Southern Porch Extension

[Laurie]

Thanks, Edy.

[Green Leaves]

Is this your birthday, Laurie? I am so bad...I just fail to keep track of the list.

[ready2go]

I've been away from the computer for a couple of days, so I don't know what is happening anywhere. But then, even when I am on the computer I still don't know what is happening.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURIE!!!



Don

[Laurie]

Thanks, Carol and Don. Carol, my birthday was yesterday. I'm told that 47 years ago it was a hot summer, I came 10 days late and my folks didn't have a fan - that is, until my dad bought the last one available in town to have for the new baby. Awww... I guess when they brought me home, he laid me on the bed and laid down beside me for a while. I was so sad yesterday having my first birthday without him. But I did enjoy spending time with my mom. We actually got together to relax instead of take care of business.

[Green Leaves]

Awwwww, I misunderstood. Sorry I am one day late wishing you a special day!

[Edy]

...Or, Carol, it's Laurie's 2nd Day of Birthday ...which can go on indefinitely, but at least for 12 days of celebrating. Works for me!

[BeachGrandma]

I'm so far behind, it's awful. I couldn't get on FW for a couple of days because they wouldn't accept my password. Finally, finally, I gained access. My computer is still not doing well and Tim insists it is the fault of our service technician. We don't have a lot of choices here in our tiny town so we're pretty much stuck.

I'm very, very worried about our youngest grandson, Charles. He and his brother left this morning for a week with their mother and he hung onto me, crying so hard and saying he didn't want to go, that he would miss me, and it was very traumatic. Part of the problem is his mother works all day and his other grandmother takes care of the boys. They aren't permitted to do anything in her gorgeous country club house and it's very difficult for them. I'll be so glad when school starts in 2 weeks. There will be a third custody hearing the first week in September because the boys' mother has failed to meet the requirements of the last hearing--that she provide a place for the boys to live 3 days a week when school starts, an apartment or house of some kind away from her mother.
This whole year has been an emotional nightmare for the boys and only through God's help will they come through it all without lasting effects. They want to live permanently with us but the court for reasons that escape us, granted their mother 50 percent custody. It's the most unworkable arrangement I've ever seen. I hope something positive will come out of the next court hearing.

I'm praying for the prayer requests on here that I just back-tracked a couple of days on the porch to read. (What a terribly constructed sentence that was!!) I am like Carol, with no energy and so much to do. Even though the boys sleep in our downstairs apartment, they spend 80 percent of their time up here with us, using our computers, painting in my art room and just having a great time. I love them to death but wish so much I were younger and stronger. On Monday my sister and her husband from Boston will be arriving for a month so we'll spend this week getting ready for them. I really need to rest some, too.

I'll drop by as often as I can. Love you guys.

[Green Leaves]

Mariane, I understand exactly how you feel and there is nothing more painful than the worry over our children and grandchildren. I am praying the Lord will guard the hearts of those little ones and that His will will be done in the custody hearing. I pray too for strength for you as you prepare for your company. And that God will give you the strength to enjoy their visit.

In reading Joyce Meyer's book, The Battle Belongs to the Lord, I am reminded of Jehoshaphat's prayer..."Lord, we don't know what to do, but our eyes are on you."

[Carole L]

Been lurking lately.

Wishing a late happy birthday to Laurie!

We have been busy here. The kids are coming! They will be here Wednesday evening, and will be staying until Saturday.

There is one development that I am struggling with. They have chosen to stay at my brother's farm, instead of here. Okay, I am very excited they will be in town and we get to see them, VERY bummed they prefer staying at the farm. It's about 30 minutes from our house, and will make it difficult to spend time with them, since Bill will have the car. I am hoping they are planning to come into town during the day. Please pray for me to have the right attitude about this!

We have been getting the house ready for their visit. We even have a guest room ready. Just in case! One of the reasons they gave is that our AC doesn't cool the house. In the 110 temps we were feeling lucky if the house cooled to 90. Well, this week we are have a COLD FRONT
The temps have dropped all the way down to.........90! And the AC is cooling the house very nicely! Night temps are actually dropping to the 60's. Supposed to be this way all week.

On to a fun topic. Attended a birthday bash yesterday. Becky holds these outrageous parties every year. To celebrate life! One year it was Prom Night. Everybody dressed in prom dresses. Last year it was Karaoke night, and the required dress was mumus.

Yesterday it was Finding the Pink. We all had to dress in the most outrageous pink outfits we could. We then divided up into teams and did a scavenger hunt. Had to do things like get photos of: us with someone in uniform, finding the letters P, I, N, & K from signs, with pink lettering. There were 20 silly, crazy things we had to photo and had two hours to get it down.

Then we all gathered back at her house to eat PINK food. veggie tray with pink dip, pink cakes, pink cheese to top our chips, pink deviled eggs (they were dipped in beet juice to dye them), drank pink punch. Laughed so hard I was afraid my bladder was going to lose total control. there were 35 of us! Several teams went to the nearest Wallmart to do several of the photos. Wonder what the clerks thought, being inundated with all of these weirdly dressed ladies giggling like school girls.

[Carole L]

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[Green Leaves]

Carole, that sounds like so much fun! You are fortunate to have a group of friends who love and enjoy life! I hope you have a wonderful time with your family, a time truly blessed by God, cause it will fly by.

[Green Leaves]

Where are you in this picture? On the right side toward back?

[Carole L]

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I'm in the back, on the right. Next to the gal with pink hair. Not the one with the hair band.

[Green Leaves]

I was right! I just gave myself a pat on the back! Now if we could just meet in person!

[Verna]

Such a fun party, Carole. I'm glad you had a good time, and I'm praying God will give you peace about the situation that troubles you.

We had a wonderful time at the end of last week--enjoying the festivities of our daugher and husband's older son's wedding. We went to the rehearsal dinner Thursday night--then spent the night with our son and wife, who live about 45 minutes away. We had such a pleasant visit with them till time to go to the wedding at 3:00 on Friday. Drew and Jess had planned the wedding themselves, and it was lovely. It was the first marriage their nondenominational church's associate minister had performed. He did such a grand job of presenting the Gospel in the ceremony, as well as encouraging them to keep the other lifted up before the Lord. Drew still has two years of college left, and Jess is teaching fourth grade. It makes me feel good to observe young people so much in love. My sweetheart and I will be celebrating our 54th anniversary this week; they wouldn't believe me if I told them how much more we love each other now than we did when we got married.

Mariane, I'll be praying for that sweet little boy and for the judge to see the unfortunate situation they're thrust into. I'm praying, too, that you are not suffering so much pain, and God is strengthening you daily.

Laurie, I hope you got to do something special for your birthday. When we have lost a loved one, for each special event that first year, we feel extra pangs of loss, but with time, it does get easier. And it's amazing how moments of grief can appear suddenly, but then they lessen in time. I remember several months after my Mom had died, standing in a bookstore in front of a display of books by a Christian author that she loved, and bursting into tears.

Don, you're kind of quiet. I hope all is well with you and Carol.

Carol, I hope your family is finding answers to some of their physical problems and you feel God's hand on you. I hope, too, you're recovering well from your surgery.

Edy, I'm glad you found some encouragement about how the heart heals, and I'm hoping Don improves with each passing day! He does have the best nurse around!

Hope you all have cooler weather and the warmth of grace in your hearts!