aunt Manda holding sweet Grayson when he made a SURPRISE visit to her office today! No words necessary for this little HAPPY MAN. He lights up our lives. And even though he has had more than his share of sickness, he is the HAPPIEST baby, always SMILING. He looks so much like his Dad's baby pictures. And no DAD has ever been PROUDER.

I have read a few blogs tonight and loved the peak into Beth Moore's life. Her "realness" never fails to touch my heart.

I am planning on catching up on ALL my favorite blogs soon.

Since I have to ship some prizes, why not ship one more.....A short contest.....tell me your definition of

a normal day in the comment section of this post and that will enter you. I think I am addicted to giving prizes. I will draw a name Friday night...

Sorry this was such a random post. I have several that I am working on but they are still in the draft stages...but coming up will be the redo that my friend did on my house, some new colors that I saw lots of at market for the spring and summer and a NEW MEME that I found on another blog that I LOVED.
Also please remember to pray for Lisa at Glad Chatter. What a faith filled WOMAN with some HUGE mountains in her life.