More summer time fun

Well it was another great weekend out with our extended family. We spent the weekend at Salt Springs Resort and I would recommend it to anyone that loves the outdoors. This place has 2 bedroom "cottages" that are actually small houses, and they are $90 a night. With your rental you have access to all the amenities of the park including 2 pools, a hot tub, miniature golf, shuffle boards, tennis, horse shoes, an indoor game room, and of course the lake. The lake is what we enjoyed the most. We took the boats out again and we rode all day Saturday and Sunday. The lake is huge and the swimming area is sand bottom and roped off so it is safe for the kids. We cooked out Sunday's lunch on the grill right at the lake side picnic tables. This will probably be the last hoorah for the summer, so I'm glad it was fun. I'm sure we'll be back next year for a week.

My Sister-Delene Martin

I get my daily reading in at a website that my sister writes. She is an AWESOME writer. She writes love stories, suspense, fiction, and she even has a feel of a tribal story teller. I wish I had her talent. Since I don't, all I can do is tell her with the little writing talent I have with a poem to honor her. Love ya Sis.

Oh, to be a writer
Able to tell a tale.
The ability to swing a pen
And your thoughts you can sell.
Into your mind, what a beautiful world
The words come to life with the stories you've told.
Oh, wonderful artist
To I see what you see.
Oh, to be a writer
What a gift that would be.

If you want to read some of her stories go to www.delenemartin.com

Summer time

Another week has come and gone, and now school is less than a month away. I had taken on a second job taking care of a neighbor that had a stroke a year ago and now has to have help. He lives alone and has started falling. I went over last weekend and spent all day cleaning and preparing to start his new routine on Monday evening. I will take him dinner after I get home and get it cooked and then give him a bath and clean up the dishes, and do routine care. Little did I know that this job was going to be short lived. I finished cooking dinner on Monday and went straight over to get him taken care of. I pulled up in the driveway and there he was, laying in the yard, sunburned and cover with ants! I called 911 and they took him to the ER. They admitted him and have discovered that he is in atrial fibrillation and has probably had some more strokes and will be going into a nursing home instead of coming home. His son wanted me to start trying to take care of him to prevent the nursing home because he isn't going to be receptive to going into one, but now he has no choice. We'll see how he does, I hope for his sake he adjusts well.

Life

You know, life just keeps you in check everyday. It won't let you forget that your life is not forever, that it's not consistent, that it's not fair. People are born, people die, and life goes on. Saying this, I learned this weekend that my best friend uncle died. The 2nd uncle in less than a year. They died unexpectedly, just as her dad had 5 years ago. Then today I looked at the local internet obits and learned that another friend's dad had died. I know that this is how life works but it really puts you in check. Right now my health is doing fine but now Mark's blood pressure and sugar are out of control. I always worry that things happen in 3's and I don't need another reality check to hit close to home. I am listening God, I know life's not fair but......

Graduation Party

Well, as I told you in my last post we went to Hontoon Landing for Faith's graduation party. I must say we enjoyed ourselves tremendously. Even Jake was good all weekend except for when we decided to tube down Blue Springs. He wanted to go, we walked the mile long trek to get to the spring head and then when we got there he changed his mind! He kept insisting that he couldn't swim (which was pointless any how since he had his life jacket on!). I told him he would be on the float with Cody and I and that he would be fine. He then proceeded to throw one of those fits than makes you, as their parent, want to crawl in a hole and die. I told him he WAS going to ride since every one else was already in the water. He did the whole "cat in the bathtub move". His little fingers grabbed a hold onto the handrail and as quickly as I would pry one hand loose the other would grab back on like Velcro! Then the screaming began. By the time I got him on the raft I had probably 10 people staring at me like I was the worst parent on the planet Earth! Needless to say, I refused to look at them in embarrassment. I just hope they came down to the end of the run where 15 minutes later Jake was jumping off the dock and swimming like a fish (Not drowning, obviously!). Other than that memorable moment, we rode the pontoon boats up and down the river and swam, fished, and just sat and talked in a peaceful environment. It had rain the entire weekend at home but since we were and hour and a half away we only had a few passing showers on Saturday. We took advantage of the rain by going to the boats and fixing lunch under our canopies, so the rain was actually nice since it cooled everything down a little. The only thing that was bad about the weekend is the fact that Mark now wants to do it every weekend! If that's the only bad thing, well, I can live with that!

Happy Mother's Day!

I had the best Mothers Day this year! The kids all decided to plan the day. They took us (Faith's mom and I) out to the lake with the Air boat, the jet skis, and a friends bass boat. We rode the tube behind the boats, rode the jet skis, and went sight seeing on the air boat. We played in the lake all day and just relaxed. Faith's mom experienced a few new things. She had never ridden on a jet ski or an air boat. She was a little apprehensive about riding the jet ski at first but after a few times around the lake she commented that she is gonna have to get one of those. She also wants to get an air boat too! She's so funny! We are all planning to go out on the river for a few days after Faith's graduation and rent a couple of pontoon boats and head for Blue Springs. I am really looking forward to that weekend too. I think this summer is going to be full of outdoor activities since we got the jet skis. I know Johnnie would be on it every day if we lived on a lake. (and I probably would be too!LOL)
I hope all Mothers had a great day themselves! Happy Mother's Day

Wow, it has been a while since I posted! There has been many changes since my last post. I started working in October. It has been a big relief to the budget. The income hadn't increased but he cost of living did, so we were really starting to struggle. I know we are not in that boat alone. I really know God has blessed my family with this job, I haven't held an office job since 1994 and all I could do was pray. I got the job over 52 other applicants and I know that was only through prayer.
My oldest son Johnnie, just graduated from the Police Academy and then took the state certification test and passed it! He has made us so proud. He is now working until the next semester starts again. He won't pursue becoming an officer until he completes his BA and BS degrees. He only has 3 semesters left and then he can start applying to the different police departments. He really wants to work in the Gainesville area but until he is 21 they won't consider him, which is actually a good thing. That way he won't be tempted not to finish his college education. He is seeing a wonderful girl named Faith. She is so much like him it is scary. She is a Senior in hign school, goes to College full time, works and is still has time for him. They are inseperable ands I think we love her as much as he does.
Jacob and Cody are doing good also. They are going to school and seem to be adjusting to me being at work now. I was really concerned about it since they had never known anything except me being at home. But as they say, kids are resilient. I think maybe more resilient that I am. it has taken quite a while to get in the groove of work and home responsibilities. Mark has also had to adjust. He helps with the dishes and vacumes and what ever else I can't seem to get done. He has really stepped up.
I must say. I am blessed!!