Remembering Maw

I got an email from my cousin Ron today and this is what it said, "Hey Everyone, My calendar says that today is the 120th birthday of Maw Hurst! Hattie Mae Poland Hurst, Jan. 27, 1889 - Mar 3, 1977. That is, if I got her birth year right in my calendar and if I did the math right. I feel old! Anyway, I thought you might want to eat a piece of cake in her honor! Ron" Maw was my great-grandmother and that email brought back lots of memories...scrambled egg and mayonaise sandwiches, boiled potatoes mashed with a fork, step-ins, crowded couches, high top button up shoes and diet rite cola, to name a few. For any family members who may be reading this, what do you remember about Maw? Leave a message and share your memories.

Arrangements

UPDATE: The family will receive friends at Schubert's Funeral Home in Wartburg, tomorrow night, Tuesday, January 27, from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. The funeral will be at 8 with Pastor Bret Pallotta preaching. Graveside services will be 1 p.m. Wednesday at Elizabeth Baptist Church in Gobey.

Misty just called me from the nursing home a few minutes ago, and her dad (stepdad), Buster, passed away. Please pray for Misty, Mackeinzie, Malachi & Dixie, and the rest of Buster's family. Malachi will be making arrangements tomorrow to fly home from Texas. I will update when I know the arrangements sometime tomorrow for those who would like to know.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Kylie-Bug!

We missed Kylie & Wyatt today. Today was Kylie's 3rd birthday. We talked to her on the phone and the kids all sang Happy Birthday to her.

Happy Birthday Kylie-Bug, we miss you and we love you!

Future Pool Sharks

All the Tennessee grandkids were at my house today, and there were no uncles to prevent them from playing pool, so they got to play some. That doesn't happen when the uncles are around.

Uncle Jace was around long enough to give a few pointers.

Time all those uncles return, they'll give 'em a run for their money.

Steph Inspired Me

My neice, Stephanie, (Keeping Up With The Joneses) did one of these wordle's on her blog. I had never seen one and thought it was pretty neat, so I had to check it out. And of course, I had to try it. So, here's what I did. You can click on it to make it bigger. Go check out Steph's by clicking on the link under Family.

Grandkid pictures

Tasha just updated her blog. Check out more pictures of Kylie & Wyatt by clicking on the the link on the right.

It's Snowing!

Woke up this morning to an Alert Now message saying that school was cancelled. Looked out the window and saw just a few flakes of snow on the car. Went back to sleep (government holiday and I work for county government) and woke to see big huge snowflakes coming down. This is the first snow this winter where we've actually had some on the ground. We're under a winter weather advisory until 4 p.m. Wonder how much we'll actually get? 'Course I know this is nothing compared to what Aaron & Tasha get in Nebraska, but it's kind of exciting around here (for a change). It was -16 in Bellevue last week. Malachi and Luke are in Baytown, Texas and they are walking around in short sleeves. It's 67 degrees there today.

They've gone : (

Malachi & Luke left for Texas to work on Wednesday, and then Aaron, Tasha and the kids left on Friday morning, going back to Nebraska. It's really quiet around my house now. I miss them all. Before they left, I made a few more pictures, (imagine that).

Here's Wyatt playing in the floor. I think I'm gonna nickname him "Smiley", either that or "Dimples" He's got the cutest little dimples. Maybe I'd better stick to "Smiley".

And here's Kylie playing with Jason's pup, Camo. She had so much fun with him, and even when she pulled him by his tail, he made no move to hurt her.

I can still hear her giggling. It's such a wonderful sound!

Then we tried to get an updated family picture. Not always as easy as it sounds.

This one is good. They're all smiling. Well, all except Aaron. But this next one is still my favorite, even though they aren't all smiling and it's not the "perfect" picture. It was the first one I took. It just kind of says it all.

I really am gonna miss them a whole lot! And it will probably be at least six months before I get to see them again. Not nearly soon enough for this Mammy!

Keinzie & Basketball

Keinzie had a basketball game at Wartburg while everyone was home. She had a big cheering section. Mammy, Uncle Seth, Malachi, Misty, Uncle Jason, Christina, Uncle Luke, Uncle Aaron, Kylie's Uncle D, and her biggest fan of all, Kylie. Kylie was hollering "Go Keinzie, you can do it" and "Go Keinzie, go". Keinzie plays post on OS's team. That's her on the far left reaching for the ball.Second one from the left in the next two pictures.

(It's really hard to get good pictures in the Boy's & Girl's club gym. There's not enough light and everything comes out looking yellow.) They played a good game, but unfortunately Wartburg beat 'em.

Urgent Prayer Request

I'd like to ask all those of you who read my blog and know the power of prayer, to please pray for Misty's (Malachi's wife's) dad, Henry "Buster" Duty. He had a massive stroke a few days ago, and the results of a CT scan show a mass that is covering the front lobe of his brain. There is not much they can do for him, with all his physical problems. He is currently in the nursing home and not doing very well. Please pray for Buster and also Dixie, Misty and Mackeinzie.

Looking Back...at 2008

2008 has been a long, tough year. So many things have happened, some good, some bad, some absolutely devestating. Things that I haven't understood. Things that I've only made it through because I know that the Lord cares and that He's been with me the whole way. I know that even though I may not understand, He says that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." And through it all, I have seen the Mighty Hand of God at work! At times, it was just in the tiny things, like the still small voice that spoke to my heart, but in others, things that defied reason. He worked in such a way that a young man turned around, not knowing why, in the midst of acres of land, to go down a road that others had passed by, at just the right time. A time that literally meant the difference between life and death. I don't know if that young man even knows the Lord, but I know the Lord used him. I can't think of it now, without my hands shaking and tears filling my eyes. These were things that only God, in His infinite wisdom, could have brought about. The list goes on and on, of the ways I have seen His Mighty Hand working in my life and in the lives of those I love. I can never thank Him enough for His goodness and infinite mercy!

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Even through the things that have brought me to my knees, to the lowest point in my life thus far, God has blessed! Even though He saw fit to allow two of my grandchildren to make their home in heaven with Him, before even entering this world, He allowed another to grace our lives here. (You see his smiling face in the previous post). And another, little Abby Jo, will join us in 2009, Lord willing. I am blessed!

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I'm so thankful that He has allowed my family to be together at the end of 2008 and the beginning of 2009. It isn't something that I take for granted anymore. Things can change in a heartbeat.

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I don't know what 2009 holds in store, but I do know who'll be there with me, every step of the way!

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O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever. ~Psalm 107:1~

Ringing In The New Year

After everyone finished opening their presents and eating and playing awhile, our numbers dwindled down. Aaron, Tasha, Wyatt, Kylie, Malachi, Misty, Papaw and I settled in to wait on the new year. Rounds of pool and Battle of the Sexes were played,

Wyatt entertained us with his smiling,

performed a few tricks,

(If I hadn't personally given the stinker two bottles myself, I'd think they weren't feeding him)

and Kylie played with her gift from Uncle Jace. She may not have got a drum set, but she did get a makeup set. She gave Mammy and Misty manicures, Mommy a make over,

and she got one herself. Even Uncle Malachi got in on the fun.

Doesn't she look bea-u-ti-ful!!

"Christmas" on New Year's Eve

We celebrated Christmas with our immediate family on New Year's Eve. We wanted to have as many together as possible. As I've said before, it's really hard to get everyone together. We had 16 of the 17 together. (Keinzie's still at her Dad's). We also had Mamaw June & Papaw J, Aunt Gail & Uncle Steve and Papaw Tom. Nanny wasn't feeling well. Hope you're feeling better now, Mom. Needless to say, things can become quite chaotic with a crowd like that. It was kind of hard to get pictures of everybody.

When I called Kylie to see what she wanted for Christmas, the first thing she told me was a horn. Mom said she didn't need a horn, but Mammy got her one anyway. :) But I compromised and got her one for her bicycle.

Uncle Jace got Owen a drum set. He really liked it. He loves playing Uncle Seth's drums and is really quite good at it.

Owen shared with Kylie. She liked the drums too, but Daddy said if anyone got her a set, he'd leave them on the side of the road somewhere between here and Nebraska. Shame on you Daddy! You had a set when you were little. Mamaw June bought them for you, and you got to play them whenever you visited her. They sat on her front porch for years. :)