It's Heart to Heart Month...

....It's February and time for love! Make sure you spend time this month sharing love toward others. Family, friends, work associates, the Wal-Mart cashier, the person at the Sonic drive-thru. You don't have to do much, just a simple 'how is your day?' or maybe a pack of M&M's!

I tell my kids in Small group at church that God does not tell us to 'ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET" for others, but we are commanded to

Love one another!

Have you read 1Corinthians lately? The Love chapter... Verse 1 starts us off on the right foot.

"If I speak the languages of men and of angels, but do not have love, I am a sounding gong or a clanging cymbal!"

I will put my famous Chocolate Soup receipe up for grabs later this week. But remember my story from last year....do not give this lusious soup to children if you want them to take a nap OR if they are having the soup for their after dinner dessert. It's YUM-O!

Here's to a wonderful month of love and compassion! Joy!!!

Adoption Update....

Below you will see an excerpt from my daughters adoption blog..justto keep you abreast on the happening inside an adoption. My excitement had this little jewel coming in June but maybe not so sure now!!!!But like my daughter said, God's timing is what we are praying for..... If you pray for them , thank you so much!

....We Passed!...our fingerprints did, that is!

So now we just continue the wait. For our 171H. The Atlanta office apparently moves very slowly. They are currently processing the applications from March 2008.

If that lack of speed continues, that would put us having our 171H by September or so.

Only one problem. If we have our referral this spring and if we pass court the first time (before the rainy season starts in August) then Ellagrace can't leave the airport without that piece of paper. Again, something else that is completely out of my control. Oy vey...

Just have to keep remembering that the perfectly ordained time for our family will happen when it's supposed to.

Can't really do anything else!

Now why didn't I think of this...

....go to http://www.msgen.com/assembled/money_savvy_pig.html

to see the neatest thing to teach children how to save. There are 4 areas: Savings, Donate, Invest, Spend. Each section has a coin hole...pretty cool. Cost is $16.99

You've Got Mail...

....is what my representative in DC just received from me....a Thank you for voting against this 'stimulus package' that is only going to stimulate a choosen few.
...is what my Congressmen got from me today, encouraging them to think about their vote today in the Senate. If we ran our family economy on the same bases as they are wanting to run this nation...we would be living in the streets.

My grandparents would be shocked if they knew that this society in the 21st century is so instantanious that they cannot wait, suck it up and hang tight and get thru this crisis.
I know that many of you had to live like this from time to time, and we all made it thru!

No one can convince me that 50 million to the National Endownment for the Arts will stimulate anything let alone $$ for contraceptives or $$ to Hollywood? That would be like me borrowing $$ to give to a coffee shop in hopes that my income will be improved. Now mind you I did not purchase this shop, just gave them some money b/c they asked.

I'm confused, is it....

.....The Wizard of Oz or Frosty the Snowman? No, it's Snowy, the Buckeye Snowman. These time lapse photos were taken on Friday from 9am till 5:30 pm. We had sunshine all day long! The pond was de-thawling and Snowy was leaving the yard.
.....Yet, a miracle could save Snowy, b/c we received 2 inches of snow today! And although I love snowmen, I am still in search of the miracle ruby slippers...so I can fly south!
.....Please know that I am very happy here in central Ohio! My husband loves ministry and our church is grand! Today, they were pulling out tons more chairs for services...yipeeee! I love being close to our parents and siblings! We really feel that God blessed us to 'come home' again! I just don't like the cold! But my friend Ronnie loves it in Colorado!!!!

....1 I'm melting!

2......I'm melting! feeling kinda sluggish!

...3 I'm melting! and my voice is high pitched now!

...4 below
I'm melting! (and my nose has slid off my face) See carrot and 1 chocolate chip to right side of snowball....

I humbly accept this award ....

My first ever award presented this day, Saturday, January 24, 2009....by Laurie! Thank you Laurie for honoring me w/this prestigious award. You and I have been very forthcoming and honest over these past few months, so it is fitting that I pass this award onto other worthy blogger friends.

Here is how the award is won....

HONEST SCRAP AWARD: Honorees are to list 10 honest things about themselves-and make it interesting, even if we have to dig deep! Second, we are to pass the award on to 7 bloggers we feel embody the spirit of the Honest Scrap.

My Honesty Information is below:

1. I had this continual scary dream about a man in a black cloak, which would pop up anywhere, anytime. He would barely get close to me and I would (in the dream) think that my life was over….then I would wake up! This man reminded me of the sinister man who was behind Darth Vader in Star Wars.(Same black cloak and sinister vapor that surrounded him) Funny thing, that dream died after my dad died.

2. I can remember watching a pig be butchered on my grand parent’s huge kitchen table. My grandpa was holding me up to see everything and since I loved pork chops, he showed me where they were located. YUCK! It must have done something to my physic b/c I refused to eat a pork chop again….UNLESS my grandpa bought one home from the grocery store, which is just what he did! Yes, I was a spoiled granddaughter!

3. I am terrified of my car running off of a bridge into water, especially when our daughters were young. I can swim, some, but would I collect my thoughts enough to know what to do in that situation.

4. I was married before and had a shotgun held to my head by this man among other things. Abuse was my middle name. Funny thing was that while I was in that situation, I felt that maybe I deserved the abuse. I felt like a failure, marriage was to be a forever life! It only lasted 8 months! Double failure!

5. I have some weird pet peeves….I wash my hands constantly (is that OCD?) I have to have a spotless house when we travel b/c IF there should be a fire; the firemen would notice that “this lady is a very organized, clean person.” Carts not put in the cart rack in the Wal Mart parking lot drives me crazy. I can’t sit on my bedspread w/just my underwear on.-eeeck! I freak if I have to touch my dirty socks/underwear. I have to do many normal everyday things the same way every time I do them or else there is no order to my day…etc dishes, dressing, opening doors, morning makeup time, just to name a few.(ok, maybe I am OCD)

6. I am amazed at the love of my husband. For 5 yrs after we married, I kept thinking that he was going to cheat on me, leave me, abuse me, I just knew that when he said he loved me, he really didn’t. Why would he? (Underlying self esteem issues) Every guy in my life did that so why would he be any different? YET, he loves me still! 32 yr ago he vowed before God and family that he would cherish me…and he has. He has served me thru many surgeries, flues, stressful times, deaths of family members and death of our first daughter. He loves me w/an everlasting love. But more that than, he loves God! I am his second love b/c his love goes to His Lord Jesus Christ first. My husband embodies integrity and he is an example of that integrity toward his daughters and sons and grandchildren.
He is my love and I only hope that everyday he can sense that love and devotion from my heart to his.

7. I have 2 mottos: A) 2 Men came into my life and gave me self-esteem, Jesus and my husband in that order. B) Joy~ Jesus first your self last and others in-between (John 15:11)

8. I cannot believe that God gave me the daughters I have. I know every mother feels that her kids are the best but my daughters are awesome. So I brag! Shana and Jill, I know I tell you all the time that you are special and I love you but it goes deeper than that. I have sent you the song by Martina McBride, “In My Daughters Eyes” and it seems that it was written from my heart to yours. We always said that we were raising adults not children b/c our focus was to get them both into being productive, responsible adults. Well, thru the good and bad times, we got them there…with a lot of help from God Himself! (May I reflect: How amazing that God used us to work in their lives?) They both are now wives and a mother and a mother in waiting. (One day God will direct that path-wink!) They are also supportive minister wives! With their daddy being a minister, we thought they would run from this lifestyle, but yet God had them running into the arms of these wonderful men. WOW! But more than that, I am now learning from them! They have no idea how they challenge me in my everyday life, my spiritual life, my mental life. I had no idea! I feel that they encourage me more than I do them. It is a privilege to pray for them when they call! My cup runneth over!

9. I have always wanted to own a bookstore like in the movie “You’ve Got Mail”, even before that movie came out. Oh to have a place where people can come in, find comfort, and enjoy what I enjoy the most~Books. I have written several children books but am scared to step out there w/an agent. Actually after we tried desperately to get an agent for my husband’s books, I gave up. Really, if they won’t take his books w/his educational background why would they take notice of me? I would also sell the Kidz Kardz that I have created…cards for kids on their level, about the stuff, they are going through.

10. I love to create and would love to be able to make money by doing the things I love to do… but really don’t think that anyone would be interested in my creations. (Again w/the self esteem) Quilting, writing, painting, wreath making, card making, photography of nature and strange settings at strange angles. These are a few of my favorite things to create. I have to remind myself that I have created 2 beautiful women from the inside out! I have to remind myself that God has done a good work in and thru me. I have to remind myself that Jesus gave His life so I may have a life…and what He has given me is way to awesome to ever let my low self esteem control me for more that a day or two. I have to remind myself that the blood of Christ covers me and I must always keep my focus on His will for my life. “It is not I but Christ who lives in me!!!” (says Paul of the NT)

So all honesty is summed up in my last sentence quote from Paul...."IT IS NOT I BUT CHRIST WHO LIVES IN ME."

I pass this Honesty Award onto 7 other blogger friends...

Shana-my daughter/my firstborn/the mother of my grands!

Alexis-my friend who just moved to Japan

Erin- my friend and staff wife mother of 2 preschoolers

Brandy- my Tennessee friend and awesome mom of Jack

MaryBea- my close friend, who is a real drama queen (I wish I had her acting ability)

Stephanie W- my friend in Mississippi whom God is molding daily & using her adversity to guide others to His cross-sing praise!

Marty- my friend from high school , who I found again a few years ago, wish we had known each other better back in 1972!

Tons of prayers....

....are needed for tons of people right now so I thought I would list the ones I am praying for and ask that you send me yours. Let us pray together for others b/c that is the one way we can serve that gives the most rewards. The most rewards from prayer is b/c we get nothing in return, yet God receives all the praise and those we prayed for receive the blessings from those very prayers! Let us lift one another up in prayer, encouragement, guidenance and accountability. By this the doors of hell can not prevail.

Here is my list:
* Texas...Heather, carrying twins (boy and girl) her baby boy has sever heart problems that will require heart surgery sometime after he is born~MIRACLES DO HAPPEN!
* Texas...A&A&Simon~general unspoken prayers for this young family
* Ohio...Steve's sister Beth~ upper GI tests next week
* Ohio...Our mother-in-law Annie~ upcoming bipsy on liver...and the care of Steve's dad while Annie is recooping
* Ohio...My brother's knee~re-injured this week~healing
* Alabama...A little girl~last weekend had been accidentally shot in the jaw/recovering from surgery
* Japan.....Alexis and her family as they move to Japan and enter the world of re-adjustments.
* Mississipp...Stephanie and her children~still dealing w/life w/o Jason (husband and father)
* Mississippi...Mike Madaris~ that he continues to win the war of cancer in his life
* Ohio.....Lori & family, a mother dealing w/the death of her son due to cancer
* Pennsylvania....little boy w/cancer~ God knows his name
* Georgia....Ellagrace~ the granddaughter we have yet to hold..paperwork and finances fall together for her adoption this summer
* Ohio...Sally~unspoken but very stressful and devastating times
* UNITED STATES....whether you voted for or against Obama, pray for his leadership to be convicted by God Almighty and that those in charge of our government will listen to God for direction and wisdom.
* UNITED STATES....ALL CHRIST-LED CHURCHES~that they may recognize and fight the battle that wages within....the spiritual battle of satan attacking the family, the staff and therefore attacking those who are lost.
* Germany....missionaries we know but also some my sister knows who are requesting prayer for health issues and open doors.

Psalm 15....Lord who can dwell in Your tent? Who can live on your holy mountain? The one who lives honestly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart, who does not slander with his tongue, who does not harm his friend or discredit his neighbor, who despises the one rejected by the Lord, but honors thoe who fear the Lord, who keeps his word whatever the cost,who does not lend his money at interest or take a bribe against the innocent-the one who does these things will never be moved.

Windchill update..

Latest update....wind chills for tomorrow to be -15 degrees WITH snow drifts expected. And yet, I haven't found my red slippers.

What a difference....

.... a day makes....Snowy The Man is covered w/snow. All you can see is one small piece of a chocolate chip and the tip of his carrot nose.





Looking out my patio door! An Artic Winter Storm is crossing Ohio. So although I was planning on going out today, I decided that since I have not driven in this kind of weather for 27 years...I am staying home!
Wind chill has us at 15 degrees with it lowering to 8 degrees tonight....and more snow.

Right now I am searching for my ruby slippers so I can click 3 times and repeat to myself " There's no place like a southern state, There's no place like a southern state."
At least I do not live in Fargo, ND where it is -22 degrees today! BURRRRR!



2 inches and counting! (TIME: 1:30pm)

I'd like to introduce...

"Snowy The Man" was born this day at 10:45am.

He was created out of the loving and missing heart of a DeeDee who knew that her Georgia Peaches would love to come up north and play in the snow...

Of course he is a Buckeye fan...and the best part, his eyes are not made of coal...but rather chocolate chips...also his mouth and buttons are CC's.

His arms are made from 2 metal bars that are used in wardrobe boxes. So you see, you can make him to be any style you choose.

I tried to get the small videos of his creation onto email for the grands but it would not load. Since this blog is mine, I am going to take the time to upload these short videos for the girls..

LKK,LB,AA......Take a look at snowman building 101! All my love and kisses!

Scenes I love..

But the piece of pie, the whole shabang, the real WOW factor is this pic!

My Family! I am so proud to be a small part of their lives. Just being together was the best gift all!

And it this entry would not be complete w/o the castle!

Of course this was also a favorite scene of mine...gotta have a pic of Mickey.

He kept flirting w/me by wiggling

his nose!

Palm trees here, palm trees there, palms..palms everywhere!

Poinsettias, poinsettias everywhere! We were in an afternoon tropical shower and just look at the dew drops on this poinsettia!

The riverboat ride from our resort to Downtown Disney...20 mins of peacefulness in a very busy 47 miles of magic!

A closeup of a beautiful succulant plant in Animal Kingdom...

Goofey is running thru the presents by the tree in Epcot!

This is the waterfall from the boat ride thru the jungle. Remember the one on the Wonderful World of Walt Disney. It was on Sunday nights at 6pm when we were kids.

Raindrops on roses and....

..and whiskers on kittens!

To watch your granddaughters pampered and each magically turn into a princess~was awesome! Their personal "Fairy Godmother in Training" were so good with the girls! How they managed to get KK's super thick hair up into a bun and AA's thin hair up into a bun...was truely magical!

Thus Fair Godmother!

Their porceline faces were so endearing to my heart that day.

Memories from the....

....corners of my mind!
Our boys!
I don't know what they were talking about but I absolutely love their happy faces!

I simply remember my favorite things...

..and then I don't feel so sad!

Videoing me as I snapped a shot of them.. I don't know who was having more fun on this Magic Carpet Ride,
Steve or Shana???

It's a toss up! Love you two PEAS IN A POD!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Our girls enjoying time together! Disney is that magical place where everyone becomes a kids again.

I was not in many pictures on this trip but my enjoyment came from inside the camera lens.

To Ebay or Not to Ebay???

when pulling out the laundry basket the other day, I found a surprise! The block O as in OH-IO!

I smiled and thought nah, then I said why not! I mean Mother Theresa was on a potato, Jesus has been seen on a piece of toast...why not the block O from The Ohio State Buckeyes?

And if memory serves me well, Mother Theresa was sold on Ebay??? Maybe this is my 'goldmine.' My 15 minutes of fame, my get rich quick scheme, our retirement fund.


Oh but better yet, maybe this was a omen for the big game Monday night! A sign that God was giving me as to the outcome of a great bowl game!

If you notice this posting date, it is Tuesday Jan. 6th the day after that big game! So I'm guessing that this photo won't sell on Ebay. I'm guessing my SEC friends from 27 years in the southern part of this nation is thinking, "How perfect, it was found at the bottom of your laundry basket."

So I'm not retiring early or becoming famous anytime soon. It wasn't an sign from God as to the outcome of the game either. (although some of you will protest that) It was a simple indentation of a heaping pile of laundry in my broken basket in my bathroom closet. But for the time it took for me to find my camera, take the picture and think about the game to be...it was cool!

I should hope that every Buckeye fan out there in blogworld is holding their heads up high. GREAT GAME GUYS! You held a tough team to a winning score of only 3 points , when the spread was 10 points b.g.t. (before game time)
My Buckeyes did a great job, yeah we lost, but it was one great game.

And Gibson, you never touched the headgear of Colt 'great name for a quarterback from Texas" McCoy. (have you not heard Bret the Mussburg(spl?) say that before about Colt?)

I am a tried and true Buckeye fan! Proud of our team and Senator Tressell!

And while I am at it: Cowboy hats off to Texas for a great game!

SnowMickey...

I love snowmen! I have a Texan,
baseball player, Ohio State Buckeye snowman, snowballs, nativity scene snowpeople, mitten snowman..you name it, I might have it. They stand on countertops, they sit on furniture, they also hang on my tree.

But while at Disney, my mission was to find a SnowMickey! You would think that Disney would have them EVERYWHERE! .............NOT!
That was frustrating to me. At our resort I found a cute little snowmickey which was very cute but I knew what I was looking for...yet in the 47 miles of Disney, I could not find it....UNTIL!
We were in Downtown Disney, not to be confused w/Magic Kingdom. I was tired of sitting/standing on crowded buses so the last night we rode a pontoon boat to downtown Disney...and walked around shopping. Then we walked into this shop and HE FOUND ME, SnowMickey!

It never takes much to make me happy. I mean a beach and a book, ice cold Coke, taking pictures of anything, seeing a parade through the eyes of my grands or finding a SnowMickey!!

I had ta....

...put a pic of this ornament Steve got last yr from Shana & Billie. It's pretty cool! Presents that give you a smile from yr to yr is worth it! Thanks Kids, your dad loves his memories of this movie!

A fav present....

....Steve loves The Christmas Story movie. Matter of fact, Christmas this year @ Disney just wasn't the same b/c he didn't get to watch this movie all day long! Nah, he wouldn't watch it all day just part of the day, grabbing little bits here and there.

Last year Shana and Bill got Steve a ornament from the movie. You know the part where the boys 'triple dog' dare one guy to stick his tongue to the flagpole? I mean there is a voice over w/the ornament and every day this season, Steve pushed the button just to hear the voice say, "Hey, don't leave me! We gotta, the bell rang." (voice inflection needed to make it effective.

Jill and Warren bought Steve the night light above....and yes, I have it in our bathroom. I know you always laugh at the part where the dad wins the huge package marked "Fra-gee-leee, It's Italian!"

I have a feeling that there will be other items from this movie, my honey's favorite, in the future! He's my sweetheart, gotta love him.

New Yrs Party 80's Style

then my camera batteries ran out in the first 30 mins of the party! I guess I forgot to recharge after Disney.....

But here are the pictures I promised. I know you were all waiting w/baited breath. (teehee)

You can see Steve in his 80's t-shirt sporting his Ronald Regan button...and Ryan, our Youth minister, dressed as the cool Miami Vice guy - what was his name? (teehee) The 80's was 28 yrs ago! Does anyone know what Don, the cool guy in the white suit, Johnson is doing these days?

Then of course there are the 4 girls , where one (me) was actually a mother during the 80's and as you notice by the varsity jacket these other girls were in HIGH SCHOOL in the 80's...(teehee)

Of course we all remember Olivia Newton-John and her "Let's Get Physical" video.. Remember leg warmers, oh look, they are back in style now! Please note: Pete Rose in the background......hummmm!

We listened to great music, enjoyed food and video arcade, had a guys vs girls game of Gestures. Talked about our kids and grandkids,vacations, Christmas, politics, parents and broken furnaces. We remembered and gave tribute to the 1980's but I think no one wanted to go back to those 'happy days!'

Emails from friends...

....are wonderful! They are so much easier and quicker that postal....pictures of recent events are right at your fingertips.

The following email excerpt came from a dear power-prayer friend in Albany, Georgia. It was a long email from a missionary friend who evidently had just gotten back to their mission field after a long overdue vacation to their home state. I only copied one part of the prayer request but I figured that many of us know missionaries and we could pray the same things over them all.

I believe in prayer for all the obvious reasons but back in the 80's God had put some friends of ours on my heart (heavily laden) to pray for. After several weeks of this burden over them. I called Larry's mother about their work. She informed me that they were under tons of spiritual warfare in Uganda and had been held captive a few times, once w/gun shots fired. (one shot went into the wall right above Sharon's head) So since the 80's I have believed more in prayer especially when you are burdened for someone. Anyhow, please see the following and pray for those missionaries you may know or don't know.

But wait! What about your own neighborhood, are you not a missionary there? I believe that God's words tells us this. So pray these requests over each other....and let us be amazed at what God will do in and thru our lives!!!!!

Pray for our passion and purpose to be Christ and Christ alone.
Ask that none feel their labors of love over

the years have been in vain.
Ask that we are able to walk in a spirit of surrender

and that apathy would not creep into our hearts.
Ask that the Lord God Almighty grant that each of us take heed to the ministry which we have received in Him, and that

we would fulfill it for His glory.
Pray that as a people we are able to spur one another on, challenging and encouraging each other to be

all He has created us to be.
Pray we are purified in the process and that we are

made holy as He is holy.

My Special Gift....

...this year~minus the gift of Disney was from my sister Beth! Everyone knows that I absolutely love receipe books. My oldest one is an orginal Betty Crocker hardcover cook book and now my newest is what Beth got me (or actually US) She painslessly labored over a "Day in the Life" of her mother, otherwise known as Grandma PokaDot, making a rhubarb pie. (One of our faves)
The title is From Mother's Hands. Beth took pictures one day this summer of her mother making this pie from scratch. Although there are pictures of Grandma PokaDot, I love the ones of "just her hands." They are mixing, rolling, cutting, seperating egg yokes. They are dusted white w/flour with alot of arthritis mixed in. But that is what makes thoses hands so special! These hands are always serving, loving, knitting, gardening and ever so soft! These hands have loved me as her own daughter these 32 yrs and I am a better person b/c of who they are attached to!

So thanks Beth, you had no idea how much I love cook books. Large, small, hardcover, paperback, home-proof, and elegant dinner style, beautiful covers, simple covers... this one tops them all!!! I decided to start displaying them on my counter after this move, so the new year will have to start w/my newest edition!

Random postings from Disney...

Hey, Ya'll....I have decided to do random postings from Disney. (although I still need to get my New Year/Christmas letter out and into snail-mail sometime before Valentines Day) This pic is of our sons Warren & Billie and Uncle Gene. It was Christmas morning in our room, the grands had just opened up their presents and now the guys got something small. A Christmas tradition in the Ogle family (started by Aunt Beth many moons ago) has been to buy an item, i.e. socks, or other various small items for the guys and for the gals who were together at Christmas.

This Christmas had us flying to Disney so I could not pack alot of presents. My solution was to buy red scarfs for the girls and "rockandroll" t-shirts for the guys! Now as I am typing this, I realize that I did not get the 'traditional' picture of the girls and their red scarfs....sorry girls! But here's to the guys!!!!

Steve and I love each one of you! We are better b/c you are in our lives! Joy!