TGIF

Yes, Thank Goodness It's Friday. We've had sickness at school and my students have been out, and I've done all kinds of catching up with them gone, but I'm nearly stare crazy & definitely ready for them to be well, and be back at school!!! Baby Jeffrey is due on Feb. 16, so my baby ticker is a little early. I fixed it when we thought he was due in January, and I don't know where to go to change it. I've forgotten anything I learned making this blog! Kaylee runs district cross country this Monday & then we scrimmage Booker on Saturday, a week. She will be sooo ready for basketball season! Kristen is dating a sweet guy from Canadian. Royce is working, working! My oldest brother, Charles, got out of the nursing rehab, so pray for him to be able to take care of himself at his house!! He really needs to be able to enjoy himself. He's always taken care of everyone else. Well, I'm signing off of the blog. Let me hear from the rest of you bloggers! It's been quite a while. Claudia

Not much to say on a fall, Sunday afternoon, but want to stay updated on blog. It's drizzling outside - a pretty fall day on a blessed day. Hi to all, and want to hear from you. Claudia

Continued Miserating Friday, or is it my imagination...

I tried to publish my post, but get an error from Google??? Don't know if you guys can see my post or just I can't. Do you feel my pain, today??? I still won't give up!

MIserating Friday!

I have failed. But, I won't stop trying. I wanted to add Keri & Lance's due date for the baby to the bubble next to their pic in my heading, and as you can see, I've lost the whole picture in the heading. I created it in scrapbook, finally figured out how to type in the bubble, but when I copied & pasted to the heading, it said the url address was invalid from Scrapblog where I created the heading! Any suggestions, bloggers???? Amanda, my mentor? I loved my header, and I hesitated when I hit delete on it. I'd rather have it not what I entirely wanted, but at least there! It had all the pics of the family! Can anyone feel my pain!!! I feel your pain, Tamra, in not getting your master bdroom done yet! I liked the bedspread - I'd go with the green color in the bedspread for the walls.

Thirsty Thursday

Thirsty Thursday came about in May when I went down to pick up one of my students, Guili, from the track at Little Colt Relays! It was hot that day & hot again today!!! We need rain. I lovre rain because it makes ALL the grass green, not just where I water my grass or flowers. I've been having a heck of a time, too, with the new pup, Gizzer! He finally got in BAD trouble when he chewed the new 100 foot hose!!!!!!!!!!!!! YRAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHG! He makes me mad!!! Fortunately, it was only 10 or 15 feet from one end! He has chew bones. THen he gets on the flowers where I've watered! I know he's hot, but if he wants to keep his home around MOM Marion, he better leave my flowerbeds & hoses ALONE!!! He chewed one of my sunflowers the other day. IF HE ONLY UNDERSTOOD HOW HARD it is for me to get something GROWING!!!! Any suggestions from pet trainers?????

Thirsty Thursday

It's hot outside, I've mowed all the yard, and the edges of the road - sooo nasty!! So I've downed several glasses of sweet tea!!! YUM! The summer is passing fast, BUT I am definitely enjoying my off time!!! Next week, Royce & I will go to Branson to be with his family while KJ is at church camp at Panfork! Kristen will try to come in from Amarillo Sunday for Father's Day after a photography wedding on Sat. night in Amarillo. Keri & Lance, exspecting in Jan. !!!! are doing well in Waco, tho the heat is really an adjustment for Lance, who's working outside on construction and lawns as a volunteer coordinator for Waco's "habitat for humanities". Keri needs prayer on working 12 hr. night shifts. Fortunately, no morning sickness! We are all thoroughly excited about the baby!

Wordless Wednesday, no can't do it, ha ha

I can't wordless Wednesday, cause I haven't blogged in weeks!!! Busy, busy! The Friday school was out, May 29th, a high school buddy, Jenny & I headed for Breckingridge to Jackie's house to meet up with fourth gf, Cindy, & we had a great 2 days of reminescing, eating, quilt shop shopping, antique store looking in Albany, eating, reminescing, hiking, playing games, eating!!! It was great! Then I left Sunday morning to head towards Waco, & stopped in Dublin to see my niece, Daresa, & she & Matt's home. Matt was off roping in Stephenville - he turns 30 this month & Daresa's throwing him a wing-ding party!
Arrived Waco at 2pm & entered a labyrinth apartment of boxes, hammers, nails, hammers, tape measures, and STUFF, eight people, 1 dog, and still got fed a late lunch! By night fall, all but 6 or 8 small boxes of stuff were repositioned into a wonderland of beauty & we went to Jason's Deli for supper. Keri & Lance are moved into their new apt. in Waco. Keri started orientation at Providence Hospital on Monday & Lance is a coordinator for volunteers to an organization in Waco similar to "Habitat for Humanity". He's doing construction & lawn care. PJ, the dog, is settling nicely into his new life. I get to dogsit when Keri & Lance, his mom and sister go on their mission trip 2 weeks to Africa in July. I left Waco Wed. morning & headed to Decatur to see my oldest brother & took him to eat with family. I arrived home in Wheeler Wed. night. I started preparing for VBS which is going great this week! I took KJ & 3 other players to WT's position basketball camp & brought Kristen home with me & she & I painted bathrooms & the treehouse. She will have her 10 year high school reunion here at our house this weekend & Janet & I are taking Stacie & KJ to OU bball camp this weekend. Also, I'm quilting Kristen's t-shirt quilt. It's coming along nicely - just giving me a few stretching problems where I'm tearing out a few seams!! I've got to get ready for VBS, so ta ta. I'll tack on some pics later. Tell me what you're busy doing this summer. I'm doing gardening also.

Titus 2 Tuesday

My Titus 2 Tuesday woman of the week is my MOMMY-In-Law! She is fantabulous!!! We went to her house this last Sunday to celebrate her birthday - today - Happy Birthday, Mom! - and Mother's Day for her. She sent home her birthday cake and a homemade apple pie with us!!!!! She fixed the meal: roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, rolls, green beans, corn, and other homemade apple pies! She is always so hospitable, loving, kind, gracious, forgiving, loyal, and wonderful. She's a hoot. We taught her to play "Booger" & she likes it. She studies and KNOWS her Bible and the scriptures! She has taught homebound ladies Sunday school lessons and studies hard for the Sunday school class she has at FBC Dumas, TX. She has ALWAYS treated me as a daughter, NOT a daughter-in-law, as she does all her in-laws. She is a special baby sister to her siblings, always checking on them and going to see them. She ADORES, LOVES, and SPOILS her grandchildren (8) and great-grandchildren (9). She does and does and does for people. She is a loving wife and mother to her husband and children. Ruth Maxine Marion is a very special lady in my life and a wonderful Christian woman who loves God and shows it through her love for everybody else. Love you, Mom, Claudia

Yea! Tenacity!!! With Monday Musings!

Yea, I finally got my header on!!! Karen Noles, our school tech lady, helped me downsize the pixels, & it finally loaded! I had the background changed to gray once to match the header, but it won't stay, & it's hard to match the wild green garden on the sides. I tried to change it, the skin I think its called, & my computer was so slow, I did give up on that. We had the Sports Banquet tonight. KJ got MVP in basketball!!! I'm so proud of her. She also got Academic Athlete. The Sophomore girls made their statement with converse & dresses - remember Kristen's sophomore prom, Amanda - prom dress & tennis shoes with knee brace after January ACL surgery. Tomorrow night is a steak dinner by the school board & Wed. night is dinner at church, so I'm out of cooking for most of this week. Hooray!

Saturday's Sadness

Well, this has been quite a day. Royce & I finished a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle. He rarely does that - but, he really got hooked on this one of 2 parakeets. Jigsaw puzzles are like TAKS tests, exit tests & pace tests - you have to learn "how" to take the test. With puzzles, you have to learn the jig and the jag of the puzzle! All puzzles are cut differently. This one was impossible, almost, or I'm getting bad sighted!! But, we hang in there TENACIOUSLY and finished, which brings me to the title of my blog - Saturday's Sadness. It's been a good day, but I'm sad that after 2 hours on the internet, I have not been able to post my new playlist or my new header, and I have managed to delete my old playlist. However, right now I am listening to my new playlist, but it's like the header & playlist, I can find them, I just can't put them where I want them!!! I called Robyn Smith this morning to help me get my header posted, and she helped me get it to my Apple, but for some reason it just keeps loading & never stops loading - (I left it for 30 minutes to load, nope-it never did!) The good thing is, like putting the puzzle together, I am tenacious enough NOT to give up. I'll take my Apple to Dumas tomorrow & see if Keri or Kristen can help me out.

Also, today I attended Debra Fin's 50th birthday celebration & Wheeler's Jr/Sr banquet. The food was DELICIOUS!!, catered by Alexander's from Canadian! KJ was a server was the main reason I went. I do usually go up before & watch the entrance of the kids. There was a black jag, 3 black stangs, a limo, a classic, and a PRETTY new John Deere tractor, the fire truck. The theme was Las Vegas. Well, I believe I am going to put my tenacity on hold since I'm not getting anywhere and go to bed. Maybe I'll figure out where my playlist is coming from when I close down my computer. We are going to Dumas tomorrow for Royce's mom's birthday & Mother's day. Toodles from C

Titus 2 Tuesday on Wednesday

My 3rd Titus 2 Woman is my middle daughter, Keri Elizabeth. She has studied the Bible intensively and with hunger since she has been in college. She, like I wish I could, can quote scripture and tell you where to find scriptures. Her walk with Christ, our King, has been a courageous, amazing experience that I so admire! She is definitely a strong, Christian woman. She has led many Bible studies as well as been a part of many. She has been a mentor to women in her dorm, life, to young teenagers as well as her peers. She is a strong Christian who girls and women can look up to and emulate! Her heart is in missions, and has been strong for Africa since high school. I admire her walk, her life, and her light for our Father, God. Praise you, Keri, for being the leader, daughter, sister, Christian, and now wife who you are!!! I love you dearly, MOM.

Monday Musings

I tried to change my background the other day. The floral on the side IS NOT the "Green Thumb" background, which wound up on my sidebar! Ah, me! Keep working on it. It RAINED & RAINED last night. I SO love the rain. I woke, as many did, around 3:30 to the thunder. Unfortunately, I didn't go back to sleep! & am drowsing off this morning, despite the 2 large cups of hot chocolate I've drank!!! I asked for & RECEIVED 2 snowball bushes, 2 large water soakers & 4 little ones, and a bottle of bubbles for Mother's Day!!! I'm REALLY going to love & talk to the snowball bushes & they are going to flourish! The black thumb IS NOT going to prevail over them!!!! What did you guys ask for & what did you get for Mommy's Day???

Thirsty Thursday

Man! The weather did change when it changed. But, we knew it would! Guess what I did today! I needed to go to the bank, so Damian (Damian is on the left in the picture & Guili is on the right) and I went to run errands: the bank, Farm Capital (pay that "sexy" tractor note down!), pay a bill at Hylands, check on Guili (yes, that's Willie, he was at the "Little Colt Relays" sweating buckets, but happy as a lark, especially when I bought him a Gatorade. So we left him there.), & then when I tried to fly the kite I'd bought at Pesos store, the string broke, so we took it back and they gave me a spool of twine. We tied it to the broken kite string & kite & went to the Easter egg hunting field & flew the kite, a "Tweetie Bird" kite. Damian loved it and was a pro!!! He also taught me how to open the sun roof on Kristen's car. (Her sweet momma kept her car this week to put new shoes on all four rims!) I hadn't been able to figure it out all week, and he showed me right quick how it worked. Thanx! Damian. I forgot how long it takes to reel in a kite, so we were working hard to get back before school was out & get Damian on the bus! But we made it. Now I sit, doing one of my current favorites, blogging, and waiting on KJ as she shoots in the gym. She tells me she'll get a job when she gets a car, and I tell her she might get a car when she gets a job. We're at an impasse. I want to go home & mow the lawn. My hunk put a new battery on my blue Dixon last night, so I'm ready to do another of my current favs, MOW THE LAWN! I love it! & DO NOT like to be stopped until I'm finished mowing the whole yard. KJ is notorious for stopping me for various reasons - phone calls, favors, answer ???s. What is you's guys favorite thing to do when it turns BEAUTIFUL like today is??? Leave comments! I'm in search of doozing up my header like Charla. C

Titus 2 Tuesday #2

My 2nd Titus 2 Tuesday woman is my baby sister, Joy Cogburn! She is 10 years younger than me. She is beautiful, witty to the max, practical, resourceful, tells it like it is, loves family, a great mom, sister, wife, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, aunt!!!, a jokester, smart, business owner & money maker. She helped me through my hardest depression, protecting me & checking things out for me, taking care of me and loving me! She's a dear friend to Royce, and he really gets a kick out of her. She is a favorite aunt to my girls as well as a confidant and advice-giver to them! She is strong willed, determined, talented, a great decorator. She expects the best from her children, and they easily deliver. She gives the best to her kiddos. She loves Gary, her handsome husband. She loves dogs and tolerates cats. She is a born again Christian, faithful to her Christian beliefs. She faces problems with a quiet determination of solving them and comes out on top. She accompanies me on trips to Decatur and loves her brothers. I love her dearly and appreciate all she does for me and thinks of me. She comes up with neat ideas, like when we went to Canyon & spent the night at the bed and breakfast. She loves the ocean, and we had another memorable trip to Corpus Christi, taking in the capitol, Decatur & a family meal. Our families shared a Disney vacation several years ago, and she & Gary hosted us twice in the early children years at their Florida home to go to Disneyworld. I know if I needed ANYTHING, Joy is ALWAYS there for me! I LOVE her dearly & praise God she's my baby sister, tho sometimes, you'd think I was the baby! Ha ha! Love ya, SIS, Claudia

Check out the give away

Charla J. is giving a t-shirt away & I'm posting her blog for you to check it out.

Monday's Musings

Last Thursday night, Kristen, my oldest daughter, called on her way to an Austin wedding for Sat. night, via downtown "uptown" Dallas to connect with her friend, Sara. her wedding buddy. When she found out I was planning on going to Decatur Sat. for my cousin Rhine reunion, she said, "Go with me, Momma, tonight!" I told her I couldn't do that, I had to work!!! She said, "Yes, you can!", and in two minutes I had completely changed plans, and said, "Yes, I can!". Ten minutes later, while she called Royce to get permission, I was showering & packing! Royce convinced Kristen to come home, spend the night & leave early Friday morning. Twenty minutes later & I was in supper mode & was preparing manicotti for supper! We did leave Friday morning early & met my niece, Geri, in Flower Mound for a Jason's Deli lunch. I dropped Kristen off in "uptown-downtown" Dallas & beat it through to Justin, Tx to see brother #3, Jerry, whom I missed at his home. Through Rhome, I picked up 2 bacon cheeseburgers for brother #2, Ronny, & went to his house in Paradise to spend the night. Sat. morning, I headed to the nursing-rehab in Decatur, where brother #1, Charles, is rehabilitating after a month long stay in Denton hospital. He is in leukemia remission & has shingles & Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and depression. He's lost 60 pounds, so PLEASE lift up prayers for his recovery. His name is Charles Rhine, he's 69 and the sweetest person you could ever hope to meet!!!! My #2 brother's daughter, Ronda, chose to ride shotgun with her eccentric aunt & we boogied on to the over 50's Rhine cousin reunion. But she says it was delightfully fun & all the hugging, laughter and trying to figure out who belonged with who was a good exhausting exercise!!! The food was great, too. We left at 3 pm & caught an 83 year young friend of my mom & dad's. He is always great for a laugh & smile. We left him so he could toodle to Ft. Worth to meet his daughter's family for supper. Remember, I said he was 83. Ronda's a little concerned with all the 80 year old people driving around at night. We went to meet Ronny at Sweetie Pie's for a rib eye. It, Sweetie Pie's, is on the court house square in Decatur & is fantastic eating!!!! I took Ronda home, and went back to check on Charles, hit Walmart, and headed back to Ronny's to watch highlights of Kentucky Derby & news about the Cowboy's Rookies having "fallout" on their heads. Next morning, (oh yea, Brother Ronny fixed me my favorite breakfast every morning, bacon, eggs, and toast) I ran by the home of a 96 year young friend of my mommy & daddy's before I went to church in Decatur to hear Royce's nephew, Heath Marion, preach at his church, Cornerstone Baptist in Decatur. At 11:45, Kristen was dropped off at the church by her friend & we ate McDonald's with Heath & family. She & I rolled into Wheeler at 6:15. She napped, and crawled into bed at her house in Amarillo at 11:30 and hopefully peaceful sleeping for her. I got to do the "mommy duty" and nurse KJ and her cough through last night. So I'm really wondering how I'm typing away tonight at 10:20!!! I JUST LOVE TO BLOG!!!! & THANKS to Charla and Amanda for teaching me new ideas about how to blog!!!!! This was my weekend & my Monday Musings!!! Tomorrow, stay tuned for my Tuesday Titus 2 #2. It will be about my awesome baby sister, Joy!!!! Yep, there are 6 of us in my family. My Tuesday Titus 2 #1 was about my wonderful sainted MOMMY who raised us all with daddy & little help & mostly without daddy & little help. (They divorced after 26 years & she just couldn't jeopardize her safety or ours!) Now, answer my ?, was this TOO much to blog at one time????? and where are the answers to my ????'s what are your favorite flowers & I don't remember what else --you'll have to go back & find my blog asking ????. Love, The Merry Marion

What have learned from another woman this week? (or ever)

Titus 2 Tuesday is a post about a woman I admire and have learned from. My FIRST Titus 2 Tuesday is about my own sweet, mommy who has been in heaven "rocking all the babies" since 1991! Mother was a saint in my eyes. She raised 6 of us, ranging in age from 22 to birth, having had Joy when she was 41 years young. (I followed in her footsteps with my #3 daughter, KJ, having her when I was 41!) She raised the 6 of us basically on her own as a single mom! How she was able to do alone, what Royce & I have trouble doing together, with 1/2 as many children and NO boys, is more than I can comprehend, except that she followed what she taught to me & my siblings: keep God 1st. Mom taught me to tithe my earnings. Mom taught me how to smile, even in the worst of situations. Mom taught me manners. Mom taught me TOUGH love, as well as HOW to be tough! Mom taught me to laugh. Mom taught me to love, especially the unlovable. Mom took me to church, no matter what, and I learned to enjoy it & the blessings my God and Jesus pours out to me! Mom taught me independence, even though she managed to give me all of my heart's desire on a shoestring budget! She showed me unconditional love and how to give unconditionally. I remember more of Mother leading by example than actually telling me the words. Mom was ALWAYS there for me! I talk to her since she's been in Heaven, so that I feel she is still around to guide me, and know she will be one of the first ones I see when I get to heaven. She'll scoot right over and share a rocking chair for me to "rock the babies" in Heaven. Mother having taught me about Christiandom??, (word???) and about Heaven, I do not fear anything on earth because I know I have an eternal home with God, Jesus and all the Saints when I die. Mother also taught me bravery! She battled lung cancer for the last 14 months of her life, and NEVER was anything but positive about recovering from the "monster". She had me totally buffaloed, and I took her to Hospice to get better, not understanding about the world of cancer, because it was my very first bout with the deadly disease! Once her brain was allowed to rest from morphine, her body FINALLY gave in & she died one of the bravest, dignified deaths I have ever witnessed: brave and dignified like she lived her life. Yes, my mother was a Godly, Titus 2 Woman, whom I loved and admired DEARLY! Momma is where I got my silver, gray hair. I always said if my hair could be as beautiful as hers, I would gladly wear it as a crowning glory, & I constantly encourage EVERYONE else, especially Becky Hardcastle, to "go GREY"!!!! Mother, I LOVE YOU DEARLY, and appreciate all the MANY lessons you showed and taught me. Love, your daughter, Claudia

Tuesday with TAKS!!!

KJ is taking her math TAKS test; I am praying for her & for my students. It's a COLD Tuesday morning. I bought more flowers for the garden yesterday & about froze planting most of them last night after supper. What are your favorite garden flowers. The Cora Vinca in any color is a favorite of mine because it is HARDY!!! I happen to have a JET BLACK gardening thumb, but I just WON'T give up planting. IF I had a nickel for every plant & bermuda grass plug I've planted, and every weed I've pulled (I find weed pulling EXTREMELY theraputic!!!), I could very likely pay off our trillion $$$ national debt. NO, I'm not kidding!!! I'm loving the moisture, but ready for the warmth to come back! I haven't yet dawned my Cuddle Duds since March, but I have been in long sleeves. We are honoring our volunteer fire dept & emergency teams tonight with a silent auction, meal, and bball game between the faculty, that would be me, and the seniors. I can't shoot, but I can get out there & defend with the best of them. Looking forward to the bruises!!! Come Friday, it'll be my turn to ride the bike while I let Kaylee J drive to school because she helped me get to work on time during April. Whatever it takes. So do tell me, what are your favorite garden flowers. Love the spring, MERRY MARION

Rainy Sunday

Praise the Lord for the rain!!!! It's Sunday afternoon & I've dwindled the afternoon away blogging, reading blogs, checking other sites, and working on getting videos on my blogsite. What is ya'lls favorite thing about blogging?, the writing, the sharing, the ideas of others, the comraderie, the color?? I gave Mr. Royce a burr haircut on the top of his bald head. Listen for the scream when KJ sees him. Ha ha I think he looks kinda cute & he's satisfied because he doesn't have long hair sticking up on top of his head after the wind blows!!! If I CAN, I'll try to get him to let me take his pic!

Another Late Night

Posting again late at night, cas I don't get to the computer until about 9pm. Check the email, play a few games & then start trying to learn something new in the blogging world. For a slowpoke like me, that takes a few hours. Thus the late hour. I keep posting in hopes I'll garner some comments from the outside world. I feel so alone!!!! Speak to me, bloggers, plz! Claudia

Late at Night

Go to bed, Claudia!!! Everything & everyone tells me that! So why do I fight it so??? Not quite sure! Want to get things, more things done! I've been working in the yard, planting new seeds, trimming the trees, dead lilac leaves from the freeze, and cutting hedges. Didn't ever get to Kristen's quilt today or yesterday because of working outside & watching tv. Shame! Royce mowed the lawn Sat., and I've been watering. Looks so much better. Royce tells me he will get me some more Cora Vinca for MOM's day. No rose bushes! I love them, but somehow I CANNOT make them grow. I'd LOVE a snowball bush. I would like just a nickel for every plant I've killed - I'd be a thousandaire, probably. Well, I am going to beddy-bye. Write later. C

Praise for the RAIN!!!

Hi, it's Saturday morning & I'm frittering away my time on the internet. i could be cutting Kristen's quilt pieces for her t-shirt quilt!!! I better get outside, since tomorrow is supposed to be WINDY!!! Today looks gorgeous, but I sit here in my robe soaking up the heater warmth & not moving! I need to figure out how to put new music on my music list. Keri did it for me & since I'm a visual learner and didn't do it, I'm having trouble figuring it out, or like you Amanda K, I jump around a lot & get off "chasing rabbits"! But I am enjoying my Saturday morning. I've already talked to a close high school buddy & we're trying to through a "girls weekend" together at her home in Breckingridge! What fun. I'll have to lasso one friend to get her down there, but that's all right. One of the friends went through a HECK of a past year in the loss of her son and the fight for custody of her grandson to her oldest son's family! She really needs the fluff from her friends. So pray for all of us to get together!

Corrections to My Family Post

New Pic of Me

The new pic of me on the post is me holding a 2 yr. old sea turtle on the cruise at the turtle hatchery in Grand Caymun. I really enjoyed the turtles!!!! Also you need to go back & look at the new pictures Keri posted for me.

My Middle Child, Keri

I just read the post about my birthday. It was lovingly written by my middle daughter, Keri, as a surprise for me, no doubt! The age is off worse than mine was by one year. She's off by 10 years. The ages are supposed to be 57 & 58 instead of 47 & 48.

My Family

All the Girls and Lance came in this weekend for my birthday. I told everyone I was 48 when I started doing the math however, I realized I added an additional year to my age and truthfully I am only 47. There's something to say about adding an extra year to an old lady's age and not even thinking about it.

I had a great birthday we fixed steaks, Keri made me a yellow and chocolate staked cake with strawberries.... and I received an ipod shuffle that's bright blue for my birthday. And the promise of new curtains. Keri brought in a few samples of curtains and I picked out what I want. So right now I have one window covered and the promise of the rest are on their way.

I spend most of Saturday working on Kristen's T-shirt Quilt it's looking really cute. Kaylee got all of us outside to play basketball with her. Quite the challenge for the older girls but we all held our own.

Here's some lovely pictures of my family.... Love to ALL. Claudia

WINDY POSTINGS from Merry Marion!!

Hi from the WINDY Panhandle!!!! In Wheeler, we are so grateful God graced us with saving our town. 8 homes, 5 families and a lot of grassland were taken in the fire, but think of ALL that WAS NOT taken in the fire. PRAISE YOU, LORD!!!! Kaylee is through with track. The school year is quickly speeding by - 9 more weeks! My sister, Joy, & I traveled to Denton last weekend to see my oldest brother in the hospital. Please pray for good health from him. He has won the leukemia battle twice, and is suffering with severe headaches. The drs. thought he had shingles, but now say he has a syndrome. Anyway, his right eye droops & he has lost a lot of weight. Pray for him to get stronger and to be able to keep food down. He is on a feeding tube, but does eat some food by mouth. I really appreciate your prayers. His name is Charles Rhine. I turn a whopping 58 years young tomorrow! I am glad to be healthy and surrounded by family and friends who love me and care for me. Keri said she'd take me out to lunch in Pampa tomorrow, but I opted for her to come help me clean house. I've been putting that off for at least a year now. If the wind would stop blowing, I'd plant the drooping flowers I bought a coupla weeks ago!!! I'm going to try growing sweet potatoes as hanging plants on the front porch. Happy Easter to all & God bless all of you! Love, Claudia

Back from a Caribbean Cruise last of Feb. I had caviar, escargot, and baked Alaska that I had never had before & liked it. I got to watch "Casablanca" on the airplane ride, which I had never seen before!



10 weeks are left of school - yeaa!! tho, I don't believe in wishing my life away.

Yesterday, I built a big, heavy snowman with Kaylee J'Nae. It's been over 16 years since I've built one, because she & I never have; Keri & Kristen always built with her. I know why now; it's HARD work, but we had fun! We've had a blue healer dog adopt us & he liked helping us & chewing on the stick arms!!!

Today, I watched A&M girls go down to Arizona State with their big 6 foot posts & with 2 minutes left, I'm still hanging in with OU to beat Tarhills!!!!

All take care & let me hear from you!!!! Claudia

KJ, LOVE, & Basketball

Here's my talented 15 year old, lovingly nicknamed KJ, and the finished product of chalk she did on the driveway; yes, the same one she shoots her beloved baskets. Our team plays Claude this Tuesday night. When we win, we will be in the district playoffs! That's our prayer. SHOULD we not win against Claude, we will play Shamrock again, and the winner of that game will be in the district playoffs.
This new blogger and middle child Keri couldn't figure out how to turn the pictures that we copied turned the right way! Any suggestions are appreciated, (Amanda)!

KJ is now getting her hair curled and primped, pretty much against her wishes, for the FCCLA "Sweetheart Banquet". Big sister Kristen went to be moral support & take pics, so stay tuned for those posts. Hopefully, I'll learn how to "rotate" & she won't be sideways or upside down. X & O's from MerryMarion

Soooooooooooo, I found my blog!!! Hurray! for me. Being successful MAKES my day. Someone write to me so I can feel like this is worthwhile.