A Walk in the Woods

 

 

Shad had today off so Steve took it off too....we all went out for lunch with Steve driving (of course) and then went to one of my favorite places in the world.  Hillsborough River State Park

 

 

 

 

The "rapids"

 

 

 

 

 

My friend was waiting across the river

 

 

this boy is young and very dark.  I couldn't get over his coloring.  Don't worry my camera was on zoom:)  he isn't actually very big, maybe 5 feet? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE the picture above.

 

there is a little island in the middle of the river

 

this is the REAL Florida....what I grew up knowing....

 

I truly hope you enjoyed these pictures because whenever I stopped to take one, the mosquitoes would attack me!   

 

I love HRSP, I love the slightly swamp smell, the sounds, the wildlife (except for the mosquitoes)

It is a happy place for me. 

 

 

We  had a little drama around here. On Sunday we noticed about 50 buzzards circling over head...then by Sunday night the SMELL was awful.  Something was dead.  All our animals were accounted for.  We tracked it down, back behind our house, behind the 2nd fence in an area I wouldn't' go into that late in the afternoon.  Very overgrown  and many mosquitoes.   Some friends thought I should call the police and have them check it out as we thought a homeless person might be living back in the woods.  So today one of the officers I know came out and went back and checked it out.  He thought it might be someone at first too but then he found the big dead possum!   We laughed about it but it was RANK!  I am glad it wasn't a dead person behind our house!  You know we have to have some type of drama!  I'm used to smelling dead animals out in the country BUT this one was worst than the huge gator that was hit on the road a few years ago. 

 

This morning we had a meeting to get ready for the little one's IEP next week.  The IEP will determine the services they get thorough the public school system.  The ladies who came out today were very nice but I shared with them I feel the school system is WAY out of compliance for the kids.  I've given them until November 1st to have some services in place for them.  If they don't then, I'm going to the local school board, superintendent and  court with them.   They've had Selah's paperwork since January and Sam & Sarah's' since May. (Sam should have never had to even had new paperwork done as he was a student but someone decided to unenroll him while we were gone!)   I had to call to start anything with them this school year....then they lost all of Sam's paperwork and I had to redo it....so I'm a bit annoyed over all with the school system!!!  SO after being home NINE months my THREE kids still haven't gotten one teacher out to work with them......yeah I'd say they were WAY out of compliance, wouldn't you????   It 's such a comedy of errors, that I'd laugh IF it were not my children involved.....

 

Selah did great in therapy today, she had been a little stiffer than usual but she was back today to normal.  Her therapist was able to get just about full range of motion in her legs which was great!

She was not really happy with it but relaxed once PT was over.

 

Please keep her in your prayers!

 

 

 

 

 

Yard Sale, Halloween party, Anniversary New song......!

Saturday was a busy and fun day.  Steve and I got up at SIX AM to go to a giant community yard sale on the other side of town.  I haven't been to a yard sale in years, I prefer thrift stores rather then just driving around but since this was a big community one, with several sub divisions participating, I thought it would be fun.  That's what I thought at 11pm on Friday night, at 6am on Saturday morning I was not sure it was such a great idea LOL  but I got up and took a quick shower and we were off.....  I was really hoping to get a lot of clothes for Sarah, she has just had an explosion of growth!  When she got home, she weighted 19 pounds and wore a 18 month size....at FIVE and a half years old.  She now weighs almost 40 and wears a size 6.  Most of the winter clothes I bought her last year was a size 4, so she needs some new stuff.  I was also hoping to find her a big soft rocking horse, she has one but it is too small for her now.  I took out $100 just in case....I spent $40 and look at all I got, 2 outside chairs, 2 folding wooden tv trays, a wooden clothes dryer, lots of clothes for Sarah and a few things for Selah, three nice toys for Sam & Sarah, a Batman video game, a cool picture frame, headphone & mic, some books, nice necklace and earring set....it was fun!  We went around for about 3 hours....that was my yard sale experience for the year LOL

 

 

 

Then we got ready to go to our Halloween party!  We meet monthly with LIFT disability group for a family function.   Before we went to the party we had an emergency with a church member and went by the hospital.  Jon went in while I sat in the car, I kept the car at the front of the hospital while we waited....at one point, some janitors went by and did a double take and turned around....I wonder WHY?  it was just me and Steve sitting in the front of the car LOL

                                     

 

Here is the whole family!

 

Our little Indian 

 

 

 

Jon is Green Lantern, Sam is an Indian, Steve is Batman, Shad is a Star Wars guy, I'm Wonder Woman and I'm holding my Little Red Riding Hood! 

 

 

 

 

Little Red Riding Hood

 

 

Sarah's dress looked like an Ukraine dress

 

Green Lantana aka Jon has a big nose

 

Shad painting a pumpkin

 

 

 

Shad and his friends!

 

Steve took Sam outside for a little while

 

Look at me and my boy!

 

Love my Sam

 

Worship time

 

Sam & Shad sitting on the stage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and my super hero

it was our 24th anniversary by the way.....

 

 

 

 

So we quietly celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary.....24 years could it be?  Who knew the twists & turns our lives would take 24 years ago?  Surely not us!!!!!   The time has flown by..... we married right after I turned 24 years old....on November 5th, if I counted right, I will be married as long as I've was single....  That is just crazy!     I can truly say that on the day we got married we had NO idea whatsoever about what was ahead for us!  Pretty sure 5 kids was NOT in the picture LOL..... all I knew was I was in love and I trusted Jon with my life. 

 

I had never met anyone like him before..... I couldn't believe he was still single!  But he was so focused on ministry and not looking for a wife that I had to go to the homeless shelter where he was the director to find him LOL!   Yep I went to apply for a job, having NO idea that the director of the shelter was single and near my age!  When we saw each other, we both vaguely remembered each other from a class in college.  He actually remembered me far more than I did him !!!  We hit it off from the second we met.....and eloped ONE month later:)  It worked for us.....but we don't' recommend that for everyone else!  What a whirlwind romance to say the least.....  It's crazy that it worked, but it did and now it is a cute story.  I think back then a lot of people thought we'd lost our minds.  I may have even thought that a few times but we're still together 24 years later and have a lifetime of memories together. 

 

I wonder what I'd thought if back then I could see the future?  I'm sure even I could not have believed all that has happened to us over the years.  We have seen more than our share of heartache & pain but God has been so faithful to us.  I can say our life has been an interesting one, that's for sure.   There used to be some chapters I wish I could have done away with but it all together is who we are today.  We have an unique life story, that is certainly our own story, unlike anyone else's.......

 

I'm glad I said YES to him when he said "let's just go get married today"  it's been interesting but I wouldn't' trade it for anything.  Jon has become dearer to me as the years go by and I think I've become dearer to him too.  We have become a team in a way I could have never imagined back then.   We are sooooooooooooo different.  In other words he has tact and I do not LOL!   But our core values are sooooooooooooo alike and that makes life easy for us.  We really never have disagreed on much as far as values and decisions about our family, money,church etc.....   We pick at each other and fuss at each other about little crappy things but the big things are safe.  Like he drives me CRAZY with getting out three or four water bottles at a time....just get ONE out and drink it and throw it away!    But we also know what the other one is thinking without having to say a thing and as far as the ministry goes, he knows I "got his back" TOTALLY!  Do NOT mess with my husband:)

 

I still think he is one of the kindest and "above reproach" person I know.  What he is in public, he is in private or at the prison or wherever....I am so thankful for that.   I've seen too many fake marriages in the ministry, who had fake kids.....people who were not themselves in public, because their real selves were ugly...hateful....   I was blessed that I walked into that homeless shelter that day......  All I was doing was looking for a ministry job where I could spend my time doing something for God with my life.   I look back to the chain of events that led me to that moment and it amazes me......if I had veered one way or another, I may have never met Jon, but God directed our paths......  I had some other plans but God.......

 

So enough mushy stuff........:)

 

 

I want to share a song that we sang in church today.  I had to type it up for the video screen real quick and I had never heard it before and thought it was just a new silly song....it is simple BUT  when we started singing it, something inside me just broke.  This little song has a deeper meaning....

 

Yours will be the only name that matters to me
the only One whose favor I seek
the only name that matters to me

Yours will be the friendship & affection I need
to feel my Father smiling on me
the only name that matters to me

And yours is the name the name that saved me
mercy & Grace the power that forgave me
And your love is all I ever needed

When I wake up in the land of glory
and with the saint I will tell my story
There will be one name I proclaim

 

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, just that Name

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, just that Name

  

 When I wake up in the Land of Glory
And with the saints I will tell my story
There will be one Name that I proclaim

When I wake up in the Land of Glory
And with the saints I will tell my story
There will be one Name that I proclaim

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WnDTDLOM0rY    

 

 

This song spoke to me so strongly.  It says what is in my heart....in a way that I could not by myself.   Life is hard, ministry is hard and there are many lonely times.  We have learned to look to God for whatever we need rather than depend on others.  I don't mean just physical or financial things....but just keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, being committed and not letting anything sway us. 

 

Being a pastor or a pastor's wife is not at all what some people would think it is.  Being in any type of ministry is hard in many ways.  One thing I've learned is you can't let anyone sway you.  We've been hurt by others, but we have kept on going.  You can't get bitter and you can't get discouraged.  You can't worry whether you have anyone's favor or approval but God's, His is the only one that matters.

 

Our church continues to grow.  We are just actually sitting back in amazement at the steady growth in our church.  We haven't done anything but stayed faithful to God, through the good & bad times.  No gimmicks, just trusting God and doing our part.   We are thrilled with the growth BUT even if this had never happened, we were going to be faithful to God.  Even if it were just our family meeting on a Sunday morning and believe me there were times when it was very close to that LOL!   Our worship service was amazing today, there was a depth and a feeling like you were in the actual presence of God.

 

Today someone gave us a word from God.  He is not from around here, he doesn't really know us and when he spoke to me it was the same feeling I got when the woman came up to me in the mall all those months ago.....it was a real word.  I'm not going to share it on it, it's precious and I want to see what happens.   But it was a good word and my spirit "jumped" inside me when I heard it and when I shared it with Jon.  I don't go around accepting "words from God"  I've had many years of experience with crackpots, so I know the real ones.  And it usually is not coming from someone yelling "thus saith the Lord..."  We are encouraged. 

 

Thank you for continuing to pray for Selah.  She is stable and came to church this morning and seemed very interested in looking around. 

 



 

 

 

Picture perfect Friday and an interesting article

Over 300 inquiries have come in regarding the baby I shared about yesterday.  Hopefully one of them will be the match needed for this family!!!  Please continue praying.  It is a hard situation, I found out the family already has a sick child, born with the same exact condition.  They are probably at their wit's end!




We took Selah for her flu shot and some boosters.  She cried immediately when she got the shot.  I know it sounds odd but I am so thankful she can communicate her displeasure.  She was happy to go home!  Then at home she got on her stander and was getting a massage when I took this picture. 

 

 

Sam tried to get the camera

 

 

 

if he looks a little orange, daddy didn't clean him too good after a plate of spaghetti LOL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

our backyard fence...

 

 

pineapples

 

 

 

Shad between the fences.

 

I really like this picture of Shad

 

the big oak tree

Lots of thoughts going through my head....                               

http://truedsicernment.com/2008/07/12/david-wilkersons-warning-for-the-assembly-of-god-sadly-unheeded/

I read the above article today and found it interesting.  I didn't always agree with David Wilkerson but this seemed to speak to me.  He is not against large mega churches as he was the pastor of one in NYC but rather he is against the way church growth is done now.   It stirs me.

I see in the church world a "fakeness"  I guess I've been through so much in my life that I need more than just a "good word and a cup of coffee" .   You know the only way I've been able to get through situations in my life is to "pray through"  Just me and God....didn't need any one to lay hands on me, didn't need some big emotional release, didn't need some inviting song, don't need no counseling....just needed to be real before God.  I don't mean that as some proud statement, it's just the fact.  It's the only way I know.  It's not taught much today and it's not practiced much either.

I'm not against any of the above, but I'm just saying it hadn't worked for me.

Some folks think maybe I should go to counseling or at least get on long term anxiety meds.   I do take one when I can't fight an anxiety attack (usually about once a month or so)   I personally feel like what is counseling going to do for me?  Most people who go to Christian counseling or to speak to their minister KNOW what they need to do, they just don't want to do it LOL   I don't know that a counselor would help me (tried it before a couple of times, waste of time and money for me)   Right after the accident, I did think about counseling but it didnt' work out in a way I felt comfortable.....  I figure no one has been in our situation exactly so who can help me but God!  Sometimes people's ideas and advice weary me....to the bone.  Most of the time I just say "ahem, yeah, sure"  Honestly it does really weary me.  Just a few days ago someone was saying stuff to me....the whole "God doesn't give us more than we can bear....." I didn't even bother to correct them....

I'm not against meds, I'm actually quite thankful for the one I was given since it is not something I have to take daily. I'm not depressed but I do get anxious (yeah yeah I know "don't' be anxious for anything....."   I do turn to God, if not I'd be in the insane asylum no doubt whatsoever!  I fight anxiety, just last night I had to pray/breath through an anxiety attack.  I made it through without having to take any meds but it is a fight.  It lasted about an hour, I've had worse ones but I don't try and pop a pill every time it happens.  I do believe and God can help me and He does.

ANYHOW.....I think the world is so tired of silly Christian talk (I know I am) and they want to see the reality of God in our lives.  Even tho that is not really what David Wilkerson was talking about in the above article, he was more discussing ministers and how they go about trying to have church growth but it made me think along the lines I shared.

Personally at our church, we have tried a few things that is taught in "church growth classes" but we were not comfortable in using them.  So we didn't....and we just trust God to bring in the folks He wants at our church.  Even tho we are younger, we'd be considered DINOSAUERS by most pastors.  I don't know, we don't have a mega church, we don't even have every pew filled in our church but we are just ourselves, folks going through life, learning to depend on God and trying to live close to him.  We are NOT fakers that is for sure LOL   I said it before but I laugh when I see preachers older than us who dress "cooler" than my teenaged son LOL   Personally I don't give a rip how you dress, some Sundays Jon will wear a suit, some he doesn't.  Most Sundays I wear a dress because I LIKE dresses and feel comfortable in them.  We don't dress a certain way because we feel like we have to, to be spiritual  OR that it will make us look "cool"  (that just cracks me up.).  Either way is legalistic to me. 


ok the article talked about nothing that I just blabbed on and on about LOL  SORRY!  but it stirred up ideas in me. 

Hope you all have a great weekend, Steve & I are getting up at 6 am to go to a HUGE neighborhood yard sale.  I'm hoping to find some nice size 6 clothes for Sarah and a bigger soft rocking horse for her!  Wish me luck:)

please continue to pray for Selah.  BTW, she actually went poop on her own today!!!!!!!!!  YEAH!!!  We were all happy.  Our doctor wants her on apple juice to see if that will help.  The prune juice did nothing for her at all!!!  

Recipe time

 

Steve and Shad got to go and try out the new Xbox One at a local mall.  Yeah they were happy..

 

Then we went home and I cooked Spinach Stuffed Shells and Spaghetti, I have some happy happy full kids tonight:) 

 

Spinach Stuffed Shells

-box of jumbo shells

-package of frozen spinach or a bag of fresh spinach

-8 oz of ricotta cheese

-3 eggs

-package of  mozzarella cheese 

-parmesan cheese (half a small tub of the shaved can-maybe 4 oz)

-lots of pepper

-lots of Italian seasoning

-sprinkle of garlic

-lots of oregano   

-olive oil and a bottle of pesto

 

Cook the shells

Drain & set aside

 

Defrost the spinach or cook it if it is fresh.  It takes a bag of spinach about 2 minutes in the microwave with a little butter and garlic.

 

Mix everything above....

spoon mixture into shells

put Pesto over shells ( a few spoon fulls here and there, I cut the pesto with olive oil so it is not too strong)

 

Bake at 350 for about 25-30 minutes ...EAT!

 

***** I watch my ingredients I do not buy the pesto that has any kind of oils in it other than Olive Oil!  I also tend to buy low fat and/or organic on all the cheeses

Also I used a package of frozen spinach the healthy kind NOT creamed!!!  And I cooked a bag of fresh spinach since I like a lot of spinach!

I have some mixture left over that I put in the fridge and will use in a couple of days to make more stuffed shells.  this mix doesn't freeze well....

 

 

Spaghetti

-package of ground Perdue chicken ( no preservatives)

-box of whole wheat spaghetti (Fiber)

-2 jars of Ragu tomato, basil and onion (2 servings of veggies in each serving of sauce)

 

cook the chicken

cook the pasta and add together and dump the Ragu:) 

 

Garlic Bread

I buy a brand that has no oils but olive oil

 

Salad

 

Grapes for dessert

 

Takes less than 30 minutes and everyone is happy and there are left overs!!!!!!

 

The older I get the more I understand my granny wanting to feed us all the time!!!!!  It is nice to fill these bottomless pits up and make them all happy:)

 

 

 

Tomorrow we plan on taking Selah for her flu shot and a few boosters.  I have to tell you I am so blessed with our pediatrician  AND his wonderful nurses/office staff!!  He is GREAT and I couldn't ask for a better doctor for all my kids but his staff (nurses and office staff) are JUST as great!  They never mind my calls and always always help me out, no matter what!  It is a blessing to have them working with us!   I called today to let them know we were coming and I just so appreciate how easy it is to speak to them and how they just get everything done.  Thanks Dr Whele and staff at Watson Clinic North in Lakeland!!!!!!!  You make my life so much easier....I'm sorry because I know we complicate your lives LOL but thanks for the patience and care you give us!  I couldn not imagine dealing with things without them!

 

 

We are getting excited about our Halloween Party on Saturday with the group Lift Disability Network and their monthly BOOST group!  We all have costumes.....pictures will be coming soon!   If you live in the central Florida area and have an adult or child in your family with special needs, feel free to contact me for more info theclanton5@aol.com   It was worth the drive for us!

 

And next weekend we are going to the Rattlesnake Festival in San Antonio Florida.  We've wanted to go for a number of years but just never planned it.  this year we are planning ahead of time.   That will certainly be interesting:)  Jon has always wanted rattle snake boots.......  If I saved the bodies of the ones that get run over by our house, I could probably get him some made LOL

 

All kinds of fun things happening......

 

 

Selah is doing the same, she is tired tonight had a good long therapy session today.  She actually had to have a little valium and her BP meds, she was within range to get them, usually she doesn't need them but since it is night time, we like her to relax.  She had a big day, outside quite a bit as it is cooler and therapy....

 

She is still having poop issues.  She is set to see GI next month and so is Sarah.  Sarah has the opposite problem!  She poops ALL THE TIME!  Of course she still eats puréed foods so I blame some of it on that.  She should have already gone to a GI doctor, and that is my fault but she has no real issues and as you can tell she has gain plenty of weight!!!  When we got her, she weighed 19 pounds at 5 years old.  She wore a size 18 months....everything else was too big on her.  NOW she weighs close to 40 pounds and wears a size 5.  In fact with her new clothes I'm not buying anything smaller than a size 6!  She is chunky and I love it:)   She is so sweet, she loves food.  I have used the heck out of my Magic Bullet!  I should do an ad for them!!  I use it at every meal but breakfast (she usually eats oatmeal or grits) but basically whatever we eat, she eats puréed, for lunch she had my chicken noddle soup and tonight she had spaghetti.  Sometimes like with eggs I have to put a little water in to blend it to the consistency of oatmeal.  Otherwise she will just close that little mouth up tight LOL.  Everyone has tried, all the therapists everyone...she is just NOT going to eat anything.  We've tried everything, baby puffed cereal, Cheetos. McDonald French fries.....  all to no avail!  She is so stubborn.  Sometimes IN a soup she will eat a little piece of meat or a piece of pasta that didn't get sheered ....but sometimes even then she will work it back out of her mouth.  She is a mess!  The hardest is when we go out to eat.  Some places like Olive Garden will blend the soups up for me, but most won't so I sit there and try to smush it up by hand. 

 

So please keep Selah in your prayers tonight!  Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Filing & Food Talk

We had a big storm last night and our computer was out.  We are on satellite, so if we have thick clouds, there is no computer:)  Thanks for the nice messages!


Yesterday and today have been busy days for me.  I went to file the kids' ( the girls and Shad)  Re adoption paperwork.  The first time I went, yesterday, I was told it all needed to be notarized.  I wasn't sure, I had noticed but thought it was something that would be done in court as our lawyer friend said it was good to go.  Ok so our good friend did all the pages for us and I took it back today.  Then the clerks didn't know if the children's cases should be ONE case or three different cases.  They were also unsure if we had all the paperwork needed and gave me a number for Legal Aid to ask them.  I called Legal Aid and spent 30 minutes on the phone with someone who had NO idea what I was talking about.  Nor could I really understand the woman.... After that I just said to myself since no one knows, I'm just going to file the paperwork and let the judge decide.  More can be done in court than anywhere else.....(from experience)   So I went back and filed it with the clerk.  I was afraid they might fuss with me, but they were very nice and helpful.  I hope everything is there that is needed but I figure they will let me know once it gets to the judge's office and we can fix it then. 

I also had an appointment with a company that has a program for lower income new home owners.  We did not qualify for their program based on our credit score.  I had told the loan officer that we had paid off all our credit cards and cars over 10 years ago and only paid cash for things. When Sam was born, we paid everything off since I had to quit work!    I also told her we had some outstanding medical bills.  She told me the only thing on our credit score was some outstanding medical bills and the fact we do not use credit cards nor have any loans out.    So if I understood her correctly, IF we had credit cards and kept a balance on them, we'd have a much higher score than we do for having no debt except a few medical bills.  UGH!   So even if we didn't have medical bills, we would not qualify since we don't have credit cards or any loans in the last 10 years.  And here we thought we were doing something good!!!! It just seems crazy to me!   She was very nice and is sending our info to another agency that has grants.....but I don't have a lot of hope.

That was disappointing.  Until the accident we were perfectly happy in our tiny and crowded home.  We had "JUST enough" room to squeeze us all in.  But now with Selah having to have our own room, and a full time nurse in the home, it is beyond a squeeze.   She needs a room where all her stuff can be in there, and lifts and a "drive in " shower....all the things that would make her, her nurses and our life better! 

Our other kids need some space.  All of them in one room or the living room, with the boys' stuff in a room at the church...no privacy...it is hard at times.  When we first got home, there were just too many other things to worry about than this but now as we have become more adjusted to our new "normal" we know the things that need to be done so life can run smoother. 

I know God will provide it when we need it and I would still rather see Selah healed and all of us back to our regular spots than to ever have a new home!!!  I've never worried too much about where we lived.  I've never held on too tightly to any home we've lived in.  It's never been a big deal to me.   Jon & I have never felt "this is it"  This is where we are going to stay the rest of our lives.  We've always been adventurous and ready to do some serious changes.  I've never been able to relate to people who just lived in one spot.  We've always been wondering what lay ahead for us.  Now life is different, it's not that it is awful, it's just different.  Our responsibility level is sky high and we are at a point in our lives due to our circumstances, that we have to nest.  So when you think of us, pray that God will open the right door for us to help us take care of Selah. 

Maybe some would think we should have "been prepared".  You can never be prepared for this type of thing happening to your family.  We were prepared for what we felt the future held, we have good private insurance and our home was just the right size to add the girls to it, our income could support them.  We didn't count on all of this, like anyone would think something like this would ever happen to them.  I don't think anyone could be prepared for what has happened to us. 

So I just felt beat up today so I thought we could all go out to eat....I was brave, we went to a new place in town.  I do NOT like to try new restaurants.  I like to go places where I know I'll like the food.  Yeah, this place was over priced and not good at all.  the kids had hamburgers so they were fine but ugh!  I did not like the food and the service was so slow.  We didn't complain but it was probably one of the worst meals I've had in a long time!  They also didn't have any good soups so Sarah was not happy LOL  She had a funny face on when we left.  She was wondering where her good food was.  The restaurant was "trying" to be "upscale Southern"  so the soups they had was some type of pumpkin squash and tomato bisque, Sarah didn't like it!  Thankfully I had a big crock pot cooking chicken noodle soup for her!  That's what we all should have had! 


My thoughts on a good southern cooking restaurant:  BREWED SWEET tea (I should not have to add sugar)  soups should be chicken noodle or chicken dumpling, shrimp gumbo .  The appetizers should not be funky stuff like pot sticks (are you kidding me???) , stick with  Fried green tomatoes, Fried pickles, shrimp etc.... good salad with Ranch dressing.     The entrees should always include Fried chicken LOL, catfish, shrimp pork chops, should have biscuits on the side.   Lots of fried foods:)  Collards.... dessert should be lemon pie, key lime pie, banana cream pie, PECAN pie!   Listen I could do a menu UP for a good southern restaurant....I don't know WHERE some of these places come from!   I went to one recently (not this one) and ordered Fried Green Tomatoes....they put parmesan cheese on it and some type of Italian breading...WHAT THE HECK????  that is so  Not FGT!  And it should be served with Ranch dressing:)   LOL  I know my southern food! 

I wanted to be eating at Deal's Famous Oyster House up in Perry Florida tonight!  THAT was what I was craving LOL  Real comfort food!!!!!!!





Here are some funny pictures of the last few days...

Steve and his FIRST time going through the drive thru  LOL

 

 

He orders like a pro!

 

 

 

 

 

So Steve is ready to drive anytime anywhere:)  We are really amazed at how well he drives.  We didn't mean for him to wait so long to get his license but maybe that was the best thing for him.  I wish I would have driven as well as he does when I first started driving.  He does hate semitrucks....don't we all?  

   

 

 

 

Sarah on her slide! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

she loves it but she still wants to catch herself. 

 

 

We are into FALL, at least for today:)  I don't' think it got over 80 degrees today and that is cool for us!  Probably by the weekend it will be back to the 90's if I know Florida!  But today was nice and I actually loved the stormy day we had yesterday. 

 

 

So please keep praying for Selah.  She has had a good two days, calm and peaceful.  Thank you!