This past week has just flown by. On top of trying to get over the cold we were given, John and I have been working some seriously long hours (longer than usual) trying to get ahead of things before we leave on vacation Saturday. I haven't had time to read my SIR at all. I've got a ton of things to do, and less than 48 hours to do it in. I've been banned from going into the office after we leave Friday night. That "just one last thing before we leave" thing always gets us held up for an hour or so, so after we lock up Friday night, I'm not allowed back in for 10 days - LOL.

I do plan on relaxing on this vacation. We are each taking a couple of books and our swimsuits (John actually admitted today that he needs a new one - WHOA!). We are going to utilize the hotel gym, do some reading by the pool, and hug on kids and grandkids. I can't wait to get my hands on that little 2-week-old (3 weeks by the time I get ahold of her) and John is all prepared to spoil the 2-year-old, if she's not afraid of us. We haven't actually been with her since she was 6-months-old.

John was teasing me the other day about having bought the granddaughters outfits:

Him -  So you're going to be the grandma that buys them clothes, huh? They are going to like me better.

Me -  Why? Because you're going to buy them candy and ice cream?

Him - Yes.

Me - That will last until they are teen-agers. Then they'll like me better because I'll take them shopping for clothes.

Him -  No. Because then I'll give them money.

Ha! He's got me beat.

Wow, no Xanga for two days because some jerk(s) did a Denial of Service attack. I manage to go without Xanga for a few days at a time when I'm really busy, but when I want to get on Xanga, I want to get on Xanga, and I start feeling like I'm jonesing for it when I can't get in. At least it's pretty much back up now. I had to change my password because it wasn't long enough, but no biggie. I'm glad TheXangaTeam got things back up.

On another note, I caught a cold from one of my dinner guests Tuesday night. I'm swabbing Zycam every 4-8 hours trying to keep it from getting worse, but it's working it's way into my chest and head. Yucky! I don't have the time to be sick because there are tons of things to be done at work before we leave on vacation next weekend, but on the other hand, I REALLY cannot afford for any of the employees to get sick. I guess I'll sequester myself in the office and order everyone to use lots of hand sanitizer so they don't pick up my germs.

Today my husband and I have been married 15 years. There have been many ups and downs in that time. Our vows of "in sickness and in health" were put to the test immediately when he came down with Legionnaires Disease a week after we were married. Since then, we've had the health part of our vows, as well as the "richer or poorer" part, put to the test many times. He can be a great arrogant ass sometimes, and I know that I'm a harpie nag sometimes, too. When we are acting like that, it's hard to like each other, but we love each other and respect each othat and always get past those times of "fussing" at each other.

He is my prince charming. The most intelligent man I have ever met (though my dad runs a close second). He has a wonderfully dry sense of humor that I adore. He doesn't show his emotions much, but when he does it is so tenderly sweet that it cuts to the core.

I love you, JD, and always will. I look forward to at least 30 more years together.

Protected post below.

I just finished baking 6 dozen cookies for VBS. I'll drop them off at church tomorrow and then bake some more tomorrow night. I wish I could manage to take off work for VBS. I love working with kids. Maybe next year we'll have a full staff and I can take off a few hours a day for a week to participate.

They were promoting this during church today. It was tons of fun. One of the guys dressed in a jump suit and helmet and came stumbling into the auditorium as Capt. Crash, looking for the people who needed rescuing in the Rescue Zone. Pastor explained that it wasn't an actual Rescue Zone, but that was the name of our VBS. Then we had a very short puppet act from some of the puppets that will be featured during the week. What fun!!!

We heard from all three kids and two sons-in-law today. Wedding plans seem to be coming along for the youngest, who gets married next Saturday. They have made arrangements to video tape it for us. For those of you who have asked why we can't manage to go, this is our heavy printing week. We have lots and lots of newsletters to get done this week and it's a big chunk of our income. We don't have enough staff to run the sales in the stores and get the print jobs done without us. The kids did not ask for our input on a wedding date and when we told them we couldn't make it at this time, it didn't bother them. We already had plans to be down there the first week of July, and had they moved the wedding date back just one week, we probably could have managed it. I don't like that I won't be able to go, but that's just the way it is.

 This week has just flown by. I can't believe it. So crazy. I'll share a pic of my darling new granddaughter, and then some bullet points 'cause things have just been too crazy to make anything coherent out of all of it.

Charity Mae

• Look at all that dark hair. It's almost long enough for her momma to put a barrette in.
• I did manage to get a new technician and a new sales clerk hired in the past couple of weeks.
• I cannot describe the stress I'm under as I try to get these people trained, make up new forms for new programs, and do my normal duties while trying to prepare for vacation.
• Stress is not good for diabetics, but I don't know how to control it.
• I am relieved, however, that we have finally managed to hire some (hopefully) decent people.
• Church is going good.
• I have finally joined the church I've been attending the past 6 months.
• They voted on my membership, along with four others, at the business meeting Wednesday night.
• This church is like night and day from the one I just left.
• It's growing, and has tremendous outreach ministries.
• It's also HEAVILY into supporting missionaries, including several from our own church.
• We leave for Texas in two weeks.
• I need to call and change our reservations with both the car rental place and the motel.
• John has decided he would rather pick the car up a couple days earlier than park our truck at the airport.
• I still think it's less stress to park at the airport.
• The airport is an hour away from us.
• He thinks one of the pros of picking up the rental and driving our truck back home is that we can leave really early in the morning on Saturday if we want.
• I have to agree that is a pretty good pro.
• We will be spending two nights at my sister's house.
• My sweet little nephew is giving up his room for John and I to sleep in.
• Thanks, Courtland.
• I don't think I've seen my sister since my daughter's (the new mommy) wedding.
• That was nearly two years ago.
• I'm also exciting about getting to hear my BIL preach on Sunday.
• I've never really heard him preach a regular sermon.
• He did perform an evangelical musical at my church here in Iowa once.
• He has an awesome singing voice.
• Maybe I'll get lucky and get to hear Courtland preach Sunday night, too.
• I need to get home and get my house cleaned.
• We are hosting the pastor's intern and a missionary for supper Tuesday night.
• Mostly, I need to dust and clean the floors.
• I also have to bake cookies for next week's vacation bible school.
• Did I mention that I really like being involved in an active church?
• Tonight we are taking John's folks out to the mexican restaurant in town for Father's Day.
• Mexican food - YUM!
• This will probably be our last dinner out until we leave for Texas.
• Unless he decides to take us out for our anniversary.
• We will have been married 15 years come Wednesday.
• I can't believe it's been 15 years already.
• I could keep up the bullet thing for a long time.
• Guess I'll sign off for now.

Almost exactly 24 hours after they started her percossin (sp?) drip, D#1 delivered a healthy little baby. She weighed 6 lbs. 3 oz. and is 17 3/4" long. After all that trouble, her APGAR was a 9. D#1 says she looks just like her daddy, only she's tiny.

Thanks for your prayers, and thank God for our beautiful new grandbaby. Thank God that our darling daughter came through 30 hours of labor in shining color as well. When I was hanging up the phone from her, I heard her asking for Coke and anything chocolate, Ha! That's my girl!

Daughter No. 1 went into labor last night. She called first around 10:30 or 11 p.m. to tell us they were headed to the hospital, then again around 1 a.m. to tell us she was definitely in labor. No word since then, but I realize it hasn't yet been 12 hours, and many women go much longer than that. We are expecting Granddaughter No. 2 to arrive today.

Daughter No. 2 called us Saturday to let us know that their grandfather passed away earlier that morning. My heart truly goes out to their mother and stepfather at the loss of his dad. Grandpa lived with them for many years, nearly as long as D#2 can remember. They took care of him during a time when many other families would have sent their loved one to a nursing home, and he was a big part of the kids' life.

I've noticed often during my lifetime where God gives a life to a family just as he's taking one home.

Please pray for the following:

• A safe and healthy delivery of our new granddaughter
• Travel mercies for D#2 and GD#1 as they fly home for the funeral and a visit. The visit was planned before the funeral and they will stay for a month. We'll get to see them when we go down on vacation in a few weeks.
• Strength for their mom and stepdad and the rest of the stepdad's family as they prepare for the funeral.
• And don't forget travel mercies for my mom and brother as they head home from Thailand later this week, and for safety and protection for their missions group during the remainder of their stay.

As of yesterday, I only have one teenager. Our middle daughter turned 20 yesterday. It was a bittersweet birthday for her because she found out her grandfather on her stepfather's side will probably die in the next day or so. Please pray for their family.

I noticed I have a little "LIFE" flag next to my name when I leave comments now, but I haven't seen anyone else with one. I KNOW I'm not the only person who has a lifetime Xanga account, so am I just the only one who didn't turn it off in my settings?

No time to elaborate this morning, but I had a horribly stressful day at work yesterday. Things are seeming to pile up on me, John's putting pressure on me to find another employee for the store ("hire a monkey" he tells me), and I'm starting to freak out about it. Depression is starting to set in, too, which doesn't help things at all. Add to that the stress of planning a vacation, the fact that we aren't able to go to our son's wedding due to timing issues, and I'm a mess.

Please remember to keep Mom and David in your prayers. They are in Thailand this week on a mission trip.