Let's See...Poor Miss Julia is still sick so we are making a trek to the doctor's office this morning at 10am. Nothing a like a fever, cough, etc. to take the pep right out of your step.

We had a drop by visit yesterday from Jen, Liam and Grace (Arkansas Family). She dropped off a copy of the DVD from my Grandpa's funeral. That'll be so nice to have. Her sister only lives a few blocks from me so it was nice that they could stop by. Grace even drew us a beautiful picture of a Pinto Pony. She is quite the artist just like her dad.

Also, I have posted a couple of cute Scrappy/Julia pics that John took recently. Boy, that dog is a sweetie and has just fit into our family just perfectly. What a blessing!

Snow Day...Well, the kids are out of school today for a snow/ice day. It has been a relaxed day and it wound up fortunate that Julia stayed home today because she woke up talking about her tummy hurting off and on and by 11:30am she had a fever. It is pretty pitiful to see a non-moving Julia Grace. The tylenol has helped with the fever but now we are in wait-n-see mode to see if any other symptoms/illness occur. I'm crossing my fingers that this is it...

In the meantime, both kids have been working on their fort since yesterday. It has really become quite the hideout with books, games, etc. They even have sofa pillows blocking the entrances so that the dog can't get int to disturb their stuff. It is really funny to see what all they come up with.

Have a great day!

Action Packed Saturday...Jacob, Julia and I went to our next door neighbor's house for a birthday party. Loren turned 4 yrs old and celebrated with a "Pirate Princess" theme. The kids had a ball digging for buried treasure and other games. It was great to meet some other people that will be in our small group bible study starting in February at their house.

Later Saturday afternoon, Jacob and I started a new tradition..."Whoa-Man" Day! It is a spin off of "Man Day" that he does with his dad but really combines "woman" and "man" day. John thinks it is a silly name but Jacob and I think it is hilarious! John and I will each be having out of the house alone time with each of the kids. Since it was a very chilly day, Jacob and I opted to skip the bike ride we had planned. Instead, we went to Blockbuster and rent a couple of kid movies. Then we went to the half priced book store and picked out some books for him and Julia. And I even found the Abba Gold Greatest Hits CD that I had been wanting! Cool! Dancing Queen and other assorted favorites are now blaring through the kitchen as I cook dinner. Yippee! Happy fun music! Next, Jacob and I went out to Tang's Asian Bistro together for dinner. We had a great meal and even brought home leftovers for Dad and Julia. We were happily greeted at the door...yum! We ended the "Whoa-Man" day after Julia had gone to bed by watching Jacob's Speed Racer movie and eating rootbeer floats. Doesn't get much better than that, huh?!?! Not sure we'll jam all that activity into our mom/son dates each time we go but we definitely wanted to start it off with a bang! The "Whoa-Man" Day had been Jacob's idea about a week or 2 ago. It made me feel really good that he wanted to have one-on-one time alone with me as well as time alone with his dad. I know that Dad does super-cool stuff with him and they have that Father/Son bond where they are so close. I love it that he wants that with me, too. As John's Dad always says...We're makin' memories!

Home from the Funeral...I spent Tues-Thurs in Arkansas celebrating my Grandpa's life. The viewing Tuesday night and the funeral Wednesday morning were a real tribute to his life. He would have been happy. At the viewing, Grandpa was all gussied up in his best suit with his best cowboy hat over his hands and the American flag draped over his casket. His last fire helmet standing at the ready at the end of his casket. The slide show of over 150 pictures showed a snapshot of his life that was wonderful and accompanied by some of his favorite songs. The funeral Wednesday morning turned out to be a cold, sunny, bluebird day. It was a beautiful day to say our final goodbyes. Clancy spoke so eloquently about a man who became his dad. I was so proud of him. I don't know how he was able to get through it. Quite possibly he drew on some of the strength he learned from that same man. Trout Fishing in America (one of our favorite folk/bluegrass bands) sang I'll Fly Away and In the Garden. Ezra had lived down the road and it was wonderful that they could be there to join in. The processional to the cemetary was led by a local fire truck and as he was lowered into the earth, a frisky, beautiful white and gray horse ran up and down the fence line saying hello. How fitting for a man who spent his life around horses. We spent these days crying, laughing, and telling many stories of our life with my Grandpa. We celebrate his life and all he gave to us! Rest in peace my sweet, blue eyed Grandpa.

Leaving for Arkansas...I fly out tomorrow for my Grandpa's viewing and funeral. I just don't have the words. Maybe it is a left brain/right brain thing. Maybe it is a head vs. heart thing. My head is very logical and understands that his death was expected and can rejoice in all the times we had. My heart hurts and can't stop crying. Every song on the radio suddenly seems sad. Every new weather element seems a personal message to me. The thought that I can never call him on the phone again is simply mind numbing. I am so grateful to have had all my grandparents so late in my life but as each one passes away, I feel so ill-prepared. How do I put into words all they meant to me and how thankful I am that each of them was a gift to me. It's just not possible. Thank you, God. You planted me in a wonderful family who always made me feel loved. I hope I gave that back and will continue to give it to others in the future. As the old saying goes...We don't always know what we have until it is gone. I love you, Grandpa. I will miss you and remember you forever. Please say hi to Ma Honey and Pa up in heaven and keep an eye on us down here. See you again one day...

Eldon G. Tinsley (October 31, 1927-January 15, 2009)...Last night, my grandpa, Eldon Tinsley, passed away. He was 81 years old. He was well loved. He lived his whole life doing everything 110%...happy, mad, sad, glad. Before retiring from the OKC Fire Department many years ago, he had made it to the rank of OKC Fire Chief. He was also a farmer and had some of the most beautiful land in Arkansas I have ever seen. I have a lifetime of memories going through my head. He told great stories and we spent many a night around the dinner table listening to the tales of his life. As a baby, he would come get me in snowstorms and feed me milkshakes. He tried to convince me more than once that I was eating chicken instead of liver (not true) so I would eat it. He took us on trailrides and swimming in the creek. We slid on trash can lids down the hill in ice storms. We sat and rocked on the old porch swing. He had the loudest booming voice and sounded a lot like John Wayne to me. My son has his same startling blue eyes. He made Jacob a beautiful cedar toy box on wheels for Jacob's 1st birthday. He was a good man with a good heart and to me, he was a wonderful grandpa. He was always there to lend an ear and would do anything in the world for me if he could. I love him so much and will always miss him. I'm glad he is now at peace.

First Week Back...Let's see...This was the first week back to school after Christmas break. The kids were happy to be back with their friends and I was happy to get back to a regular schedule after a fun filled, busy Christmas break. The downer for the week was that the refrigerator was on the fritz and we thought we might have to get a new one. The good news is that by yesterday, John and Jacob had it fixed and we were back in business. Yea! Hallelujah! Who wants to buy a new fridge right after Christmas? Not me, that's who! I got back to my work out routine and volunteering at Jacob's school library and this afternoon we had a playdate at our friends, Sidney and Halle's, house which is equally fun for the mom's so we can catch up and hang out. Our little dog, Scrappy, is coming right along and is becoming a wonderful member of the family. John took him on his run this evening and is working with him on stop, go and sit. He is such a sweet little dog and I have really enjoyed having a dog in the family again. He is a great play friend for the kids and a real snuggler for us all.

Have a great week!