Darren's Graduation!

Make a Smilebox photobook

Bobber!!!

I just love this picture of Bob and wanted to share it. Isn't he beautiful??

Mother's Day- May 11, 2008

The boys and I on Mother's day!!!!!

Barn cleanup!!

I don't think we have ever worked so hard for so long. Ralph and I are both so sore from pulling, tugging, climbing ladders etc. All day Saturday we worked on painting the house and cleaning up from our fires. Sorting metal from the debris etc. Merlin Masters brought in a backhoe and made things go so much easier. It's looking so much better. Hopefully, just one more good day of hard work and all remains of our barns will be gone.

Saturday was my birthday, sure wasn't the most wonderful way to spend it. Oh, well , birthdays aren't much fun anymore, anyways.

Regional Convention-May 2008

We are so proud of Darren!! He received 4 medals his first year in the regional convention

1- a 4th for radio presentation

2-a 4th for web site design

3-a 3rd for one act play

4-a 1st with his special effects picture

After the awards banquet next Thursday, the students leave for Missiouri. Darren is excited. All the areas they received first, second, or third places in will go with them to the international convention.
Total our school took 4 First Place awards!! Good job everybody!!!!
Darren has had alot on his plate lately. Saturday, the 17th is his 8th grade graduation. He's growing up so fast. I can't believe it.

Well, it's been almost a week since our fires. Probably half of our lawn is dead and several plants and trees in our yard. None of this was visible the day after the fire. The fire marshal and insurance adjuster have been here. It's unlikely that we will ever know for sure what caused the fire, although the fire across the road I feel was due to negligence of our fire department. Ralph and I were out at our barns with the hose and buckets dousing spots of fire that were still burning on Sunday night. I'm just so thankful that we only lost a dog and some material things and not our lives. God truly protected our house and us. I can't thank Him enough for that.
I was able to revoke my resignation from work and everyone seemed happy that I was staying which made me feel good. I have made so many friends at my job. I really did dread having to leave them. My heart has been so much more at peace over the last few days even with everything that has happened. Thanks everybody for your prayers. Please continue to remember us as we start the clean-up and everything else that goes along with having a fire. UGH! Lots of messy work.
We've been trying to get Darren ready for regional convention next week. He has entered 11 or 12 categories. I've tried to prepare him for not placing in anything as he's competing with lots of older kids from all over. If he plans not to place, if he does place it will be extra special. Then he's off to Missouri for the international convention. Oh, yeah. We also have Darren's graduation from 8th grade on the 17th. Lots and lots of work to do. I'll be glad when school is out and things are less stressful (hopefully)
Ralph has a job possibility that he's going to check on tomorrow morning. Please pray about this with us. It sounds perfect. So we'll see.

Our fire!!!

We lost our garage (barn) and our barn last night to a fire. Darren posted the pictures last night and didn't write anything about it. We lost one of our dogs in the fire as well as our lawn mower and lots of other typical garage things. But we are all okay. Then this morning we woke suddenly to all of our house windows glowing orange and ran outside to find the barn across the rode completely engulfed in flames. The embers from our barn must have blown over and burned the neighbors barn to the ground within about 15 minutes. I'm so thankful it missed our house. Only by God's hand,are we all here today. It could have been so much worse. I feel the worst about the poor dog trapped inside. Darren's bedroom is upstairs and to the back of the house and the shade in his window is black and warped from the heat of our barn fires. When I opened our front door this morning I could feel the heat from the neighbors barn from my front porch. If the fire department would have gotten there just a few minutes later their house would have been engulfed and very likely gotten to our house. What a weekend. I've had enough stress for awhile.

On a lighter note, we've decided to stay here. Which is such a relief to me. I've been fighting and struggling with this decision for so long and on my way home from work last night after I'd gotten the news of the fire, It just hit me 'I don't want to go'. I just want to stay here. Thankfully, it seemed to occur to Ralph also. Nothing like God using a hammer over our heads to get us to look at things a different way. I feel pretty stupid letting everyone know this after all this time of thinking we were going to move. I have even given notice at work, so I'm not sure what will happen with that. But I need to get off my current shift anyways. So we will see.