Now that's a good friend...

There's a long-time friend of mine I want to share with you. I've known Martha Weyandt for about 24 years.  She is as faithful a friend as anyone could hope to have.

If I need help with something, I know that with one phone call, I will have Martha on my team.  And believe me, she's the kind of girl you want on your team.

Yesterday was my birthday. She loves when I have a birthday because for a month, I am older than her.  Her family had plans to go to a Rangers game yesterday, so she packed up "Flat Menielle" & took me with her.  These are the adventures that happened throughout the day:

Whew....what a day! 

So...as you can see...when Martha takes on a project, she gives it 110%. 

What you need to understand is that if you are her friend, she also expects YOU to give 110% effort to whatever you do.  She pushes us all to be the best version of ourselves.

I am PROUD to call Martha my friend!  Thank you for pushing me!!

Mom's 80th

Mom's 80th birthday was September 29.  Reflecting back on the sweet life she's lived, I think of some of the things she has taught me over the years.

• She taught me to trust the Lord...no matter what.
• She taught me that "all things work for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." 
• She taught me how to do a lot with a little.
• She taught me to make meals and share them with others.
• She taught me how to welcome.
• She taught me how to love.
• She taught me how to comfort.
• She taught me how to care.
• She taught me that the first will be last, and the last will be first.
• She taught me to care for my spouse (in good times AND in tough times).

These lessons were all taught, not so much with words as by example.  I haven't mastered all the lessons she taught...but it wasn't because she failed to model them.

There have been lots of folks that have called, sent cards, shared meals to help Mom celebrate.  I am thankful for each and every one of her friends that took a moment from their day to wish her a Happy Birthday.

Here are a few pictures of the celebrations:

Friends met at Spring Creek on her birthday.

Mom's friend, Leslie, FaceTimed her from Croatia where she's doing a study abroad trip.

Last weekend we did a girls' getaway.  Mom, Mary, Jodie, Cori & I went & spent Saturday & Sunday at a fun, remote little bed & breakfast not far from home.  We enjoyed some sitting around the table eating & visiting time.  It was such a relaxing time to catch up & enjoy each other! Perhaps we'll make it an annual event.

Our last day...

Friday morning we woke to beautiful sunshine!

We went for a walk in the area where we were staying.  Here is a look at our view as we walked.

Along the way, we spotted a moose in someone's driveway.

We both wished for a few days more!  The weather forecast was perfect for the week-end.  However, it was time to go home for now & hope for another visit to Wyoming!

Even the view at the airport is amazing!

P.S. fun fact about the JH airport is that it is the only airport located inside a national park.  AND the pilots have to have special certification to fly in there because it's located in the mountains & the runway is extra short.  Who knew?!

Biking in the Tetons

We postponed the bike ride that we had planned on Tuesday until today (hoping for better weather).  It didn't work out that way.  It was very overcast & drizzly.

We headed to the Teton Mountain Bike Tours headquarters.  We met our guide, Pat, there.  He drove a van & we followed him up to an area in the Grand Teton National Park called Antelope Flats.  We got on our bikes & headed out.

Apparently, the wildlife was all bedded down bcz of the rain & cool temps.  We didn't see any animals along our ride.  Despite the cloud cover over the beautiful Teton mountain range, we enjoyed beautiful colors of the fall foliage.  The aspens & maples were so colorful.

It was a scenic (though cold!) excursion.  I am glad we did the ride today, but would love to do it again someday when the sun is shining.

A trip down the Snake River

Today we had a white water rafting trip down the Snake River planned.  When we woke up, it was raining...not exactly good river weather.  Oh, well....the guides assured us we were going to get wet even if it wasn't raining.  So...we decided to go on with our plans.

When we went to Ashley's house to pick her up that morning, there was the biggest mule deer I've ever seen in the front yard.

Ashley, Tommy & I arrived at the Mad River Boating headquarters an hour ahead of time.  They told us that because of the cool temps, they were requiring wetsuits for anyone going on the  river.  Even though none of us had ever aspired to wear a wetsuit, we all donned one.

By the time we got in the raft, we knew we'd done the right thing.  It was drizzling part of the time while we floated.

During the course of our river trip, we saw a family of otters, several osprey & even a bald eagle.  Because we didn't take our camera, you'll have to take our word for it.  There are no pictures of the wildlife.  When you see this picture of our ride, you'll understand why we didn't take any cameras.

After we finished our float trip adventure, we came back to the house to shower & warm up a bit.

Ashley drove us around a little to see some of Grand Teton National Park & then we went to the Roadhouse for a nice hot dinner.

The rain didn't spoil our day....not at all!

A rainy day in the Tetons...

Today we were scheduled to do a bike ride in the Tetons.  The weather had other plans.  It was raining when we woke up & continued to do so throughout the morning.  The bike company rescheduled our ride until Thursday.

We decided to go to Teton Village & ride the tram up to the top.  When we bought our tickets, they warned us it was cloudy at the top & visibility was limited.  We opted to go anyway.  The view was beautiful until about halfway up.  It then became impossible to see.  It was cloudy & windy.  By the time we got to the top, it was very windy and cold.  We went into the lodge at the top & got  a cup of hot chocolate.  When we got ready to leave there, it was sleeting!  We could see nothing for the clouds.

After we left there, we drove through an elk refuge are on the edge of Jackson.  We only saw 2 antelope.

Next, we came back to the house & had a nap.  After that, we went for a walk along the road by our house. Here are a couple of photos I took along the way.

Ashley Frizzell came over late this afternoon.  We went to town with her & ate dinner.  On our way home, traffic was stopped & when we finally got close enough to see what was going on, this was what we saw...

All in all, a good day!

Yellowstone

We headed to Yellowstone this morning & our first stop was Old Faithful.  It was beautiful!

We also saw a bear along the drive.  Didn't get a very good picture, but it was worth the stop anyway.

Our favorite part of the day was our stop at Gibbons Falls.  It was breathtaking!
It's called the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone.  Pictures don't do it justice!

It was a great walk down, but the walk back up was intense.  We stopped halfway up & got someone to take our picture while we caught our breath.  The aspens were changing colors & they were amazing!

The weather was perfect until we started driving out of the park & the rain started.  Good timing!

And now...on to vacation...

Tommy & I agreed that Jackson Hole & Yellowstone would be a good vacation destination this year.  We flew out yesterday evening.  We arrived at 9:30 last night.  We got our rental car & struck out into the EXTREMELY DARK night.  Despite the dark, we found our way to the condominium that we'd rented in the Aspens.  We were pleasantly surprised when the sun came up this morning at the beautiful surroundings.  It's out between Jackson Hole & the Grand Teton National Park.  We started the day with a walk in the cool morning air!

We then went to Jackson Hole & walked around town.

We then drove to Teton Village & hiked around a little.The last stop was the grocery store to buy some things we could pack for lunches as we go to Yellowstone & Grand Tetons National Parks.

We sat out on the porch & read until it got so cool we decided to come inside.  Nice evening....a book in my lap & this was my view...

A great first day!

Beginning of our vacation...a day to remember!

Several of my friends, my son-in-law & I all set our alarms early this morning.  We had committed a while back to participate in the Cross Timbers Sprint Triathlon on September 12, 2015.  We all spent time jogging (or walking, in my case!), biking & swimming to prepare.

When we went outside to leave the house, it felt like fall was in the air (for the first time this year!).  The weather was perfect.  There was a big group of us from Granbury that participated.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the day...we all lined up in age order (since they did write our age on our calf, there was no denying it....HA!)

They served us Grump's hamburgers afterward.  Then they did awards.  Will won 1st in his age division & I apparently won 3rd place in my age group in the MEN'S division.  HAHA!  Didn't ask any questions...just smiled & accepted my prize.  

It's a good memory & will be a story to tell...

Thankful for good friends & a son-in-law that will hang out with us!   

A journey...

Today is a special day for our family!

Almost 3 years ago, Cori came home for the week-end.  During the course of her visit, she told us that she knew she had a great degree (Business Marketing from ACU) & she had a great job, but she felt called to do something different.  She wanted to pursue a nursing degree.  Tommy encouraged her, saying that life is too short to do something that isn't a "fit" for her.

So began the journey of the last couple of years.  She checked into several different programs, began to take prerequisites & filled out applications to schools.  Upon completing the necessary courses to be qualified, she was accepted into TCU's Accelerated Nursing program.  The program started the beginning of May last year.  It's been an intense 15 months, but today is GRADUATION DAY!

She was privileged to do her summer internship in the NICU at Cook Children's Hospital in FW.  It seems like the perfect fit for her & she has accepted a job there.

I am very thankful for her husband, Will, who has been supportive throughout the whole process.  He's cooked lots of meals & done lots of chores for her while she was studying or at the hospital.  Hats off to him for his part in helping her make this dream come true!

I am so proud of her for setting her sights on her goal & working diligently to meet that goal.  Congratulations, Cori Moore, RN, BSN!

Thank you AGAIN...11.5 years later!!

Wow...thought of something I consider blog post-worthy today, looked & realized it's been 2 1/2 years since I last posted on my blog.  I am recommitting to posting more often.  So here goes...

Yesterday, in searching for something in my file cabinet, I started digging & found a folder of words spoken by dear friends at my Daddy's funeral.  I sat down & took time to read through them.  They brought a few tears...mostly tears of thankfulness at the depths of friendship with which my family has been blessed.  I spent some quiet time reflecting upon the final days of Daddy's life as I went about the rest of my day.  Something inside urged me to text the two friends that had penned the words on the aforementioned pages that afternoon & express my gratitude for their friendship.

Oddly enough, I got a text from one of my dear friends later in the evening.  Her dad had fallen & she was going to take him to the ER.  Since most of her family was out of town, I decided to meet them & sit with her.  The doctors decided to do a CT scan & determined they should move him to Harris Hospital in Fort Worth.  My friend & I followed the ambulance that carried her dad.  We waited as they did another CT scan there to compare it to the one they'd done in Granbury.  The doctors decided to admit him to the hospital for observation.  We followed the nurses as they wheeled her dad's hospital bed to the Neuro ICU unit.  Thankfully, it looks like he will be released today or tomorrow.

The thing that makes this all a little eery is that when we got to the Granbury hospital, we went to the exact same exam room where we went with my Daddy in May of 2003.  We also followed him to Harris Hospital in FW & indeed, were sent to the very same Neuro ICU unit....even the same room in the unit.

At the time this was all happening last night, my friend & I had both been awake for 24 hours.  Everything seemed a little foggy.  The thing that continued to come to mind were the DEAR family & friends that carried us through those 10 dark days in Fort Worth.

Coincidence?  I think not!  I believe that God was reminding me that we are to return the good deeds of which we have been the recipient.  So....to all those who were at the hospital in Fort Worth almost before we were (Doug & Brandy), visited, brought breakfast to the hospital almost every morning  (Homer) & sat in the waiting room with us while we ate, held our hands, hugged our necks, called us, neglected what they needed to be doing at home & stayed in Forth Worth with us (Jodie), travelled from far distances to be with us, did errands for us, helped us get Cori off to camp (Nancie), spent nights in the waiting room with us & those that were at the end of Daddy's life, I want to say THANK YOU AGAIN...11.5 years later.

Seeing the good...

This is from my Bible reading this AM. After a week in Mexico & a week at Kids Armor of Hope camp, seeing the effects bad choices parents make have on their children, it's easy to get bogged down in the evil that is present in our world. This reading was exactly what I needed to hear today!

"Some people see good all around them, while others see nothing but evil. What is the difference? Our souls become filters through which we perceive goodness or evil. The pure (those who have Christ in control of their lives) learn to see goodness and purity even in this evil world. But corrupt and unbelieving people find evil in everything because their evil minds and hearts color even the good they see and hear. Whatever you choose to fill your mind with will affect the way you think and act. Turn your thoughts to God and his Word, and you will discover more and more goodness, even in this evil world. A mind filled with good has little room for what is evil."

South to Mexico...

Casa de Esperanza is an children's home in Mexico that I have visited with youth groups on several occasions.

When we go, the trip usually involves morning work projects around the casa. Afternoons are usually spent with Vacation Bible School type lessons, followed by fun & games with the kids.

On July 7, 5 of us headed to Casa. It was a different kind of trip for several reasons. We weren't elbow to elbow in the van AND there were no teenagers with us. The van was MUCH less crowded & MUCH quieter than trips in the past.

We left home at 10 in the AM & drove to Presidio. We made only 3 stops along the way....lunch in Abilene & a couple of gas stops. We checked into our hotel, went to eat dinner, then went ahead to the border & got our travel visas & the paperwork for the van. With that being done, we were able to just drive through the border without a lot of time lost.

Day #1 at Casa consisted of breakfast with the kids, then working on different projects for the AM. Some of the guys worked on a project of filling in some trenches that had been dug to repair septic lines. Chris, Alexxa & I worked in the center that houses visitors. Alexxa & I painted while Chris did some caulking & tile work. 

After lunch, we helped with a VBS for the kids. Then we played baseball & soccer with the kids. This evening, we'd planned a bonfire & marshmallow roasting, but a thunderstorm blew in, so we postponed that until tomorrow evening. The Casa currently has 53 children. Each of them has a "story" that would break your heart if you heard it. The good news is that they have a place to live that is safe & they are loved.

Day #2
Worked this AM while the kids did chores, too. This afternoon, the highlight was Alexa & I doing manicures and/or pedicures for all the little girls.

While we were doing this, the men on the trip played games with the boys.

This evening when the kids went to bed, we got to spend some time at Gil & Becky's house visiting with them. It was great getting to know them a little better & hearing more of "their story". What an inspiration they are!!

Day #3
More work this morning followed by lunch, VBS time with the kids & then
we bagged 67 bags of food this afternoon to distribute to families in Anahuac (the town closest to Casa). The bags consisted of a bag of dried beans, 2 bags of rice, some potatoes & onions.

This evening, we meet Otheonel & Paloma (missionaries in Chuatemoc) & their sons for pizza. After we ate, we got to go see the place where they worship. They also took us to see the building where they hope to move their worship services. They will have much more room & a good location. They welcomed us into their home for coffee & sweet bread. We had a nice visit despite the language barrier.

Day #4
Wow....food distribution today was eye-opening. The part of town where we walked & knocked on doors is where some of the Casa children lived before coming to the home. After just a few minutes of walking around & handing the residents bags of food, two things became very apparent. Number 1.....I have NOTHING to complain about! Number 2....Casa has made a positive impact on their neighbors. When we handed them the food, we told them it was from Casa de Esperanza. Each & every time I said that, a smile came on the face of the recipient & they said, "Awww..si!" The kids AND directors of Casa are truly amazing! The kids have come from some sad circumstances, yet Gil & Becky teach them to BLESS OTHERS!

Day #5
The drive home was uneventful. Thank goodness....safe travels there & back plus a blessed week with the children & the Sanchezes. Prayers answered!!!

This was a great group to work with & I was honored to be a part of this trip!!