Thursday Thirteen

Let's Take A Look At 2006

1. In January my husband and I were invited to Silver Springs, Florida to display one of our show cars in the Primedia booth. I was so excited and proud of my husband when the editor of Mustang Monthly handed him a magazine and there he was on the front cover! Way cool!

2. February is always an exciting month for our church because our Awana kids are given the chance to show us what they have learned! The kids work hard all year long memorizing Bible verses (word perfectly I might add + references). My husband and I are both coaches and love working with the kids. It really doesn't matter where they place (although they did very well :o) It's the fact that they are willing to do the work~and trust me~it is not easy! And most importantly they are hiding God's word in their hearts!

3. March is a special month for my hubby and I because we became parents on March 14, 1992. We always celebrate our anniversary with dinner and some kind of family outing. I can't believe it's been fourteen years since they moved in....soon to be 15 years! There is nothing better than being a parent, especially when you have the three neatest kids around. God blessed me BIG TIME when He allowed me to be their mother. I am very thankful for them!

4. April was a rough month I'll admit. I tried my hardest to fight it, but one night after Awana I came home and sat at the dining room table. I was so tired and ready for bed, but when I tried to stand up I just no longer had the strength to do it. I gave in and asked for my crutches. Like American Express~I don't leave home without them!

5. May rolled in without a hitch. It's always a busy month for Indiana because we have the Indy 500, which my husband and daughter love. So those two went to the race and the rest of us enjoyed our Sunday at church and having a big picnic with everybody. I love our church~I go to a Baptist church and let's just say that Baptist women know how to cook good food ;o)

6. In June my baby girl turned the big 18!! She moved in when she was a few months shy of four years old. She was such a tiny little thing and now she is a whopping 4' 11"!! She wants to be a nurse and gets plenty of practice helping take care of me and her grandpa. Our birthday celebrations are simple consisting of food, of course, and either a movie of their choice or playing games as a whole family. I love it that no matter how old they get they still want to spend the evening just being together! She's a very special girl and is working so hard her senior year. She's moved up to 26th in a class size of about 150! Not too shabby :o)

7. July is a month that I would just as soon forget. I have never been in so much pain in all my life, seriously. I really thought I was going to die and on some days I wanted to go on to Heaven! I thought I was a tough gal dealing with arthritis, but boy did I turn out to be a whimp! Here is what I looked like after giving birth to my kidney stone...scary I know, but I think pretty brave to show my really, really ugly side! Now my eyes are clear, my hair is washed and I am not so puffy anymore!

8. August is one of my favorite months because it's my birthday and also the kids go back to school!!!!!!! 'Nuf said! I also started this whole blogging thing back in August and have had a blast getting to know so many wonderful, caring women! Not that I want others to go through painful times, but it has helped me get through many tough times when I have read or you have shared your stories. And prayers for my father and mother have come so faithfully~thank you!

9. September my hubby and I had a mini get away for our 22nd anniversary! Even though we work together and are with each other non stop, we really don't get to have any privacy. For one we have Wensley who is in constant demand for attention, plus you have the phones and the customers and kids....we are thankful for all of them, but even more thankful when we have a chance to reconnect with each other. Marriage is tough~even when you are best friends!

10. Sorry, but October was another yucky month for me. Along came Kid Rock. This time I could not pass it so I had surgery on the Friday the 13th! I sound so ungrateful and I'm really not because what could have been a painful surgery because of my hips was actually a breeze. So I want to say Thank You Lord that you provided a wonderul team of doctors and for letting me have the wisdom to go ahead and have surgery and not wait like I originally thought. I found out after the surgery that if I had waited a while longer I would have lost my right kidney completely! So why am I complaining about October~shame on me~this should be my favorite month for here on out! Thank you Lord for this reminder just now of how faithful you have been to me all year long.

11. November was a fun month for me and my hubby. We were able to go to the SEMA show out in Las Vegas and do some business, but have a lot of fun too! This show is where I get alot of my freebies~it doesn't take much to thrill me! November was also touch and go with my dad, but he is still with us and for every day I have him I am thankful!

12. Ah yes, December! Where has this month gone? Again, a rough month with dad but he's still with us. Many people lost loved ones and my heart has ached for them and I have cried many times for these lives will never be the same without their mom, their dad, their little boy or their little girl. I've read their stories and they have been an amazing testimony to God's faithfulness and grace. Another good reminder for me that God is with us!

13. I am looking forward to 2007! I will be faced with many challenges I know. I have lots of poundage to lose so I can get bionic hips! I will keep doing the accounting for our shop and hopefully we will start making money! I will cherish each moment I have with my dad while he is here on earth. In fact, I will savor each and everyday I have with anyone that I love because we don't know what tomorrow brings, do we?! And I know in 2007 there will be many things that remain exactly the same: God will be with me and my family as He promised! I have a family that loves to talk and I will listen. I have a husband that loves me and considers me his best friend. I feel the same about him! I know that my favorite color will still be blue and it will make me smile when I see it. And I will still love feeding giraffes!

I WELCOME YOU 2007!!!!!