Happy Birthday Rachigga...

23 years ago today...at 9:00 in the morning, I gave birth to my beautiful Angel Girl. I have nicks for all my kids...Cheerios for the son, Baby Girl for our middle daughter (Happy) and, Angel Girl for Rachigga. (So...why not use THOSE nicks for this blog??? IDK...maybe because they are MY nicks for them and I don't want to share that with anyone.)

ANYWAY...my littlest...my youngest...my Angel Girl. Beautiful from the first moment I laid eyes on her...she absolutely captured my heart. She brought me incredible joy...still does.

I have included many pictures...mostly because I just uploaded so many for a DVD project they are fresh in my mind...trust me, there could be more, but I don't want to embarrass the poor girl!

Rachigga was a really awesome baby. Didn't cry much...seemed pretty content in her own little baby-world. Little did we know that my little Angel was NOT doing that well. When she was about 2 months old, my sis-in-law noticed she was really skinny and suggested we have her checked out "just because". So...we did. The doctor took one look at her tiny body and she was immediately concerned for this precious little baby. The results of the initial testing was grim...a potentially fatal liver condition. Her liver had simply stopped functioning. They warned us the rest of testing may bring more bad news. They took more blood and prepared it for a lab in Ohio. Chief and I were afraid, as most young parents would be. We could be on the cusp of losing our precious Angel Girl. We brought her to church and told PD right away. There was a Healing Ministry coming to our church that weekend "The Power Team", and when PD called Chief to bring Rachigga forward, their massive hands enveloped our tiny girl and healing began immediately. Those tests were sent out on Friday and the results were to be in on Monday. When we went in on Monday...a miracle...according to her Doctor. She was not going to die...she was in desperate need of calories and so I stopped nursing her and started her on formula. God healed my precious baby. Thus the nick...Angel Girl. She was guarded...protected, no doubt about it and we knew it. Even though there were consequenses to her inability to process calories right away, we knew she would be all right. Some physical therapy and the right formula and my Angel was back on track and growing and becoming the woman she is today. We know God has an incredible plan for this beautiful, young woman...a woman after His own heart!

Beautiful. Precious. Gifted. Understanding. Kind. Compassionate. Funny. Incredibly funny. One of the most Godly women I know. Her heart is as big as an ocean.

A wonderful Aunt.

A tender sister.

A perfect daughter.

A "forever" friend.

I love her incredibly and I am so excited for her to become a wife and a mother. Which she will be doing in exactly 84 days.

Happy Birthday, Angel Girl.

Happy Mother's day...TO ME!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Okay..this should PROBABLY be a Mother's Day post about my Mom. Sorry...it's about ME! I never really thought I was a GREAT Mom, but, let me tell you...my kids are GREAT parents! They all have GREAT kids! And I had the HONOR of keeping two of those grandkids overnight for the first time EVER!

It was a great Friday and Saturday. Z-man and Flower were funny and wonderful and a little whiney and beautiful and perfect all rolled into one! We watched two different episodes of "Wonder Pets" (This is sewweeeious!) four different times. And Little Bear and Dora and The Bee Movie. We had Mac and Cheese with Strawberries for dinner and waffles and strawberries for breakfast. We played outside and we laughed while they climbed and "fell" off the couches and they ran the "circle" of the house over and over and over...oh yeah, and we took naps. Funny. Zech really didn't take a "nap" per se (Saturday)...he stayed up in his room and played with his cars and sang...something...and then came downstairs and sat with me on the foot of the recliner couch for two hours while we watched Little Bear. He was quiet and quite comfortable. Opa snored on the couch! :~) Lily slept almost 4 hours. Then Mom and Dad came and took them home. It was an awesome treat for Mother's Day...who'd'a thunk???

Of course...we didn't take any pictures of ME with he kids...we always manage to FORGET to do that. We have lots with Opa, Oma is usually BEHIND the camera...oh well...enjoy!

Dig that crazy hair!

Coconut...one of my FAVES!

Don't let the title confuse you...this is not about food. Sorry :~)

Once in a while I get these "surveys' from well-meaning friends that ask the same questions that the LAST survey asked which was sent by the same well-meaning friends. Once in a while, one of the questions is: "What are you listening to right now?" Usually every one's answers are the same...music...the click-clack of my keyboard while I type...the kids in the other room...blah, blah, blah.

I am listening to my Myspace Standalone Player. On this particular player (I have three...for now) are songs from my childhood/teen years. The Eagles...The Archies...The Partrige Family...Jack Jones...The Mama's and the Papa's...Queen...Bobby Sherman...you should hear some of these oldies but goodies...if only for the nostalgia. You can check it out...I'll wait. http://www.myspace.com/jcsings4him

I am so wrapped up in music. I love it. I have written about music before, how it can soothe the mind and refresh the soul. I have a particularily eccentric taste in music. I love it all...mostly. Not too keen on banging my head for no apparent reason...seems painful to me.

Usually, when I write about how music moves me, I can apply some spiritual application to it...but today, I am just in love with the music. Not how it applies to my life or that God created it for my pleasure. I am just in need of hearing it today. Kind of like the flowers on the bush in my front yard. I just want to look at their beauty...not examine their place in my spiritual walk. And seeing as how I can't really post a picture of the music, I will give you one of my pretty little flowers.

I guess I just want people to take the time to just listen to the melody and how it blends with the harmony...feel how the rhythm moves you to dance...or sway...or breathe. Relax...rest...close your eyes and let the music bring you to a place of peace...or heighten your sense of complete joy...sing along...LOUDLY...dance...act silly...be serious...whatever! "Cause I get a peaceful, easy feelin', and I know you won't let me down, cause I'm already standin' on the ground!"

Come on...SING WITH ME!