New Year's Day

We'll be hosting our traditional New Year's board game marathon on Tuesday--anytime after 2 p.m. I haven't decided on food yet, but if you want to bring something to munch on feel free! Jared will be off with a bunch of people in our stake shooting things, but we can certainly have fun without him. Hope you can come!

Nativity picture

Here' s a picture taken at the 2007 Arlington Stake Nativity. Aren't we cute?

Update on Everman Football

Playoff game is this Saturday at 1 p.m. at Mesquite. Highland Park is 35 students short of being 5A and Everman is barely 4A. Of course, Highland Park could buy the whole city of Everman out of pocket change but the Everman players want to win SO BAD - not for the championship - just to beat the little rich snots! We’ll see what happens. If they win it will truly be a miracle they can make into a movie.

Family Christmas

Merry Christmas - Christmas is two weeks away and some decisions have to be made. I will cook, as usual, ham, turkey, etc. but we have to decide when we are going to eat so out-of-towners can make plans. Please respond TODAY, if possible, so plans can move ahead.

It appears that doing turnovers for breakfast and then having lunch in a short while just doesn’t work. What about doing turnovers at your house with your kids and continuing the tradition? Dad would be proud! So, we can have lunch at 11, 12, 1 or 2 but maybe no later for those who are traveling. We can do stockings first and gift exchange after or we can do something different. Nothing is set in stone except that Christmas is on the 25th, so think outside the box!

Please post suggestions or your time constraints ASAP so decisions can be made. Please keep your spending to a mimimum. The gift exchange is supposed to have the theme - ENTERTAINMENT with the gift costing $10 to $15. Be creative!

I look forward to suggestions!

Action Group Update and Calendar

It is only a week until we begin Action Group activities (lke we haven’t done that all year). On Tuesday, Dec. 18, sometime after 5 p.m., we will move everything from Headquarters (Fowkes’ Garage) to the Church. Jared is bringing the Scout trailer but we have other pickups, if needed. At the Church we will set up a zillion tables and sort all the stuff into categories. One of us will whip up some signs marking each section. On Wednesday, Gary will ramrod the collection of canned goods. We are getting stuff from Super1 (their bin is nearly full) and the two schools as well as the Methodist Church. (Connie and I will pick up canned goods at Super 1 tomorrow after craft class and bring them to Headquarters.) The Methodist Women are also giving us $100 which will help with last minute stuff. Super 1 Manager Ron Williams is trying to get the schools to have their stuff ready but that seems to never happen. He said if we have to, he will assign a couple of his employees to help. Michael Farr will be on hand to help, also.

Back to the schedule. Connie and I will be there most all day and Damaris is taking the day off, we hope. Wednesday after noon, Mandie, Melinda, Ginny, Suzy, Meredith, maybe Missy and anyone else who can, will come to help do the families. We will start with the biggest first and the biggest this year has 9 kids - a record for us! We will work that evening and again that next morning to finish up. We have over 150 kids now, I believe, and several are large families. However, we have a lot of stuff, so we believe we are OK. At some point, Ginny will spearhead the cosmetic assembly or whatever we call that. We also have a lot of stuff for that!

I need to know who can help and when and we need suggestions for food. Those coming after school will most likely be hungry a little later. We will also invite local officials, Lions Club, etc. to drop by and see the operation. Bishop Kokenes was very impressed last year and I believe it will help with our support if some of them see what and how we are doing. I will fill the Elijah Basket and bring that for snacks and we will buy drinks and water.

Anyway, back on track... Gary is picking up the hens early Thursday morning but he will probably have to work. Pickups for clients will begin at noon and should go quickly. We will have to eat again so I am still looking for ideas.

Please let us know for sure who and when you will be there and give us suggestions for food.

Here is the schedule in a capsule:
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 6 p.m.
Move stuff to Church and sort onto tables.
Wednesday, 9 a.m.:
Pick up food at Super 1, two schools and Methodist Church, if needed.
Sort groceries. Finish sorting toys.
4 p.m. or ASAP, work on families starting with biggest.
Sort books for each family (Meredith)
9 p.m. or sooner if we are too tired.
Go home
Thursday, Dec. 20, 7 a.m.
Gary picks up 85 hens
9 a.m. Finish families. Get ready to distribute starting at noon.
Thursday afternoon - later
Move leftovers back to headquarters.

Root, Root, Root!

I must update you on Everman football. First of all - they are 4A now, not 3A and they beat Wichita Falls Saturday (12-8) at Texas Stadium. They rallied from a 13-0 deficit and won 21-19 in the last quarter. Reminds me of Sunday’s Cowboys game. Winning in 4A means a whole lot more. They are 14-0 for the season! They will advance to State Semifinals and will play Highland Park on Saturday, 12-15, place TBA. That will be when the BIG DAWGS meet the GOT ROCKS - sure would be worth seeing, but I bet it is already sold out! Root, Root, Root for the Home Team!

For Grandma

Since I won't get to see you on your birthday, Mom, I got a few of your fans together to serenade you. Have a very happy birthday! We love you!

Make photo slide shows at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Artist's Challenge

Hello all artists! Anna is re-doing her room and she wants to do it in pink Paris poodles. I can't find artwork that is cheap, so I was hoping that someone could paint or draw, pink poodles for Anna's room. Please?

Bulldogs just keep on winning

WOW! Another win on Saturday at Texas Stadium 51-27 over Dunbar. They move up a level in the playoffs. GO DAWGS!

Every farm should have a Deere

I was driving in the truck down Oak Grove Road the other day and a man was walking away from the curb after leaving a Little Tykes trike on the curb. I screeched to a halt, squealing the tires and backed up. I hollered at the elderly man and asked if the trike was up for grabs and he said, “Please take it, it is yours!” So I did, and then took it to the car wash for a bath. Now we have a John Deere tricycle for the kids to play with. Ben has already tried it out but he needs to grow his legs a little longer.

Another Open Window

Connie and I had gone over the list of needy families - mostly elderly - that needed help at Thanksgiving. Many of them live on $600 a month and get little or no food stamps. We have a church that is fixing for eight, but there were still about five families that needed help. We had decided we probably better spend some of our money and get them a gift card. I was planning to do that tomorrow but right after I got home from church, I got a call from the FH Methodist Church and they took up groceries and turkeys for Thanksgiving and are giving it all to us. We were already going to work on Action Group tomorrow and count games since they are on sale at Target. So, we will pick up the stuff and make some deliveries. Another window!

When the Lord closes a door, he opens a window

Wednesday, I got up bright and early (you know I love that) and visited the Lions Club. They donated $1,000 for Action Group for both Christmas and Thanksgiving. Last year they gave us $2,000 but that is OK. We just figured we will have to be conservative.

Then today was a busy, hectic, but productive day. While I was out and about, I got a phone call from a man who said he has a store and wanted to know if I was in charge of the toy drive. You always kinda hesitate, because they may just want to chew you out or something. Anyway, he said that eight stores were collecting toys and he wanted to keep them in the community and give them to us. So, he asked me to come over and sign a form (holding them blameless if something is broken or hazardous or has lead paint, etc.).

So my philosophy has pretty much been to do your church stuff first and all else will fall in line. So, I didn’t have a business card with me, so I went home to print some (like James Garner always did on Rockford Files) and a Nativity cohort was parked in the driveway getting together 60 big brown envelopes for me to mail. I knew this would be time consuming, but I took them in and split them into manageable groups, printed return labels and headed for the Post Office. I took the first big box in, staggering through the door because the doors are kinda stiff and there were two (2) clerks with nothing to do - even though there were EIGHT cars parked outside. So, I told them to wait a minute while I got the other box and by the time I got back in, they had picked up my box and were already working on the stuff. I put on return labels while they weighed the envelopes but it still took 30 minutes. (I timed it!) But, it could have taken a whole lot longer.

So then I continued on my way to sign the papers. The manager at Dollar General on Mansfield Highway will donate what he collects and also from several other Dollar Generals so the toys can remain local. I am sure a lot of it will be small items, but we will use them for stocking stuffers.

I guess this is an answer to Connie’s concern about not having money to buy little stuff for the kids and an open window, I believe!

Finding Nemo on Ice

Just a reminder that I have 18 tickets for Disney on Ice (Nemo) and I need confirmation on who is going. The tickets are for Wed., Nov. 21 (my birthday) at Reunion at 7:30 p.m. Confirmed as going are:
Shirley
Anna
Melinda
Kile
Damaris
Carrie
Julie
Chrystal
Gideon
Ginny
Randi & Mary
Let me know ASAP if you can go. We do not want to waste any tickets!

Bulldog Pride Update

Everman remains undefeated after beating Stephenville Friday night to a sellout crowd 31-28 with a field goal in overtime. This makes Everman the District Champs and they will move on but I do not have details. Having a good football team is a real plus if you don’t have much else going for you, according to the School Superintendent, Jeri Pfeifer, a friend of mine. We will still root, root, root for the home team!

Everman Bulldog Pride

I know we do not have a lot of Everman Bulldog Pride but you gotta be proud of this – Friday (the 9th) they are playing Stephenville. Both teams are 9-0. Be watching for these scores. I hear it’s gonna be a killer game!

Looking for a baby name?

We are always looking for baby names so I thought I would let you see the names of the 16 sets of twins at David K. Sellars Elementary School next to the Chapel.

I am sure someone will like some of these. I have a pronouncing guide, if needed. The twins at Sellars are: Alexis and Amaree Lincoln, Naria and Dang Reyes, Aniya and Saniya Anderson, Mya and Myron Hodges, Hope and Faith Flores (they have a sister named Charity - nothing like a theme!), Gladys and Odalys Salvador, Katlin and Kameron Walker, Gerardo and Eduardo Garcia, Tatiyana and Kretiyana Phillips, Angelina and Dante Perez, Jivuna and Javion Ford, Lorenzo and Gonzalo Moreno-Neri, Emanuel and Pedro Lara, Tiaunna and Tiara Heslip, Deion and Keion Criner and Kinshia and Kinzanae Sauls.

Tales from the 6th Ward Halloween Party

Mom is the 6th ward activities director and this year she wanted everyone to come dressed up as one of their ancestors. I can't remember who Mom went as. Ginny decided to go as Mom. James went as the grim reaper. I'm not sure exactly how that ties into his ancenstry, but I can't decide which of them is the most disturbing. Thoughts, everyone?

Watch Out World!

I thought you would enjoy this picture which was taken at CiCi’s recently. Tommy had a wonderful time and ate a lot of pizza.

A Taste of Sam’s

Holiday time is rapidly approaching. Make a note to attend the Taste of Sam’s which is a three-day event in which you can sample most of the special holiday foods. In other words, a free lunch. I know some of the little kids like Abby and Tommy really love this. The event will be Friday - Sunday, November 16-18, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Word of advice - don’t go right at 10 a.m., they are not always ready. They DO take lunch breaks and close up PROMPTLY at 6. So hit the event during prime time for the primo food. If you don’t have a Sam’s card, get a guest pass at the membership desk. ENJOy!

HELP!!!

I am in charge of decorating Anna's class door for Red Ribbon Week, and I have NO idea what to do! It has to be decortated on Monday! YIKES! I actually didn't volunteer for this, it just sort of fell into my lap, and I want to do a good job! It's a competition as well, and while I don't expect to win, I still want the door to look good. The theme has to be drug-free related. PLEASE give me any ideas that you have! Also, if the class can be involved in some way, that would be even better, maybe with their pictures or something that they can color or create.

It’s Christmas before Halloween again

Well, I went to WalMart this week and they have nearly all their Christmas stuff out. I guess I usually see the leftovers when they are 75 or 90% off, so it was kinda nice to look around. I was surprised to see black and white as a new Christmas decorating scheme. So, I bought a new nutcracker. I haven’t bought one recently, just waited for gifts from John. But I was afraid these would all be gone. I guess you might call her “Miss America” or “Dancing with the Stars” since her dress is pretty low cut. Anyway, she will join the ranks of the most unusual in the collection.

PECAN FUNDRAISER

Okay, so I'm not a big fan of school fundraisers, but for once they have come up with something decent. Gideon's school choir is selling pecan halves in 1 pound bags. They are $10/pound, which is comparable to the grocery stores. They are more expensive than Sam's (about $12 for 2 pounds), but we (meaning Jared & I) are driving to Corsicana straight to the orchard to pick them up, so they're super fresh. You also get an attractive Legacy High School sticker on front! They'll be available for pickup after Nov. 15th.

Let me know by Oct. 20th if you're interested. I might also be persuaded to buy a pound for a stocking stuffer if you'll let me know. My kids think that's a lame Christmas gift, but personally I'd really enjoy it!

Mother's Wisdom in about 3 minutes

Check out this video--it's hilarious! (for some of you young 'uns, it may be more what you remember your mom saying) http://video.yahoo.com/video/play?vid=1202370&fr=yvmtf

Action Group plans for 27th Christmas

We had a partial Action Group Directors Meeting on Sunday to plan a schedule for the holidays. This schedule has been OK’d by Gary and Connie, so we are set to go. We may need a few more volunteers this year, so we will select some trusted souls to approach.
The tentative schedule is:
Saturday, Dec. 1, 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. - Interviews at the Community Center.
Tuesday evening, Dec. 18 - Move toys from Shelby storeroom to Church.
Wednesday, Dec. 19 - Pick up groceries from store, schools and other places like Fire Hall. Sort and make boxes in afternoon.
Lunch will be served at noon for volunteers.
Complete boxes in afternoon and begin filling toy orders. Those who cannot work during day can pull an evening shift. We will not stay late.
Thursday, Dec. 20 - Complete toy orders by noon, then eat lunch and distribute beginning at 1 p.m., hoping to finish mostly before kids get out of school.
Melinda will be there since Danny’s mother appreciates what we do and has offered to babysit.We need input from our younger members on toys for younger kids.
This is a year when the holiday falls at an inopportune time, so we just have to deal with it. Work when you can and it will all work out.
We will look for reinforcements to come Thursday afternoon to pack up and haul the leftovers back to Shelby. We will probably just put them in the middle of the garage and put them away properly later but we will see how tired we are. I think we will have a lot of applicants this year but everyone will be blessed for helping.
I plan to visit the Lions Club really soon and see about funds.
If this all sounds confusing, it will work out! just say a prayer!

“Prowler” in good hands

Those who were here for Conference met “Prowler,” a young male dog who “broke into” the house while I was sleeping and tore up the trash. He was a nice dog who brought me the newspaper. When I looked out the kitchen window this morning, he was there looking at me with the newspaper for the second day. However, all of that schmoozing did not work. I tried to lure him into the van with bites of ham, but he was too smart for that. So, I got a rope, made a lariat and got it around his neck. He REALLY did not like that and I had to drag him to the car. He did not bark or fight, just remained grounded. I finally crawled all the way through the car, pulling the poor dog and got him in far enough to shut the door. I took him to the Everman Animal Shelter, hoping to make a deal there. I guess I looked pitiful – I promise that I did not play the widow card. The officer, a young woman I had met before, said that the dog was in good shape and was part weimereiner and shepard, a good mix for kids. She was glad to take him and look for a home for him with children, since he was not ornery - that was my job. I felt good about this and gladly left him. Another blessing!

Purple Cooler

I am looking for the owner of a purple cooler, lunch box type thing that was left in my freezer. Please let me know if it's yours so I can get it back to you!

China Remembered

Seems that I have been home for two hectic weeks, so I thought I should post at least one picture from spending 12 days in China. Picking only one is a challenge, so maybe two, a typical street scene and all of us on the trip in front of the revered Chairman Mao’s famous photo at Tiananmen Square where hundreds were massacred in 1989 during a young people’s protest.

The monster in my driveway

Hopefully, this is only temporary. A new family moved into our ward while I was in China and they have inherited this monster camping rig which is a no-no to park in Arlington (and a lot of other places). I raised my hand in Ward Council and offered to let them put it here so the shooters, motocrssers, etc. would see it. The Bishop said he had already told them they could park it at my place. They are fairly young and need to sell this rig so I am helping out. It is an F250 V10 2001 pickup and a 1999 30-foot fifth wheel camper rig with a pull-out section. It is a challenge to manipulate. It took Troy 45 minutes to get it parked. If you know of anyone who is looking for a deal, this could be it - only $18,500 for the truck and camper. (See boys, I was right it is for the whole deal!)

Cook-Off?

Hi family! Are we going to do a cook-off this weekend during conference? Anyone interested in doing it?

Baby Blessing - Sept. 30th

Hello family! The date for Eddie's baby blessing will be September 30th. Everyone is invited to come, and feel free to bring a friend if you want to! Our sacrament meeting starts at 8:30am. Yes, I know that it's early and we live far away from most of you, so if you can't make it, I will not be offended. We will have lunch afterwards at my house, so please let me know if you're coming ASAP so I can plan for food.

Funeral

I hope this is coherent--I'm running on 2 hours sleep.

The funeral will be at California chapel, 10 a.m. on Saturday. Graveside service will be immediately following, with lunch after that at Mansfield chapel. We had an enjoyable evening reminiscing about Bob's crazy adventures, and the poor eulogy speaker will have a terrible time trying to condense it.

For future reference, the hospice people were absolutely wonderful--I cannot say enough good things about how they handled everything and worked really hard to make Bob comfortable and to make things more bearable for the family, especially Dottie.

All of Jared's siblings will be here, as well as his aunt Elsabeth. Also, most of the grandkids will be here, so we're expecting about 65-70 just with the immediate family.

Mom--want to bring your camera over?!

heaven couldn't wait

Jared's dad Bob von Bose died peacefully in his sleep at 3:23 a.m. on Thursday with Dottie, Jared & I at his side.

Update

Okay, here's an update. I am doing MUCH better, and I am under orders from the doctor to rest and take it easy. It's hard for me sometimes because there's a lot that needs to be done, but I'm learning to let some things go, for now, and relax. I have a doctor's appointment at the end of the week and I'll let you know what she says. Eddie and I are finally getting to know each other. Today is my first day with Eddie and Tommy all by myself, and so far, it hasn't been too bad. Eddie has been officially cleared of all jaundice and eats really well. Before I went into the hospital, he was barely eating an ounce of formula at a time, and when I got out he was eating 2+ ounces at a time! It's amazing what 3 days can do!

Melinda?

Will somebody give us a good update about Melinda and Eddie? Melinda sounded MUCH better when I talked to Saturday, but I still haven't if the baby's okay and how she's doing.

Melinda and a Case of Bad Times

Melinda got admitted to the hospital tonight for preeclampsia. She's going to be okay, but the next day or two are going to be tough for her as well as Danny and the kids.

Please keep them in your prayers.

More Pictures of Eddie

We went over to Melinda's house today and took some more pictures of the baby. He is a sweet little thing!

Eduard Manuel Najera

I'm just covering the bases here till we know what the name is. Surely Melinda will change the title of this post when that happens! (Or she can just call me and I'll do it!) Melinda and Danny's new little boy was born yesterday at 4:30pm. If I remember correctly he weighed 7lbs 12oz and was 20.5 inches long. He has a lot of black hair! Unfortunately I was the only family member able to see him today since he was in the nursery most of the day so here are some photos plus one Danny sent me earlier. Congratulations!

China Itinerary

Leave August 30 - 8:27 a.m. arrive San F 10:05 a.m.
Leave August 30 - 2:50 p.m. arrive Beijing 5:35 p.m. August 31 (time difference)
staying at Jiangxi Hotel
September 1 Tours
September 2 Tours; Peking Duck Dinner
September 3 Tours; Travel to Ji’nan by train 1:30 to 6 p.m. Stay at Litian Hotel
September 4 Tours; Travel to Tai’an by motor coach. Tours. Stay at Taishan International Hotel
September 5 Tours
September 6 Travel to Qufu by motor coach, tours. Travel to Shanghai by overnight train departing at 8:17 p.m. (Sounds like an old Humphrey Bogart movie)
September 7 Arrive Shanghai at 4:50 a.m. (WOW) Tours and acrobatic show. Harbour Hotel
September 8 Travel to Suzhou by motor coach, tours. Return to Shanghai, Harbour Hotel
September 9 Tour and FREE afternoon (I smell shopping). Dinner not included - maybe McD’s?
September 10 Depart Shanghai at 12:05 p.m. on Air China with brief stop in Beijing (1:50 to 4 p.m.) (looks like a shop-stop to me) Arrive San F same day at 12:40 p.m.
Leave at 6:25 p.m. arrive at DFW 11:43 p.m. (Who wants to stay up really late? If no takers, I’ll have the shuttle take me home. I think it is about $25 but I will check with Paul)
September 11 Collapse!
Time difference is like this:10 a.m. FW is 11 p.m. next day in China (Can we ever get this straight?)
6 p.m. FW is 8 a.m. in China next day
10 p.m. FW is 12 noon next day in China
I will do what I can with e-mail and maybe can get a call from here. It costs $1 a minute to phone to the US from China. I will let y’all know more as I learn.
Take care of yourselves. I love you ALL!

BABY?

Melinda--we know all about Anna and Tommy, but what about the baby? What's the plan for this weekend? And how are you feeling? Do you have everything you need, or is just old hat now that you've already had two?! (A word of warning though--parents only have 2 hands. And going from 2 to 3 is an increase of 50%!)

Shades of the Seventies

I am setting up an account at a place that sells tie-dyed T-shirt blanks. If anyone wants to do something really radical for their HOA, reunion, etc., just let me know. They are only $4.85 in regular sizes and are Hanes 100% cotton. They also have kids sizes starting at 6-8 and some even come in sizes up to 5X (not a pretty sight).

...And you thought our family picture was bad!

This picture was taken about 1924 and includes Pappaw Marion Maserang (highlighted in the front) and many that I do not know. However, I do know that the man with suspenders behind Pappaw is Leo Maserang (Marion’s grandfather) and next to him with her hair up and a scowl on her face is Effie Nora Maserang. The young boy in her lap must be Leo Maserang Jr. who was 2 1/2 years younger that Pappaw (born in December, 1922). The little girl in a bonnet next to Pappaw is his sister, Martha. In the very back row, on the right, are Mary Lou and Johnnie Maserang, Pappaw’s parents. You will notice that Gary, Mike and James all favor Johnnie. I also think Tommy Najera looks a little like Pappaw did as a boy with that impish face! I am sorry that we did not find this picture before Pappaw died. He could have identified many of these people. I will call our cousin, Anna Lee, and see if I can send her a copy and have her ID as many as possible. She is well into her 90s, so I am not sure how that will work, but I will try.

More on Bob

Bob is moving to rehab this evening. He is speaking more intelligible words and was able to sit up unassisted at bedside for a few minutes today. He has good reflexes in both arms and legs, but still has a long way to go before he's able to walk again. Dottie is taking things one day at a time and we've scheduled a family meeting for Labor Day to consider long-term possibilities. We appreciate everyone's prayers and concern on his behalf.

President Faust will be missed

President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died at his home early this morning surrounded by his family.


President Faust, 87, had served in the First Presidency since 1995 and as a General Authority of the Church for 35 years. A Church statement today said that President Faust had died of “causes incident to age.”


President Faust was appointed second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 12 March 1995. The First Presidency is the highest presiding body in the government of the Church

Pray for Evelyn Meakin

I got a call tonight from Sara Meakin Purser who reports that her mother, Evelyn, is in ICU at Arlington Memorial with a need for open heart surgery. Of course, she is not up to that so some other lifesaving procedures are underway. She is on a ventilator and has a serious problem with fluid around her heart. Please keep Art and Evelyn and family in your prayers. They have been really good friends and Art was a wonderful friend to Grandpa Bill.

Additional Update on Granddad von Bose

Bob is making progress and they have for sure determined that he had an aneurysm. He is limited in movement and speech and cannot swallow. They will move him to Huguley Rehab which is where Pappaw was when we had that party last year. Dotty told them she wanted him where he could get the best rehab, not just the closest place, so that is where he is going! They have really good therapists there who seem to care a lot about the patients. They will not move him until a feeding tube is installed, so watch for an update from someone. I talked to Susan vB tonight since Ginny is camping.

Update on Granddad von Bose

As you know, we left early on Sunday because Jared's dad was taken to the hospital, having suffered a stroke during their Ward break the fast. As of Monday evening we are still waiting on test results from an MRI. We know that it was a left-brain stroke that has affected facial movement on the right side and the ability to formulate words (called Broca's or expressive aphasia). He appears to understand what people say to him and was starting to regain his ability to say a few simple words as of Sunday evening. He told Dottie "I love you" and she said it was the most beautiful words she had ever heard. Reflexive movement in both legs and arms is intact, but when Jared saw him today he was only using his left arm to gesture, so we don't know yet if he can move his right side. A speech therapist will assess him tomorrow morning to determine how much his language has been affected. His vital signs: blood pressure, pulse and oxygen are all good and there are no clots in his heart. We appreciate everyone's prayers on his behalf and will keep you posted on his progress.

Hail, Hail, the Gang’s All Here or Rejoicing in Your Posterity

It was wonderful to have everyone together for Luke’s blessing and also to celebrate Anna’s birthday. If the cake messed up Biggest Loser this week, everyone will just have to try harder next week. I am posting the family picture which is probably the best of the lot. Special thanks to Linda for shooting the pics.

What is happenin’?

In Connie’s backyard, there is a split trunk tree with large leaves where the trunk is completely covered with a white web-type substance. A lot of ladybugs and their larvae are on the white trunks. We have researched in the Texas Bug Book, online and in some other publications and nothing is mentioned about this web stuff which is pretty thick. I keep telling Connie a monster spider is up in the woods behind the house and just like on SciFi Channel, it will come out one night. She does not believe me. Anyone got a better thought? What is this thick white web?

The Cycle of Plant Life

Sometimes plants grow in my compost heap. Due to all the rain, this has been a very good year for that. I now have potatoes. miniature pumpkins and canteloupes growing. You can see one of the large canteloupes in the upper right of picture. Mother Nature does some interesting things.

MATTEL RECALL

Mattel has issued a huge recall on toys made in China, mostly Dora and some infant stuff. I know some of you have these because I have bought them before for the kids. I do not believe any Action Group toys are in the group but I will doublecheck. Go to mattel.com and click on RECALL to see pictures of all the recalls.

Congrats to Suzy

Congratulations to Suzy who received a promotion to Data Services Director this week. Hopefully, a raise will be forthcoming. She is a dedicated employee who works really hard and really deserves the recognition. Way to go, Suzy!

A grandmother’s house destroyed

During the big storm on Monday night, 2 or three FH houses were struck by lightning. This one in the older part of Heritage Heights was destroyed when the roof caught fire! (Click on the photo for closer details)

Connie & Mitch’s home improvements

I thought y’all would enjoy seeing Mitch and Connie’s improvements they have added. There is a new concrete drive, complete with a turnaround, a new carport a lot like Daddy’s and a new smaller shed to match the big mama shed. Looks good doesn’t it? A new roof is next!

Biggest Loser Website!

I took a minute to set up a website for The Biggest Loser competition. I figured it was easier than posting on other blogs with the weekly updates, to keep it all in one place. Here's the address: http://fowkesbiggestloser.blogspot.com/

I've also included it in the links on this page and on mine so feel free to add it as you wish to your respective blogs!

In case you get your cell phone wet...

I read recently about what to do if you get your cell phone wet. This probably won’t work if you wash it in the washer but maybe for other problems. Immediately turn phone off, remove battery (or you will fry the phone) and place them separately to dry after drying all you can by hand. Possibly placing them on something dry and warm like the cable box, etc. is the best place.

And you thought the Cowboy Church was weird!

When I was at the printer last week, a very tall man was there making a newspaper - handwritten. That’s right, he was writing it out. He introduced himself as Edward, with a nickname of ZebraPeace! He told me he was looking to buy about 20 acres near Joshua so he could build a Circus Church. He wants to save the lost souls from 1 to 31 - the ones who are most susceptible to the ills of today and they can be reached through the circus ministry. We will watch out for this one!

The Biggest Loser 2.0

Yesterday Mom brought up the idea of resurrecting the Biggest Loser competition. I think maybe she was trying to tell me something, but I’ll pretend she wasn’t directing the idea at me. But honestly, I think it’s a great one! I’m not really sure what happed the last time. I’ll take the blame, but as far as I could see, no one was all that interested in weighing in!

So if we are all in agreement (or for those who would like to participate), send me an email letting me know you want to be included and The Biggest Loser 2.0 will officially start on Monday July 23. Mom will again play secret keeper so all weights will be emailed to her. You will have until Thanksgiving where we will actually do an official weigh-in at Mom’s house and anyone not in town can call in theirs that day or the day before. Winner will be chosen by having the most overall percentage of weight lost. I think we decided this would be the most fair.

Let me know who wants to play and I hope everyone has a great week!

Quick Tips

In my recent reading, etc., I have learned the following which may be of help to some of you:
1. I tried this and it works especially well on 100% cotton t-shirts and jeans. Take them from the dryer while warm, hang up and spray with Downy or other wrinkle releaser and smooth them out. They will be wearable without ironing.
2. Think about your 72-hour kits! Do you have shoes for everyone, even the kids? In case of tornado, hurricane or other disaster, think about the debris and other hazards. Substantial shoes, even boots could be needed. Flip-flops probably do not fit this job description and kids will need their feet protected.
3. There is a new identitiy theft going around where your medical info is stolen. Persons who are HIV positive are buying that info so they can receive treatment because they are insurable. Also, SS numbers, etc. of babies are being stolen for some of these same reasons. The thieves change the address on the statements that come from the insurance companies and you do not know that the info has been stolen. An additional problem is that if you ever get info on your records that you are HIV positive or one of the other deadly things, it is almost impossible to get removed. Guard all your numbers and avoid “free” things which will require these numbers. There have been some scams where they set these up especially to capture this personal info. Be careful!

Lost and Found Stone

Most of you remember that about 20 years ago I bought a headstone at a Forest Hill Police Auction for $2.50. We had it in our yard on Anmar Court but I got a lot of flack from the youngsters, so it has been stored out by the garden shed. I have talked about calling the Tarrant County Historical Society, but just never took the time. At a City Party on Tuesday, I ran into a friend I have known for over 40 years and she is now on the TC Historical Commission (one of 38 volunteer members). I told her about the tombstone and she said she could find where it belongs. Well, not to be outdone, since I have a lot of research experience, I went on-line and found it. At first, no luck but then there was a list of cemeteries, so I picked one nearby which would have had really old stones. Sure enough, there was Warren in Hudson Cemetery in south Arlington (Kennedale). Here is the listing:
WARREN, James Monroe
14 NOV 1853
22 FEB 1909
M(ale)
h/o (husband of) Emley Jane [unknown] WARREN; f/o (father of) Louisa Elizabeth [WARREN] NEWSOM THOMAS
He has been dead almost 100 years!
So I drove over there to the cemetery Wednesday afternoon and a funeral party was fixing to arrive, so I could not look around very long. However, I did discover that there has been a lot of damage to the cemetery with badly broken stones, etc. At least the parts are still there. I am sending this over to my friend, Jo Pirtle, and I think she can arrange for the stone to be picked up and to be installed at the cemetery, otherwise if it is just there loose, it will disappear again. If we need help on that issue, I will send up a flare. I will update later.

FREE Slurpies!!!

Yes, it's that time of year again, 7-11 is giving away free slurpies! They are only 7.11 ounces, so they're quite small, but most locations will let you get more than one! For those Simpsons fans, they have a special "Blue Squishie" flavor. Enjoy!

Count Your Blessings!

We don’t often pause to count our blessings! When they did my pre-admission stuff at Huguley, I again noted that we are blessed with good health. Sure, we all have problems, but nothing like they have on their list like liver disease, cancer, stroke, heart problems (some of us maybe but not life threatening), super high blood pressure, diabetes (only Connie), and the list goes on and on and I could say “NO” to almost everyone of these. I could also say “NO” to smoking, alcohol, etc., a blessing of the Wow (Never thought of it as WoW before but it is!). Pause a minute and be thankful because some people have to answer “Yes” to a bunch of those. Also, take good care of yourselves so you will NEVER have to answer “YES” to that long list.

Uncle Gary checks out new heart facility at Harris

Gary has been in the hospital since Saturday night. He overdid it during the day like many of the men in our family, working about 5 hours in the middle of an intense heat day with terrible humidity. He actually passed out in the laundry room trying to get to his bedroom to lie down. His symptoms were low blood pressure and erratic heartbeat (He has A-fib for you techies). Romanda called 911 and ultimately, despite protests, he went to the beautiful high-tech heart center at Harris by ambulance. He got to come home today (Tuesday) and will now avoid strenuous exercise in the heat of the day. At one point, they suggested a Pacemaker but instead are going to do a 24-hour heart monitor next week to analyze any problems. He says he is feeling well and will return to work on Thursday. He has also promised not to work so hard in the heat of the day!

Mom's surgery

Mom had some minor surgery today to clear up a fungus in her sinus cavities (maxillary sinus, above your top teeth). Dr. Shay came in after surgery to report it was very successful, then proceeded to describe it in very vivid detail. Basically, she had a "ball" of green fungus in each sinus (I saw pretty pictures!) that is now gone. The doctor also said her sinus drainage openings were abnormally small and nonfunctional and are now enlarged to normal size. In theory, with the fungus gone her 20-year cough should clear up pretty quickly. She's grounded from driving for 48 hours--we'll see if she obeys that! Otherwise, all is well and she should expect a quick recovery.

I Heard....

...that our little Tiffany is already dilated this week and could very well be on her way to having little Luke sooner than expected! Hopefully an Adams or two will keep us posted! (wink wink, Suzy!)

Tommy's Birthday Party

Hi guys! We're throwing Tommy a birthday party on Thursday at my house starting at 5pm. Anyone who wants to come is more than welcome, and you don't have to bring a present! I know this is last minute, but Danny's parents are in town, and we thought it would be fun to throw Tommy a little party. Mom is most likely coming, so anyone in her area can carpool with her, if you want to save some gas. Let me know if you can come, so I can get an idea of how much food I need. Thanks!

What a Sweetheart!

I spent some time Wednesday and Thursday (30-31st) with Mandie, Brian and the kids. This morning, they took Carter for a checkup and I watched Abby and cooked a turkey dinner. I was so thrilled that Abby liked cornbread and milk - an old East Texas tradition. She kept coming to me with her mouth open for big bites. What a sweetheart! Then while I was checking the turkey, she disappeared. I found her in the bathroom - cleaning the toilet with my hairbrush. What a sweetheart!

MEMORIAL DAY FESTIVITIES

Memorial Day festivities will be at the von Bose home anytime after 1 p.m. on Monday. The usual things will be going on: swimming, games, eating (lots of eating!), roasting hot dogs & marshmallows. The zip line is up and running if you're brave. We'll try to get our neighbor's smoker again for some really good brisket, so bring whatever you would like to accompany slabs of beef. As always, you're welcome to bring assorted friends and near-relatives as you wish. See you soon!

Carter Brian McMurdie

As most of you know, little baby McMurdie came in to the world yesterday weighing in at 8lbs 1oz, 20" long and "round and sweet!" Here are some photos from yesterday. I'm sure Mandie will have many more to add soon! We all agree that he looks like Abby a little, but is all boy. Congratulations Mandie and Brian!

Art Club Mural

Chrystal & Gideon have been working with the "Committee for Painting Elementary Schools" (CPES) from Art Club to paint a 50-foot long rain forest mural in the teacher's lounge at their alma mater. Carrie also joined us for a day--she painted the iguana top left. Over 120 man-hours (woman-hours?) were put into the project. The pictures don't really do it justice--it's quite beautiful and the teachers are thrilled to have a nice lounge to rest in. The principal even ordered new furniture for the room, so it's a super nice place to be.

The pics are: The whole group with a thank you card signed by the teachers, Chrystal kissing Frank, the lemur she painted, and the whole group autographing the wall (Gideon is the one signing his name upside down.)

My apologies to Missy for the poor layout of the post. I'm just excited that I figured out how to upload the pictures without any teenagers helping me!

31-cent Ice Cream!

Tonight, Baskin Robbins is having a 31-cent ice cream cone sale, from 5-10pm. All proceeds go to the Fallen Firefighters Fund. So, support your firefighters and get some cheap ice cream! Visit http://www.baskinrobbins.com/Promotion/31cent.aspx for more details, or find a store near you.

You are Invited

Anna's dance recital is May 12, at 10:30 am at the Wylie Community Center. I realize that there's a lot going on that day, but I wanted to make sure that everyone knows that they are invited to come. Danny and I will record it for you guys to watch on Mother's Day, so you really won't miss much at all!

Um...

Since not everyone has a myspace, I'm going to post this here and see how well my family knows me...


Create your own Friend Quiz here

So yeah, enjoy!

Graduations!

Mark your calendars! Julianne graduates May 12th from UTA with her degree in English (linguistics minor). Chrystal graduates from Summit High School on May 26th at 3 p.m. at the Potter's House (at Dallas Baptist University on spur 408--Suzy's school). We'll keep you posted on other related festivities. For those who haven't heard, Julie will be leaving for Taiwan in July to teach English at a school there. And Carrie will be leaving for Austin in August to pursue her PhD in Economics. Carrie also starts a new job in Dallas on Wednesday. Chrystal got an academic scholarship to UTA and will start there in the fall. So, congrats to all!

Forest Hill Library Ground Breaking

Last week, Mom went to the ground breaking for the new Forest Hill Library. As many of you know, Dad was the first Chairman of the Library Board. We'll be purchasing two bricks, one for dad and one for Maw as a commeration to them. Here's a photo of Mom tossing some dirt at the groundbreaking with Gerlene Harvey and ex-Mayor Malinda Miller.

Zoo Pictures

Here are some photos that Mom took at the zoo. Aren't we all cute? We were very sorry that Mandie couldn't come with us, but she was where she needed to be with Brian and his family since Brian's grandfather passed away last week. Keep them in your prayers, and enjoy the photos. Hopefully we'll have some more photos that Suzy took soon (hint, hint, Suzy)!

Congratulations, Kile!

Kile graduated on Friday from fire training school. The ceremony ended with a traditional "sliding down the pole," something they can't do until graduation. Congratulations, Kile!