GOOOOOD MORNING!!!!!!

Well after a great nights sleep, I am up and running already...hehe at least the ole mind is. Man i went to bed around 8:50!! that is sooo unusual for me. was gonna blog anyway then i read momma b's latest one. it iwas an honor to work on those hats for the kids at cunningham. a little piece of love to go along witht heir warm heads...lol. i copied her great idea!! i called and talked to heaven's school where kids live also and go to school there and volunteerd to make hats and scarves!! there are 26 kiddies that live there and 100 that go to school there. 20 girls and 80 boys...what a difference huh? so anyway i would LOVE to throw in some socks with them (haha) if at all possible. i told her that it would not be until right before fall so that leaves plenty of time. which i might of course ask a few angels to help me....

so, i also went on a mission trip this last weekend. i left friday around 9 and came home sat around 5p. it was an experience! first of all let me get sidetracked for a second--friday was our anniversary and i was gonna be gone so i left things everywhere so he would think of me. i left a bag of hershey's kisses scattered in his truck seat with a note, i wrote SHMILY (see how much i love you) wrote in the shower with sidewalk chalk, i wrote on the bathroom mirror, i wrote stuff on the fridge with magnets-the colorful kiddie ones, and i wrote all over the front porch and sidewalk out front so he would see it on his way to work that morning!! to my surprise he did something too!! it is even still there. he wrote on the front yard with his orange paint from work "happy 10 i luv you". he made me tear up...it is the little things!! ok back from my world to a very different one.

i went with 5 guys from church to east st louis. we worked on a house that was givent o them from the family of a man that had recently passed away. it was for a family of 8 that either had no place to go or was losing their house soon. so we did that most of the day friday and sat morning. there was a group of 9 from maryland. it was really neat to meet new people and talk to them. it was a very new experience for me--seeing how my crew pulled up and dumped me with these 9 people that i had never met before!! altho iwas stressed at first-it will help me break from my shell. anyway sat night we did street ministry. we rode around the mean streets of east st louis where the prostitutes, drug dealers, gang members hang. we looked for them to give them hygiene packs, snack packs, and bottled water. we didn't see many people at all (it was cold out) so we went to a brothel/crackhouse. the girls (5 of us) and 2 guys went in. WOW!! a life i have never seen before. the first girl came out of her room and the pastors know most of these people by name, and was very thanksful to see us. was happy to receive her gifts and wanted a prayer. we all laid hands and prayed for her. she was really short and little, she kept sniffling and bouncing around, she could not stand still, everything she owned was in this little room and men were coming there for you know what!! it was awful. as we started backing away i noticed that she was pregnant! that was hard for me. but i also experienced a dif kind of love. one that just wanted to help her instead of condemn her and be be bitter. then she yelled in this hotel and the doors opened. about 4 more people came out. 1 woman, 3 men (who live there). her name was shannon. she was sniffling and much more restless than the first girl. se looked so awful. sunken cheeks, rotten teeth, greasy hear. she wanted us to pray for her children and her mom. she stated several times that she was a lost cause. man i was so filled with emotions. i didn't even sleep that night. i felt so guilty for going to a nice hotel, have a warm shower, i was stuffed from the dinner we had before we left. i was praying that she and the others were ok, that they changed or will and gave/give their life to Christ. it was something. i will definately go back as many times as i can. here is a link that truly describes the experience almost to a perfect t. http://tpe.ag.org/Articles2006/4834_Urban.cfm Pastor Jay and his crew are awesome. he looks like a wwe wrestler and is in a neighborhood that is 99.9% black. and he is making a difference. he said even one year ago the hotel/brothel we were in was PACKED all rooms filled and people sleeping in the hallway, doing drugs right there. that the streets were packed full of people and protitutes...and thanks God--there was hardly anyone out. and he had opened 3 churches since being there!! amazing!!! it was an amazing experience.

ok and another thing...think i finally know what i want to do in ministry...i want to work in a homeless shelter or children's home. i have so much love to give and want to give it away...since i don't drive i have been praying about it and will wait, but that is what i really want to do.

man this is the longest blog i have ever written!! and i have tons more to say, so just sit there and keep reading...lol...unless you are about to fall off your chair from boredom!!

the man i used to take care of is now in the nursing home. it is not a bad thing for him. he loves the interaction with people, he gets good meals, and he gets showered!! again all of which we take for granted. he just needs looked over all hours of the day, not just 2!! i rode the ole bi-cycle (yes i know it is spelled wrong, but i was spelling it like i always say it) out to the home and visited him yesterday. we played some rummy. thought he was gonna beat me, but we ended up tieing. vising him makes his day, and mine. no matter what you are feeling when you leave you are smiling and thankful. people are always asking me their and at the hospital shockingly " are you related to him?" i reply no i worked for him and care about him immensely and he is a person-would you want to be alone thru all of this-or ever? i want them to know that someone is checking in on him and they can't just run over hime because he is special. that is another something i want to do--be an advocate for people.

kyle is at the quitting smoking thing again. he did it for 6 days a acouple weeks ago. he had had i think 4 int he last 2 days. he really wants to quit. it is hard for all of us with his grouchiness, but it is worth it.

well some heaven news. her mom was gonna take her home in a few days...ok wait, have to say something before i forget..she was just bumped up another reading level!! 3 since she has been here!! wooohoooooo!! she is doing wonderful...she was preschool when she first got there now she is the high end of first grade. that is good for her!! she is back to where she was when she left me the last time. ok, back to the other, her mom was gonna take her home and come to find out that if she moves back to her moms she cannot go to school at hammitt!! she would go back to the academy in pontiac..and believe you me-no child should go there so it sounds. there are tons of details, but that is the jist of it. so heaven said she is NOT goig back to that school so she is here at least to the end of school...and another tidbit of news her mom is looking for a place in GC!!!! so she can move home and go to school at hammitt. we'll see how that goes!!!

i am supposed to go to lucnh with a friend today..that will be nice.

ok, now maybe, just maybe, i can be productive on the things i need to do!!! the add is major today and the last few days soooo...i start 12 and get 2-3 done!! uugghhh....lots of stuff to do on the computer also some for the church, some for heaven, and some for me!! i didn't check the spelling or anything so if it is wrong--get over it!! i am a mad typer with tons on the brain....lol. HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!!

10 years

Good morning!! hope you all are having a great morning. i was actually up about 5:45. i got up and made kyle coffee!! for those of you who know me, making coffee is a ginormous deal. it really means that i love him alot-i know it sounds dumb, but there is a huge story behind it. anyway, made him coffee and had a chance to talk a lot this morning. tomorrow is our 10 year anniversary!! amazing how time flies. mandy was a baby when we first got togehter and now she is 19 years old and in college and getting batized in may and will then be a member of her church!! time--sure stands still for no one. i always heard people say it was like wine, gets better with time. that is sure true!! and guess what? i won't even be home(get to that in a minute). i have all kinds of little things planned. i am so excited. I am gonna tape a card and throw some kisses in his truck while he is in the shower. warm his towel in the dryer tonite. write things i the shower with soap. then tomorrow when i leave i am gonna write all kinds on the sidewalk so he can read it all the way up to the door since i wont be home. the mail person might think i am crazy, but whatever. that's just a few of the things i am gonna do, (don't want to bore you to tears). i want him to smile wherever he looks while i am not here. i couldn't imagine having a more supportive, non jealous, intelligent, person to know and help my family, good looking husband to let me be me no matter what. don't get me wrong we do drive each other crazy sometimes. but that would be with anyone you share your life with.

the reason i am not gonna be here is that we signed up for a short mission trip to st louis. it is the worst part of st luois, washington park. our church supports a ministry called urban outreach and they are opening another church and we are going down to help clean it and get it ready and the do street evangelism right down in front of a crack house. we are gonna take food and talk to them and hopefully one/some/all will give thier lives to Christ. i am very happy that i am able to go and help. they have it pretty rough and i feel blessed for all of the gifts in my life and to be able to help. kyle is on call and getting someone to switch with him is like pulling teeth. so since uncle jimmy is going, so i get to go also and share a room with him for the night, not a stranger. kyle is disappointed he really wanted to go.

well i am definately gonna get my exercise today. i have to go to the bloodwork at the hospital, then go visit ralph at the nursing home and back here!! a few stops in between, but that is like 60some blocks!! wooohoooo!! i am gonna get a major workout like i did tuesday. i must crank out another hat soon also, pack my overnite bag, figure out supper, whew--busy day.

heaven doesn't come back til Sunday night. sure has been quiet around here!

well, not getting anything done sitting on here, sooooo hope you all have a great day and weekend!! wish you the best of everything!!! ttfn.....